Yesterday, the Jeffina traveled to Williams Lake, located on the outskirts of Rosendale, NY for race #1 in the NYS mountain bike series. This was our first taste of state level racing since last year and as you might expect, this race brings in many quality regional racers, as well. Both of us felt ill-prepared for our first jaunt out of the area, and came into the race with low expectations. We have raced the last two prior weekends at local events and are only beginning to build up our training. As for me, I decided to race free of ibuprofen to see how the back would hold up.
We were greeted by hot, humid, conditions and a damp, highly technical course. The course was almost identical to last year's course with the exception of an added section of single track which slightly extended the 5 mile loop. The Williams Lake race takes place at a deserted Catskill resort which still maintains some of it's original beauty. There is a dilapidated lodge with sleeping accommodations, fresh water lake with floating lily pads, and private homes, but the property is without a owner. Each year, the premise reveals more and more cracks and deterioration. Nonetheless, it is still possible to see the original beauty which brought people there years ago. The trails are in mint conditions, well maintained, and similar to other riding in the area, very rocky and technical. This course is well known for a cave which racers must travel through about half-way through the course. As you enter, it is pitch black, and you are guided only by a set of small, but brightly shining LED lights which line the route. This is a relatively small section of course, but if you are unaware of what lies ahead, undoubtedly, you enter the cave and express the same sentiment as the woman in front of me yelled, "I can't see....I can't see a damn thing...." Any time the course would loop near or around a cave, there was a welcomed cool surge of air which was amazingly refreshing on this hot, humid day.
The category 1 women were scheduled to race three laps and the singlespeed racers were scheduled for four. I watched Jeff take off with the singlespeeders. His category had quite a few heavy hitters and I could tell that before the race, Jeff's nerves were taking a toll on him. Typically, when we warm up, we stay relatively close to one another. We chat and make small talk and make sure that the other has everything they need. As I watched Jeff take off, I hoped for a good race.
On the start line for the women, we were making small talk and through this conversation, I learned that there was only one woman in the younger age category and the remaining 10 of us were in the older age group. Some were familiar faces; some were not. Prior to our start, my name was announced, as well as Shasta's (who won this category for the series last year) and then we were off. Shasta had a good start and led us into the first main climb. At this point, we were single-file and throughout the first lap, we stayed relatively close together. There were many bobbles and polite apologies to one another, and it wouldn't be until the 2nd lap were there was room to maneuver. At this point, I was back in 5th place, but continued to ride steadily. I moved into 4th place towards the end of the 2nd lap and eventually would move into 3rd place. My endurance at this time of year is solid, but I am missing high end fitness. I continued to ride the best I could and would finish in this spot -- 3rd overall and 3rd in my age group. I was very satisfied with my result in the NYS series. In reference to racing in a series, my good friend, Christina, says, "You need to focus on winning the war and not the battles...." There are four more races in the series and I will hopefully improve over in the next few months and continue rehabbing my back.
(Photo source: Christina Chambers, my good friend and excellent photographer!)
At the start of my final lap, I saw Jeff at our feed station and he was prepared to give me a hand-up. I asked him if he was alright and he indicated that he bent his rim and for this reason, his tire would not seal onto his rim and hold air. He was riding in 3rd place at that point and had repeatedly stop to fill his tire with more air, but found his efforts futile. He was forced to drop out. A DNF never sits well for Jeff due to his competitive spirit,but he was out of options.
After I finished, I rode back to the car and immediately told Jeff that I spotted a snapping turtle on the course about 300 yards from the finish. At first, I thought he was just another rock and as I approached the "rock," I noticed that it was moving! He was a huge, prehistoric looking creature. As I was concluding my story to Jeff, this same snapping turtle had made his way up into the parking lot and continued on his journey. Jeff was able to capture a few images of him. We love critters and this was the highlight of our day!
Unlike last year, the event organizers had awards done in a timely manner. The top 3 in each age group were recognized and given pints of ice cream made by a local vendor. Due to our long drive home, I gave Shasta my ice cream and asked for her to share it with her children.
I'd also like to recognize the efforts of some of our close friends: Paul S. got 3rd in his age group and Christina got 4th. Good job to all of you!
As we drove home towards the setting sun, Jeff's diesel wagon hummed along rt. 17 towards Binghamton. We munched on sandwiches and drank lemonade while listening to a great jazz station.
Together, we are Jeffina. Crankin' out the miles, crankin' out the love for Crankskins.com.
