I was just hoping I was recovered from the White Pine Stampede 50km marathon. I was having coughing attacks as I finished that race. Before I could change my clothes, I was face-over a toilet with the dry heaves. I knew I'd been feeling a bit off, but I'd never experienced such post-race dramatics before.

I took it easy the week leading up to the Vasa, just a short run and a short ski. As the weekend rolled up, I decide to keep the stress levels down by skipping the Vasa. Instead, I went for a short ski behind the Cross Country Ski Shop in Grayling on Saturday as a warmup for the Gran Travers.

The start

The weather was supposed to be a chilly zero at start time. As I drove to the race, the weatherman was reporting zero or colder temperatures for the entire region - except Traverse City. Our race site was already at 10F!

The course and conditions were great - firm tracks and no wind. Barely out of the start, two skiers tangled just in front and to the right of me, but I was able to avoid the mishap. The elite group - including teammate and eventual winner Hugh Pritchard - was out of site pretty shortly.

After the first couple kilometers, there was a small group of us, consisting of Jamie Green, Mike Seaman, Don Camp, Ken Dawson, Bruce Barton, Jeff Laprad, and myself. I was climbing pretty well - when I relaxed, I was getting good glide on the uphills, pretty easily staying with the group. At times, I had to hold back to keep from running up on the others. In the twists and curves, we'd all skate-step from the outside track to the inside. I yelled at Don a couple times because it appeared to me he was occasionally V1'ing between tracks.

Putting the hammer down

I followed Ken and Bruce down a couple small downhills and noticed I was gaining on them, not so much because I had faster skis, but because I was in a lower tuck and more aggressive. When it came time for the first serious downhill, I kicked past everyone, jumped behind Don (who was leading at the time) and went for it. On the following uphills, I passed Don and pulled ahead, putting a gap between me and everyone else. As we went over a particularly steep up, Don caught me. Doublepoling on a slight downhill, I jumped to the center to let Don lead; I needed a rest. But it was too late for me, I'd gone too hard, and Don pulled away. I could see him in the distance for the next few kilometers, but soon he was out of site.

No one else had stayed with us, however. I was now alone. Within half a kilometer of Don pulling away, I could hear someone catching me on a long doublepole stretch. We reached an uphill, and suddenly I didn't hear them anymore. On the next flat, there he was! On the next uphill he was gone. Obviously whoever it was had fast skis or was a great doublepoler, but wasn't climbing well. I thought it was probably Ken Dawson - he said he was going to follow me in the race. Eventually however, it was Jeff Laprad who pulled around me. 

If only I had faster skis or stronger triceps

Every flat, Jeff would pull away. Every uphill I would come back. We were out to get each other! With three or four kilometers to go, I was finally able to get by him again on an uphill, and I charged ahead. I doublepoled like mad,  pushed the downhills, and I thought I had quite a lead as we made a sharp left up onto the Headwaters Trail. Alas, it was not the case. Jeff came around me and I couldn't respond. My only hope was that he would gap too much so I be able to catch him on the uphills to the finish.

But his skis were too fast, the gap too big. He finished well ahead of me in 10th place, to my 11th. We both skied much better and faster with each other's competition. It was tooth and nail all the way - we were both elated at our performance! (Jeff, by the way, was using Swix CH4. I was on Toko High Fluoro Blue mixed with X-Cold Powder. Who says expensive waxes are faster...)

And where was the Backyard Boy Wonder?

I had thought Jeff Potter would show up for this race - we had a very close Gran Travers last year. I guess after his crushing defeat at my hands at the National Masters Championships (see my story and his story), he was a little afraid of what might happen. Either that or he's secretly training for a head-to-head at the Black Mountain 30km Classic in a few weeks...