Jörgen Aukland has a very impressive track record, filled with victories from endurance racing classics such as Vasaloppet and Marcialonga. In April, Jörgen Aukland takes on one of his biggest challenges so far; Red Bull Nordenskiöldsloppet. Here he gives his tips on how to best prepare for this tough endurance ski race.
Jörgen Aukland is a pure endurance skier. Each season, he participates in at least ten different races. He has lost track of total number of races, but it has for sure by far passed the 100 mark. When we reach Jörgen over the phone, he is in the middle of a busy competition period. For the fifth weekend in a row, he has run a race in the 2-3.5 hour span. However, the thoughts revolving Red Bull Nordenskiöldsloppet is still there;
– This will be a brand new experience for all of the contestants. A race course that is almost three times as long as most other endurance races is hard to train for, it also makes it hard to know how your body will react.
Red Bull Nordenskiöldsloppet will be his toughest challenge to date. The closest one is Vasaloppet with its 90 kilometers and an Italian 24 hour baton race where he, together with other skiers on his team, managed to cover a total distance of 690 kilometers.
Getting prepared
The key, according to Jörgen, is to be in good physical shape and to start preparing in time before the race. This to get to know your body and find your own speed;
– The more you practice, the better. It is as simple as that. It is difficult to train for a race that is 220 kilometers long, but you should make sure to have at least three to four 100-kilometer races in your body. By going on long training sessions on snow or with roller skis, you will learn how your body reacts and what suits you best.
He also believes that it can be beneficial to gain experience by competing a few other races before it is time for the main race. Through this, you will learn how to open up the race, what and how often you should eat and drink, and also how to plan your race. During the last week before the competition, you should exercise less and replenish your energy;
– Short training sessions will do just fine; try to collect as much positive energy as possible. Try not to worry, instead try to rejoice and look forward to the race. And eat and drink a little more than usual.
However, many people make the mistake to eat to big amounts of carbohydrate rich food just before the race, something Jörgen says is wrong;
– The most important thing is what and how often you eat during the race itself. We have a saying that goes ”a hungry wolves hunt best,” and it really is true. During an extreme endurance race like this, you will have to eat sandwiches, chocolate and other solid foods – not only gel. And of course fill up with sports drinks and liquid at regular intervals.
Dressing and waxing the skis for all hours of the day
In addition to the diet, dressing and also waxing the skis correctly can be a challenge for many contestants. While the elite will finish the race in about ten hours, the slightly less trained can easily face up to 20 hours before making the finish line. So make sure to wear clothes that fit all the hours of the day and its diverse temperatures. Less but not least, the waxing challenge;
– How to wax is something you need to decide just before the race. It may well be that the snow is dry and hard in the morning, to become soft and wet during the day and then re-freeze during the evening. We who use our poles throughout the entire race usually run without grip wax and instead put all effort into good products and structure. But there will of course be waxing services along the course for those who need to brush up on the bracket or glide.
Aims for victory
As the first non-Swedish person to win Vasaloppet twice, he looks forward to a new win on Swedish land. And the goal is crystal clear;
– I aim for victory, although I think my brother Anders and John Kristian Dahl will be hard to beat. But you never know, it might be someone completely unknown who wins. 220 kilometers is something completely different than what we are used to. And for all non-professional athletes, it will be a huge achievement just to have managed the distance.
