Up, hot cereal down : cold cold start waiting for the race stage to begin. Off we set, still feeling good. Silly songs with another runner to pass the first few miles: made me smile for the whole day. First checkpoint : hot drink. Bag getting lighter as I'm working my way through my food and coffee supply. Forest paths, now by myself. Checkpoint before the start of the lakes. I love these checkpoints : at least one medic with a local Sami at each tent : always interested in you, checking that you're OK, eating, no aches and pains : then often a little kind word to keep you going. Hit the lakes : I absolutely adored this. Easy underfoot - frozen slightly uneven ice. A vast, huge, expanse of sparkling light : forests lining the lake. Just day dreamed, relished it. Watched the team go past occasionally on bikes : so happy and peaceful out there. On and on. Eventually, another checkpoint on the horizon. Ran in, excited to try and make mocha hot chocolate again. This weather is supreme, I've never seen anything like it. Watched the daylight change to Arctic dusk. Still going, still going. Finally some lights on the distant horizon. Shouting from the race director and medic : I'm sure I heard them laugh at my falling over yet again in the ice. Running perfection. Got to the night camp : a remote island. Hot food, a lift on the back of a skidoo to the log cabin where we were sleeping. What an adventure, this is too good. Trying to take it in turns keeping the woodstove going overnight. Surreal, brilliant.
