Birkie 2012 The Last Word

Tuesday night after the Birkie felt a little odd not having anywhere to go.
For those that made the pilgrimage to Hayward this year, 2012 will be remembered as the
great paradox. For those who live south of Highway 8 snow was a precious
commodity, groomed tracks virtually non-existent. What a great surprise to see the
trail in such great shape and to be rewarded with near perfect conditions. For
most of the skiers I know the Birkie raises the bar and you responded in kind.
Despite the lack of snow and training K's most of you had a great day and in
lieu of a great time, a great experience.

Anecdotally I have never seen Main Street as busy as it was. People were
hanging out and hanging in there. The Birkie has become a lifestyle with
something for everyone. From the whimsical Barkie Birkie to the Family Fun Ski or the
Junior events the Birkie offers a lot of reasons to stay motivated. As a
(relatively) ole' timer I am most pleased to see the kids skiing and more
importantly having fun. The Birkie has been instrumental in getting youth
programs moving again and for that they deserve our thanks. I look forward to
watching this current crop of youngsters develop and hopefully embrace the same
values and traditions that we have.

We have a lot of challenges trying to keep up a Nordic Lifestyle. This year
was a kick in the pants reminder of our fickle climate. I see the need for augmenting
nature with better manicured trails and man-made snow if we want to keep skiing
on the front burner. Expect to hear more about that in the future. It is going
to be hard but it's worth it. Watching the electricity at the start of the
Junior Birkie and the wall to wall smiles at the Family Ski is something I want
to invest in. The next few months will change your focus but not the target. Get
a goal, get a friend and get out there. I know my capabilities have certainly
changed in the last few years and I expect yours may too but there will always
be something if you just keep looking down the trail.

Every year there are countless stories of perseverance, challenges and
overcoming obstacles but I need to point out one racer in particular. My friend
Barb Klippel of Hayward, 79 years young, finished her 20th Birkie this season.
Barb and her late husband Jim have been a central part of the Birkie for
decades, Barb as a skier, volunteer and role model, Jim a race volunteer for
years. Barb's daughter Sue is the current Birkie Board President (and
Birchleggings member). To say that they epitomize the Birkie Family is an
understatement. This year Barb achieved her goal to be a Birchlegger, overcoming
time, and injuries to complete a journey that started decades ago. She says she
is done doing marathons now but I doubt she is through with this race. I hope
you all find that inner drive and keep lining up for the journey through history
and all the great things that the Birkie is.

Birkie Class Final T is for Technique

Twenty three weeks ago about 30 skiers started a ski season by bounding up the hill at Bairds Creek that will culminate this weekend at the 39th running of the Birkie. It
was a tough year for training, probably the worst I have seen in 38 years of
ski racing. I don’t know about anyone else but I now believe in global warming
more than ever.

There are three things I hope you remember as you toe the line on Saturday. Virtually everyone is technically much better than they were a year ago. As we age we concede physical prowess
but technical skills can always improve. Given a choice between being 10% physically
better and 10% technically improved I’ll take skill. ** A big motor does you no
good if you are tumbling down Snowmo Corner on your back! I have a good
perspective on skier’s technical skills and you will have to take my word for
it: It’s pretty darn good. Now it’s up to you to take advantage of it.

This year more than ever it will be crucial that you ski within yourself. Good technique comes from your brain sending the right message to the various muscles. Go too far in debt and
the message slows down, your stride shrinks and you then waste even more energy
and pretty soon your brain is sending out SOS signals. Watch the effort level
and keep it together mentally.

Lastly remember that this is not as much a race as a lifestyle. We chose to do this event to reaffirm the choices we make to be healthy, active and positive. How you do in the race is secondary and if you fall short of your goals there will always be next year but by
finishing you will have achieved the biggest goal and been part of something
that you can remember forever.

So, great year folks. I am working on some things and will keep in touch. The weather looks good, the snow promises to be fast and I look forward to seeing you at the finish. Well done.

