Who's got Birkie Fever!

It's that time of year again where thousands of people flock to northern Wisconsin to voluntarily ski 30+ miles in sub-zero temperatures. Sounds fun right? This will be my 6th pilgrimage to the snowy north to ski the American Birkebeiner.

Barkie-Birkie: One of the many events that occur during Birkie weekend (skijoring)

It's a lot to take on: the physical challenge of skiing for such a long distance, the mental challenge of staying positive while skiing for so long, and being able to adapt to a great many things such as varying weather conditions, how ones stomach reacts to certain foods, how well the wax holds, etc. Not to mention the discipline that it takes to prepare for such an event. My first Birkie I was not in great physical shape and it was a rough time out on the course. But despite the challenges involved, the Birkie has been an important rock for me to hold on to. Many days when I didn't want to leave the house, I left. And I loved it. Even in the bitter colds of Minnesota or the burning sun of California, the forests have become a refuge from whatever stressors are present in life. And who doesn't crack a smile while watching chickadees? Exactly.

Over the past few years, I have written bits and pieces about my Birkie experiences…

February 2013:
In six days I will ski 54 kilometers.  No worries.  I can do this, in fact I already have, 3 times to be exact.

For the past 8 months I have been meticulously aware of what I have eaten and drank… and what time I needed to awake in order to be on time for 6 am hot yoga on a Saturday morning.  And who knew that plain greek yogurt with flax seeds and blueberries would become more appetizing than ice cream?

So many emotions… Excitement that the day is finally here, nervous that I might miss the wax or wont meet my hypothetical “goal” time, and sad that the day I have looked forward to for so long will soon be over… then what?

But I will succeed.  I have treated my body like a temple, and my body will repay me with 5+ hours of superb skiing.  And if anything, I take pride in knowing that I am most likely the only one in the gym who truly knows how to use the rowing machine.

Think snow and stay cold.

-I'm aware that at times the level of control that I exercise over my life might be a tad too extreme, but during moments when life seems to be spiraling in every direction, having the Birkie as a solid rock for which I have control as to how prepared I am for it - it helps.

-In March of 2013 and 2014, I participated in a fat bike race held on the Birkebeiner trails. In 2013, which was the inaugural Fat Birkie race, I was the only female in the mountain bike category. I remember rolling up to the starting line with 2 other men. One of those moments where internal dialog is saying "Ok, this is happening. Here we go!"


March of 2013:

What the Fat Birkie means to me

A)   I signed up for the race

B)   I made it to the start with a positive attitude

C)   I crossed the finish line

D)   I walked up on stage to receive an award

The motivation and drive to go try my first bike race ever, also for the first time ever biking in the snow.  The drive to change my own bike tire, knowing that I’ve done it before, and can do it now (and the refusal to pay someone to do something that I know I can do, though it still might be a struggle).  Asking my roommate if he wanted to go biking with me with a response of… “that sounds like too much work”.  And then going out anyways. Choosing a tire air pressure and sticking with it, and not second guessing myself. I am motivated to get out, have an adventure, and never let the dust settle upon my body (or my bike).

Just a tad intimidating… Whatever, I got this.

- (And yes, if you use the rowing machine in a gym but have never received any professional advice, watch the following video: How to row! It drives me nuts to see people on the return first bend their knees, and then have to lift their hands up and over their bent knees. Wrong!)

Shreddin' some pow

For the first time since I was maybe… 15, I went downhill skiing! I remember having my learner's permit and driving back home at night after a day of downhill skiing with my father. I also remember eating an ice cream cone while doing so, hmm...

Well this time 'round, transportation was a bit more reliable. Took the Red Line bus up the mountain, picked up a lift ticket voucher from Disabled Sports, exchanged the voucher for a ticket, changed boots, and then lugged all the heavy equipment outside! I normally can carry about 2 pairs of cross-country skis and a pair of poles in one hand, but the downhill skis weigh a ton! That was probably the hardest part of the afternoon.

What a beautiful afternoon! The mountain has made plenty of snow to keep most of the runs open. We even ended up on a Black Diamond (whoops!), but there was plenty of snow on the run so making turns was easy. Piece of cake!!

