Liebsch missing

On 9 Feb 2006 09:41:09 -0800, wrote:

This took a
lot of courage to make a stand and say this is a go and then marshaling
the tremendous volunteer response to make it happen. The easy decision
would have been a postponement. Our season is so short that any
cancellation is a big deal, there is no guarantee that the snow would
be any better in a couple of weeks.

Sounds like he was just as courageous last year...

JFT


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Glad I got to read your post twice today, John. A lot of people will
say something like, "I really appreciate the work that went into the
race and all the volunteer efforts, but...," and then complain from
their vantage point (wave, ability) about course conditions, points,
scheduling, etc., etc. Rather, I think it's better to see the COLL
Sunday not as a race, but as an event in which two races and a tour are
the center pieces. This is not just one of your out and back or
around the trail sort of affairs that's packed up in three hours. The
COLL as an event means lots of pieces - human, material,
marketing/communications, financial, etc. - that need to be assembled
and seen as a whole. Change the way the waves &/or races start, and
that affects others down the line (including fast skiers who've been
seeded slower than current abilities). Hold the tour and/or classic
race until after the skate starts, then there's still some problems of
course sharing on a narrow trail, plus all the attendant logistic
changes that require more volunteers, more buses later, etc. Cancel
the whole thing and skiers lose heart, maybe the sponsors don't come
back, and volunteer interest is lost. And on and on with the
possibilities. I'm not by any means suggesting that it couldn't have
been done differently or better or maybe not at all, but that criticism
should reach beyond a narrow perspective and strive to see the whole.
The COLL is a complex event -- really two days worth -- not just racers
and volunteers.

Gene

wrote:

Lots of discussion about COLL, Marsh Jones offered a thoughtful report
on a Twin Cities skiers newsgroup that has prompted me to offer a view
from the back of the pack. First, I will agree with the premise that
portions of this course might be too tight and narrow for a full size
race. As I'm not that familiar with the various sections and cannot
identify what other course options are available I don't have a
solution. I do know that much of the new area was in response to
complaints about too much time on the lakes, boring, no place to rest
as you are always hammering.etc.

I had planned on doing this classic style but changed at the last
minute. When I picked up my bib I was dismayed to see that they had
put me in wave 7, all the way in the back, bummer as I'm sure my
results and skills should have put me in wave 6 :-). Marsh is right
saying that some of the hills in the tight sections were almost
unskiable by the time I got there. After going down on the first four
hills in the wooded section, a couple of times on purpose to avoid a
close encounter with a tree, I ended up walking down the last two.
Looking at my pace and where others finished I figured I lost about
10 minutes in this walking/falling section.

But folks, if you are not up front it is not unusual to have very icy
turns and large berms to ski on or around during the downhills. In
average snow years the American Birkie has many icy corners on the
downhill where snow has been scraped down to base. The week before
COLL I was fortunate to be in Italy for the 33rd running of the
Italian Worldloppet Race the Marcialonga. As I was doing the shorter
race(45K) I was put in the back wave. Instead of tight tracks with
trees going through the numerous small towns we had several winding
downhills that were through alleys and narrow streets with buildings
on each side. As in COLL the tracks were down to ice and falling and
recovering were part of the game. Here is a big difference, at COLL
as we were waiting in line to climb or waiting in line to go down and
fall I heard a fair amount of grumbling and serious impatience. In
Italy I never heard an angry word, or at least one that sounded
angry. People were laughing and talking and helping each other up
after falls. There was one stretch that I think will forever be
embedded in my memory. As all of us were walking up a fairly steep
section that had turned to glare ice carrying our skis a couple guys
next to me started singing, pretty soon the whole crowd was singing
at the top of their lungs. As I did not know the words or the music I
just stood there taking it all in and marveling about the attitude
that was on display...nothing but grins and laughter about the
conditions that we were facing.

In contrast, at the start of the COLL as we headed up the hill a guy
to the right of me went down as someone stepped on his pole. He let
loose with a torrent of obscenities as he scrambled to get up. He then
started to really thrash up the hill and got tangled up with another
skier and went down again, all this in the first 100yards. Once again
was screaming at he guy he tangled with. As I went by I just looked at
him and said "Hey, your in the 7th wave.. lighten up...that got me a
glare in response.

The point I'm trying to make here is that your outlook on these kinds
of things in a race make a huge difference in how well you enjoy it.
Not that problems don't need solutions but on race day stuff that
happens is all part of the event....but please remember, this is a
back of the pack view. The issues that Nathan and other raise
clearly come from a different perspective.

