Tag: Sarah Max

Wednesday Workout (PPP Bonus!): Ride/Run & Run/Play with Sarah Max

Sarah Max (XC Oregon) on her way to winning her fourth Pole Pedal Paddle title on May 17 in Bend, Ore. (Photo: Mike Albright/Mike Albright Photography)

After racking up her fourth Pole Pedal Paddle (PPP) victory on May 17 in Bend, Ore., Sarah Max got back to her day job as a financial writer (for publications like The New York Times, Barron’s, Entrepreneur, and Money Magazine) and executive editor of 1859 Oregon Magazine. At 39, she’s a mother of 11-year-old twins, yet Max still finds time to train and race with XC Oregon in Bend, focusing on ski marathons throughout the winter.

Sarah Max during a cyclocross race. (Courtesy photo)

“I’ll probably stick with a similar program as the last couple of years, which is a few bigger races, ideally in fun locations,” she wrote in an email. “Next year I may go do the Norwegian Birkie again. (I’m not a great classic skier, so like the challenge of a long, hard race.) I will probably do American Birkie again too… It’s just a nice, hard race. I usually do Boulder Mtn Tour every year, partly because my whole family likes to go — though that course doesn’t suit me. I like to ease my way into a race, and there is none of that there.”

After her seventh solo PPP (she’s also done it other times with a team), Max will likely move on to cyclocross races in the fall and some off-road triathlons or other multi-sport events this summer. This Saturday, she’s doing the Hood 2 River Relay for the first time as a pair.

In preparation for the PPP, she wasn’t overly regimented with her workouts (especially after winter of ski training), but she did work on running (see below).

***

After a winter of planned workouts, I generally don’t follow a training plan for the Pole Pedal Paddle. This year followed a similar script. Starting about six weeks before the event, I tried to get in most of the major events (ski, bike, run and paddle) about twice a week, with some doubles on a few of those days. Skiing was lowest on my list of priorities since I already had ski fitness and didn’t want to use up precious training time driving to and from Mt. Bachelor. Plus, I was ready for a change of pace.

Sarah Max on her way to another Pole Pedal Paddle victory on May 17 in Bend, Ore. (Photo: Neil Korn/BendOR Magazine)

Most of my workouts were short, usually about 45 minutes to 90 minutes tops. My thinking was that since I have a pretty big base going into the spring – training for the 90km Swedish Vasaloppet is good for that – endurance wasn’t as important as sports specificity.

Up until a couple weeks before the race, I planned my workouts around the weather, which always a crapshoot in the spring in Bend, and what my friends were doing. Probably the best thing about training for something with so many different legs is it opens the universe of workout buddies.

To recap, the PPP is a short alpine ski, followed by an 8km skate, 22-mile bike, 5-mile (ish) run, 1.5 mile paddle and short sprint to the finish.

The hardest part of the race for me, and probably most individual racers, is the run. The run in and of itself isn’t bad. It’s when you do it after alpine skiing and Nordic skiing on icy conditions, then going hard on the bike. The first 10 minutes of running always hurts. A good way to prepare for this is to tag on a short run to most of your bike workouts or do a quick bike before your longer runs. In the triathlon world this is known as a “brick,” an apt term for the discomfort of biking then running.

Here’s one workout I did along those lines.

The Plan: 1 hour 15-minute road ride followed by 15 minute run.

Warm up: My house is on the road heading toward Mt. Bachelor, which is the PPP bike course. I started out my door riding easy for the first 20 minutes, where the grade is relatively gentle.

Uphill intensity: When I hit the steeper section I started a 30-minute tempo workout, keeping my heart rate about five beats below threshold. Normally I would let myself climb out of the saddle for the steeper stretches, but I tried to stay seated for most of this.

Downhill speed: At about 50 minutes total, I turned back for the downhill. Rather than just coasting, I tried to keep pedaling through the downhill and working the few uphill sections and flats going back to my house. I can usually get back down the hill in half the time it takes to get up.

Transition: With my garage as my staging area, I changed out of bike shoes and helmet and into running shoes. Though it was tempting to go in the house and check email, change out of bike shorts, I tried to keep the transition quick, for maximum discomfort going into the run.

Ugh, the Run: Probably the most important thing about the bike to run transition is knowing that it will hurt and that you will feel slow. I play different mind games to get through the first 10 minutes, anything to just keep my legs moving. After about 10 minutes, like clockwork, things improve immensely. Though I’d planned to just run 15 minutes, I ended up going about 30 minutes.

Cool down: Since the hard part of my workout was the bike, my run was effectively a cool down. That said, I usually slow things down for the last five minutes and walk another five minutes. I try to stretch a little before I head back into the house… not always successfully.

Here’s another notable workout, mostly because it illustrates the crazy logistics that go into training for and doing this race:

The plan: 1 hour run and soccer/paddle

A week before the race, my twin daughters (11 years old) wanted to run the PPP course. They competed on a team this year, with Izzy doing the Nordic ski and Fiona doing the run, which was 2.5 miles for teams 12 and under.

My husband, Kevin, and I loaded my surf ski onto my car, and we all piled in – dog included. Kevin dropped us off at the start of the run course. While my girls and I ran the course, he drove the boat to the boat put-in at the river and took our dog for a run.

After a pretty quick run lead by Fiona, the girls helped me unload my boat and get it into the water. They grabbed their soccer balls and had a kick around, and I banged out a 30-minute paddle. An hour after we left our house, we all loaded back into the car.

