Crankin' out the miles, Crankin' out the Love

We All Need Some Help Sometime

2011-09-22T07:22:00.000-07:00

Many of your know that I am a faculty member at SUNY Cortland. I am also faculty advisor to the Education Club. The Education Club is currently taking donations of school supplies for the many schools that were affected by the flooding in the Binghamton area. Because the Education Club consists of students, I know that they don't have much, so I am asking my friends to help. You can spend as little as $5 and go to Staples, Target, or Office Max and get a bag full of supplies.

This weekend, I'll be taking donations while we are racing at Elison Park and the Swandrome. Any type of school supply that you could donate would be greatly appreciated -- pencils, reams of paper, folders, tape, scissors, notebooks, etc. The teachers and children lost so much. Feel free to throw it on our car if we're not around and leave your name, so I can give you proper recognition. Look for the car with the Crankskins.com stickers!

Remember -- what you want for your own children is what you should want for all children.

Thanks friends! Now, go ride!

Give something and watch it grow

Two Cross Races at Two Apple Farms

2011-09-19T06:33:00.000-07:00

This past weekend brought us fabulous fall weather and two fabulous races at two different apple farms in central New York. At the risk of sounding repetitive (at least in the first sentence so far), we competed Saturday at the Critz Farms Kermis in Cazenovia, NY and on Sunday, at the Victor Apple Farm Cross Race in Victor, NY. On Friday, we were certain about our intentions of competing at the Critz Farms race, so I'll start with that.

An amazing fall weekend in central New York

The Critz Farms Kermis is a 'dirt race' that the Ommegang promoters describe as being ideal for either the mountain or the cross bike since the course transverses around and through apple tree fields. At times, the course is extremely bumpy and other times, it is smooth, gravel road. For me, there was no question on which bike I would ride as my cross bike was not put together yet. I was comfortable with that after competing on my mountain bike last weekend in a cross race. We like supporting local race promoters and more importantly, we like racing so close to our home.

The last time I competed on this course, Jeff was home sick and the race was still in its infancy; that is, it was the first year for the event. Now, two years later, the course was changed and the Ommegang team is well-versed in organizing races. As we pulled in, we were in awe of the apples hanging like ripe grapefruit from the trees. The farm itself is set up for family adventure complete with apple picking, tractor rides, and farm animals to entertain the children. All this was going on while we raced.

Jeff raced in the masters category and I did the open women's race. Our races were separated by a minute at the start, so all the racers were out on course at the same time. Jeff had a strong start and was riding with the lead group when half way through the race, he hit a fairly large rock and immediately flatted. He yelled, "See ya later guys...." Having no spare set of wheels, Jeff's race was done. (Often times we don't come prepared to races because we're too tired to do anything on Friday nights or Saturday mornings, so in the end, Jeff was unbothered by this.)

As for me, I had a strong start and held on to a set of skinny tires as long as I could, but eventually fell off the pace by the end of the first lap. I would stay in 3rd place and virtually ride the race alone 'til the end with the exception of catching a few stragglers from the masters race.

Afterwards, Jeff and I did a cool down ride and then, made our way over to the open field where the children were playing and the animals were roaming. This was my favorite part of the day. I love animals and I love children. I guess that's why teaching fits me so well.

With the llamas (llamas are my favorite animal!)

Driving home from the race, Jeff and I discussed the possibility of racing Sunday. We had three races to choose from: two mountain bike races and one cross race. In the end, we decided to go with the closest race to our home which would be the Victor Apple Farm Cross Race in Victor, NY. This was a new race at a new course put on the the Trailblazers Bike Shop. Unfortunately, this race had preregistration only, and as one might expect, the Jeffina reserves the right to always change his/her mind, so we rarely preregister for any race. After a few calls to EJ and to the race promoter, we were given special entry. During one of these phone calls, EJ motivated Jeff to put my new cross bike together. Jeff worked feverishly to finish the bike and by 9:30 pm, it was done. I would race this new bike on Sunday. No pre-ride, just jump on it and go. Based on the work Jeff has done on all my bikes, I trust him wholeheartedly. It's undoubtedly the lightest bike I have ever owned.

New cross bike with new Crankskins (Zoey made her way into every photo!)

We were especially grateful to the race promoter, Dave Ferritt, for allowing us to race and when we pulled up at the Victor Apple Farm, we were once again greeted by large crowds of people, an on-site 'everything apple' store, and acres and acres of apples. The race was part of a larger festival that drew bands, vendors, and many other fall-related activities. For a first time event, we were impressed. Registration went smoothly, the course was well laid out and very spectator friendly, and parking was convenient. Like the Critz Farms Kermis, this course was also around the apple orchards and in addition, also included hiking trails. Jeff and I both agreed that this was by far the most fun cross course we ever rode. It had amazing flow, some ups and downs, plenty of turns, switch backs, and a few barriers. We loved this course.

Jeff competed in the masters 35+ race and the open division. The masters race took place first and Jeff lined up in the front row (as per the discretion of the race promoter) with a relatively large field of 45. My race was immediately lining up behind the guys, so I was able to watch his start. Jeff had a strong start and then, it was my turn. A lot of local Rochester gals showed up for this race and I was a bit nervous being on a new bike (with some new shifting features), but after racing for so many years, I just rode intuitively not thinking about anything else except for the race. I had a good start and would eventually be passed by one rider who would go on to win the women's event. I had a clean race and finished in 2nd. During my last lap, Jeff and the leader from his race, lapped me. Jeff was in 2nd at this time and would hold on to the place at the finish. He had an amazing race. Afterwards, he said that he and the leader rode the first 3 laps together and the guy eventually pulled away from him. Jeff was unable to respond and just worked to hold his place. Other local riders in the masters division included Bryan B., Aaron J., and Jason D.

The top 5 from the masters race

During Jeff's second race, I was able to walk around and take photos.

Trailblazers bike shop sponsored the event

The men line up for the open race

Racers on course

Jeff rode the steepest climb that left many walking (like me!)

Jeff at finish of 2nd race

Race venue

There are local cross races every weekend in the upcoming months. For now, we are enjoying ourselves and the beautiful fall weather.

Together, we are Jeffina. Crankin' out the miles, crankin' out the love for Crankskins.com.

New Crankskins Product for Cyclocross Frames

2011-09-15T08:40:00.001-07:00

For all of our cyclocross friends, EJ of Crankskins.com has out a new product designed to specifically protect your cyclocross bike.

Check it out!

Now, go ride!

The Start of the Cross Season and the End of the Mountain Bike Season

2011-09-15T07:31:00.000-07:00

When September rolls around, it is a month of transition for us. We are wrapping up with our mountain bike season and moving towards the shorter races of cyclocross. It is timely since that the days are growing shorter and the duration which we train is also decreased, but rather than heading out on long, endurance rides and working on handling skills, we work on power, intensity, and dismounts/remounts. It is also during this month, where I make the transition back into full-time teaching, so this change in training is somewhat ideal. We don't completely put away the mountain bikes as they are far too much fun and bring us so much enjoyment. But, sometimes I do think that our muscles are confused during this transitional time.

So, what have we been up to? It's been 3 weeks since our last race at the Single Track Stampede (STS) and I personally used this time to prepare for courses and wrap up with other household responsibilities before the school year began. Since I hit my low back into a tree at the STS race, this time also was used to heal. My range of motion was severely limited and the muscle pain was quite significant. Our bodies know how to heal and sometimes, we just need to give it plenty of time. I am fully recovered and feel well again.

For Jeff, his project during this time was stripping down his old SS frame ridding it completely of parts and paint. He painted the frame and ordered a new drive train. Many of you know that Jeff put away his days of racing his SS this year and switched to a geared bike, but he still wants to have options in his training. He used parts we had laying around in the basement and now has another rig he can enjoy year round.

Jeff painting his frame

Bike is done!

As the first cross race neared, Jeff got out his cross bike and laughed because it still had mud on it from the last cross race held last year around Thanksgiving. He worked diligently to prepare it and as for me, well, let's just say that I dropped the ball and didn't order my new groupo for my new cross frame until much too late. If I chose to race at Kirkland, then it would be on my mountain bike. To race or not to race? That was the question. So, I chose to race. Jeff prepared my bike with skinnier tires and our good friend, Fizz, loaned us a carbon fork to lighten up the rig and provide greater stability.

Mother nature was not kind to us in the weeks leading up to the Kirland cross race, the first race in the NYCross series. Our region suffered full on flooding leaving many friends stranded, schools closed, businesses destroyed, or homes with severe flood damage. Likewise, it also left the course heavily saturated. The first race of the season was nothing less than difficult due to the muddy conditions.

As we drove into the race venue, we were glad to see so many friends and to catch up with the details of the summer.

Jeff and Ad

Jeff and Paul

Michelle and John

Jeff warmed up and eventually made his way to the start of the master's race. All men aged 35+ lined up together and then would be scored separately within their respective age group -- there were approximately 45 starters in Jeff's race. As per the promoter, the riders lined up according to the registration order. Jeff did 'day of' registration and started nearly dead last. I would have found this start position to be a bit daunting, but it did not deter Jeff's efforts.

Jeff had a great race. He essentially went through the field despite the muddy conditions. As each lap passed, Jeff continued to reel in riders and move closer to the front riders. He would finish 5th overall and 2nd in his age group. It was an outstanding result for the first race of the season. Jeff was sandwiched between some of our local friends -- Tim, Phil, and Greg -- and all of them, should be congratulated for their efforts.

After the race with his mom

As for me, I prepared for my race and as expected, got quite a few questions about my choice of bike to ride for the race. I felt a bit repetitive as I tried to explain that I failed to order my cross groupo in time, but at least, I was ready for the muddy conditions. The women had a strong field with many of the local heavy hitters and like Jeff, I, too, lined up at the back of the field. The start was not extraordinarily fast, but as soon as we got into the soft grass and muddy areas, chaos broke out. A few people slid out, others mishandled turns and I steadily rode. My greatest challenges were the barriers and the billy goat trail run-up which gave me trouble due to the weight of the bike.

Start of women's race

At the barriers

At the run-up

At the end, I was completed satisfied with my race and with my efforts. My final placing of 6th was not ideal, but I was grateful to have the opportunity to race.

At the end of the race

My groupo arrived yesterday (thanks EJ!) along with some new winter jackets for us. Jeff plans to have the new bike ready for me to race this weekend and I hope to continue to improve my results.

The cross season is long in this part of the country. We will continue to do the cross races in the local area through December while mixing in the remaining mountain bike races. Our goal is to mentally and physically stay positive and to complete in the Master's Worlds race in Louisville, KY later in January. Many of you might laugh and wonder why we may choose to go to Louisville, but if the choice is to race or not race, what would you choose?

Together, we are Jeffina, crankin' out the miles, crankin' out the love for Crankskins.com

Healthy People

2011-08-26T09:26:00.001-07:00

Jeff and I are honored to be profiled in "The Healthy People" portion of the Healthy Monday Campaign website out of the Learner Center for Health Promotion at Syracuse University.

I encourage readers to check out the website. A lot of great information and resources for healthy minded individuals.

Many thanks for Mrs. Skinny for this opportunity.

Together, we are Jeffina. Crankin' out the love, crankin' out the miles for Crankskins.com.

Single Track Stampede (STS) Race Report or the Rootiest Race We've Ever Done

2011-08-22T07:45:00.001-07:00

Last week's race report detailed the Bear Creek Challenge which is lovingly described as the "rockiest race we've ever done." This past weekend's race, the STS, is now in the books as the rootiest race we've ever done. While we had heard from others that this was a rooty course, we quickly found out that the roots were never-ending throughout this 7 mile loop. Luckily, it was a dry day and a dry course which made the entire course entirely ridable. There were few climbs to speak of and just wonderful flowing single track through a beautiful park complete with picnic sites, shelters, and free-growing wildflowers.

The STS took place at Sprague Brook Park which is located about 20 miles south of Buffalo right on the edge of the Allegheny Mountains. This was a new race and new venue for the Jeffina and we looked forward to racing with our teammates from this part of the state, as well as spending time with EJ. We drove to EJ's house on Friday evening and woke up early Saturday morning to head out to the race. EJ chose not to race since he was one of the sponsors and dedicated his time to promoting products. EJ's line of products now includes not only crank protection, but full bike protection for frame and forks, as well as a race promoter's package of bike numbers, banners, and soon-to-come course tape.

As we pulled up at the race venue, many other vendors were setting up. EJ and Jeff got the pop-up tent ready and I went to work preparing food and water bottles for our race. Jeff's new handy-dandy foldable, portable, mobile feed station (say that three times fast) has elevated Jeff's prototype feeder to new heights. All the water bottles are easily accessible and we can even throw in gel backs, if need be.

As we warmed-up, Jeff and I rode the first part of the course and remarked that after riding so many different types of courses this year, each race presents us with a challenge. For instance, if you only ride courses that are rocky, you become a great handler in rocky courses; if you only ride double-track, you have great speed on double-track courses. So, when courses are drastically different from week-to-week, it forces you to consistently work on handling skills that you may not otherwise.

We lined up in our respective categories with the experts up front, separated by a small gap to the sports, and then beginners. Typically, the expert category takes off a few minutes in front of the other categories, but this was not the format for the STS and this will be my only criticism of the race. Even though the categories were separated by small gaps, we all took off at the same time. This meant that approximately 100 racers were on the course at the same time and all the categories would mix together. As you might imagine, this created some havoc on the first lap. Both Jeff and I would talk later about the amount of traffic on our first laps. It was nothing less than chaotic.

Jeff was in a "train" of guys on the first lap and would have few opportunities to pass. The majority of the course was singletrack which made passing difficult and it very quickly become obvious who knew the course well and who didn't. For the locals, Sprague Brook is a mainstay in their riding. Jeff really couldn't open up any speed until down towards the end of the first lap. At this point, his teammates and brothers, Ben B. and Jason B., were a few minutes a head, so Jeff just kept the pace high as he began learning the course. At the end of three laps, Jeff finished in 6th place overall and 1st in his age group. He has been feeling better as the summer moves towards the fall and hopes to keep his fitness for cross season.

In my race, similar to Jeff's, I was in a train of riders on the first lap and not knowing the course, felt very tentative. I had a strong start, but towards the end of the first lap, found myself passed by a local woman. I watched her lines and quickly realized that she knew this course well. I pushed myself to work back up to her and through the start/finish area (which held the only extended climb), continued to push hard. I would start to open up a small gap. On the second and third laps, I continued to learn the course and enjoy flowing singletrack since I was not being pushed by the sport riders. I would go on to take the win by 3 minutes, but that is not to say that my race was without hardship. As many of your know, I've been working through low back pain for the past 18 months and have been helped tremendously by a new chiropractor and Brent Moorehouse. Both have helped to restore my full range of motion and increase strength. On my 2nd of 3 laps, I slid out on a root, which is not a big deal since I pulled out a foot to catch myself, but when I did, my hip hit a tree -- it stopped me cold. I went on to finish the race, but immediately got ice on the area. It is now Monday morning and my low back is severe enough to keep me off the bike for a few more days. Luckily, I am well-versed in low back pain and know what to do: give the body time to heal. I am hoping to be back on the bike in a few days and ready to race on Sunday in the NYS series.

After the race, the Ellicotville Brewing Company provided racers with free beer (mountain bikers love beer!) and pizza, pasta, and salad was available. I took down a few ibuprofen (no beer for me) and enjoyed the rest of the day.

Team Crankskins had a fine showing. Jason B. won the overall; his brother, Ben, took the singlespeed division win; Jeff won the 40-49 category; and, I won the expert women's race. Equal pay out was given to the men's and women's racers. Equality is good!

Awards Ceremony

We traveled home Saturday evening back to EJ's house, and found his wife and kiddos swimming in the pool. I was treated to a garden walk and learned from EJ's daughter about how to care for snails.

Jeff packed up the car and I gingerly got into the passenger's seat to head home. We would stop and get BIG burritos.

To view more images from the STS, click on the Flickr link at the top of the page.

Next up for us is the Bellearye, stop #4 in the NYS Mountain Bike Series.

Together, we are Jeffina. Crankin' out the love, crankin' out the miles for Crankskins.com

US Cup Race Report: The Many Challenges of the Bear Creek Challenge

2011-08-16T06:48:00.000-07:00

The Bear Creek Challenge is a US National Cup race, held at the Bear Creek Resort in Macungie, PA. This race has been on our radar since the early part of the summer. As a 2012 national qualifier, this race holds a high level of importance for us. While it is difficult to start planning so early for 2012, we like to have a couple of opportunities to qualify for nationals in case there are circumstances out of our control later in the year. Last year, we attended this race and I entitled our race report, "The Rockiest Race We've ever done," and true to these words, I am still in agreement with this title. As much as we love attending this event and enjoy the Pennsylvania country side, while at the same time participating in a race with a different set of competitors, this is the most challenging course on our calendar. There is nothing in our local area that compares to the terrain at Bear Creek; the rocks are never-ending. Last year, I went into this race feeling like I was on my game and left there feeling demoralized. This year was no different. Between the 2" of rain drenching the area and the rocks that scoured the course, this was a challenge of physical and emotional strength. Similar to last year, the cross-country course was about 7 miles in length and the climbing was minimal (that is, compared to Windham or Mt. Snow).

