XC Skiing race 4:19:47 [3] 50.0 km (5:12 / km)
shoes: Salomon Equipe 10 #2
The Birkie!!!
Delayed my travel to Hayward by 12 hours due to the new snow. I spent Thursday evening doing a little more waxing and helping Biz with his planks. I got up early, had breakfast, cleared the driveway and then headed out. 5 hours later we arrived at the bib pick-up... and it was empty. I guess Thursday was the chaotic day this year. It was nice to get a front row parking spot, walk in and breeze through pick-up. Bonus: I was selected for a door prize this year! $25 at New Moon!
We made it to the start without difficulty, although a few classic wave 1 skiers on our bus were sweating it. They made it with a whole 3 minutes to spare though. I actually found a chair in the warm up tent to change. Double bonus.
I wore my LNR (Loppet Nordic Racing) skin suit with one layer of Craft long underwear with windblocker panels. Cold cold cold at the start. Biz found me and we shared stories of getting to the start and agreed to ski together the first 50'... which is about the way it happened.
The gun went off, everyone started double poling, then they immediately started skating as soon as the classic lanes ended...What a mess. I stuck with the double pole for another 250 meters, just trying to protect my poles and skis from the thrashing.
Biz was out of sight at this point. Lost in a sea of people wearing all black.
After a cold ski to the powerline hills, I settled in behind some medium speed folks to take it easy for the first part of the race. Even at what I thought was a moderate pace, the legs and lungs didn't feel that great. My 8 week taper plan must have still been working... I knew the snow was going to be soft, and it was... expectation met.
Most of the race to Double O was trying to manage the crowded conditions and not get in to a sprint/wait mode. I think I managed that well and was able to ski most of highpoint and all of the hill in to double O. I did manage one major face plant when I caught a tip in a snow windrow and put my face in to the trail right between the tips of my skis... I took a few minutes to clean my visor and make sure nothing was broken.
From Double O to just past the hill at 77 I felt I skied OK. More crowd management, but the skis were holding what glide I could manage and I was picking off people. My one positive note is that from Timber trail to the finish I passed 38 age groupers, 146 males, and 361 total racers.
I started feeling a little gassed after the post 77 hill. Once the wind could hit me straight on, I felt like it was two steps forward, one step back. I didn't find anyone to draft on the lake, and no one ended up drafting me. Continued to pass people, but it was a labored effort. A Birkie First.... the main street snow was the best stuff on the entire course!
Finished with a smile. No cramps. Felt relatively good. I ran in to cfsop1 a little while later and he reminded me that he had to tie my shoes last year as I couldn't bend over without cramping.
The trail has never been more beautiful. Huge clumps of snow hanging from the pines. Crowds were still great and full of kind words. #4 down, 16 to go!