This site is about my experiences running, trail running, rogaining, orienteering, hiking, and exploring in Finland
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YbGGDkwXoPI&t= March 1, 2020 - Introducing my new website and YouTube channel. More content coming soon... I’m launching this website/blog to promote all forms of exploring Finland on foot: Running, Trail Running, Rogaining, and Orienteering. I’m also using this to chronicle and share my own adventures here. During my four years in Finland I have spent... Continue Reading →
Photo: Jere Alén *Updated after original publishing: I added a funny video at the end of this post. Last Saturday I ran the Vaarojen Maraton (VM) trail race in Eastern Finland in beautiful Koli National Park. The official race results can be found here. In the end I was 17th male in 8 hours and... Continue Reading →
This page contains a link to my video race report, Manu's video of the event (filmed during the event), several images, and a few final thoughts at the end. Here is a link to the actual GPS tracking during the competition. Here are the results. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J2C7wvmxa1k My video race report. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fuhjzNRmIs4 Manu's race report with... Continue Reading →
Perhaps the most memorable section of this entire race was when I approached the crest of a staggering fell and experienced the stunning beauty of snow-capped mountains in the distance. Photo: Antti Korhola @akorhola Getting there after almost not getting there This past weekend I participated in the Kaldoaivi 57 km Ultra Trail race in... Continue Reading →
Finisher medals In this post I briefly reflect on my participation in the NUTS Karhunkierros 100 miler race from 2016 - 2021. I have included some links to the events and related race reports/ videos. I am grateful that I have been able to travel to this race each year other than in 2020 when... Continue Reading →
Just over a week ago on July 10, 2021 I ran the Beaverhead 100km in Salmon Idaho. Results are here. I did this race once before in 2017 and the 55km version in 2015. This year I beat my 2017 time by 40 minutes although the course is now 2 kilometers shorter. As I posted... Continue Reading →
https://us.humankinetics.com/products/art-of-running-faster-pdf-the I read the hard copy of this book, The Art of Running Faster, by Julian Goater and Don Melvin (2012). Apparently you can buy the ebook or a PDF version online at the website in the image caption above. Actually, I didn't read every chapter, so I feel it would be unethical for me... Continue Reading →
Photo: Jyrki Kukko Here we are again. This report covers my 5th NUTS Karhunkierros 100 miler finish in northern Finland. Before reading further, I suggest having a look at this short video (2 min) from the race organizers this year to get a feel for the terrain on which I have spent many, many hours.... Continue Reading →
https://www.uphillathlete.com/product/uphill-athlete-athlete-book-ship-in-usa/ Training for the uphill athlete: A manual for mountain runners and ski mountaineers. Publish in 2019 by Patagonia works. Written by Steve House, Scott Johnson, and Kílian Jornet. This is the second training book I am reviewing this year (2021). What can I say? My massive readership of at least three demands my work!... Continue Reading →
This event, the Markkasen Maraton, takes its inspiration from the notoriously difficult Barkley Marathons race in the USA, but it is not trying to copy it exactly. The organizers brainstormed what a Finnish version might look like, and they came up with this as an idea for one loop of the real event, which has... Continue Reading →
By Jason Koop with Jim Rutberg 2016 CTS https://trainright.com/ultrarunning/ "What does success look like to you?" asks Jason Koop, the author, in his book, nay manual, nay authoritative treatise on ultrarunning published several years ago. My question is "where has this book been all my (running) life?" I only learned of this book in March... Continue Reading →
