Wasatch Powderkeg Predictions

You know when an event has arrived when predictions, and perhaps bets, are made on who will win.  The Powderkeg is having its 10th annual anniversary this year, and it looks to be very well attended, a compliment to the race's founders (Andrew McLean ) and current promoters (Chad and Emily Brackelsberg) and to the race itself.

I visited the ultrasignup.com list of entrants and it's impressive.  There are lots of people coming.  And there are lots of fast people coming.  For fun, here are my odds:

Women

Gemma Arro Ribot 2-1.  She is a fast Catalonian woman who is on the Spanish National Team and who has medaled at the World and European Skimo Championships.  She can go up very fast.  But can she she the crust?  I think she can well enough.

Nikki Kimball 4-1.  She is an ultra runner and has been a member of the US National Snowshoe Racing team (don't laugh, after all, we're talking skimo).  She is an accomplished nordic skier and once was Ultra Runner of the Year.  But can she ski?  Fast?  We shall see.

Meredith Edwards 5-1.  This girl can run.  And she is determined.  A couple years ago, I saw her finish Nationals at Jackson, but just barely.  She looked like she might have died a few minutes prior.  But she finished.  I think I saw her rallying at Teva Games recently.

Kim Young  9-2.  Kim is just starting skimo, but she is very fit.  Earlier in the season I went skiing with her, and she throwin' down with the boys (who were in tights and skinny skis) in baggies and Havocs.  She's since conformed to the tight ethic, and with a few races under her belt will be a force to be reckoned with.

Emily Sullivan 10-1. The other night Emily asked me if I cheated in every race.  Talk about a loaded question and a false dilemma.  She has been a regular participant of the Wasatch Skimo weekly series, and she has prepared well.

Heavy Metal Men


Chad Ambrose 4-1.  He's a regular partner of mine and I know he's got the fire.  I've seen Chad bear down and he can suffer with the best of them.  He's got lots of race experience on foot and on the bike, and so I have to give him the nod over the person listed below.  In other words, he's a class A sandbagger.

Aaron Inouye 9-2.  Look for Aaron to be on the podium.  He happens to be my brother.  And he's a samurai.  He has the potential to be a part of the new guard, but he's deep in his studies right now.  Nevertheless, he will give Chad and all the other sandbaggers out there a run for their money, or brand new pair of skis as it were.

Dave Bergart 5-1.  Dave is slow to convert from the "other" discipline.  Perhaps because he's a nordic skier, he thought he had to telemark.  Now he knows much better.  With the other sandbaggers, Dave will probably be mixing it up with guys on light gear.

Men Race


Luke Nelson 2-1.  Luke is the defending champion.  He's part of the "new guard," but he's also a proven entity.  He's won the race before.  He's the current US National Skimo Champion.  He's a past member of the US National Team.  He blitzed the Wasatch 100 Ultra race this year.  He's a Sportiva ambassador.  And blah blah blah.  Yes, he's highly decorated.  He's a freakin' gazelle (do they go uphill fast?).  It's his race to lose.  NO PRESSURE.  Don't biff it!

Jason Dorais  5-2.  Jason is one of my training buddies.  I know his strengths.  And I know that he's got talent.  He's part of the new guard.  He podiumed at the National Skimo Championships and the North American Championships.  His oxygen carrying capacity makes me want to stuff cigarettes into his mouth.  He just got some new boots and shed substantial weight from his feet.  He's learning to ski faster and better, but every once in awhile likes to magnificently yard sale.  He could win the Powderkeg outright.

Bryan Wickenhauser 3-1.  Old guard.  But still very fast.  He's got mad mad skimo skillz because he's a many time US Skimo Team member.  The thing is, Bryan has lost the one spot in two recent races by a total, yes TOTAL, of 4 seconds.  He lost the Teva Games race by 2 seconds and then the recent Power of Four race by 2 seconds.  I think he just likes the drama.  He's definitely a crowd pleaser.  Kill it Wick!

