Last Days in the AKs

There are some sports in which I am completely content at not being good at. Golf, for instance. And Cricket. Luckily, the usual training and conditioning for skiing keeps some other options open. Nordic skiers tend to be good all-around athletes, with many doing well in sports like cycling, mountain running, and so on. Anyway, what I'm trying to say is that I've always wanted to try speed skating. I've always been amazed at the mixture of strength and efficiency that long track skaters possess. The opportunity arose on my last day in Anchorage before heading back to college to enter a speed skate/nordic ski duathlon. Armed with just a days worth of speed skating experience and some intense Youtube research of Sven Kramer, I said what the heck and rented some skates. The race started with 4 kilometers (10 laps of the Anchorage outdoor long-track oval) of skating, and then transitioned much like a pursuit ski race to 4 kilometers of skiing. As in all Anchorage athletic events, there was a wide variety of skill levels entered, from Olympic hopeful speed skaters to the hearty weekend warrior. It was cold and snowing (which was the norm in Alaska all month) and I had started to regret spandex-ing out for the race.

Myself (left) and eventual winner Adam Verrier
duking it out on the long track.

What I found on the skating portion of the race was that speed skating hurts. By the fifth lap I was aching in my quads, calves, lower back, upper back, and shoulders. It was a killer workout. I entered the transition in an exhausted daze, and lost precious time changing from my skates to my ski boots. I could’ve done the race on the Nordic clip-in skates, but I really wanted to get the full speed skate experience. 

The transition. It took every muscle in my body
to not just melt into that chair and die of exhaustion

I can hardly remember the ski portion of the race, not because it went by so fast, but because I was so tired and disoriented on my skis after so long on skates. I felt like I was skiing for the first time in my life, and almost crashed when I tried to step-turn a corner as if I was still on skates. It’s safe to say I wasn’t thinking about pacing myself at all.

Nearing the finish for 3rd place. It seems no matter the competition
I enter, there is no shortage of volunteers to help put it on. I think
that says a lot about Alaska's outdoor athletics.

Overall it was a great way to close out an amazing winter break. Alaska has definitely received the most skiable snowfall in the nation this winter, and never in my life have I seen so much snow. It’ll be hard to leave this for college, but such is the life of a student-athlete. 

Here are some other pictures of my highlight week in Alaska

Not only was Glen Alps cold when I went for a ski (-14 degrees),
but the amount of snow was crazy. Drifts were covering trees,
like this one, which is well above my head. I'm not short either.

Glen Alps. The most beautiful nordic skiing in the country

Even the commute to Kincaid is beautiful. Can you tell
I love Alaska?

No shoratge of snow