Welcome

June 11:th.
Sitting in the car on my way down to the south of Sweden, Borås, to help Colting out with his triathlon camp he is organising over the weekend, will be a lot of fun.
Last weekend involved a lot of racing, first the 10 K running race in tuesday, then I had 3 very easy days to make sure to recover from the tour, then on saturday I ran a 4.5 K race in Mockfjärd, won easily but good training, then on sunday I did a 65 K mountainbike race, was a lot of fun, finished 5:th in Men 30-39, had a flat tire half way.......but that seems to be part of mountainbike racing :) , then monday easy but on tuesday I did another local mountainbike race, 20 K, finished 2:nd. 
 
I just love to race and are very happy to be back out in these races even if they are just training races for what to come..... which I'm for now are not sure what.. :))
 
Take care,
Clas

June 2:nd
After one day of rest after the Tour of Sweden I did today a 10.2 K road running race, it went well and I finished 2:nd and had surprising fresh legs. I passed the 10 K mark at 32.50 min and the course was a little rolling with some sharp turns so I'm happy with the time and my performance, now I will enjoy a few easier days again :))
Take care,
Clas

June 1: st
Now I’m on my flight to Stockholm from Kiruna where we finished”Tour of Sweden” www.tosweden.se yesterday, or the bikeleg of the tour actually ended in Kilpisjarvi, and from there 3 of us ran the last 12 K into the mountains to see and be at the point where Norway, Finland and Sweden comes together, that place is called Treriksroset. So that run ended the 2 week tour through Sweden, but first we had to run the 12 K back to Kilpisjarvi where we met the other campers and drove in a minivan the 280 K to nearest big city, which are Kiruna, so we could fly home today.

The camp was a great experience, I got 2 great weeks of great training and it’s always fun to be able to spend some time with my friends but also to get to meet other none pro athletes and see how they grow and push theirs limit every day.

For you that haven’t followed the camp you can read the daily reports on www.slowtwitch.com .

Now I will have an easier week before I get back into a good training routine to get ready for some bigger races, the only big race I have decided to do so far is an adventure race in China in end of September but I will probably also do an Ironman before or after that but which one I have not decided yet, first I will enjoy an easier week as I just mentioned, but I will let you now what race I will be doing as soon as I decide.

Have a great week,
Cheers for now,
Clas

May 25:th
Hi all.
8 days down, 6 to go of the Tour of Sweden www.tosweden.se and www.slowtwitch.com 1500 K of riding over the first 8 day and some swimming and running as well, starting to feel that I have been exercising a little :)
 
Tomorrow we will have a day off from riding and "just" do some swimming and running before we head off for the last 5 day on the bike on Wednesday, will finish in the very north of Sweden on sunday, and hopefully the nice weather we had will continue so we don't have to ride in the snow the last days :))
 
Think thats all for now, time to sleep :)
Take care,
Clas

May 15:th.
I'm now on a train down to Kopenhagen to spend the rest of this week with my girlfriend and to get ready for "Tour of Sweden" http://www.tosweden.se/  that starts on monday, will be a lot of fun, ride, run and swim for 2 weeks through Sweden with some of my best friends....., 2 of them you can see on the picture, Björn and Colting.
You will be able to follow the tour with daily updates on http://www.slowtwitch.com/ and hopefully I will be able to do a few updates here as well.
 
Yesterday I had a talk about training, racing, overtraining, burnout and everything around that and what it's like to be a pro athlete, it was about 120 people that where there to listen and I think everyone was pleased with my talk, always hard to please everyone but I think everyone got something good out of it and this is something I hope to do more in the future as I feel like I have learned a big lesson from my overtraining/burnout and if I can help other people/athletes to not do the same misstace it's a good thing.
 
Since my last update that I wrote when I just came back home from China I have done a few running races, first out was 4 K cross country race, shit, these races are hard, for me it's like an all out sprint, it's great training and really open your system up :) , I finished 5:th in a time of 12.06 min. Next up was a 10 K cross country race, this distance suited me better and I felt good and won in a time of 32.48 min.
I really like to use these smaller races to get some great speedwork done and I hope to do more of these after the Tour.
 
