To be honest, I’ve been putting off writing about my Birkie race (feel free to refer to this earlier post if you want to know what the Birkie is). I had been waiting for the big day for almost a year, but the whole event ended up feeling a bit anti-climatic. I was so excited about it and I guess I worked it up so much in my mind, that when it was all said and done, it didn’t quite live up to my expectations. It wasn’t that the event itself disappointed (on the contrary, The Birkie Foundation outdid themselves as always); it was my performance that wasn’t quite what I had expected (more on that later).
The week of the race started with some unknowns, mostly due to a giant winter snowstorm, raising concern that we may not be able to drive to Wisconsin where the race was. Thankfully, we were able to safely get there. But the next day was the kids’ races day, and it was VERY cold! Despite the cold temps, they still wanted to do their races (what can I say, they’re true Minnesotans), and I’m proud of them for going out on the race course and doing their very best!
kids race day
Josiah (5 years old) did the BarneBirkie (non-competitive cross country ski race for kids). He insisted on NOT having me ski along side of him (he said he could do it himself), but when he passed by my cheering spot on the side of the trail, he was crying because his thumbs were cold. Poor guy! He was insisting that I shove his hand warmers into the thumb part of his mittens, despite me repeatedly telling him that wouldn’t work, LOL! So, we ditched his poles, did some arm windmills to warm up his hands, and then I held his hand and walked next to him while he skied to the finish of his 1 kilometer race. He was very proud of himself!
My older three kids did the Jr. Birkie (competitive races)! The boys were a bit upset because most of the kids in their races were skate skiing (which is much faster), and they were on classic skis. They were troopers though, and busted through the wind to the finish. Tori knew just what to do, because she skied on the middle school ski team this winter, so she wasn’t new to mass start skate races! They all did great! Watch the videos below and see if you can spot my kids (hint: they’re all wearing the same white ski jacket).
Jonah in the boys U10 Jr. Birkie
Caleb in the boys U12 Jr. Birkie
Tori in the girls U12 Jr. Birkie
After the races, we headed to the Birkie Expo, which the kids thought was pretty cool (mostly because they got lots of free stuff and food)! And of course, we had to get pics with the life size Jessie Diggins cut-out!
Family Day
The next day, we were hoping to do some family skiing or snowshoeing at local trails, but it was again VERY cold. We went to the Duluth Zoo instead! We had a great time and were able to get out of the cabin and stretch our legs while spending quality time together.
Race day
The next day was race day! The big event! The 2023 American Birkebeiner! I was up very early getting ready and had a hard time eating much because I was so nervous. My husband drove me to the start area and hung out with me while I warmed up and was waiting to start. The morning was pretty cold (windchill was around 0 degrees Fahrenheit). I had a bit of a hard time deciding how many layers to wear, as I knew I would warm up quite a bit once I was skiing for a while and as the air temperature increased during the race. I ultimately ended up staying pretty warm during the race and not overheating, so thankfully my years of skiing and knowing how to dress for certain temps paid off!
Finally, the race start was upon me. I tried to get up near the front of my wave so I didn’t get stuck behind lots of other skiers in the beginning of the race. I ended up regretting this choice, because I don’t do very well with fast starts, hah! My speedy start felt good, but lactic acid buildup made my legs tired much sooner than I would have liked later in the race.
I also noticed during the race that my skis were not gliding very well. I knew this was not likely due to how my skis were waxed because I had paid for a ski shop to wax my skis (and have done so in the past with perfect glide).
I had suspected for a while before my race that my skis were approaching the end of their days. After skis have been used a lot (I’ve skied hundreds and hundreds of kilometers on them and have had them for 15 years), they start to “flex out”. This means they lose their stiffness and don’t evenly distribute your weight when you push down on them to glide, causing them not to glide well.
