Training Log Archive: Ari-o

On the way back from Birkie we went to ski at Timberland. I'd never skied there, because it's 2/3 of the way to Birkie, but it's very, very nice, and I wish I had. Kind of glad I came up the "corkscrew" as it was a bit icy. Good coverage, old school grooming machines did well, although I did have to step over one downed tree. Skiing is so much fun, you guys!

Went to catch a bus to catch up with friends. Poor planning meant I had to run to catch said bus. Not a bad run!

Run around Telemark to check trail conditions on non-airport trails. Never froze. Trails got packed well and were somewhat icy, but promised variable conditions.

Out the trail a bit, and back. Very variable conditions. Some pole plant issues. Planned to take the start easy.

Birkie!

Okay, so, it's 40˚ overnight and the trail is, uh, mushy? How do you wax for that? All the fluoros, that's how. And rilling, and praying.

Then you say "well it's not my conditions, but I have to go for it." And you do.

Cool enough I didn't overheat, actually. But so much warmer than the usual Birkie frozen-hands-fest.

Anyway, went out pretty easy, skis were okay but not super quick. Pushed a little on the Power Lines—last time up that hill; I'll miss it—and settled in to a big group in to the woods. That broke apart around High Point and I skied with a smaller group (±8) for the next ways. A guy yelling at us going up towards OO called out places: about 165th. Which is too close to comfort.

But I didn't have too much oomph, and my skis weren't fast enough to break the pack, at least at that point. I was happy with my fueling, and fed pretty well at feeds and taking my water bottle filled with heed and maple syrup (needs less heed next time, eff that all, but the maple syrup is legit). No goo, no bonking. Not too bad!

Smaller group in to the hill section, a couple guys had skied off the front and a couple fell off the back. Mosquito Brook wasn't too bad and most of the trail was pretty well packed; my stiff skis were great when it was packed ice, and when it was slushy or soft much, much slower. Some squirrelly stuff but I stayed upright. Anyway, dirty through Fish Hatchery and then up the new hill, which is a grinder, but pretty nice overall. Bib 117 got a bit ahead of me, and we dropped the other guy who died on the hill.

I tried to catch 117 on the 77 Hill with no luck; I just didn't have the skis or the legs, which were pretty wobbly. I got caught by the top two first wavers on that hill, too, but couldn't get a ride quite where I needed to on to the lake. So, I got on to the lake on my own. In to the wind. With ice, slush and some water skiing.

117 said he passed 20 guys on the lake, and it shows, I struggled in to the wind and could see the back of the group ahead of me, but despite feeling pretty good could make no progress in to the wind. I was hoping that 200th place wasn't in that group! I came off the lake on my own and went up over the bridge and down Main Street all on my own. Pretty fun!

Then I turned around and watched for first wavers. There weren't many, and I figured I was close to the Elite Wave if not in it. Went to change, checked my phone. 167th? That seemed good. Started drinking and recording people for the Birkie Guide Podcast (oh, yes, indeedie) and rechecked my phone. 193rd? Yeah, that's more like it.

Well, that was okay. Dry clothes and lots of beer!

Pre-Birkie ski at Birkie Ridge. Very nice new trails with some climbing. Base was fine, but soft and slow. Question is whether it will freeze overnight.

5x2 at Weston with a few minutes of warm and cool. Felt pretty okay to go hard, tracks were pretty icy, too. Might be a good Birkie warmup?

Several laps of the stairs at Porter, taking some video footagery for the November Project workout that I'd come up with. It was, uh, pretty darned fun.

Several laps of the stairs at Porter, taking some video footagery for the November Project workout that I'd come up with. It was, uh, pretty darned fun.

Run to Harvard for MY November Project. No idea how it was going to go. But it went hilariously well. Even made the news and the real news.

Dithering around Weston with the fam. Decent skiing, anyway, for Weston. Did some repeats of a little hill. And then it will all melt away.