Ski Season's Over

I got back today from four days in Hayward, Wisconsin for the American Birkebeiner. My training plan worked to perfection... I started tapering in December by adding 10 pounds (15 over) and only averaging 1.5 days of skiing per week... Peeps Tommy Bengel, Barry Torgerson and Bill Stuber pounded on me in my first two races of the year. At the Birkie though, I turned the tables... At the start of wave one, Tommy B took off and I couldn't stay with him. The first half of the race is full of big hills like the highpoint and the two big left handers leading to County Highway OO. Dale Thompson was another guy who trashed me there. Thompson and Bengel were gone. I struggled through those big climbs and felt pretty good by the time I crossed OO. All of a sudden, there was Tommy B, about 50 meters in front of me. I caught up to him and gave him the look like he did to me at Balsam Branch this year. Anyway, I pulled away on the downhills (much of the second half of the race is downhill) and left him behind. After Mosquito Brook, I spotted Dale Thompson. There is another big climb there so I waited until the top ( I wasn't going to beat anyone up the hills). Once I crested the hill, I caught Thompson and passed him. A slight downhill left him further behind as my skis were rockets. From there, I cruised into the Main Street finish with a fast Lake Hayward helping my effort. I kept passing numerous skiers from the last half of the race all the way to the end. Most of them had left me in their wake during the first half of the event. Don't get me wrong, I didn't have a great race, but I did okay for the ski condition I'm in. My time was 3:01.29 and I placed 706th. It was the first time I've been over three hours in many years... Among my Loon State teammates, I finished fourth out of seven. New Loon State Cyclist, Jay Wenner was 80th and John Stamm and Dan Meyer also finished ahead of me. Mike Lyner, new Loon State Cyclist Bill Stuber and Tim Power were behind me. Another new Loon State rider, John Wyland, skied the Korteloppet. He had to do the shorter race because of a bum shoulder. The weekend got off to a bang when Jerry Engen and I went target shooting in Barnes (we stayed there with Barry Torgerson) on Friday. I shot my 22 while Jerry shot his new 223 (?). His rifle was like a cannon! Man was it loud! He dialed in his scope and hit the bullseye from 200 yards. Back to the race, other bikers skied including Lennard Zinn, mountain biker Steve Eberly and time trial/triathlete, Dave Dow. Lastly, it's tough to beat the North Woods of Wisconsin when the weather is good. Oh yeah, it's bike season...