I just started my thesis in Switzerland. Wow! It's incredibly stimulating. I arrived last Friday and is staying with a couple of Swiss in Wettingen outside Zurich. They have been fantastic, friendly and helpful. This post will be about my first weekend in Switzerland and illustrate the benefits of doing their thesis work here!

Saturday

On Saturday I was out a little on the Swiss countryside and visited the parents of those I live with. We went to get my bed. Then it was a trip to Zurich. In Zurich I walked around a bit. From Hardbrücke (Central Station), I went central street towards the lake. The streets are lined with three main activities; watch stores, banks and clothing! There are also some hints of chocolate shops.

A street in Zurich

Down by the lake, the view is fantastic. In the background you can see the Alps , towering on the other end of the lake. After having looked at the view I walked along the river further up towards the ETH. On the way is a lot of restaurants and I stopped for a cup of glüwine, good!

Sunday

After being warmed up on Saturday, I felt it was time for an excursion. I just bought a Train Car cards in Switzerland (443 CHF / month) which I intend to use frequently. With the card you go everywhere in Switzerland by rail, buses and trams. The trains are very punctual and well in Switzerland, SJ has a lot to learn on a field trip! (I like the way Linköping University's analysis of how SJ is to solve problems; timetables have to leave gaps and does not charge any train that much. In short, create slack, as they say in Operations Management).

Perfect trails and incredible views from Flumseberg

Via Zurich, I took the train to Unterterzen. There's a train directly that takes about an hour. Once in Unterterzen is a cable car all the way up to the alpine resort of Flumseberg (1400m asl) where you can ride both downhill and. I went skiing in perfect track and was relatively self. There were changing rooms and vallabod. There were many restaurants. I had of course a Bratwurst. The weekend ended with a fondue with my flatmates. Fondue is cheese cheese cheese in which you dip bread man drowns in vodka. There are other varieties of meat and broth, or with fruit and chocolate. But, beware my stomach!

Fondue

I have implemented Vasaloppet. Sitting and writing at a computer at school we live. Found a network cable. I am very happy with my results. 6:12 was enough to medal. The location was 2811, which means I went on about 1000 people. To find results in Vasaloppet and see guideway profile, you can use this link !

The start of Vasaloppet. 16 000 skaters stand in his way to a terrible rumble. The power is awesome!

Next year maybe I'll start in point three. Not quite sure what my score enough. However, bear me to be in Australia when Vasaloppet go so it will be until 2011 the next time!

The race was as I said, very tough. I had trained a lot of skiing, but no gym. Good for art, but a pain in the back and triceps. During the race I changed and Kristin Anderson place alternately. She went to me and I went about her. In Hökberg I stopped at Mom and Dad and herded about. Then she went for me. I came up with five kilometers before Mora and asked:

Should we cross the finish line together or we sprint!

Anderson responded to my horror:

We do!

I snatched two kilometers before the finish. In Brobacken she was caught up with me again, and shrugged. I had no chance at the finish! Very well traveled by Kristin ending the 90 th girl, congratulations!

Have you, like me, problems with cold feet while skiing? The toes become like ice cubes and thaw slowly in the shower afterwards? Have you tried everything to no avail? I have the solution. Not just any sock at any time without X-Socks super sock in merino wool .

I was very dejected when I was persuaded by a salesman to take up the offer of SEK 250 for a pair of socks. Normally I buy is not easy selling tricks, but this was an exception. Entertainment factor was high on the vendor who was sockexpert on TeamSportia. He explained cheerfully that:

X-Socks, Socks for Vasaloppet

The first "Merino wool. It is the best wool. "

The second "X-socs of silver wire. It is antibacterial, does not smell .. "

(As if no socks would smell I thought and got a good reason to give them back if they had worked)

The third "Wicks away moisture and keeps the heat"

The fourth "Thin and fine"

The fifth "Left and right sock"

After testing the socks, it is no longer any doubt that this salesman was actually right. They work amazingly (but only in ca. -2 And 3 miles of biking, so I make no guarantees at lower temperatures)! Choose the right equipment to Vasaloppet!

Today I have been out of Landvetter track and traveled seventeen kilometers. The track is 2.5 kilometers, so it was seven yards. It's OK Landehof as proofs, the same club as I am a member of and shall go with the Vasaloppet. A track card costs $ 60 per day, 300 crowns for a season ticket member and SEK 600 for nonmembers.

Track Map Landvetter, 2.5 kilometer-sized yard; 1.2 km small yard

My set-up two weeks before Vasaloppet is to train hard until the weekend before. After eating and resting. I'm betting on short stretches of 17 km at a high pace. Rather than mapping to make use of his legs, all in order to maximize the force of arms to Vasaloppet. Träningsporgram:

• Saturday, February 14 - Ymerloppet. 4 mil seeding races to Vasaloppet. See Ymerloppet: seeding races to Vasaloppet
• Sunday, February 15 - 17 km in Landvetter →
• Monday, February 16 - 17 km in Landvetter →
• Tuesday, February 17 - 17 km in Landvetter →
• Wednesday, February 18 - 17 km in Landvetter →
• Thursday, February 19 - 17 km in Landvetter →
• Friday, February 20 - Rest and trip to Vasteras
• Saturday and Sunday, February 21 to 22 - hard riding in Vasteras and Arvika. Aiming at a distance more than 4 mil per day.
• The week before the race - Rest, walking, lots of food and a jog.

Last year I drove a lot of gym training before the race. This year I put off with gymmandet before Christmas and since then has concentrated on just skiing. I do not think I have the same form in stakåkningen but I've definitely improved my technique!

The Vasaloppet do I get the OK Landehof and their coach. We live in an old cottage in Berga Village, within walking distance from the start. On Saturday before the race, we test skis in many booths. Read my story from last year's cross country !

Today I, Sofia, Sofia's father and another family had gone to Boras to run a seeding race. The dreaded Ymerloppet. A seeding races to Vasaloppet shall be 4 mil and have 100 or more starters. The purpose of a seeding race is to förbättre its starting position to the Vasaloppet, which has a mass start, and ten startled. Mass start means that it takes between one and two hours for the last starting to konna the first two kilometers, then start field become sufficiently utsträkt order to be able to go.

The start of Ymerloppet

Last year I started the startled 10 because I seeded myself and was notified a week before the race. My time in Vasaloppet handed to startled seven this year, it is hoped that today's Ymerlopp must change detta.Vänligen study tables for how a seeding race ranks: http://www.vasaloppet.se/ ...

How well one's performance is dependent on various factors considered by the management of Vasaloppet. One factor is the time over the distance, as in my case was about two hours and nineteen minutes for 40 kilometers. Vinnaen went for just over two hours.

After Ymerloppet

In the second race where the winner had a time of two hours of my time has been sufficient startled three. It is not certain that my race makes as another factor is the ranking winner and other contestants have to come before me. Is he talented winner will run a high status.

It is my hope, anyway I'll förbättre my placement from point seven to five, which should not be impossible.

Ymerloppet had about 131 starters (as speeker). Of these, some very tough wearing tvävlingsdräkt.

Balance at the speed Ymerloppet

As an engineer, I wonder of course how this affects performance. Firstly, a competition apparel incredible respect. If I see a costume contest, I think immediately that it is a fast skater (which of course is not necessarily the case). Race suit should also have reasonably aerodynamic advantages, and be better able to convey the Wallet. The question is what return on investment (RoI), I can get in a race outfit of 1500 SEK. The suit will probably be used sparingly, perhaps a few times a year on my skiing career goes on.