I also hope to attend the epiccamp www.epiccamp.com that is next up on theirs agenda, an epiccamp through the entire length of New Zealand, I have been training in NZ many times and know this is going to be, as all epiccamps are, once in a life time experience. If you want to read more about it I pasted a text in the end of this update, don't even think about it, sign up now, you won't regret it, it will be a lot of fun, train through a wonderful landscape for 16 days togheter with some unique athletes from the sport like Gordo and Molina, and maybe myself included :)) And when you enter the camp, say hi to the guys from me and you might get a bonus :)
 
Okey, that enough for now, it's nap time :))
//Clas

Going Long, Very long – Epic Camp length of New Zealand 2010.

Only a few athletes can say they have traversed New Zealand – here is your opportunity to join this select group. Epic Camp New Zealand will start at top of the North Island at Cape Reinga and cover over 2200 km in 16 days before reaching Bluff at the bottom of the South Island. “Since I began racing long course triathlons this has been on my hit list and I can’t wait to see the spectacular parts of New Zealand I have yet to explore” comments camp organiser John Newsom.

Over the past six years Epic Camps have been run in France, Italy, Hawaii, USA, Australia and New Zealand. In that time the Epic Crew have learned what makes athletes tick and most importantly the support they require to get through camps of this nature "Imagine training like a pro for 15 days whilst taking in breathtaking scenery. Epic Camp is all that and more. Every possible need you have is looked after. I've done 4 camps and I have no doubt that every single athlete who has been on the camps will testify to the fact that  there is no possible way they could do that volume or intensity of training without the Epic Camp support and atmosphere.  Bonds you form with other athletes are special ones that will last a lifetime.  To sum up the camp in Aussie speak - its way too much fun to be legal." Says Australian Kona qualifier Andrew Charles
                                                                
Scott Molina is looking forward to the experience “I love this country! There’s still plenty of it that I haven’t seen so this is a great opportunity for me to share the experience and take on the challenge with the type of people I enjoy being around most – fellow Epic Campers.”

Completing an Epic Camp is as much about mental toughness as ability. To qualify you need to have a strong cycling background and be able to ride a sub 5hr30 bike split at Ironman (or similar equivalent). On top of that you need to have an attitude that is going to get you out of bed every day to complete the mission.

The camp will start at Cape Reinga on January 2nd and departures will be from Invercargill on January 18th. There will be 14 days of riding with average daily distances being 150km. On top of the riding athletes will be ‘invited’ to swim the equivalent of the cook strait (26km) in some great open water locations such as Lake Taupo and various scenic runs will be included such as in the Tongariro National Park and at 90 mile beach.

If you would like to find out more information on this unique opportunity please visit www.epiccamp.com

May 1:st
Hi all.
Yesterday I came back home after finished 2:nd in a international multisport race in China called 2009 Baise Outdoor Quest. It's a 3 day race where you race 5-7 hours a day in running, mountain biking and kayaking, with some more technical things like abseiling, net climbing and cave running.
I raced with 2 other Swedish guys named Martin Flinta and Per Boqvist and a NZ based girl named Fleur Pawsey, our team name was Team Sweden/worldofmultisport.com
The race included 5 international teams and 15 Chinese teams.

It was the first multisport race for me and it was a lot of fun, I felt strong during the whole race, I have had good training through the Swedish winter with a lot of cross country skiing and I also just came home from a 3 week camp in Spain just before the race in China.
Now I’m enjoying a few easier days before I head back into a training routine.

Next thing up for me will be “Tour of Sweden” www.tosweden.se which is a training camp where we will ride the length of Sweden over 2 weeks, 2300 K,plus swimming and running of course, will be a lot of fun.
After that camp I will probably start to be in pretty good shape and be ready for some real triathlon racing.

Below you can read 2:nd and 3:rd day report from Fleur and attached are a few pic from the race.

Cheers for now,
//Clas

Pictures from the race: http://www.8264.com/topic/1248.html 
Results: http://www.sportzhub.com/site/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6844&Itemid=1

