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.

The Ruta de los Conquistadores!

Heard about this race? I thought you not. Needier had I until I was hiking around in Engadine, a beautiful valley in the south east corner of Switzerland in August. To be more exact, the 26 of August. This is a story about something that I will remember for the rest of my life, hopefully with joy and excitement. But it´s not over yet, after November 5 we will know how it ended. The Ruta de los Conquistadores… In Costa Rica, middle America squeezed in between the Pacific- and Atlantic Sea.

Some of my close friend say, when they are talking about me, well you know; -”Staffan is doing his own thing as usual”. Like he have always done. People that don´t know me the other hand say, you are so lucky, things like that just happens to you.

That can drive me crazy, as some of you know, I don´t believe in luck. This is like a flood, it splits up in diverse directions and you govern your path. You can choose, either to take notice of success in life, learn and take care of what you just experience or you can choose to see failure, loss and all negative aspects in life, that way you will never experience luck. To quote one of the best skiers in the world ever, Ingmar Stenmark. He was interviewed buy a reporter after one of his many wins one season.
Reporter said; - "You had a lot of luck this season wining buy small margins, can you explain this".
Ingemar reply – "Yes, isen´t that strange, the more I train the more Luck I get"…
What I am about to tell you now is a true story about what some people consider Luck…

Topp of Piz Languard above Pontresina in Engadin

So it happened this time. One of our client and I had a interesting conversation about ÖtillÖ that was coming up quick (Island to Island) walking along the trail. Talking about hard and thought races over the world, fitness, staying healthy, training and about my lifestyle. After a short while he burst out, Staffan I have the perfect race for you! Have you ever heard about The Ruta de los Conqustiadores? I replay with some doubt in my voice, - No, what´s that?

The Ruta de los Conquistadores is consider to be the toughest mountain bike (hike and bike) race in the world. It´s in Costa Rica, biking for 4 days through the entire country of Costa Rica, west- to est coast. Pacific- to Atlantic ocean. 385 km, through humid jungle, single track roads, Jeep roads, asphalt, mountains, cold peaks, banana & coffee fields, small villages and gravel trails. The total climb of the race is 11,887 vertical meters (39,000 feet). Dose that sound challenging enough for you Staffan? My answer, - Sure it sound interesting, (not very convincing in my voice) when is it?

It´s between November 2-5. And one more thing, when this was first attempted buy Spanish conquistadores a half century ago it took them 20 years to cross the country, that´s how remote and harsh the nature and landscape is! My thought was, great… (a little negation was puring through my mind) but the other half told me something else, it really got my attention and made me curious? Later that evening at dinner he faced my, Staffan he said, I been thinking about this race, if you decided to come I would like to pay for everything, air fare and starting fee. And set you up with my team, LOTABURGER!

I took my decision right than, I have to do this race. Just because of my pure curiosity, can I finish this even do I´m not a real biker anymore, is it really that hard and will my body hold for all that physical pressure, what are a race like in Costa Rica where questions among many others. As, of what I (we) know, I will be the first Swede ever to enter and finish this race. Failure is not an option, it´s consider and though through in my mind but it stops there. I know it might sound cocky for not have been on a bike much last 6-7 years at all and for being a Swede. Do I have a choice than? No, if I doubt now I have already lost. That´s way nothing is impossible through my eyes. I like the challenge and to take a steep into the unknown future. Face what ever I might run into there. Buy doing this I can maybe direct and someway control my future. Even tho control might sound a little harsh. But buy always assume my and others success I increase my chance of success! It dosen´t matter what I do, our you, I always look on things this way! This is one tiny part of what I think people are talking about when they say, Be Positive. Look at this word and think about it, what dose it mean? I believe a part of being positive is what I just mentioned above. 

Like they say on the official website for The Ruta de los Conquistadores: "More than a race, a personal growth journey" That´s whats really got me interested, because I want to grow!

Official website for The Ruta de los Conquistadores: www.adventurerace.com

Normal?

Late september and I expect it to be cold and rainy. You know, as a Swede summer is over way long ago and our fall storms are shifting one after another. I can´t understand way anyone haven´t ever, not any Swede, or friend or anyone ealse for that matter told me that you can fly down to the Mediterranean Sea for no cost? Just pick your choice, France, Italy or somewere along this long and big coast.

Imagien this, could the wather temperature really be 24 celcius, 30 in the air? Could we really find great super friction lime stone for climbing, emptey beaches, great biking trails and no people this late in september and october? And upon all this, eat fantastic Italian past with amazing sea food, have a "kick butt" ice cream after a refreshing swim in the mediterranean sea and last but not least, sleep on the balkony! No, ofcourse not! Lets take me as an exemple. I´m used to drive a RIB-boat in Stockholm Archipelago this time a year and freez my butt of, with rain hammering my face like getting free skin lifting. By everyday, hour and minute it´s getting darker and darker. By this time a year I have had my long johns on since weeks back and walk around with my neck all cuddled up way down in my jacket.

You know, this was my world and reality just until a week ago when  it got to be my turn, my chance and drive down to the Italian cost and Finale Ligure. Than cross the contry of Italy to spend some days at Lake Garda and the town of Arco before starting of work again up in Austria and Bad Goisern. So when this train past the platfrom, and my chance to experience the Mediterranean I leapt on without hesitation. For those of you, like myself for less than a week ago, don´t know what this places are famuse for, let me tell you! Climbing, warm wather and hot nice weather, no people at this time a year, good food and ice cream, and lots of different sport activitys to do.

Lake Garda, sunset at 7.30 pm sept 20.

Dose this sound familiar? I thought so.

As for me I didn´t know a thing what to expext. But I know more now! Please get out there and explore the planet, there are so many beautiful places to visit and see, kulture and people to know! This note I found on a door to a cool and funky bar in Bad Goisern. It´s will end this inlay and it say something like this in German.

"DO NOT LET OTHER PEOPLE SET LIMITS IN YOUR LIFT AFTER WHAT THEY FEEL OR THINK IS NORMAL" 

I will let the pictures tell you the rest, one picture tells more than a 1000 word. Isn´t that a Swidish saying? ;)

Repeling down along wild gowing hearbs before reaching the wather.

Yes, the wather is that blue! That´s way it´s called the blue sea.

Blue sky, blue climber, blue wather.

Final pitch, with a great view over Finale Ligure from the topp.

Five  o'clock in the afternoon we did a 5 pitch long travers that took 2,5 hours along the Mediterranean Sea. 

Summer again, happy! =)