I thought 90% of the course was fine skiing and like Marsh and Lou
Chounard I had a chance to push it after we crossed I- 394. You read
that right we do cross an Interstate highway, how often do you do that
in a race. I was able to pass a number of people coming in from that
point (including my personal thrasher from the start, I gotta admit I
enjoyed that).

Here is what I think John Munger and COLLOC did very well

1. Letting us know that they WERE CONSIDERING postponing the
race a couple of weeks. I appreciate being kept informed about their
thinking.

2. Making the call as they said they would on Wednesday. This
took a lot of courage to make a stand and say this is a go and then
marshaling the tremendous volunteer response to make it happen. The
easy decision would have been a postponement. Our season is so short
that any cancellation is a big deal, there is no guarantee that the
snow would be any better in a couple of weeks.

3. Gene Goldenfeld was in charge of transportation and
logistics (busing and parking) and this was world class. I was on a
bus, with dry clothes, heading back to the lot within 10 minutes of
finishing. The excitement and buzz on my bus about was all positive,
people were so pumped it was actually a little too loud to talk
comfortably.

4. Making arrangements for classic skiers to switch at the
last minute due to course conditions (try this at the Birkie). This
kind of flexibility is unheard of at big races.

5. I think that they were very clear about conditions and
sketchy areas. I went into this with the full knowledge that this
could be difficult in sections and some might make a decision to
forgo this race due to potential problems. Munger and Bruce Adelsman
went to great lengths to provide updated condition reports all week.

Finally, I think one of my best memories of this race occurred at the
last downhill coming out of the woods before the 394 crossing. Earlier
in this area I had spotted Piotr, one of the organizers, helping
people at the top of a hill. My first thought was how cool is it
that he is out here with the 7th wavers. So at the top of the last
hill I see Corey Brinkema, another of the organizers, shoveling snow
so that we could ride the berm safely down. Later I found out that
Corey had had done the classic race (fast) and was out here in his
warmup suit trying to make this work for the last 100 or so skiers.
Way over and above.

Personally, after working closely with John Munger as part of the
National Masters last year I have found him to be open and willing to
listen to ideas. As Gene and Marsh said I would encourage all to
provide feedback to the organizers, like Marsh indicated though I
would give them a little time to decompress. All US upper midwest
skiers who like to ski in the marathons have a stake in this race
thriving.

I did the Birkie in it's 4th year and also the Noqemenon in years 2
and 3 and both had huge problems. Sometime ask me about the carnage
that occurred coming down the back of Mt. Telemark. It always takes a
while for a big race to work out all of the kinks and bugs. Add that
to the complexity of having a point to point race in an urban setting.

All through the race I was marveling at how cool it was to be doing
this in the middle of the city....

John O'Connell

From the point of view of this year's (Minneapolis) winter, it's
amazing the race went off, that the race was 30 km (without loops),
that the ice was frozen, and that the skiers I talked to, were pretty
happy about the whole day.

Can next year's race be better. Yup, and I'm thinking about talking to
John about getting on the trail crew. (In other words, if I have ideas
about improving the trail, I'm going to do something about it.)

Jay Wenner

Bjorn A. Payne Diaz wrote:
From the point of view of this year's (Minneapolis) winter, it's
amazing the race went off, that the race was 30 km (without loops),
that the ice was frozen, and that the skiers I talked to, were pretty
happy about the whole day.

Can next year's race be better. Yup, and I'm thinking about talking to
John about getting on the trail crew. (In other words, if I have ideas
about improving the trail, I'm going to do something about it.)

Jay Wenner

That's the spirit Jay. I unfortunately or fortunately was not able to
race in this years race. I was sick leading up to the weekend and did
not feel up to the race. I think as has been stated before, this race
is still in it's early years, and Just like John stated other races
(Birkie/Mora) started out with problems. And have improved on them.
This race will only get better, provided we could get some real winters
or at least some more snow in January. I plan on signing up next year
and hope I stay healthy. Hope everyone has a good race this weekend be
it Mora or the Pre-Birkie my favorite race, even though it is using the
Korte trail this year. Since I do the Birkie, this will be my first
time on the Korte portion of the trail.

Everyone keep your spirits up, and remeber that we are doing this for
fun, exercise and camaraderie.

Bruce Fiedler