Photo of Resort

Different from last year was the triple crown format. Racers could compete in one, two, or three races: short track, super-D, and cross-country. For those completing all three, they earned special recognition at the end of the weekend. I chose to compete in the short track and cross-country races. Jeff decided to compete only in the cross-country race. Ever since we came home from our Wisconsin trip, I've had the desire to compete in another short track race. I like the high intensity of the event that's mixed with the ruggedness of the trails and am also thinking ahead to our cyclocross season.

Having a bit more experience, I knew what to expect at the start. I lined up with 5 other gals. There was one pro rider and the rest of us were either cat. 1 or 2 riders. At the start, I got mixed up with some slower riders and as the course opened up, I too opened up. I was unable to stay with the pro rider, but I did go on to lap every one else in the field. I really enjoyed this race and it was a beautiful morning for the event. The course was less than a mile in length and incorporated a little bit of single track, double-track, uphills, and downhills. Jeff rode around the course cheering for me and captured some photos and video. I would go on to win the short track race and it was a great way to start the weekend.

Short video clip

Towards the end of this 30 minute race, I was able to back it off a bit with hopes of reserving something for Sunday.

We rarely have the opportunity to compete in short track races, but I hope to compete in this event next year at Nationals.

After the short track race, we went out and pre-rode the cross-country course. The course was in good shape and we did our best to go over places in the course that were problematic. Jeff's technical skills are far better than mine and he was able to navigate through most of the terrain with little difficulty. I struggled in quite a few areas, but Jeff told me to approach the race with the mindset that "It is a challenge...use it for your technical skills....do your best."

We went back to the hotel Saturday afternoon and it was then that the rain set in for the remainder of the weekend. Anyone living in the northeast and mid-Atlantic states know how much rain we received over the weekend. Parts of Long Island received over 5", the Philadelphia area got about the same, and Macungine received between 1-3". Even as I write this blog post, it is Tuesday morning and the rain has only begun to lift from the weekend.

As the rain continued to come down Sunday morning, we received a call from our friend, Paul. He wanted a weather report and would use this information to decide whether he should make the drive down to Macungie. I told him, "If we weren't already here, we wouldn't do the race..." Yes, folks, that's how bad it was.

We drove over to the race venue and just sat in the car looking at the rain. We could see the cat. 2 and 3 riders out on course passing through the start/finish area.

We questioned our decision to race. Truthfully, Jeff and I are not foul-weather riders. During the cyclocross season, we don't mind a little mud and rain because the races are short. For a cross-country race that demands riders to be out on course for 2-3 hours, it's a different story. The conditions tear up equipment and are hard on our bodies. I'm not trying to come across as whining, but just stating that we have a preference to race in drier conditions. Here's how it looked about an hour before the race.

With about 30 minutes before the race, the rain let up some and we were able to set up Jeff's new portable, foldable, mobile feed station (photos to come!!). We did a short warm up. Jeff lined up with about 8 other guys in the 45-49 age group. He knew a few of the guys, such as Estaban, from the H2H series. I was the only woman in my 40+ age group (which was a relief in and of itself) and would start with the other younger cat. 1 female age groups. The race director cut the laps in all the races from 3 to 2 and also indicated that the race would end on the current lap if there was thunder and lightening.

Jeff had a superb race. He would end up 2nd on the day to Estaban, but noted that as the race progressed, he was making time on Estaban. He had a slow start, but was making up ground as the race progressed. Afterwards, I heard Estaban tell Jeff that he could see him coming and was just trying to keep the power on. Listening to the two guys talk, they each had minor bobbles and spills, and just tried to make forward progress.

As for me, it was a tough day at the office, but I did the job and finished the race. That's all I had to do. I was careful through the rocks and rode my own race -- it was me against the course.

Both of us met our goal and will qualify for the 2012 nationals.

Podium Photos

I'd like to also recognize the rest of Team Crankskins for their efforts at the Suicide 6 race held at the Harriet Hollister Park, south of Rochester. Ben and Jason went on to take the overall win from Tommy and Casey. EJ and Jimmy got 3rd in their age group. They, too, survived the same rainy conditions as we did, but did it over a 6-hour period.

Next up for the Jeffina (and most of Team Crankskins) is the Singletrack Stampede. This is a new race for us and we look forward to spending time with our teammates.

Together, we are Jeffina. Crankin' out the love, crankin' out the miles for Crankskins.com.

Not sure what to do with all that zucchini from your garden?

2011-08-09T10:17:00.000-07:00

Here's a great recipe for zucchini muffins:

Preheat oven to 350

Grease muffin tins (makes 16-18 muffins)

Ingredients:

3C freshly grated zucchini
1C canola oil
1C sugar (I use slightly less)
2tsp vanilla
2 beaten eggs
2tsp baking powder
3C flour (I use mainly whole wheat)
2tsp cinnamon
1/2tsp nutmeg
1C craisins

** Optional: add a scoop of protein powder

Directions:

In large bowl, mix sugar, eggs, vanilla. Mix in grated zucchini and then oil.

In smaller bowl, combine baking powder, flour, cinnamon, nutmeg. Fold into zucchini mixture.

Add in craisins at end.

Spoon into tins.

Bake for 20-25 min.

Enjoy!

A Mountain Bike Race on Our Home Course: The Highland Forest Classic

2011-08-09T07:00:00.001-07:00

As amateur racers, our cycling only enhances our lives. We have vowed not to let it stress us out since we have full-time jobs that cause us enough stress the rest of the year. For us, our riding improves our quality of life (in terms of mental, physical, and emotional health), supplies us with great friends who are practically like family, but at the same time, it is also a great avenue to be competitive in a friendly atmosphere.

The 20th annual Highland Forest Classic provided all of this and even more this year. As a side note, years ago when I first moved to central New York, this race was part of the NYS mountain bike series and I was impressed with quality of the event. I had not met Jeff yet and had just moved from my home state of West Virginia. Of course, I was partial to rugged WV courses and hard core mountain bikers. I 'grew up' in the cycling world with Gunnar Shrogren and Gerry Pflug, and anyone familiar with these mountain bikers know that Gunnar has been nominated for a spot in the US Mountain Biking Hall of Fame; Gunnar at 49 still whips up on the youngsters and then there is Gerry, who is currently leading the NUE series in the singlespeed division. Gunnar introduced me to Cadel Evans and Dave Wiens when they were riding for Diamond Back. So, for me, when I moved to NY, I had a high level of expectation for racing and like I said, this was one of the first races I did. Now, nine years later, this race still makes it on our racing calendar amidst a busy race schedule and it probably goes unsaid, this is a high quality event due to the efforts of CNY DIRT and the Bike Loft.

Race venue

Each year, Todd Enders, CNY DIRT course designer, slightly changes the course, but what stays the same, is Todd's effort to use a variety of trails which encompass both sides of the park. This year, the race course was about 8 miles in length that included about 900 feet of climbing per lap. Good friend, Fizz, marked the course about a week in advance which enabled most of us locals to preview the course. Jeff and I rode the course a few times together and he would go on to ride it more later in the week during the Sprocketkids group rides. Jeff knew the course well come race day. Experts were scheduled for 3 laps.

Prerace chat with friends

I will admit that my race was not exciting. I was the only female expert to show up which was disappointing in and of itself, so for me, my goal was to ride clean and continue to work on technical sections. Perhaps I would be able to ride with some of the expert men, but essentially, I just had to finish to win my category. I completed the race with a time of 2:51 and was satisfied. When I compared my time to some of the other guys around me, I was not the last expert and about 8 minutes back from the male winner of the 50+ category.

Jeff's race was much more exciting. He is starting to feel better after having a rough start earlier in the year. He has been seeing a doctor and training with much more regularity. Coming into this race, Jeff felt strong enough to register for the semi-pro category which would bump up his laps to 4 and more importantly, help to prepare him mentally and physically for a national qualifier race this coming weekend in PA. Jeff lined up with Ben S., Paul K., Tim O. and Wayne B. A small, but powerful group for anyone who knows them. As much as Jeff doesn't like me saying this, he was the oldest guy in the group by 9 years.

Jeff had a good start and led the group into the first section of singletrack. At one point, he had a solid lead. But, he admits that the 1-hour delayed start affected his prerace meal preparation and brought on earlier than expected hunger pains. He quickly started going through gel packs and water, and would need to wait to the start/finish area to refuel. At this point, Tim O. caught on to Jeff and they would essentially ride the last 1.5 laps together. Both of them were short on water and food. Towards the end of the race, Jeff's handlebar caught a tree which sent him careening into the air. He quickly regrouped and as expected Tim hit the last piece of double-track with Jeff chasing. Jeff made the catch right before the end and took the hole shot into the final piece of single track coming into the finish. It would be a sprint finish to the end after 32 miles. As they rounded the final turn, I saw them and started yelling for Jeff. It didn't matter that it was raining and I was soaked. Jeff was having the race of his life and fought back like I've never seen before. Both guys fought for the win and it was Jeff who would prevail. It was impressive and inspirational to say the least. Yes, it was on our home course and it was a hometown crowd, but we all know that small wins can help build confidence. I was very proud of him and of this moment.

Jeff with winnings

Afterwards, we cleaned up, ate watermelon, sandwiches, and headed to the awards ceremony held up the shelter. All told, the our Crankskins team won in three categories: semi-pro men, expert women, and expert men 30-39. Kudos go out to Ben and Jason Bixby, as well as to all our Ommegangster friends.

Cute doggie who got part of my sandwich based on his good looks and charm

Post race

Link to race results

Next up for the Jeffina is the Bear Creek Challenge in Macungie, PA. This is a national qualifier for next year. On Saturday, we will compete in a short track race and on Sunday, cross country.

Together, we are Jeffina. Crankin' out the miles, crankin' out the love for Crankskins.com

An Open Letter to the NYSBRA Officers and Board

2011-07-29T06:23:00.000-07:00

Thank you for taking the time to send this e-mail to NYS racers. I was glad to receive this informative e-mail and plan to use the nysbra website in the future.

I have a question and I am not sure if the nysbra group will be able to answer this, so I apologize in advance if this is outside your authority, but perhaps you could provide some guidance or forward this e-mail to someone who might know.

As a cat. 1 mountain bike racers, my husband and I often compete in the NYS mountain bike series which takes place at various locations throughout the Catskill mountains. This series is advertised as USAC licensed, as well as being a NYS Championship series, but for the past two years, our results have not been posted to the USAC website (under "results and rankings") thus, depriving us of valuable points and national rankings. As you might imagine, our team relies on these points to gain the attention of future sponsors. I made an inquiry to the various race directors asking them if they had been submitting the race results and received no reply. I am under the assumption that they advertise the races as USAC licensed, take our money for insurances, etc, and then do not submit results.

While I understand it is up to the discretion of the various race directors to submit results, I am disheartened by their lack of response and their unwillingness to submit results. Can you tell me the degree to which race directors are responsible for sending results to USAC? And, provide any advice on what racers can do to get the attention of race directors. As it currently stands, I feel that this state series is falsely advertising to the racers.

Thanks for your time and consideration.

HardCore 24 Race Report

2011-07-26T06:38:00.001-07:00

Ontario County Park, located at the south end of Canadaiqua Lake, played host to the HardCore 24, New York's only 24 hour mountain bike race. Sponsored by Park Ave. Bike Shop out of the Rochester area, the HardCore 24 is a well-run local race that drew racers from across New York as well as some neighboring states. The park itself sets atop a hill which overlooks the lake and is an ideal setting for this event. The park is totally enclosed and draws little car traffic.

In this type of event, racers must be self-sufficient in that they must bring in food, water, camping equipment, etc. to prepare for just about anything that may happen during a race. Luckily, the park had clean restrooms and showers which was nice reprieve for 'soft' racers, such as myself.

There are just as many solo riders as there are team riders and personally, I believe that it is the solo riders that represent the true spirit of this event as they ride their bikes lap after lap for 24 hours. The physical and mental strength of these individuals never ceases astound me and anytime I passed one of these individuals on the trail, I praised their efforts.

Jeff and I rarely compete in 24 hour races -- in fact, our last 24 hour attempt was when we first moved back to New York after living in West Virginia for a few years -- but this year, EJ convinced us to compete with the team in the 5-person, co-ed division. It is not to say that we are inexperienced in this 24 hour format, but as we get older, we rarely compete in this type of racing as it takes the body longer to recover. I have personally competed in the 24 hours of Canaan, Snowshoe, and Big Bear in my home state of West Virginia and most people should recognize the 24 hour of Canaan as being one of the original 24 hour races in the country. Jeff has competed at Big Bear with me, as well as the 24 hours of Winter Park in Colorado.

For the HardCore 24, the team consisted of EJ, Jimmy, Tommy, Jeff, and myself. All five of us had just come off the 6HOP race the previous weekend and hoped that the fitness and 'interval' training from that event would lend itself well to this event. Jeff really enjoys these types of events, whereas, I'm more of "I'll race hard for 2-3 hours and get it over and done with...." But, for Jeff, he loves the festive atmosphere and commraderie that builds as the racing transitions into the night.

Photos of our camp

The course was about 7.5 miles in length and consisted of primarily twisty single-track. There were no extended long climbs, but plenty of roots, and ups and downs to keep things interesting. All in all, this course receives a 'thumbs up' from us.

As the gun went off at 12 noon on Saturday, Tommy took the opening lap for the team and impressed us all when we saw him emerge from the trail in the lead position. Tommy's time on this first lap would hold up for the fastest lap time. Jeff was next up and had an open trail as he headed off for his first lap. As the afternoon progressed, we all took a rotation and kept a careful eye to the results board to watch our team position. We all agreed that the team would pull me out of the night laps thus essentially reducing the team to four members -- since I suck at riding at night (I get spooked at every little thing that moves in the woods at night and am REALLY SLOW) -- and so to compensate, I rode three day laps before 8 pm. Throughout the night, the guys rode lap after lap as I rested. Their times stayed relatively consistent.

Jeff catching some zzzzz's

The energy surrounding these types of events during the night makes it hard to completely relax. It is not to say that people are loud, noisy, and partying, but rather, people are quiet and peaceful as they relax around camp fires, drink beer, and encourage riders coming through the transition area. In the background, there is always upbeat music coming out of the transition area. I always find the transition area somewhat magical -- out of the darkness appears a moving light and you're never sure who the rider is until they literally ride into the light of the transition area where they are welcomed by all who wait.

As dawn came, I was up at 4:30 to prepare for my morning laps. The guys had ridden solidly throughout the night with just a few minor mishaps: Tommy crashed and was left with a somewhat swollen knee; EJ flatted towards the end of one of his laps; Jeff's head lamp got pulled back from a stray course ribbon which forced him to ride a lap with his head cocked backwards; and, there was a 3 hour rain storm. EJ rarely sits the entire event always making sure that people are ok, well fed, and bikes ready to go, whereas, Jimmy will lay down from time to time. Jeff would come and go from our tent during the night and when he would lay down beside me, I made sure to hold his hand. All told, the guys did a wonderful job and now, it was my turn to give back. The strategy worked well since I was able to get back into the saddle and resume riding with the same lap time as 9 hours before.

Pre-dawn preparations

My first morning lap was extremely foggy due to night's rain mixed with the heat and humidity from the day before. There was no reason to have a light on as the light would only glare back, so I rode into the fog and mist and found it refreshing. Despite having over 100 racers in attendance, I only saw two riders that morning and enjoyed the quietness of the woods. At this point, the guys were relaxing and I continued to ride another lap. Tommy and Jeff would take one more lap, before I took my final turn. I mounted my bike at 11 a.m. Sunday morning for my final lap and finished up at 12:05. I was greeted by Jeff and EJ. We had won the co-ed 5-person division by 2 laps! Collectively, we put in 28 laps! What a great feeling! What a great team!

A great ending to a long race

Jeff, EJ, and Jimmy started pulling down camp as I changed for the final time out of my cycling clothes. Racers were greeted to a wonderful pasta meal and the awards ceremony soon followed. As we sat on the lawn waiting for the awards, we reminisced about the last 24 hours and exchanged congratulatory words with those around us.

Waiting for awards

Our winning team

Jeffina feeling the love

I want to thank EJ, Tommy, Jimmy, and Jeff for taking care of me throughout this event. I was feeling a bit flat coming into it, but by the end, I had such a great feeling of satisfaction. They are wonderful teammates and people.

I encourage anyone looking to compete in a well-organized and racer-friendly 24 hour race to consider the HardCore 24 in the future. The race is held at a wonderful venue, the course is great, results are posted on time, there is food, music, families, and unique trophies for all finishers. The Park Ave boys once again out did themselves.

To see additional images from the race, click on the Flickr link at the top of the page.

We'll be enjoying some time at home before competing in the Highland Forest Classic in Fabius, NY.

Together, we are Jeffina. Crankin' out the love, crankin' out the miles for Crankskins.com.

6 Hours of Power (HOP) Race Report

2011-07-19T06:03:00.000-07:00

The 6HOP takes place at the Holiday Valley Ski Resort in Ellicotville, NY. Ellicotville is located in western New York in the Allegeny Mountains. Ellicotville is near and dear to our hearts. It is where we first met about nine years ago through a common friend. Likewise, this race marks the first time in our relationship where we were teammates not only in life, but for a race. For those of you not familiar with the 6HOP format, here is a quick description. As the name implies, it is a 6 hour mountain bike race that racers can compete in as a team or as an individual. The team competition is like a track relay race. One person rides a lap, the riders tag, and then the next person rides a lap. This alternating format continues for six hours. Whereas, solo racers complete as many laps as possible during those six hours.

