After trying out the perfect MTB trails at Lugnet in Falun (see Biking Dalarna) it was time for my 3rd Mörksuggejakten. This race still has it all so I am happy to see that over 1000 people started. If anyone asks me which XC marathon they should try first, the answer is always Mörksuggan.

I decided to start in Group 5 and apparently every motionär chose the same group. It was a bit of a panic with 400 all at once and people were cutting in and out all over the place through central Rättvik. The famous hill was also crowded so I had to shove my way through to be able to go the speed I wanted. Honestly it is not that bad. I stayed on middle klingan and passed a ton of people because the hill was no worse than what I ride up in Partille all the time.

As promised, the next part was muddy but my tires were so much better so I was pretty stable. Already here there were many in a hurry to get passed and I had already decided that I was racing against myself and not anyone else this time. My body was not feeling super strong after a crappy sleep in a useless Tällberg hotel. Back on the grusväg downhill section I was cautious as usual and I just don't get why people choose to sit 'på rulle' behind me on these parts. I did use my brakes because the rain had just started and it was slippery.

The first food stop was quite early on so I just grabbed an Enervit cup and didn't stop. By this point the track had already passed through pretty much everything one can expect from a race...and that is only the beginning. About all I remember from this part was that a lot of people passed me. I wondered if anyone was still back there but I suppose I really did pass a lot of people on the first hill. These races are always strange because you end up riding on your own and yet there are lots behind you. Strange.

And then it was time for Nedre Gärdsjö which is where you remember that this is Dalarna, land of red houses and cycling supporters who even brave the rain to cheer on everyone. Here I did stop for a Squeezy gel and I had put the equivalent of 5 gels into their little bottle which saved me loads of time. Shortly after this Mörksuggan tried to hitch a ride but I just politely waved and sped off to the famous bridge over the small lake and the start of the best part of the race.

The next 15-20km is basically all singletrack. It was here in 2010 when my dehydration kicked in and my shrunken shoes started pinching my toes so that every bump was pure pain. And again this time I could see that my body needed more singletrack training because this did start to hurt towards the end. My strategy was to just take it easy and not make any mistakes because it was wet and slippery. That meant a queue was building up behind me and also that several took spectacular falls when they did try to pass. I was not trying to get in the way but I was not going to just stop and let people pass either. This is how I run my race. And this also allowed me to enjoy the fantastic nature and get through with only a couple of minor slips. This is also when it becomes obvious that full suspension could be a good idea.

There is a climb up to Östbjörka but I never seem to remember it. After racing in Norway this particular climb was nothing to worry about. The rain had really started here so after a quick refill including the 'joy' of having Enervit dumped all over my hand (sticky? Oh yes) I was still kind of cautious since it was getting more and more slippery. So again it was slow and steady on the trails and careful on the little uphills and this time I was leaving the queue behind me. Consistency is a winning concept. Finally it was time for the two last climbs and actually these are the worst. Perfect for 15km from the finish and this was the only time I felt a slight hint of a cramp.

So the worst was done. Or? Actually no. The last 7km is quite tough and I admire that they dare to end this way. Many races choose to just make it easier and easier but this is a proper finish. Problem was I could not see anything because my glasses were fogged up and I couldn't clean them properly. So I did my most cautious downhill of the day pretty much blind.

Last 5km and time for my final sprint attempt. I managed to get my glasses clear enough to psychotically plow through lots of rough trail until a muddy downhill when my front tire went wild and I almost flew off. After that was those lovely little 'springbacka' as the skiers call them. Just a serious of pointless but fun little hills to see who has a cramp.

Then the finish. The extra little loop in the stadium was fun although no one was even looking at the cyclists. I was surprised to see that no one was making any effort here. The finish is in sight...WHY are you relaxing??? I passed 5 people here in grand style and rolled across the line in a semi-dead state. Good good.

I only had a rough idea of my time and it looked like I beat my old times by a little bit. So I had to wait until the next morning to see that my 2012 time was a satisfying 3:44:54 which placed me 311th of 405. That is almost 14 minutes faster than 2010 on the same bike! But better still that is 10 minutes faster than 2008 when conditions were perfect. So crushing my old times in the rain on a slippery course is wonderful. Now I can officially declare that I am improving...