Birkie Fever- the American Birkebeiner Race Report
(Cont from Birkie Weekend post)... Finally, it was the big day. Though we thought through departure and traffic timelines, the parking and bussing was all a bit slower that anticipated. Upon arriving, I ran out of the car and into the line, using the bus ride to change boots, put on my hydration pack, and get myself ready to race. That was a good choice as I essentially walked off the bus and over to the gear check. I had enough time to arrive at the starting line calm and collected, but no extra time to take in the scene or get a photo of the start area. All in all, this quick transition forced me to commit to my layers and not overthink the details. I joined Wave 4 as we ran from one pen to the starting area, laying down my skis about 6 people back from the starting line. Once the gun went off, I quickly found my stride and fell into the first line of uphill skiers. As advised by many experienced Birkie skiers, it was best to line up to ski up the hills. And as expected, th
