You can find the coming events at www.kickbike.fi calendar. International races will be announced at www.iksaworld.com. Check in often enough !
Kicking in adventure races
The popularity and media coverage of adventure races has increased during the past few years. Multisport races, that also fall in this category in the eyes of media moguls, require physical fitness and versatile skills while handling different sports equipment.
Hannu and Ville demonstrate kick power in a multisport race. |
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Certain traditional disclipines well recalled by many kicksled old-timers such as bog swimming, log carrying and sawing are unfortunately missing from the programme of most contemporary multisport races. On the other hand, many a race in Finland has taken kicksledding or kickbiking in its repertoire. Mostly the rece vehicles have been provided by Kickbike Worldwide; in addition in at least one race in Osthrobothnia they have used an Esla scooter. Most participants have been enthusiastic and quite many have purchased a Kickbike of their own for training purposes.
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The best multisportresses could excel also as Kickbike specialists. |
There have been some critical voices against including kicking in multisport races. It is not a sport specificaly suitable for terrain conditions, while puritanists claim that bringing adventure races on the road spoils the characterstic principle of struggling against natural phenomena. On the other hand, if the kicking segment is arranged in difficult terrain, then it loses its swift rhythm, as Ville, Alpo and Jan had to observe in the X-winter race in Tampere. There the kicksledders proceeded at a 5 min/km pace on a ski-doo track with loosely packed snow.
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RocSportCup leader Riina Kaskentaus is hardly beaten on a Kickbike. |
In the hard world of today one must succeed also on aslphalt. In the last weekend of August, a week after EuroCup, there will be an urban adventure race City Challenge in Helsinki. On Sunday 26.8. the Kickbike segment will be organised by Ketkupolkka and Kickbike.
Kepo's hat trick in Hattula
In the end of May there was a great scenic 23 km road race in Hattula. The top trio pulled early away from others. Alpo set the pace during the race, but a couple hundred meters before the finish Hannu made it clear who had the strongest kick. Alpo couldn't change his rhythm fast enough, and also Jan didn't react quickly enough and fell behind. The finish came too early for them to catch Hannu's lead. Thus the old champ got one more feather in his hat.
Leo Kallio in foreground ponders why he couldn't hang with the leading pack. |  |
Leo Kallio who entered the kick arenas two winters ago in Vihavuosi kicksled race could hold almost same pace with the top trio in the beginning. He had indeed some motivation because Hannu had promised him a brand new Kickbike in case he'd keep up for the first kilometer. The most misfortunate participant was Antti Lehtinen, who suffered almost immediately after the start and had to return to fetch a spare Kickbike.
Game over for miniscoots ?
Last year the sidewalks of North America and Central Europe were struck by a mass invasion of small-wheeled mini folding scooters. This spring the vogue hit finally Finland, too. Here customers could enjoy the market situation, as the demand was decreasing elsewhere the overfilled stocks were dumped here at the borderlands. One has been able to purchase mini scooters of several brands for less than 20 Euros in Helsinki.
From the viewpoint of kicking sport the miniscoot boom has been favourable because young people now consider scootering a fashionable way to move around. When encountering a Kickbiker the hiphop gangs have uttered enchanted exclamations instead of the earlier mockering laughs. Many adults, too, learn to observe the difference between a miniscooter and a Kickbike. One might presume that some of the miniscooterists will sooner or later buy a big-wheeled one instead.
On the other hand, the fad has some adverse effects, too. One nasty fall might discourage a miniscooterist to continue the sport. The small-wheeled scooters are suitable only for even flat surfaces. Their kick ergonomy is inefficient and discomfortable especially for a tall kicker. The sports merchants don't often see the difference between different scooter types and might stop selling any after receiving some negative customer response.
Same rule applies to miniscooters as well as the Kickbike: always wear a helmet. Especially children should taught this from the beginning. The example of adults is the most important means to demonstrate the right habit. There are also high-quality scooters designed for children, for instance, the German-made Puky series. When purchasing kick equipment you should always consult an expert retailer.
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Akseli knows that all tough guys wear a helmet (Photo Anne-Maria). |
Excerpts from slickkedder's diary
15.4.2001 I just had to do the last kicksled training after some wet snow had fallen on the Korsmalm sawdust track. An inch of two of sleet had fallen on the soft ice so it was no easy kicking. Tough hill intervals 4x2x (1.25-1.18) with 3.30 recovery between starts. 15 min warmup & cooldown. Didn't manage to do another session today although had originally planned to.
