6 Hours of Power (HOP) Race Report

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

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....

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

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

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

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

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.