Mora

Mora Vasaloppet
So this last Sunday was the Mora Vasaloppet in Mora, MN. I opted to do the 35k race which would be my longest yet and is technically or at least in my opinion more than a half marathon. Really I think that is like a 2/3 marathon race.

Normally I don't get that nervous when it comes to ski racing but on Saturday night I was quite nervous. I don't know if it is because the start of the 1/2 Noque was frightening or if it was because I was starting to doubt my ability to ski 35k.

Saturday night we put the final coat of wax on the skis . . . Jet Stream. Yes, we did wax in the hotel room but we weren't hot waxing so it wasn't like we were making a mess.

As you can see from the container of Toko's Jet Stream this is crazy expensive wax. It was $100 for that small container. There is tons of discussion about whether it is "worth it" or not. Suffice it to say that I like to have really fast skis so I fall on the side of the argument that says that there is a benefit to such a product. However, I also think that plenty of people can kick my butt with the cheap wax. Technique is what really matters in the end.


Besides waxing there are plenty of other important ski race rituals for the night before. Here you can see I am pinning my Gu onto my race bib. That can speed you up through the aid stations. I know, I know . . . I'm not that fast and I like to enjoy the aid stations. However, it is hard bumbling around in your jersey pocket with gloves on to get at the Gu so I staple like all the real racers.

I also spent an inordinate amount of time trying to decide what to wear. The temp was supposed to be about 10 degrees at the start but warming up to about 20. However, there could be a wind factor in the parts of the race out in the open but the sun could also come out. I don't like to be too cold but neither do I want to be completely over dressed. I finally settled on slightly warmer clothing than I normally wear but I didn't want to freeze out in the wind.

So the race . . . The 58k and 35k freestyle races start in one mass start. You are supposed to line up on the left for the 35k and the right for the 58k by predicted finish time. I know that people usually line up without regard for their actual finish but I decided to be truthful. I lined up in the less than 3 hour finish time and right behind the 2.5 hour finish time people. I figured unless I cracked at the end I should be able to make under 3 hours.

The start was awesome. It is in this huge wide open field and there is tons of room. You can also see all the leaders stretched out in front of you making the big wide turn through the field. It's really quite cool. Luckily I can double pole pretty well so I was cruising along pretty well in the start. I actually double poled a little longer than the people around me but I was having no trouble staying with them and even catching up to them. That is the beauty of fast skis.

As things got going I started passing some people as my skis were seemingly faster and I was catching up to people like crazy. I was actually feeling really good and confident at this point. At the about 5k point is the first "soup station" and I stopped and just had a drink of water. I didn't really feel like I needed anything after only 5k but I had decided to take on something at every aid station to ensure that I could make the full distance without too much suffering.

Once you get in the woods the trail narrows up a bit but it is fairly flat with a few inclines and once in a while a short little hill. I was passing people like crazy. I'm not good at passing people and in skiing I don't have a reason to very often. However, clearly most people had just lined up as far forward as possible with no regard to the finishing time markers. At every incline people would stop doing the V1 and do the "double stick" ski or whatever you call it. You know, when people are skiing upright and using one pole on each step.

I actually don't know how to do that move so I was V1ing up the inclines/hills and I actually skied into someone as he decelerated so fast. Luckily I fell down and not him as I would have felt bad. It was really weird to be skiing faster than the people around me. Luckily I fell in behind a woman who was also passing and I just followed her. Once in a while I would pass her on a hill but mostly I just sat behind her following her lead.

Before I could even believe it we had skied 10k and I was wondering if I had gone out too hard. I felt good but I couldn't believe I could pass so much and not be over doing it as I'm usually in the very back of the pack.

Just before 15k was another aid station where I stopped and took some energy drink, water and Gu. Good think as right around the corner from that aid station was the big hill of the race. It was long but not unlike hills I've skied in other events. At the base of the climb I realized that not a single person on the climb was doing the V1. It was kind of a weird site. As I started V1ing up the hill a guy told me that I was skiing great.

That was an inspiration so I attacked the hill as I could see a group of about 5 women up ahead who I had passed before the aid station but who had not stopped as long as me so were in front of me again. They were about 1/2 way up the hill when I was at the bottom so I hammered up the hill and before we were even at the top I was on the back of them. That felt super sweet!

Once we crested the hill I got around them and got back behind the woman I'd been following. We continued passing people and skiing along. I was feeling good but I knew that I still had just under 20k to ski. I reminded myself that it wasn't too bad as when Dave got to 20K to go he would have already skied 38K. YIKES!

The race is pretty cool as you go on tons of private property and people are out in their backyards watching everyone go by. You also go through lots of really pretty forest areas with bridges over little creeks. It's really pretty cool.

Eventually with about 12K or so to go I realize that I need to let the woman I've been following go as I can't keep that pace up anymore. I let her go and settle into my pace. You hit some sections where you can see about 1k up the trail and it is straight and flat and you actually start to wish for a hill so you can rest up some of your muscles. I try to alternate in some left side V1 every once in a while to rest a little.

At one point I settle in behind a woman and she is doing the V1 and I'm skiing with no poles to rest my arms and I'm still going faster than her. That keeps my motivation high. On a long straight away I can see a young guy skiing in jeans and I pick up the pace a little as I really want to be ahead of the guy in jeans. After awhile I actually find myself along for a little bit and I'm still having a good time. I'm tired but I still am loving skiing.

With 7k to go the 3 leaders of the 58k race come screaming by in a tight pack. Chad Giese (the eventual winner) and two team Rossi skiers. I'm bummed not to have been faster than the 58k winners but Chad should have been in Torino for the Olympics anyway so I don't feel that bad.

At this point my legs are tired but I'm still motivated as I'm catching up to people and passing them still. Even when you are tired you can keep going if everyone else seems more tired than you. Finally I reach the Mora Nordic Center so I know that I'm super close to town.

Right before town you cross a lake and there was a strong wind blowing so I tucked in behind another skier who looked to be in the 65+ age group. That probably sounds a bit cruel but I was too tired to take a pull in the wind. I could see quite aways in front of me and I was relieved to see no yellow bibs (the color the women had) so I didn't have to turn on my "race" game and try to catch anyone. At the end of the lake is this cruel embankment you have to ski up to get into town. At the top is this cool bell tower and the bell was ringing and the embankment was lined with people cheering.

That embankment is truly cruel. I could have really used the "double stick" ski move at this point but I kind of walked up it and not too eloquently. However, I finally made it and then it was smooth sailing into the downtown. Yes, the Mora also finishes on Main Street but unlike the Birkie everyone finishes there.

I take a peak at the clock and realize that I've skied 35k in 2 hours and 37 minutes. That's my fastest yet and I feel better than I expected. The local women dressed in their Swedish dresses put a finishers medal on me and then it is off with the skis and on to some hot chocolate and cookies.

All I can say is that the Mora was an awesome race! This is my favorite race experience so far. The town of Mora really supports the event, the start wasn't stressful and nothing on the course was at all intimidating. It's kind of amazing how tiring it is to ski so much flat terrain but it does make some parts of the course really fly by.

Later when I was thinking about my next event, the Kortie, I realized that it has a ton more hills but the Kortie is only 23k. That sounded pretty good actually.




Here is Dave and I skiing at the Mora Nordic Center on Saturday . . . just a short ski to "open up the legs" after being in the car so long. The Nordic Center had a really cool chalet with a kitchenette, nice wax room and an upstairs area.














Downtown Mora is full of cool murals and artwork. Here's Dave in front of one of the many pieces.