Ski to Sea is an annual race in Whatcom County comprising of seven legs and eight team members. It starts up on Mount Baker--four miles of cross-country skiing, a hike up a mountainside just to go downhill skiing, then the runner begins the descent down the snow-capped mountain towards the road biker eight miles away. The road biker then travels nearly forty miles to the town of Everson, speeding off the mountain and through the foothills. From there, the two canoeists wind down the Nooksack River (the hardest leg, in my opinion). The mountain biker has a short trip to Bellingham where the kayaker takes off in the bay. Finally, at Marine Park in Fairhaven, the race ends with a bell to ring at the finish line.
We Look Better Naked didn't place in the top ten, nor in the top one hundred or two hundred, but I'm still very proud of us. Those of us who began on the mountain (two skiiers, runner and road biker) began our day at 4 o'clock in the morning of race day, driving up snuggled close in the car. I waited hours for my leg to begin, sleeping on cement and wandering throughout the hundreds of bikers and bicyclists. Luckily, my boyfriend was there with me. Look, a Bellingham Herald photographer snapped a shot of us:
Bikers around here are intense. I placed 334 our of 462... Not that great. I could have done better; My biggest mistake was not drafting anybody else. However, the amount of fun I had... When I first started the leg, there was a big cheesy grin on my face. I was riding with the elite, the big dogs, and I was finally part of this big race that seemed to impossible only a year ago. The weather cleared up, the road dried out, and the route was perfect. So scenic and gorgeous. I'd like to give a shout out to 330 for being very thoughtful and entertaining for a good chunk of the ride. "The boys have fallen asleep!" apparently. Next year I'll know what I'm doing and will kick some butt! I can't wait. I really cannot wait.
TEAM 426:
Cross Country Skiier: Alana Thelan
Downhill Skiier: Danica Yates
Runner: Annelise Nielsen
Road Biker: Me
Canoers: Mariah Brown-Pounds & Sabrina Lorgen
Mountain Biker: Chaya Dupree
Kayaker: Mary Ann Dupree
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