An excerpt from an email from Dan on January 17

Everything is going well over here with the temperatures rising and the sun lifting it's lazy head over the hunched shoulder of the distant hills. The red on the thermometer even crossed the threshold into tempeartures above zero which left some of us here wandering around outside in wonderment at the softening snow wearing t-shirs and feeling like we were in the wrong country all of a sudden. We've had a couple of big days and the past 2 weeks have been heavy so everyone is a little tired though still going strong. Nick and I had a good race in a local open night sprint last night. It was heaps of fun. The race started at 7:30 in the evening well after the sun had dipped out of sight.

The race course was lit with candles and lights strung between the trees which surrounded the course, many of which generously offered up a good portion of their foilage for us to ski on. An act of kindness we all appreciated very much, especially those attempting to wax for the classic leg of the race. The race was a 2man calssic/skate relay/sprint thing where one of each pair of skiers got to skate, and the other classic. Each discipline had their own little loop and each skier had to complete three laps. The classic was to start first, followed by the skate and so on...

The days leading up to the race held much arguement as to who would get to skate of the pair of skiers. (Nick/Dan, Esther/Sal Finn/Rob) The girls being more mature and sensible as in most things quickly decided who would do what. Finn hurt his back playing Basketball on skis during the leadup and so that combination was out which left Nick and I to sort ourselves out. Nick was quickly dubbed classic skiier by myself and Finn. Finn I think trusting in my reputation as a super-fast starter to guide his decision. So with both Finn and I on the same side Nick resorted to vain attempts at bribery and blackmail to try and reverse his postion which mentioning his displeasure periodically in the days leading up to the race. But to no avail. So on the night of the race Nick broke out the klister, picked up a pair of classic skis and headed for the start line alongside a bunch of burly swedes (and leon).

Our aim for the race (as decided in the car befor our warmup) was to finnish as close as possible to Leon/Paul and Dick/Michael - some guys from the Folkhögskola. Nick said that he'd be able to handle Dick and Leon if I could take care of Paul and Michael in the skate leg. So with our with our tried and tested race plan of, go as fast as possible for as long as possible and see how it goes, we both knew exactly what we had to do. What master tactitions we are. hehehe. The gun went and Nick disappeared round the first corner toward the back of the bunch narrowly missing a big pileup at the back.No too long after I heard the first in-race report from finn. Somthing to the effect of; 'Get ready dan. Nick was leading by at least 3 meters round the second corner!' (hop around excitedly and bob head)

That seemed a bit too much excitement for me before the race had even begun. I thought 'crap this might be a big dissapointment when I begin and lose the lead straight away.' Fortunately/unfortunately as I lined up in the changeover Nick was not the first skier in... nor the next... nor the next... Soon though, Nicks looming form emerged from the darkness just in front of Dick and straight after Leon as promised.Now it was my turn. Out of the start/finnish area and I began madly chasing the fast moving form of Paul Murray who was screaming away out of the satrt area. The course began with a gradual uphill section where only slight dips and hollows changed the terrain. I was able to stick with Paul through this keeping the bright blue and white lycra of his mora club outfit in sight. The course then followed a sweeping s-bend down a gradual incline that soon became a steep and sketchy hill where tucking was the only option and keeping your balance was a difficult task at high speed. The course then doubled back on itself heading straight up the hill we had so easily descended moments earlier. Racing up the hill was tough as Paul had passed a couple of swedes and the pace was on. I had to jump skate most of the time just to keep up but somehow managed to keep with the group and hold enough in reserve to maintain my speed over the more gradual section and double time it past a couple right back onto Pauls tail. Following him in and breathing hard I handed the gauntlet back to Nick who rocketed off after Leon. A short lean on the poles with my head between my gloves and I began to move around again anxiously awaiting the return of my partner in this crazy escapade.

As the first guys came through I looked over at Paul, he was dead tired after a long week of training and didn't have much left in his legs which gave me hope of hanging onto him once more. I looked again for Nick through the trees hoping for any kind of advantage he could give me. There it was, he came storming into the stadium a coulpe of meters ahead of Leon. And just like a barrage of torpedoes heading of to sink a cruiser we were off again - about 5 or so skiers shot out of the stadium in as many seconds.This time I had a clear track ahead of me (newsflash; you can check out the guys we ski with on the web now. Just this afternoon sone of the school's skiers put up a website as part of a class. The site is www.mora.fhsk.se/skid it's better if you read sweedish.) though no bright ski suits to follow through the candelit section of the course. I could hear Paul just behind me every step of the way. Luckily it was longer than the average sprint at 1.8k and the hill at the turnaround was long and steep, I managed to keep up the pace and hold Paul off till the next changover. Go Nick!

Another short break before the sheep were to be sorted out from the goats... Nick came in just behind Leon and dick after a vallient effort trying to hold off the two who had worked togeter and passed him on the hill. Off again for some more pain. It's the last lap and somehow you can find that little bit extra because soon it'l all be over. I put in everything in the early stages and managed to pull a bit back on Paul. Tucking in behind a swede I caught my breath down the steep descent and round the hairpin. Up the hill ahead there was a sewde, paul, then three more swedes. Paul was looking tired and I managed to double time it past him and the swede as the hill flattened out then grab the tail of the next few guys and follow them into the finish...

After the race we loaded ourselves into the van and grabbed some Pizza which we took to Paul and Leon's place before heading home to Mora. Yeah, so that was our interesting day for the week. There is another race in Ratvik this weekend and that should be fun as well.

Daniel