In the heat of the season!
The start of the American Birkebeiner, Classic 55 km, in Cable, WI. Scott is 2nd racer at front, with a few thousand skiers in pursuit…
Howdy all,
I can’t believe it’s been over a month since the last update, 7 more races in the books! This email comes from a cabin in the woods of Wisconsin, next to the Birkie trails. This Saturday is the 55km American Birkie ski marathon from Cable to Hayward. And the last of the Super Tour races of the main season, with only Super Tour Finals in the end of March (long break now).
VT races were another example of how my lack of low altitude speed training all year shows in the race season. Though, it was great to be back on the courses of my college racing days and I still had some great racing and lots of hard skiing.
The two weeks after VT allowed some volume, much needed training and touching back to the fundamentals of skiing. Getting training in whenever you can between races is super important I’m learning.
The “scramble” at the start of the Craftsbury 15 km mass start skate race in VT.
Two college races happened next, in Aspen, where I got to race on my home courses, at 8K feet of elevation and had a great weekend! The 2nd race that weekend was a point-to-point 21 km (starts and ends in different places) which is always a very cool way to race. The college racing scene is very competitive these days and has some of the best skiers in the country racing in a situation similar to nationals or any super tour. Great points racing for USSA rankings…
And this past weekend was the Super Tour in Minneapolis for the test event of the MN World cup races in march. The courses are incredible and I can’t wait to watch the US skiers racing a state-side World Cup course. Last weekend also turned out to be some of my best racing all season with a 17th in the sprint qualifier. It’s been a long road to feel back in touch with racing but it came together in the skate sprint and I know I can improve on that even more so. Being 17th in the country was a pretty cool feeling after not racing nationally for 6 years.
This afternoon is the Birkie Sprints, a classic sprint race at the start of the Birkie marathon trail. It will be my 20th race this season in less than 3 months. And the marathon this Saturday. The season has been jam packed!
I will report back after the Birkie sprints and Marathon and as always: thank you for your support, cheering and endless encouragement to jump back in.
And I am happy to report I will be back in Jackson the first week of March to ski with the Jackson team and race the Rendezvous with friends and get some much needed time back in the Tetons. Hope to see many of you during that time.
-Scott
Having the whole family course-side for the Aspen races, cow-bells in hand. (Not pictured: the Murray cheering squad)