Traveling High in Colorado (Part 2)

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

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!

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

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!

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.....

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!

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.