WINTER FREEDOM

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Who better to help us have frosty fun on the run than people whose country is covered

in snow for a third of the year? Meet the Scandinavians. “Even in the depths of winter, there are people running all the time,” says Swedish ultrarunner Christine Hägglund of her home in the north of the country. “As the roads get icy and it’s dark most of the time we look for snowmobile tracks to run beside (ski tracks cannot be used for running) and run in the forest.” Salomon runner, Yngvild Kaspersen, describes the feeling of freedom. “The paths are always

fresh, barely worn; you can run all day, or all night during the summer. It’s overwhelming at times, it’s so vast.” For the likes of these two female athletes, the challenges of training, running and living in and around the Arctic Circle demand adaptations to technique, apparel and tactics.

“People are very good at using reflective vests and other reflectors, and also headtorches,” says Christine. “Headtorch running is a big thing here, and we have tracks where reflectors are put up on the trees, so you use your lights to find out where you have to go.”

Words Rob Kemp

SPRING SOM EN SVENSK

No, not the vegetable! Get surefooted on icy trails by following in the footsteps of Arctic pro runners

Run like a Swede

MEET THE SNOW EXPERTS

Yngvild Kaspersen, Salomon runner from Norway who took

the Lantau Peaks women’s champion title in October 2015.

Eirik Haugsnes, Inov-8 trail runner from Norway and winner

of his country’s first (43km) Skyrace

Christine Hägglund, Swedish ultrarunner. Adventurer of the Year

2013 for her 1300km, unsupported 39-day run from Treriksröset to Grövelsjön, Sweden.

SÄNK FARTEN Go slower

SPRING AVSLAPPNAT Run relaxed

UPP MED HUVUDET Keep your head up

SPRING PÅ FRAMFOTEN Run on your

forefoot

FÖRKORTA DIN STEGLÄNGD

Shorten your stride

CENTRERA STEGET Centre

your feet

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➜ FIND OUT HOW TO RUN WITH

CONFIDENCE ON ICE

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WINTER FREEDOM

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Utrusta dig rätt Wear the right kit “In Sweden we say ‘Det finns inget dåligt väder, bara dåliga kläder,” Christine adds. “It means there is no bad weather, just bad clothes.” The good clothes, according to Hägglund, have a bit of a theme to them. “Wool, wool and wool is the best,” she insists. “Woolnet and stretch knits bind more air in between the threads which keeps you warmer than plain knits. Many of the new super-thin merino sweaters get too sweaty in winter, as the plain knit makes them too ‘flat’, so they stick to your body and make you cold. The loop, net, and stretch knit don’t get sweaty the same way as they carry much more air.”

There’s something for the chaps to consider, too. “You can’t go wrong with a pair of windproof wool boxer shorts,” insists Magnus Helander, trail runner from Gotland in Sweden. “When I ran the 75km Ursvik Ultra this year it was -7°C at the midnight start and +3°C when we finished nine hours later. Everything froze; water, gels, hotdogs, even the ketchup! Those shorts were invaluable!”

A Buff, or similar tubular headware, is an essential Arctic accessory. “Used as a scarf and pulled up over your nose if it’s really biting out there,” says Christine Hägglund. “We use two or three that we roll around the head and in front of the mouth. You first take one around your neck, mouth and on your head, then another one around the head and down, to protect the skin from frostbite.”

Undvik att halkaAnti-slip tricks“When running in snow and ice you always have to be more aware of slipping than when running on asphalt,”

says Yngvild Kaspersen. “I’ll cross-country ski

over the winter too, for fitness, but when I run I change my stride, taking smaller steps, paying closer attention to the path.”

“I don’t run as ‘clean’ on winter trails as I do on summer roads,” she adds. “I’m often a bit more tense and when running in the snow, it’s like running in mud, your pulse gets quicker when lifting your legs higher to get through the snow.”

