I’ve been skiing in the yard and down the road almost every day this winter. So I tried 2 races.
The latest one was the last one of the year for the Michigan Cup circuit, the Team Relays. Our internet geek team Team NordicSkiRacer.com was in close second, so we thought. So we used the trusty Net to get as many people to come to the Relays, to get as many points as possible. We had 5 squads last year. This year we schemed up 11! When we arrived we found out we were actually in 3rd, and that 2nd brought 12 teams and 1st brought 15 teams! It was the biggest relay ever, with 47 teams, 141 skiers! But we used spreadsheets to optimize our classes. Our rivals were pretty geeky, but I think we outgeeked ’em. Anyway, we didn’t think we could overtake them, but we were psyched for relay fun.
I had a busted rib and was seeded into a midpack squad, skiing 1st-leg classic of the 4km sprint course. I took ibuprofen before the race and ended up never feeling a thing. However, the previous 2 weeks I couldn’t hardly pole or lift my arms, etc. So I was able to hammer my lap and handed off in 12th place to my guys. They then had the perhaps not enviable experience of being passed for awhile. But we all had fun. Team Cap’n Mike Muha took pic of me going up two decent hills. My skis weren’t fast but so what. I was impressed with how much I could hurt and drool in just 15 minutes.
There was a classy showdown for the overall winner of the day (not to mention the season-long contest). The first 2 teams were way out ahead and the crowd wondered which would win, but I saw our best team skier go into the woods for the final loop in 3rd place and he had a BIG head of steam. When the first skier came back out of the woods: it was our guy! That was fun and dramatic.
Then there was a big picnic and BBQ courtesy of Bob at Ski HQ, while the laptop did its magic and the relays were sorted along with the overall season finale. The class winners seemed spread among all the teams but when all was said and done, Team NSR came out on top! For the day and the year! Geeks rule! We get to pass the big ol’ Cup around all summer now.
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Gran Traverse “Ice Fest”
For my other race, back in Feb., Tim Feldkamp and I drove up to Traverse for the Gran Traverse Classic. We had a fine weekend visiting old pals and enjoying the sun and nice neighborhoods and surroundings up there.
The race turned into an icy 15k doublepole-fest. None of my favorite *striding* up hills—but for a change I focused and didn’t botch the herringbone opportunities. My retro 70’s Adidas outfit didn’t stand out much. I hung in there, suffered and finished 9th overall—just ahead of my trail fox nemesis Sir Fultz, shown in stylish stride just behind me. (However, two of my other rivals had great races and came out well ahead.)
(Photos courtesy of Mike Muha, of NordicSkiRacer.com.)