In previous years, both of us have competed with other teammates (Jeff teamed up with Brandon and I rode with Anne A.) and have completed this event as a solo rider. I find the team competition especially difficult because every lap is like doing an interval. You must warm up, cool down, and nourish between each lap while being careful to pace yourself throughout the event. This year would mark the first time that both Jeff and I would compete in the duo/co-ed division. Who else better to do this with than your trusted and beloved spouse?

We arrived Saturday in Ellicotville with plenty of time to preride and found the course to be nearly identical to that of year's past. A loop is about 10 miles in length, starts with a moderate climb across a couple of ski slopes and once on top, there is flowing single track. The descent down off the mountain is broken up into segments and undulates in and out of wooded sections before dropping you off at the bottom of a ski slope. We did our preride with a lot of relaxed conversation about our first few years together.

Sunday morning arrived and as expected, it was clear and dry. The weather forecasted temperatures to be near 90 later in the day, but the morning air held a refreshing chill. We went through our regular morning-of-the-race routine and headed over to the ski area to meet the rest of the team. EJ, Jimmy, and Tommy arrived and we immediately went to work setting up the 'pop-up' tents and organizing our stuff. Jason B. along with his brothers also made the trip, as well as Dougie, and a few others from the Buffalo area. All told, team Crankskins would have 10 riders competing in multiple categories.

Setting up camp

Our faithful supporters

Prior to the race, Jeff and I did the math based on previous year's times and worked out a plan that we hoped would pan out over the six hours. As a teacher, I always need a plan to work from for these longer types of events. Jeff would do the LeMans start and take the first lap and by doing so, he would end up with an extra lap at the end of the day. Barring any unplanned events: Jeff would ride 4 laps and me, 3 laps.

Jeff smartly positioned himself towards the front of the group for the LeMans start. We decided that his strength and speed would provide us with a strong start which is needed in an event such as this. As the gun went off, Dougie, one of the Crankskin riders, took off and eventually 'won' the run and Jeff mounted his bike in about 6th position. This was a great start for us.

Jeff at LeMans start

I began my warm ups and soon enough, Jeff was spotted hurling down the final descent. We had a smooth hand off and exchange of words, "You're doing great....I love you!"

Waiting for Jeff in transition area

At the transition

After our first two laps, we had a good sense of where we were running in the larger scheme of things. We were running within minutes of the other co-ed/duo team and when I recognized their names from the WV state series, I left Jeff a note back at camp, "We need to stay on it...these people are serious contenders." EJ has a great system devised for these types of events. Knowing that teammates don't actually have time to speak to one another, but still need to communicate, he posts a large piece of paper so we can record lap times and other important information.

Throughout the six hours, Jeff maintained 45-50 minute lap times and I consistently rode sub-60 minute laps (approx. 58-59 min). At the start of my 3rd lap, we were only 1 minute ahead of our competitors and I knew that there was no lull towards the end. I rode the best I could (despite one minor crash that bent my derailleur hanger that restricted me to a limited gear range) and stayed under 60 minutes for my lap time. At the final hand off, I said to Jeff, "Stay on it, babe!" knowing full well that our competition was within hearing range and was waiting for his rider to come in. I have seen Jeff in these situations before and he never ceased to amaze me. I stayed at the start/finish line until I saw our competition hand off and at that point, we had 6 minutes. At the end, Jeff would keep our first place position and the competition would take back 3 minutes on Jeff. What a thrilling finish! I was waiting for Jeff as he came across the line and threw my arms around him. His parents who joined us for the afternoon were ringing cowbells to signal their pleasure and congratulated him with hugs. We were all hot and sweaty, but it didn't matter.

Collectively, Team Crankskins had great results. Jimmy and EJ would win their category; Jason and Tommy got 2nd; and, Jeff and I won the co-ed/duo division. This event traditionally does not offer anything exceptional for prizes, but for us, just winning the category was satisfying. Our friends, Paul S., Margaret T., Tamara L, and Tracy competed in the solo division and all did really well in their respective divisions.

Afterwards, racers were treated to a pasta meal and watched the 6 Minutes of Power Children's Race.

Heading home along the NYS Thruway, we were both exhausted by our efforts. I dare to say that even today, I am still feeling the effects of Sunday's race, but as we move through these summer months, this type of racing is excellent training for the upcoming mountain bike races.

Ellicotville is a great area to ride and a great place to visit. The race director holds several events in this area throughout the year, as do several local organizations. I would encourage anyone looking for a weekend get-a-way to consider Ellicotville.

To see additional photos from the weekend, click on the Flickr link at the top of the page. EJ took some great photos!

Next up for the Jeffina: The HardCore 24 Hour Mountain Bike race with Team Crankskins. We are competing in the 5-person category with EJ, Jimmy, and Tommy.

Together, we are Jeffina. Crankin' out the love, crankin' out the miles for Crankskins.com

Windham Race the World Report

2011-07-12T07:09:00.000-07:00

Last year, Windham Mountain Resort, nestled in the small village of Windham, NY in the Catskill Mountains, hosted the first US-based World Cup mountain bike race since Vail, CO held it in the mid-1990s. This year, Windham did another outstanding job hosting the World Cup race. Bringing in mountain bike racers -- cross-country and downhill -- from across the globe, this is one spectacular event. The race draws racers, spectators and race supporters from across the region and brings a not-so-quiet solidarity to a sport that typically takes a backseat to other mainstream sports. Spectators hike into the woods and stand at optimal viewing spots to catch a glimpse of their favorite riders, riding some of the most technical terrain the east coast offers. Racers are greeted by cheers, and the sound of cowbells while navigating around each other and the professional photographers and other video equipment which broadcasts onto a live jumbo screen at the start/finish line.

Amateurs, such as ourselves, are privileged to ride the same course as the pros the day following the World Cup Race. This year, the amateur racing brought together racers from the NYS mountain bike series with the Route 66 series who are not only competing against one another, but also for their respective series points. For us, this event holds much weight due to the large fields which it draws and of course, the idea that we are racing in a true World Cup venue.

Windham Mountain

Start/Finish Line

Leading up to the race, we pre-rode the course on Friday and found it to be identical to the previous year's course. The course itself is 5.5K in length with approximately 700" of climbing. The course climbs the first 4K up the ski slope, into and out of the woods with the remaining 1.5K dedicated to a technical descent which is broken up into sections. While Jeff is strong in the technical sections, I still struggle with nerves and fears, but felt more comfortable than ever knowing that I did relatively well last year. For me, the mental portion of my riding is often times the component that can make or break my race.

Saturday morning, we awoke early to get in an easy spin on the road with our good friend, Paul S. We enjoy traveling with Paul and find our time with him especially easy due to his laid-back personality and gentle nature.

Jeff after our ride on Saturday morning

Paul after our ride on Saturday morning

Afterwards, we headed over to the "mountain" (as the locals say) and took in the pro race. Prior to the start of the women's race, I was fortunate to find the gals from the Mexican National Team (whom we met while in Wisconsin) by using my very weak Spanish-speaking skills on their team director, "Hola! Donde esta Laura?" He replied something in Spanish and pointed me to her. She remembered us from Wisconsin and was very welcoming. We took a few photos and wished her and Daniella good luck. During their race, I cheered for them, "Vamos, Laura....go Mexico."

Following the women's' race, we watched the start of the men's race and then decided to get out of the heat and sun and return to our rooms to relax prior to an early dinner. Last year, we found a quiet out-of-the way Italian restaurant near the hotel and would return this year knowing that the quality of the food was excellent. Our pre-race meal -- well, what else but spaghetti and meatballs.

Sunday morning arrived quite early as the Cat. 1 race started at 8 a.m. To enable plenty of time for our food to digest, we awoke at 4:45 to eat a breakfast. Jeff woke up not feeling well, still feeling the effects of something he had earlier in the week. Knowing that this was not going to be a good day to race, he begrudgingly took off his bike number and asked for me to turn it in for him at registration. My thoughts were with him and it was difficult for me to think of anything else. Yet, despite of the situation and at Jeff's urging, I went through my usual race preparation. Paul and I left at the hotel (and Jeff said he would try to make it to the race course to watch part of the race) and headed over to the mountain for warm ups. I missed Jeff. He is my rock.

Our start time drew near and I lined up with about 12 other women in the 35+ field and prepared for the short 3 lap race. Shasta was not happy about the shortness of the race, but I liked the idea that we would be out there a minimal amount of time. The trade off would be that the race would be high intensity. As the gun went off, I led out the group up the first climb and would hold this spot well into the climb. It was myself and two other gals in tow and as we made our way into the descent, I began losing time on time. They were able to navigate the downhill much quicker than I despite riding just about everything. I was hoping to play catch up on the 2nd lap, but was unable to close the gap on the climb and made a few small bobbles which caused me to lose more time. As I started my last lap, I was solidly in 3rd place and would finish as such. I was extremely pleased with my ride as I did the best I could and I was especially pleased with how my new 29er handled.

Jeff and his parents would meet me at the finish line with hugs. As the morning wound down, we watched the cat. 2 and 3 races, chatted with many of our friends, took in the sights, ate some food, and waited for the awards. Unlike last year, the awards were not held on the larger UCI stage, but on a podium near the main lodge.

We hope that Windham will continue to host this event, but we heard through the grapevine that the cost to put on such an event is $100,000 which is paid directly to the UCI and as you might imagine, in these tough economic times, does come easily especially in New York State.

The next few weeks will keep us closer to home which is sounds good this time of year as our garden is coming into it's peak season. It will keep me busy.

We'd like to thank EJ for his generosity and personally, I'd like thank Brent Mooreshouse for helping me move through my back pain. I had a pain-free race.

Also, good job to all our friends who participated: Paul S., Margaret T., Christina P., Tamara L., Vanessa, and Shasta J.

Together, we are Jeffina. Crankin' out the miles, crankin' out the love for Crankskins.com.

The Cookie Ride Ends with No Cookies, Sort of....

2011-07-05T06:31:00.000-07:00

Fair Haven, NY, located on Lake Ontario is an ideal summer spot -- it's small town atmosphere, slow-pace, and beautiful state park makes it a wonderful weekend get-a-way for central New Yorkers. For these reasons, Fair Haven is one of our favorite places to visit for the day.

On this 4th of July weekend, we packed up the bikes and headed north to the lake for a leisurely ride that always ends at the Fly By Night Cookie Company situated on Ranchier Ave. Thus, the ride earns the title of Cookie Ride due to it's final destination spot. (Special note: The Fly By Night Cookie Company is a 'must-see' place in Fair Haven. Bonnie owns the shop and has earned much attention with her creative cookie-making skills, but beyond that, the building itself deserves mention. Her son, a noted carpenter, carved out the porch pillars and inside, customers enter in a single 'cookie room.' When I walk in, I am transformed into a wild-eyed child who wants to try one of every cookie.)

Years ago when I first moved to central New York, I came upon the Cato-Meridian rail trail which spans from Fair Haven south towards the Cato-Meridian area. According to one of our local friends, he says the rail trail is now maintained by a snow mobile/ATV group and has further expanded and thus open year round to anyone who wishes to ride, walk, run, etc.

From Fair Haven to Cato-Meridian, the trail is 14 miles in length and travels through some magnificent country side where animals abound -- there are plenty of turtles (Jeff calls this the my "summer of my turtles"), toads, deer, a random turkey, and deer. At times the trail is open and at other times, the trees form a canopy blanket. We chat and talk the whole ride and in general, just enjoy our time together. For me, this is a welcome respite from the typical grueling rides I endure with Jeff.

The Jeffina taking a short break

For me, the ride was the third day I have been on my new 29er and another test to see how it handles. The set up was comfortable on my arms, legs, neck, and back.

As our ride ended, we made our way back into Fair Haven and decided to take the back roads into the state park as to avoid any car traffic on the main park road. We followed the lake around and entered the park. We immediately headed for the water's edge and joined the other hundreds of people doing the same. We parked the bikes, took off our shoes and socks, and dipped our legs into the cool water.

Our final stop on this day would be the Fly By Night Cookie Company. We retraced our path and stopped to buy cookies, but we were greeted by a sign on the door, "Sorry -- SOLD OUT." Myself and another group of people who had just unloaded from their car stood there in disbelief. One young gal in the group, peeked inside and said, "I can see cookies...they have cookies...." We all chuckled realizing that the lure of cookies was powerful, but on this day, there were no cookies to be had.

Jeff and I made our way back into town, loaded up the car, and headed for Ontario Orchards where we not only picked up some fresh produce items, but also two half-moon cookies -- one for him and one for me. In West Virgina, we don't have half-moon cookies and I think that anyone who opens a shop in WV that sells just half-moon cookies would make a fortune. Who could not like a half-moon cookie?

Our next race will be at Windham, "Race the World."

Jeff's words of wisdom for the day, "If you've never been a skank, you'll never be a skank." These words were spoken after seeing the 'sights' at Fair Haven State Park.

Together, we are Jeffina, crankin' out the love, crankin' out the miles for Crankskins.com.

Enjoy the remaining pictures from the day.

Meatless Mondays

2011-07-04T18:41:00.000-07:00

On Mondays, we typically go meatless. In our household, this tradition started a few years back and based on my readings in some popular magazines, the trend to go meatless on Mondays seems to be a wave sweeping the country. For health and environmental reasons, many Americans seem to be joining in.

While I was in graduate school, I lived cheaply (as most graduate students do) and learned very quickly how to eat healthy while living on a paycheck that put me at poverty level status. The two main staples I often included in my diet were beans and rice. There is a variety of beans to choose from (e.g., black, red, pinto, kidney, etc.) and depending on your cooking preference, consumers can choose canned beans or dried beans which need to be soaked and then cooked. As for rice, I always choose brown rice and I have a personal preference for organic short grain.

While most Americans were eating hot dogs and hamburgers on this 4th of July holiday, Jeff and I ate vegetable quesadillas. Here is the recipe, but feel free to modify as needed as just about any type of vegetable will work.

Yellow squash
Fresh mushrooms
Sweet onion
Black olives
Green pepper
Fresh spinach
Plum tomatoes
1 can of black beans
Fresh cilantro
Whole wheat tortilla shells
Grated cheese

Sautee hard vegetables in a pan with a small amount of canola oil. Towards the end, add spinach, black beans, and plum tomatoes. When heated through, remove from heat.

Heat griddle to 300 degrees and add a small amount of canola oil. Place one tortilla shell on the griddle and load up with cooked vegetables. Sprinkle some cheese and fresh ciantro on top of vegetables. Place another tortilla shell on top. Flip the quesadilla when one side is slightly browned and let other side brown. Remove from heat and eat.

Top with salsa, sour cream, or just eat plain.

Enjoy!

Together, we are Jeffina. Crankin' out the love, crankin' out the miles for Crankskins.com

The Dells and Dairies of Wisconsin: Subaru Cup Race Report

2011-06-28T06:24:00.000-07:00

Last summer's trip out west competing in high level events still continues to motivate us to race at national level events this year. The Subaru Cup, one of the ProXCT races on the national calendar and part of the Wisconsin Off-Road Series, led the Jeffina to travel to Wisconsin. For myself and Jeff, Wisconsin is a state neither of us had traveled to since the early 90's and we looked forward to the road trip. Even though the trip was long -- about 15 hours by car -- that did not dampen our spirits. We enjoy our alone time together and pass the time reading the AAA Guidebook for every little town we pass through and making small talk.

Prior to hitting the road for Wisconsin, our first stop was at the Park Ave. Bike mid-week mountain bike training series in Rochester. We are at the point of the season where we are building in more speed work and these races provide an excellent venue for just that. I realize that most of our readers are well into (or maybe even past) this portion of their season, but like I said in one of our earlier postings, we have purposely 'slowed down' our season with hopes that this will sustain us for later in the year. The training race proved to be fast, tight, and slightly elongated from previous years. The men had a good turnout in all categories and three expert ladies showed up (including myself). Jeff 'burped' his tire on the 4th of 7 laps and was forced to retire from the race early.

For me, the previous week's female winner went out hard and I stayed on her wheel. Towards the beginning of the 2nd lap, there was a mandatory dismount and remount and I got the edge on her and kept the pace high. I would go on to win the training race.

Afterwards, we stayed the night at EJ's. We love EJ's family and especially enjoyed our short visit with his wife and daughter. We awoke at 4:30 a.m. the next morning. EJ made us a quick cup of coffee and we hit the road. We traveled through New York, Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and into Wisconsin. By the time we made our way into Chicago-land, it was about 2 pm (CST) and we took the long beltway around the city. Traffic was heavy, tolls were high, and Jeff's patience was wearing thin. Jeff lovingly calls me "The Map Lady" as I love maps and navigation. I love to 'read' maps and memorize road patterns. Sounds a bit dorky, but Jeff can attest that there have been few times in our travels where "The Map Lady" has made mistakes.

The Wisconsin welcome center was a sight for sore eyes. It had been a long day at this point and we still had another 2 1/2-3 hours remaining. As we traveled north to wards Milwaukee, it was a relief to see rolling hills and some open space. Chicago is a cement jungle, so the open farmland in Wisconsin eases the system after a tense drive. We pulled into our hotel in small town, Wautoma, located about 30 miles west of Oshkosh, at 7:30 pm and immediately headed in town for dinner. You may wonder, "Well, gee, how did they know where to go?" The Map Lady had read and studied the AAA Guidebook and was prepared to make these types of executive decisions, especially since it was at the time of day where both of us were tired and Jeff needs to eat and get a drink in him. I am prepared for these types of situations and understand the necessity to get food into him as soon as possible to prevent any type of mental breakdown.

