Race report - the "BikeBeiner" Cross-Trainer's 8k XC Ski Race - 2/8/04

This race was sponsored by the NH Cycling Club, and it was a fun opportunity to hang out and compete with fellow cyclists in the off-season. The Waterville Nordic Center also saw it as a way to get more cyclists involved in xc ski racing. As you probably know, it was brutally cold and windy on Sunday (weather.com says that at 11:52 a.m., it was 6 degrees and felt like -12, with winds at 18 mph), making the wait for my start wave (fourth out of five) pretty unpleasant. I amused myself by taking in the cycling attire being modeled by fellow competitors: lots of cycling team jerseys and Pearl Izumi tights, and even a long-sleeved skinsuit, chamois and all.

I got off to an okay start, but felt like I was having a hard time getting my body to cooperate in the intense cold/wind. In my defense, I grew up in Hawaii and didn't even own a winter coat until a few years ago. =) We soon started heading uphill; long climbs are definitely not a strength for me in cycling, and I felt like I had forgotten how to V1 (despite attending an excellent Rob Bradlee clinic just a few days ago). After a long struggle, I started the all-too-brief downhill, getting passed in the process by another competitor and his German Shepherd. Now tired from poor V1-ing and sucking super-cooled air into my Pacific-bred lungs, I forgot how to V2-alternate on the descent. After getting blown off the trail in the gusty Golf Course area, I crawled over the finish line. Nevertheless, I actually had quite a lot of fun, and got to impress my mainland friends the night before with my rudimentary waxing skills (CH6, nothing fancy). Not surprisingly, the top male and female competitors were "real" ski racers, and the men's and women's team competitions were won by the NH Cycling Club.