Article - Birkie Fever



Birkie Fever!!

Brought to you by SkiPost.com
To sign up for their newsletter click here


By: Dave Knoop

This Saturday 8,000 skiers will descend upon the Cable-Hayward area. That also means that for Cheeseheads, and their more circumspect neighbors from Minnesota, it will also bring the whole dang family to together to witness the specticle as well.  The Birkie can make any other North American, non Olympic ski event pale in comparison. For a serious out-of-town competitor, it can be a down right circus trying to get all the logistics together.  
 
So, it's important to back up a bit if your thinking seriously about this bad boy. For me, last Sunday back in Utah I enjoyed a V1 churn-fest up a long snowmobile, groomed logging road that goes up almost 2,000 verticle feet in 6 miles - topping out at 9,000 ft altitude. It's part of an incredibly B.E.A.utiful 40k, 3 hour loop that some hearty xc skiers do. As I topped the ridgeline exhausted, my whole training plan thrown out the window, because I ripped that logging road at race pace refusing to yeild to better judgement, I was terrified! Have I done too much?

Could be!
 
Here's what's important to know as a masters skier thinking about skiing the Birkie in a serious, or semi-serious, way. The work is done. THERE IS NOTHING that you can do this weekend in terms of endurance training to improve your race performance at the Birkie. As a good friend of mine and world class xc coach (Torbjorn Karlsen) would tell me, "Dave....dare yourself to recover and rest!" Shorter ski sessions and an uptempo pace, but not much else.
 
Once you arrive in Cable/ Hayward the tension is very noticeble. I do my best not to listen to what many people have to say vs. trying to stay focused. Two things you can do:
 
1. Prepare your body( i.e. water, sleep and stretching are the most critical elements). If you are semi-serious, try drinking a glass of water after every beer that you drink. For me I look at all the pre-race beer drinkers like a stranded hitch hiker dreaming of a ride. Yet, it ain't gonna happen.
 
2. Ski prep. I will start waxing skis days before I travel to cut down on the time factor on ski prep when I'm there and travelling. Pay attention the the forecast. When in doubt colder is always better than missing the wax with being too warm. Additionally, when in doubt go with what the EXPERTS recommend!  Swix, Toko, etc. will go out of their way to tell you. They are going to be about 90% right most of the time.  

As for race strategy:
 
This course has some seriously relentless hills in the first half. You may have your moxie up and feel like getting after it. Keeping it notched back just a bit before Double 00 will pay big dividends once you hit the hills at 39 to 45k.
 
Have fun, and keep smiling even when it's hard!  Believe me, I know sometimes you don't want to smile (been there) but do it anyway - it is designed to be fun!