Sports - Ski to Sea

POSTED: Saturday, May. 23, 2009

Bellingham mayor, County Councilman readying for Ski to Sea

Bellingham Mayor Dan Pike's training for his Ski to Sea running leg was slowed for about three weeks as he nursed a pulled calf muscle.

Whatcom County Councilman Seth Fleetwood saw a chiropractor for the first time in his life after suffering from back pain that was keeping him from "having a normal life" and slowed his training for the cross-country skiing leg.

But the two are past their issues and ready to go for this year's big race. And it hasn't been all aches and pains.

"I've lost 10 pounds," Pike said. "That's about a third of what I should lose, so I'll take it."

Fleetwood says he's in good health and that he always fantasizes about the next year being the one where he's in the best shape of all time.

"And it never happens," Fleetwood said, adding that he wanted to roller ski to prepare. "I tried that twice and got blisters."

The two officials are racing under the team name Toplinx One - Fleetwood took advantage of a made-up word a friend said frequently - and have enlisted friends and another government official to race with them.

Toplinx One (the name could change again, Fleetwood said) includes several of Fleetwood's friends: Paul de Jong; Glenn Biernacki, who produced local movie "Kung Fu Joe"; Pat Baker, another Fleetwood friend who is team captain; Philip Spanel, the son of former state Sen. Harriet Spanel; downhill skier Dan Hooker, whom the team just picked up; and Whatcom County Health Department environmental health supervisor Jeff Hegedus.

Fleetwood said that as a masters team, for 40-year-olds and up, he hoped they'd be competitive enough to place. But he keeps hearing of some of the perennial powerhouse teams, like Barron Heating, creating masters teams, too.

"I had previously hoped for placing, and I'm beginning to give up on that," he said. "I think we're ready to go, though, ready to have some fun."

Pike said he's, ready, too, but maybe not as much as he'd like.

"I need about three months more training time," he said. "You work with what you've got."