I agree. Also, you should know that the course was in fantastic shape considering how late the snow arrived, the warm temps and rain, especially when contrasted with the Noquemanon this year. The good folks in Marquette did what they could but they just didn't have adequate snow at that time to make as uniformly nice of a course as this past Birkie ended up being. Finally, you all have a chance to do at once more decent race this year -- The Bear Chase, a week from this Sunday in Calumet, MI. We've done it many times. It is much, much easier than the Birkie and a nice season closer for many of us. The only complain of some is that it is not a point to point race but rather two loops for the folks doing the full 50K. Still, worth the drive and I think they have been receiving much lake effect snow lately so conditions should be good.
Jim -----Original Message----- From: George Larson [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] Sent: Wednesday, February 27, 2002 9:29 AM To: Erik Johnson; [EMAIL PROTECTED] Subject: Re: [XC] 46.7km Birkie I think we all should just be HAPPY we were able to get at least one decent race this year. With the lack of snow, what is an extra 1.7K. I think we should thank the foundation for their efforts NOT nit pick (one man's opinion). ----- Original Message ----- From: "Erik Johnson" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Wednesday, February 27, 2002 9:08 AM Subject: RE: [XC] 46.7km Birkie > It did not help that the 45 k sign was at the bottom of a hill. > > -----Original Message----- > From: Rudolph, Stuart E [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: Wednesday, February 27, 2002 9:04 AM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED]; [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: RE: [XC] 46.7km Birkie > > > Scott, > > I was similarly disappointed and only figured it out when I came to the 45K > sign and could hear that the finish line announcer was still way in the > distance. It was my first Birkie. I was skiing classic with too much klister > (no kick due to icing, and terrible glide). Past the 45 K sign I saw smoke > from a fire in the distance, and assumed it was the snack stand at the > finish, and they had a warming fire, or were burning the cups, like at all > the previous food stations. Ha! It was somebody burning trash behind their > garage. > > I also was giving it what push I had left, knowing if I could speed it up > just a bit I would hit the 45K at under the next hour mark on my elapsed > time, which I did, but finished the 46.7K at 5 min past the hour. (I'm too > embarrassed to say what hour it was...) > > It is good training to deal with the unexpected. However, I don't think it > is unreasonable to ask the foundation that they get the mileage correct in > pre-race press releases. They know exactly where Duffy's Field is. > > Stuart Rudolph > > > -----Original Message----- > From: Scott Bachmeier [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]] > Sent: Tuesday, February 26, 2002 8:51 PM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: [XC] 46.7km Birkie > > > OK, I've heard similar things from enough other folks now to know > that it wasn't just me who was a bit surprised by the "extra length" > of the Birkie. You see, I thought it was a 45km race, so at 43km > I decided to use up what was left in the tank (which wasn't much)... > but that extra 1.7km they added was *really* tough for me. I bonked > pretty hard right at 45km, and then got a bad attitude when the > tracks all but disappeared the rest of the way. > > So my question is: were the rest of you surprised at the extra > distance at the end? When did they decide to make it 46.7km? > Should comments be directed to the Birkie Foundation, or should > we just have the attitude "what's a couple-a kilometres amongst > nordic friends?" > > -- > Scott Bachmeier University of Wisconsin - Madison / SSEC / CIMSS > mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] | http://www.ssec.wisc.edu/~scottb > _______________________________________________ > http://www.MadNorSki.org/ > XC mailing list > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/xc > _______________________________________________ > http://www.MadNorSki.org/ > XC mailing list > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/xc > _______________________________________________ > http://www.MadNorSki.org/ > XC mailing list > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/xc > _______________________________________________ http://www.MadNorSki.org/ XC mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/xc _______________________________________________ http://www.MadNorSki.org/ XC mailing list [EMAIL PROTECTED] http://www.danenet.org/mailman/listinfo/xc