John Gaston 7-2.  New guard.  I don't know this guy that well.  I met him a few weeks ago decked out in a new skinsuit and full on race gear.  I thought he might be Euro.  But when he talked, he didn't have an accent. John and his twin brother just won the Aspen Power of Four race, which is a huge accomplishment.  I'd say he's not proven yet, but with that result, I can't.  On top of that, I know he can fly uphill.  At the Teva Games, he crushed all the skimo elite in the uphill.

Jared Inouye 4-1.  I'm probably considered old guard.  And those odds are pretty generous.  But it's my blog, right?  I won the PKeg once when all the elite guys forgot to show up.  But I'll take it.  It was an honor.  No one else from Utah has ever won the Keg.  Jason?  I'll be gunning as hard as I can on Saturday.

Chris Kroger 21-5.  THE Old Guard.  I hesitate to place myself above Krog, however incrementally small the odds are.  Krog won the 1st Powder Keg, in which I was a participant.  This was when there used to be a shack at the base of Milly.  I was blown away by the time Krog threw down.  Krog was a god in my book. Krog has been a member of the National Skimo Team more than anyone else.  And once, ha, get this, at the PKeg, he CRASHED 50 meters from the finish and gave up the one spot to Ethan Passant.  Sorry if that brings back bad memories.  Talk about drama.  Krog is a fellow La Sportiva ambassador and I think he is just coming into form. Don't count him out.

Andrew Dorais 22-5.  New Guard and a training buddy.  He calls himself a Sherpa, but he's really not.  Andy and I have a friendly rivalry going.  I have to bank my gloating currency during the winter because he's a fine runner and beats me up in the summer.  And as the new guard, he'll only get better. Andy is a tough dude.  I know that because he accompanied me on two of the hardest things I've done: the WURLOS and the Grand Teton Speed record.  He could ride his infectious enthusiasm all the way to the line, if he doesn't forget his poles at the top of the mountain.

Jon Brown 9-2.  Old guard.  JB is from CB and he is a sinewy endurance freak who was an adventure racer in a previous life.  He and I are partnering up for the Elk Mountain Grand Traverse at the end of March and so I wish him well in the Wasatch.  JB belongs to the elite Team CB Mafia.  One day I will break their secret training code and learn how they go so fast while they are so high.  JB would be higher on the list if his DH skillz were just a bit, ahem, more refined.  Look for him to crush the first climb.

BRAIN aka Brian Harder 5-1.  Old Guard.  Yoda is to Luke as to what Brian is to me.  Sadly, he is moving to Alaska.  Brian, if I haven't told you, there is no grass in Alaska.  It can't be greener over there.  Move to the Wasatch.  Be with your herd!  Brian and I have had some good runs together and I know he is capable of putting up a fight and coming up with results.  Plus, he hasn't been working for the last few weeks and last week, he put in a world cup class training week.  Fire up that diesel engine!

Michael Hagen 21-4.  Hagen is the importer and purveyor of Hagan skis.  Hagan skis have bumped up their game and have a great product this year.  Word is that Hagen used to be on the special forces.  I believe it because I know how tough he can be.

Teague Holmes 11-2.  Adopted by Team Wasatch, Teague knows fast.  Teague knows snow.  He won one of the skimo weekly series.  He's lightened up significantly.  He's a nice guy.  He's podiumed at the Elk Mountain Grand Traverse.  He can get it done.

Tom Goth 6-1.  Tom is an Ironman, multiple times over.  This year, he has embraced the way of the skimo and has a lot to show for it.  He's got a top ten result or two and shows lots of promise.  He's a Wasatch Skimo member and the future is bright for him.  New guard.

Courtney Phillips 7-1.  Courtney knows how to suffer.  He has not one, but two pair of full on race skis.  He's hooked.  He will not go away.

Andrew McLean 10-1.  In any bad assery discussion, which this has turned out to be, Andrew must be mentioned.  Andrew deserves mention not only for the bad assery distinction, but because he is the person who had the vision to start the Powder Keg 10 years ago.  Cheers!  Kanpai!  Salud!  Andrew was rando racing before it was ever invented.  Legend has it that he an the old timers used to race from Alta over the hill to Cardiff mine and back.  Is this true?  He is signed up this year.  If you see him, bow down and worship.

