I was happily skating along on a perfect course at the Alpenglow 20K race at Tahoe Cross-Country on a fine day in February. I was surrounded by skiers with familiar faces who always beat me in "The Great Ski Race," and I was feeling good to be right in the pack.

It was glorious as I shot up the Green and Orange trails and seemed to just fly around Red. Then the reality check showed up: the Gold Trail. Very soon I was hyperventilating and my calves were shaking as I trudged up the long uphill. Feelings of glory were being surpassed by feelings of bonking.

Although it seemed like hours, I soon topped out on Gold, gulped down some cytomax, and began to have fun again on the spectacular downhill of the new Bronze Trail. Passing the midway point on this downhill, I was rejuvenated. Then my friend Andrea Johnson passed me with a big grin saying sweetly, with her German accent, "Goodbye Mr. Hauserman, see you at the finish."

I couldn't let her get away with that could I? I followed her down Silver, took a quick glimpse at the lake, and hit Silver's short, steep, killer uphill. I saw Andrea at the top of the hill disappearing around the corner, never to be seen again until the finish.

By the time I was slogging up Purple Trail I was not thinking about how fast I was going as much as about just finishing the race. Then...I was V2ing my way across the Yellow flats, tucking down the steep hill, and it was over. Yippee.

To me the thing about Nordic ski races is that the start and the first few Ks are usually thrilling and exciting. A few spots in the middle of the race are normally enjoyable; and once I get to the finish I am always tremendously relieved. After the race I get to spend a fun time recovering from the race with the great group of people that are Nordic ski racers. But as Buddhists say, suffering is the pathway to enlightenment.

Over 120 racers were in the Alpenglow 20K Race at Tahoe Cross-Country (sponsored by Alpenglow Sports in Tahoe City). The race wound through the best trails at Tahoe XC, gaining around 1000 feet of elevation over the 20 kilometers. The winner, Jakob Benes, finished in just under 50 minutes, with the most leisurely racer completing the course in three hours.

"The Alpenglow freestyle is a favorite event for a lot of local racers. It doesn't have quite the hoopla of something like the Great Ski Race, but for pure racing it has a very fun, rolling course, a nice middle distance that isn't a sprint but not a marathon either, and there are great prizes and food at the finish. It's one of my favorite competitions on the local schedule." So says Mark Nadell from the Far West Nordic Association. (Mark finished 8th.)

Local racer Julie Young concurs: "You can't beat the great atmosphere created by Kevin and Valli. I jump at any chance I have to race at Tahoe Cross Country; it's definitely the top of my list." (Julie completed her race in just a few seconds over 1 hour to finish second in her age category.)

Originally published in 2006.