The Lure of a Long Lost Birkyness

In February it will be five years since I skied the American Birkebeiner. Hard to believe I am saying this. I still remember clearly the sights and sounds of that day -- and that year. When I left the cabin on that Sunday after I was deeply sore, tired, and happy. Knowing that after 12 months of running, biking, swimming, hiking, and skiing, I had now reached a fitness level that would allow me to live at Birkyness. And I did. For awhile. Until I didn't.

About a week after the race I was back at it. Taking Ezra on fairly long rambles --on rainy days through the neighborhoods of southwest Madison and --on sunny days through the trails of Elver
Park. On a couple of warmer days I put air in the tires and again got used to spinning the wheels. I was feeling good and once again feeling that maybe the Birkebeiner might be worth a second shot.

Then on a nice warm Saturday I bought some new shoes. I remember clearly the salesperson wanting to put me into a larger shoe. I resisted. I had the ones I had trained in with me, just wanted to match sizes, and get back outside. But for some reason I let her talk me into a larger shoe. She felt that I had gotten lucky with this size and that a larger shoe would prevent future problems. So I went with it.

And after spending some time in these larger shoes I got a blister on my big toe, then another on my left pinky toe, and then I started to feel a tightness in my achilles, and then on long runs I would begin to feel a pressing tenderness under my ankle bone and along my foot. Then I tried to adjust my gait a bit -- to flatten out my pronation that went along with the natural placement of my foot.

Slowly my ankle and my foot gained pain. Slowly I got to the point where I could do nothing without pain. Ran slowly -- pain. Walked slowly on uneven trail -- pain. Walked slowly on flat sidewalk -- pain. Biking -- pain. Skiing -- pain. Then finally earlier this fall, after three and half years of unsuccessful physical therapy, I took a step that was followed by a snap and pop.

The result of the MRI was a ruptured tendon and a stress fracture.

Time for surgery. Time for rehab. Time for health.

And today, ten days after a major surgery on my right foot, I am starting to dream again about what a healthy foot might do for my fitness level, and how I might get back to being a bit of an athlete. How I might just back to Birkyness.

Just Keep Running

Beautiful night to hit the hills of Elver yesterday. About 60 degrees, virtually windless, and a mostly sunny run. I was only planning for a 30 minute run, but the good weather and a happy dog got to me. The final clocking was 43 minutes -- which equals somewhere between 4 and 4.5 miles. It feels really good to have my body back to where a 30 minute run is just wetting the appetite.

I am looking forward to the routine of two summers ago -- run on one day and then bike the next. Consistency and single-mindedness. My success in both fitness level and weight loss will come from me staying focused on the workouts.

Tonight my workout is going to take a different twist. I am playing in the student - staff Relay for Life basketball game. I believe I have the distinction of being the oldest player in the game. Should be scary. I used to have some game, but now at the age of 52 the strengths to my game have disappeared. I no longer have a quick first step, or the ability to outwork or out-hustle my opponent, or the ability to explode on any shot.

So just planning to take a couple of stints on the court, hoping to get off a couple of shots ... maybe even make one -- and then let the younger and more flexible younger staff try to finish off the students. Should be great fun.

I'm Back!

Last spring -- just a couple of months after the Birkie -- I injured myself. Had some problems with my left foot. Plantar fasciitis actually. But I slowly let it heal and then just a few weeks later I hit the trails again. However during the time I was hurt I went and bought a new pair of running shoes. I went to the store with my old ones, the ones that got me through around 450 miles of training. However rather than just putting me in the same shoe, the woman at the store talked me into buying shoes a half size bigger.

After my foot healed things went well for a while -- that is until I ran through Elver Park on a wet morning. About half way through the run I felt a tweak in one of my left toes. No big deal I figured, I simply finished the run without much thought. However when I took off my shoe I noticed a huge red splotch on my socks. Under the sock I found a huge blister -- actually only the remnants of a blisters -- that covered the entire top fourth of my toe. It was ugly; it was painful, and it took me out for about 10 days.

Then after I recovered from that I stuck to the dry pavement for a couple of runs. Eventually however the lure of Elver took me back. And again, running on a damp morning my blister came back ... and then because I babied the toe my shin splints reappeared; a lifetime problem of mine, but one that I hadn't felt for at least a year. These two issues sidelined me for another month.