Sarah Max (r) with her “twin,” Amanda Porino, her support person who surprised Max by dressing as her for the Pole Pedal Paddle on May 17. (Courtesy photo)

May 28, 2014
The 12: XC Oregon

XC Oregon’s Sarah Max during a rollerski session near Bend, Ore. (Photo: XC Oregon)

Note: This is the 10th preview in our U.S. elite-team series, called the “The 12.” We asked coaches to tell us what’s new and whom to look out for this season, and we’ll publish additional previews in the coming weeks in no particular order.

Team name: XC Oregon

Coach: J.D. Downing (coach/program director, 16th year)

The XC Oregon squad during a rollerski last fall near Bend, Ore. (Courtesy photo)

National/International Elite Roster: Santiago Ocariz, Matt Briggs; Carolyn Ocariz, Sarah Max.

Associate roster: 12-15 additional associate skiers will join the roster come November, according to Downing, who is “still finalizing plans with a bunch of folks.”

Who’s new: Downing expects several top regional associate skiers to come onboard, but not at the national/international elite level.

Who’s missing: Oliver Burruss, who’s “entering the ‘real world’ ” in Burlington, Vt., Downing writes.

Top results last season: A couple months before his first child was born, Santi Ocariz made the most out of the Noquemanon Ski Marathon in Marquette, Mich., winning the 50 k classic in January. He went on to win Bend’s pinnacle spring event, the Pole Pedal Paddle, in May just two months after his wife and teammate, Carolyn, gave birth to Sonia. As you can imagine, Santi didn’t get to train as much as he would’ve liked.

“I don’t think I have trained this little in a year since I was a junior in high school,” Ocariz wrote in an email after the race. “However, what I lacked for in time, I made up in effort.”

Max won the women’s race to complete the XC Oregon sweep, and in February, the 38-year-old topped the podium at the 58 k Mora Vasaloppet in Minnesota.

Coach’s comment:

“For 2013/14 we’ll have a bit of a ‘factory team’ feel with fewer full-time skiers than some years, but a whole lot of talented people involved,” Downing wrote in an email.

“Santiago and Carolyn Ocariz will be out of the state much of the year with school [in the Midwest], but it’ll be fun seeing what those two can pull off,” Downing explained.

The rest of the team will race “a mixed bag of events” for the duration of the season, mostly within the Pacific Northwest and at select marathons, and not so much at big domestic races like nationals and SuperTour series.

“Our big focus once this winter winds down will be attracting 4-6 new high performance athletes to target the national/international scene beginning Spring/Summer 2014,” Downing wrote. “Bend is an amazing spot so basing here for a few years (or longer) is rarely a tough sell. But we are also happy to incorporate athletes living anywhere in Oregon. The flexibility and quality of the XC Oregon system has stood the test of time so we know any skier than joins us is going to have what they need to reach their goals — whatever they may be.

“We have already banked resources to guarantee an exceptional level of financial and logistical support for new athletes for several seasons. The consistency of our support is amazing and a direct reflection of the quality of XC Oregon delivery over 16 years. Our incredible sponsors and patrons have believed in XC Oregon because we don’t try and be something we aren’t. We help skiers achieve their goals. We attract quality people. We constantly support our community. We do all this the right way. Simple as that.

Whether someone is interested in chasing the Olympic pipeline or marathons or a little bit of everything — interested skiers should visit xcoregon.org and feel free to get in touch at any time over the coming 8-10 months.”

***

Other previews: Alaska Pacific University | Bend Endurance Academy |Bridger Ski Foundation | Craftsbury GRP | Maine Winter Sports Center | Methow OD | SSCV/Team HomeGrown | Stratton Mountain School T2 | Sun Valley SEF Gold Team

August 22, 2013
Ocariz Digs Deep to Win Debut Pole Pedal Paddle; Bend Native Roy Nabs Second

Santi Ocariz bringing it home for a 49-second win at Saturday’s Pole Pedal Paddle in Bend, Ore. (Courtesy photo)

Seven years after discovering the annual Pole Pedal Paddle in Bend, Ore., Santi Ocariz couldn’t shake the urge to try it.

A 26-year-old Wisconsin native, Ocariz visited Bend during his college summers, fell in love with the area, and resolved to come back and one day compete in the alpine, cross-country, bike, run, kayak and sprint race.

Two months before last year’s big event, Ocariz and his wife Carolyn set out for their new home in Bend on rollerskis, raising close to $20,000 to feed impoverished children. They anticipated the 3,000-mile trip would take close to three months, but the couple sped up the pace to get Ocariz to Oregon for the PPP.

They arrived four days before. Ocariz ultimately reasoned he was underprepared in terms of training and equipment, and did not race.

This year, he was ready — maybe not in training hours, but definitely mentally. Last summer, Ocariz launched toward fatherhood when Carolyn became pregnant with their first child. He shifted his priorities to train less and work more in preparation for the hospital bills and additional expenses, and in March, welcomed baby Sonia to the family.

Suddenly, two-a-day workouts were no longer a thing, and he was lucky to ski once a week.

“I don’t think I have trained this little in a year since I was a junior in high school,” Ocariz recalled in an email. “However, what I lacked for in time, I made up in effort.”

Intervals and time trials become his bread and butter, and Ocariz worked with expert paddler Torsten Heycke on kayak-specific training.

He started biking in February to work on his weaker link, practiced transitions and graciously accepted a gift from his friends: a plane ticket to Bend for the event on May 18.

A week and a half before the PPP, the Ocarizes had moved to Moorhead, Minn., where Santi started an accelerated nursing program at Concordia College.

Suddenly, his initial urge to participate had culminated into a driving motivation to beat everyone else — including several defending champions. Ocariz knew his family could use the $1,000 grand prize for winning the elite individual race, and he remembered that as first place started to slip away last Saturday.

