ÖTILLÖ 3 Months Out: The Ultimate Travel Guide

With three months to go until the ÖTILLÖ Swimrun World Championship, we are deep in training and deep in planning mode. This month's Countdown to ÖTILLÖ episode is less about intervals and more about the stuff that actually makes or breaks your race week: where to stay, how to get around Stockholm, what to pack in your drop bag, and how to squeeze as many fikas into your trip as humanly possible.

We have done this race multiple times, and we get the same questions in our DMs every year. Where should you stay? Do you need cash? Should you get dressed on the ferry? Do you leave Monday night or Tuesday morning? We answer all of it, day by day, from wheels down at Arlanda to the post-race breakfast buffet at Utö.

We also check in on training. Chip just wrapped up a recovery week after ÖTILLÖ Orcas Island and kicked off a fresh block with a 4500-yard Monday swim. Chris is officially starting his build with a new mental performance habit inspired by Dr. Erin Ayala's recent episode. And we dig into gut training for a long race day, including how to use Precision Fuel & Hydration's race planner to dial in your carb targets, the 20-minute timer trick we actually use in training, and why you should always grab an extra gel at the aid station.

This episode is brought to you by Precision Fuel & Hydration. Head to their website to use their free race planner tool, which includes ÖTILLÖ as a supported race, and to book a free one-on-one fueling consultation with their sports science team.

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**Timestamps**

00:00 Intro
01:00 Gut training 101: establishing your baseline and ramping carb intake
02:00 PFH race planner and carb targeting for an 8-13 hour race day
03:30 The 20-minute timer trick and taking extra gels at aid stations
05:30 Training check-in: Chip's recovery week and new block
06:30 Chris's build starts, mental performance app, and strength training
08:00 Why you're not flying to Scandinavia to sit still: the travel guide begins
09:00 When to arrive and why Wednesday works for California folks
10:00 Stockholm logistics: Arlanda Express, city center, Sigtuna, and hotel recs
12:00 Cash and language: the answer is zero and yes, everyone speaks English
13:00 Things to do in Stockholm: Gamla Stan, Vasa Museum, city runs, and fika
14:30 Getting to Djurönaset: the race bubble begins
15:30 Drop bag strategy and the Marcus Barton tip
16:00 Saturday 20th anniversary shakeout swim in Stockholm
16:30 The bus to Djurönaset: anxiety machine or skip it and Uber?
17:00 Arriving at the venue: bib pickup, dinner, sauna, outdoor hot tub
17:30 Race morning: ferry to Sandhamn, bag drop, the bathroom line
19:00 What to wear on the ferry and how to kit up
20:00 What goes in the drop bag to Utö
20:30 You finished the Swimrun World Championship: beer, sauna, and bag pickup
21:00 Monday night ferry vs. Tuesday morning: why we stay for the breakfast
22:00 Tuesday in Stockholm and flying home Wednesday
23:00 Airport hotel tips for the early flight
23:30 Extending the trip through Europe and the final fika count
24:30 LTBz Fika Meetup: we'll announce soon, see you Saturday in Stockholm

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