SkiBoyBob rockets to above-median in The Great Ski Race!

Yes, it's true: 97th out of 201 in the famed 40 to 49 male division.

Other notes:
I didn't see Truckee Mark but his 13 year old son beat me by 7 minutes.
bt (skinnyski) beat me too; He was *striding* the freestyle race.

basking in glory,
Bob

The thermometer had been hitting the mid 40s (F) all week and by race day a
high in the mid 50s was predicted. The whiteboard at Tahoe XC suggested Swix
CH7-8 mix under LF8-10, HF8-10 followed by BD this or FC that (my eyes glaze
over when I start seeing those $$$$ powders). I opted to wax with what I
already own: CH7-8 mix followed by Rhode FS30 sweetened with some Dr D
Wicked powder (talc, as some have joked). I knew I was waxing way to the
cold side, but I've been burned before waxing too warm... Rilling between
each coat and before the final polish left my bases looking distinctly like
corragated cardboad. A pasta dinner, bed around 9pm and I was ready for race
day.

This year's race started in 6 waves - 1040 skiers, in all. Based on my 2002
time, I was in wave 4 (bibs 301 to 500). bt and I picked up Leland at the
Cottonwoods and drove down to the Lake in time to park within a 100 yards of
the ski center. While bt tested skis, I talked with photographers, newbies,
and grissled veterans (Art's a really nice guy, but he has that look, ya
know). Overheard one newbie exchange:
him: "what angle should I have my skis at to do this skate thing?"
her: "um... you'll be OK. Just do what I do"
I finsihed off my pre-race fueling with half a Power Bar.

Eventually, I lined up in my #4 pen and squeezed a Gu. The waves started on
3 minute intervals, so I was due to go at 9:09. As each wave took off, the
rope in front of the next wave moved forward to the start line. I'm sure I
must be boring some with this description, but this was the first event I
had ever been in a race with wave starts and I thought it was the best thing
since cup holders in cars. No group face-plants. No broken poles (at least
as far as I saw). No problems. My previous experience at this race included
seeing more broken pole parts strewn on the first km than I had ever seen in
my life - combined!

As we poled up the start hill, I hung to one side and continued poling up to
the first turn because it seemed easier than trying to dodge skis and
baskets. Soon, I had found someone to pace me: a girl with a relaxed and
consistent V1. She wasn't terribly powerfull, which was exactly what I
needed to keep myself from blowing up in the first 10k. I hung behind her
for the first 3k or so but when we began getting into the real hill, she
slacked off and I found someone else to follow. I stuck with girl #2 for the
next 8k, stopping only once to shove a second Gu in my face. As we
approached the top of Starret (sp?) pass and heard the cheering from the
ladies-all-dressed-the-same (Mark: help me out here - they must call
themselves *something*), I knew I had conquered the 1500'+ climb and the
wild and fun downhills were beginning.

A quick stop at the feed station and I'm tucking and free skating as fast as
I can down the first set of switch backs. The trail seemed wider this year
but the roumored "fun bumps" began at the end of the second switch back. A 3
foot high bump just befor a hairpin turn sounds llike a bad idea, but I had
no trouble making it around the turn. Even the 2 and 3-bump combos later in
the course were all skiable (at least at my speed) although I'm guessing
some of the elite skiers caught quite a bit of air.

All the structure in the world couldn't make my skis glide on the slushy
flat areas in the middle of the course so I made a point of aiming for
whichever side of the trail had the shade. It helped. I passed a few
people - mostly women and children - but a few old men, too! By the second
feed station I was feeling pretty good but the last couple of climbs before
the Truckee overlook were gruelling. I passed a few more people in the final
switchbacks and went down only once when I moved into the soft stuff to keep
from taking out a skier whao was snowplowing for dear life on the last one.
I got up very quickly (another skier was coming down the luge run at me),
hopped down to the final turn and pointed my skis at the finsh line. The
whooping from bib 319 turned some heads (if only for a moment) as I crossed
the finish line at 2:02:28.

I plopped down in the snow with a bowl of chilli, fruit, punch, and chips to
enjoy the after-party. A live band, thousands of spectators, and a beer
stand (free to racers, I think, but I didn't want to stand in line) made for
a pleasant lunch #1, if nothing else. After Mary picked me up, we went out
for lunch #2 of the day. Skiing *and* over-eating: it just doesn't get any
better than that!

I thank all the volunteers on the course, post race, and pre race. It *was*
a great ski race.
Bob

I didn't see Truckee Mark but his 13 year old son beat me by 7 minutes.
bt (skinnyski) beat me too; He was *striding* the freestyle race.

T-M's kid is apparently pretty stoked that he beat a "top" (first
wave) GR skier; I told T-M to tell his kid that I skated the race.

