We just experienced the first snow in Anchorage, and while some are lamenting the long, dark winter ahead I was overjoyed to wake up to the glow of white snow on the ground and flakes falling from the sky.
The snow threw a wrench in my roller ski training plans for the day but I altered my workout and went snow skiing instead. I lasted a whole hour with my fish scales on the Russian Jack golf course, exposing grass with each glide and stride but I felt like a little kid, hooting and hollering while skiing up and down the hill by the chalet.
You may remember my September article when I wrote about being a homebody and the joys of sleeping in my own bed, training at home and making my coffee just the way I like it. Well, I've been soaking it in because my marathon racing season is right around the corner.
This season I will pursue the FIS World Loppet Marathon Cup, where the races can be as short as 42 kilometers and as long as 90 kilometers. Each race is the largest in its country and features a diverse field that includes both professional and recreational skiers. They draw thousands of racers, are featured on European television and are steeped in tradition.
The Marcialonga, a 70-kilometer classic race in Italy, tours through the famous Val di Fiemme Valley in the northern Trentino region of the Dolomites. Windy cobblestone streets are covered in snow, and primary transportation routes become the ski course. Fans hang out of third-story windows drinking cappuccinos and cheering "die die die," which roughly (and ironically) translates to "Go!" Whoever crosses the finish line first in the small town of Moena receives a wreath of vines around their neck.
The Norwegian Birkebeiner, a 54-kilometer classic race from Rena to Lillehammer, is capped at 17,000 participants and sells out in a matter of minutes. The race commemorates a trip made in 1206 by the Birkebeiner loyalists to save Hakon Hakonsson, the infant heir to the Norwegian throne. All participants carry a backpack weighing at least 3.5 kilograms, symbolizing the weight of the future king.
Needless to say, I'm excited for these races and the challenges they will bring. My goal is to finish the FIS World Loppet scene on the overall podium, proving consistency throughout the many countries I plan to race in.
Along with the excitement come waves of anxiety and anticipation. Pursuing ski marathons is a solo endeavor, which unfortunately means leaving the comfort and structure of the U.S. Ski Team. While on the team I had coaches who planned our meals, drove our vans and made our reservations. I had a private wax technician whose sole job was to manage my fleet of skis (all 30 pairs) and make sure they were as fast as possible come race day. My teammates were my training partners as well as my family on the road. For five months a year we were together, crammed into small European hotel rooms.
Now I am going solo. I'm trying to learn about the marathons by Google translating their web pages, watching YouTube videos and Facebook chatting with friends and European contacts I've made over the past few years.
The task is intimidating and exhilarating. I have a recurring nightmare where I'm attempting to drive from a race in Poland to my next stop in Switzerland. There's a snow storm and I'm pulled over on the side of a dangerous, two-lane highway trying to put chains on my Skoda, a small, two-door, two-wheel drive European economy car. My GPS is faulty, my phone doesn't work and I don't have anyone to call for help anyway.
But I am an eternal optimist, and while it's hard to nail down concrete plans for an endeavor thousands of miles away, I have faith everything will work out. I look forward to sharing my stories and adventures with everyone. There will be lonely moments and flat tires, but I'm certain that new friends, Italian gnocchi and good memories of racing long distances will prevail.
Holly Brooks of Anchorage is a two-time Olympian and frequent contributor to Alaska Dispatch News. Follow her at hollyskis.blogspot.com, @brooksha1 or on her "Holly Brooks -- Dare to Dream" Facebook page.