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2002-2003 Racing Boyne Highlands Michigan Cup Festival Saturday & Sunday, March 1-2, 2003 - By Mike Muha
It was a head-snapping change in weather between Saturday and Sunday. Saturday's 10K classic race started out in sunny and warm conditions. Temperature at race time was around 30 or so. By the time the race ended at the top of Boyne Highlands, the air had warmed into the 40's. Tracks were perfect for the event. There was some angst about what wax to use. The happiest racers used a binder wax under a warm hard wax. Me? I ironed in a very thin layer of Toko Carbon Green Klister, followed by a couple thin layers of Toko Carbon Dark Blue hard wax (that didn't work), followed by a couple layers of Toko Carbon Dark Red (that did the trick). Only one part of the course caused me - and just about everyone else - a bit a problem: A kilometer or two into the race, we came into a big open area where the sun was just beating down on the snow. There was free moisture in the track, and my wax didn't work at all. I almost thought about stopping and rewaxing right then and there, but realized that much of the course was going to be in the trees and at a higher elevation. Good decision. After a couple hundred yards of iffy kick, the snow was cooler and the kick better. Halfway into the race, the climbing began...and kept on going. Although there were many downhills, no one really noticed them because the climbs were so long. Hey, the race ended at the top of Boyne Highlands! I must say, the trails were not steep and the tracks were great; I really enjoyed the opportunity to get into a good stride for minutes at a time! What a perfect course for working on technique! Sunday, we woke to zero temperatures and high winds. As this was a pursuit event, racers were supposed to start with the fastest finisher from Saturday going first, then every other racer starting at a time equal to how far behind they were at the end of the classic race. With the decidedly ugly wind chill, Nick Baic wisely decided to start the race as a mass start so people wouldn't be freezing their buns off waiting for their start time. The gun went off (well, Nick yelled "GO!"), and we were off for the 13K freestyle portion of the weekend. At least it felt that way until we turned and headed into the wind, up a gentle hill and across wind-blown new snow. We all discovered the definition of "slow snow." Several of us dropped out of the race: either the cold was a factor (as in "I can't feel my face") or, in my case, had nothing left after Saturday's race. I was cooked but good. I did tour the first half of the course - best I could do - climbed the long climb and went down the other side, but I decided I'd be macho another day and took a short cut to the finish line where I happily DNF. After the freestyle, the juniors had a great freestyle sprint relay in front of the lodge. Spectators braved the fridge, now sub-zero temperatures, jangling Subaru cowbells at the racers while the juniors muscled their way down, around, and up a steep hill. At the end of both days, Boyne Highlands put an a great feast. At Sunday's luncheon, the Michigan Cup team trophy was awarded, again, to the Cross Country Ski Shop and individual pins were handed out to the top racers on the circuit this season. Don't miss next year's festival - everyone had a great time. Racing on the warmest day and the coldest day of the winter on the same weekend: Who could ask for anything more! |
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