Getting into photo position: You can see the Minarets, Ritter and Banner in the distance

The hardest part for me was just keeping up with the fatigue of the leg muscles. My legs were burning! It's funny to be an athlete, be proficient at cycling, hiking, cross-country skiing, but one hour on the mountain downhill skiing and my legs are shot. The benefits of cross-training, self-explained.

You can see the gondolas heading up to the top of Mammoth Mountain. Knowing that we haven't had snow in over a month and that the top is very wind blown, we stuck to the lower runs. Save those for next time!

And of course, to share my introspective thoughts on alpine vs. nordic skiing: Alpine is fun. I enjoyed cruising down various routes, picking different pathways, etc. It certainly helped to go on a weekday when the runs weren't packed with people or the lift lines long. The chance for injury though… falling off a chair lift, smashing into a rock, falling off a cliff… Thank goodness helmets are the new thing for alpine! I still perhaps prefer the simplicity of nordic skiing and the peacefulness that comes with, but I did enjoy my day on the mountain.

In lieu of the GU...

For my next culinary adventure, I am diving into making portable foods that will replace energy bars and liquid foods like GU. This past December St. Nicholas surprised me with the book, Feed Zone Portables, written by Biju Thomas and Allen Lim.

A few key items from the book that popped out for me:

1) Solid vs. Liquid food:
Athletes tend to think that they need energy sources that pass through the stomach as quickly as possible (i.e.: GU), which is a valid notion for short-duration high-intensity exercise. But for prolonged exercise (like skiing the Birkie, at least for the amount of time it takes me to complete the race), it's advantageous to maintain a constant stream of energy rather than dealing with periodic influxes of energy (Feed Zone Portables, pg. 39-40)

2) Real ingredients vs. mystery ingredients:
Cooking from scratch you can control the ingredients that you put into your body. The third ingredient in my leftover GU packets from Birkie 2014 is fructose, that which I have worked so hard to avoid since December. With the onslaught of processed foods, looking at the ingredients list is just as important as looking at the nutrition label to assess calories, carbs, fats, etc. For example, my GU also contains the preservative Sodium benzoate. Fun fact: the internet informs me that sodium benzoate is used in fireworks as a fuel in whistle mix,  a powder that emits a whistling noise when compressed into a tube and ignited.

3) The book also gets into the super-technical side of things:
-What to eat/drink when its warm/hot
-Charts that estimate of the calories needed to ride a century at different speeds (carb. deficits)
-Etc…

Alas, for my purposes (not being an elite athlete), I'll stick to the mantra of real ingredients where I can manage the amount of sweetener/sugar being used.

PB&J Rice Cake

Cinnamon Apple Rice Cake

I cooked my first ever batch of sticky rice (super easy without a rice cooker) and created the above portables!

PB&J Rice Cakes: sticky rice, water, peanut butter, fruit preserves (I just mashed up some blackberries)

Per serving: Energy 301 calories, Fat 9 g, Sodium 95 mg, Carbs 49 g, Fiber 2 g, Protein 7 g, Water content 56%

Cinnamon Apple Rice Cakes: sticky rice, water, apple, raw sugar (I used Stevia), topped with sugar (again, Stevia), cinnamon and salt.

Per serving: Energy 159 calories, Fat 0 g, Sodium 174 mg, Carbs 36 g, Fiber 1 g, Protein 3 g, Water content 68%

Yeah, this book also gives you the in depth nutritional facts about EVERY RECIPE. Which is good to know as I don't need to stock up on the fiber during the race or I'll bind up. As I was wrapping up the portables (the book even has directions on how to neatly fold them up into little packages), I did sample both and found them to be quite tasty. 

Wrapping up the portables with parchment paper

Next up: test them while out skiing on the trail.

A Culinary Adventure

Beginning this past December, I’ve embarked on a culinary adventure. From a seasoned baker who bought flour and sugar in 10 lb. bags, I now buy brown rice syrup in a 21 oz. jar. No more white stuff in the cupboard (or in my stomach!) This past summer, my roommate introduced me to Sarah Wilson and her book “I Quit Sugar”. As I was in the midst of completing my thesis, I wasn’t about to give up chocolate, cookies or Nutella, but the seed was planted. Fast-forward a few months: my season was finished, my thesis was finished, and I was back home eating gum drops by the bowl full.

