The Ice Ultra 19th-24th February
Before I head into the details of every day here are some total daily stats
Stage 1 - 68256 steps 7555cals
Stage 2 - 60879 steps 6996cals
Stage 3 - 57912 steps 6700cals
Stage 4 - 88420 steps 8569cals
Stage 5 - 22718 steps 4419cals
I packed 21000cals for the 5 days and burnt a whopping 34239cals.
Total Time 39 Hours 37 Minutes
Day 1 - Collection day 19/02
I had been in Sweden for 2 days, already been an adventure flying to Stockholm and then the overnight train, a new experience for me, north to Gällivare - the collection point.
I had met and even ran with some fellow runners the day before. As we waited for the BTU team to collect us, it was great to meet everyone and hear a microdose of their journey and why to this point.
Taken further into the wilderness to our start line where comprehensive kit checks and briefings took place before a night's sleep in teepees on a reindeer hide. Epic!!
Day 2 - Stage 1 50km 20/02
Sleep last night wasn’t the best. Packed up and headed to the main building for boiling water to eat and carry out any morning routines before the 0730 kick-off.
Snow beginning to fall, no idea what layers to wear so a base and a hard shell it was. GO! A lovely 12km trot down the road with the lads to checkpoint 1 (CP). Just 4km in my shell and my hat came off and only liner gloves on, I run hot!
Hit CP1 pulled off the road now I was alone and headed across the first frozen lake before a climb still no one in snow shoes. Hitting the climb I made the early decision to get them on and march on up the hill. CP2 next.
I honestly can’t remember too much from here until CP4 I was suffering today one final climb to the top and was met by the photographers telling me I missed an epic sunset. To slow Daryl!
Descending from the top towards a lake, the distance was really hard to judge and I thought I was heading over that…then to my pleasure I began to smell firewood burning ahhhhh yes stage 1 complete.
Into the cabin to dry clothes, and shoes and mend my now burst blistered feet. Food in and bed, needed and enjoyed!
Day 3 - Stage 2 43km Mt Kabla 21/02
Waking up a full 9+ hours asleep not even disturbed by a midnight wee. Legs knew what happened to them yesterday and so did my blistered heels.
Anyway, water boiled for breakfast, electrolytes, and coffee. Freshly wiping my feet and reapplying tape. Good to go! Snowshoes attached, tracker collected, race brief, and go.
Shifting of well down to the frozen lake then using marker posts as a walk-to-shuffle guide clearing the main pack and finding a groove.
Eventually hitting the incline of Mt Kabla wind changed and snow blew across the ground like grains of sand every single piece of exposed skin now covered from the -30 temperatures.
Hitting the highly exposed top windy and clear perfectly beautiful with a distant cloud inversion. The undulating descent was testing my rhythm yet this is exactly what I love.
Finishing the descent hitting CP3 from here it was mainly flat in woodlands pace could be achieved now.
I was in a very good place physically and mentally after this stage I love mountains also the aches and pains had left my body.
Dinner, pits and bits wiped, and bed.
Day 4 - Stage 3 The lakes 42km 22/02
The race director summed this day up nicely you’ll either have it clear and see your finish for 13 miles or visibility will be low and you’ll see nothing. Both require mental toughness.
Being the day before the big one it’s pretty much a commute to an ultra marathon! With that extra cals and water were taken onboard throughout this stage. I had this all ready and prepared for this stage.
Kicking it off by moving from lake to woodland to lake over and over. 21 km to go and one big lake weather came in to begin with and visibility was poor and although temperatures were not down to yesterday I felt my coldest due to a lot more moisture in the air.
So there I was plodding along and in this environment, it’s really difficult to judge distance what looks like 1km away is 4km or more. I start to see a runner in the distance and close in hit CP4 say hi then pass by. Only 11-12km to go.
There are red posts used to mark the route I’d count them and I’d count to 100 steps on my right foot over and over every 500 I’d give myself a bit to eat or sip of water.
Base camp tonight was on an island and with the weather clearing and a snow bike flying passed I could see it in the distance however I still had 8km to go! It looked so much closer blisters at this point beginning to play up.
