Last Sunday was the annual Ski to Sea, an ~85-mile, 7-legged multi-sport race from the Mt. Baker Ski Area to the Fairhaven district of Belllingham. The legs include:
-A ~4-mile cross-country ski
-An uphill dash followed by a downhill ski/ride
-A brutal ~8-mile run downhill from the ski area to a DOT maintenance station on Hwy 542
-A 38+ mile bike ride from the maintenance station to a canoe put-in on the Nooksack River in Everson
-A paddle down the Nooksack River from Everson to Ferndale
-A ~14 mile mt. bike from Hovander Park in Ferndale to Bellingham
-A sea kayak across Bellingham Bay to Fairhaven
The amusing video below shows the start and excerpts from approximately the first ~12 miles of the race. A ContourHD camera was mounted under my saddle, and pointed backwards to capture the action behind me.
The conditions this year were perfect. In contrast, in 2007 for example, it was 38 degrees and raining at the start of the bike leg. Last year the canoe leg was canceled due to unsafe river conditions, and the sea kayak leg was shortened due to high winds.
The finish area features a beer garden and festivities. Most of Bellingham and Whatcom County find a reason to have a post-race party.
This was my 4th year as the road cyclist with “Unsafe at Any Speed.” In past years my contribution to the team has been marred by arriving late to the start of my leg (2x), and handing off to the wrong team, which resulted in disqualification.
My best performance was a zippy 1:33. (The top finishers come in around 1:15 and the final finishers come in at about 3 hours.) This year I was gunning for a sub 1:30, which I knew would require huge motivation, and a bit of luck in forming a group of similarly motivated riders.
It wasn’t my year. Although I was briefly part of a couple of small groups, things just didn’t gel, and I ended up flying solo for most of the race. Which gave me a lot of “alone time” to reflect. Sad to say, but instead of thinking deep thoughts, the scope of my introspection was limited to cycling.
I reflected a lot about the positive effects of cycling in a group: When you are in 3rd wheel it’s something like 30% easier to pedal. But, there is also the psychological benefit of riding in close proximity with others who are enthusiastic and pumped. The energy builds and the speed of the group seems to be faster than the sum of its parts, so to speak. And for me, the mental boost from that positive energy may be an even bigger benefit than the efficient aerodynamics.
I also reflected on the concept of “perfect” conditions. Although the weather this year was ideal, I actually think I race better when conditions kinda suck. I hate riding in the rain, and stepping up to the start line in the rain generates anger, which is a useful tool in competition. Instead of anger, I felt delighted by the “perfect” conditions. Delight is a less than “perfect” state of mind when going for a personal best in a timed event.
Related: Seattle Times’ Ron Judd’s Report