Week 16 total 8h 103km KB
mon 1.10t brisk run
tue 2h KB 45km + massage
wed rest
thu 20min warmup + first tempo test of the season on the slickkedder's anniversary race track. 9.86 km 21.31 with mudguards attached and without Spinergy wheel + 30min cooldown
fri 45min run incl XC race 2km 6.35
sat 1.25h KB 31,5km in chilly rain
sun bad 16 km road running race 1.03.14 + warmup = 1.30t
Week 17 tot 13.15 h 230km KB
mon rest and small flu
tue 2.45h KB 62km to Pernaja and back
wed 1.54h KB Loviisan loop 45km average speed 23,4km/h
thu 38min run + circuit training + stair hops 50min
fri 10km 20.26!!! My personal best improved by 24sec. Summer equipment and Spinergy.
satAM 39min run PM 3h KB 66km Pernå-Forsby-Malmgård + 10min run. Right foot feels bit sore.
sunAM 1h KB 23,3km + short test run 9.11 min + 15min KB PM 25min run
Week 18 tot 7.35 h 126,5km KB AVS 24,9km/h
mon 40min run + 35min circuit + massage
tue 2h KB 45km
wed Qualifications for the East Nyland relay run 2km 6.42 + warmup = 12km
thu Multisport race in Santahamina. 6,5km KB segment was first. Hannu was fastest 13.26. I changed to running on third place before Alpo himself who struggled in the total lead until the end of rollerskating. The brave fight of Jan and Alpo against multisport specialists ended unfortunately in the MTB segment when they got lost from the marked route. Jan had actually got lost earlier while running with me so he had double bad luck. Hannu and I decided already before the race to quit after running due to inadequate equipment and the coming EuroCup event in Grindsted.
fri Flight to Copenhagen and rent-a-car to Jylland. On the Store Belt bridge the Toyota windows got accidentally locked open before we learned how to operate them and we got almost chilled.
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Kicking stars gather at Stjerne Tour start line. |
satWind flatland road race. The announced distance was 50km byt my accurately calbrated speedometer showed 48,2km. In the race there were 15 kickers. After 3 min of slow kicking behind the Dutchmen I took the lead over 30km/h in tailwind. The group reduced immediately to four man Kepo team with Tomas, Alpo, Hannu and Ville. I tried to get rid of the others already after 10 km but the pack caught me by cooperate effort. Tomas did drop out, though. Alpo pulled away from Hannu after several hard attempts at 20 km. I overtook Hannu in headwind at 30 km after which Hannu kicked behind me until the final sprint. I tried to drop the old champ 5 km before the finish but didn't succeed as neither I was not fresh enough. In the finish I lost by a wheel diameter as usual. Alpo finished three minutes before us. My time was 1.50.28. Tomas was guided by the organisers off the route and finished after kicking almost 60km. Danish TV showed fine prime time shots of our race but unfortunately we didn't see the best and longest broadcast.
Tuborg sportdryck tasted good after the race. |  |
Week 21 total 11 h 184km KB
mon 10min warmup + short test run 9.05 (record) + 15min cooldown + 30min circuit training without hops + massage
tue Lovisa loop KB 1.58h 45km
thu Lapinjärvi Round Run went quite badly, 2.40min slower than last year. 12.3km feels nowadays too long with the specialized kick training. On the other hand, 10-15min run feels even better than before. The maximum running ability has improved due to interval-type training emphasising muscular endurance, while the threshold levels in running have deteriorated. KB training is always interval-type in varying terrain like XC skiing. The main thing is of course that my Kickbike shape is better than ever before. After the race steam rose from my hat as I missed the Hattula KB race due to this local running event in which I had defended the trophy.
fri 2.15h KB 49km in rain and hail to Myrskylä and back, Koivalonmäki hill 1.54.
sat 1.15h XC KB on a motocross track with Alpo and Hannu, nice technical training.
sun 1.55h Lovisa loop with new finetuned racing flats. They felt bit too hard.
Week 22 total 11.55h 232km KB
mon 45min light KB + 55min circuit + stair hops
tueTest track 21.06 felt tardy, chilly weather and yesterday's circuit training slowed me down, furthermore the new shoes felt hard on the forefeet.
wed 10min run + 2.56h KB 70km (23,8km/h) to Pakaa and back, quite tough with one black toenail.
fri test track 19.57!!! Kuckubacken 3.06 + warmup = 1.20h. Wore my old Mizunos.
sat last day of school. Kick-biased summer holiday begins. In the evening 22,5km KB to Saltbodan to meet teacher colleagues beginning their holidays, back before midnight.
sun 24,5km tough group tempo with Hannu and Alpo. Nice preparation for Hengelo. 50 min + warmup = 1.45h. I followed Alpo's advice and put old insoles of my old trainers into my new racing flats. The solution was excellent, now I can kick full speed for a prolonged period of time.
