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Showing posts from February, 2020

Vasaloppet 30

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Finally a few minutes of downtime. I write from the shadow of the French Alps, the mountains fading from view behind rain clouds at our elevation (and now snow as I finish writing). More on the Alps soon. In the meantime, a post about the Vasaloppet, one of the largest cross country ski races in the world. Turns out its really a set of races... my dad, Stephen, and I competed in the Vasaloppet 30, a thirty kilometer version on 21 February. Tomorrow is actually the day of the Vasaloppet itself from Sälen to Mora, Sweden-- a distance of 90 km. The race is limited to 15,800 people and will be broadcast live starting at 8 AM Sweden time if you want to watch it! Vasaloppet.tv:  https://www.vasaloppet.tv/ The Vasaloppet itself commemorates the ski by Gustav Eriksson Vasa in 1521. At the time, the area now known as Sweden was under Danish rule and at least in name, part of the Kalmar Unio n (between Denmark, Norway and Sweden). However, in practice, Sweden was operating largely inde