Day 2
The first two days of racing at the Baise Outdoor Quest in Baise County, China, have brought plenty of action for athletes. Fifteen Chinese and five international teams are competing in the three day stage race, and it looks like Team Vibram 2000 have the race all but sewn up with a solid lead, followed by Team Sweden/Worldofmultisport.com.
Day one began with a biathlon through Le Ye town and into the hills beyond, followed by  a mountainbike to the first abseiling section of the race. Next came the highlight of the day, 3km underground running through two large caves. Tight passages opened out into large caverns with stunning rock formations. The race ended with a challenging and technical 7km run to the finish, with plenty of steep climbing and descending.
The kayaks came out for the first time on day two. Teams started by rank at 30 second intervals, and Team Sweden/worldofmultisport.com looked to be gaining on Vibram 2000 until bad luck struck and one of their inflatable boats sprang a leak. What followed was about an hour of lopsided paddling and frantic attempts to communicate with the safety boat, and finally a pump was delivered. Once out of the kayaks it was onto bikes for a ride that turned out to be much longer than expected, providing mental challenge. The final stage was a cross country run, at the end of which one team member had to complete a 180m abseil. With most of the drop free hanging, this was not for the faint hearted!
The final day begins with a bike ride that includes a steep climbing section. Teams will then tackle a 14km run and finish the day with a rafting section.  The race isn’t over until it’s over, so the pace looks to be fast and furious till the end.

Day 3
Racing is over at the Baise Outdoor Quest, and the top two placing have not changed since day one. Team Vibram Sport 2000 has taken out the race over Team Sweden-Worldofmultisport.com. Racing was close on the final day though, with less than 4 minutes separating the two teams. 
It was a cold and gloomy start to the day, with steady rain making mountain bike conditions challenging.  This was especially so when teams hit a mud and clay track, and many suffered mechanical problems with their bikes.  The ride included a stiff 500 meter climb, tough for the legs after two days of hard racing.
Next up was a 14km run, mostly on nice single track following a river valley, with the occasional diversion past houses and small cropping farms. Toward the end, two members from each team had to negotiate a climb across a net and up the side of a bridge, a good break for weary legs.
The final stage of the race was a stunning kayak, in a deep river gorge with towering cliffs and misty mountains on either side. While most of the river was slow moving, there were a few small rapids and weirs to keep things fun.  The highlight came right at the end, with teams paddling through a cave and under a huge natural rock bridge.

April 12:th.
2 weeks have now passed on my 3 week training camp in Mallorca, Spain. The training have gone very well even if the weather haven't been great.
It have been nice to get some long miles in on the bike, haven't been riding much this winter due to all the skiing and I can feel that on some places :) but I can feel that the skiing is great for cycling so it's nothing wrong with my power.
 
I'm staying in a house with some other triathletes, it's great to be able to hang out with similar people on camps like this.
 
Attached is a pictures from a long ride, coffee breaks are great during long rides :))
 
Now I will enjoy the last week here before I return to Sweden next weekend.
 
Cheers for now,
Clas

March 3:rd-09
March has arrived and I thought it's time for a new update.
My training have been going pretty well over the last month and I have even been able to do a few cross country ski races. One was a 45 K race, and the last one I did was a 90 K race called Vasaloppet which I finished in a time of 4.39 hours, it's a VERY famous race in Sweden and the countries around here. My body felt strong both during and now a few days after the race which means that my recovery is getting better and better. I have also been able to go on a snowmobile weekend trip which was a lot of fun, it's like yoga for the soul :)

Now in March I will do less country skiing and more riding as I'm going to Mallorca in the end of the month for a 3 week trainingcamp and have to get my body used to some riding before that. But the cross country skiing have been great training over the winter so I'm in pretty good shape, but it will be nice to put the skies away now and bring the bike out :)

Now it's just a few weeks until the spring will come along here in Sweden, will be great !!

Take care,
Clas

January 28:th, 2009
I just came back home to my little town Mockfjärd after 2 great weeks of training in the Swedish mountains. Up there I'm staying at a great hotel called Hotel Tanndalen and I'm fully supported from them so I can concentrate 100 % on training and recovery.
I do mostly cross country skiing but at the hotel they also have a pool, gym, indoor bikes, treadmill, rowing machine and a full test center so it's easy to get all the training done for triathlon base training. And when I'm to tired to train I just hang out in the sauna or hot tub :)
 
My body are responding better and better on my training but I still have to be careful so I don't put to much stress on it, I still need a little bit more recovery than earlier but I get stronger and stronger. Not sure if I will be able to, or want to, race any Ironmans this year, maybe later in the year. Even if I feel I'm slowly getting back to good shape I'm not sure if it's smart to race an IM this year before my health is 100 % and I don't want to race until I'm atleast sub 8.30 shape either so.... but hopefully I will be able to race some shorter races and continue to strengthen my body.