Week 22 total 10.20h 191km KB
tue 2h KB Loviisa loop
wed Multisport Nurmijärvi. Alpo led the race after running, scootering and rollerskate segments and continued bravely long into mountain biking but decided to quit in the hot weather and concentrate to Hengelon and Middelkerke EuroCup events.
Traveller's diary TROTTINETTE-TOUR CZ-NE-BE-LUX-DE-CZ
fri Arrived to Hengelo via Czech Republic 1.5 h before start. The race was superb, lots of spectators and a professional organisation. I missed only loop count and times, although in a criterium times are not too relevant. The slower participants that we lapped during the race weren't always aware enough of us faster ones. Fortunately there were no accidents on the narrow one-kilometer loop. Alpo kicked again away from the peloton composed of Petr Pesta, Hannu Vierikko, Jan Elmgren ja Ville Vickholm. We Finns tried to drop Petr with team effort without success. The sprint finish for the second place was won by Hannu. Jan was third and I managed to beat Petr. In the evening we followed the professional cycling race on the same course.
sat Arrived in the sunny idyllic tourist town of Middelkerke in Belgium. A string of hotels follows the sandy beach. The race track was on the Beach Boulevard near the Middelkerke Casino. The 3.5 km scooter track was same as the running cource of the triathlon race in the same evening. The race consisted of 8 laps. Race speed was not really fast due to the chicane turns at each end of the course. Furthermore, all competitors were bit tired of yesterday's race. I fell in the first turn because there was some dry clay on the track and bruised my left knee and elbow, but managed to continue the race. The pavement was extremely smooth and I believe that the course might have been very slippery and dangerous in rainy weather. In Middelkerke race the peloton was quite long bigger than in Hengelo, as also Karel Cvalin and Michal Pesta managed to hang on. In the sprint finish Hannu beat Alpo and Jan. I ended up again on the bit unthankful fourth place before Petr. The prize ceremony was unforgettable in the Casino while music was playing and drinks were served. All competitors received fine IKSA EURO-CUP t-shirts.
sun Hannu and Jan travelled back home. Alpo and I, on the other hand, started out on our safari in rainy tailwind along the shore towards Oostende. The beach boulevard continued quite far and the seawind kept blowing fine sand on the pavement. From the idyllic harbour town of Oostende we continue through flat countryside in brisk tailwind to Brugge. There my speedometer reading was 42km. In Brugge we enjoyed a genoine American fast food lunch. In the Tintin shop there was a chess board with the famous cartoon figures that cost 3400 Euros, slightly exceeding our travel budget. From Brugge we continued to Bruxelles to see the Manneken Pis statue and eat some sandwiches. Thereafter we kicked to the battle fields Waterloo, famous for the defeat of Napoleon by Wellington's and Blucher's troops in 1816. The sightseeing tower on the monument hill was closed but we climbed anyway to the hill to enjoy some wafers with cheese and wine. The monument is encircled by a dense spruce hedge that provided a nice shelter for our tent.
Week 24 total 23.05 h 430km KB
mon We started out early towards Mont St Guilbert railway station. The distance was only 20 km but due to the cobblestone it took quite some time. The scenery was pictoresque Belgian countryside. From the station we took the train to Jemel and our journey towards the Teletubby scenery of Luxembourg could begin. We kicked 50 km to Bastogne. I hadn't got my morning coffee so I felt a slight headache, which we relieved by a grill food lunch, coffee and coca-cola. After an hour's rest we continued to the border. Grand Duchy of Luxembourg is only half as densely populated as Belgium, only 142 inhabitants on a square kilometer. Due to beatiful nature and good roads Luxembourg was one of nicest segments of our safari. In the late afternoon we descended to Kautenbach from which we had to ascend 10 km to the teletubby scenery. The well maintained hilly landscape with windmills in the sunset did indeed remind of the scenes in the familiar children's TV show. We descended again to the small town of Vianden. When we arrived at the youth hostel my speedometer showed 125 km for the day. We had arrived bit too late which didn't please the receptionist, but after seeing our Kickbikes tone of her voice became much more friendly. A nice shower and a night between sheets felt really refreshing after three nights in a tent.