“Everyone crushed me in the beginning of the race,” Ocariz wrote of the alpine leg, which involves sprinting to the top of Mt. Bachelor to click into skis before navigating gates on the descent.

With little experience downhill skiing, Ocariz fell behind race leaders Andrew Boone, the 2011 winner, and 2010 champ Marshall Greene. By the start of the 8-kilometer nordic leg, he estimated they had 40 seconds on him.

Ocariz cut the deficit to 10 seconds by the end of the cross-country ski, and early in the 22-mile bike leg, passed Greene up front. A few minutes later, Greene regained the lead.

“Marshall destroyed me on the bike,” Ocariz wrote. “By the time I was out of the running transition, Marshall was 2 minutes ahead of me. From here I put my nose to the grindstone and began working on reeling him in.”

Three miles into the 5-mile run, Ocariz started to lose hope, but only for a moment.

“As soon as I reminded myself how much the prize money would mean for our family, I leaned forward, shortened my stride, and pushed harder,” he wrote.

Forty seconds behind at the kayak transition, Ocariz could see Greene. His friend and supporter, Heycke heaved Ocariz’s boat forward in the water, helping him gain 20 seconds. From there, Ocariz focused on staying smooth and paddling smart, gauging his distance from Greene and how hard he was working behind him.

“By the second turn-around buoy I had almost caught Marshall,” Ocariz wrote. “With about 200 meters to go I put in a surge and passed Marshall. I was able to put 5-10 seconds on him in that last sprint. When I hit the beach I burst out of the Kayak, flung my paddle and life jacket, and began sprinting for the finish. 800 meters later, at the finish, I was 49 seconds ahead of him.”

As a rookie, Ocariz had done it — winning the elite race in 1:44:35 over a slew of local favorites. Marshall was second and Boone finished more than six minutes behind in third.

“With my PPP inexperience and lack of ability to train as I have in the past, I was unsure of my ability to match up,” Ocariz wrote. “I was definitely the dark horse. … Winning the PPP in Bend is viewed similarly to how winning the Birkie is viewed in the Hayward area.”

Enough said.

***

For women’s runner up Zoe Roy, achieving a personal best in her hometown’s celebrated race was also significant. A 25-year-old skier currently training in Canada, Roy remembered first racing the PPP on a team when she was 9 or 10. She did it solo at age 12.

Zoe Roy near the end of Saturday’s Pole Pedal Paddle in Bend, Ore. She placed second for a personal best after friend and three-time winner Sarah Max. (Courtesy photo)

In 2009, Roy shared the individual podium with her mom, Muffy, a multiple PPP champion.

“She was second and I was third,” Roy wrote in an email. “Pretty sweet to be on the podium with your mom, though!”

She hadn’t raced it since. Back in Bend for an on-snow camp at Mt. Bachelor, Roy decided to enter the 2013 race a week before.

“I banked mostly on leftover fitness from the winter and tried to do a little a bit of everything just to get comfortable with all the different legs,” she explained.

Early in on Saturday, Roy led through the alpine and cross-country ski legs into the bike transition. Her friend Sarah Max caught her on the ride, but Roy got back in front during the run.

“I had about a 20-second lead going in to the paddle and she caught me!” Roy wrote of the kayak leg. “I think my body was so tired from everything else that I could barely hold my arms up, I didn’t know if I was going to make it!”

Zoe Roy (l) and Sarah Max the day before the Pole Pedal Paddle on May 18 in Bend, Ore. A Canadian skier originally from Bend, Roy placed second behind Max, now a three-time champion. (Courtesy photo)

A back-to-back champion in 2008 and 2009, Max claimed her third PPP title in 2:04:24, a minute and two seconds ahead of Roy in second. Another Bend resident, Mary Wellington finished third, nearly 5 1/2 minutes behind Max.

In a race packed with more than a thousand competitors between tandems and teams, Roy stressed the draw of racing individually.

“The individual is definitely the most team event out there when you factor in the number of people that helped me out, from my awesome support crew (my brother Tosch and my good friend from Bend, Matea) to all the people that I borrowed equipment from,” she wrote. “It takes a village!”

Now, it’s back to skiing, she explained. Roy is hosting fellow independent Canadian skiers Chandra Crawford, Amanda Ammar and Alana Thomas at her house in Bend for 10 days of training.

As for Ocariz, he’s already back in classes. After a season off, Carolyn has resumed full-time training and will race remotely for XC Oregon. Santi explained that he and Sonia, now 10 weeks old, will be her support crew.

“I won’t be training for or focusing on elite racing,” he wrote. “I hope to get to the opportunity to jump into a citizen race or two, but it is not going to be a priority. We have been thrilled with J.D. [Downing] and his organization of the XC Oregon team … The community and team are a perfect fit for us.”

PPP results

Carolyn and Santi Ocariz with newborn Sonia on their first family ski last winter. (Courtesy photo)

May 22, 2013
Elite Team Preview: XC Oregon

Matt Briggs leads XC Oregon teammates Jason Adams (c) and Ollie Burruss (l) during team relays during a training session in late May in Bend, Ore.

Note: This is the first of a quick-and-dirty preview series on elite teams in the U.S. We asked coaches to send their 2012/2013 rosters and tell us what’s new for the coming season. We will be publishing additional reports over the next few weeks. Teams are presented in no particular order.

Team name: XC Oregon

Coaches: J.D. Downing (coach/program director, 15th year)

National /International Elite Roster: Santiago Ocariz, Oliver Burruss, Matt Briggs;

Carolyn Ocariz, Stephanie Howe, Sarah Max, Jamie Woelk

Who’s new: Santi and Carolyn Ocariz (as the two confirmed additions, 1-2 more possible. Carolyn arrived just over a week ago on June 9).

