Sorry for the lack of updates at such a crucial time of the season. This past week was Birkie week and we have been away from internet service and totally absorbed in all the wonderful Birkie festivities. Most of the CXC team headed to Hayward, WI, immediately after the Madison Winter Festival. I stopped in Minocqua, WI to visit the dentist, (Thank you Dr. Kozeluh!) and arrived in Hayward on Tuesday night. On Wednesday Bryan and I did some private lessons for a couple friends in the Hayward area and waxed a lot of skis. On Thursday we competed in the Elite Birkie Sprints and I hung out with some family friends from the Waukesha area. On Friday we tested skis, worked at the expo, waxed a bunch, and got ready for the Big Show on Snow.
Birkie Finish 2010 (skinnyski photo)
My Birkie experience was incredible. I got to stand on the start line with with Tami Kochen, had all the highs and lows of a true Birkie bonk, and I was still able to place 4th overall. Thankfully, the bonk happened about 25K later this year than last year. There was a pack of four women for the first 44 K, consisting of Rebecca Dussault (CXC Team Vertical Limit-1st), Tax Mannix (USST-2nd), and Brooke Gosling (Alberta World Cup Academy-3rd), and me (CXC Team Vertical Limit-4th). I did everything I could to hang with the group, so when I fell off the back I really started to struggle. I had 4K to go when I really fell apart, stomping up the hills and twisting like crazy. I started to find it funny when I began cheering for myself in my head. Since skiing up the hills was not going well, I focused on skiing over the tops of the hills. I hit the lake alone, but thankfully was able to pull myself together enough to catch a ride from a passing wave 1 skier that went by me with about 1.5K of lake to go. The cheering on Main Street was the loudest cheering I have ever heard in my life. I loved it.
It would have been very nice to make it onto the podium, but I am 100% certain that I could not have done any better in that race on that day.
I staggered to the finish line, spent a good amount of time laying on the floor of the changing tent nursing my cramping feet, and greeted my female friends and teammates as they trickled in. Then, I went out to the lake to cheer people in.
I also found out that my older brother is engaged to his girlfriend Jen Beddoes who skied her first Korteloppet this year. Congratulations Matthew and Jen.
More Birkie Stories and Photos to come….