Race starts in 1,5 hours

Registration went well. Not much new information was given than we already knew. I guse that will be on the fly. So next four days I (we) will bike through Costa Rica and it’s nine micro climates. The course lingures it’s way from west- to est coast. Over two vulcanos, trough djungel, felds and over mountain passes. They chanched day two, witch will be brand new for this year. That’s an extra vulcano, plenty more of uphill and more mud. They thought that day was to easy so they made it harder for this year. At the meeting they said one thing of interest. That one check point on day two are impossible to set up because they can’t get to it. It’s been raining more than usal through the rain season so it’s to muddy, rockey and slippery getting there by car. We start 06.00 am outside Quality Hotel in Jaco.  Our starting numbers are 168 = Steven, 169 = Dan and 170 = Me (Staffan =).  We are totaly 231 competitors for this years La Ruta de los Conquistadores. You can follow and look for us at www.adventurerace.com of what we understand. Thanks to all of you that reads and follow me (us) on my blog. Let me know if you have questions and I try to answer them. I will update hopefully every night next days and let you know how we are progressing.

231 red bags

In the lobby before race meeting yesterday. 

My lens gave this picture a funny perspectiv =)

Race meeting

Time for registration

From left, Dan Weatherbie, Steven Rule & Staffan Bjorklund as Team Blakes LotaBurger.

We are soon heading over for registration. Before that we had to take some photos for some American news papers that will write about us and our race in Costa Rica. 18 hours to start and we feel pretty good. It rained a lot this night witch mean that it will be muddy. The worst is the red mud that stick to everything and everywhere. But we are hopeful!

Hi Costa Rica!

I have now been in Costa Rica for four days and meet up with my teammates at the airport fisrt night, they got all there gear but not me. I had to wait 30 hours before I had my bike here and could relax, take a deep breath and focus on the race.
Two days ago we were checking out first part of the race courses for the first day. Interesting, I will give you that. First 20 km is like climbing Everest, it's steep, really steep. I have never seen such a steep gravel/farmer road before in my life. And it's consistent, it never levels out. On top of that, we have lose rocks, mud and clay on the road. You can only, (or I/we) use the first gear. Did I tell you we are in the djungel too, rain forset surrounds us everywere, monkeys swinging in the trees looking for food. It is so humid all the time so it feels like standing in the shower, sweat poring down your body like from a tap. That's my/our biggest concern right now, to lose much water and dehydrate because it's hot, really hot. Specially for a swede. But I/we look forward to the race and wish it starts soon. It's less than 48 hours until the first day is done. I think this will be a great and amazing way to experiace a contry. It is so beautiful when you reach the top of a mountain here and can look out over the contry side. To finish this inlay I will just say, after my short experiace of the race course I now understad way the call it, more than a race... personal growth journey!

View from balkony

Fisherman

Harbour

Big fish!

Packing

Packing my best friend.

Going light, bike clothes, shorts and t-shirts! =)

As you see, I'm packing up my stuff. 7.55 am tomorrow morning is my depature out of Sthlm, through London and Houston, finally arriving to San José in Costa Rica late tomorrow night! I have to reach out before hand and Thank some people and companys for their support and belief in me! Thanks to Lota Burger in New Mexico, Stadium Sweden AB, POC sports, Enervit - science nutrition, Cykloteket and Peak Performance for making this possible.

It's here!

Look at this, finally my best friend (sorry Jonas) is here. We will do our best to finish this race now, we start exactly two weeks from today. So as you can imagne, it's not a singel day to late for it's arrival!

Yes, it's cold in Sweden. Look forward to Costa Rica and some warm weather but I guess I will regret I said that once I'm there competing.

The Ruta de los Conquistadores

Four short questions about The Ruta de los Conquistadores.

1, Do you have a Bike (MTB) that you can race on?

-       No, I don’t have a bike jet.

2, How are you preparing, training hard?

-       No, I have a cold just now so I can’t train or practice to my full potential.

3, Are you nerves about not having a bike and not be        able to train?

-       Yes, a little stressed about it but I’m not worried, jet...

4, What do you expect of the race?

-       To finish, great experiences, beautiful nature, fantastic people and A LOT of pain!

Inspiration

I was riding a taxi in to Stockholm someday ago with two clients. We talk and had great conversation about everything, among their activity they just finished with Fredrik and me. We got deeper and deeper in to a conversation about valuations in our life and our fear of being outstanding best and professionals in what we do. But above that we got closer and deeper into what we refer and call Inspiration!

One of the two asked me, -Staffan, what inspire you? I’m curious she said. What inspire you when you inspire us so much? That question nailed it self in my mind and it inspired me to write this inlay. I took a quick thought about it and answered;

-       A person that inspire me are a person who has the courage to step outside “the normal box” and try something new that haven’t been done before or been done buy someone else before. But not buy you. That way she/he moved one until than invisible limit/line for what she/he thought was normal or impossible.  It’s not particular the act it self that impress me, more the process before that goes on within that persons mind. The dedication, courage’s and mind set, where you have to bee mentally to perform that act. Those people make me curious and inspire me! (And that could easily be you!) You just have to do something that is outside MY box of what’s normal. We are all already different from etch other, be brave and take another step into the unknown and just not be different, but become crazy in others eyes!

-       The other thing that inspire me is when people are really Really good at something and are proud of it but still humble. This might seem close to what I just talked about but not for me. Because some people are professionals without knowing why and how they got there. And most likely of all, they don’t think they are really good or professionals because they are afraid of not being “normal”.  Instead take your strength and make them even stronger, develop what’s already good to become splendid! It inspire me a lot to see people live their full potential! 

Me taking a bath in a cold (2 degree Celsius) mountain lake just above Allaghe in Dolomites, Italy. Such an easy thing as me taking a swim here got people to lift their eyebrow and believe they could do it to. And Yes, of course they could! They just didn't think about it as an option. Notice the snow in the far end of the lake reaching down into the water.