As I scampered to seed myself with two minutes to spare before the start of the Mount Washington Skate Ski Loppet, I spot Silken Laumann. She was dressed in a bright pink technical jersey with a floral beanie. Her vibrant smiled glowed and her athletic build towered over her peers. Although geared up in cross-country equipment, she was not participating but rather cheering on the competitors and celebrating in the festivities. Having followed Silken’s Olympic career as a 3-time Olympic medalist including her 1992 Bronze medal when she inspired the world with courage, perseverance and hope after overcoming a devastating leg injury just 10 weeks prior to the Barcelona Games. This accomplishment was realized despite being told by doctors she would never row again.
Silken and I exchanged an enthusiastic greeting as though we were long time friends. Although I kept my cool, I was star struck and jittery with awe. Gratefully, this interaction injected more positive energy and focus prior to an event that was now starting in 30 seconds.
More inspiration came from one of Method’s personal trainers, Ashley Holden, who joined me on a girl’s athletic adventure and to offer moral support. Ready with her vocal cords, spirit and camera, Ashley was taking in the excitement of the race as well as making her own way through the trails once the racers would be long gone for the 30 kilometer loop. It was not lost of me that Ashley’s precious Saturday (normally her long ride day in preparation for the Kona Honu Half Ironman in June and Ironman Canada in August) was sacrificed to join me for this race get-away. Since we never stopped chatting, laughing, eating, moving and dreaming up our next “big idea”, it’s fair to say we both lucked out on a great time away from the regular routine.
This would be my third Loppet of the season and I was quietly confident in my ability to execute a strong race. For the past two weeks prior to the event, my body was firing on all cylinders. I felt recovered and energized with significant depth in my engine. What a difference this was to sensations I felt in late February and early March. Life seemed busy then and lingering fatigue had a strangle hold on my energy. Nothing feels worse. Mid-March, I made a conscious effort to increase my Omega 3, 6 and 9’s (Udo’s Oil), Vitamin D, Iron (Floradix) and Greens along with extra sleep and less commitments. Over time, the internal fog cleared and a new found skip in my step returned.
The start of a loppet is not dissimilar to a stamped of Bambi’s slipping on a skating rink using the herringbone technique. Occasionally, skiers will collide, trample, slip, lock gear and ultimately swear. It’s much like a mass swim start except more oxygen and a hard landing. Typically a steep hill separates the field from the front, mid and back of the packers. The Mount Washington race organizers planned it well and planted a steep ascent within the first 500 meters. This gave me a chance to find a rhythm and position myself with others equally matched in speed and fitness.
The course was unforgiving for the entire 30 kilometers. The first half offered up long false flats, extended climbs and one nasty hairpin turn. Small packs of skiers formed, working nicely together for the first 10 kilometers. I found myself with a few solid yet somewhat sketchy skiers offering less assistance than interference. I made a conscious decision to slowly pull ahead in search of an uncomfortably maintainable pace. The race course lapped back through the staging venue before jutting out to the Lake Approach loop. The terrain became far more undulating, curvy and technical within beautiful tree lined pathways and hidden turns. My mind was sharp, my lungs were pumping and my legs were burning. I was in the zone with almost no one in sight and no sounds behind me. It was only the last five to seven kilometers when my gas tank started to dwindle. As luck would have it, the universe planted a jackrabbit 500 meters ahead to chase. It was evident that he was losing steam since I gained a few extra meters with each climb. It pushed me that little bit extra until we finally exchanged positions and saluted our relative efforts. I never did thank him but hope someone returns the favor on his next race.
Without mile markers to indicate distance, it was only my internal clock and experience guessing at how much of the race remained. Finally signs for Raven’s Lodge appeared and race markers lined the snow. The sweet sound of crowds and cheering became louder and louder. And whom do I spot but Silken Laumann, standing on the sidelines yelping at me to “go go, great job”, smiling from ear to ear in support of all the racers. Albeit far from the Olympic Games, it was disbelieving to have Silken cheering for me under any conditions!
The course took us up a short climb before a sharp turn to the finish line. It was during this section that I found my thoughts drift to Ashley, wondering if she was still out gliding the trails or bored to tears in anticipation of my arrival. She was neither. Instead there she was at the finish, as she said she would be, celebrating my arrival as the first female finisher. Her expression read like a book as I predicted she would soon be taking up the sport of skate skiing with gusto.
Once my post-race cough wore off and the excitement of a hard effort, us girls piled into our car heading to the Ferry terminal. Once parked in our designated lane for the 3:00 p.m. sailing bound for Horseshoe Bay, the two of us yanked on our New Balance Minimus Zero runners and headed out for a short run along the Nanaimo marina. We were out, back and flushed just in time to start the engine and rolled onto the boat.
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| Post-race - Ashley & Christine on the Ferry! |
Two bonus observations came up during and after the race. Jasper Blake, my coach and confidante, pointed out the first observation as we debriefed post-race: pebbles are in fact being tossed into my pitcher (reference: “The Crow and The Pitcher”) and slowly but surely, my strength is building and finally surfacing (as witnessed at this race). The second bonus observation was thanks to Jamie’s incredible cycling sessions when he asks us for a tempo effort followed by a challenging yet slightly under tempo effort. I liken this type of drill to that of maintaining momentum after cresting a tough hill climb. This is a true test of fitness, endurance and ability to recover from huge efforts. As I crested each Mount Washington hill, I felt gratitude for all the times Jamie pushed us a little further.
For anyone considering the sport of skate skiing, let me encourage you to test it out. The action has tremendous cross over to running, cycling and swimming as well as being the highest aerobic activity option on the planet. Nothing compares to gliding along the snow using powerful strokes and a strong rhythm. The undulation of the trails, the speed of the descents and the surround nature encompasses the sport of skiing. All your senses will be tested and hopefully set your stage for a fulfilling summer of sport and success.
Christine
Race results:
"Our mental strength is where our potential lies. How do we use our imagination to create our future?"
~ Silken Laumann
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