Nattvasan - Cross country skiing from Sälen to Mora in the glow of the headlamp

Nattvasan 90 km. Cross country skiing from Sälen to Mora in the glow of the headlamp. It is the longest distance I have ever skied and longer competition time than I have ever competed. But when I was asked if I wanted to keep up and compete in a team, I of course said yes. What an adventure!

On the day of the competition, there were a lot of competition nerves. How do you best prepare to keep your energy up? Would you get hungry during the race? What is the easiest way to get energy when you are wearing both gloves and poles? The morning was spent preparing. The plan was to run with a running vest with two soft bottles in front - One with sports drink and one with mixed gels. Sports drink was mixed in two soft bottles, one to have from the start and one to replace halfway through. The obvious choice fell on Moonvalley's Apple - good and fresh taste and easy to swallow. A couple of Moonvalley bars were chopped up into mouth pieces for easy access in pockets. Additional bars were packed in the lanyard bag to be thrown along the track by the support team. Headlamps were charged and competition outfit decided.

The start was at eight o'clock in the evening, so we had time for both lunch and a light dinner in the late afternoon. On top of that, chocolate, candy, and a bottle of sports drink were consumed hours before. Just before the start, the plan was to eat a Moonvalley energy bar and get some caffeine.

Weather conditions were not optimal this year. The days before and on the day of the competition there were less than ideal temperatures and drizzle. We prepared for slushy tracks. But the conditions are the same for everyone, so all you had to do was prepare yourself.

Once on the skis at the start, the atmosphere and nervousness were at their peak. At the given signal, all competitors turned on their headlamps and the starting area was illuminated. Cool! The starting shot went off and we were off!

The Vasaloppet starts with a couple of kilometers of uphill. With people, skis and poles everywhere, it was important to keep an eye on your fellow competitors so as not to break any poles. We got up without mishap and we and a string of headlamps in front and behind started the journey towards Mora.

The first three miles went quickly and the skis slid quite well. Along the track we were met by people who had come out in the dark to cheer. Some sat and made fires. Some played music. Some had lit lanterns and marshals. Very atmospheric.

It was key to get energy from the start to avoid energy dips. There were sips of sports drink and small sips of gels, and occasionally a couple of mouthfuls of bars. When we got about halfway, to Evertsberg, support was waiting and we stopped for a short while to catch our breath. An empty bottle of sports drink was replaced with a full one and we continued the journey.

The last half of the race was tougher. Driven and very wet tracks gave minimal sliding and nothing free. But we fought on. At the last support, after 62 km, we were given an extra energy bar, which helped a little against the hunger that started to show itself. There we were told that we were the second women's team, which also gave a little extra energy. Then it was just a matter of trudging the last 28 kilometers towards Mora in the persistent drizzle, and it was a battle against the ground. Even the downhills didn't slip and flat sections felt like uphill. I continued to sip on sports drink and what was left of gels and bars. My teammate was in front, pulling and cheering. We had weather conditions of sub six hours and had to maintain a reasonable speed up to succeed.

We approached Mora slowly but surely and the closer we got, the deeper I had to dig to find the strength to keep up the pace. The energy was gone both in the body and in the vest. In the end we skied into Mora and after one last hill and a left turn came the race and the so welcome iconic finish arch. We skied in at 5:56:48, as second women's team and eighth overall. Finally!

It was one of the hardest things I've ever done. But also one of the coolest. Grateful to do it in a team. Grateful that the body was able to perform all the way. Grateful for support and grateful for all the energy I received. I could sum it up with two bottles of apple sports drink (about 400ml each strongly mixed), five gels, three Moonvalley bars, a fruit squeeze and two caffeine candies. I would have liked an extra bar and some extra gels to maybe not sink so low in the last mile. Energy really is A and O.

See you again Nattvasan. Next time, please offer faster tracks!

Written by our ambassador Johanna Widarsson Norbeck.