Kickmail for Ketkupolkka members

Keposti rebuilds the clubhouse

The long-term chairman of Ketkupolkka club, Hannu Vierikko, declared in January 1991 issue of Keposti that "While federation-led information services are still missing let Keposti serve as the spiritual link between kicksled folks". Now 12 years later Finnish Kicksled and Scooter Association is an officially registered body that together with its partners keeps kicking on the forefront of our sport. Thus the need to publish our club newsletter is diminishing.

You are browsing the last issue of Keposti conforming to the current format. Ketkupolkka club news will be discussed on groups.yahoo.com/group/kepo-list (mostly in Finnish but other languages are welcome too). Stories that fall into the sphere of interest of the whole kicking population can be found in the Kick News. The Keposti staff wishes to thank all our readers and especially our contributors.

Slickkedder's review of the past kicksled season

The start field was quite impressive in the Finnish Championship marathon in Lapinjärvi. (photo Väiski).

Analysis

The late winter encompassed tough races. I prepared for the World Championships in Multia by kicking the 100 km Finnish Championship race in Kuopio. The race felt relatively tacky. Alpo and Jan kicked away at an early stage and finally I lost also to Hannu in the sprint as usual.

One week before the Multia Games I made a good final preparation on the Church Road; total 52.5 km of which 3 x 5,5 km tempo 13.34 record, 13.49, 14.20. Snowfall began to retard the pace towards the end. One might note that I haven't kicked that road segment as fast even with a Kickbike so everything seemed all right prior to Multia.

In Multia, however, I was left without an individual medal for a second time in a row. The level of competition has toughened and tightened. Furthermore, I suffered an equipment failure on the marathon that significantly retarded my journey. If it hadn't been a tactique race I would have been left behind without mercy already at an earlier stage. A pleasant surprise was that Hannu's suite of victories on the 2000 m was broken by Alpo's top performance.

On the ladies' 2000m there was imminently for the first time more participants than on the corresponding men's race. The ladies' race was extremely exciting and fine, too.

Short race result rehearsal of winter 2002-2003

21.10 Halkolampi 26km, ice track

30.11 Lapinjärvi 42,2km, ice track

5.12 Helsinki, Paloheinä, xc

1,3km 1.Hannu,/Jan, 3.07,2 3. Ville 3.09,7, 4. Alpo 3.14,1

11km 1.Hannu 33.27, 2.Jan 34.13, 3.Ville 35.12, 4.Alpo 35.13

28.12 Pietarsaari, Fäboda 10km, xc/road

men: 1. Jan Elmgren 31.22, 2.Ville Vickholm 31.24, 3.Tomas Porthin 32.56 4. Markus Holmlund 33.05, 5.Eelis Björk 34.53 6. Markus Porthin 39.37

ladies: 1. Anne Muiniekka 2. Heidi Räihä

31.12 Kick triathlon Paloheinä

10km xc skiing + 7km running + 10km kicksledding (-26 C)

1.Ville 1.33.50, 2.Jan 1.36.05, 3.Hannu 1.37.30, 4.Richard 1.37.35

11.1 Liljendal 42,2km xc marathon KEPO-HEPO

men:1.Richard 2.25.54, 2.Alpo 2.37.16, Ville 2.41.20, Hannu 2.57.34, Esa Mononen 3.03.03

ladies: 10,5km: 1. Maleena Lamminsalo 2. Heidi Räihä

18.1 Nakkila 10km, xc

men 1.Alpo 32.33, 2.Jan33., 3.Ville, 4.Hannu

ladies 5km 1. Heidi, 2.Anne

19.1 Uppsala-Stockholm, Vikingarännet 80km, ice track

men 1.Alpo 3.28, 2.Jan 3.28, 3.Ville 3.31, 4.Hannu 3.49, 5.Väinö 4.00

ladies 1.Anne, 2.Heidi

9.2 Lapinjärvi Finnish Championship marathon 42,2km, ice track

men 1.Jan Elmgren 1.41.01, 2.Hannu Vierikko 1.41.40, 3.Alpo Kuusisto 1.41.41, 4.Richard Van Camp 1.43.08, 5.Ville Vickholm 1.45.06

ladies 1.Anne Muiniekka, 2.Heidi Räihä, 3. Minna Nybondas

22.2 Jyväskylä Finnish Championships ice track

200m 1.Richard, 2.Hannu, 3.Antti Lehtinen

10000m 1.Hannu, 2.Richard, 3.Jan, 4.Antti, 5.Ville, 6.Timo Rinkinen

1.3 Kuopio 100km Finnish Championships ice track

men 1. Jan Elmgren 3.51.44, 2. Alpo Kuusisto 3.52.15, 3. Hannu Vierikko 3.58.11, 4.Ville Vickholm 3.58.12, 5. Mika Kanervo 4.57.06

ladies 1. Auli Suomalainen 5.07.34 2. Anne Muiniekka 5.07.35 3. Heidi Räihä 5.42.27

15.3 Multia WC ice track

200m Hannu, Antti, Richard, Alpo, Jussi Ruokonen, Jan

2000m Alpo, Jan, Hannu, Tomas Porthin, Richard, Ville

42,2km Hannu, Jan, Alpo, Richard, Ville, Tomas

22.3 Helsinki ice track

200m Hannu, Ville, Alpo, Jan

14,4km Hannu, Alpo, Jan, Ville

Hannu ended his season victoriously on sea ice in Helsinki.

