A week later, Howard Gelderman can still feel the lingering effects of participating in the Canadian Birkenbeiner on Feb. 14.
The Birkenbeiner, or the ‘Berkie’ as participants affectionately call it, is a long distance cross-country ski race held in the Edmonton area every year since 1985.
“It is patterned after a Norweigian legend,” Gelderman said. “About 800 years ago a group called the Birkenbeiners saved the Norweigan monarchy by escorting the two-year old heir to the throne on a treacherous journey through the forest and mountains in the winter by ski.”
In the modern version, cross-country skiers travel 55 kilometres (just over 34 miles) from a starting point at the Ukrainian Cultural Village, about 30 minutes east of Edmonton.
“It is an amazing event, but I admit there are a lot of sore, limping people at the end of the race,” he said, adding that just over a week after the event most of the soreness and stiffness in his muscles has abated.
Gelderman, who is on sabbatical from his teaching job at Neerlandia Christian Public School, competed in the 40 to 49 year-old without a pack division.
He said true Birkie competitors ski with a minimum 5.5 kg (12 pounds) pack on their backs. Depending on how challenging athletes want to make the race, they can add as much weight as they want.
“I may be crazy, but I am not that crazy,” he said. “Skiing 55 kilometres is challenge enough.”
Actually, Gelderman said the race isn’t as crazy as it sounds, comparing it to a marathon for a runner.
“Because you are using your entire body and not just your legs, you get a chance to rest, or at least give a group of muscles a chance to recoup,” he said, adding that in running if your legs give out, the race is finished. “In cross-country skiing, depending on the terrain, there are times when you are gliding and your abdominals and arms are doing most of the work and your legs are just along for the ride.”
The Blackfoot Provincial Recreational Area part of the course is good example.
“The terrain is kind of rolling with a lot of small hills,” he said, adding that depending on whether a skier is going up or downhill they work a different muscle group. And the scenery is just breathtaking.”
This year was a bit different from other Gelderman competed in as competitors didn’t have as many opportunities to rest their muscles due to an unexpected snowfall the night before the race.
Competitors in the Birkenbeiner race must ski using a classical stride technique because the skiers are skiing in a prepared track.
With this technique, each ski is pushed forward from the other stationary ski in a striding and gliding motion, alternating foot to foot. “Usually a small amount of snow in the track doesn’t make a big difference, but instead of the centimeter or two that was forecast, there was 15 cm of snow,” he said, adding that even though crews did their best to clear the track, the fresh snow made it more difficult.
“The fresh snow created more friction. The more friction, the harder you have to work,” Gelderman said, adding that between the skiers and the wind, fresh snow kept falling into the tracks.
To help compensate for the added friction of the snow, he said many of the skiers experimented with the type of wax they apply to their skis.
“Wax for cross-country skis is different than downhill.” he said. “For downhill you want to wax your ski with something that will help you glide, but in cross country you want something that will help you glide and grip.”
Gelderman said for the ends of the skis, competitors want a wax that will help the ski glide over the snow, but in the middle of the ski, near the binding, there is an area called the kick zone and cross-country skiers want to use a wax that helps grip the snow to help them propel forward.
As for how Gelderman did in the race, he said he was happy with his performance for the most part finishing in sixth place, out of about 25 skiers in his category.
“I made a few mistakes,” he said. “The biggest one being that I did not place myself in the right place to start the race.
In the Birkenbeiner, all the skiers start at the same time regardless of what category or race they are registered in.
“You try to position yourself in a group with other skiers in the same skill level as you are,” he said. “Because I got there a little bit later than I wanted to I started a bit further back than I wanted and I had to pass a number of skiers before I found a place where I was comfortable.”
In the end, Gelderman finished with a time of three hours and 47 minutes, about an hour off the pace of the top finishers. He said there were a number of athletes that were either part of or train with the Canadian cross-country ski team in Canmore, Alta.
“I think four of the five top times were people who skied with the national team,” he said, adding that the best time was two hours and 42 minutes.
Although Gelderman said the cross-country ski season will soon be coming to an end, there is still time for people who are interested in taking up the sport to get some time in this year.
“There is a lot of good skiing to be had at Misty Ridge and the golf course,” he said, adding that he hopes to set the groundwork this season for a cross-country skiing club.
“I think the interest is definitely there,” he said. “I see more and more skiers out there all the time taking advantage of the trails and the beautiful scenery in the area.”
For more information about cross-country skiing or if you are interested in starting a cross-country ski club contact Gelderman at 780-674-6938 or by email at [email protected].