So as the school year started it was painfully obvious that I had lost much of the fitness level I had worked so hard to attain. Still though, I figured with a good snow season I could ski myself into shape and fight my way through at least half of the Birkie (the Kortelopet they call it). But as all of us know here in the Midwest, our snow season was awful -- only skied three times and I therefore dropped out of the race about three weeks before. A smart move, but a frustrating one just the same.

Well anyway this spring I have been back on the trails. Taking it slow. Staying off wet grass and wet trails. And today I had my best run in over a year.

About six miles in about hour and three minutes. I do believe I am back. I do believe the Birkie is back in my mind for next February.

At least I am keeping my fingers crossed!

The Power of Support

My initial draw to the Birkie 17 years ago had has much to do with the enthusiasm of the event as it did with trying to ski an incredibly long distance. The throngs of people along the course, the cow bells, and the packed sidewalks of Hayward were all part of the magic.

So today's reflection is not so much about the severity of the Penokee-Genobic divided but is instead about the sporadically placed spectators and volunteers along the course. Their enthusiasm and encouragement are to be applauded.

• At the 4km mark, towards the end of the power line, waits a massive drum line. I'm guessing there were probably 15-20 folks pounding drums, stroking washer boards, shaking cowbells, and chanting rhythmical support.

• The food stations are lined with not only those who offer energy drink, water, bananas, and oranges, but also includes the motivators. Those who laugh with you, push you, and encourage you to get to the next food stop. There are eight food stops total...so having these as strategically placed keeps a skier motivated to get to the next one. Each food stop has their own theme...Bob Marley music, or Jimmy Buffet music, or pulled pork sandwiches (I did not have one)...anything to keep the skiers' minds on something other than pain and fatigue.

• At about the 20km mark is snowmobile corner. Here awaits the drunks and the loudmouths. These folks wait halfway down the most dangerous S-turn on the course. After climbing "Tourette's Hill" the skiers are faced with a fast and icy downhill. The snowmobilers wait to either cheer you or boo you, depending upon your fate. I made it through the curve without falling, so of course I got booed.

• A couple of km's past Hwy OO, the halfway point of the race, sits "Whippoorwill Hill." Several hearty folks hike back into the top of steep hill "whoop"their support. Fun stuff. Veteran Birkie skiers will whoop their own greeting.

• My favorite group of supporters is the 39k zone. Starting at about the 38.5 mark we begin to see signs along the trail announcing that we are entering the 39k zone. As we begin yet another difficult climb we can hear rock 'n roll music in the background. The closer we get it is clear that the Jimmy Hendrix Experience will support us through the zone. They have a campfire. Energy drinks. Protein bars. Even alcohol. Of course, I don't consider that at all appealing.

• Lake Hayward is filled with supporters. They drive their trucks, bring barbecues, crank their own music, shake cow bells, and will us along in our last bit of misery.

• And of course we finish on Main Street. Amazing their nearly seven hours after the Elite Skiers left Telemark Lodge the street is still filled with enthusiastic supporters. No one knew me, yet as I neared the finish they cheered loudly as my name and age were announced. It probably helped that at age 51 I was finishing my first Birkie.

The support all these people offered along the way truly helped the experience. The smiles, the nods, and the high-fives I gave were all as important as the energy I consumed along the way.

Race Day...360 Some Days Later

PREFACE:

Before I begin the actually post I want to briefly discuss the past two weeks. Basically it is an explanation why I have not been noting my progress. On February 12th I skied the Pre-Birkie. It is a 42 km ski race and is a prelude to The American Birkebeiner. Two days before the Pre-Birkie the Governor of Wisconsin proposed a bill that would cut teacher's salaries (and all public sector union workers) by about 8.5%. We are a two educator family, so it obviously mattered to us. The bill also proposed the elimination of collection bargaining rights that have been in place for nearly 60 years. If passed my voice in my own classroom could be severely limited. Therefore instead of spending the last two weeks training and blogging about my year long adventure, I was instead participating in demonstrations and letter writing campaigns trying to save my profession. Although our Governor did affect my training schedule, there was no way I was going to let him take this race away from me.