** I can back that up statistically, just ask me.

Birkie Class, Valentines Day. Answer: GRAVITY

OK, I’m impressed. Our little balance ditty last night was great. Steady and stable. Balance comes not only side to side but also fore and aft. I saw that last night. Balance also comes
in both a static and a dynamic form. Static is the passive form like standing
on a 2X2. Dynamic is like when you ride a bike. Both are NOT mutually
exclusive. When you see a rider doing a “track stand” that is, balancing while
not moving they are blending dynamic balance with static balance. Skiing
involves mostly dynamic balance but the longer you can hold on to your glide
phase (static) the farther you will glide. (My track stand analogy works until
a rider applies pressure on the pedal while holding the brake but that is
another doctorate dissertation).

The point of this rambling??
Balance takes many forms, side to side, front to back, passive and static BUT
ALL CAN BE DEVELOPED! It happened while you were not looking. Whew!

It was a rewarding night, especially my schooling of Paul Braun on the finer points of ego mania. (Megalomaniac?) We finish up next week with a softer tune-up and some wax words and prognostications. Check out http://www.skinnyski.com/ for updates and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PzSVkcGpTnk&feature=youtu.be
this video on scraper technique. Ian scrapes like a pro. This is the right way,
there is technique involved. I would add that you only scrape 2-3 passes at
most. Great night, find snow, wax skis and we go again at 6:00 pm next Tuesday.

Birkie Class Feb. 7 Frozen Dirt Stinks

Hard to believe there is snow up north but the pictures don’t lie. The photos above
show the Birkie trail at Duffy’s and at ABR this week, that is what snow looks
like. We do what we can and drive. I notice a lot of carpooling and out of
office emails when skiers head to snow. Sometimes it is even more fun. Be sure
and check http://www.skinnyski.com/ for trail updates before you go.
Next week marks the penultimate class session and the last hard effort before the Birkie as well
as being Valentine’s Day (and Dave Hess’s B-Day). We will then meet for our last
session on the 21st. I think we have hit our stride as I have less to nag about, more positives than not. Despite the lack of snow most folks have done a pretty good job of staying in shape and technically are way better than in years past. After age 40 technique improvements make for a bigger impact than the motor. This weekend is the Pre-Birkie which will feature the last half
of the Birkie Trail. It all looks good so far. As you know the Vasaloppet was
canceled due to poor snow, a drag for them on their 40th anniversary. We soldier on. This is the last chance for that long TOD workout and I would seek it out one (at least) more time. Meanwhile….we have a BIRKIE WAX CLINIC www.incompetition.com tonight at 6:00. Fast skis make you feel fast. Psychology matters in a marathon. Last night went great. Don’t forget next week at 5:56pm and Valentine’s Day. Good work last night, now go ski.

Birkie Class 1-31-2012 Busting Guts

Recovery took a little longer for the Noque crowd last night or so it seemed. I noticed
more sweating, heard more breathing and as always I “felt” your pain.
We have a lot of homework this week as we ramp up for our final three weeks of training.
First you need to watch http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XDZTHQlc1N8&feature=related
Watch specifically for the triceps and the LOW foot/ski carry. These girls are
technically awesome and they STILL do specific technique work……mmmmmm, cause
and effect perhaps?
2nd you should look at this world cup sprint start to see an example of a weight
forward position. You may not ski like that (I do) often but forward is better
than backwards.

3rd you need to get out there and do something. Snow and trails are day to day, minute by minute but find it. http://www.valleyspur.org/ is reporting good snow with tracks! Most
trails north of highway 8. Are in good shape, find a friend and then find a
trail. See http://www.skinnyski.com/ for more info and race updates.
Lastly we will be stonegrinding tomorrow morning. If your skis are bad this is a good
time to get it done before the Birkie. If your scrapers are dull we can sharpen
them but we need them early. We say adieu to Todd Rosvald (inspiration for the
TOD, Technique Over Distance workout) who is moving to Southern MN (part of a
plea agreement) to start a new job selling corn as the Korn Czar of MN. Kudo’s
to Tim McCoy for his finishing the Vuelta PR http://www.vueltapr.com/ last week, if you can’t ski this is a close 2nd. And congrats to all that finished the Noque. Take this POSITIVE from that race. The times (despite the lousy year we are having) are not far off what is
normal. Technique matters, especially yours!

Check out yours truly above trying (looking older than usual) on the AlterG Treadmill last night http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z3BF6QfovHA&feature=related This is very cool with applications from rehab to weight loss. Thanks to Corey for letting me try it. Very neat. ….and
remember when the going gets tough...say what the man says to the wolf….http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9eUe0MKV1BY