Formal Strength

A Break In da Remote Work Day

Tech Trails w/ Mansur

da First Day of Meteorological Winter

Functional Strength

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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Formal Strength

A Break In da Remote Work Day

Tech Trails w/ Mansur

da First Day of Meteorological Winter

Functional Strength

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