We have been home for almost a month now. Everyone has slipped back into the stateside routines and hopefully is continuing with a happy training regimen. The final part of the trip, the journey from Solleftea to Sognefjell, and our brilliantly sunny week in Norway’s mountains was in part overshadowed  by the tragedy in Maine, but there are things to tell, and I finally think I can sort it out well enough to share it.

The camp in Solleftea wrapped up with a disco night with “trade off” music…two Swedish songs, one North Am and occasionally everyone liked the same one. The head DJ was Robin Bryntesson and he said it was a great success because the Yanks got into it and got the dancing going. Trip vets Lucy Garrec, Mitch Prevot, the “Nates” …Niles and Fuller, and Kelsey Nichols all knew the ropes and the steps and things went on into the wee hours. Where was I? Hiding. I’m old. I hate people and dancing.

Sprint intervals the next morning were a little sleepy, but good. As usual we finished our trip with a BBQ at Bengt Stattin’s home…long game of “Kubb” and the night up at the hunting cabin in the woods. The wake up…I love this about sleeping over there…was a cuckoo…a real one. We drove to Ostersund early in the morning, had lunch and pulled in to Erik Nilsson’s cabin in Bruksvallarna in easy time for dinner. We ran into Erik’s neighbor, Anders Sodergren, while he was walking his dogs, Alfons and Nils. He was beginning the active part of getting back on the horse after back surgery and was starting to train seriously but cautiously. He was interested in who we were and what we were doing and invited the gang to join him on a mountain run the next day. His Level One carries him through the bogs and rocks at a pretty good clip but several of our gang hung in for the whole 2.5 hours. Dogs and kids returned with tongues hanging out.                                                                                                 

The Gang with Anders Sodergren and Alfons and Nils at Erik's cabin

We got an early start the next day and made the drive to Sognefjell in easy time. No issues with Norway’s finest and the ridiculously low speed limits…and that is ME talking! Me! the object once of a ” Hey! Grandma! Hike up your skirt and DRIVE!” from the backseat of a Sun Valley van. The limits are so low that one is tempted to think they are kidding but Matt Whitcombs Visa…payment on the spot please!…has probably still not recovered from his 8 k’s over the limit five years ago!

It was a beautiful afternoon when we arrived at the Sognfjell Hytte. The trails were full of skiers, and the sunshine had the fun meter on high. Our Swedish guest coach, Johanna Ojala, and athletes Micke Ojala, and Martin Liljemark arrived shortly after we did and we settled into our rooms and headed to dinner. The food at Sognefjell is superb and there is a lot of it, four times a day! Things were looking good for a great training week.

Drink Belt Row, Sognefjell, Norway. June '09