Well, I’m lame at keeping this site up to date. I may use it less to blog and more to post music/poetry in the future. I’ve been blogging elsewhere on some spiritual topics (trying to spare those of you who might not be interested in it here). . . 

Anyway, you might be interested to know that the Birkie (the 50K XC ski race) has come and gone. I have to say I enjoyed the race very much. Because I wasn’t trying to break any records or anything, I could casually ski on and enjoy the weather, the long, challenging trail, and the fact that – despite not really knowing whether I had trained enough – I was in solid enough shape to complete the task at hand.

I finished with a 4h 33m time, which is very acceptable to me.

What did I learn? A few things that I’ll share for anyone who might care.

First off – the hard core peeps who have been doing this for 20+ years love to share their wisdom. If you are considering a Birkie, have no fear, there is a world of Birkie alum who are more than willing to share their mystical secrets to a solid finish (I won’t post those here, as I’m just a novice – but a great deal of the advice I received was certainly helpful!) 

Waxing is an art. I went to a wax clinic and learned some good waxing technique and also that good wax ain’t cheap! (but it makes a difference in a long race, where durability is key.) My friend and I applied some mid priced stuff and it made a world of difference. We had a blast making good natured fun at how carried away people can get with this sport (just like enthusiasts in any sport). 

I also learned that I didn’t like how I initially introduced the idea of doing the Birkie to my wife and family. This created friction during most of the time leading up to the event – regardless of the fact that, deep down, my wife totally supported me.

As with any event that requires more than casual commitment, training for the Birkie, a marathon, or an Iron Man, are all time commitments that are not really great for my current family status. If I do it again, it will probably be if my wife also straps a pair of skis on and trains with me. Also likely would be that the kids do a shorter version as well. Make it a family event. 

I love the fact that I was in good shape and I felt great going into the race. Feeling healthy is a cool thing. That I want to maintain – albeit at a lesser intensity time wise.

Overall, the challenge at hand introduced me to a very cool winter sport that I loved training for and enjoyed very much. If nothing else, I have a great way to stay in shape during the cold winter season, while I enjoy the beautiful outdoors.

That’s probably the greatest thing of it all – I picked up XC skiing and I dig it.  Cool. 

Spring can now begin.

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