Not to be one to coach a sport and not compete myself, I finally entered my first ski race of the year and was reminded of the importance of adequate training.
The event was the
The 24th Great Caribou Bog Wicked Winter Ski Tour & Race, also known as the Caribou Bog Ski Race, which winds from the Bangor City Forest through Veazie and Orono and finishes in Old Town.
The race is a throw-back to the classical style ski race, in tracks, on a narrow course through the woods. We even had a tight, dual-track start which was self-seeded, and quickly reverted to one track within the first kilometer. The scramble has its own strategies and calamities for some, as skis and poles (and some elbows) are flying in every possible direction.
I survived the inital scramble intact and settled into a moderate pace, the ultimate goal to maintain to the finish. Having skied no more than 12k in any single workout, my dubious pace held well until I encountered Beth at just past the 8k mark. In fact, it was almost as fast as the one 8k race I skied last year. That, of course, is a big OOPS!!!
After shedding my hat and saying a quick hi, while Beth clicked away, I rounded the next turn and promptly mugged a little old lady tourer who was too slow to respond to my "Track!! Track!!" I regret that in these circumstances, the race must go on, but if the victim, by some strange coincidence, reads this blog---I am truly sorry, both for the mugging and not stopping to see if all your bones were all unbroken.
Having skied the first half to expectation, I slowed on the climbs up Newman and Bangor Hills losing 5 or 6 places running out of gas in the process. One short dip in-between featured a sharp right turn at the bottom and, with little muscle control left, I wavered and landed hard on my tail bone.
Fortunately, the last 4ks were mostly downhill and by the end I had regained my form to finish in a flourish. The time for 16k (10 miles) was 1:12:59, not too bad for an old guy. Next year, I'll train for the full distance, and who knows how fast I can be.
For all you old-time classic cross country skiers out there, I highly recommend the Caribou Bog Race--a great course, beautiful scenery and a fun time.