After a great dinner and a good night's sleep, we headed out to the race venue, Nordic Mountain, situated in Mt. Morris, about 7 miles from our hotel. We wondered as we were driving to the race site, could Wisconsin have a ski area? This area reminded us of the Lake Ontario shoreline, so what could we expect? The Nordic Mountain Ski Area was perhaps the only elevated piece of land in the area. While I do not have exact numbers to share, I can say with certainty that it was the highest point in the area, but no where near the types of ski areas here in the northeast. The race volunteers were setting up the course and we ended up walking a portion of course. Amateurs were not allowed on the course until Friday, so we spent the rest of the day sight seeing and got out for a short spin on our bikes.

On Friday, we headed back out to Nordic Mountain for a pre-ride. The course was approximately 4 miles in length, no extended climbs, not highly technical, but had quite a few tricky areas. We did 2 laps of the course and then retired for the rest of the evening. Saturday morning came and we were both nervous. Jeff was nervous about his tire holding and as for me, coming into an unknown area with unknown riders causes a lot of uncertainty, but I just went with our normal routine. The cat. 1 men were scheduled for 4 laps and the women, 3. I will be completely honest in saying that the start of the men's category 1 race was unfair. All the racers -- regardless of age -- were started together. In total, this meant that 100 riders took off at the same time. In retrospect, this seemed odd since the cat. 2 men were started by age groups and given time gaps, but this did not hold true for the cat. 1 men. Jeff started about 3/4 of the way back in the field and as the men entered the single track, it bottle necked, so much so that when the women made it to this spot, the men were still filing in. Everyone was off their bikes until the trail opened up. All cat. 1 racers had a 12:15 time cut-off to begin their last lap. Jeff estimates that he lost a good bit of time with the bottle necking and because of this, came across the line to start his final lap at 12:16. He was unable to officially finish the race and given a prorated time and place.

For myself, I had a good start. I lined up with 22 women and was sitting about half way in the pack when my front tire started to go soft within the first mile. In total disbelief (or maybe more disappointment), I stopped to fix the flat. I had no choice. I had traveled this far and wanted to finish. Anyone who knows me well, knows that it takes me a LONG time to fix a flat. I was out of contention for a top 10 finish. As I was pulling off the front wheel, another rider was coming down the course and offered to help. He pulled out a canister of some type of "fix a flat fast." He shot the stuff into my valve stem and had to shake it out until he found the hole and then shot another spray and told me to start riding. All told, I probably lost about 4 minutes. I was extremely grateful to the efforts of this man and glad to be on my way. I had open trail at this point as no one was in front of me. Being in this sport for as long as I have, I kept my cool and just continued to ride steady. I eventually started picking up people at the beginning of my 3rd (and final lap) and would end up 18th and 2nd in my age group, a dismal placing. In racing, there are many things which we cannot control for and flats are one of them.

Sunday's short track race would be time for redemption. Jeff chose not to compete in this event since he was so disgusted with the start line procedures and just enjoyed walking around the race venue and helping me get ready. Jeff gave me some advice for my warm up and I was ready when the gun went off.

Having done my last short track race about 3 years ago, the speed and intensity was a rude awakening. I stood up coming out of corners, I navigated gravely corners, and pedaled as hard as I could into between for a total of 20 minutes. I am reminded of my early days as a crit rider when I talk about the short track and in some odd way, found this intense event to be especially fun. I came off the main pack but continued to work hard. At times, the main pack was within reach but I couldn't carry their speed nor bridge the gap. I would finish in 9th place overall and 1st in my age group. I was very pleased.

As we loaded up the car after the race for our trip home, we reminisced about our trip. We enjoyed meeting the Mexican national team staying at our hotel, we spoke with Georgia Gould over breakfast, we were amazed by the speed of the Pro men, we found the locals to be especially nice and pleasant, and loved the food at Christianos.

We will not return to El Popo's nor will we drive straight through the city of Chicago, but we will return to this event. The WORS series is the longest running series in the nation and one of the largest. The organization and volunteers make this a spectacular event. It does not hold the star power presence of a Mt. Snow or Windham event, but if you're looking for some fast racing with quality riders, this is the place to go. We found out that Wisconsin is whey more than dairy. It is a lovely state that in some ways holds similar qualities to West Virginia and even Lake Ontario lake shore. We traveled through the day and night and pulled into our driveway at 5:45 the following morning. After sleeping for a few hours, we unpacked and slowly made our way into the normal routine of home life again. We are looking forward to Windham.

Together, we are Jeffina. Crankin' out the miles, crankin' out the love for Crankskins.com.

For Father's Day: A Tribute to the Men in My Life

2011-06-18T07:34:00.000-07:00

While most of these blog postings are related to cycling or healthy living, this post strays away from the cycling and pays tribute to the men in my life. There are several men who deserve recognition: first and foremost, Jeff, my husband; my Dad, John; my brother, Chris; my father-in-law, Dick, and my uncle Glenn. These five men are all fathers and beyond that, these men have had great influence on my life. As a teacher, I understand that we all learn through formal and informal means. This philosophy leads me to discuss what these individuals have taught me about love, life, and family. In the following paragraphs, key words have been bolded as these are the valuable lessons I have learned through my relationship with the individual.

Jeff, my husband

Jeff is undoubtedly the greatest love of my life. Through our relationship, I have learned that love is the strongest force in the Universe. Love transcends time, space, and even death. I often tell my students on Valentine's Day that it is always better to love than hate, and to go home and spread love in the world. The love I feel in our relationship allows me to love others and to walk in this world feeling loved and to give love. Jeff has also taught me the value of hard work and the importance of letting go as a necessary means of healing.

My father, John

My father and I have had an interesting relationship during my adult years and it has only been in the past 5-6 years where I have finally come to a point where I love him as he is. It took me a while to learn forgiveness. In my 20's and 30's, I had little time to focus on my own insecurities and it wouldn't be until I met Jeff and learned about how destructive the process of divorce can be for father's since our legal system does little to protect their rights in courts. Father's will often suffer more pain than others in the process and for this reason, I now see that my father did the best he could given the conditions in which he was forced to exist.

My brother, Chris

Chris never ceases to remind me that I am still his little sister. To him, I am not Dr. Katina, I am not a professor, and I am not a scholar. I am still his little sister and for this, I love him dearly. He is my best friend. Growing up, I am sure that our parents thought that Chris and I would not survive living in the same household, but by the time we got to high school, we were best friends. Chris has taught me, "Love what you do and do what you love...." Like most of us, Chris deals with his own daily challenges, especially right now, but his cycling/racing have provided him with a quiet spot in these difficult times.

My father-in-law, Dick

By marrying Jeff, I automatically gained a wonderful set of in-laws. Jeff's father, Dick, at 75 years old, is one of our greatest supporters. He and Nancy regularly attend our cycling events and for anyone who knows us well, they know that they attend events in all weather conditions, all temperatures, and at all hours. A few years ago, Dick and Nancy attended one of the national races held at Mt. Snow, VT. Most of the national level races start at an early time. Dick and Nancy left their home at 3 a.m. to drive to VT and watch our 8 a.m. race. Through Dick, I have learned the value of family and most importantly, the value of a good hug. The value of a good hug should not be underestimated when the effects can change a bad day into a good one and can calm one's spirit.

My uncle Glenn

My side of the family is fairly small which is in some ways, a good thing. We are a relatively tight knit family despite living in different parts of the country. My uncle Glenn has been the cornerstone in my family. He has routinely worked in large cities and in large firms in places such as Philadelphia, NYC, and Providence, but when we came to visit, he always took time for family. He and his wife have always provided us with support and shared with us some of the finer things in life -- lobster dinners, museum visits, classical music, the Macy's Thanksgiving Day parades, and ocean side vacations. My uncle has taught me the lessons of consistency and perseverance, as well as enjoying life in moderation. Nightly, he enjoys a small bowl of ice cream, topped in hot fudge sauce. I hope to do the same thing at this age.

In honorarium, I would also like to recognize our good friend, EJ, the fearless leader of Cranskins.com. Having EJ in our lives has in many ways renewed our love of riding at a time when many are ready to hang up the bike. EJ's passion and love for the sport is contagious and leads us to want to continue riding our very best. For this, I also celebrate EJ's contribution in my life.

All told, these men are a positive influence in my life. I encourage readers to take time on Father's Day to recognize the men in their life and to let them know how much they mean to you. Even if they are not "fathers," let them know you care and remember, it is always better to love than to hate. Hate will only serve to divide people where love will unify.

Today, I am "..ina" of Jeffina and I am crankin' out the love, crankin' out the miles for Crankskin. com.

Race Report: NYS Race #2, Hurley Mountain

2011-06-14T06:43:00.001-07:00

Hello race fans! Here we are in the middle of June and well into the mountain bike season. Jeff and I have purposefully slowed down the start of our season and the limited the number of races to help us keep motivation later in the season. In a prior post, I mentioned that we both had mental burn out last year by mid-to-late August. This year, we have cut back on the number of mid-week training races and picked out a handful of races to target, while staying closer to home in between those times.

This past weekend, we traveled to Hurley, NY, located on the outskirts of Kingston, NY for race #2 in the NYS series. This race venue was 10 minutes past the Williams Lake course (from two weeks ago), so it was nice to have familiar surroundings as we drove in on rt. 209. Good friends, Christina and Tommy, had done course reconnaissance for us the prior week and gave the newly cut Tim Quilty course glowing reviews -- about 4 miles in length, 600+ feet of climbing, many log jams/crossings, and lots of fun single track. Jeff and I were looking forward to finally having a fun, fast race. When I found out that the category 1 women were doing 4 laps, I thought, "This is great....not too long....." I provide this introductory commentary because as one might expect, mother nature has the ability to completely change the race course. The day before the race, it rained most of the day and into the night, leaving the freshly cut course as slick and slimey as a typical Mt. Snow course. The exposed roots were as slick as ice, most of the off-camber log crossings were treacherous, and the lower section had soupy run-through mud.

We did a pre-race warm up with good friend, Paul, and about a mile into the course, I said, "I'm headed back to the start..." My bike was becoming engulfed in mud, I had already slid out once, and just didn't want to beat myself up anymore until the start of the race. Paul and Jeff continued to pre-ride thinking that 4 miles would be a decent warm up. As our starting time neared, there was no sight of Jeff or Paul. Luckily, due to the cat. 2 racers taking longer to complete the race than expected, the start of our race was delayed 1 hour. Some of the cat. 1/pro racers decided not to race while the rest of us, tried to figure out how to cool down, eat, and then prepare again. Paul and Jeff completed one warm-up lap and said, "It's very difficult...just be careful."

At the risk of prolonging the race report, here's how our races played out -- it was a race of attrition by all accounts. For me, it was the longest 16 miles I've ever done as my elapsed time was just shy of 3 hours. I had a good start and once we hit the single track, I became a bit sloppy in the woods and lost a few places. As the race continued, I slowly worked my way from 4th into 3rd, and overcame the next rider only with a mile to go to finish 2nd overall on the day. At one point, I caught the eventual winner, Shasta, and due to nerves and lack of technical skills, I started running into trees, rocks, etc. and started loosing time on her and she flawlessly navigated through the terrain. I found myself riding more and more of the technical sections as the race progressed and found some satisfaction in that, but knowing how close I was to winning, I was disappointed. But, the most important aspect of this experience was that I raced without low back pain. It was the first race since fall '09 where I was not limited in how I moved and negotiated the course. This is significant as I can see clear progress in my rehab progress and can begin to move forward with my training.

At the Williams Lake race, Jeff was unable to finish due to a bent rim, so in some ways, he needed redemption. In the car, I was concerned that he was not feeling well. He's been working a lot of overtime and dealing with some sleep issues, both of which, can affect one's performance on the bike. Jeff's plan for the race was to start towards the back and let the guys take it through the opening single track and then make time on the climbs. Jeff's strategy worked well as he finished in 2nd place. Single speed phenom Brian K. took the overall win about 10 minutes in front of Jeff and Jeff rode his own race. He was waiting for me at the end and seemed very content with his finish.

I was exhausted at the end of my race and just sat in the back of my car eating watermelon. My endurance is good at this time of year, but it was one of those days where I was either constantly being chased or I was the chaser. So, there was no let up in those 3 hours.

Paul, Jeff, and I always share food after races. We are usually limited by what we can eat since most of the race venues are in out-of-the-way spots, so this week, our fare consisted homemade muffins, watermelon, cherries, strawberries, grapes, lemonade, and sandwiches. We have also been enjoying potato chips after races as we both seemingly crave the salt.

We got home late Sunday night due to the later than expected start time, but feel good about how our season is progressing.

Thanks for the great photos again, Christina! Christina got 3rd in the cat. 2 women and our friend, Paul, got 2nd in his age group. Good job!

Next up for the Jeffina -- ProXCT national series race in Wisconsin. Wish us luck.

Together, we are Jeffina. Crankin' out the love, crankin' out the miles for Crankskins.com.

The Food that Fuels our Body

2011-06-07T06:02:00.000-07:00

After a 10-day detox in April, I developed some new eating habits which continue to influence what we eat. I was skeptical of doing a detox, but due to some on-going health issues, my herbalist suggested a detox as a plan of action to rid my body of toxins. The particular detox plan I followed was caffeine, alcohol, gluten, meat, and dairy-free. Prior to engaging in such a plan, I did research and made plenty of notes. For me, the trick of getting through 10-days was to become not mentally attached to food -- I considered food as fuel and I knew that the plan would provide me with the nutrients to fuel my body. I ate 4-6 times a day and only lost 2 lbs. Weight loss was not a goal of mine, so this number was ideal. I did make a few changes to my workout schedule. I reduced intensity and was unable to ride any long distances, i.e., more than 1.5 hours.

Since April, a few things have changed around here. We eat more greens -- kale, spinach, field greens, etc. -- and once (or maybe twice) a week, go meatless. Even though we are not vegetarians, the body does not need meat every day. There are plenty of other sources to get protein. In general, there is a lot more variety in our diet.

One of our favorite breakfast meals these days is a large bowl of homemade muesli. The whole grains mixed with fresh or dried fruit and sunflower seeds is a great way to start your day. I mix up the ingredients prior to heading to bed, cover, and leave on the kitchen counter for the next morning. Jeff claims that this breakfast holds him well past his break time at work; whereas, a typical bowl of cereal leaves him hungry after two hours.

Here is the recipe with a few suggestions:

Serves 1 (I will usually triple this for the Jeffina. We are big eaters around here!)

1 C regular oatmeal (for gluten free, use quinoa flakes)
2 Tbsp unsalted sunflower or pumpkin seeds
2 Tbsp dried unsulphured dried fruit pieces (e.g., raisins, goji berries, black currents, cherries, etc.)
1 C water

Combine all ingredients, cover, and let stand overnight on the counter. In the morning, serve with fresh seasonal fruit and nut milk.

** Variations: replace oatmeal with "crimped" rye, spelt, or barley. Stir in 1 Tbsp of chia seeds or flaxseeds. Stir in a scoop of protein powder and/or a pinch of cinnamon.

** If you had a weekend race and were traveling, this would be ideal to mix up in a large baggie before you left home. Just add water and it's ready to eat in the morning.

Source: Miller-Cohen, A. (2005) Organic Annie's Green Gourmet Cookbook: Fresh Tastes for Breakfast (vol. 1). Earth Angel Publishing: Manlius, NY.

Enjoy!

Together, we are Jeffina. Crankin' out the miles, crankin' out the love for Crankskins.com.

Pre-Black Fly Ride Report

2011-06-06T07:04:00.000-07:00

A small, but dedicated, group of mountain bikers assembled at the Jeffina residence for the pre-Black Fly ride on Sunday. In attendance were Phil M., Greg D. and the Jeffina. We initially thought that the turn out would be greater due to the number of requests we had to revive this ride from two years ago, but nonetheless, it was a great group of people to ride with. Mother nature provided us with a few light sprinkles prior to 11 a.m. start time, but eventually the sprinkles gave way to a great riding weather -- mid 70's and sunshine. Earlier in the morning over breakfast, Jeff thought we should slightly change up the route and I was fine with this. We would tackle the power line climb!

Pre-ride photos:

As we headed south on route 11 out of Tully before making the turn onto the first extended climb on Vormwald which leads into Heiberg Forest, we chatted and got caught up on family and work-related news. I have been feeling somewhat fatigued since I'm working with a trainer for my back, as well as receiving structural work, all the while trying to maintain with my riding. I didn't want to hold the up the rest of the group, but on all the climbs, they were quite accommodating. From Heiberg Forest, we made our way over to the "blueberry" hill climb, and then down into Truxton. Once into Truxton, we turned left onto Morgan Hill Road. It would be from here that Jeff would take us on the power line climb. This is a new section for me and it was mainly double track, but held many rocky sections, a couple of stream crossings, and a few hike-a-bike sections. Based on the existing lines, it was apparent this this was a well-used ATV trail. At the top, we re-grouped and headed into the Morgan Hill area. We picked up a a great single track trail that was in good condition. The trail would wind it's way to Spruce Pond. At Spruce Pond, I told the guys, "This won't be pretty for me..just go on and save yourselves if you need to...." Spruce Pond marks the beginning of the final ascent up to Hang Glider Hill. It is a tough climb, especially at the end of a long ride. To my surprise, we were all about equal distance apart and made the ascent to Hang Glider Hill together. From here, we stopped, took in the great views, and headed down the hill towards home.

Distance = 36 miles
Time = 4 hours
Climbing = 4100+'

For me, it was the longest ride of the year and I was satisfied (or maybe surprised) that I survived.