One of 21 waves...over 8,700 skiers this year.

RACE DAY: WAVE 8

Last night I slept horribly, and today I awoke in a bundle of nerves. I'm not sure if it was taking the past two weeks of training off, or if it was just the fact that I was now facing something that I had been preparing to attack for about a year. The morning began with a cold bus ride from Hayward to Cable. Once at the starting grounds I had to wait for almost three hours before my wave was released to the trail. The nerves never really went away while sitting (and sleeping) in Telemark Lodge.

The first 23 km of the race are brutal. Hill after hill after hill awaits the skiers. Within the first 1.5 km we ski on what is called the "power lines." At this point the course is wide, but the only view afforded  the skier is a simple steady climb. It's not pretty. Then after a very short downhill we again begin to move steadily upwards. We reached the high point of the trail quite early in the race, at about 13 km (fire tower hill), yet the next ten are just as difficult, even if they do drop in elevation a bit. Still though by the time I reached Hwy OO, the finish of the Kortelopet, I was feeling pretty good. After the OO food stop the course became quite manageable for the next 8.8 km. Lots of rolling hills, but no severe climbs, and several screaming downhills. I felt strong and I was having fun. Felt it was in the bag. We were definitely losing elevation as we made the long descent into Hayward. And that was encouraging.

But then at about 40 km the course turned upwards again. Skiers everywhere, most of them just stepping up the hills, trying to stay off of each others poles. Very little gliding. People were tired. Then we crossed over Rosie's Field and towards our last food stop. I asked a guy standing next to me if we were done with the hills yet? He smiled and said "first time?" I nodded. He said we have one more--"Bitch Hill." And it started immediately after the food station. It probably isn't even as steep as the other hills, but I am assuming its name comes because we face it after already skiing 44 km.

However after struggling to make it to the top of "Bitch Hill" skiers are provided with an encouraging sight. Below us in the distance sits Hayward and its water tower. And the only way to get there is to go downhill and across Lake Hayward. Still, after skiing this far, the end is probably about 30 minutes away as those last few kilometers are pure hell (at least one with my ability).

Taken yesterday: the finish line looking back down Main Street.

And then after skiing across Lake Hayward comes the coolest part of the race, and one of the things that drew me to this race so many years ago. The finish down Hayward's Main Street. Coming across the lake the signs tease the tired skier... 2 km left and then 1 km (1000 meters). And then 500 meters. And then we climb off the lake and turn right onto Main Street. At this point we can see the huge FINISH sign that hangs across the entire street. And fans surrounding the finish area, cheering and offering support. A beautiful sight! An emotional sight!

And so I skated up Main Street...exhausted...ecstatic...miserable...and grinning from ear to ear... I am certain I didn't look very good, but I did not care.

Tonight I can call myself an American Birkebeiner finisher.

Bonking...a Bit Early!

Today I skied my longest stint of the season. It was difficult. As I write this I am questioning my sanity. I am truly concerned that I am not going to be able to complete this race. By the time I finished I was completely tanked. I had little energy, a stomach ache, and could go no further. One might even call it a bonk.

For the day I made 31 kilometers...a good amount...but the Birkie is 50 kilometers and the terrain, especially the first half, is much more challenging than Mirror Lake. So my doubts creep in.

Mirror Lake State Park is a great track. Probably my favorite place to ski in the area. There are enough uphills to challenge the legs and the heart, and a couple of screaming downhills. The trails meander through a decent size forest--with a good mix between hardwoods and pines. And it is possible to ski over 14 miles of trails while only repeating .4 of a mile. Fun stuff. Good training grounds.  Lots of varied scenery is good medicine for the tired skier.

The Birkebeiner is three weeks from today. Next weekend is the Pre-Birkie--a 42 km race going uphill from Hayward Lake-- back to and around OO. With these two races coming up I knew that I needed to begin pushing harder...pushing for more distance. I knew that my current level of training was not enough. Still,  I really didn't expect to have this much trouble today. I knew I would tire, but not to the level that I did.

Reflecting upon the ski raises a couple of flags for me. First of all it appears as though I only drank about 8 oz of fluids. Not very smart. I also know that my food intake before the ski was not nearly as thought out as it should have been and that I also chose not to eat an energy bar during the training, even though I knew I was losing my strength. Again, not very smart.