“We are super excited to have them both here,” Downing wrote in an email. “Their addition obviously allows us to significantly boost our national/international elite presence, but just as important to us is the quality of the individuals. Just look at what these two did this spring [rollerskied across the country] — and more importantly why they did it [to feed impoverished children]. There’s also a big comfort level in that Santi has spent several summers in Bend and has a brother living here so the transition should be very smooth. It’s really a perfect fit all the way around.”

What else: With a PhD and all, Howe will likely compete in more marathons this winter after studying at Oregon State University in Corvallis last year on the western side of the Cascades.

While it’s unclear how much Marshall Greene will race, Downing was excited to welcome him back to Bend this summer with his wife and new baby. Greene spent the last couple of years in Wisconsin earning his Master’s degree.

XC Oregon (XCO) is also expecting to add 12 to 15 members to its associate roster.

Who’s missing: Zoe Roy will likely make the full switch to Rocky Mountain Racers (RMR) in Canmore, Alberta, in an attempt to make Canada’s international teams. She was affiliated with XCO last season while completing her undergraduate degree in Utah and also raced in Canada with the support of RMR. Given that Roy is from Bend, Downing will try to incorporate her whenever possible.

Top results last season: Burruss was eighth in the Boulder Mountain Tour and 20^th in the American Birkebeiner 50 k skate, and both Burruss and Briggs had career-best SuperTour results last season. Max was the 19^th woman the in the Birkie this year, and Roy notched four top-10 performances on the Canadian NorAm circuit, two of which were on the podium.

In all, a dozen XCO skiers tallied best-ever results last year, which “radically improved on anything they had done before,” Downing wrote. “We really take our role seriously as positive ambassadors for the sport in Pacific Northwest and there is no question last year was one of our best ever in that regard.”

Coach’s comment: XC Oregon is proud to celebrate its 15^th season this year. According to Downing, it’s either the longest or second-longest continuously running elite-development program in the U.S. Aside from the high number of athletes that represented XC Oregon over the years, at least two dozen went on to coach nordic skiing.

“That more than anything probably reflects the 100% athlete-based approach of XC Oregon,” Downing wrote.

As for spring training, XCO skiers can enjoy at least another week on snow up at Mt. Bachelor, less than a 30-minute drive away.

“That’s a huge upside as athletes can maintain normal routines and yet still get the same quality of on-snow workouts as if we were shelling out thousands of dollars sending them to some remote spot,” Downing wrote. “I feel really good that the vast majority of the crew is in a comfort zone of how they’ll structure their training around everything else in life. We’ve also got some good training partner options this year that should be a big help. Bend itself is often a huge asset since there is a deep and incredibly talented pool of endurance athletes here.

“For the season I think we’ll find 2012/13 looking very much like the average year over the past decade,” he added. “We’ll have a nice mix of some notable SuperTour/Nationals results, some domestic and international marathons, and then the steady drumbeat of regional activity.”

Down the road in 2013, the team may restart a summer internship program for collegiate skiers, especially for graduating seniors interested in racing after college.

“We’ll be fundraising for that this summer and hope to roll out specifics this fall,” Downing wrote. “It’s also likely we’ll want to add 2-3 funded-level athletes in Spring 2013 so that’s always exciting to look forward to.”

June 18, 2012
Norwegian Birkie: Rezac, Boner Take Final FIS Ski Classic Event

Lillehammer, Norway: Stanislav Rezac (CZE) won the exhilarating sprint finish in the men’s elite wave of the Norwegian Birkebeiner Saturday. He polished off the 54 kilometers from Rena to Lillehammer in 2 hours, 39 minutes and 54 seconds. Jörgen Brink (SWE) was right on his tails, finishing in 2:39:55, with Jerry Ahrlin another second back for third place.

“I had fantastic skis, super glide and perfect kick the whole way,” said Rezac, who skis for the Madshus Marathon Team.

In the women’s elite wave, Seraina Boner (SUI) won by almost a minute. She clocked in at 3:11:17, with Jenny Hansson (SWE/NOR) posted 3:12:05 for second place. Sara Svendsen (NOR) was third in 3:12:09.

“I really had to fight for it. This is probably the hardest course I’ve ever done. It’s up and down all the time and there is no place to recover,” Boner said to langrenn.com after the race.

“I had really good skis, and I’m in great shape right now, so I really hammered the uphills. I think that was the difference between first and fourth place today,” Boner explained.

Stephanie Howe (XC Oregon) was 17th in the FIS elite women’s wave, posting 3:38:29 for the 54-kilometer course. Brayton Osgood (XC Oregon) finished in 3:02:38 and earned him 24th place – the same as in the Engadin Ski Marathon last weekend. Teammates Taylor Leach was 33 in the 25-29 age category while Sarah Max was 11 in the 35-39 bracket.

Postcard beautiful weather and solid tracks made for an enjoyable day across the mountains for all participants. The Norwegian Birkebeiner was filled to capacity, a maximum of 16,000 skiers, already in October, less than an hour after online registration opened. Complete and searchable results here. http://resultatservice.birkebeiner.no/sok_resultater2.php?arr=2&per=2011

March 19, 2011
The Norwegian Birkie: Something You Just Have To Do

Stephanie Howe (left), Taylor Leach and Sarah Max (right) at the 2011 Engadin. (Photo courtesy of Howe)

The XC Oregon skiers posted solid results at the Engadin Ski Marathon in Switzerland last weekend and are ready to take on the Norwegian Birkebeiner on Saturday.