I feel like it's easy to get to excited when things are starting to go well but I'm trying to be smart and see long term, if I can be patient and wait with my IM comeback until I'm 100 % than I will have many nice, fast, years of racing in front of me, but if I get back to hard long course racing to soon I feel like it's a chance that I will break down my body again and I don't want to take that chance. But I'm very excited about the future, my body and I will be best buddies in the future now when I have learned to listen to him :))
 
Take care and I write soon again,
Clas

December 17:th
Almost Christmas, good times :)
I just came back to Sweden after 3 weeks in the States, I went with a Swedish friend and did Florida, day and night for 2 weeks :), from Miami, down to Key West and back, was a lot of fun!! Then I flew up to Gordo in Boulder to see him and his family for a week, he had a birthday party that weekend I was there so I got to met many of my friends from the states which brought up some good memories :), and I got to do some training at altitude which always make you very honest to yourself when you train :)
I miss being able to push my body and mind for 100% but I'm slowly getting there, to be realistic we are probably looking for another year before my health is 100% back but I'm happy where I'm at now for the moment, a year ago I could almost not train at all, and now I'm able to get daily workouts in so I'm getting there, just have to enjoy every step back to full recovery...... and to be in Florida and see Gordo and the guys gave me a big push in the right direction.

Yesterday I did a speech about what I'm doing, training, nutrition...... for a company close to where I live, was a lot of fun and I think they enjoyed it too, something that I want to do more in the future for sure.

Then a magasine called Kollega did an interview with me a few weeks ago, it's all in Swedish but the pictures are great, you can take a look at it at this link, and it's page 22 to 27. www.kollega.se or directlink www.e-magin.se

Then if you want you can click on this link http://svt.se/play?a=1306827 and see an interview that Swedish sport televison did a month ago, it's all in Swedish too of course but anyway, great pictures .... :)
click on the text that say "Järnmannen om blev utbränd på väg tillbaka" and it should all start....

Think that's it for now,
Just want to finish this update to wish you a Merry Christmass and a Happy New Year and I see you again in 2009!!
All the best,
Clas

Nov 4:th
Hope you all is doing well.
Since my last update, that I wrote after winning my gold at the swedish championship in duathlon, it have been kind of up and down, depending how you look at things.

I was planning on to use this fall to work hard to improve my swimming, but after I few weeks my body just stopped responding to the load I put on it so I decided to take a break from hard training for a few month and do some work at the local school instead. So that's where I am at the moment, but I don't feel to bad about that. I have gotten used to the idea that it takes a long time to recover from adrenal burnout so I just have to listen to my body and do what it tells me to do, and I get to earn some money and teach the kids a few good things to in the meantime :)

But I'm very excited about my come back to professional racing again in near future but the slower I can make it happen the longer I will be able to enjoy and stay in the top of the game without taking the risk to drive my body to hard again. But to speed up the process a little I'm going to take a few weeks holiday in end of Nov and Dec to visit a swedish friend in Miami and also spend a week up with Gordo and Monica in Boulder, I really miss spending time with Gordo, from -02 to -04 we probabaly spent over a year togheter and we both got a lot of good training out of that, not sure if we can repeat that but it will be nice to hang out a little again, maybe without any training, if possible ? :)

Guess that's it for now.
I wish you a great fall and we will be in touch soon again,
Take care,
Clas

September 22:nd
Hi all.
Yesterday I raced, and won the Swedish Championship in duathlon ( 10 K run, 40 K bike, 5 K run ).

I have 4 gold medals in duathlon from previous years but last year I wasn't able to compete at all due to my overtraining and adrenal burnout, so it was a great feeling to now be back out there and able to win the race and get the gold again.

Over the last 2 month I have been able to come back and race a few smaller races here in Sweden but I wasn't sure that my fitness should be good enough to win, but already in the first 10 K I was able to get a 40 sec gap. I started out on the bike pretty relaxed as the 2:nd run is my strongest leg in a duathlon and I knew if I was able to stay close to the lead coming of the bike I should be able to win, but none was able to close the gap and I kept my 40 sec lead through the bike leg. But even if I felt like I controlled the race it doesn't take more than a cramped up hamstring to lose the race so I kept the pace up through the last run until just the last few 100 meters to the finish where I slowed down and enjoyed my victory and comeback to the national top in the sport.

Even if I still have some work to do before I can race a 8.15 Ironman again this was a good indicator that I'm on my way back to full recovery after my illness and on my why back up to professional racing again.