The moral of the story is that next weekend is all about diet and toughness. All week I will need to monitor my food and drink. Stay away from the sweets; eat carbs, protein; drink to stay hydrated. Then I will eat a good spaghetti dinner the night before and drink enough fluid and electrolytes during the ski. If I can physically prepare my body then I can put my body in a situation where my mind can carry me through.

I know next weekend is crucial. Not just for confidence, but also for building momentum. If I can complete 42 km's next Saturday I am certain that I will be able to grind out 50 km on February 26th. Elevation gain be damned.

Snowday...

Sidewalk view of the final snow depth. Notice the sun coming out at 11:00. So did the
groundhog see his shadow today?

Sometimes you just gotta throw the training schedule away and a have a little fun. Kinda of like today.

Monday afternoon through Tuesday morning brought about six inches of snow. Then last night after a short lull, Madison got blasted with an additional foot. All total we received 18.7 in about 48 hours. Definitely a fabulous old-time blizzard.

Queen or King of the Hill?

With skiing out of the question today -- this much snow actually makes skate skiing difficult -- I decided to get my workout in by digging out of the depths. I figured I'd get a little dry-land training on a snowy Wisconsin morning. Chloe and I bundled up and headed outside. Slowly the neighbors joined us and we had ourselves a snow shoveling party. Three hours later, which included sometime goofing off time with Chloe, the dogs and her friends, my property was finally cleared.

Ezra getting funky! Running her snout through the deep snow.

Towards the end of the shoveling my neighbor Bob stepped in with his snow blower. Earlier today Allen plowed his driveway and sidewalk, so being the retired Lutheran pastor that he is, he figured he needed to help me with my sidewalk... and so because Bob helped me I helped Deb, and because I helped Deb, Deb and I helped Mike, and then just because I went further around the cul-de-sac and helped my neighbor Kevin finish his driveway. A great work out and an opportunity to socialize with the neighbors.

Katie and Chloe...chillin'

Nothing like a little weather event to bring the neighborhood together.

Dawn at -19 Zero!

Not necessarily about the Birkie...but damn, its a good thing the cabin is built well!

A Cold, Hard Ski...

Sculpture at the halfway point of the American Birkebeiner.

Temperatures were below zero when I hit the Birkie Trail Saturday morning. The snow was slow...or sharp...as hard-core ski waxers will tell you. In fact I was told before the event started that skate skiers would find squeaky snow. And squeaky snow is slow snow. Therefore the cold was never really the problem. I dressed well. I had five layers on the bottom and four on the top. My cheeks were the only part of my skin that weren't covered, and I put some skin protector stuff on those. So as it turned out I had lot more problems with my glide than I did with the cold...although the two are related.

Winter enthusiasts hanging around in the cold!

I read last night that when temperatures get below 10 degrees the snow gets aggressive and starts to grab at skis. Never before did I realize that snow - especially cold snow - has such basic human personality flaws. The writer mentioned all sorts of solutions, only one of which I could attend to, waxing my own skis. But I have two problems with waxing: I'm horrible at it and I find it a bit tedious. I know it is important, but there are so many other things I would rather do than wax a ski. Still though I did take some time to apply two layers last night. But my lack of care hurt me this morning. I am certain I should have taken another hour and waxed at least one more time.

Chili and hot chocolate outside the warming huts.

Today's ski was my most challenging ski of the year. Because of the cold they shortened the race. Instead of starting from Telemark and skiing towards OO, we went from OO to the Fire Tower aid station using the Birkie Skate Trail, and then returned back to OO along the Birkie Classic Trail. Although this setup worked well, and was quite scenic, we had to climb the most challenging hill on the course twice. The volunteer at the Fire Tower told us that we "just skied the most difficult 2 km...in North America." I assume he is exaggerating a bit, especially considering that we are in Wisconsin and not the Rocky Mountains, but I do know that it was the most challenging 2 km I have ever skated. Up, up, and up we skated, a painful experience that has forced me to evaluate how I must attack these last 34 days of training.