The strangest part of striding the race (which, I will never do again,
see below) was that about 1km out from the start, after all the
skaters in my wave had skidaddled up the hill, I was COMPLETELY ALONE
(excluding the 1,000 skiers behind me drooling over the opportunity to
crush the pussy strider). Just me, alone in the woods, no one around.

As far as striding the race, forget it until striding boots provide
ankle support that deson't resemble that of 1940s era ice skates.
Those hills are treacherous, and I actually fell twice, which I never
do. Yes, I know that it used to be a striding race....

bt

I, too, ran into a fallen skier before the last downhill, but
managed to get up and rush down - 1:43 (cut 12 min. from last year).

I had NO glide on downhills and wanted to ask people passing me
what hell of the wax they were on, but nobody bothered.
That sucks when you have to skate w/no poles to keep up with somebody
just gliding downhill with no effort.

SBB,

You didn't see ME?? You gotta be kidding! I was definitely there, and
was probably the most photographed person on the day. If anyone wants
to see what a REAL race winner wears for the Great Ski Race, you need
to click over to http://www.farwestnordic.org and check out the photo.

Yes Bob, I was there, but for the third year in a row I was given the
day off by the race organizers from having to duke it out in the top
30. The last two years I've skied the course with my (now) 13 year old
(see below), but now that he's old enough to go it alone, this year I
had the honor of escorting my 10 year old daughter skiing her first
Great Race, who finished in a very proud (but very long, for those
escorting) 3 hours and 29 minutes. There were only 4 kids under 11 who
did the race, so she was pleased with herself, but definitely hurting
by the end. My son decided not to really race it seriously this year,
and skied it with a slower buddy doing his first Great Race (so your 7
minutes might have been a little closer than it would have been -
sorry :-)

I can't tell you what the girls at Starrett Pass call themselves.
Every year they're different - this year French maids, last year
Angels (with one devil), two years ago they were Statues of Liberty. I
was way bummed for my daughter when we got up there (in about 1:45
from the start) and they had just left to ski the remainder of the
course. She's buddies with a lot of them, and it would have perked up
her spirits for them to see her (she was dressed in a similar costume
to mine).

One thing I LOVED about the wave starts - it gave me a chance to go up
the hill and take photos of the first 2 waves coming through before I
had to get back down to help my daughter through the start. I got some
good pics of the leaders cresting the initial hill.

BTW, got to have a nice chat with Ken Roberts today over at Tahoe
Donner XC. He's out touring the area with his wife. What Ken might
think he lacks in race speed he definitely makes up for in endurance -
he's doing a whirlwind tour of the Tahoe area, sometimes spending 9+
hours a day out there in the backcountry. Those kind of tours would
wear ME out, that's for sure. Ken, I hope you had fun today at TD.

Mark

***
"Bob" wrote in message ...
Subject: SkiBoyBob rockets to above-median in The Great Ski Race!

Yes, it's true: 97th out of 201 in the famed 40 to 49 male division.

Other notes:
I didn't see Truckee Mark but his 13 year old son beat me by 7
minutes.
bt (skinnyski) beat me too; He was *striding* the freestyle race.

basking in glory,
Bob


As we
approached the top of Starret (sp?) pass and heard the cheering from the
ladies-all-dressed-the-same (Mark: help me out here - they must call
themselves *something*), I knew I had conquered the 1500'+ climb and the
wild and fun downhills were beginning.

Is it too late to nominate Bob for the Jeff Potter "Rambling Post" award?

;-)

bt

Hi Serge,
You forgot to subtract 3 minutes from the finish clock due to your wave 2
start time of 9:03.
Congratulations: 1:40:34 (you *were* wearing #1002, right?) and just missed
finishing in the top quartile of the famed 40 to 49 male division.

Bob
who loves skating downhill w/ no poles.

"Serge" wrote in message
om...
I, too, ran into a fallen skier before the last downhill, but
managed to get up and rush down - 1:43 (cut 12 min. from last year).

I had NO glide on downhills and wanted to ask people passing me
what hell of the wax they were on, but nobody bothered.
That sucks when you have to skate w/no poles to keep up with somebody
just gliding downhill with no effort.

Of course I saw you - I just assumed you were a hallucination... Glad to
find out you aren't. Er, weren't... whatever. Nice duds, by the way.

Bob
"Mark" wrote in message
m...
SBB,

You didn't see ME?? You gotta be kidding! I was definitely there, and
was probably the most photographed person on the day. If anyone wants
to see what a REAL race winner wears for the Great Ski Race, you need
to click over to http://www.farwestnordic.org and check out the photo.