Now I'm enjoying some easy days before I will get going with a good training rutine to build a good base for an 8.14 Ironman next year :)

For complete results see this link:

But here is the top 5:

Attached are a few pictures from the race

Just want to end this update with a big hug to all my sponsors and all the other kind people that makes it possible for me to focus on my comeback to the sport.

Best regards
Clas Bjorling
www.clasbjorling.com

August 27.

Photos and Results pages are updated.

Hi all,
Hope you have had a great summer.

My summer have been pretty good, my own health have continued to improve so I have been able to do some shorter races that have gone well, both some triathlon and running races.But I wont do any long course races this year, I will instead focus in improving my swimming so I can compete better over shorter distances in the future, and also to make my long course races mentaly easier if I don't have to try to catch up for 8 hours, better if I can just ride with the guys from the beginning then leave them behind during the run :)

The sorrow and loss of Kristy is still hard to deal with but I'm slowly starting to learn to live with it, and the fact is that it's nothing I can do to change the fact that the excident happend, so I'm instead trying to live my life, if not in respect to Kristy who lost hers. This can be easier said than done but the last things Kristy wanted was to see me laying here feeling sorry for myself so I'm trying to find some energy in that she is kicking me out of bed every morning so I can live my life to the fullest,and when time is right we will catch up again, so I'm trying to do that with Kristy in my heart.

So after all these hard things that have happend in my life that I'm now working myself through I hope it can be enough for a while so I can continue to improve my health, and if things continue to improve as they have I will definitely be back for real next season. It has been very nice and fun to be back on the race courses already this year, I love the feeling to compete out there, I get a kick out of it that is hard to get elsewhere.

Now I'm looking forward to the calmness that the fall brings with it where my focus will be swimtraining and some running races if my fitness stays with me.

Hopefully it wont be 5 month until my next update but I'm sure you understand that my focus have been elsewhere, but now I hope I will be able to have more positive updates to share with you in the future to come...

The photo is from a hillrunning race I did, the race was just 2.5 K but had over 300 m of vertical gain, so it was UPPHILL :), but a lot of fun.

Take good care of yourself and I will write soon again,
Clas

March 20.
Not sure what to write, it's with deep sadness and a total emptyness that I'm trying to put togheter a few lines to tell you, that don't already now, that my longtime girlfriend and best friend Kristy Gough past away in a bicycle excident March 9:th when she was training in the San Fransisco area. One more cyclist died in the same excident.

Here are some links for you that want to read more about the excident, and for you that didn't know Kristy but want get a little feeling for what a great person and athlete she was.

sfgate 1 »
sfgate 2 »
Picasaweb »
Bayarea News Group »

As soon as I heared about the excident I flew over from Sweden so I could join in on the memorial cermoni and try work through and to absorb the whole terrible thing, but now it's 10 days since the excident and I'm still in the states trying to support the rest of hers great family, see our friends here and just to hang out in this great area to work through my mind, but my brain just don't want to except that this has happend, it just doesn't seem real that I will never be able to hold her again, not in my life here at least. In my broken english I say, This is crazy..
As it looks like now I'm heading back to Sweden on Tuesday to keep working with my sorrow.

My own health have gotten a lot better over the last month but I don't care much about that right now.

It's not much more to write more then that I feel good support from everyone around me, a BIG hug to all of you, it means a lot to me even if it's hard for me right now to show an appriciation. Hopfully the pain and emptyness will lighten as time moves on and be replaced with all the great memories I share, and will always share with Kristy and some kind of appriciation that I got to know her closer then most people on this earth, even if I feel hopeless right now.

You will always have a special place in my heart and mind Kristy !!

Hugs,
Clas

January 10.
Now we can finally put 2007 behind us and we have a new exciting year in front of us. Personally I don't think it can't be much worse then what 2007 was for me. But even if I didn't achieve much to racing results I did learn a lot about other things that will benefit me for the rest of my life in and outside the sport and that is still something good I believe.

It has been a few month since my last update but not much has happen over here. I still work at the local school even if I take a break now and then to spend some time up in the swedish hills where a friend of mine owe a hotel.
I will keep working at the school for a few more month but hopefully later in the spring be strong enough so I can come over to do some training in the states.
My recovery keeps going slowly in the right direction, 2 steps forward and one back. I still figure out new things about my body and how in the best way recover from my overtraining which is kind of an exciting learning process but I wish it could go a little bit faster. But they say that efter a real adrenal burn out it can take up to 2 years to recover so I'm happy I'm almost one year into it :)

It's a new article posted on Gordos website http://www.gordoworld.com/alternativeperspectives/ that I have written. It's about what to do if you have to take a break from training and racing.