Reaching base camp I swallowed my pride and visited the medics for advice on my feet and some pads to pack them out. Tomorrow morning they’d do it for me.
Tonight was a double dinner of FirePot Mushroom risotto and BBQ Pulled pork. Sleep was very miserable sleep with my feet sticking to the sleeping bag causing incredible irritation with every move.
Day 5 - Stage 4 The Samí 64km 23/02
Early start for me. We start today at 0630 and I needed to visit James the medic to pad and tape my feet at 0515.
Scoff down and to the medics hut feet taped and antibiotics given due to suspected infection I was on my way.
I had saved fresh bottoms and socks for today in my pack which made everything feel a little more tolerable. Still dark, we had started heading out onto that huge frozen lake able to shuffle I was moving well and I didn’t have my snow shoes on to reduce any further foot damage. Hitting around 7-8km it turned to my lethal death march.
CP1 completed and moved from the lake into the beautiful pine forest back to the lake and it continued this way from CP2-4. Today I gifted myself some music and it was brilliant my spirit was super high and I was singing aloud.
CP 5 had to be passed by 8 pm to continue the long course and I cleared that very well. The light now fading and with it came snow and wind, I felt truly alive. One shorter CP to go and still not in snow shoes I was running bits again. CP6 was complete and James was there asking how my feet were and me. I said “I’m absolutely amazing this is incredible no light cold snow on my face this is what I’m here for”
From CP6 it was only 7.5km to the end still in no snow shoes it was uphill I went through woodland and lakes. I was surprised by the reindeer initially clanging my poles not knowing what wildlife it was after only seeing reflective eyes.
Now the last lake to cross I could see the finish this lake was wet and slushy and I pushed through to get myself in 6th for the day. This was the longest I’d ever done at once and it was amazing!
Day 6 - Stage 5 The sprint 15km 24/02
Today didn’t start until 10 am and I was sick of eating my porridge honestly reaching as I forced it down.
With the later start it left us all twiddling our thumbs patiently waiting to get started and closer to our burger at the end!
Today was no different the feeling in my feet was exceptionally painful to the point I had to resort to codeine 2 minutes before we set off. I didn’t expect to run yet as usual my mind won and as soon as “GO” I was off! Today I was flying. There was a big hill to climb and everyone by now knew I loved a climb hitting the top and running down with strides like a bonding gazelle currently in 5th. Kris had warned us about route marking and I had map-recced the route before as I always do. Hitting the bottom of the hill I knew we had a left turn yet the 4 in front missed this I shouted and screamed to them yet only JJ turned around and re-joined the route.
This was it I was the leader and I wasn’t letting it go. No snow shoes on and running quickly I blasted through the only CP today “I’m not stopping” I shouted to Hatty. This wasn’t about winning when I started I never was in contention however leading a stage I thought let’s end on a high! 1st place on Stage 5.
Across the frozen lakes and into Jokkmokk praying Harriet ignored my message last night that I’d be 2hours because I was well ahead of that.
Up the red carpet and over the line the other 3 that missed the turn were there but they skipped 4.5km today I was the real stage winner. I didn’t make a fuss I made the check point followed the correct route and did the full distance I expect a penalty for those guys as it’s 8 hours for changing kit alone. Yet no such thing I was still 4th I disagree.....maybe you can tell me what you think?
Anyway a well done and a repeat red carpet run as Harriet missed my finish 😅 🚀 and a well-deserved burger or 2 down range before heading to our cabins for the most amazing shower after 5 days before the awards and big eats.
We were even treated to the Aurora after food to top off the most memorable experience of my life.
Now I’m home I’m pretty sad I miss the personal challenge the people that I spent the week with and the simple freedom the Arctic Circle provides. We all want so many things when the truth is we lack the meaningful challenge of at times just having nothing.
We are not the center of the universe no one cares apart from the ones that do and they have your back. Go and be extraordinarily unique I promise you will attract more meaningful opportunities.
Thanks for reading.
This is for all the Ice Ultra 2024 competitors and teams.
Keep raising the default 🚀
Big love DG
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