Training Log Archive: chitownclark

Rantanen's fiberglass rowboat. Shoved off at 6:45am and quickly outpaced a cloud of mosquitoes, west across three lakes. Rowed well, past wooded islands and deserted peninsulas. After 40 minutes of rowing I entered a narrow passage between two large lakes with fast-moving water, lined with boulders and beached logs. But I wanted to enter and explore the fourth lake ahead, so I pressed on, into the passage and was able to make some headway against the current.

Finally just before entering the lake, one last boulder field to navigate, and my oar touched a submerged rock and broke in half. Immediately the rowboat spun around and started to spiral backwards. Fortunately Lauri had placed a small aluminum emergency paddle in the boat. I grabbed it and used it as a rudder, shooting backward down the channel with the flowing water. From there it was a long paddle back to the cottage using the small emergency paddle canoe-style. But still beautiful, and fun, with geese, loons, ducks and gulls wheeling overhead in the bright morning sun. Another adventure in Finland!

Back at the Rantanen's cottage in the Finn countryside. Overcast morning, completely still with no breeze, and the mosquitoes were out in abundance. Up at 5am and out the low door of our hut in the yard by the lake, and down the country lanes, trying to outrun the mosquitoes. Not successful. Occasionally I'd have to stop and brush half a dozen off my lower leg where they'd managed to alight while I was running. Don't know if that says something about my running speed, or the aeronautical abilities of Finnish mosquitoes!

Mänttä, Finland. Spent the night in regal splendor, as the only guests of this made-over mansion, down the road from the old paper factory that is still turning logs into TP after 150 years of doing so. The owner of the factory lived here during the 1920's, when he and his wife were not on the Riviera or in Spain. Sari remembers seeing his tanned and stylishly-dressed daughter shopping in town as late as the 1970's, looking quite out of place.

Spent this morning's run jogging to all the places Sari spent time as a child: her school, the swimming beach, and the stables where she had her first love...a chestnut mare. Quite an affecting run for me; actually got a bit choked up for some reason, standing on the swim pier at 7am, gazing at that beautiful setting, the trees overhead swaying in the breezes, the brilliant sun, the placid lake...and imagining my wife as a young girl growing up in that environment.

Later Sari's parents, Lauri and Touvi, picked us up at the mansion and we all drove back to the cottage on the lake...after stopping for a "Totally Black" licorice ice cream bar for a snack...only in Finland.

Incidentally Miikka, Soupbone, expresso, who are all ap'ers and have been overnight guests at the cottage on the lake....Lauri and Touvi say hi and wish to be remembered to you.

C • Thanks! Say hi to them as w... 4

Central Finland. Brilliant morning, sun already shining brightly at 5am. Out the hatch of our low shed on the lakefront, visit the composting toilet in the back, and then out on the dirt roads for a brisk run for an hour. Just gorgeous!

This has got to be one of the cleanest, unpolluted places on Earth. Reminds me of my childhood, when California had about 2% of the people it does now. Lush green countryside, well-maintained dirt roads winding between small clear lakes, with red cottages perched occasionally along the shore or on bluffs overlooking the lake.

Temps were in the 40s with a nice breeze as I ran. A bit chilled, but all the more reason to keep moving. I ran a nice 4-mile loop past lakes, forests and farm fields. Then began scouting for a trail that supposedly ran off from the road.

Finn road maps are just like our orienteering maps; same colors and features. But smaller scale, and mapped vegetation is generally only white woods and yellow open. But brown contours and black man-made features, so it is easy to run with one in hand.

Today - over to Mänttä for a BBQ dinner and night in elegant lumber-baron's 19th century mansion, a treat from my brother-in-law Janne.

Running in Helsinki before taking train to Tampere. A beautiful city and a beautiful run. Found a new bike path that cuts through the city on the bed of an old RR track. Ran that to a lakefront, and then paths along the lake, in the quiet sunny morning. Later a great Finn breakfast, with small Makara and shirred eggs.

Father-in-law Lauri picked us up at the station and drove us up to his beautiful cottage, again on a lake. Sauna and swim, then dinner. A great first day in Finland.

All over Helsinki, trying to buy European iPads for Sari's nieces whom we're going to visit tomorrow. Then on some kind of "Beer Trail." Apparently the Finns have developed a taste for microbrews, and it is fun to see how far back they are in developing a drinkable product.

Nevertheless it was a nice day in Finland, and strolling through the old, historic neighborhoods on cobbled streets with occasional harbor views wasn't such a tough way to stave off 8 hrs of jet lag. Now to bed!