So I bought my own copy of the book. I wrote out a detailed grocery list and tagged the specific recipes that I would make. I also bought her books for crock-pot and smoothie recipes. (Then I quickly binged on chocolates and gum drops before taking the leap). When the calendar rolled to December, I began the adventure armed with a pantry full of ingredients that did not include sugar.

Making homemade turkey broth - leftover carcass from Thanksgiving

Fluffy squash and chia muffins

I've learned how much added sugar is hidden in food! One glass of apple juice contains the same amount of sugar as a glass of Coke (each about 10-12 tsp. of sugar). To be clear, I haven't given up on "sugar", but instead fructose. It's the fructose that is the problem: from making us eat more, converting directly to fat, to making us sick. What I like about these recipes is that I'm not "dieting" (as in eating less to lose weight), I have just replaced sugar with fat and protein. No need to reach for the sugary foods as the fat and protein fills me up just fine. 

Cheesy Biscuits

Being fructose free is definitely a constant challenge. Pinterest is full of delicious sugar-laden recipes (I mean, who doesn't want to make and then gorge on homemade Samoa Girl Scout cookies?). Some of the ingredients can be expensive to purchase (especially while living in a mountain resort town). And it requires diligence in preparing food so that when I am in a time crunch, I don't need to resort to buying packaged food that will most definitely contain added sugar.

One-pot Apple Cider Chicken - served with cooked quinoa, zucchini and mushrooms
(whatever vegetables I had in the fridge).

Coconut fluff pancakes, topped with full fat plain greek yogurt and blueberries

So 1.5 months in, I'm feeling good, and if anything, I know that I'm eating much healthier and have better control over my cravings for sweets. If you are interested in any of Sarah Wilson's recipes, she has many posted on her website. 

Until next time!

Holidays away from Home

Looking up at the skiers on Mammoth Mountain, I am instantly reminded of ice fishing in central Wisconsin. Backstory: My first experience with ice fishing was in northern Minnesota. With two dogs, one friend, a sled full of gear, we took off on cross-country skis for a frozen lake in the Boundary Waters. Not another soul in sight. To me, that’s ice fishing. Later that winter, I traveled to a friends house in central-ish Wisconsin. Whoa... so many ice shacks and turned over buckets with seated people, all crammed onto the frozen lake only a mere toss of a beer away from each other. On the ski slopes here in Mammoth Lakes, no difference.

Ants on Mammoth Mountain

Hence why I enjoy cross-country skiing. Unless in a ski race or in the immediate area around the nordic center chalet, you aren’t skiing with any more than a handful of people around you, and at times, you can find solitude. Just the other day over a busy Christmas and New Year, I found myself peace and quiet while out skiing.

Horseshoe Lake

I enjoy the simplicity of cross-country skiing. Skis, poles, warm clothes and your muscles are all one needs to head off into the woods. Living in the Midwest encapsulates this feeling of simplicity: a ski trail at night lined with ice luminaries, standing on a dirt road away from town watching the northern lights dance across the sky, watching iron ore carriers pass through the Duluth lift bridge, or going to the store on a game day Sunday and not being able to distinguish shoppers from employees (as all are wearing Packers jerseys).

On the flipside, to celebrate the holidays in Mammoth, the Mountain hosted a “Night of Lights”, complete with live music, fireworks, and illuminated skiers skiing downhill amidst lighted snowcats. Most people watched for free and stood on the snow, but some paid either $25 or $35 for a spot on the outdoor patio or in the indoor viewing area. We were also treated to a short video on a blinding white/bright screen showing “Woolly”, the Mountain’s mascot, cruising in a convertible down in the L.A. area. The level of distractions and flashy lights present served as a reminder of the limited attention spans that many, not all, but many people have that keep them from noticing and/or enjoying the small things in life. 

Alas, it was a bittersweet Christmas. I spent time with friends, ate tasty food, went on walks with furry dogs, but it wasn’t quite the same as a simple Midwest holiday.

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