The 2020 Swimrun season, like many other things, did not go as expected! Cancelled races around the world and in Sweden have built up a ridiculously high anticipation for this weekend's ÖTILLÖ event, which is the first major swimrun event on Swedish soil in 2020.
We at Gococo are excitedly looking forward to this weekend's races and also wanted to hear how the Gococo friends and the swimrun team Åsa Ernholm and Helena Bjälkemon who will be participating feel about this weekend's race. We asked them a few questions to find out!
Are you looking forward to the weekend?
-Yes indeed! We haven't competed together since ÖTILLÖ in Cannes in October 2019.
What is the team's name so we know who to cheer for?
- Team Helena & Åsa
What preparations have you made / How have you trained to be at your best?
- I (Åsa) have trained during the holidays more on a whim and not according to a program – ran a trail race and completed a swimrun competition, while Helena has focused on running and trained for the Swedish 10,000m Championships. Mostly swimming when there has been a rest period in the schedule.
- We have tried to train together 1-2 times a week, when it suits us.
Has it been difficult to motivate yourself to train extra hard when there is so much uncertainty about what the competition season will look like going forward? Or does it not affect your training motivation?
- Not particularly, both enjoy training, but it's definitely easier to have interim goals and objectives to set up good training periods.
It's a shorter race than usual during the ÖTILLÖ WC weekend. How do you plan equipment with that in mind?
- Yes, what do we think? :-)
We'll probably have to take some last-minute tips from Swimrun world champion George Bjälkem, Helena's husband. As it usually looks the night before a competition for us.
Regarding socks, we haven't decided which of the Gococo sock models we will use. Most often we run in the thinner and cooler Light Sport sock or the Compression Superior sock which provides nice and warm support during longer runs. We think the weather will decide which socks we will use on race day!
Then just drive!
