come out from the world...

...and into the BIRKIE.

An athlete is as good as the heart that is inside of them. No matter how good I ski or how perfect it may be, my heart that is inside me is constantly looking for the "next fresh fix." My heart is constantly inspired by those who have mastered the art of cross country skiing. Ivan Babikovs' tiring yet amazing sprint at 51 k or Zack Simmons near back to back Birkie Champions are my fixes that leave me wanting to wake up tomorrow and improve upon what I did today!

To race the Birkie and all those around me is after all why I ski. I don't ski the Birkie because I love nature and the beauty around me. Maybe someday I will realize what a gift it is to be on God's playground. No, I ski the Birkie because the climbs, the twists, the heart rate, the wax, the stories, the friendships, and the yearning for perfection are what gets under my skin.

And as soon as I finish the race, the Birkie is calling me back for more. And when the Birkie "starts talking to you, calling you back, you'd best shut up and listen."

Nikole dropped Adam, Nate and I off at McNaught road just 2k away from the start. Its always the perfect warm-up and you feel a little bit like a great skier when you are warming-up with the elites. The start was bumped back ten minutes due to the congestion and overwhelming number of skiers. None-the-less by 8:30 the elites were off and by 8:40 the gun sounded and I was skiing the race that had been calling me back for months.

Elite climbing the powerlines

I hit the powerlines with the cheers from my family and Nikole. The first half of the race I skied it fairly calm and collective trying not to spend to much to early. My goal for the first 23k was to come out onto Double O feeling good with plenty in the tank to get me to the finish. Not only did I feel good but I got to see some good friends from college, Coutrney& Lindsey sitting on top of a hill around a fire cheering us on. After a water bottle exchange with Nikole I jumped in a group of 20 skiers and poured it on for the next 15k.

I came out of the woods and on to Mosquito Brook road, 38k into the race, feeling strong and knowing I was on a sub three hour race pace. Nikole once again made a perfect bottle exchange and after grabbing some fuel at the food station I was ready for the climbs.

HWY 77 hill came and slowly I conquered it. By the top I could feel the cramps coming on, starting at the top of my thigh and rippling and twinging to the bottom. The pack I was skiing in shrunk and yet I had enough to hang on. At Duffy road I was greeted with cheers from the Halberg clan who never fail to give encouragement to all who have bonked and think they are in hell.

I hit Lake Hayward with 2k to go and pulled every ounce of energy that I had left just to hold on to the pack in front of me. Main street couldn't come soon enough, but when it did, the excitement and the smiling faces from my wife, friends, and family made it all worth the pain!

Powerlines, first water bottle exchange, my main support, and a finish for the screen!

I skied the 2008 Birkie in 2:52:07, a PR by 1 minute. I skied to a 514th place and was embraced my those who have supported me throughout the year. It was good! No, it was awesome. And yet no matter how awesome I raced it, it still was not enough. And since Saturday I have already started searching for a better plan, a better training year, searching for that better Birkie time. Don't get me wrong, I will enjoy this one as we did both at the bon fire that evening and at Sawmill Saloon that night.

Five months of training, three pairs of skis, and countless hours of waxing brings this ski season to a close. I'm constantly in awe at those who made this season worth the hours. Nate, who's persistence helped him ski to his best Birkie ever, 3 hours and ten minutes. Adam, a shot a Yager and a beer later on Lake Hayward, skied to his worst Birkie ever and yet had a blast. The camaraderie and sharing of the stories at the Halberg's (Thanks Hank, Jim, Aaron, Carl, Mark, and Sarah)! It's through this that the Birkie calls me back. And its through this that I seek perfection.

I'm your average racer who brings stories from the middle of the pack. My passion is to be great, but in the meantime enjoy the view from the middle.

Cord under the Boards,

Sturgie