Stay healthy and enjoy life.

Cheers
Clas

November 10:th.
Now the winter have arrived for real here in Sweden where I live, it's white and nice outside and I hope the cold weather continues so the snow stay here.

Since my lasy update I have been working even more at the school here as an assistent, I really enjoy the work and will continue to work there until Christmas. It's fun to be around these teenagers and they keep my mind busy with other things then training and racing which is great for my recovery right now :)

Last week the school had "fall holiday" so we was off for a week. So the first half of the week I spent up in the Swedish mountains, did some training and relaxt a lot. And the 2:nd part of the week we had a training camp with the Swedish triathlon team. It was fun to meet up and do some training together, my long course team mates wasn't able to join the camp due to theirs races at IM Florida and Clearwater but I had great time with the short course athletes. It's fun to get a small taste of good training and what it's like to be around hard training athletes again, was a while ago and I can't wait to go out there and train and race my ass off again.

I have written a new article to Gordos site http://www.gordoworld.com/alternativeperspectives/ , this article is about how to avoid overtraining and what I have learned from my experiance. It might take a few days or weeks before he put it out there, but be patient, it will happen :)

I have also put a few new pictures on the link pictures above. I went on a motorcycle trip to Norway this last summer so one album is from that trip.
The other album is some random pictures from 2007.

The website xtri.com have done an interwiev with me and you can read this interwiev if you clcik on this link http://www.xtri.com/features_display.aspx?riIDReport=4238&CAT=22&xref=xx

So for now my life is moving on in a pretty good harmoni with the work at the school during the weekdays and then I mix in some training at night and on the weekends. This is the time of the year when I help my Dad to bring home wood so we can heat up the house for another year, so a few weekends we have spent out in the forrest, and it will be a few more weekends before we have enough. To be out there in the forrest is the best training I can think of for my body and mind.
I get a great physical workout but at the same time I heal my mind and get a lot of fresh air. You should try it. It's like hard yoga :)

Next week I'm going to take a few days off from school and drive up to the Swedish mountains again to visit the athlete project I'm involved in. They have a lot of cross country ski tracks up there which I really like doing and cross country skiing is great supplemental training to triathlon.
I used to do a lot of skiing 6-7 years ago but then I started traveling to New Zealand to be able to do triathlon training, but this winter my plans are to spend a little more time here in the winterland.

You have a few live webcameras over the ski area/town up in the hills where I going to visit, here are some links:
http://www.hamrafjallet.se/webkamera/webcamtop.htm
http://www.hamrafjallet.se/webkamera/webcam1.htm
http://www.hamrafjallet.se/webkamera/webcam2.htm

So my recovery keeps going in the right direction, and now when I have found a more balanced life with the work at the school I can feel that my recovery is even better which is very exciting.

Take care.
Best regards
Clas

September 30.
Hi all.
The fall has arrived for real in Sweden, this is the time to take a deep breath and recharge the batteries after for most people a hectic long summer.
The picture is taking here, 2 weeks ago when I was visiting an athlete project that I'm involved in that are based up in the small swedish hills/mountains and the first snowfall came.
A few people have bought a hotell up there and are turning into an "athlete village" so both Pros and age groupers can stay there and train with full support and also have coaches, massage therapists, lactate testing....
available. In the winter time it's a perfect place for cross country skiing, it's hundreds of miles of ski tracks in the area and if you need to do some triathlon training they have indoor bikes, a treadmill and a pool to. In the summer time you have great trails to run and ride mountainbike on if you want to go off road, it's a beautiful place, so nice and quiet but have all the energi from the surrounding hills. Theirs website has just a swedish version but if you want to look at some pictures the link is www.sportsupportcenter.se .

My strenght have come back even more since my last update, I have been able to do some hard, shorter sessions and even some 3 hour+ rides which is big for me at this point. I need a lot of recovery after the long rides but nothing else havent been expected either.

Last week I started a longer break from hard training just as I do after every session. I have been stepping up my training over the last 3 month and even with a few rest days every week and focus on recovery every 3:rd week I still feel like I need a longer break to make sure that I don't do to much to soon. My coach, Matt Dixon at enduranceptc.com and Dr Morgan www.drcamphealth.com/, are great to work with and are helping me make the right decision so I can make make my way back to racing as safe as possible.

