City of Lakes Loppet - 33 km Freestyle Race (Hoigaard's Classic)

Thanks to all the wonderful volunteers, race organizers, the City of Lakes Loppet Nordic Ski Foundation, groomers …  who make this race possible.  You did a wonderful job!

For me, like most Nordic racers, this was a busy weekend.  I spent all day Friday at the Mayo Clinic in Rochester with one of my five kids, trying to find an answer to why he has chronic stomach pain.  Saturday was spent transporting my kids to and from athletic practices and birthday parties.  It was 10:00 PM and I still needed to wax my skis for the race on Sunday.  I quickly checked the weather report and went straight to the Fast Wax Nordic Race Recommendation page http://fast-wax.com/race-day-wax-recommended .   I followed the wax recipe recommended for the race (1 layer HSLF 10 teal, then 2 layers HSLF 0 White, then Flight Arctic using the Fast Wax base saver); saving me research time.  In short order, my skis were waxed, and I went to bed confident I would have fast skis the next morning.

What a fantastic day for racing it was in Minnesota! The skies were blue and sunny, and the snow was light, fluffy, and falling from the trees.  The start was a bit chilly (in the single digits) after stripping down early to get our bags in the truck to be shipped to the finish area.  I started with the other elite women in the second row of wave 1, but was quickly swallowed by a swarm of very fast men.  I was lucky enough to narrowly avoid a multiple skier crash just seconds from the start. 

Since this was the longest race I have done this season, I tried to ski conservatively at the start, not knowing how I would feel after an hour or so of climbing, and descending.  I latched on to a group of men and women skiing relatively my same speed.  The group morphed a bit as the kilometers wore on, but a few of us stayed together for most of the race.  My legs were still feeling pretty fresh through the bog.  By the time I reached the lakes, I was ready for some flats.  The fast snow on the lakes turned out to be an unexpected bonus.  With a few hundred yards remaining I spotted the third placed women.  I went after her, but was unsuccessful in catching her before the finish.  I ended up 4^th overall of the 162 women that skied in my race.  I was happy with my finish and with the speed of my skis.  My skis stayed fast from start to finish.

King Boreas, the Ski Race

Boreas was famed to have described Minnesota as a winter paradise. After racing the King Boreas 15km skate race at Phalen park, I believe there is no better descriptor than "winter paradise". The course was fun, well groomed, and gently rolling. Two laps around the twisting course was just enough to keep the racers in close proximity for spectators. Follow this link for a sneak peak at the race highlights http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4Y9Ro7-ofeA

The men started in mass, followed by the women one minute later. This format made for some interesting maneuvering by the lead women. I have to admit, it was really fun passing so many skiers! Because everyone was in the same situation, it didn't bother me much that our speed was compromised by this format. Hats off to the men! They were very well behaved. We just had to mention our presence and the word relayed up stream for the men to move to their right so we could easily pass. We even received cheers and words of encouragement from many of those we passed. This made a very good impression on the ladies of the race. Thank You!

Like most Midwest races, the post-race cool down was like a reunion of old friends. I was fortunate enough to have made some new friends as well. Fun fun times.

With all our new snow, Minnesota's winter wonderland doesn't seem to be in jeopardy. Sometime in July I'll think back to January and how beautifully white the St. Paul area was, and like King Boreas I'll look "forward to the time when summer's warmth would once again relinquish its hold on the realm and the frosty atmosphere of winter would prevail."

For more information on the legend of King Boreas see http://www.stpaulwintercarnival.com/legend.html

Family Ski Outing

As the sun was setting this evening and my kids were returning home from school, I was waxing five rather dull looking skis. Yes, I ignored the golden rule of ski care and left the skis unwaxed since last spring! My husband returned home from work as I was finishing the last pair. An hour later all the kids (ages 2-11) were dressed for one digit temperatures and had a snack that would hopefully tide them over for a couple hours. After loading up all the gear, we drove to our local high-school ski course and unloaded. The kids fought over who would wear the three headlamps we had in our possession. Five minutes into the ski my nine year old fell to the ground complaining of cold hands, feet, and skis that were too soft. I was still feeling optimistic, four of the five were still not complaining. The nine year old and my husband headed back to the car. I was now in charge of keeping the other four from getting lost in the complete darkness that was lit only by a fingernail moon. My two year old kept a steady pace, even as his five year old brother tried repeatedly to run him over head on. Keeping the younger two together, I watched as the darkness seemed to swallow my seven and eleven year olds as they skated away along the trail. After nearly an hour had passed the young crew was ready to share the car with their sister. My husband and two boys skied one last loop before calling it a night.

To save time we drove directly to a Burger King for dinner. We raised a few eyebrows with our attire, and shared a good conversation about family with a restaurant patron. Years ago, when I was in my twenties, I never would have imagined that a night like this would be fairly typical. Life is a ton of work, but unexpectedly good.