Yes Bob, I was there, but for the third year in a row I was given the
day off by the race organizers from having to duke it out in the top
30. The last two years I've skied the course with my (now) 13 year old
(see below), but now that he's old enough to go it alone, this year I
had the honor of escorting my 10 year old daughter skiing her first
Great Race, who finished in a very proud (but very long, for those
escorting) 3 hours and 29 minutes. There were only 4 kids under 11 who
did the race, so she was pleased with herself, but definitely hurting
by the end. My son decided not to really race it seriously this year,
and skied it with a slower buddy doing his first Great Race (so your 7
minutes might have been a little closer than it would have been -
sorry :-)

I can't tell you what the girls at Starrett Pass call themselves.
Every year they're different - this year French maids, last year
Angels (with one devil), two years ago they were Statues of Liberty. I
was way bummed for my daughter when we got up there (in about 1:45
from the start) and they had just left to ski the remainder of the
course. She's buddies with a lot of them, and it would have perked up
her spirits for them to see her (she was dressed in a similar costume
to mine).

One thing I LOVED about the wave starts - it gave me a chance to go up
the hill and take photos of the first 2 waves coming through before I
had to get back down to help my daughter through the start. I got some
good pics of the leaders cresting the initial hill.

BTW, got to have a nice chat with Ken Roberts today over at Tahoe
Donner XC. He's out touring the area with his wife. What Ken might
think he lacks in race speed he definitely makes up for in endurance -
he's doing a whirlwind tour of the Tahoe area, sometimes spending 9+
hours a day out there in the backcountry. Those kind of tours would
wear ME out, that's for sure. Ken, I hope you had fun today at TD.

Mark

***
"Bob" wrote in message
...
Subject: SkiBoyBob rockets to above-median in The Great Ski Race!

Yes, it's true: 97th out of 201 in the famed 40 to 49 male division.

Other notes:
I didn't see Truckee Mark but his 13 year old son beat me by 7
minutes.
bt (skinnyski) beat me too; He was *striding* the freestyle race.

basking in glory,
Bob


As we
approached the top of Starret (sp?) pass and heard the cheering from the
ladies-all-dressed-the-same (Mark: help me out here - they must call
themselves *something*), I knew I had conquered the 1500'+ climb and the
wild and fun downhills were beginning.

Yes, but he's in the running for the "Mika Myllyla" I Don't Like Your
Opinion On One Topic So I'm Not Going To Read Any Of Your Posts
Anymore Award... Apparently, Mika didn't like all of the anti-doping
talk on RSN...

Jay Tegeder
"keep training, lycra never lies!" JT

(sknyski) wrote in message . com...
Is it too late to nominate Bob for the Jeff Potter "Rambling Post" award?

;-)

bt

I started out that Sunday morning still fiddling with my gear while my wave
took off (typical for me). I stayed at the back up the climb -- chatting
with the other skiers and controlling my speed in hope of still feeling
strong later at the end of 30 km. Felt good at the top, and enjoyed the
descent.

But then came the next climb -- even bigger -- all the way to the summit of
Granite Chief. Because I was on the next mountain ridge west from the Great
Race course -- skiing a different 30 km route in the backcountry, from Ward
Creek (south of Tahoe City) to Sugar Bowl (near Interstate 80, west from
Truckee). Around 10 o'clock on Sunday morning we were enjoying a snack
sitting on top of Granite Chief mountain looking east across the valley to
Mt Watson and Pluto and the Great Race course.

For some photos of a different style of skiing last Sunday by Lake Tahoe:
http://roberts-1.com/t/s04/tahoe/p
real "nordic" skiing, but different equipment, different clothes. And even
though we were only seven miles away: very different scenery.

Tahoe XC to Truckee? I skated that route the day before on Saturday. But
after doing nicely up the main climb, I missed the critical left turn for
Truckee and went way down the hill toward Northstar and Brockway Summit --
then had to do another big climb to get back and find the turn. Then I got
smart and called Mark on my cell phone, and he gave me some good directions
which got me to meet Sharon at the car -- after a lot of miles of skating in
warm slush. She had done an out-and-back ski starting from the course
finish at Truckee. My recommendation for that route: It has to be much
more fun to do it with lots of other skiers in the Great Race.

Ken

P.S. On Tuesday, Dave and I skied from Echo Summit (by Highway 50 near South
Lake Tahoe) north to Barker Pass, then down Blackwood canyon to Rt 89 by
Tahoe Pines (about 5 miles south of Tahoe City). About 40 miles / 64 km
total, most of it breaking trail. Highlights were skating across Lake
Aloha, then down the Rubicon River -- and I was surprised to find that I
could even skate uphill toward Middle Mtn, even on waxless classic skis on
backcountry snow -- and some pleasant classic striding on a sunny bench
above the Rubicon. Then the downside: miles and miles of breaking trail in
deep mushy snow thru the trees at low elevation. (some of the Tahoe expert
skaters have a way to just skim off the good parts of this route).