Pre Birkie '08

Last weekend was the annual Pre Birkie Ski Race always held two weeks prior to the actual Birkie. It's a race that typically draws 700+ skiers. It is a race that is a good inidcation as to whether or not you've done enough and/or what you need to cram into your training the next few weeks to be ready for the Birkie. If nothing else it is a race where you run into some familiar faces and friends.

Adam and I stayed ANOTHER night at the Kling cabin in Spooner. Thanks to Nate and Karyn for the hospitality. A wonderful pre-race dinner, a good game of cribbage, and a good nights sleep is what I needed. For two weeks now I was still fighting the cold and could not shake it no matter how many remedies I tried. So how the race was going to go I couldn't tell you.

We awoke to temps in the 20s and cloudy skies. Met up with my parents a Coop's restaraunt for a good hearty meal two hours prior to the race. After some coffee talk and our share of trips to the bathroom we were off to the start on Lake Hayward. The Pre Birkie goes from lake Hayward to highway OO. We race the opposite direction of the Birkie. Some think this race is easy, some think its hard, and others think, "oh well."

The start on the lake was sketchy. There was only about two inches of snow on the lake with an attempt at it being groomed. With everyone warming up on the lake it ended up ruining what trail was on the lake. And before you new it you could not get a pole or an edge on the ice. But at the gun we were off and struggling to hold on across the lake. Needless to say it felt good to hit the trail!

I had a good start and was feeling pretty good until our first big climb up the back side of bitch hill. Then things seemed to unravel from there. Nate caught me on the next up hill and was looking strong and ready to dominate. However, coming out of the woods at Mosquito Brook Rd Nate tried to grab a GU and ended up sliding on his butt, busting a pole in the process. Five minutes later we was back in the race with another pole that he grabed at a food station.

I felt good in parts of the race but also felt bad in most of the race. Go figure. I caught people on the hills but had them ski away from me on the flats and down hills. I felt like I had no gas in the tank to keep up the pace. I struggled to hold my own.

I finished in an hour thirty minutes and placed 137 and Nat skied his way back to finish a minute behind. Adam skied a very conservative race and came in at an hour forty-three. Good times by all!

This past week I was still not feeling good. So on Monday I decided to take a trip to the good 'ol doctor. After some painless minutes in his office I found out I had a sinus infection and was given some stuff to try and knock it out. By Tuesday on the trail I felt back to normal! So here's to hoping that we are ready for the Birkie!

Birkie for life,

Sturgie