As I talked with skiers their complaints were always about the snow ... not the cold. Several times while climbing the hills I could feel the snow grabbing my ski. Literally trying to stop my skis and send me over the tips of my skis. The climbs were slow, methodical, and ridiculously long. The downhills were still fun, but since it felt as though most of my time was spent plodding up the hills, the fun times were rare and difficult to recall. Hopefully when I come back in three weeks for the Pre-Birke the temperatures will be warmer and the snow faster.

Gobs of warm chili after a cold ski.

After the ski however the American Birkebeiner Foundation served up a great spread for the weary skiers. Chili, hot-dogs, cookies, and hot chocolate helped ease the fatigue. I chowed a couple of bowls of the chili and got back some of the energy I expired.

Blueberry in the Cold!

Looking east...and a hair north.

It's Friday. It's three o'clock in the afternoon. And it is 1 degree below zero outside. Early morning wind chills hit as low as -30. Most of the schools up here were out for a "cold day." I am fortunate enough to be inside the cabin, warmed by the hot-chocolate and wood-burning stove and comforted by whiteness and stillness.

I am at the Blueberry Lake compound for the weekend. Back in December, way before I could even guess about a weather report, I signed up to ski the Birkie Tour. It is an untimed, non-competitve, supported ski along the Birkie Trail. I figured it would be a good way to get reacquainted with the trail, work on learning to drink and eat at the food stops, and hang with some skiers.  It's tomorrow morning. And the predicted air temperature at start time is -2 with a wind chill somewhere around -14.  Should be fun.

From the front, looking south. Doesn't Look Cold?

So tonight I am going to enjoy the solitude. I'll grade a few exams, cook a tasty meal, wax my skis, and then finish the evening with a snowshoe out on the lake. I'm sure I won't last long, but I want to experience this cold.  I want to take a wander! 

Good Snow = Better Skiing = Better Skier

January has been a tough month for cross-country ski training. After a New Year's thaw we were left with only a bit of snow, and any snow that could be found was at least an hour's drive away. But last week the weather finally began to cooperate a bit.

Throughout the week we had several Alberta Clippers come through. Then on Martin Luther King Day we finally got ourselves a nice little front-dropping about five inches on the Madison area throughout the day. All total we saw about nine inches for the week. Not a ton, but at least enough to reopen the Madison area trails. So last night after work I grabbed the skies and hopped over to Elver Park.

It felt really good to be back in the woods. Back on good snow. Over the past couple of weeks I skied at Lapham Peak over near Milwaukee-a short loop covered with man-made snow. I also made it to Blue Mounds State Park-beautiful trails, although a bit bare and icy in places, and then I spent a couple of days over at Mirror Lake State Park-the best snow in the area. But even the best snow in the area left me feeling anxious about my ability to train effectively. Last night however lifted my spirits once again.

Skiing on bad snow seemed to challenge my skiing abilities. I tired easily, wasn't able to hold a flat ski very long, and always had to worry about scratching the bottoms of my skis. It seemed as though I never got comfortable, and once again began doubting my abilities to ski 50km. Last night however the snow was fantastic. Its freshness allowed for some strong skating. My strides were long and confident, and I actually felt like my skis were working with me. I was able to hold my striding techniques for long periods of time. The uphills held plenty of snow, and the new found base allowed from some good climbing, and then the downhill stretches were an absolute riot-fast and smooth. And most importantly, I felt like I could ski again. In fact I felt as though the two and half weeks of skiing on lousy snow actually helped me as a skier.

Over the next couple of days we are expecting some very cold weather, temperatures going below zero at night and only reaching single digits during the days. But what I am learning is that cold weather after a good snow makes for some fast trails. Just in time for some serious training. And so with 38 days to go before the Birkie we will likely have some strong snow for the duration.

Will it Go Round in Circles

Reading the ski reports yesterday, I came across this interesting description on skinnyskis.com: "This is a good time to download some Billy Preston on your iPod. The only skiing in the Milwaukee area is the 1.2K loop of manmade snow at Lapham Peak. Will you go round in circles?"

Although I don't ski with an iPod I did find the time and energy to drive to Lapham Peak, about an hour east of Madison, located in the Southern Unit of the Kettle Moraine State Forest. The skating was a bit challenging at first. I had trouble holding an edge and it took me a long while before I felt comfortable on my skies. Might have been the man-made snow, or it might have been the lack of wax, but my heavy legs, sore shins, achy ankle, and a week and a day off made for a difficult ski. But I kept going, kept humming a little Billy Preston, kept counting my trips up and down the only small hill on the track, and eventually worked my way around the 1.2 km loop 20 times...for a total of 24 km.