tue After writnig some postcards we crossed the German border. The terrain on the German side proved quite hilly so the 125 km today felt most heavy of all during the week. In some hills we did even walk. Luckily the day ended again in a downhill.
wed Already at 7 AM a hard caterpillar noise interupted my sleep. What are they digiing so early in the morning ? Alpo continued sleeping like a log. He's better talented in sleeping than me. The noise proved to come from a metal recycling plant in the neighborhood of our tent in the peaceful "forest". The 20 km in the morning felt bit tacky. In Kusel we bought inexpensive Regiobahn tickets and ate breakfast in a cafe. We took the train to Mannheim as we had to save our energy for Tomas' Killerworkout in the evening. In Mannheim our instinct led us to a fine kick route to Heidelberg. There we started preparing for the KWO with Tomas. We dismounted the extra accessories such as the front rack from our safari Kickbikes and pumped race pressure in our tyres. After climbing for half an hour we arrived at the start of the 1160 m uphill test track with 95 m vertical climb. The track gets steeper towards the end. I started first to the time trial. The devil himself had designed this track. After three minutes all I felt was pain ! Great training of will power. My result was 4.50. Tomas cut 20 secs from his old PB and beat me by 3 seconds. Last came Alpo the Animal with 4.22. Incredible ! One time was not enough, we made a second attempt with all three of us in a mass start. Tomas started out quickest, but at halfway mark I passed him but soon Alpo swooshed past me. Now our times were: Alpo 4.47 Ville 4.56 and Tomas 5.11.
thu After an excellent sleep until late in the morning we started driving towards Plzen. Near our destination it rained cats and dogs so we decided to have a rest day. We took our gear to the camping site and in the evening Pesta s Partou arranged the Pesta's party. Great evening in pleasant Czech company.
fri Sightseeing in Plzen and exploring the race routes. In the Czech Republic you should eat in a restaurant at least twice a day. We did follow that advice very well during our stay. Only 38 km, but in the evening we did very good downhill technique training.
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In the criterium there were 60 participants (photo Petr Vavrusa). |
sat A superb street criterium with lots of spectators along the track. Even the local TV documented the European Championship start. The local favourites Ladislav Provod, Karel Cvalin, Michal and Peter Pesta were in the leading pack 8 laps of 10. They started extremely fast as usual. Kicking at full speed I took the lead after 400 m and held the position one and a half laps, whereafter Tomas led most of the race with a rage of an ape. The pace was incredible throughout the 10,6km race with finishing times for the top quartet between 20.06,1-20.07,3. Averages speed was nearly 32km/h. Alpo won the sprint. I became second barely ahead of Tomas. Petr was again on a fine fourth place.
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The prize ceremony was of high stature (photo Petr Vavrusa). |
Alpo received a trophy and 3 liters of Czech herbal medicine. Second and third places implied bit less herbal medicine. In the evening there was a kick pary at the camping site.
sun 22 km race on a hilly course outside the town was a more tactical race. We kicked the uphills at a relatively easy pace. Tomas suffered a flat immeadiately in the beginning of the race and lost his chances. My frame broke and started dragging on the ground 2-3km before the finish and I could not keep up with Ladislav and Petr. Don't remove the footboard ! The difference to Alpo was a whole minute. I lost my spirits to participate in the duo relay that Alpo and Tomas won. Tomas and I cooled down by running 5 km to the camping site.
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The road was barely wide enough for the kicking flock (photo Petr Vavrusa). |
In the afternoon before our trip home the Pesta family served us a delicious Czech dinner. When we asked about a suitable place to stay overnight in Prague Petr called immediately to scooterist Jaroslav Tlapalle who studies in Prague. Tomas and Annika drove us to the railway station. IC ticket to Prague cost 4 Euros / 100km. We enjoyed another meal served by Jaroslav's sister Marie Tlapova who placed third in the saturday's race after Annika Porthin and Marketa Stejrova. In the evening we went for a sightseeing tour. The old architecture was well maintained during the communist regime. The historical movie about W.A.Mozart was shot here instead of Vienna for this reason.
mon Wakeup at 5 AM, then to the airport and home. In the evening at lapinjärvi sports field ran 1500 m and 400 m at a club meet. Felt kind of tired and stiff.
Summa summarum 8.6 - 17.6. = 565km KB with magnificent races, experiences and mental capital. Lappträsk smile became renowned in the international kick family.