Afterwards, the post-ride beverage of choice was Ommegang beer (what else would you expect from this group?). We sat and chatted on our front lawn while enjoying camaraderie and sharing highlights from our ride. For me, my riding has always been more than a physical aspect of my being. I enjoy the social and emotional support I receive from friends and family at times like these.

Post-ride photos:

Together, we are Jeffina. Crankin' out the miles, crankin' out the love for Crankskins.com.

Next stop for us -- NYS mountain bike race #2 in Hurley, NY.

Pre-Black Fly Ride Reminder & Updates

2011-06-02T07:26:00.000-07:00

Just a friendly reminder that the pre-Black Fly ride is scheduled for Sunday, June 5th. Ride leaves at 11 a.m., so plan to get to our home a few minutes early so we can depart on time.

Due to the extra single track we are including this year, only mountain bikes should be considered.

The ride will consist of road, dirt road, double-track, single-track, and a short hike-a-bike section. Not even Jeff can ride this section, so you will definitely be off your bike. The route will travel through Heiberg Forest and the Morgan Hill area and will make a loop back through Hang Glider Hill.

When I ride this loop, it takes me approximately 4 hours; for Jeff, 3 1/2 hours, so expect to be out there between 3 1/2 - 4 hours. Bring plenty of water and food.

Afterwards, we can order pizza and/or cookout. Please bring camp chairs and a snackie to share.

Weather forecast for Sunday looks great.

Please park on Onondaga St. in areas designated for parking.

Yesterday, I rode part of the course and the bugs in the heavily wooded areas were vicious, so please remember to bring some bug spray. I got bit by a delta wing on the hand and my hand is still swollen this morning.

Questions and inquiries made be sent directly to me on my personal e-mail account or posted under the "Comments" section of the blog.

Hope to see you then!

Jeffina

(Jeff at Morgan Hill)

Race Report: NYS Race #1 at Williams Lake, Rosendale, NY

2011-05-30T07:26:00.000-07:00

It's Memorial Day and the Jeffina would like to take a moment to recognize and honor our military troops. While this blog does not take a political stance on most issues, I do believe it is important to honor those individuals in our families who have served our country. Jeff's brother, Dale, has put in over 30 years of service; Jeff was in the army for 7 years, and my father, John, served time in the army and speaks of wonderful times in Portugal and the Azores.

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.

Pre-Black Fly Ride on Sunday, June 5th

2011-05-27T19:32:00.000-07:00

Jeffina would like to invite you to join them for a pre-Black Fly training ride on Sunday, June 5th.

Here are the specifics

This is not an OCC ride. We do not offer maps or any type of support. We do expect that you are able to ride for 3-4 hours comfortably and come fully self-supported. This means that you ride at a sport to expert level. This is a no drop ride.

Ride leaves at 11 a.m. from their home. If need be, plan to be there a few minutes early so we can all depart together at 11.

Due to the extra single track we are including this year, only mountain bikes should be considered.

The ride will consist of road, dirt road, double-track, single-track, and a short hike-a-bike section. The route will travel through Heiberg Forest and the Morgan Hill area. and will make a loop back through Hang Glider Hill.

Afterwards, bring camp chairs and your own beer. We can order pizza and/or cookout.

The Seasons of Our Lives

2011-05-27T08:04:00.000-07:00

Since last fall, the blog has been inactive. As predicted, as soon as school started, my time and energies shifted from my riding and traveling, to school and caring for students. (Yes, I wrote "caring" as I believe that teaching is a caring profession if it is done right.) So, at the risk of boring readers with all the details of the past 6 months, I will provide highlights and some low-lights to get you caught up.

The 2010 mountain bike season ended on a high note for me. My national ranking in my age group/category was #3 and in terms of overall expert women, I was in the top 10. I couldn't have been more pleased, but the traveling and amount of racing took its toll on my psyche and my low back. I'm not sure how Jeff finished up the 2010 season because the SS division is not officially recognized as a separate USAC category, nor is it age graded (however, there was a national championship race last year for it last year which doesn't make much sense to me). After the Taconic 909, we both were mentally burned and literally took about a month off our bikes. We took time to hike and trail run and even though the cross season was starting, we ignored the schedule and just did our own thing until mid-October. I started racing cross before Jeff had any inclination and just enjoyed it for what it was worth. When school starts, it's hard for me to keep up my training with any consistency, so rather than let it become an issue, I prefer to just go with the flow.

Jeff resumed racing with three cross races left in the 2010 season and went from nearly dead last in his first race back to nearly winning the final race. I do not say this to boast of his abilities, but it is a testament to his physical conditioning over the years. Yes, his muscle has memory.

For those of you who live in central New York, you know of the long winter we endured. On the record books, it was the 4th snowiest winter in history and because of Jeff's philosophy, "You gotta go outside and enjoy it...." we participated in some new winter activities. We snowshoed and snowshoed raced in local events. We saw a few other avid mountain bikers at these events, but most were true runners. Jeff did quite well throughout these events and I consistently placed in the top 5 of women.

The highlight of our winter was the arrival of our Fatbacks (see www.fatbackbikes.com for more information). After much research, we decided to purchase a set of Fatbacks for winter snow riding. We live in an area of central New York that has an extensive system of snowmobile trails, that if need be, would take you as far north as Quebec and as far south as Binghamton. On our part, there was great trepidation as we were unsure how we would be received by the local snowmobiles. We found that most of them were extremely curious about our bikes and extremely gracious in sharing the trails. I found that riding the snowmobile trails to be a very safe experience. No worries about traffic, we could ride safely at night with our lights on, and very serene. Riding the Fatbacks were a true test of strength. The power output was unreal and due to the weight of the bike, it was difficult to climb. In terms of miles, Jeff out rode me at least 2:1. I would encourage anyone who lives in this area and who has access to the snowmobile trails to consider this as a supplement to your winter training. It is imperative, though, to learn about the ideal trail conditions. This was a steep learning curve for us. Because you ride the tires so soft (about 6-8 pounds of air), the trails need to be fairly hard. Ideally, that would mean that you ride early in the morning (after a cold night) and in the evening, after the snow has warmed up and then hardened again towards the later hours.

And, here we are at the beginning of June. Our season has started slow. I am still dealing with low back pain, but finally have a handle on the cause and have included new individuals in my pain management/injury recovery. I try to ride as much as I can, while being mindful that this season may be one that has it's ups and downs, with the goal to be to make it to master's worlds in February 2012. Our first race was at Prattsburg, NY a few weeks ago. Jeff rode his Fatback for shock value and rode a relatively strong race until he flatted with 3 miles to go. I had a 2nd overall finish and 1st in my age group, despite my lack of training. More recently, we competed in the Highland Hex 6-Hour Mountain Bike race. Jeff did the SS division and I did it with our good friend, Fizz, in the mixed or co-ed division. We saw many our Ommegang friends. As expected, both of our opening races of the season presented us with very wet and muddy conditions. For Jeff and I, we do not enjoy riding in these conditions. It is hard on equipment and the body is not well-acclimated yet to the power demands needed to endure such conditions.

We look forward to the upcoming season, seeing our friends, riding for EJ again and the entire Crankskins.com team. We hope to complete the entire NYS mountain bike series and a few other H2H races along the way. My goal is to keep the back healthy enough so I can train and race, however, I recognize that this will be a rebuilding time as well.

May you be safe.
May you be healthy.
May you be happy.
May you ride with ease.

Enjoy this long Memorial Day weekend.

Together, we are Jeffina. Crankin' out the miles, crankin' out the love for Crankskins.com

Bellearye Race Report or the Jeffina Does the Double (Again)

2010-08-09T14:05:00.000-07:00

This summer, Jeff and I have been splitting our time between the H2H mountain bike series and the NYS mountain bike series. The H2H series is a total of 8 races, whereas the NYS series is a total of 5 races. Doing both series means that at times, we might feel 'spread a little thin' but the Catskills mountains are a beautiful area to visit any time of year, in my opinion. Often times we see the same faces at both series, which means that the level of competition is always high.

Yesterday's race at Bellearye Mountain Ski Center, located on rt. 28 in the Catskills, turned out to be a wonderful reprieve after the rocky challenge at last week's Kenda Cup. We had ideal conditions for racing -- beautiful, clear blue skies, a great setting, and dry trails. The course was approximately 4.8 miles in length and had a little bit of everything: singletrack, doubletrack, climbs, descents, rocks, roots, and some fresh cut singletrack. The expert riders did 4 laps.

Most races that Jeff and I attend, we start at the same time, but we start in staggered waves. However, yesterday, they started the women with the SS'ers and in some ways, I found it comforting starting so close to Jeff. Of course, once we heard the countdown to "1," Jeff was quickly off and I was able to keep him in sight for a bit and eventually, lost sight of him. Jeff lined up with 8 other guys and I had a total of 3 women in my age group. Our start was fast, but I uncharacteristically did not find myself nervous on the start line. We've been doing so much racing that I have started to lose that anxiety I usually feel at the start of the race.

(Start/finish line)

The course started with a moderate climb into the woods which enabled me to get some distance on the other gals before the first descent and I would eventually pull away by the end of the race to win by 6 minutes. I kept my efforts steady and watched my lap times. By the last lap, I was feeling tired, but focused on riding clean. I was pleased with my efforts and my handling -- a few minor bobbles, but overall, solid riding.

As for Jeff, he also won the SS category and I would actually see him finish as I was 1/3 of the way through my final lap (due to course configuration). I yelled, "Hey Jeff....you won, right?" And, sure enough, he did. He crossed the line with 5 minutes to spare and said that he kept looking back to see if anyone was near. The last two weeks, Jeff's been plagued with brake issues and I was relieved to see that everything worked out for him.

Even though both of us had uneventful races, it says a lot about our fitness this time year. July and August are typically the time of year where we finally feel fit and can push ourselves. Our bodies become accustomed to the efforts of training and racing, and we also allow time for recovery, but coming out of one of the snowiest places in the northeast, we find that it takes us this long to finally find 'our race legs.'

I want to mention also that our local friends, Paul and Tamara, made the trip to Bellearye Mountain. Paul got 3rd in his division and Tamara got 2nd. Good job! We also saw one of Jeff's former teammates from the Ommegang team, Mike (who goes by "The Rooster" -- sorry, no explanation on this one). With Mike, was his 6-year old precocious daughter, Sophia, i.e., very cool kid!

Afterwards, we feasted on watermelon, peaches, and homemade zucchini muffins. I always enjoy a mix of lemonade and green tea, whereas Jeff finds beer to be his recovery beverage of choice.

While waiting for awards, Jeff came across a very unique bike made out of bamboo. Jeff has a keen eye for engineering feats and marveled at the artistry of the formation and angles of this bike. The owner of the bike said that is rides like a steel frame and was made by a dude who has an engineering degree. The bike's name? Well, see for yourself below.

We drove home into the sunset, enjoying sandwiches from the cooler and already talking about next weekend's race -- the Taconic 909.

Together, we are Jeffina, crankin' out the miles, crankin' out the love for Crankskins.com

Enjoy the photos of the day.

Kenda Cup Race Report or the Rockiest Race I've ever Done

2010-08-02T13:05:00.000-07:00

Happy 2nd day of August to our committed readers, and as well to our family and friends. The start of August is always a gentle reminder that school year will be starting in a a few weeks and I will need to begin preparation for my courses. However, the start of the school year does not mean that we will be racing any less. Between now and November, there is still plenty of racing to be done, but it does mean that my time commitments will begin to change. We plan to finish out the mountain bike season in October and perhaps jump into a few cross races by the time November rolls around.

Yesterday, though, we traveled to Macungie, PA (on the outskirts of Allentown, PA) for a Kenda Cup race. This race was part of the national points series, as well as the final race in a four part race series which began back in April at the Greenbrier Classic in Greebrier, MD. For us, the focus was to continue to work on getting national points. After competing in Colorado, we enjoy participating in high level races and enjoy the tests and challenges with seeing new faces and new courses from week-to-week. As much as we have traveled this summer, I am always amazed at the quality of riders we meet at these events. Most of them, like us, work and fit in time for family, and training, which makes time management key to maintain a certain level of fitness.

We arrived on Saturday to pre-ride and quickly found the course. The race took place at the Bear Creek Resort and Conference Center which is a relatively small resort (compared to Mt. Snow or Sol Vista), but boasts technical, rocky trails. True to the website's word, we found this course to be extremely challenging. Of the 8 mile loop, 6 miles were covered in rocks, some big rocks, some rock gardens, some wet slimey rocks, and I think you get the picture. There were few places to open up any speed and the climbing was minimal. At the risk of sounding like a whiner, I kept saying, "I want to go home....." But, we didn't and Jeff just told me to try my best.

Sunday came and we were greeted by light rain on and off throughout the day. Arriving at the race venue, I was relieved to hear others complaining about the course -- some were worried about trying to keep speed and others, like me, were just concerned about survival. We were discussing how often times race directors want to make courses "over the top" and not think about the safety of riders or just having fun. I can't remember the last time we did a race course that was just fun and flowing singletrack.

For Jeff, he again had problems with his rear brake (even though it worked fine during the pre-ride) and was forced to turn in his number plate. Having no rear brake on this course would be treacherous. He was not only frustrated, but disappointed.

Despite my negative attitude, I lined up with the other gals and was relieved to hear the race director reduce our laps from 3 to 2. All the women started together, and there was only one other gal in my age group and she was from the area and on a full-suspension bike. I was envious. The start was fast and early on, I realized the the race would be between me and the course.

(Start of the ladies race.)

As much as I struggled, I tried my best to keep speed and found myself on the 2nd lap riding more and more of the rocks. Around the course, people were fixing flats, walking in with blown out sidewalls, or just riding flats. Some people needed stitches and others like me, just played it safe. I came in with a smile and just said, "I did it...it was a tough day."

I ended up 2nd in my age group and because I did the Greenbrier Challenge back in April, I took the regional championship. I was glad to celebrate this moment with Jeff and his parents. I felt badly for Jeff and told him on the way home, "I wish it was me who had the brake problem....."

One final note, Lauren Z., who I met while racing in Colorado, traveled back east for this race. Lauren is a highly ranked cat. 1 rider who has done the entire national series said this was the most difficult course of the series. I was glad to see Lauren and hope that our paths cross again.

Enjoy the photos of the day!

Next up, NYS series race in Bellarye.

Together, we are Jeffina, crankin' out the miles, crankin' out the love for Crankskins.com

Traveling High in Colorado (Part 2)

2010-07-28T10:49:00.000-07:00

After we found our hotel and unpacked the car, we went to pick up race packets for the stage race at Carmichael Training Systems (CTS), located a few miles from our hotel. For anyone who is familiar with the Colorado Springs area, CTS is located on the road which eventually ends up in Manitou Springs. And, for others who are reading this and who recognize the Carmichael name, yes, it is the one and only Chris Carmichael who owns this business. CTS is dedicated to the serious training of athletes and as we entered this business, it was evident by the number of photos of Lance on the wall and workout areas, offices, and other services that anyone who signs up with CTS will receive the best training money can buy. We took a tour of the place and ironically, the guy who gave us the tour would be one of Jeff's main competitors in the singlespeed division during the stage race.

After picking up our packets, we headed to Cheyenne Mountain State Park to pre-ride the TT course for the following evening. This State Park would host all three stages. Even though, we arrived in cool temps, rain, and some hail, this all passed and we were greeted by a cool, but clear evening for riding. Entering the park, we saw other pros preparing to do the same -- Troy and Todd Wells, Amanda Carey, and two Cannondale dudes. Cheyenne Mountain State Park is sandwiched between the base of NORAD and Ft. Carson in the southern part of Colorado Springs. It is a magnificent park for being located so close to such an urban center.

The TT course for Friday's stage would be about 5 miles and consisted of a little bit of everything -- huge boulders (not rideable for me!), double-track, single-track, and moderate amounts of climbing. I guess that the boulders are typical for CO racing, but what gave me the greatest amount of trouble was feeling the bike move under me due to sand and small-pea size gravel. Regardless of the tire pressure I ran, I always felt like I was sliding. Since Colorado Springs is situated at about 6000 feet, we were expecting to suffer due to the altitude. However, in hindsight, the altitude in Colorado Springs did not pose as much of a problem as Granby's course for the national championship.

During the pre-ride, Jeff came around a blind turn and t-boned a rattlesnake sunning itself across the trail and fortunately for me, I was riding far enough behind him that Jeff had time to yell back, "STOP!" The snake coiled up and eventually, went on its way. I waited patiently. One of the things that we would find out later from one of the rangers is that type of rattlesnakes common to the park is not an aggressive specie. The ranger also gave us tips for scaring off mountain lions and bears.

We rode 2 laps of the TT course and packed up. We found a great pizza joint and wine store and happily toasted our arrival in Colorado Springs and the upcoming mountain bike stage race.

Stage 1 -- TT

On Friday, we would not race until after 6 pm, so we had most of the day to sight see and stock up on supplies. As the afternoon wore on, we went back to the hotel to rest and compose ourselves before heading to the race venue for our TT. We were both worried about the TT since we have never done one before, let alone a stage race. But, watching the pros start, we realized that it was more or less an all out effort, but also must be one where you need to finish. So, keeping this in mind, we both decided to ride safe and not take chances so we could start the next stage on Saturday. Speaking of pro riders, it was wonderful seeing all of the pros in person. So often we see them only in print media. I didn't want to take too many pictures and appear to be stalking them with a camera. We also saw Alison Dunlop walking around with her husband. Alison is pregnant and looks great.

