February 27th, 2008
It took ten years from the time that I completed my first Birkebeiner until I could do the complete course again. It was quite a weekend, but now that I am home my case of birke fever has turned into the birke gastrointestinal bug…. It is a bummer, but I should be feeling good enough by this afternoon to get out and waddle around in the foot of snow that is falling this morning.
Not sure it is really possible to describe the birke experience to someone who has not experienced it before. Imagine 7,000+ ski racers and industry folks wandering around glassy-eyed for two days, gathering en masse at 8 in the morning on a big field in the middle of nowhere before receiving a signal to scrape and claw their way to a finish line 50 kilometers away. It is quite a deal.
This year the race was especially crazy. A big pack of skiers stayed together at the front for most the race. I felt like I was skiing well until just before the 45k mark, I got a wicked cramp in my hip flexor and had to pull up for a breather. By the time I got going again, the race for the podium was too far ahead for me to do much, I was in no-man’s land for the last few k’s. It was still an experience to ski across the lake and into town with all the screaming fans. I was bummed of course, especially after feeling so good, but that is the way these long races go sometimes.
I am a firm believer in karma, juju, whatever you want to call it. Since over the past month I can’t seem to catch a break, problem after problem, I am sure that the stars are about to align and the next month will be excellent……
