Lake Placid Loppet, 27 January, 2001
50 kilometer x-c freestyle [2 x 25k circuit]

3,700 feet of climbing for the 50k

Reported by Steve Thorne
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The Lake Placid 50km Loppet is part of the American Ski Marathon Series, and the first of six races for the 2001 Champions Cup race schedule.

Friday evening, 26 January, Cecilia and I arrived at the Mt. Van Hoevenberg Cross Country Ski Center (Lake Placid) after about 8 hours of driving (7 hours on the return with an improved route). We registered, attended a wax clinic given by the swix/subaru factory racers (one of whom came in 2nd), then waxed and prepped our skis. A large plate of pasta and a pint of ale put us over the top and we hit the rack early in preparation for the grueling day to come.

Up at 7 a.m. to mid-teens temperature and moderate snow fall. We drove out to the start and geared up. Due to the moderately cold weather, I opted for a light vest over my skin suit and under my race bib. Never, NEVER, overdress for a x-c race ... but more on this below.

I line up with the 138 other 50-kilometer freestyle Loppet skiers. For a stampede start, this was a comfortably small number. By comparison, many of the world loppet races in Europe host 4 to 6 thousand starters. Domestically, the Boulder Mountain Tour in Idaho, in the same series as the Lake Placid Loppet, boasts 850 starters. Despite our relatively diminutive group size, when the gun went off and everyone frantically double-poled the first 200 meters to where the trail narrowed to 2 abreast (at best), 5 competitors broke poles (or had them broken for them) and had to return to the start for replacements or to drop out.

Essentially, I felt bad from the gun but was in a good position and toward the front of the long train. Oh, and speaking of the course, it's a 2 x 25 k = 50k parcour designed for the 1980 Winter Olympic competition. According to race officials, it's by far the most challenging of the American ski marathon series and is one of the most difficult 50km courses on the international circuit. The total vertical climb is just under 3,700 feet for the 50 km and the majority of the elevation gain occurs between kilometers 2/14 and 27/39 of each lap. You cyclists can guess at the grade of some of these climbs. Frankly, it's a brutal, if also technically beautiful, circuit.

By k10, my core temperature could have provided enough steam energy to solve California's electricity shortage. I was distraught, especially since overdressing marks an avoidable judgement error. To paraphrase cyclist comrade Dangyr Mike, first some over-heating occurred, then some dropping occurred. I am reminded of x-c racing in college, which we termed getting out on the ³misery sticks².

As I melted into a molten blob, folks slipped by, but then at k14 we finally crested the top of the last major hill and were back to momentum climbs and more moderate sprint-ups. I was still too warm but the high-speed technical descents (plenty of carnage, but all avoidable) dropped my core temperature enough to feel some horsepower re-emerge and I gained a rhythm for the first time. Just shy of the 25k halfway point, however, I suddenly re-overheated despite the inelegant flapping of my now completely unzipped vest.

Back at the x-c stadium (start/finish staging area), I coasted to a stop near some spectators and asked for help getting my number off so I could undress. I felt quite poorly at this point having skied 25k at my heat-diminished red-line. I was soaking wet and my gloves were stretched and ill-fitting as they were saturated with moisture. With considerable fumbling, a pleasant woman from among the spectators helped me disentangle my elastically attached race bib. I squirmed out of my now despised vest while squeezing a gel into my mouth. It was sludgy because of the cold temps and I almost gagged. Mouth a-gumbo, I gurgled a request for her to place my vest on my tagged race bag lined up with all the others some 20 yards off. This kindly person gamely began to do my bidding and was halfway there when I realized I couldn't get my race bib back on un-aided. I skated over, apologized for my lack of organizational sequencing, and requested she re-attach my number so I could continue. So, I had not only been incompetently dressed, but was also inarticulate, disorganized, demanding, and impatient. A glance at my watch showed an astounding 4+ minutes had somehow elapsed with no forward progress made.

Finally I was moving again and gradually I felt power returning to my overcooked limbs. This was the hilly section second-time-around with it's 1850 ft of elevation gain, the majority of which would occur over the next 10k. Cool enough to motor, though, this whole section went much better than the first lap. I got with a good group and though I never felt great, the power of refrigeration helped produced a negative split.

The final few k were faux flat punctuated by achingly steep, but short, climbs. I crossed the finish line to see Cecilia, who had (after 3 weeks of lingering cold/flu) decided on the 25k, one lap option. We compared notes and agreed: tough course!

The overall outcome was humbling, but this didn't take away from the fabulousness of the event: 45 th place of 138. The top factory-team boys and ex-Olympian finishers came in at around the 2:20 mark. My time was an improvable 3:01:52.

The take-home message is easy: highly recommended! The Lake Placid Loppet is well supported, the course is exceptional and technically elegant, and the Adirondaks (my first visit) are striking. My only advice -> underdress.