The fields for the cat. 1 women 30+ and singlespeed division were both relatively small (we would find out later that there were two races to the north this weekend). I started first for my category and by the time I got to the first set of boulders, my minute rider passed me. Jeff indicates that the same thing happened to him and after that, I resolved to just ride the best I could. At the end, I would finish 2nd and Jeff would finish 3rd for the stage.

After the stage, we packed up and headed to a local Chipotle's (yum!) where we saw Geoff Kabush and Troy Wells, as well as a few other racers. We figured that if Chiptolte's was good enough for the pros, then it's good enough for us.

Stage 2 -- cross country race

(The start of Katina's race)

The cross country race encompassed parts of the previous day's TT course with more climbing and more boulders. The loop was 8K and we would travel around it 3 times. The younger gals started with the older gals and as we started to climb, I found my rhythm, but it took me a while to find confidence on the descents. One of the gals in the younger age group would roll up behind me on the descents and say, "You just gotta let it roll, girl" (said in a thick North Carolinian accent). I would finish the stage in 2nd.

For Jeff, they competed on the same loop, but did 4 laps. Luckily, we raced at different times, so were able to feed one another which became more and more important as the weekend went on. During Jeff's race, I walked out to the feed zone and hung out with a father who was feeding his son. In Jeff's race, he finished 3rd.

Stage 3 -- cross country race

The final stage in this stage race was another cross country race that took us backwards on the previous day's loop, plus another section of trail that made the loop 15k. I would have 2 laps to complete, and Jeff, 3.

At the start line, we were told that mountain lions had been spotted near trails that were part of the race course. While others did not seem to be alarmed by this news, I was even though I may not have outwardly shown it. Nonetheless, the race started and immediately went into climb. Being the third day of a stage race, my legs were not very quick and I settled in for a long race. It was an absolutely beautiful morning and I vowed to just enjoy myself. Like the other two days, I ended up 2nd again and as you might imagine, my overall GC was 2nd.

As I came in, Jeff was warming up for his race and I stayed relatively close until they took off from the line. I had to change fairly quickly and head up the hill to the feed zone. At the feed zone, I engaged in conversation with one of the UCI officials, Dean (sorry I don't know his last name). Dean and I started chatting and realized that we had much in common. For anyone who has been racing as long as I have, you meet a lot of people and know a lot of names. Like me, Dean has been an official for just as long (or even longer). Dean will be at the upcoming Windham World Cup race where I hope to see him, but he told me that I hopefully, I won't see him unless I get called into the WADA tent.

I missed awards because I was feeding Jeff (there was no way that I was going to leave my man!) and Dean kindly called down and informed the finish line officials where I was and asked them to hold my awards until I returned to the main race venue. Thanks, Dean! Jeff would finish his race in 3rd again, and 3rd overall in GC.

As we waited for Jeff's awards, we walked around and watched the pro's warm up for the short track race. Jeff was hungry and decided to get a slice of pizza. While in line, he struck up a conversation with none other than Georgia Gould's dad. Jeff said, "You must be very proud of your daughter...."

After awards, we packed up and did more sightseeing in the area. We headed to the Garden of the Gods and Manitou Springs. I was disappointed with Manitou Springs as it has evolved into a commercialized tourist trap, which had a cheesy feeling reminiscent of Wildwood, NJ. This was our final stop in the Colorado Springs area before heading to Ft. Collins to visit with Jeff's brother and family.

Stay tuned for part 3 of our travels in Colorado! Next up, adventures in Ft. Collins, Granby, and the national championships.

Together, we are Jeffina, crankin' out the miles, crankin' out the love for Crankskins.com.

On the Road Again.....to Mt. Snow, VT

2010-07-26T07:35:00.000-07:00

After being home for five days, the Jeffina packed up again and headed for Mt. Snow, VT. Mt. Snow is not hosting a national event this year, but was holding a Rt. 66 series mountain bike race. We don't participate in many of the Rt. 66 races, but Jeff wanted to test his fitness after a great run in Colorado. Outside of that, we love traveling to VT, we love the quaint setting and rural roads, and the course is typically one of the most difficult we will race on here in the northeast. For both of us, this course would test our fitness and handling skills.

We arrived on Saturday afternoon with plenty of time to pre-ride the course. The course started with the traditional parade loop that took riders up the hill from the main base lodge into a section of woods with a short rocky descent back down to the base lodge, and then more climbing to the top. This year, the course took us all the way to top -- we circled the pond before making one more final ascent and then dropped back into the woods for the descent. The descent is broken up by transversing the ski slopes at times and then diving back into the woods. The loop was about 6 miles, but both Jeff and I agreed that it felt a bit shorter. On the pre-ride, I was able to ride just about everything on the descent. After coming back from Colorado, my confidence to ride technical courses is improving.

Saturday evening, it rained most of the night, but we awoke to clear, blue skies, but we knew that the rocks and roots would now be wet and slimey. We were both up for the challenge.

The SS men lined up with five across the line. Jeff's good friend and fellow competitor, Brian, was there, and Jeff was unfamiliar with the other riders. Jeff states that they had a relatively easy start, but by the top of the first climb, Jeff and Brian distanced themselves from the other riders. From there, it would be the two of them going back and forth. About 3/4 of the way into the first lap, Jeff's rear brake cable loosened from the main brake handle and Jeff would end up riding the remainder portion of the race with ONLY a front brake. For any of you who are familiar with the course at Mt. Snow, you must realize what a feat this was. Jeff admits that there were sections so steep that he had to run down, but surprisingly, Jeff would go on to take 2nd in his division.

Similar to Jeff, myself and a rather young gal distanced ourselves from the rest of the expert ladies field early on and we would go back and forth for the entire race. Seven expert ladies lined up, with five of us in the 35+ category. On the 3rd and final lap, I was able to make enough time on the final climb to hold her off on the final descent. I won the overall (and of course, my division) by about 15 seconds. I had a relatively uneventful race and just rode my own race. The course is so tough that I did not want to push over my limits. I admit that at times, my riding was not pretty on the technical descents, but nonetheless, I made it through.

After awards, we stopped at Dot's Diner, a local Dover landmark, and drove home as the sun set. We were both satisfied with our races and hope that this will provide a good tune-up for the upcoming AMBC race in Macungie, PA.

Enjoy the photos!

Together, we are Jeffina, crankin' out the miles, crankin' out the love for Crankskins.com.

Some Photos from Nationals!

2010-07-23T12:37:00.000-07:00

EJ found a link that has photos of us at Nationals.

Check it out!

Nationals took place at the Sol Vista Resort in Granby, CO. The length of the course was about 9 miles with 1750 ft. of elevation gain. Both Jeff and I did 2 laps of the course.

More to come.

Together, we are Jeffina, crankin' out the love, crankin' out the miles for Crankskins.com

Traveling High in Colorado: Part 1

2010-07-21T14:17:00.000-07:00

It's been a busy (and great) few weeks since I last posted an entry. I had good intentions of posting pictures and entries while away, but had continually poor and unreliable internet service. Due to this, I plan to post our adventures in several parts. What follows is part 1.

The Jeffina left town on July 6th after dropping off the 'girly-girls' at grandma and grandpa's house after which we drove 7 1/2 hours to my mom's house in Columbus, OH. Even though we arrived at 10 pm, my bro made the effort to come visit for a hour. In tow, he brought my nephew, Johnathan, and good friend, Mateo. Even though our visit was short, I was happy to see my mom and brother. It was the first time I had seen my bro since his car accident 4 weeks ago. When I saw him, my first inclination was to hug him, but he gently reminded me of his lingering pain when he said, "Don't squeeze too tight...."

Jeff wanted to leave fairly early, but in my family early doesn't mean anything earlier than 8 a.m. We left mom's house by 9 a.m. after enjoying a great breakfast. Our goal for the day was 700+ miles. Driving across the country in I-70, we enjoyed views of mainly farm lands which gave us a sense of middle America. Each city we passed, we pulled out our AAA book to learn about the history, population, and eateries in these areas. It became a routine that was fun and informative. Bigger cities greeted us with the same views from the highway. Time after time, we saw the same chain hotels, the same restaurants, the same stores lining the highways. As much as people may think that we are different,I am convinced that we are more similar than different. We all shop at similar stores and eat at similar restaurants. Of course, cultural backgrounds differ, but Americans basically experience similar environments thanks to the god of consumerism.

Driving through Kansas, we saw huge crosses beside the highway. For me who freely borrows from across the world's religions and mainly identifies as a spiritualist/pagan/Buddhist, we got a good chuckle from these monuments. It was Karl Marx who said, "Religion is opium for the masses..." and perhaps in Kansas, life is tough enough that religion soothes their suffering and the crosses along the highway are a reminder of their faith.

We drove to Salina, KS this day and pulled into a Day's Inn parking lot 11 pm. It was a long day and we were both a bit road wary, but after calculating the miles, we only had another 5-6 hours before reaching Colorado Springs. The highlights of the day included eating at a Chiptotle's in Independence, KS, driving through Kansas City and seeing the two professional ball stadiums, trying to figure out if there was a time change, seeing acrobatic crop dusters, golden fields of wheat, and eating Greek yogurt with goji berries. Thanks, mom! We're hooked now.

On July 8th, we arrived in Colorado Springs, CO mid-day. Approaching Colorado Springs, the mountains appeared in front of us, and slowly grew in size. I have spent time in Colorado Springs and the spectacular view and the excitement of seeing the mountains, never seems to change for me. Pike's Peak towers over Colorado Springs and even though it's not the highest mountain in Colorado, it is a glorious sight to behold!

Next entry will be dedicated to our first mountain bike stage race. Stay tuned for more and thanks for reading.

Together, we are Jeffina, crankin' out the miles, crankin' out the love for Crankskins.com.

Happy 4th of July!

2010-07-04T14:18:00.000-07:00

The Jeffina wishes all of our family and friends a happy 4th of July.

May you be free from oppression.

May you be free from injustice.

May you be free from intolerance and hate.

May you be free tyranny.

May you experience peace and non-violence.

Together, we are Jeffina, crankin' out the miles, crankin' out the love for Crankskins.com

Oh a Traveling We Will Go.....

2010-07-01T07:48:00.000-07:00

Picked up EJ's luggage carrier last night at the final race in the Park Ave. Fat Tire Series in Rochester.

Thanks EJ! We'll try our best for you and the team in Colorado.

5 day 'til we depart.

Lewis Morris Challenge (H2H race #3) Race Report or the Jeffina Does the Double!

2010-06-29T06:31:00.000-07:00

Lewis Morris County Park is located on NJ County Rt. 510 somewhere between Mendham and Morristown, NJ, and was the site of the third race in the H2H mountain bike series. In one of our previous blog entries, I noted that we are committed to racing the H2H series this year and despite the travel time often involved, the people, races, and the high level of racing never leads us to reconsider our decision.

The Jeffina made our way south into Pennsylvania and headed towards the Delaware Water Gap and immediately the feel for this part of the country comes to life. There are more cars and more garbage on the roads, but the views of the high peaks through the water gap are outstanding. During our drive there, we discussed possible race strategies and tried to provide encouragement and support even though we were both nervous. Last year at this race, Jeff had to pull out due to back problems and I had a fairly decent race there and was hoping to duplicate this result.

We arrived and were glad to find out through conversations that little rain had come through the area and the course resembled last year's. We did our typical pre-race routine of unloading the bikes, putting on numbers, filling water bottles, pumping up tires, eating pb and j sandwiches, and staying well hydrated. The heat and the humidity would be play a role in the race. I don't mind racing in the heat and enjoy the high humidity levels. I like seeing the humidity hang in the air and feeling the moisture on my skin -- it takes me back to the summer days of being a child in West Virginia. We were able to pre-ride sections of the course and then stayed relatively close together until we were instructed to line up. Jeff has a quiet power that helps to comfort me when I'm nervous and even though we may not speak much to one another as the start time approaches, his presence still soothes me. As we lined up, we gave each our a small smooch and said, "Good luck and ride safe."

As much as I like this race, the one area I think that they could improve upon is starting us on time. Like last year, we started about 30 minutes late and in the heat, this was significant. The ladies were not happy and we politely complained to one another and made small talk. The pros started first and then in staggered starts, Jeff's singlespeed category was off. He had a strong start and was towards the front. He told me before the race that he wanted to be up front towards the start so that when the first climb approached, he would not get behind slower riders. Later in the car on the way home, Jeff told me that he attacked on the first climb and just tried to keep it going. He knew that there were strong riders (including the series leader, as well as last year's winner in the pack), and expected to see them hunting him down on the descents. At every turn, he would look back and stand up coming out of corners to get the speed back up. At the end, Jeff finished the race and came across the line solo in first place! There was little fanfare as the pros were doing one more lap and no expert geared riders caught him. He stood there alone and just waited for the rest of the riders. He estimates that he stood there for about 7-8 minutes (but we need to confirm this). Great job, Jeff!

Next, he waited for me. He got word from one of his friends that I had come through our water station (and yes, he didn't lap me!!) about 30 minutes ago.

My race was an interesting and not interesting in some way. All the women, including the pros started together -- about 12 of us started. There were some familiar faces and not-so-familiar faces: Ellen, Ellen, Marianne, Shasta, and Melissa, and others. I had a strong start and went into the first climb on Melissa's wheel as one of the Ellen's took off. I was sitting solidly in 3rd place overall and 1st in my category. Like Jeff, I wanted to get into the first climb in a good position and just keep pushing. The one thing I like about this course is it is less technical than many of the other courses in the series and at the risk of criticizing myself, I was able to keep my speed higher. At all times, I knew that they would be chasing me down, but after a while, I found myself riding alone. From time to time, folks on the trail would say that "They're not the far ahead of you...." I kept thinking, "Heck, Melissa and Ellen ride at the pro level, so I'm not worried about them." What I didn't realize was how close they really were. I saw Melissa on the last lap changing a flat which put me into 2nd place overall. At the finish, I came in only 2 minutes behind Ellen and I won my category! First H2H win for me and for Jeff! The Jeffina does the double! I do not portend to be a better rider or a faster rider than the other women I race with as they are all very talented riders. Many national champions (or ex-national) and state champions in this group -- I think I just had a good day and the course suited my riding style. I know that on any given day, any one of us could win. I have the utmost respect for these women.

As usual, Jeff was waiting for me and we hugged and kissed, and congratulated one another. We slowly made our way towards the car where we toasted with cooling summer beverage of lemonade and green iced tea. I sat on the edge of hatch, still sweating from my efforts, as Jeff hurriedly began disrobing and cleaning up. I just sat and felt satisfied.

We made it down to the race venue area and Jeff spotted the beer tent. He made a bee-line (or should I say, "bee-r-line") and we checked results.

Jeff enjoying a beer!

The winners all received medals, some cash, and beer from a local NJ brewery!

On the way home, we stopped more times than usual as my hip was bothering me -- yes, still the lingering effects of my low back issues. But, all is better.

The next time we race, we will be in Colorado and as much as I am concerned about altitutde, I am looking forward to the trip.

Remember, to stay posted for the "Landmarks of the U.S." photo contest. During our trip, I will posting photos of famous (and some not-so-famous) landmarks and readers will need to guess where we are -- yes, similar to a "Where's Waldo" game.

We hope to carry this great momentum into the national championships later in July.

One final note, a group of Crankskins.com riders raced in the 24 hours of Summer Solistice over the weekend in Canada and want to give them a big "Good Job!"

Enjoy the pictures of the day and together, we are Jeffina, crankin' out the miles, crankin' out the love for Crankskins.com.

Williams Lake Race Report and other Sordid Tales of Feasting, Drinking, and Swimming in the Catskills

2010-06-22T07:23:00.000-07:00

Before I get to the race report, I want to update readers on our Garden Contest. We had one participant and he guessed one of the seven plants correctly! Good job, Paul! Paul earned a 14% on this quiz and will receive a Crankskins.com sticker this weekend for his efforts. Initially, I thought that this contest would draw in a good number of reader responses, but alas, my expectations did not hold true. Seems that many people were not motivated by the sticker (please read with humorous tone). So, stay tuned for the next contest coming later in July. In this contest, readers will need to correctly guess U.S. landmarks during our trip.

The NYS Mountain Bike series encompasses a total of six races that span the months of June through September. Most of the races are held downstate in the Catskills region always making the courses technically tough with a good bit of climbing. The Catskill mountains are part of the Appalachian Mountain range and because of this, the topography reminds me of home. In this area, there are little towns some which are more famous than others (such as Woodstock and New Paltz), but the history of the Hudson River Valley can be seen especially in the architecture of the buildings that is now eclectically mixed with a urban influence of city dwellers from the City. The small towns that we traveled through at times felt 'artsy' and at other times, depressed like other parts of the state.

The Williams Lake race is one that the Jeffina did years ago (before we were married). Williams Lake itself is a former resort that is now fairly delapidated and not open to the public, but still gorgeous if one loves a fresh water lake, cool caves, rocks, and roots. Our intelligence, i.e., best friend Christina, informed us on the loop would be 4.3 miles in length and even sent a Garmin link for us to get a feel for the climbing expectations. When I talk with Christina before a race, I try to memorize the course to the best of my ability. Pre-riding the course always has its advantages, but because we drive such a distance, this is not always possible for us. Therefore, Christina is my eyes.....well, more than that. She is my best friend.