Even with the struggles however, it felt great to be back on the skis. And besides finding snow I also discovered a new area and witnessed a beautiful sunset. Still though, what we need the most around here is a snowstorm or two.

A December Disaster: Warmth and Rain!

December dropped almost 21" of snow on the ground...about eight more than normal. The trails all over the state were in excellent shape. The trails locally had about a five inch base...a strong base so early in the ski season. Obviously, things were in great shape. I was feeling strong and enjoying my daily trips onto the ski trails. And I was beginning to gain tremendous confidence in my ability to ski 50 km. I knew that if I continued to ski about three to four times a week, saving the weekends for long exhausting tours, that I would indeed be able to fight my way to Hayward's main street.

And then it came: A late December melt has destroyed our snow. Two and half straight days of temperatures above 32 degrees. In fact, Thursday topped out at 40, while New Year's Eve day topped out at 46 degrees. Yesterday, along with the warmer temperatures came a long miserable rain. The chronic winter complainers are happy--a respite from their miserable indoor existence.  The skiers are now the complainers,  searching the long-term forecast for any evidence of snow. Only flurries are in sight, and the Birkie is only 57 days away.

So now once I again I must readjust my psyche. I must again lace up the running shoes and head back to the pavement. I must fight off the bad weather and learn to love running the streets of a dirty and yucky Madison.

A tough start to the New Year!

Mirror Lake Mirage

Yesterday I spent the day romping around the woods and hills of Mirror Lake State Park. Great fun! Silence sports rules the way around here. Mirror Lake is near Wisconsin Dells, and is a little known year round gem about an hour north and west of Madison. Because it sits so closely to Devils Lake State Park, Wisconsin's signature park, not a lot of people are aware of what Mirror Lake offers. The Madison skiing community however raves about it, and drives right by Devils Lake to go skiing. And yesterday I learned why.

The trails are wide, well-groomed, and cut right smack in the middle of a southern Wisconsin forest. Other than a couple of small open fields, the rest is all wooded. There are challenging climbs, fast and long downhills, and plenty of flats to hold a stride. Two interconnected loops, The Turtleville and the Fern Dell Trails, total about 5.4 miles. And after paying the price of a 2011 State Park sticker ($25 yearly) all the trails are free.

I parked away from the crowds at the far western end of the park. This meant that my ski began with a climb up and over the back side of the park. However after this short intense climb I cruised quickly amongst the trees, eventually hitting a screamer of the hill at the end of the Turtleville loop. After connecting with the Fern Dell loop I began to really work my stride for the entire 3.4 mile loop. Nice rolling hills, with an occasional steep climb added to the tour. I then finished the 5.4 mile loop by bringing the other side of the Turtleville Trail back uphill to where I started. This last mile and half tested the legs and the lungs. I skied the loop three times in 2 hours and13 minutes for a total of 16.2 miles.

Quite the enjoyable ski. Lots of mixed terrain; lots of beautiful snow, and lots of trees to silence the chaos. After my ski I sat in the car, surrounded by Wilco, and enjoyed a well deserved lunch: some yogurt, a peanut butter and Nutella sandwich, a couple of clementines, and a jug of chocolate milk. Good nourishment for a tired body. Then, deciding to continue on with the mid-week winter getaway, I threw on my snowshoes and headed out towards the shores of Mirror Lake.


The path began just across from the where I was parked and headed northwest along the edge of Dell Creek. The hike brought back some youthful memories. The place where as a ten year old youth I caught a huge brown trout in the opening minutes of Trout season. Our neighbor Charlie Phillips got my brother and I up way before sunup and drove us over to Dell Creek. After a short hike in, he put a night crawler on my hook, and told me that when the sun comes up I should float the worm down into the hole just below me. When I saw the sun arise through the trees I carefully dropped the worm into the creek. Within seconds the stillness of the dark hole exploded with the thrashing of the hungry trout. A few minutes later Charlie was standing by my side, holding the big fat trout beside my grin. Too dark for photos, but never too dark for my memory.