Slickkedder's ranking 2002-2003

I've compiled a ranking list of the kicksled season using the following point system. On distances shorter than a marathon the six best get ranking points 6, 5, 4, 3, 2, 1. Marathon races give double points 12, 10, 8, 6, 4, 2, 1. The ultramarathons Vikingarännet and 100 km Finnish Championships give triple points correspondingly 18, 15, 12, 9, 6, 3, 2, 1. With this undemocratic but simple way of assigning points almost 20 kicksledders have made their way to the list.

Jan Elmgren is number one by only one point margin to Hannu Vierikko. Alpo Kuusisto is number three on the list, Ville Vickholm fourth and the season's comet Richard Van Camp who raced more sparingly placed fifth.

Jan king of ranking (photo Väiski).

The Slickkedder was the only one who participated in all races during the season, gathering a grand total of 434,3 race kilometres and 20h 1min 55sec race time. The average velocity 21,68km/h wasn't very high due to many slow xc races.

Of the ladies actually four figures stood out dominating the races. Anne Muiniekka won three races as did Auli Suomalainen. Maarit Salovirta won four races making the world's fastest time on 200 m in her last one. Heidi Räihä won one race and took a podium place in many.

Maarit Salovirta brought new pace to the ladies' sprint events.

Excerpts of training diary and races in spring 2003

week 14

mon 30min run + 30min circuit training

tue 1.25 h kicksledding on the lake

wed 1h KB in windy - 3 C incl 10km test 21.56

thu 1h run + stair hops

fri 1.15 h kicksledding on the lake, lots of snow patches

sat 1.10 h running in blizzard in Puistola with Hannu

sun 1 h (running + kicksledding) + 10 x (30-40sec) on a fine slick road segment + 40min strength workout

week 15

wed 1.40 h KB incl test 10km 21.11 +6 C

sat Nice long training session with Alpo. I kicked to meet him in Liljendal. In Iitti we began discussing whether there is any more ice left on the lake nearby. While passing a local farmhouse we heard someone reckon "ice has melted indeed". The farmer didn't quite believe the distance we'd been kicking. He pointed at his old bicycle and told that it has a defect that takes him always to the local dancing pub. That day Alpo kicked a total of 180 km and my journey was 110 km.

sun In the morning we took a nice old road back via Kouvola-Koria-Moisio-Mettälä-Koivisto-Pukaro-Lapinjärvi. The shady segment between Koiviston and Pukaro was no mid-season paradise. The road was partly still in icy kicksled condition.

week 16

tue 1.20 h KB incl test 10km 20.52 +11 C

wed 2.07 h KB

thu 1 h easy running + 25min circuit training

fri 2.55 h KB 62km to Pernaja church. Short tour compared with Alpo's 300km.

Alpo dominated sovereignly the Maxim GP race.

sat15,3km Maxim Kick felt like going nowhere. Lactic acid accumulated in the beginning and didn't recover.

The firesquad practicing for a TV show with Kickbikes didn't have time to put out the fire.

sun 35,5km Maxim Kick went better 1.17.35 (27,4km/h). Jan escaped a half a minute ahead of the pack. I could not respond to the finish sprint of Hannu and Richard.

As opposed to Saturday, in Sunday's road race Jan could kick away from Hannu.

week 17

mon 2h KB 44,5km

tue 15min warmup + 9.13min max running + 10min cooldown, massage

wed 0.55h easy KB

thu 0.50 h KB + 30 min running

fri Flight to Munich and local train to Gauting. In the evening a nice KB-warmup with Tomas incl some sprints.

sat Eurocup season opening in Thusis. There was quite a commotion in the start as 40 kickers rushed down the main street. The participants came from five different countries: Germany, Switzerland, Czech Republic, Italy and Finland. You can find nice pics at www.demateo.ch/fruehlingslauf_2003.

I had good positions when entering the downhill but Tomas curved soon past me. I used all my tricks and kicks in order to catch Tomas in the initial downhills comprising almost 10 km of the whole route, but could not decrease the gap at all. The average speed for the first kilometers was as high as 35km/h.

On the long uphill segment I catched Tomas although the journey felt really tough at that point. We descended the segment with xc paths equally fast and reached the final asphalt section almost side by side until Tomas again simply rolled away utilising his maximum speed and downhill technique. I tried to squeeze myself into a tighter package but nothing helped. In the finish our difference was 9.3 seconds.

The predominant tailwind contributed to the overall fast times and new route record by Tomas. Our return trip uphill to Thusis, on the contrary, was rather heavy.