The Jeffina and family supporters, mom and dad, left early Sunday morning and made our way across the state. It was Father's Day and we wanted to have family with us. Unfortunately, the heat and humidity kept creeping higher, but mom and dad were troopers. They set up our water station and gave great hand-ups during the race. Thanks mom and dad!

When we arrived at the race venue, we were greeted by many familiar faces and happy to see our Ommegangster friends, Paul and Dave (yes, the one and only Paul who won the contest). Both Paul and Dave are extraordinarily good riders. Paul would be ridinng the cat. 1 50+ age group and Dave would be racing in the SS category with Jeff. We all parked together.

During the pre-ride, I quickly realized that the heat and humidity would be factors, coupled with the difficulty of the course. Years ago, this course intimidated us, but we are now more accustomed to the difficult courses. That does not mean we are as good as the others competitors who ride this type of topography on a regular basis, but it means that we are improving our handling skills. I came back from the pre-ride thinking, "This is going to be a tough day...."

I lined up with the Cat. 1, expert 35+ women and Jeff lined up with the SS division. There was a poor showing for the women (only 3 experts and 3 pros) and in the SS division, there was about 15. The expert women were doing 3 laps and the SS men were doing 4. I was glad to see Shasta, as she is a familiar face at the H2H races.

Jeff's start was fast, as our friend, Dave, took it out hard. During the race, Jeff said that he was riding the majority of the time between 2nd and 4th place. For me, the field was so small that Shasta and I rode the 1st lap together and finally on the 2nd and 3rd laps, I was able to pull away from her. I was not satisfied with my race despite the win. The first lap, I was very sloppy and did not on top of my mental game. However, by the time I got to the later laps, I had dialed in the course and found that extra speed allowed me to get over the rocks, and smaller gears helped with the smaller gut-busters.

Jeff would finish in 2nd place in the SS division and our friend, Dave, won. Jeff was 44s behind Dave. That's a great finish for Jeff! I beat Shasta by not quite 3 minutes. Paul got 2nd in his age group. A great showing for the local riders!

Afterwards, we ate watermelon and took a jump into the lake. None of us had swimsuits so we all went swimming in our cycling clothes and Christina had one dry-and-go clothes. I love swimming in fresh water and found myself happy wading in my sport bra and cycling shorts. I love the freedom of being with people like this.

The results took well-over 3 hours to post (which is not normal) and during the time, we ate more and walked around together. By the time the awards-ceremony took place, we were sunburned and tired and preparing for a long drive home.

After the awards ceremony, Christina and Tommy convinced us to stop at a Japanese restaurant in the small town of Stone Bridge. I am a fan of Chinese food, but have little knowledge of Japanese cuisine. I let Christina take the lead and guide us through the menu. I learned that a main staple of the Japanese diet is raw fish. This was a bit difficult for me to conceptualize, so I played it safe on my order, but Christina allowed me to sample some of her order -- yes, I tried raw tuna and raw squid and I loved it! I also had seaweed salad which I shared with Jeff, and mom and dad. I'm comfortable with chopsticks and kept scooping in the food. It was a wonderful meal accompanied by great conversation. Wish I had more opportunities to spend time with Christina and Tommy.

We drove home with full bellies, tired, and sunburned, but satisfied with our results. For me, I know that I will need to be on top of my game for the next H2H race and Jeff is looking forward to completing the Lewis Morris course this year. Last year, he was not feeling well and had to pull out. For both of us, this coming weekend will be our last race before we head west.

Enjoy the rest of the photos.

Together, we are Jeffina, crankin' out the miles, crankin' out the love for Crankskins.com

** Favatta's are one of the sponsoring organizations for the upcoming World Cup at Windham Mountain.

Park Ave. Training Race #3 Report

2010-06-17T07:00:00.001-07:00

The third race of the Park Ave. Tuesday night fat tire series greeted racers with a beautiful evening, pleasant temperatures, and wonderful course conditions -- still slightly wet in areas, but for the most part, primo course conditions. The Jeffina traveled to Rochester with good friend, Fizz, while young junior racer, Eli, stayed home. Fizz picked me up right on time, but while traveling through Syracuse to meet Jeff after work, we got caught in construction traffic at the 81/690 interchange. Fizz is quite familiar with downtown Syracuse and we were able to work our way through the city streets to pick up 690 again. Running about 15 minutes late picking up Jeff, I was worried that we would get to Camp Arrowhead late, but we arrived only slightly later than usual.

We pulled into parking lot and we were quickly joined by other Crankskins.com riders: Tommy, Jimmy, and EJ. EJ greeted us with his proverbial hand signal which must be a male-gesture of endearment and once again, came bearing gifts -- we came home with goodies from his garden, handpicked by the hands of his children.

Side note: EJ has out a new product for your seatpost. Check out this video promo.

On the start line for the experts race, Crankskins.com had five riders line up. My goals for the evening were to try to hang with the dudes at the start of the race and NOT get lapped by Jeff. Most of you who read this, know Jeff and know how fast he is on the SS. For me, any training ride that we do together is lovingly called a 'torture-fest' but tonight, I wanted to work on my starts again and really try to go out hard and hang with the dudes, yes, more torture. Jeff, Tommy, and EJ were all up front at the start and Jimmy and I entered the single track relatively close to one another. I am amazed at speed and quick reaction time they carry into the singletrack. My neurons just don't react that fast to the changing trail conditions...but, nonetheless, while Tommy, Jeff, and EJ all pushed the pace upfront, Jimmy passed me on the steepest climb on the course and I was left alone. Eventually, a sport rider came up on me and passed me. I worked hard to stay with him for four laps and credit this dude in gym shorts for pacing me throughout most of the race.

Towards the end of my second lap, I saw Jimmy pulled over working on his bike and although I was unsure at that moment what had happened, I later found out that he broke his chain and was unable to secure it to complete the race. Jimmy retired early and went home.

For the rest of us, Tommy lapped me on my 6th of 7 laps. At that time, he was in 3rd and I was able to keep sight on him enough to see that he closed a gap on the 2nd place guy and took the sprint for 2nd overall! Good job, Tommy.

I didn't get lapped by Jeff and when I finished my race, I saw him standing there with the other dudes. Everyone had smiles on their faces and everyone was satisfied with their performances -- no mechanicals and no mishaps. Jeff finished 6th again (need to confirm this and 2nd in his age group?) and not sure about EJ's placing, but his time was faster than the previous weeks. For me, I won the expert ladies race and swept the series. The series is best of three and now, we are done with the series since we have a lot of weekend racing the next month.

After we cleaned up, we found Moe's Southwest Grill in Victor to grab a quick burrito for the ride home. While there, Kim and "Grog" walked in (we call him "Grog" because of a misprint long ago on race results -- his real name is "Greg"). Looks like, we all had an appetite for Mexican food this evening.

Thanks to everyone who was out there cheering for us this evening -- Pete and Theresa (along with their cute doggies), Steve, Michelle, and little Owie. A lot of folks had tired legs from the Black Fly race, so many chose to take a break from the series.

One final shout out goes to our nephew, Johnathan, who got 8th place in the Ohio State Road 1/2/3 Race last weekend. He's only 18 and riding on junior gearing. He was the 2nd cat. 2 who rolled across the line! Looks like cycling is in the family blood! Good job, Johnathan!

Enjoy the pictures of the evening.

Next up for us is the first race in the NYS series at Williams Lake, and then race #3 in the H2H series. Send us good vibes.

Together, we are Jeffina, crankin' out the miles, crankin' out the love for Crankskins.com.

In Our Garden Grows.....

2010-06-16T06:00:00.000-07:00

Every summer since we have been married, the Jeffina takes pride in planting a vegetable garden. The garden is more or less based on trial and error, as we have no scientific formula for success. We proudly admit that we know little about the planting season, the changing moons, and any other folklore used by farmers. As mountain bikers with healthy appetites, we enjoy eating the rewards of our efforts knowing that the nutrients from the food that nourish our body is a result of our labor. We also tend to a compost bin and use the product of this to fertilize the garden. Each year, we try to grow a new plant/vegetable.

The Jeffina working hard in the garden

Growing up in West Virginia, we never had a vegetable garden, but for Jeff, his family had a garden large enough to supply his family with vegetables throughout the year. Because of this, I let him take the lead on organizing the garden and after that, I am the one who mainly weeds the garden and picks the harvest.

This year, our garden is doing well despite the tomato plight of last year and we are already enjoying arugula and spinach. Due to the tomato plight, we decided to experiment with a Topsy-Tursy contraption. This product was widely advertised on TV, as well as at our local hardware store, so we thought we would give it a shot. So far, so good.....

Below I have posted photographs of the plants in our garden. I will send a Crankskins.com sticker to the first person who can correctly identify the plants. Please leave your answers in the comments portion of our blog. Or, if you would prefer, I'll just give you a sticker the next time I see you out riding. Good luck!

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Together, we are Jeffina, crankin' out the miles, crankin' out the love for Crankskins.com.

Where the Wild Things Are

2010-06-14T07:34:00.000-07:00

As mountain bikers and in general, all cyclists know, we deal with not only changing trail/road conditions and environmental factors, but also mother nature and all her creatures while out on the trails.

This past week has been rather eventful for us and while I do not have photos to share, I will encourage readers to use their imaginations as you read along. My day begins by greeting my two girly-girls, i.e., cats, with "Good morning's" and hugs. Jeff always gives the girls their treats in the morning and evening. It is a routine now and if Jeff forgets, they do not. They pester him until they get their treat. Outside of our own pets, our neighbors harbor many stray cats and these cats often wander into our yard. I have names for them which describe their demeanors/physical features -- there is "mean kitty," "Oreo cookie kitty," and "hurt kitty." It is "hurt kitty" that breaks my heart every time I see her. She is a muted calico cat with a hurt front leg. It appears that it might have been broken at one time and never properly cared for. Like most animals, she seems to have adapted and gets along quite well, but I do worry about her inability to move quickly to protect herself.

The weather has been quite damp and soggy in this part of New York and last weekend, Jeff and I decided to go for a hike on a set of trails we often ride. At the slower hiking pace, we noticed these brightly colored little orange creatures about 3 inches in length. I thought they were some kind of reptile, but Jeff knew that they were some kind of newt. (Not sure if a newt is a reptile?) I squealed with delight like a small child and wondered if they could hear us? see us? The trail was littered with these little creatures and we carefully stepped around them to the best of our ability. As soon as we got home, we Googled this creature and found many images to back up Jeff's opinions.

The day before, Jeff was on a mountain bike ride and grazed by a nesting grouse. The creature must nest close to the ground and when Jeff came by, he must have startled the creature. Of course, Jeff was just as surprised and claims that the grouse almost went into his front wheel. Jeff and I always laugh about the one time years ago when New York had a mild earthquake. That day, I went for a road ride and I, too, was nearly taken out by a grouse that jumped on my back and in an attempt to swat the thing off my back, I almost took myself out. For some reason, I think that the animals were still recovering from the earth quake and perhaps, the sound of my bike startled this traumatized creature?

Last week, I rode into campus for all day meetings. I left the house at 7 a.m. and going down the road, I was greeted by a rather large German Shepherd dog. Now, this guy has a routine and I know it! During the day, he is never out, but his owners must let him out early in the day and he runs around in the farmer's fields. The week before, he completely came upon me out of no where, but this week I was looking for him. Once again, he saw me and came sprinting across the field. I let out a few dog commands, which seemed to slow him down, and he eventually crossed the road and went home.

Just yesterday, we were riding at Chenango Valley State Park and it was very wet and soggy. During our ride, we were met by a large brown lab with a big smile, big tongue, and low ears. We was very friendly and I would endearingly consider him a big goof-ball. He wanted to hang with us mountain bikers more than stay with his owner. He was dirty and wet, but so were we.....

Other animals sightings this past week include a red fox and many baby geese. The fox acted rather odd and Jeff indicated that we should keep moving. As for the baby geese as cute and fuzzy-wuzzy as they are, the parents are very protective and there's absolutely no way you can get close to them. Again, we just kept on moving.

If you are an animal lover, I hope you enjoyed our tales and if not, stay posted for more cycling-related posts. The lull in our racing is over and we will be back on the road for about the next month. We will do our last Park Ave. Training race tomorrow night and then compete in the first NYS series race and an H2H race in preparation of nationals.

I've got a lot of miles in my legs and have been very proactive with my stretching to care for my back.

Togehter, we are Jeffina, crankin' out the miles, crankin' out the love for Crankskins.com.

Park Ave. Training Race #2 Report

2010-06-09T12:53:00.000-07:00

Before I get to the race report, I'd like to thank the many of you who personally contacted/e-mailed me with well wishes for my brother. Chris is about the same, as he is still experiencing a good bit of pain, and due to his broken ribs and he must sleep upright. Sleeping upright in and of itself must be difficult enough when sleep is so vital for the healing process. He's been going into work for about 3 hours a day just to make his mind off of the situation. Chris recently accepted a new position at a Trek store and enjoys the cycling industry like no one person I know. I'm not sure who got into cycling first, but Chris and I equally share a love for the sport. It's a sport that Chris' son partakes in and it's the sport where I found Jeff. Chris, we're all sending you good vibes! Love you, bro! Set your sights on cyclocross season!

Earlier today, I sat down and penned the race report and for whatever reason, lost the majority of the post. It would be nearly impossible for me to recreate it, so I will just provide the highlights and lowlights of the evening's race.

We traveled to Rochester for race #2 of the Park Ave. Training series. Crankskin riders EJ and Tommy also showed. I love it when EJ shows up because it's like Christmas -- he always comes bearing gifts. Jeff got a new prototype stem and Tommy got some item still in its packaging. EJ showed off the sleek luggage carrier we will be taking to nationals covered in Crankskin signage. I love the EJ looks after his riders and cares about our well-being.

The race was delayed 30 minutes due to other events at the venue and for this reason, the race director shortened the expert race to 6 laps. Four expert women (including Anne who said, "I'm not sand bagging this week!") lined up with the men and the start was fast. I am trying to get faster starts and like the training series because I can work on improving my skills in a non-USAC race. We circled the ball field before heading into the singletrack and as I entered the woods, I saw where Jeff had come off his bike and was trying to get started again. Having a difficult time trying to find an opening, EJ belted out, "Get in, man!" I immediately lost sight of Jeff.

I had a solid race but found myself a bit more tentative than usual -- I still have thoughts about my brother swirling in my head and my conversation with mom before I left to pick up Jeff at work ended with, "Please be safe..." I never remember my mom saying that to me.

Jeff did not lap me last night but when I came through the finish area, I saw the look on Jeff's face. He was disgusted -- had a bad start, couldn't get around slower riders, ran into a tree in a slimey section of woods and in doing so, wracked his back, two fingers, and maybe bent his forks (and/or frame). He was not happy. Tommy ran into Jeff and even Tommy looked a bit shaken by the incident.

As we drove home listening to the relaxing voice of Norah Jones, we recounted our races for one another, but we were more quiet than usual. I often enjoy the silence and solitude that Jeff and I share. Yes, we are talkative and yes, we enjoy being together, but it's just as comforting sitting in silence knowing that my loved one is beside me.

Tonight, we are doing yoga to stretch and balance our bodies. The aging process seems to cause our bodies to retain imbalances, but we found yoga over the winter after I experienced my back problems. It was has been a wonderful addition to our weekly routines and I would suggest for anyone who wants to supplement their riding with strength and stretching.

Time to clean out water bottles.

Together, we are Jeffina, crankin' out the miles, crankin' out the love for Crankskins.com.

The Highs and Lows of Being Human

2010-06-06T07:25:00.000-07:00

Most of the time, this blog has been dedicated to the good things in our life. However, today's entry will be filled with a mix of emotions as yesterday was in many ways a good day and an equally bad day. Too often, people stray away from discussing/dealing with the more painful side of being human, but I believe it is healing to work through the full range of human emotion.

"Oh Brother, How art thou?"

My brother is my rock. He's a relatively laid-back dude with a keen sense of dorky humor who always reminds me that he's a big brother and I'm still the little sister. Even with my Doctoral degree in hand, I still get no respect. I am called, "Dr. Frina Tater-head." At least, I get the correct salutation. During my divorce, he never invaded 'my space' but stood quietly still if I needed him. As kids, we devoted ourselves to playing ping-pong on Friday nights, taco night when mom had classes, and board games on snow days. As we got older, Chris drove us back and forth to high school and in a typical school day fashion, we were always rushing around and I would be putting on make-up in the car as he would jokingly swerve the car forcing me to lose my grip on my lipstick and run it across my face.

Yesterday, though, I received a phone call from my mom during our mountain bike at Shidagin Hollow, near Ithaca. Usually, when mom calls during a ride, I'll say, "Let me call you back when we're done...." as I was about to say this, mom says, "You need to listen then....your brother was in a car accident and is being taken to the hospital." My brother and family were in Indianapolis for a weekend wedding. My brother was in the wedding party and during their ride to take pictures prior to the wedding, their limo was struck by a SUV at an intersection. The limo flipped on its side. Chris recalls the incident with, "...people were flying like rag dolls." Chris sustained a bruised lung and several broken ribs and the guy sitting beside my bro, died. Chris recounts that upon entering the limo, Chris and the guy who passed away offered to switch seats but Chris' knees were sore and therefore Chris decided to stay where he was. After Chris told me this and I hung up the phone, I cried like a baby.....I kept thinking, "What if, what if...." So, Chris if you read this, you are lucky and I love you! My best friend, Christina says, "You need to go play the lotto!" Jeff says, "Chris, you're just like a Timex -- you take a lickin' and keep on tickin'..."