Today was a bit colder, and a bit whiter than that May morning many years ago, yet still I am happy to be wandering around this late December day. The hike is a short out and back. Along the way I make a path through the woods to try and get close to water. I don't really have the time or the energy to bushwhack my way to the lake, but I can easily manage a trip to the edge of Dell Creek.

After a short saunter along its banks, I turn to head back to the car and then to Madison. To my delight the winter sun sparkles on my face. A simple finish to a wondrous day in the Wisconsin winter.

Great Snow, Significant Progress, and the Joy of Elver Park

Had a fantastic morning. In fact, the last few days have been splendid: great weather, and even better conditions. Fast and shiny tracks on Thursday. Three inches of fresh snow throughout the day on Christmas Eve.  Skiing on top of Elver, through a snow shower, on the day before Christmas, makes for a good moment.

December 24, 10:00 am. Looking west high above Madison.

Elver Park was groomed this morning, and once again the trail was hard and quick. After taking yesterday off I decided to skate the 10 km course, to track my mileage, and hopefully to push the envelope a bit. Today I skied the course twice...about 22 km total...my longest ski of the year. I'm still not where I want to be physically; yet I also know its all about gradual progress. Today I was strong. Strong enough to ski about 13 miles...over 40% of the Birkie. And the best part is that I know I got more in me.

December 24: Standing above the Elver Park sledding hill.

I am so very fortunate to have Elver Park right out my back door. It is a place I have grown to love. A park that is an important part of my life. Expanding it to the winter season is long overdue. The park is over 225 acres and has about 17 km of skiing and hiking trails...most of them cut through a mature woodland forest. The hills of Elver are appropriate training ground for the hills of the Birkie Trail.  And not just during the winter months, but the dry-land training I did in Elver before the ski season provides me with the confidence that I can fight to the top of these hills. In both places the hilly terrain is long and persistent, and always challenging.

Fast Track!

Finally got back over to Elver Park this afternoon. The trails are in great shape. Monday night we got about 3" of snow, then a small sheen of ice, and then a warm front...temperatures at or above freezing. The trails warmed up, softened a bit, and were hard to ski on. Then last night the temperatures dropped into the high teens and today the high was about 27 degrees. The skiing was fantastic.

I hopped on the trails at about 4:00 and was delighted with the track. The trails had an icy sheen on them and they were fast. My wax was good and my technique held up. All told I spent about an hour out there. I felt good. Even felt I could have gone longer, but consciously held back as tomorrow I am looking to ski a bit further than the seven miles I skied today.

Today is my last day of work until January 3rd. Although the papers and lessons will need attending, I aim to hit the trails several times over the next ten days. Hope to chase the good snow a bit---maybe a day in Wausau, or a day near Plymouth---both areas have good trails and excellent snow cover. Take a lunch and some drink and make a day of it. Hopefully some pictures will make their way to the blog.

Random facts to observe:

Today my heart rate averaged 146 bpm and my maximum heart rate reached 166 bpm.

Last Sunday my average was 149 and my maximum was 169.

Don't know what it means but I am going to start paying closer attention.

The Motivation of Doubt (Part II)

The Birkie just got a lot scarier. I entered the ski season confident and excited. Now after two weekends of skiing, I am filled with trepidation and looking for a jolt of confidence. During the past several months I have worked hard to establish a level of fitness that will help me grind my way through the Birkie.  I don't expect or yearn for a good time...my only goal is to finish (in under five hours). Today I am feeling like I bit off too much...like this year I should have skied the Kortelopet and saved the Birkie for next year. Skiing is a completely different game. I know I am fit, I know that I can run for a long time without stopping. And yet with skiing I must stop and regather some energy. Skiing is hard. Harder than I thought. Although today I made progress.

Yesterday afternoon, in an attempt to work on my technique, I drove down to Blue Mound State Park, where The Mad Nordic Ski Club was offering free lessons to its members. It was a terrific experience. I was able to work in a group of four--one instructor and three students. Our instructor Jim spent about two hours with us and worked us through the two most fundamental strides--the V1 and the V2. He also showed us several drills that will help strengthen our stride and our muscle memory. I am basically a one legged skier. What I mean by this is that about 75% of my energy is expounded by striding and poling off my right ski.  Yesterday I learned how to strengthen my left side, and I learned how to V2. Both key strokes.

