From the FasterSkier archive — posts syndicated from athletes’ and coaches’ own blogs between 2004 and 2012, kept online as published. Current coverage is at fasterskier.com.

Birkie Notes

I’ve been getting phone reports from the American Birkebeiner this morning.

Congratulations to Caitlin and Brian Gregg – Caitlin was 2nd in the women’s race and Brian was 3rd in the men’s event.  Brian and Caitlin both felt that they were skiing on rockets; both were on Ultratune grinds today, as is normal for both of them.

I also talked to Laura McCabe right after she finished her race.   Laura is an incredible dynamo, and she pulled off a big race to finish 4th in the women’s field.     Laura was super stoked with her i5 grind today and said she had great skis.

Conditions were typical for the Birkie – cold at the start and warming through the morning.    This puts a premium on versatile cold grinds that can ski up into the teens and low twenties without getting draggy or sticky.

For a low snowpack year, the snow was fast, firm, but not icy today.    Great conditions for a ski race!

How was your race?