Triathlon at Retirement

Cykelvasan (Vasa race on bicycle) is the largest MTB race in the Nordic countries, and it approximately follows the famous Vasaloppet cross country ski track with checkpoints at all the classical controls. Almost 20,000 participants were registered over several races and distances. I was in the main and the longest race called Cykelvasan 90 (it is actually 96km long) with over 5000 participants. Three days before this year's Cykelvasa August 10, I felt I was free from my cold and that I could participate. Five weeks with very little training had gone by. For this reason, I knew I had to take it easy to endure 96km (almost 60 miles) on an MTB. Fortunately, the weather was good on racing day. I noticed very few women in my start group. I have done this race and distance once before, but the track had been slightly changed. Instead of doing the initial climb on a meandering gravel road, we had a much steeper climb on the Vasaloppet cross country ski track. I could barely do it without...

I realize there are several "worlds largest" sporting events in Sweden, and I think O-ringen is one of them with over 16 000 participants. It is a classic orienteering competition and a "must do" for most dedicated orienteers. I am so impressed, entry fees are not that high and there is so much complexity in organizing an orienteering event.  There are classes for everyone, from the littlest doing intro orienteering, play orienteering or just going to the free child minding, to the class for 80+ and everyone imaginable in between. There are full length courses, short length, and easy courses, in every 5 year age group! Then there are elite classes and courses that are age-less. Basically, there is a suitable course for everyone. All of this demands many checkpoints in the woods (many in difficult to reach places) and a specially produced highly detailed map. The arena has several finish lines to handle the complex class system, (handily named by sponsors to the even...