TnT's Workout Blog

Our goal was to finish in 4:30, and we both finished the first lap in the goal time. My shins did not really bother me after the first ten kilometers. However, the soles of my feet were pretty sore after the first half (we ran two half marathon loops in the city and the nearby park), and I got a little scared when the rain --- occassionally quite heavy downpours --- started around 28th and 32nd kilometers.

We stayed at the idyllic Park Hotel of Turku. We celebrated our marathon achievement in a nice wine bar, and spent the day after in medieval market. There was also an arts and crafts fair in town this weekend. A lot of going on, you see. Therefore, it was quite tricky to find a decent place to eat on Saturday night. After checking the Angel's restaurant and Bossa, neither of which promised a table before closing, we finally ended up at the wine bar at Koulu (School in English). The beer was good but I won't root for food.

The wooden bridge (see the picture on the right) was built by Soviets when they leased the area after the World War II for strategic reasons. The lease was made for 50 years in the Moscow Peace Treaty 1940, but the area was returned to Finland already in 1956. Nowadays, the bridge is in pedestrian use only, and a new pontoon bridge has been built for motorized vehicles next to it.

For the dinner we have grilled halloumi and pineapple with fruit salad.

We leave Lassila at 10am., and after four hours and 60 kilometers of riding we stop at Hesburger at Hyvinkää for late lunch. We have an early lunch at the courtyard of Kivistö school.

The day is very warm with varying clouds. At 5pm. we are in Riihimäki after riding 82.5 kilometers in little more than five hours. We have reserved the cabin beforehand, so it is not hard to find a place at the apparently fully booked campground.

It is a four-kilometer hike to the downtown Riihimäki. We have a very mediocre, if not poor dinner --- Salmon Chimichurri with a baked potato(!) and Chicken Kiev --- at the Apollo restaurant. The menu is limited and prices high because of the Fair, and the huge body of international guests it attracts. Rest of the night we spend drinking wine from tap.

We spend the whole Saturday at the Sportsmen's Fair. We buy two four-season sleeping bags and a tent, Halti Antarctica, and all of these pieces come with generous 200-euro discounts. We also meet a mechanical bear (used to train dogs) and fancy inflatable kayaks and canoes. Afterwards we relax at the hotel Linnea's lobby bar having glasses of nice wine.

We end up dining at the plush Linnea restaurant. Tei has arctic char with rubarb sauce and Tomi Coq au vin. Everything is perfect, flavorful and well presented. The bill climbs over hundred euros. We finish the night watching the opening match in Euro cup, the host Switzerland meets the Czech.

On Sunday we ride home. The weather is gorgeous, except a strong head wind. This time we choose a different route, and we get lost a lot. That, and the wind probably explain the extra kilometers and time. We stop at Rajamäki to have a brief lunch, sandwiches and yogurt. The town is known for its spirit factory, founded in 1888. The church pictured at right was built for the factory workers in 1938.

Nice run, by the way. Although 10K is a little too much, nine kilometers is closer to the truth.

On the way back home we take a train at Espoo center, and visit the nearby Rhododendron park (sorry, only in Finnish). Blooming has just begun. To cap the active day, we have a heart-stopping dinner with red wine and all.