A Break In da Remote Work Day

Tech Trails w/ Mansur

da First Day of Meteorological Winter

Functional Strength

Am I A 3-Sport Athlete Now?

Ate and slept well last night.

Several members of my nordic skiing family had been encouraging me to participate in this event for a couple years now - to be able to better handle the Birkie Fever that follows two weeks down the road. Groomers, as usual, did a fantastic job of preparing the trails and Mother Nature blessed us with a cold but sunny day with mostly blue skies for the duration of the race.

I started easy - in the middle/end of the pack. I kept a steady rhythm, maintained a terrain-appropriate technique and focused on mostly admiring the majestic trails and the surroundings. I took my time, within reason, at aid stations and consumed plenty of beverages to keep up with hydration as well as start the recovery process for tomorrow. I got to follow the graceful women in bibs #2025 and #2053 and mimic their technique for many many kilometers. As far as I was concerned, they were my teachers and angels for the day!

With all that and almost a prime numbered bib - 1786, the finish time was 2:20:15 https://my.raceresult.com/191949/ - good for 25/69 overall, 21/51 in gender and 1/4 in AG. Grateful for health and all the help and guidance that has come my way from friends, mentors and coaches.

A complete recap of the event is available (in a few days) at

https://sgowtham.com/journal/2022-pre-birkie-and-vasaloppet-usa/

Ski: Salomon S/Race Skin 196 Medium Blue; Glide: Toko Performance SP Black applied, scraped and brushed on 2022-02-09. Toko Performance SP Blue applied on 2022-02-09, and scraped and brushed on 2022-02-10. Toko High Performance SP Blue applied on 2022-02-10, and scraped and brushed on 2022-02-11. Toko High Performance LP Blue applied and polished with a dedicated brush on 2022-02-12; Structure: Toko Blue; Grip: Swix Skin Cleaner and Toko High Performance LP Blue on 2022-02-12. Prolink binding was set to -1

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Start: 11:10, -1/-10 F, 4 mph WSW, 72% humidity, Overcast clouds; Middle: 12:20, 1/-8 F, 4 mph WSW, 77% humidity, Overcast clouds; End: 13:30, 4/-6 F, 5 mph WSW, 53% humidity, Overcast clouds; Air quality: 28, O3

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Gowtham (G)

2022 Pre-Birkie

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A Break In da Remote Work Day

Tech Trails w/ Mansur

da First Day of Meteorological Winter

Functional Strength

Am I A 3-Sport Athlete Now?

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