Now fully adjusted to the time change, the XC Oregon racers are excited to race from Rena to Lillehammer, 54 kilometers in challenging, exposed, open tundra terrain with a 3.5-kilo backpack. The venerable event that has been a staple on the calendar for almost 75 years.

Brayton Osgood, 29, is coming off a solid performance at the Engadin last weekend where he was the top American and finished 24th overall, is excited about the Birkie and hopes to build on that experience on Saturday.

“For the Birkie I have pretty much the same goals as I had going into the Engadin. I want to ski with the lead group until the race gets serious, and then put out a good effort from there to the finish,” Osgood said to FasterSkier, noting that at the Engadin, the only thing missing was enough juice for the last couple of kilometers.

“So, if I can finish things off a little better than I did at ESM, I’ll be very pleased, but mostly I want to make it to the finish and have some good memories when it’s all said and done. I won’t say I want to have a good time out there, because that’s a pretty tough standard to live up to during a race,” Osgood added.

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16,000 racers annually enter the Norwegian Birkebeiner. (Photo: Inge Scheve)

Something a skier has to do

While Osgood has tried his hand at the Birkie before, his XC Oregon teammates Taylor Leach, Stephanie Howe and Sarah Max are new to the legendary race.

“As a skier, the Norwegian Birkie is one of the races you have to do in your lifetime,” Howe said.

With her previous marathon results, including winning the women’s freestyle Gatineau Loppet in February, Howe has landed herself a spot in the FIS elite wave. That certainly adds some performance pressure, but Howe still wants to enjoy the experience.

“I hope to have fun! I am starting in the elite FIS wave, so I’m a bit nervous. It should be fun though, I love climbing, and I hear there should be plenty of that. The biggest challenge for us will be to select the correct skis and wax,” Howe explained.

Less pressure

Leach and Max said being new to the event adds some uncertainties, but also cuts down on the expectations and self-inflicted performance pressure.

“I have never done the Norwegian Birke before, but I have wanted to do this race for a long time. so I am really excited, a little bit nervous because it seems like a challenging course. As I have dedicated most of my winter to coaching, I do not have many expectations. My goals are to ski technically well, have a smart race and enjoy the experience,” Leach said to FasterSkier.

The same is true for Max.

“I’ve never done the Birkie. I don’t have much in the way of expectations, which is the beauty of doing a race that is completely unfamiliar,” Max said.

Additionally, the Norwegian Birkebeiner will represent some extra challenges for Max, who is fairly new to classic skiing. Given that the course covers 54 kilometers of varying, exposed and challenging terrain, Max is hoping for good kick from Rena to Lillehammer.

“This is only my fourth or fifth classic race ever. My hopes are to have good kick throughout the race,” Max said.

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Being new to classic skiing and new to the Norwegian Birkebeiner, Max (XC Oregon) is hoping for wax conditions a little less tricky and frantic than these. From the start at Rena in 2007. (Photo: Inge Scheve)

A legendary race

Since the inaugural Birkebeiner race in 1932, the Norwegian Birkie has only been cancelled seven times, most of them due to World War II (no race in 1941, 1942, 1943, 1944, and 1945).

But in 2007, when the XC Oregon trio Brayton Osgood, Marshall Greene and Zach Violett, attempted to cross the mountains, the Birkie was cancelled due to blizzard conditions, high winds and literally no visibility in the open. The racers in the first couple of waves, which were allowed to start, were called down from the mountain and brought back to the start at Rena.

XC Oregon's Birkie crew in 2007: Zack Violett (left), Brayton Osgood, and Marshall Greene (front). They were turned around early. (Photo: Inge Scheve)

That first wave in 2007 included the XC Oregon skiers, who said they encountered head winds so strong that it was hard for even large skiers to make headway into the wind, let alone stay on the tracks that quickly disappeared from windblown snow on the tundra.

In 1948, the owners of the event could not agree on whether to develop the Birkie into an elite competitive race or focus on participation and recreational skiers. The race was not held, but the owners worked out their issues and now the Birkie is a mass-participation event, maybe the largest and best-known ski race in the World.

The lure of the marathons

For Leach, 25, the European marathons represent crowds and atmospheres unmatched anywhere in North America.

“The big European marathons are a different experience to racing the US, there are so many people. Even our biggest race, the American Birke, is not even close to the size of many of these races. Although when it comes down to it, racing is racing, regardless of where you are,” Leach said, explaining that as a junior coach with the Mount Bachelor Sports Education Foundation in Bend, she doesn’t have the opportunity to do many races for herself in the meat of the season.

“The Engadin and the Norwegian Birke were the only races that I was planning on doing this year, I did get to race at Crescent Lake a few months ago and I may be able to race the Great Nordeen but these European races were really the focal point of my winter,” Leach explained.

For Max, 36, now a veteran of the European marathon circuit, the European marathons have become the main focus of the season. But equally the overall experience is easily just as important as the race aspect.

“I’ve done about half a dozen European marathons now, and while I consider them my main focus, the races are really just a good excuse to travel around, meet interesting people and eat euro breakfasts,” Max said to FasterSkier.

Stephanie Howe won the 2011 Gatineu Loppet (Photo courtesy of XC Oregon)

For Howe, 27, the European marathon races are the reward after a long domestic season, and the European racing experience is icing on the cake.

“They are kind of a bonus at the end of the season. I didn’t have a lot of expectations since I haven’t raced in Europe before. I’m also still new to the marathon distance, but I am learning. In terms of overall season, these races were something I was looking forward to all year,” Howe said.