Gear changes are essential for Arctic runners, too. “Running spikes are standard for more icy runs, but also a good trail shoe with solid grip but softer rubber sole so that the spikes are more forgiving on rockier runs,” says Norwegian runner Eirik Haugsnes, who puts his Inov-8 Orocs through some tough challenges.

“Icebugs [a brand making metal-spiked trail shoes] are very popular here and, of course, they were invented in Sweden,” adds Christine. “Some runners opt for ‘studding kits’ to fix spikes to the trainers they’re used to running in, but they usually don’t last a full season.”

In the extremes, running pace is impacted upon by the colder air temperatures, too. When it’s very cold

many runners start a little bit slower just to adapt their lungs to the temperature, but when it’s really cold (-15°C to -20°C) many opt to use a mask. “These convert the cold air to warm,” says Christine. (The cold air mixes with the exhaled warm air and is warmed up).

“Running on snow and ice means you work a lot harder in your effort and that has a better long-term effect on your training overall,” says Yngvild.

Much as a stunning Scandinavian backdrop can make for an inspirational run, Yngvild, Christine, Eirik and Magnus all confess a love of the challenge these long, dark winter nights present.

“I love running in the pitch black with just the headtorch and the sound of studs grinding away on snow and tarmac,” says Magnus Helander. “The cold biting away at my cheeks, breath creating a cloud when exhaling. Just me and a small cone of light in front of me – it’s a fantastic feeling of invulnerability and self-reliance.”

Ät för att hålla värmenEat right for warmth

When it comes to keeping their engines running in an environment

like this, each has their own tried and tested approach to fuelling.

“It’s mostly about trying to carry warm drinks if you’re out for a long time,” says Christine. “Running with a bladder in a backpack doesn’t work as the

water in the straw freezes.” But Magnus has a neat trick to

keep things flowing on frosty days. “During the race it’s a challenge just

trying to keep the gels from freezing,” he says. “But I have learnt that if you have a hydration pack then blowing the water back into the bladder after drinking some stops it freezing in the tube.”

“Whatever you take, you have to pack it close to your body as the heat you generate keeps its palatable,” says Christine. “Mudcake, a sticky Swedish brownie, is something many people bring when running. Skyrunning Champion Emelie Forsberg often talks about how she’d run with that at the start of her career.”

“Bring a vacuum flask with hot chicken broth, nothing fancy, just a cube of organic chicken broth with hot water in a thermos and shake,” insists Magnus. “The night before a race I’ll have a fat-and-carb load-up by frying flakes of bacon, mixed with frozen green peas and a jar of sour cream, then adding that to a massive amount of pasta. On the morning of the race it’s a peanut butter sandwich and coffee. I’ll have an energy drink too.” But no ice with that…

NORSE CODE ARCTIC WINTER RUN GLOSSARY

‘En dag uten trening er en dag uten mening’

A day without training is a day without meaning

‘Om du ikke er blaut på beina, så har du ikke løpt’

If your feet ain’t wet you haven`t been running

‘Det finnes ikke dårlig vær, bare dårlige klær’

There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing

‘Varje steg räknas, bara att köra på.’

Every step counts, just go out there.

‘Jag älskar att springa.’ I love running.

Ice spikes will help keep you upright on wintery trails. See review last issue TR Dec 15/Jan 16

‘The paths are always fresh, barely worn,

you can run all day. It’s overwhelming at times,

it’s so vast’

WINTER WARMER

“In Grytan near Östersund in the cold north of Sweden is a refugee transition centre. They’ve started a running club ‘In-löparna’ with donated equipment. It’s nuts – most have never seen snow or have run (voluntarily) in their

lives.” Swedish runner Magnus Helander

S’NO TROUBLE

“Ice and snow are two very different things. Cold, packed snow

is a perfect surface and if really cold (-15 to -20°C) it’s not slippery. If it’s icy or the snow’s surface has

hardened into ice, you will need ice spikes [below right] to run with

confidence.” Anders Burman, trail runner from north

Sweden

Protect your head, neck, nose and

mouth from the cold