Unfortunately, I was too cheap to buy new skis mid season and kept putting it off, and I paid for it during my Birkie race. I was in excellent condition to do a 50k race- I had trained hard for it and knew I could do it, so I was bummed that my skis seemed to be keeping me from going as fast as I had expected. Also, it was cold that day, there was fresh snow, and I was in a later wave, making snow conditions slower to ski on.
During my race, I actually felt pretty good overall other than my legs feeling more tired than usual. My endurance was good and I didn’t feel like I had to stop and rest. My heart rate wasn’t too high. My breathing was fine. I tried to stay hydrated and eat frequent carbs to boost my energy. I focused on enjoying skiing through the woods, which I’ve always found very peaceful.
The Birkie race atmosphere is always so fun….thousands of people out there skiing together, enjoying an amazing sport together, getting outside in the winter together. There’s nothing like it. The fans on the sides of the trails, seeing my family cheering for me at the half way point, hearing my kids shout “go Mommy!” with excited looks on their faces, showing my kids that they can do hard things…..all of it is amazing!
During my race, I was internally laughing at myself, because I always get so excited when I get to the 13k mark, because that’s the highest elevation point in the course and I always trick myself into thinking that the worse of the uphills is over after that. Unfortunately, that is definitely not true! The last 15 k or so of the 50k course definitely has some big uphills, and by that point, my legs were pretty tired and time was draaaaaagging. I tried to just keep going and enjoy the experience.
I got really excited when I could finally see the lake. The Birkie trail runs from North to South for a little under 50 km, so when the trail ends in Hayward, Wisconsin, the skiers are shunted onto Hayward Lake to get into downtown Hayward and finish the race. The last 3 km or so of the race is across the lake. Sometimes this is exhausting because the wind can be really bad on the lake. However, I was in good enough shape this year that despite being at the end of a 50 km race, I was able to book it across the lake. I love the feeling of being on a fast flat surface and skate skiing fast! I pushed hard through that last 3 km…..then I came off the lake, up and over “The International Bridge” (a bridge constructed just for the race and covered in snow so skiers can leave the lake and get into downtown), and onto Main Street for the finish. The International Bridge carries all the flags of the nations represented in the Birkie race. Pretty cool!
The bridge goes back downhill and spits you right onto Main Street for arguably the coolest cross country ski race finish of all time. There is nothing like finishing right down the main street of small-town USA with old buildings and hundreds of fans lining the streets, screaming and cheering for you. The finish was incredible!
My finish time was 4 hours and 53 minutes, which was over an hour faster than last year. However, based on the pace I had been skiing most of the winter during training, I had been expecting to finish in closer to 4 hours, which is why I had this nagging sense of disappointment after my race. But, I kept telling myself- “you have improved so much”, “finishing is a HUGE accomplishment”, “your skis sucked”, and “next year you’ll do better”. Best of all, my family was at the finish to watch and cheer for me! Following the race, there is food for the athletes, changing tents, and places to gather and party! We hung out for a while and then headed home (my 5 year old was SO over being outside for hours waiting for me to finish lol). The pic below is him on the way back to the cabin after the race.
Overall, the Birkie experience was amazing, and there’s a reason it’s the largest cross country ski race in North America (it has the most skiers, not just the longest race length). I am so happy our family participated in the Birkie week for the second year in a row, and I hope we can keep doing it for many years to come. I am secretly hoping one of my kids will want to ski their first full Birkie with me someday.
Finally, I have to give credit where credit is due. There is absolutely NO way I could have done this without my husband, Micah. He is so incredibly supportive and has encouraged me to do this race is every way possible. He already stays home with the kids full-time and homeschools them, and has sacrificed countless hours watching our children without complaint while I train, even if it means giving up any alone time or break time from the kids. He cooked meals, gave me countless foot rubs, listened to my training reports, and drove kids everywhere. He is amazing and I am so blessed to have him.
Well, if you’re still reading, thanks for stopping by to hear my story. Now that ski season is over, I’m onto triathlon training….stay tuned for more!