Return on Investment

In Downing’s opinion, ski marathons are a great return on investment for athletes who can’t do a lot of travel to follow the USSA SuperTour or Canadian Nor-Am series, but want to race a stacked field. For many of the XC Oregon racers, the marathons serve as motivation, variety and a season goal.

“For any athlete that isn’t interested in the SuperTour-format races and prefer longer events with guaranteed field strength, the American Ski Marathon Series domestically and World Loppet internationally are the way to go. Particularly for female athletes, or any athletes with limited travel time, the value of the marathon circuits is super hard to beat,” Downing said.

For XC Oregon as team, marathons are one more way get exposure and experience.

“What we (as a team) are getting out of the World Loppet starts is keeping athletes motivated and excited plus many great to good results over the years,” Downing said to FasterSkier.

Downing lists off that just this season, XC Oregon has placed four female athletes in the top ten at World Loppets: Evelyn Dong third place at the American Birkie, Kristina Strandberg’s Engadin Ski Marathon eighth, Sarah Max’s fourth at the Gatineau Loppet freestyle and Stephanie Howe’s first place in the Gatineau Loppet classic.

March 18, 2011
Greene and Howe Win The 34th U.S. Bank Pole, Pedal, and Paddle

On May 15, competitors stood at the start line of the The 34^th U.S. Bank Pole, Pedal, and Paddle in Bend, Oregon. After a cold and wet spring, the weather cooperated with 76 degrees and an overcast sky.

The race started at Mt. Bachelor, with a moderate Grand Slalom alpine run, followed by a five mile cross country skate race, a 23 mile road ride down into the town of Bend, OR, a 5 mile trail run by the river, a mile and a half paddle, and finished with a half mile sprint.

The MBSEF fundraiser event brought in 985 entries with 3,005 racers competing as teams, pairs and individuals. According to Race Director, Molly Kelley, 50 per cent of participants come from out of town.

“It was the largest we’d ever seen,” Molly Kelley, Race Director, who, before she was involved with the race, used to leave town because it would fill with people coming in to compete and to watch.

This year’s winner, and five-time champion, was Marshall Greene. He found it to be exciting but also a relief because he worried about XC Oregon teammate, Andrew Boone. “I was racing scared,” Greene admitted.

Greene accidentally flipped his boat while getting in at the paddle transition, something that could have cost him the race. “It was time for a snap decision,” he said. “Take it back to shore to dump or race with a bit of extra weight.”

He decided to race with the extra weight and won.

His favourite part though, was the support of spectators, “Having won before, lots of people have learned my name and having them all cheer for me by name was pretty awesome.”

Boone switched up his training this past winter, from base miles on the bike to skiing and racing as an associate for XC Oregon. “I was amazed at how quickly I was able to train at a high level on the bike [after finishing the ski season].”

Boone expected to make a move in the cycling leg – his primary sport – but had flat legs after the ski and couldn’t get his heart rate up. He ended up second, three seconds behind Greene. However, it didn’t keep him from enjoying the experience. “I love the crowds and the enthusiasm the whole town of Bend has during the event. It seems like everyone in town all of a sudden has a kayak on the roof of their car.”

On the women’s side, Stephanie Howe was the overall winner of the elite women.

“My goal this year was to podium – I had no idea I was going to win. It didn’t actually hit me that I could win until I was finishing the kayak leg of the race.”

She was fourth going into the running leg, three minutes behind eventual second place, Sarah Max. “I was hammering pretty hard but it felt good. The run to the finish was awesome – I was smiling the whole time.”

Max had issues of her own, tipping her boat twice during the paddle leg. “Going around the first buoy, the wind, my exhaustion and the pressure got the best of me and I went over… I almost caught Stephanie going into the second buoy but tipped again.”

When asked whether they’ll race again next year, the competitors were of mixed feelings.

“Going into the race, I had made up my mind to not race as an individual next year because it really does consume a lot of time,” said Max, “[but] I’m not sure how I feel about being the reigning champion of the Pole, Pedal, Paddle, Swim, Paddle, Swim, Paddle.”

Boone, who raced the PPP as a kid, plans to make it an annual tradition as long as he continues to live “in this great town.”

XC Oregon's Brayton Osgood, Marshall Greene and Andrew Boone.

May 27, 2010

Swank, Vinogradova Win 2009 California Gold Rush in White-Out Conditions

Challenging conditions for Gold Rush competitors

Women's Winner Katerina Vinogradova (photo by Emma Garrard)

Donner Summit, CA—

More than a foot of snow fell on Donner Summit overnight Saturday and continued prior to the start of the annual California Gold Rush, a 46k cross country ski race held at Royal Gorge.

The weather resulted in a delayed start and slight course change.

The races started at 9:30 a.m. and instead of a two-lap 21k loop, Gold Rush competitors skied three laps of a 15.3k loop.

Silver Rush Competitors skied two laps (30.8k) and Bronze Rush skied a 9k.

The only thing more challenging than trying to skate ski through the soft, fresh snow was the visability, or lack of.

Adam Swank, 33, of Duluth, Minn. won the Gold Rush race with a time of 2:28.49.

The Minnesotan said the conditions were the toughest he’d ever seen at the race.

There were sections where it was coming down so hard, he was trying to skate through “boot-high” snow.

“It was like an expedition out there,” he said. “There were times when you couldn’t see the trail in front of you.”

Adam Swank (Fischer-Craft) finishes lap 2 and heads out on his final lap. Photo by Emma Garrard.

Swank took the early lead and broke away from the pack around 7k, along with local skier Ian Case of Truckee. The two were soon joined by Nikolai Aniken, also from Duluth, who bridged the gap within two or three kilometers after Swank’s initial break.