Watch out for other Wasatch Skimo members who know speed.  Adam O Keefe.  Tim White.  Layne Caldwell.  Jim Knight.  Trent Duncan. Eric Bunce. Tom Diegel.  Chis Peters. Luther Birdzell.

Ok, who'd I miss?

Have fun out there!

Skimo Tips

Don't forget to sign up for the 10th Wasatch Powder Keg.

To speed up, here are a few things I will try to remember:

1. Alter your cadence.  Move your feet fast when it is flatter.  On the steep part, sometimes it helps to alternate big steps and faster steps.

2. If you move your hands faster, your feet and cadence will move/be faster.

3. Push through with your poles.  Keep forward momentum.

4. Don't step on your own skins -- snow will contaminate and cause eventual failure.  Get a clean rip.  Failed skins are to skimo what  flat tires are to bike racing.

5. Don't clomp.  Slide your feet, don't lift them.

6. Step SLOWLY into bindings, and get a clean grab the first time round.

7. Use alternate poling when the snow gets soft, manky, breakable.

8. On the descents, don't turn (ok, scratch that).

9. Go all out, but don't blow up.

10. If things start to suck and you start to hate racing, wipe the spit off your face, open your eyes and look around.  It's a beautiful day.

Clown day?

Heading into work. Forgot my dress shoes. Which do you think works best with slacks and a dress shirt?

A. Man Uggs
B. Hokas
C. . . . Never mind.

Wasatch Citizen Series Final Race -- Win Sportiva GTR Skis!

CORRECTION:  The ski drawing will be for not-yet available GTR skis, a new ski in Sportiva's 2012-13 lineup!!

The 9th and final Wasatch Citizens Skimo Race will be held on Thursday, March 1, 2012 at 7:00 pm at Brighton, Utah.

We will conclude the inaugural series by giving away a pair of Sportiva GTS skis.

Here are the rules:

1. To be eligible for the drawing, you must have participated in at least one WCS Race.

2. To enter the drawing, you must fill out the form below, or at http://citizenseries.wasatchpowderkeg.com/

3. Procedure for drawing: (a) based on form  submissions (paragraph 2), a list of all entries will be compiled; (b) each entrant will get 1 entry for each race in which he or she has been a participant; (C) a randomly numbered list of all entries will be compiled; (D) each entry will be assigned a number between 1 and the total number of entries; (E) a randomly selected person at Molly Greens will select a number between 1 and the total number of entries; (F) the selected number wins the GTS skis!

4. You must be present to win.

Thanks and Good Luck!

And the winner is . . .

Hagan w/ Trab Binding. 881 grams, but has a metal mounting plate. Just mounted for a friend and nearly ate my bit up going through the plate.

Trab WC w/ Trab Binding. 874 grams, longer than the others and the stiffest.

RSR w/ RSR Binding. 850 grams, wider shovel than Trab.

They're ALL Good!

Teva Winter Mountain Games: Ultimate Mountain Challenge

Last week I ventured to Vail, Colorado to participate in the Teva Winter Mountain Games.  I was somewhat hesitant about going since work and family and life in general had had me pinned down in the days leading up to the games.  But things generally worked out and I went.  I signed up for the Ultimate Mountain Challenge, which included a 10k nordic race, a skimo race, and a vertical hillclimb.

Nordic Race with Olympians and on an Olympian's Skis
It bordered on being humiliating.  But I was honored and happy to be there.

A couple weeks prior to the race, I got a pair of skis from Billy Demong and a short lesson.  I also got a lesson from Morgan Smyth, a champion in her own right.  I'm glad I did.  Billy taught me how to pole and ski  more effectively.  (Sidenote:  while maching down Millcreek canyon, he dropped to his back, slid under a fallen tree, and popped right back up again, avoiding a shattered knee by about 1 inch!).  Morgan taught me some nordy moves too, and warned me not get to caught up in the start because inevitably some guy always crashes.

