Brandon Nelson

Team Kulshan Cycles

This month, read about 3-time Whatcom County Women’s Division champion in the Ski to Sea Race, Team Kulshan Cycles!

Leg 1 — XC Skier Kae Moe Q:  Having a good first leg with 440+ other athletes fighting for position is as much about attitude as it is about fitness. What’s your attitude when that cannon goes off? A:  It’s hard for me to think, let alone write about the start, because it makes my stomach do back flips.  I try to place myself in a good spot and survive.  My leg is around 30 minutes of suffering and I just try to go all out.  I’m always thinking about the people on my team and that makes me push harder.  The Kulshan team is such a cool group of Ladies, it makes suffering fun. 

Leg 2 – Downhill Skier Beth Hartsoch Q:  You carry your 35 pound baby boy Quinn like he’s a newborn. Is that part of your year-round training for the uphill-slog portion of the downhill leg? How else do you fit training in with being a Mom? A:  Hey, what are you callin’ a “slog”? Can we call it a “climb” or something more optimistic like that? My race plan does not include slogging! Quinn is fantastic weight-lifting equipment. He started small, and just kept getting bigger (and bigger), and he LOVES to be carried.  The photo is of Quinn helping me train for Ski to Sea; we sled down, and then I carry him and the sled back up… Ok, let’s be honest, that photo was taken in December and there’s no way I was thinking about Ski to Sea then (probably just trying to burn off all the pumpkin pie), but Quinn does like a good mommy-ride up just about any hill or staircase. Training that requires being separate from Quinn is harder to fit in. I’m all about workout efficiency now, the most fitness for the least time away from home. My favorite workout is bike repeats up Sehome Hill. I leave my office on campus at 5:30, do 3 or 4 repeats and I’m home before 6:30. The downhill ski leg is the perfect “mom leg” (but don’t tell the other moms, or they’ll want it) because it’s short and well suited for efficient training. And last, but not least, I have a very supportive spouse.

Leg 3 – Runner Beth Williams Q:  Beth, this is your first year with the team, so Welcome aboard! The Ski to Sea running course is one of a kind in that’s it’s such a down-hiller. Can you explain how it requires a different mental approach than a normal up-and-down or flat 10K? A:  The downhill course is definitely a different mental challenge than a normal up-and-down or flat course. Your natural instinct is to put on the brakes and slow yourself down, which of course is a total backwards approach to racing. As a distance runner I am used to pacing myself and feeling in control. In an ideal race you would run negative splits or at least an even pace, and have a kick at the end. Running 8 miles with a 2000 ft elevation drop is not what I call feeling in control. As for pacing yourself, you just have to let yourself go, because if you pay attention to your mile splits, they just won’t make any sense. They are WAY faster than you normally run.  From running the course last year (my 1st year) I learned that you want these fast splits at the top of the hill (as if you really have a choice) because the incline of the hill decreases throughout the course, and your mile splits do slow down a little.  As for a kick? The end of the course is a gradual up hill and after 7 miles downhill… I think that one explains itself.

 Leg 4 – Road Cyclist Marti Riemer-Reiss Q:  Everyone says the road bike leg all hinges on what other riders you get in with. How important is that really, and who do you want to swap drafts with? A:  Ah yes, the draft–the glorious draft! It is true, getting a good draft is going to make a huge difference in pace, effort and overall time. Last year I obsessed over this and ended up riding mostly solo until the last portion when I found a guy from back east to work with. This made an enormous difference in my morale as well as recovery. The key is to work with someone who is similar to you in pace (or slightly faster). My dream draft would be with Lise Grace of the Knotty Eight as she is one of the best out there! Can you work that out, team???

Leg 5 – Canoe stern paddler Veronica Wisniewski Q:  You’ve raced (and won) multi-day ultra marathon, flatwater, outrigger, singles, doubles… In all your experience, how does the Ski to Sea course on the Nooksack river measure up, and what would be your ideal conditions out there? A:  Ski to sea on the Nooksack is a fun run in the most lively event in which I have participated. Because there is no serious upstream component to the course, it is not super challenging from a paddling point of view. But there are enough boils, swirls and turns that the river can still throw a good curve. And, the number of paddlers keeps it interesting. On race day I look forward to lots of water, no rain, temperatures in the low to mid-sixties, and little wind so we can turn in our fastest time. Absent these conditions, we’re ready to make the best of whatever comes our way.

 Leg 5 – Canoe Bow Paddler Char Waller Q:  Your background is mostly mountain bike racing, but you’re back again this year swinging the single blade in the canoe leg. Is it safe to say you’ve found a new passion? A:  I love being on the river and have a lot of past history being a “river rat”.  Canoeing has certainly become a new passion. Water sports are so accessible in Whatcom County, that my interests have definitely shifted away from winter snow sports to water sports (surf skiing and canoeing). I also have a very awesome and accomplished canoe partner that keeps me looking ahead and getting the lint out of my ears! After ski to sea, I plan on dusting off my poor, lonely mountain bike for some great summer riding.

 Leg 6 – Mountain Biker Tela Crane Q:  You were Top Gun in the mountain bike leg last year – even after missing a turn and back-tracking. Are you and the Ski to Sea course just that well matched? If you could re-design the course to fit your dream ride, what would it look like?  A:  Don’t worry, I won’t be missing any turns this year! The Mountain Bike leg is great for me because it is like a cyclo-cross course- varied terrain and short enough that you can pretty much go as hard as possible for the whole time without worrying too much about conserving energy. That definitely makes it more exciting for me! I definitely have an advantage with my background in cyclo-cross racing because the course is a little too technical for pure roadies and a little too much road for pure mountain bikers. If I had to make it more perfect for me, I would take some of the road section out and have more of the course through fields or double track type trails. I’m pretty happy that they changed the course a little bit to avoid having to climb over the guardrail on Marine Drive, because last year I bashed my leg on it!

Leg 7 – Kayaker Heather Nelson Q:  On race day, you’ll be almost exactly three months from having given birth. What would your doctor say about racing already… and do you care?  A:  “You have worked hard to get where you are in athletics, you don’t need to lose that because you are pregnant.” Those were the words my doctor said to me at my first visit to St. Joe’s Office of Obstetrics. I took those words to heart, worked hard to stay fit and healthy while I was pregnant, and to make my racing come-back smooth. My first post-birth goal has been to make my team and my new baby boy proud at the Ski to Sea… and I am ready!!! My doctor? I think he would be at the front of the crowd cheering me in!

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