While I'm taking this break from hard training I'm taking the opportunity to do some teaching at the local school and I have also joined an english class to practise my english. Even if my english have got much better over the years I know I still have some work to do, especially with the grammatics, and if I can learn a few more words to that's great.
And to be fair I can see that if I want to recover as fast as possible I sometimes have to take step away from my training,racing focus and just do some other things, and what can fil that function better then noisy students and some english :)

Then I have written some more articles that are posted on Gordos site http://www.gordoworld.com/alternativeperspectives/ if you feel like reading a little.

Other things that I'm doing is that I still use my Bemer3000 magnetmadrass a few times a day, and I'm also trying a product namned bestway that are some kind of oxygen your drop in a glass of water a few times a day. I will try to find a good link so you can read about this yourself. Both these products are working with the cells in the body and I find them pretty interesting.

So now I'm taking some well-earned rest, I can feel all the way out in my toes that 2008 are going to be an hectic year, so I better make sure that I enter the year full of energy :) Take a hot cocoa and get under the blanket, it's fall !

Best regards
Clas

20/8
Hi everyone.
Just want update my site to tell you the great news that I have made it back to the racing circuit, it was last Saturday I raced a local triathlon race here in Sweden,the distances was 350 m swim, 12 K bike and 4.4 K run, a little different from IMUK that was my last triathlon last year before I completely fell over the edge with my overtraining and my virus.

It's have been a long year so it was very nice to just make it to the start line at this race, this was one of the last triathlon races in Sweden for this summer so it was nice to be able to get a race under my belt now when we enter the fall.

I have been able to train 4-6 hours a week for the last 6-7 weeks after been completely off for 5 month before that so I was very surprised how good my body felt during the race. Of course I didnt have the top speed endurance, or any real top speed at all but I found a got rytm during the swim, exited the water in 4:th place, on the bike I moved up to 2:nd place, started the run 40 sec or so behind first place but was able to find my old running legs and run him down the last 2 K and win by 39 sec.

Of course it was nice to win the race but the biggest victory was just to be able to do a triathlon again. I still have to be very careful how much stress I but on my body and take one step at a time, but consider that it was "just" 7 month ago I wasn't even able to leave the house for a few weeks because my body was so run down I have to say that I have come a LONG way back. I guess I'm about 80 % recovered, but with this race under my belt I have got even more energy to keep doing the right things to improve my health back to 100 % so I can train and race at a professional level again.
And probably already in the 2008 season.

Results:
1. Clas Bjorling 42.59 min
2. Nico Axelsson 43.38 min
3. Erik Desmeules 44.34 min

I attached a picture from the run.
For more updates during the fall please look at my website www.clasbjorling.com

Thanks for your great support !!
//Clas Bjorling

17/7

It was almost a month ago since my last update, and I'm happy to say that my energy just keeps going up every week.
I'm now stabil on 5-6 hour training weeks and I'm able to recover well and just get stronger and stronger.

I was able to find a lab in Denmark that could help me to organize all the complicated test I did in the States during the winter so I could follow up with new tests to see how my body are recovering without having to travel to the States, and it looks pretty good. It's amazing how much information these test can give you.

Fot the last 6-7 weeks I have been using a Magnet carpet/madrass that are called Bemer 3000 and I'm amazed how it have helped my recovery. Pretty interesting how energy fields effect the body.

I'm also using a food supplement called FitLine that I have seen good results from.
http://www.pm-international.com

As you can see on the picture above I have got myself another vehicle that help my recovery and that I can do my meditation with :)

It's a great feeling to be back into a training rutine, I can not believe that it have been almost 11 month ago since I raced Ironman UK and I was never able to recover and I got into this big, black hole. I will never push my body that far again, I will train myself tired, and race myself tired, but I will put in much more recovery time in my training and racing schedule in the future, and the exciting thing is that I think that will make me to a faster and stronger triathlete.
For the rest of the year I will slowly add some hours and intensity to my workouts but a lot of focus will also be on the recovery.

I'm also writing some articles about different things to one of my best friends, Gordos website, you can find the first one on his site http://www.gordoworld.com/alternativeperspectives , I will also put these articles on my site but for now you can find them there.

I hope you are enjoying the summer, the warm weather havent really arrived in Sweden yet but it will come.

Have a great summer.
//Clas