© Jen		The Wasa Run
Written Work Poetry Thoughts   30 Dec 98   30 Nov 97   3 Nov 97   21 Aug 97   18 aug 97   3 Mar 97   2 Mar 97   27 Feb 97   19 Feb 97   1 Feb 97   28 Jan 97   22 Nov 96   11 Nov 96   29 Oct 96   25 Oct 96   14 Oct 96   6 Oct 96   30 Sep 96 Stories		One can't help but wonder at the stamina of some people, or their lack of judgement, depending how you view cross-country skiing. I personally detest it. Unless it is on a beautiful day in March in the north of Sweden when the sun is out and the temperature is around zero degrees Celsius (32 F). And I have no pressure on me that I have to complete 10 kilometres or something like that. On such a day I might consider putting on my skis voluntarily to go out on the ice for a quick spin. And at the end of it I'll enjoy throwing myself to the ground and lie panting for a bit in the warmth of the sun. Doesn't that sound like heaven? Oh, it is. But to willingly, on a day when the air is around ten degrees Celsius, get up and do the Wasa run, which begins at eight a.m., is deranged. And there were still some 13 000 starting today, Sunday March 2nd 1997. Some of you might not know the Wasa run. I'll explain. It is an annual tradition to complete the course, of just under 90 kilometres, that once our King Gustav Wasa did. This is a big thing the first sunday in March, or is it the last of February?, and it is costumary to, if you are not in it, watch it on TV. Whole families sit glued to the screen from eight until around twelve when the winner usually crosses the finishing line. And people willingly do this. Even though they know that it takes the very best athletes in the world four hours to complete the thing. Four hours... Not to mention that is was an Austrian, originally Russian, who won this year. *Hrmph* 97-03-02