By now Spike is in Sweden. Just *where* exactly he might be is anyone's guess. But as to what he's doing, that's easy! I think we can safely say he is quaffing sports drink fluids made from the essences and excesses of surstromming. He's probably also wondering how it got so cool so quickly, a fact that most others would easily attribute to a change of location from KC to (almost) never hot Sweden. If he's going to be running in the Ostgota 3 Day this weekend, then will he be taking the Anders Erik Olsson tactic of preparing by running hard intervals the day before the races begin? We will just have to wait for Spike reports and see.

-- Swampfox (wmikell@earthlink.net), July 12, 2001

Answers

I am in Uppsala at the lovely home of Magnus and Sanna.

I ran my first event last evening -- I ran around a park course at the Uppsala castle. It was quite a nice event. 20 minutes of running was enough for a first day after a long flight.

I should have internet access for the next few days. My priorities when I'm online are checking my email (meglinski@yahoo.com while I'm in Europe), and updating my blog (there is a link from http://www.geocities.com/okansas.geo) and my training (at attackpoint.mit.edu).

-- Michael in Uppsala (meglinski@yahoo.com), July 12, 2001.

The Council of Old Farts has met and has by acclamation adopted the following decree: That Spike shall do training upon the 1984 Tio-Mila map known with affection as Rorken, and that the Forest, being fair and fine, will not gnosh upon the legs of the Spikeman but will instead welcome him into its marshes with Kindness. But the Forest shall refrain from attempting to ply Spike with Siren Songs of Virgin Forest O-Nymphs, Spike being of the married sort, and NN~^\ presumably not eager for the nymphs to try their trade with her Husband.

-- Swampfox (wmikell@earthlink.net), July 12, 2001.

I heard tale that Spike's first training course at Lunsen was done at about a 10 min/km pace. That might be good to start out, but look for Spike to speed things up a bit in the days to come.

He'd better speed up anyway the way Snorkel has been hyping up his name in the Östgöta 3-dagars gästbok!

-- Mook (everett@psi.edu), July 12, 2001.

10min/km pace around Uppsala??? This doesn't sound good. It sounds very bad, in fact. This is basically dying-granny pace. Obviously Spike hasn't been diligent enough about sipping his surstromming flavored sport drink during the day. Hopefully Magnus and Sanna are alarmed and are preparing to suggest corrective measures.

-- Swampfox (wmikell@earthlink.net), July 12, 2001.

I was pretty satisfied with my granny pace at Lunsen. Lunsen isn't child's play.

-- Michael in Sweden (meglinski@yahoo.com), July 12, 2001.

There's nothing quite like eating a Moon Pie after spending the day touring Lunsen at granny pace!

-- Mook (everett@psi.edu), July 12, 2001.

By now Spike's thoughts are probably turning towards the inevitable: Oringen!

Is a top 20 placing in the cards? It won't be easy. Especially if the King of Lunsen has ordered out the trolls into the Uppsala forests.

Still, now that Spike has been reinforced by NN~^\, and with rumors of the additional posting of the Rooster to Sweden, anything seems possible.

-- Swampfox (wmikell@earthlink.net), July 21, 2001.

Remember, tomorrow would be the ideal time for Anders Erik Olsson intervals!!!

-- Swampfox (wmikell@earthlink.net), July 21, 2001.