Week 25 total 8.15 h 165km KB
Recovery week. On Wednesday time trial 20.31, still tired. On Thursday massage.Week 26 total 15.30 h 288km KB
mon test 19.50!!! Kuckubacken 3.17. + warmup 0 35km/ 1.30 h
tue AM 1.55h KB Ruotsinkylä-Kuninkaankylä loop PM 38min run + circuit + stairs
wed 1 h light KB 22km + massage
thu Minisafari to Puistola 91km, kick time 4.30t excluding break in Porvoo at Roms terrace.
fri Market Kicks in Jämsä. I had a lowsy day.
sat New day. Multia Village Kickbiking 15,6km went much better, ended up on a third place. Jan started his seried of victories. Alpo came second and Hannu fourth.
sun Minisafari from Luhtikylä to Lapinjärvi 58km in hot sunshine. Alpo noted a new record in Koivalon hill 1.45.
Week 27 total 15.10 h 277,5km KB
mon AM 2.20h KB 50km escorted Alpo to Koskenkylä. We kicked along pleasant roads via Liljendal partly on gravel. PM warmup + 4 x 100m run (14,4-13,6) + 200m 29,0 + 2 x 400m 1.03,3 ja 1.02,9 + cooldown = 40min
tue2h KB Loviisa loop at recovery pace 45km + 35min circuit, thighs felt stiff.
wed KB 22,5km + massage
thu Tyre and rim tests, warmup pace 40 km. I rolled down an one-minute downhill 13 times comparing Spinergy and a handmade high-end tube with a normal training rim and tyre. The test confirmed my earlier experiences of 1,3 - 1,7% difference in speed. Hence, in 10km time trial the Spinergy combination will be 10-15 sec faster than standard equipment.
fri 15min swim
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Landespark start (photo Anne-Maria). |
sat Lapinjärven Landespark in association with the local exhibition day. A successful event on 2 km track although Alpo missed his train. Half an hour + one lap seemed to appeal to the public. Despite loud cheers from the the crowd I couldn't pull away from Jan & Hannu at the 10 km mark. I managed to keep my small gap only for one lap before Jan overtook me with brute force. At that stage I was exhausted and in great trouble. I managed to finish only 6 secs behind the leading duo. Jan continued his suite of victories by beating Hannu with a strong long sprint.
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Jan could stand boldly upright (kuva Anne-Maria). |
The total distance was 18,3km. Jan Elmgren's winning time was 37.57. I was glad to see also Keporter Mononen, Ngugi Kinnunen and Markus Porthin on the starting line. I believe that all six enjoyed the athmosphere of the event.
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The village kranskulla gave out the prizes (photo Anne-Maria). |
sun I went to Kisko to cheer and coach my old college mate Markus Holmlund in a quarter distance triathlon. After my service duties I kicked 80 km to Hanko in beautiful summer weather. My ex tempore safari was very successful indeed. Between Prästkulla and Öby I tried to follow a brisk-paced Sunday cyclist. With all my equipment I could keep him in sight for 10-15min on the gravel road. In Hanko I kicked to the beach boulevard with the best restaurants. While I browsed the menu in front of a pizzeria I heard a pfiff from my tyre that made my choice of restaurant easy. My tyres had survived well the gravel roads but the broken glass on the street was too much. I filled my stomach before tyre repair. Then I kicked out of town in order to find a peaceful place for my tent. Speedometer reading for the day 98km.
Week 28 total 17.20h 357km KB
mon At 10 AM I kicked one hour to where I hade a smörgåsbord brunch for only 6 Euros. Cake and coffee were included. I first intended to pass the offer but luckily decided to turn. Was already hungry enough. Continued for a whiule along the main road to Ekenäs beach to relax. Kicked the afternoon mostly along the old King's road. In the evening my speedometer displayed 142km.
tue Rest
wed Test track 19.51!! Kuckubacken 2.57!!!
thu 35min run + circuit + stairs 45min
fri 1h KB 23,8km
sat Puruvesi Round in nice company total 79km with bit more tempo towards the end.