The three leaders worked together for the first two laps before Case dropped off heading into the final lap, leaving Aniken and Swank to battle for the win. Swank was able to put an impressive two minutes on Aniken on the long final climb up to the finish.

His best finish prior to Sunday was 2nd in 2007.

Aniken easily took second with a time of 2:30.36, while Case hung on for third with a time of 2:34.17 after skiing the entire third lap alone.

On the women’s side, Katerina Vinogradova of Auburn won with a time of 2:45.22.

Behind Vinogradova were Sarah Max of Bend, Ore., with a time of 2:51.03 and Lenka Palanova of Boulder, Colo., with a time of 2:56.00.

Swank had nothing but praise for the race organizers and groomers who dealt with the challenging conditions.

“They did a good job,” Swank said. “Free beer and chili (for racers) will keep you coming back.”

Besides the racing, Swank said he enjoys coming to the Sierras to train in the 60-degree spring weather.

“I love coming out here,” Swank said.

photo by Emma Garrard — 2nd Place Woman Sarah Max laps through the stadium. Photo by Emma Garrard

Silver and Bronze Rush

In the shorter races it was all about girl power.

Joanne Reid, 16, of Palo Alto was the first-place female (2nd overall) finisher with a time of 32:50.5 in the Bronze Rush. Behind Reid was Janelle Webb with a time of 40:18.0 and Nancy Rosenblum with a time of 40:29.7

The first place male was Truckee junior Justin Ondry, with a time of 31:58.3 followed by Alex Kopytko (38:02.8) and Bill Aaron (39:40.5).

The top two finishers in the Silver Rush were Beth Reid (Joanne’s mom) of Palo Alto with a time of 1:47.46 followed by Cathy Howard of Truckee with a time of 1:57.48. The 3rd place female was Kari Rust with a time of 2:04.09.

The men’s race was won by Adam Wright of Truckee with a time of 2:00.58 followed by Glenn Jobe with a time of 2:01:21 and Scott Fairman with a time of 2:01.30.

Results:

GOLD RUSH 46km – WOMEN

Place	Class	Name		Time	Place Overall
1	GFM1	Katerina	Vinogradova	2:45:21	10
2	GFM1	Sarah	Max	2:51:03	14
3	GFS2	Lenka	Palanova	2:56:00	22
4	GFS1	Chelsey	Holmes	3:02:29	27
5	GFM3	Julie	Young	3:07:34	31
6	GFS2	Stephanie	Howe	3:08:25	32
7	GFS2	Abbie	Harris	3:09:25	34
8	GFM4	Carol	Bennett	3:12:41	40
9	GFS1	Kara	LaPoint	3:13:41	41
10	GFM2	Dayna	Deuter	3:26:28	51
11	GFS1	Jessica	Snyder	3:27:08	52
12	GFM2	Amy	Petersen	3:32:16	56
13	GFS2	Alexandra	Jospe	3:33:07	57
14	GFM4	Laura	Stern	3:33:22	58
15	GFM4	Darlene	Young	3:50:39	65
16	GFM3	Jody	Burrill	4:07:48	70
17	GFM4	Susan	Hida	4:48:10	73

GOLD RUSH 46km – MEN

Place	Class	Name		Time	Place Overall
1	GMM1	Adam	Swank	2:28:49	1
2	GMS2	Nikolai	Anikin	2:30:36	2
3	GMS2	Ian	Case	2:34:17	3
4	GMM5	Jon	Engen	2:38:04	4
5	GMM3	Peter	Hanson	2:39:50	5
6	GMM3	Dan	Packman	2:40:33	6
7	GMS2	Zach	Violett	2:43:55	7
8	GMM1	Tav	Streit	2:44:44	8
9	GMM5	Rick	Reynolds	2:44:57	9
10	GMM3	Barry	Makarewicz	2:47:00	11
11	GMM4	Terry	Daley	2:50:35	12
12	GMJO	Dimitri	Luethi	2:50:49	13
13	GMM2	Matt	Zak	2:51:03	15
14	GMS2	Chris	Mallory	2:51:55	16
15	GMS2	Jakub	Benes	2:52:57	17
16	GMJO	Alexander	Taylor	2:54:30	18
17	GMM5	Jeff	Schloss	2:55:06	19
18	GMM4	Michael	Dietzman	2:55:07	20
19	GMM5	David	Stover	2:55:25	21
20	GMM2	Matthew	Sanford	2:57:32	23
21	GMM3	Randy	Anderson	2:58:05	24
22	GMM5	Mark	Nadell	2:59:19	25
23	GMM3	Bill	Arnoff	2:59:58	26
24	GMS1	Nick	Sterling	3:04:56	28
25	GMM6	Russell	Reid	3:05:22	29
26	GMM2	Daniel	Buchanan	3:07:07	30
27	GMM2	Jason	Walenta	3:08:34	33
28	GMM6	Peter	Rayton	3:09:35	35
29	GMM6	James	McClatchy	3:09:35	36
30	GMM3	Willie	Stewart	3:10:09	37
31	GMM5	Joe	McDaniel	3:10:09	38
32	GMM5	Terry	Tansley	3:11:27	39
33	GMM5	Mark	Clifford	3:13:50	42
34	GMM4	Peter	Mayfield	3:15:55	43
35	GMS2	Greg	Walker	3:18:49	44
36	GMM6	Richard	Knoebel	3:20:08	45
37	GMM3	Ryan	Gini	3:23:42	46
38	GMM5	Paul	Mckenzie	3:23:45	47
39	GMM5	Bruce	Pauly	3:23:52	48
40	GMM2	John	Juba	3:24:27	49
41	GMM6	Byron	Beagles	3:25:35	50
42	GMM5	Gary	Bowlin	3:27:08	53
43	GMM3	Gunnar	Lille	3:27:47	54
44	GMM4	Ed	Klotz	3:31:57	55
45	GMM5	Bruce	Eisner	3:35:22	59
46	GMM4	Kyle	Brutschy	3:40:47	60
47	GMM5	Mark	Mench	3:47:23	61
48	GMM6	George	Hall	3:47:23	62
49	GMM6	Robert	Lopez	3:50:00	63
50	GMM7	Nick	Wynn	3:50:00	64
51	GMM2	Trevor	Hallstein	3:53:13	66
52	GMM5	Patrick	Joda	3:53:44	67
53	GMM6	James	Rosen	3:54:30	68
54	GMM6	Rick	Mitchell	4:04:55	69
55	GMM6	Ralph	Hendrix	4:16:43	71
56	GMM7	Chris	Courter	4:40:56	72