I was that guy.  At the start, I double poled as hard as I could, then in transitioning to skate, got my skis caught on something (either myself or someone else) and did a front-first slide.  I hopped back up, and eventually finished about 7 minutes behind the winner.

Teva Games Nordic Start and my mentor Morgan with red cap 

 Ski Mountaineering Race

The Skimo race was advertised as being 6500 feet.  The day before, we learned that it was a bit longer than originally projected -- over 8000 feet and 20 ish miles or so with a projected winning time of 4 hrs 30 minutes.  The course took us on a grand tour around the perimeter of both the front and back side of Vail Mountain.  Vail is really big!

Endurance guru Mike Kloser on his way to finishing a great race.

The course started out steep and had a few climbs in it (like 8000 feet worth), but the distinguishing characteristic of the course was its long low angle and flat sections, like miles of them.  The race spread out pretty quickly and for the most part, I was left to myself and to my own rhythm.  When I got frustrated, I looked around and reminded myself of where I was and tried to enjoy cruising the Vail ridges.

Towards the end of the race, I ran out of fluids.  The race ended with a booter up a muddy grassy slope.  As I started up the final booter, both of my legs cramped really hard.  Trying to keep them straight and to take the weight off them, I bent forward, and leaned my head into the sidehill.  Sari Anderson, having a really great race, passed by and gave me some water to get me to the end of the race.  After the race, someone chided me about getting, "Mom'ed"  -- Sari has two kids.  But that really doesn't mean much given that Sari is one tough mutha.

Dr. Dorais's DNF


Andy had a rough race.  His drive is admirable, but even super humans have bad days, especially if they travel to the race the night before with wife and child, only sleep 4 hours before the race, and aren't quite recovered from the flu.  Andy was forced to drop out a little past the mid way point.  But he was there to greet the finishers.

The Vertical Race

My housemates Chris Peters and Morgan convinced me to go easy on this race -- actually, they told me not to do the race, and I compromised by going easy.  I've had a hacking chest cough since January, and the intense high altitude racing wasn't making it any better.  But I really wanted to complete the Ultimate Mountain Challenge.  There was lots of money for the winners, but I was well out of that.  I didn't want to miss out.

So did the vertical race and was able to both observe and "race."  I was curious to observe because there was quite a bit of agonizing debate over what mode of transportation was faster -- skis or run?  The leaders of the UMC all chose to run.  Greg Ruckman, however, chose to ski.  The overall race was won by Josiah Middaugh, a runner.  But he didn't do the UMC.  Of the people doing the UMC, Greg Ruckman won, finishing about 1:56 behind Middaugh.  He was on skis.  And then came Brian Smith, Marshall Thompson, Mike Kloser and Luke Nelson.  These four ran.

So which was faster?  Hard to say.  Had the fast UMC'ers been rested, they might have given Middaugh a run for his money.  Ruckman said it best when I asked him why he chose skis.  He said that "they are best for me."  In other words, for him, running would have been slower.  Skiing probably would have been slower for other guys.  On balance, though, I'd say that running was faster on that course (groomed ).

Good Company


In the end, I finished 8th in the UMC.  I didn't win any money at this event, but that's not why I went.  As I drove home, I asked myself why I race.  Why I take time away from family, spend money not win money, suffer through a hacking cough, etc.  I think there are a lot of reasons, but one reason is the people that I get to race with.  We are all difference, but all have some things in common.  I go to races because I get to be with people who inspire me and some of whom are my heros.  I go to races because I get to see art in motion.  At a race, many of the things that matter in our weird world don't matter anymore.  Reality is stripped bare.  No one can hide behind things that don't matter.  All that matters is how hard you have worked and how hard you are willing to work.  Being exposed to the primal desire to overcome is re-creation at its core.

Luke Nelson, me, Sari Anderson, Janelle Smiley, Chris Kroger

ISMF European Championships

Gemma Arro (living in Park City and adopted by Team Wasatch) and Mireia Miro take 2nd place in the teams competition.






Manfred Reichegger and Lorenzo Holzknecht (who were just racing in Crested Butte a few days ago) take first in the men's team competition.