The view from the middle - adventures from the 4th wave... (long)

It's always fun reading about what happens up in the front of the race
at the Birkie or Mora. Thanks Jay for the report, and great race! My
hat's off to everyone who did the Birkie or Korte - they are two of the
harder courses in the Midwest.

After not doing nearly as much skating this year compared to classic, I
was a little concerned about the Birkie hills, but I decided to go for
it anyway. What the heck, it's likely the last big race I'll do this year.
I watched the weather with a lot of interest this week, and as the
temperatures rose the wax job got more expensive. I wound up Thursday
night deciding that with NWS calling for temps in the upper 20s meant
FastWax Salmon with CeraF on top of my 7 year old RCS skis. I thought
they were as fast or faster than anyone around me. I don't remember
getting passed by many folks on anything flat or downhill.
I started from the 4th wave this year, working up from 10 last year. My
goal was to ski about 4min/k which I figured would get me to wave 2 next
year. I started from the front row, which worked out just fine for
starting, allowing me to ski pretty freely for the first few K. I let
the lead group go, not wanting to redline on drummer's hill. I was
still passing people who romped out of the gate, and started seeing wave
3 numbers by that point. It looked like the right side of the course
was pretty soft and crowded, so I stayed left and took advantage of the
wide open classic tracks on the downhills.
I was amazed at the number of people doing the conga up the hills as
soon as we hit the woods. I think/hope I was careful not to be a jerk
trying to shoot gaps, go up the middle, double pole up the classic
tracks or whatever to get thru some of the congestion. Even at that,
there were lot's of places that I wound up slogging up the hills
'coach-skating' until a gap opened.
Disaster hit somewhere around 16K. I'd dropped into the classic track
on the left side behind another skier from my wave to shoot a little dip
and get a couple of seconds rest. About the low point of the dip, he
stepped out, and I rode it for a few more feet. WHAM!!! Allofthesudden
I was flat on my face, in the snow, no warning, no chance to recover, no
idea whatinhell happened. The only thing I can figure is I hit a void
that the groomer had just packed over the top. At any rate, I rolled
further off trail to get untangled so I could get up. Bad mistake. The
next couple of minutes, I was waist deep (or better) in soft snow,
trying to reach down and open my bindings, rescue my skis, toss them and
my poles back UP onto the trail, and climb back UP onto the trail.
Thanks to the numerous people who asked if I was OK as they went by.
It's funny now, but I remember wishing Paul from Competitive Image had
been there with his motor drive Canon to record it all. It woulda' made
the lowlights reel.
I managed to pull it back together, and by Mosquito Brook, I'd reeled in
most everyone I'd been skiing around before I crashed. UNfortunately,
I'd also spent way too much energy getting back around the people I'd
already gone around once. Dang. Going up Bitch Hill, I was rewarded
with the insides and outsides of both thighs trying to cramp, which when
I tried to straighten up to stretch those muscles, I learned about
another set that were all set to lock up! Whine... At any rate, I
survived that and the last big climb catching a skier from my wave I'd
passed and been passed by several times. We continued to alternate with
him ahead on the climbs and me passing on the downhills or flats until
we got on the lake. With the wind in my face, I sat on a long train for
a bit to recover, and took off attempting to bridge to the next group
about 500meters or so ahead. I almost made it, but the wind won.
Pretty soon, I realized the group I'd dropped was back tucked in behind
me - just where I didn't want a whole string. I moved left and slowed,
they'd move left and stay put. I finally stepped sideways and stood up.
A couple of minutes later, my wave partner had a go and I went with
him. We hit the slop coming up off the lake and my legs let go. After
that, I was just trying to get up the street without falling.
Once across the line, I pulled up to Robert Wawrzyn from Brookfield, WI
to congratulate him and as we were talking, had the roving radio
reporter shove a mike in our face. Sorta wierd being that far back and
being interviewed, but still fun. Didn't quite make my target, but I
was still happy with the result. Maybe next year I'll find that extra
gear (more training?)
I'm still amazed at the number of people that work the Birkie, and the
attitude of the people in town. I stopped for gas in Hayward, and had
at least 4 people ask if I was in town for the race, and wish me good luck.
BTW, my food plan worked pretty well. I had a GU shot before the start,
took usually two cups of energy drink at every food station, a
semisludged cliffshot at OO, and 3 GU shots along the rest of the way.
I never felt like I was low on energy, but judging by the state of my
legs, I may have been short on liquid. I had a water bottle with, but
never used it.


Marsh Jones
New Brighton