SILVER RUSH 30.8km

Place	Class	Gender	Name		Time	Place In Gender
1	SFM4	F	Beth	Reid	1:47:46	1
2	SFM3	F	Cathy	Howard	1:57:48	2
3	SMJO	M	Adam	Wright	2:00:58	1
4	SMM6	M	Glenn	Jobe	2:01:21	2
5	SMM3	M	Scott	Fairman	2:01:30	3
6	SFM2	F	Kari	Rust	2:04:09	3
7	SMM2	M	Ben	Grasseschi	2:05:39	4
8	SMM3	M	David	Eastwood	2:06:56	5
9	SMM5	M	Steve	Miller	2:10:35	6
10	SFM5	F	Debbie	Hakansson	2:12:15	4
11	SMM7	M	John	Cobourn	2:18:29	7
12	SFM4	F	Cheri	Kopytko	2:19:13	5
13	SMM4	M	Michael	Svalberg	2:19:45	8
14	SFM5	F	Martha	Bellisle	2:21:56	6
15	SMM7	M	Tomas	Pastalka	2:22:06	9
16	SMM8	M	Otis	Kantz	2:23:43	10
17	SFM1	F	Jamie	Noble	2:25:03	7
18	SMM7	M	Peter	Werbel	2:28:57	11
19	SMM6	M	Thomas	Altenbach	2:29:07	12
20	SFM7	F	Dagmar	Eriksson	2:35:34	8
21	SMM4	M	Stan	Tissue	2:36:59	13
22	SMJO	M	Samuel	Joda	2:39:45	14
23	SFM6	F	Maggie	Fillmore	2:39:51	9
24	SMM1	M	Benjamin	Sturm	2:42:45	15
25	SMM5	M	Mark	Huffman	2:43:30	16
26	SMM8	M	Frank	Sarnquist	2:48:21	17
27	SFM2	F	Helen	Pelster	2:48:40	10
28	SFM2	F	Valli	Murnane	2:48:40	11
29	SMM4	M	Paul	Quinlan	2:49:40	18
30	SMM1	M	Joseph	Merydith	2:49:57	19
31	SMM7	M	Norm	Ploss	2:54:52	20
32	SMM4	M	Russ	Jones	3:03:09	21
33	SFM6	F	Sandy	Hill	3:03:59	12
34	SFM4	F	Jennifer	Willmann	3:05:11	13
35	SMM7	M	Chris	Ward	3:12:12	22
36	SMJ2	M	Joe	Piercy	3:12:23	23
37	SMM7	M	Mike	Shaw	3:15:45	24
38	SFS2	F	Jaimi	Ellison	3:21:12	14
39	SMM5	M	John	Gerbino	3:21:19	25
40	SMM5	M	Allen	Takahashi	3:22:31	26
41	SMM6	M	Chris	Polk	4:38:38	27

BRONZE RUSH 9km

Place Overall	Class	Gender	Name		Time	Place In Gender
1	BMJ2	M	Justin	Ondry	31:58.3	1
2	BFJ1	F	Joanne	Reid	32:50.5	1
3	BMJ2	M	Alex	Kopytko	38:02.8	2
4	BMM6	M	Bill	Aaron	39:40.5	3
5	BFS1	F	Janelle	Webb	40:18.0	2
6	BFM4	F	Nancy	Rosenblum	40:29.7	3
7	BFJ3	F	Katrin	Larusson	41:31.6	4
8	BMM3	M	Joel	Chew	42:23.4	4
9	BFM6	F	Karen	Seaward	43:09.9	5
10	BMM6	M	Bruce	Culbertson	44:04.3	5
11	BFJ3	F	Raylene	Chew	44:19.4	6
12	BMM9	M	Jack	Wilson	45:35.9	6
13	BFM8	F	Hedda	Anya	48:19.2	7
14	BMM8	M	Bill	Goerke	48:29.8	7
15	BMM3	M	Collin	Morton	50:26.3	8
16	BMM8	M	William	Thauvette	53:01.4	9
17	BMJ4	M	Skyler	Mullings	56:54.9	10
18	BMM9	M	Jerry	Colligan	1:01:48	11
19	BFJ4	F	Kyla	Burrill	1:03:58	8
20	BMM5	M	Todd	Burrill	1:04:02	12
21	BFJ3	F	Bria	Riggs	1:07:05	9
22	BFM7	F	Renate	Ringsven	1:20:56	10
23	BFM7	F	Gloria	Ploss	1:22:58	11
24	BFM7	F	Marlene	Mirassou	1:25:01	12
25	BFM11	F	Bev	Biggar	1:40:59	13

March 23, 2009

The Plan: 1 hour 15-minute road ride followed by 15 minute run.

The plan: 1 hour run and soccer/paddle