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The local Kickbike club showed the way through Savonlinna city. |
sun 12km warmup + 20,1km with Alpo and Jan 42.23 (28,4km/h) + 2.40h easy and brisk to the sauna of Savonlinna rowing club, total 76km
Week 29 total 7.30 h 137,5 km KB
mon Rest
tue At Tattarisuo 9 x 1040m /4.30min recovery relay training with Alpon and Hannu. My times were around 2.15. Preparation for upcoming relays in Switzerland and Italy.
wed 2h KB Loviisa loop. Flegmatic feeling due to yesterday's intervals and hot humid weather.
tue 5min warmup + test track 20.31. Thunderstorm spoiled the attempt. My wet racing flats almost came off my feet. + 35min cooldown + short test at record pace 8.57!!! + 5min cooldown
fri 35min run + 40min circuit + massage
sat Rest
sun 48,6km to Myrskylä and back briskly but relaxed 2.02h (24,0km/h). Koivalo hill on the way back 1.48 record !
Week 30 total 12.40h 259.5km KB
Perhaps the best quality week of the summer.
mon Test track 19.43!!! record, Kuckubacken 3.03 + warmup =28km 1.10h
tue AM 2.33h KB to Pernaja church and back 62km 24,3km/h. On my way home kicked a really hard 2 km behind a female mountain biker. I passed the lady in a small downhill, said hello and heard her answer "Oho!" After a while she overtook me very briskly, but with an ape's rage I managed to regain her gap. My speedometer reading was 35km/h and I felt extremely lactic. After 2km the blondine turned to a smaller road. PM 32min run.
wedAM 1.53h Ruotsinkylä loop PM 23min run + circuit + stair hops 45min. When practicing leg swing I hit my foot accidentally to the wall and my big toe hurt badly. Luckily no fractures.
thu 1h KB 22km
fri 20min warmup + 42,13km 1.28.46 on test track in hot but windy weather. Lap times 20.40, 20.40, 20.43, 20.36 and extra loop 6.06. Nice average speed 28,4km/h and my toe felt ok too.
sat 1 h KB 24,5km
sun Sjökulla test triangle 2190m at record pace 4.46 + 10min warmup + 10 x 800m in tailwind with standard tyres between 1.38-1.34
Summa summarum of the summer
Hannu and Jan have reigned in the sprint finishes of mass start races. I have not yet been very successfull in the sprints. Despite hard efforts I have not been able to drop the others earlier in the races. Alpo has been the kind of the season with his hard varying tempo. My summer pace has improved significantly from earlier years and one can see it in the test times. Kicking is unbelievably fun and quitting triathlon racing has been a relieving experience. If you have been hitherto able to stay home, then join the gang.
Ville's hints
This time Keposti reminds you of an old-fashioned but useful training aid: a watch. You cannot fool your watch and measures your developments accurately on standard routes. Especially in the summer the watch is an excellent gadget. In wintertime the condititions vary much more significantly. When training alone it's difficult to keep up quality without the watch.
About my own summer training I can tell that my total KB mileage by end of July is 3600km of which 10% at race pace or faster. The training principle where quantity workouts are partly touring on hilly roads carrying hiking equipment and quantity workouts are spread in between as races or time trials seems to work well. Alpo has proven this already earlier. During my triathlon career I went almost every wednesday to drive 11 km tempo on bicycle. This summer I have applied the same test system to scootering. I have timed the 10 km test track on Loviisa road ten times with an average of 20.21. My record last autumn was 20.50.
Kepo victorious in international relays
The Swiss relay race took place in Engelberg in the beginning of August. The street track was a tough 670 m loop. The number of changes was unlimited but the maximum number of team members was three. Kepo had two two-person teams. Ville/Hannu won the race bit more than one lap before the best Swiss team and Annika/Tomas came fourth two laps behind in the one-hour relay. Because of the wheel size restriction Kepo kicked with a customised Kickbike in which the front wheel had been replaced by a rear wheel in an extended front fork.
A few days later there was another relay in the Italian Aosta valley in Cervinia where the total time was 1 h 24 min to commemorate a 24 h relay that has sometimes been in the programme. Kepo won also that race with team Ville, Hannu and Tomas. A normal Kickbike was allowed here in practice although the wheel size restriction was not officially lifted. Maybe a characteristic difference between Switzerland and Italy !?
The races in the Alpine countries were great and the local kickers were tougher than expected. Next year also individual races will be planned in their programme.
Puruvesi Round
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Soaking wet Kickbikers leave Savonlinna medieval castle behind. |
No kick glossary nor server space is enough to praise the only Kickbike event in Finland that gathers enthusiasts of all abilities and backgrounds. The 150 km loop from Savonlinna via camping in Kesälahti and Punkaharju felt amazingly pleasant in good company despite the hard rain in the beginning. Next year we'll kick around lake Puruvesi on 13.-14.7.2002.
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Sunshine on all faces. |
Downhill poses by Anne-Maria