At Blue Mounds I learned I have no technique. That it isn't my fitness level holding me back, it's my extremely inefficient skating style. At this point my fitness is saving me. It's allowing me to muscle my way up the hills and through the trees. Yet today, at Odana Hills, I skied differently. I spent my entire hour and twelve minutes focusing on my hip transfer, my posture, my knee bend, and especially on holding together my V2 stroke. Each lap is 2.6 miles, and during each of my three laps I gained strength and confidence. I worked hard at staying committed to my ski. At times fatigue brought back my old habits. But today, I was able to think about hip placement...and ski placement...and good technique. When fatigue came, I fought it with better form and deeper breaths. 

By the end of the ski I felt tired, optimistic, and motivated. I learned that I need to ski often. And correctly. I got a reality check about how incredibly difficult this race is going to be. Yet I can also recognize that I have two months of good skiing in front of me. Once again, as I have told myself so many times, I need to trust my fitness.

Blizzard!

Digging Out: This morning after our first eight inches of snow.

Last night the Midwest got smacked with a good old-fashioned blizzard. Today the blizzard warning continues, although 30-40 mile an hour winds have replaced the snow. Madison got about 10-12 inches total, although underneath that snow lies about an inch of ice and water. Shoveling out today was a back-breaking endeavor as the snow was heavy and wet. Kind of reminds me of the California Concrete we used to ski on when I spent time in the Lake Tahoe-Kirkwood area. Fun stuff! Too bad its too cold to play outside today.

California Concrete hiding the deck stairs.

The storm totals throughout the Midwest are quite telling: 17" in Minneapolis; 22" in Eau Claire; 17" in Rice Lake; 14" in Wausau; and about 16" in Wisconsin Dells. Had it just been a few degrees colder yesterday afternoon Madison also could have been up around 20" to 22". Either way, this was quite the storm, and one that should put a nice base onto the ski trails.

Tonight however we are going to get some severe cold coming in behind the snow. Typical Wisconsin snow storm. Lots of snow, followed by horribly cold weather. We are expecting wind chills between 30 and 40 below tonight and into tomorrow morning. But I guess when you grow up around here you come to expect this. I am just happy we got some snow. Should guarantee some excellent skiing for the next couple of weeks.

Our white pine surviving yet another weather encounter.

Winter wonderland from the back yard!

The Ski Before the Storm

Finally the Elver Park ski trails are open. They are still a bit sketchy. Not much of a base yet, leaves and sticks all over the snow, and a few bare spots here and there. But it does not matter. My training has officially turned to the snow. Last Friday night we got two inches of snow, and then followed that up with another four on Thursday evening. Not enough for ideal conditions, but still enough to skate across the western edge of the park. I kept my new skis in the garage, and instead spent the morning on my rock skis.

It did not take long to realize that skiing is not running. Over the past several months I have gained a great deal of confidence in my fitness level. I have gotten to the point where there were very few runs that I felt I couldn't handle. The hills, the flats, the short runs or the long runs all ended with me feeling fatigued, yet still never questioning my stamina. This morning on my first hill I knew that the game had changed. So as I crested my first hill I knew that I needed to trust my fitness level. I needed to focus on my breath, on my stride, and on my strength. Slowly I felt better. Slowly I gained some stamina. And slowly I began to realize that I am indeed prepared for this journey. Sure I am not even close to being able to ski 50 km, and yet I am certain that when I get my new skis prepped, my strength, my stamina, and my skiing skills will begin to reveal itself.

And the good news is that tonight we are in the middle of a winter storm warning and another six to ten inches are expected. If the forecast is correct, we could have a nice base by tomorrow evening, my new Salomon sticks will be waxed and ready, and no more rock skis will be necessary. And the search for birkyness will move almost exclusively to the nordic ski tails.

As Fall Turns Toward Winter

90 days to the Birkie...

90 days of sweat...
90 days of fitness...
90 days of pain...
90 days of progress...
90 days of priorities...
90 days of joy...
90 days of discipline...
90 days of toughness
90 days of strength...

90 days of birkyness...