Tuesday, January 31, 2012 // Marcialonga

3 weeks in high altitude are gone. It was a great camp and I managed to do all the training as planned. I’ve done the same program on this camp for many years, because I know it works! This year I didn’t feel as tired as I was last year at the end of the camp, I think that’s a good sign. Friday afternoon I decided to race Marcialonga (70km cross country skiing race). The race was on Sunday and I was a part off Team Xtra Personell. The best long distance xc ski team in the world! I did all the final preperations with the team and was ready on the start line when my startnumber was ripped off my body from the organizers. 2min later I watched the start from the side…The number I got from Team Xtra was in another persons name and team xtra wanted to rename it after start. Normally that wouldn’t have been a problem, even though it’s not protocoll to do it after start. The problem was that the organizers was pretty sure that the person I got the number from wouldn’t start, so they had put in one of their own Italian skiers at this start position. So, two skiiers at the same start position because both team Xtra and the organizers didn’t follow protcoll. Of course you loose when you are faced against the organizers….I then joined the crew and gave beverage to the Team Xtra athletes. It was great fun to serve the guys and follow the race all the way. On the picture you can see the front group not far from the 3k steep uphill to the finish. Jørgen Aukland in front of Jerry Ahrlin.