Skinnyski Race Team Weekend Recap: Birkie Story

It was 8am Birkie morning. Some dear friends had invited us to stay in a wonderful cabin (at least 4 times the size of our house) just a short jaunt from the start, so Dave and I were walking down to begin my 7th and Dave's 11th Birkie. I had put Fastwax Salmon and Flite on my Rossi Xium's, and they were rockets! I lined up with the other women, and the excitement was contagious. About three minutes before the cannon, Kate Ellis saw my "one size fits most men" bib drooping from the Enervit gels pinned inside, and promptly offered to tie it up to make it less floppy. Just moments before the start of the race, she was busy taking care of me. Have I mentioned I love skiers?

I've figured out a simple formula that seems to work for me at the Birkie: start slowly, eat as much as possible, and pray for strength so I can enjoy the hills. I tried to hold back on the powerlines, and I also started eating my gels right away at the first food stop. I was by myself for a while in the woods, but then to my delight, Michelle Flanagan-Haag skied up next to me. If you don't know her, I'd highly recommend meeting her. She has the most positive energy of anyone I know. The term "fireball" comes to mind. We skied together for the next 35 km or so, cheering each other on, laughing, singing, and skiing really hard. We were joined along the way by Jen Pearson from Duluth, and Becky and Brandy from Anchorage. This was a real thrill for me, as I rarely get a chance to ski with a pack of women. My friend Kitty gave me another gel at OO, and her handoff was so good, I didn't even need to slow down. Michelle seemed to get stronger with every km, and she led our pack over most of the wonderful Birkie hills. After Mosquito Brook, I couldn't quite stay with her, but just the sight of her inspired me to focus ahead and enjoy the snow.

When I got to the lake, I was amazed how steep it felt thanks to the headwind (It's one of the biggest hills in the race, right?) A pack of first wave men passed me up, and I knew they were my chance for a windbreak for the last few km. I turned it up a notch to try to jump on the train, but they steadily pulled away from me until I was facing the wind alone. I was still feeling good, but I certainly didn't have a lot of "pop" left to battle the wind. What a thrill it was to reach the cheers on Main Street! The Birkie has the best fans, hands down. I crossed the line right with 2 of the other wonderful women I had skied with. I remember a woman from the radio interviewing Jen and myself, and she asked if we were friends. Without hesitation, we simultaneously replied, "We are now!" I decided the only thing better than post-race Birkie story-telling is to actually experience the race together. Thanks to everyone who made Birkie weekend such a joy!