Here's the link to the AP news story about the accident.

Chris' healing will take weeks and he will be off work for a while. I will keep tabs on him, but everyone needs to send him some good vibes.

"Country Roads"

Yesterday, the Jeffina headed to Shidagin Hollow with good friend, Paul from Endicott, to ride the trails. I have never been to Shidagin Hollow and for Jeff, it has been at least seven years. Shidagin Hollow is located near Ithaca and surrounded by beautiful, rolling hillsides. The air was heavy due to the rain from the night before but we set out to check out the trails. For me, I love new trails and I loved the adventure. On new trails, I can be somewhat cautious, but I found the trails to be well-marked, well-maintained, and to have great flow. We saw a few other mountain bikers who were also enjoying the day. From time to time, Paul gave us some historical background about the area, so not only were we doing something good for our bodies, but also with our minds. We rode for not quite 3 hours and agreed that we must return soon.

Afterwards, Jeff and I headed into Ithaca to eat at one of our favorite Mexican restaurants located next to the Commons area. To our surprise, the annual Ithaca Fest was going on and we were greeted by throngs of people. For anyone who has never been to Ithaca, imagine a city, home to Cornell University where some of the greatest thinkers in the world reside, yet mixed with an eclectic hippie community who resist the mainstream. As you might expect, the diversity makes this city a wonderful place to visit. The Jeffina are not fans of large crowds, but we did find a trio of performers, off the main path, performing under an awning. We stopped to take in the sounds and decided it was time to head home.

Right now, life is good for me. I am eating well, sleeping well (except for last night), and enjoying my garden. The riding is coming along and each day, I must care for my back.

Enjoy the photos of the day.

Together, we are the Jeffina, crankin' out the miles, crankin' out the love for Crankskins.com.

Read a Review about Crankskins

2010-06-03T07:41:00.000-07:00

For readers who are a unsure what a Crankskin actually is, check out the following review from Mountain Bike Rides, an online publication from the UK. There you will find pictures and a description of the set-up process, plus durability information.

EJ's products continue to receive very positive feedback! The Jeffina is very fortunate to ride with this team.

http://www.mountainbikerides.co.uk/reviews/58-accessories/244-crankskins.html

Remember, wrap your crank!

Together, we are Jeffina, crankin' out the miles, crankin' out the love for Crankskins.com.

Park Ave Training Race #1 Report

2010-06-02T07:43:00.001-07:00

The Jeffina traveled to Rochester yesterday with good friend, Fizz, and junior racer, Eli, for Park Ave. Bike's first race of their summer series. This training series is held at the same location as the fall cross race, so we had a pretty good idea of what to expect in terms of terrain. I am always amazed at how the seasons change the look and smells of the woods.

Held at YWCA Camp, we pulled in and saw many familiar faces, and were glad to see other Crankskins.com riders, Tommy and Jimmy. Later, EJ showed with very cute daughter, Hannah, in tow. I asked, "Where's the Chaser-man?" and EJ replied with, "He's only reserved for special occassions!" In total, Crankskins.com had four riders line up in the expert race.

Prior to the start of the race, the Jeffina were able to get in some warm up laps and were pleasantly surprised to find ourselves on familiar trails. The loop was about 2+ miles and had less climbing than the Farmall circuilt, but was completely tight, twisty singletrack. There was also a bridge that had steps leading into and off of the bridge. I did a typical cyclocross dismount and remount for the bridge, but others were able to lift their front wheels onto the bridge and ride off! The race director, Teddy, did an awesome job picking out the loop. Despite the rain we had earlier in the day, the course was in relatively good condition.

Anyone who knows me well knows that tight, twisty singletrack is not my forte. Jeff's handling skills are amazing and I find that each year, his handling continues to improve. Call me a girl (or whatever you want to call me), but I struggle with certain elements of racing, but I am always willing to work on those weak areas. This course would definitely test my single track skills.

Unlike the Farmall series where expert women do the same amount of laps as sport men, the Park Ave. series has expert women riding the same amount of laps as the expert men. I personally enjoyed the longer race last night and felt it more closely resembled a typical weekend race.

The expert women lined up in back of the expert men and after a few words from young race director, Teddy, and GROC board member, Bruce (who nearly severed his finger off last weekend OUCH!), we were off. There was a mad dash to the entry of the woods and as one would assume, there was also a back up at the mouth of the trail. People were pleasant and everyone single-filed onto the single-track. The expert ladies stayed together relatively close through the end of the first lap. I knew that I would be out there longer than the previous races, so I tried ride a reserved race. I had a lot of miles in my legs from the past days, and knew my limitations. I was able to steadily pull away during the 2nd lap and stayed off the front through the finish. On my 6th lap, hunky husband Jeff came riding by on the steepest part of the course. He gave me plenty of notice, but I chose a line that forced him to almost stall his SS....I felt bad, but afterwards, he told me that he was able to get it rolling again. Jeff finished in 6th overall and 2nd in his age group. When I came rolling across the line, Jeff was standing there waiting for me (which made me really happy) and we both thanked the race director and the owner of Park Ave. for a wonderful evening. We hope to get in maybe one more race of this series, but will be determined by how we feel after the weekend races.

Overall, this course and the race organization get an "A+" from the Jeffina.

Rochester has great areas to ride and a very strong riding community. If you're ever traveling through the area definitely take time out to enjoy the trails.

Together, we are the Jeffina, crankin' out the miles, crankin' out the love for Crankskins.com.

The Cookie Ride

2010-05-31T16:36:00.001-07:00

A couple of times each year, we travel to Fair Haven, NY for a laid-back 30 mile ride on the rail-trail. Fair Haven is located a bit west of Oswego on route 104A and is a charming little village located on one of Lake Ontario's bay shores. Due to the Memorial Day weekend, the Jeffina had put in a lot of saddle time and this ride seemed like the perfect recovery ride for this day. The rail-trail itself is home to many swampy and marshy areas which makes it a haven for mosquitoes, but also for other types of creatures, such as turtles, snakes, beavers, and an occasional wild turkey. The weather south of Syracuse was predicted to reach in the low 90's so we headed north towards the cooler waters of Lake Ontario and to keep our legs spinning. The best part of this ride is the Fly By Night Cookie Shop located right next door to the home of Jeff's good friend, Brandon. Brandon deserves a couple of sentences here because he was the one who introduced us and came to our wedding, as well. For quite a few years, Brandon and Jeff (who are about the same age) regularly duked it out during races and it was always a toss up who would beat the other on any given day. Today, though, we all embarked together for a fun ride with no competition and only friendly conversation based on all the years that we have known one another.

The ride itself was fairly uneventful, but afterwards, we commenced to enter the Fly By Night Cookie shop next door. As we did, we were all sharing with one another the type of cookie we wanted to purchase and take home. I am a fan (and great lover) of Bonnie's world famous "P.M.S." cookie. No, you don't have to be a woman to enjoy this cookie. You only have to love chocolate, more chocolate, topped off with mint icing. Jeff was more focused on other varieties and even picked up a loaf of homemade multi-grain bread made earlier in the day by the hand's of Brandon's partner.

After swarming the cookie store like a bunch of ravenous cyclists, we walked back to Brandon's place and basked in the sun sippinng on beer and water with lemon (for me) as we enjoyed the brisk lake breeze coming off the water's edge. Jeff and Brandon even tentatively planned a trip to the Kingdom Trails in Vermont later this summer and spoke of learning the banjo.

For anyone riding (or driving) to Fair Haven, this mystical little store is a must to see and the surrounding community is just as charming.

Tomorrow, we are headed to Rochester for another training race. I have a lot of miles in my legs and will definitely feel somewhat fatigued, but Jeff is riding great, feeling great, and looking to do well.

Enjoy the photos of the day.

Together, we are Jeffina, crakin' out the love, crankin' out the miles for Crankskins.com.

Memorial Day Memories

2010-05-30T18:16:00.000-07:00

The root of memorial is "memory" or "remembering" and for this reason, this particular post will be about racing/biking memories of years past. I am always fond of Memorial Day because it is the official start of summer and living in the north east, summer cannot come soon enough for me. I was born and raised in West Virgina and my internal clock tells me that spring should arrive in late March and summer should be here by early May. However, in the northeast, this is not the case and by the time that Memorial Day comes, I expect warm weather. We are fortunate that this is the case this weekend.

Years ago, Memorial Day usually entailed my running of the Elby's 20k Distance Race in my hometown. I started running as a young girl and by the time I was 12 y.o., I was running 10k, 15k, and 20k races. The Elby's distance race itself was followed by an awards bangquet and for the next few days as I recovered, we attended family picnics. My brother, Chris, (See follower's below) and I were always invited to my step-mother's sister's house for a picnic. Often times, Chris and I would ride our bikes (yes, after running a 20k race) to this picnic. Living in WV, one could imagine that there are big hills, mountains, and a general undulation of the topography. Chris and I would ride our bikes to this picnic, hang out for a few hours, and ride our bikes home. It was always a race, always competition between us. In many ways, I credit my brother with my drive to compete, race, and do well. I was the little sister always trying to keep up with my big brother.

By the time I started cycling at 20 y.o., Memorial Day usually meant a 3-day block of racing. As an undergraduate student, I often traveled to Dayton, OH for a couple days of crit racing. Later, I would go to Canada for an afternoon crit and head off to a stage race which started later that afternoon. I have fond memories of Dayton, OH. I would cram into a hotel room with several of my racing teammates, separate out the mattress from the box springs and we would spend the next few days racing, recovering, and eating. As an undergraduate, I always enrolled in summer courses (or took an overload during the regular semester) and I very quickly learned time management skills to fit in my training and studies. To this day, I must compartmentalize my time.

More recently, Memorial Day itself does not always consist of a race, but usually a good ride and a picnic, but I still attempt to chase down Jeff (which is nearly impossible) with the same fever that I would try to chase down my brother.

This year, Memorial Day leads us directly into the month of June and June is a very special time of year for the Jeffina. We met at the Raccoon Rally race eight years ago. We met through a mutual friend who had coordinated this weekend trip. I remember meeting Jeff for the first time thinking, "He's a really nice guy...." Then, after the race, Jeff and I walked around for a while and he bought me a hot dog for $1. Yes, we still laugh about this moment because there's a misnomer that men can buy a woman's heart with expensive gifts, but for me, when he opened his wallet and pulled out the dollar bill, I was thrilled. After the race weekend ended, I didn't talk to him for 3 weeks and doubt if I would've called him if it hadn't been for a freak bicycle accident. Jeff got hit by a car and I was informed through our mutual friend about this. I immediately called Jeff as a concerned fellow cyclist and during his time home recovering, we started to spend time together....the rest is history.

Today, we did a great 3 1/2 hour loop on our mountain bikes with good friend, Paul, from Endicott. The loop had a little bit of everything -- road, dirt road, double-track, single-track, and hike-a-bike sections with 3200 ft of climbing. It was awesome! My back held up and I'm finally putting in some saddle time, losing some weight, and hope to be in better shape for the next big race at Williams Lake.

The ivy of poison has once again invaded my body. Unlike last year where my legs got infected, I am trying my best to keep the area washed and using a topical spray. Let's hope it doesn't spread.....

On a non-cycling related issue, my book chapter came out about 2 weeks ago. The chapter was published in a book entitled, "Positive Peace: Reflections on Peace Education, Nonviolence, and Social Change." Look for my chapter to fall directly under 'social change.'

Together, we are Jeffina, crankin' out the miles, crankin' out the love for Crankskins.com.

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Racing Round-Up and Other Good Things

2010-05-27T07:04:00.000-07:00

Jeffina raced this past Sunday in Lagrangeville, NY in the H2H mountain bike series. We decided last year to try this series even though most of the races necessitate that we drive 3-3 1/2 hours one-way to compete. The level of competition is very high at these races and we felt that it was important for us to attend these races to raise our abilities. Last year, we did about 3-4 races of the series; this year, we are dedicated to this series, as well as to the NYS series.

The course was a 5.5 mile loop and the cat. 1 racers did 3 laps. We were pleased that the course was dry, in contrast to last year where there were sections that was a soupy mess. Living in the northeast tests our abilities as the weather and terrain are always so varied.

Jeff races in the singlespeed (SS) division which is an open division and in my mind, one of the most difficult. Yes, as the word implies, he uses one gear and before every race, he has to make a judgment about the cog/gear that he will use to compete. For those of you who have never done this, it is a true physical test. I've only done one single-speed race and had a blast, but this is Jeff's beast and he finds the challenge of this type of racing as a fall back to when he was a child and had a one-geared bike that he rode around the neighborhood. In the SS race, Jeff's well-respected friend, Brian, took the win and for Jeff personally, he was riding with another competitor and it came down to a sprint for 3rd or 4th place. Jeff has incredible leg speed, but his competition beat him into the final stretch of single track which forced Jeff at the end to attempt to come around him. Jeff lost 3rd place by 1/100th of a second. So far in the series, Jeff has a 3rd and 4th place finish.

By the time Jeff was picking up our bottles from our fabricated water station, I was coming down to the end of my race. I've had a slow start to my race season. During the winter, I was plagued with low back problems. I wasn't able to get in the training I needed and as school wraps up, I am starting to get in more saddle time, while being ever so cautious of protecting the back, which is a constant reminder every morning I wake up. Oh the joys of getting old.....I had a solid race and was riding with the top gals on the first lap. The downhill was pretty technical for me and I made a few bobbles which allowed Marianne to go around me. I was never able to close down the gap after that. On my last and final lap, Ellen passed me which means that I was now in 4th place. I knew that I was doing the best I could do. I was able to close the gap between myself and Ellen on the last part of the climb and knew I had to 'let it hang out' on the final descent. Ellen it such a great technical rider that I was certain that she'd be able to chase me down on the descent. Luckily, I held me own and was able to roll across the line in 3rd place. Great! So far, two 3rd place finishes in the series. Nothing shabby at all the women in my age group are by far, some of the most talented riders I've ever seen.

Two days later, we traveled to Rochester for the final race in the Farmall Tuesday night series. Jeff and I participated in the first race in the 3 race series, missed the 2nd race, and competed in the final race. We were still somewhat tired and fatigued from Sunday's race, but wanted to see our friends at the final race. What a beautiful evening we had and what a great turnout for a mid-week series. The Farmall race course is held on private property and encompasses a roller-coaster type of 2 mile loop....lots of gut busters and fun rollers through the woods and back into the open fields. RV & E bikes puts on these Tuesday night race series and have done so for quite a while now. We use the spring series to ramp up our training, as the course and the competition tests our anaerobic levels. The races are short and intense -- for the gals, we do 5 laps and I have finished in about 58-59 minutes and for Jeff, he does 7 laps in about 1:08. I had what I would call "a sloppy race." The speed and the traction (due to the dryness of the course) coupled with my tiredness from Sunday's race had me over shooting turns, riding into the weeds, and even wussy out on one short descent. Ugh! Not a good day, but I did hold on to win the ladies race and due to my win two weeks earlier, I also won the series. Since there is no SS division, Jeff races in the open men's race where all men race together and then are broken out by age groups. Imagine Jeff spinning his brains out at the beginning of the race as dudes on their geared bikes vie for a good position heading into the single track. Jeff and I have a personal competition to see how long I can hold him off -- he always laps me -- but, I held him off a little longer this week and when he goes by me, he always has a nice thing to say to me and I cheer him on....he finished 3rd (maybe 4th??) overall and in the overall series, he got 2nd in the 40-49 age group. Local strong man Andy A. took the overall win for tis age group. By the way, where was Anne A. on Tuesday night? I love racing with Anne. One summer, we did a 6 hour race series together and Anne was the best teammate! We also missed our great team manager, EJ, (GO RIDE MF!), who was home watching the peanuts. See you next week, EJ, at the Park Ave. series?

One our way home, I called good girl friend, Christina, who lives down state, to check on her progress. She's been plagued my low iron and elevated heart rate. She's my rock and we try to help each other as much as possible. If anyone has any ideas to help her out, feel free to post your thoughts under the comment section.

By the time we got home Tuesday evening and showered, it was 11:30 and both of us were up early the next morning. I had a workshop at school and Jeff had work. I rode my bike there and left the house at 6:50....as tired as I was, it was a beautiful morning. Jeff met me on my bike on the way home on the road Tuesday evening and even carried my backpack for me. We rode side-by-side and talked about our day. He always makes me feel better about myself.

Check out our photos from Tuesday night! Thanks fellow Crankskin.com teammate Tommy and his lovely wife, Chelsea, for getting these to us.

Long weekend ahead for us -- we get four days together with no school work, no work, and just time working on the yard, garden, cookout, and of course, lots of riding! Maybe even a cookie ride in Fair Haven?

Collectively, we are Jeffina, crankin' out the miles, crankin' out the love for Cranksins.com.

Introduction to Crankin' out the love, Crankin' out the miles for Crankskins.com

2010-05-25T06:50:00.000-07:00

This blog will capture the many elements of our life together. We are a husband and wife who love riding/racing mountain bikes, we love traveling, and most importantly, we love each other very deeply. Readers can expect to read stories about any of these things, as well as mentioning of our friends and families (but always in a positive light).

I'm a academician which means that I am tired of the rigors and demands of scholarsip on faculty and will purposefully stray away from formal writing and look to engage readers with a more humorous side of our lives. My other half doesn't like to type and I have been 'volunteered' to do most of the writing on this blog, but his voice will still be heard.

Together, we are Jeffina.