Erie 80
Event: Erie 80- 80K mountain bike race
Where: Port Jervis, NY
When: October 2016
The Erie 80 was an inaugural event in Port Jervis, with the intention to showcase the ever evolving and newly worked on trails in the area. Put on by DJ Birch, a crazy single speeder that Joël and I met many years ago at Trans-Sylvania Mountain Bike Epic, we knew we were in for a challenging but yet fun event.
Challenging it was, fun not some much. The trails were amazing, the volunteers excellent, and who doesn't appreciate a bottle of whisky hidden in a "trick-or-treat" bag mid race. But it was just one of those days where things suck.
Liv Cycling embodies the idea of 'Actually, I Can' where there is a moment you decide whether to meet your fears or retreat; a battle of determination, of will, of spirit. Yesterday had many of those moments at the Erie 80 mountain bike race.
People always comment how at races I am smiling, happy, and cheerful. Well, this race was definitely not one of those days. It took everything I had just to start (I told Joël I would be perfectly happy getting back in the van and going home). It was cold, my body was tired from a tough season of racing, I knew it was going to be a long day on the bike.
For the first portion of the race my fingers were so cold I could barely shift and depress my brake levers. For those that know me I am not a happy camper when it's cold. This made me miserable.
Then came the back issues. Maybe it was being cold, maybe it was the constant jarring from the rough course, or maybe being tense from all the sketchy, off camber roots and trail...whatever it was my back hurt. I stopped at the 25 mile cut-off and took some time to seriously consider if I was going to keep riding. I decided to suck it up and go out for the second lap.
And let's throw in constant gut issues the entire race. I knew I had to keep drinking and eating but everything I consumed made my belly rumble and gave me fear that I would have to run into the forest to relieve myself. Not a fun feeling.
So the characteristic smile was not there. There was no chipper chit-chatting with fellow racers like I usually do. I barely even sang songs to myself (a little Ozzie or Wheezer sung out loud always cheers me up).
But in the end I kept riding. I decided that #ActuallyICan suck it up and battle through the negative thoughts and keep going. I decided that I can #LivBeyond the feeling that this sucks and keep pushing towards the finish. I pulled myself out of that deep, dark, hole and kept riding the best I could and managed to keep things together for a 2nd place finish.
Thanks to everyone at the race for putting together a great event. I may not have had the best of days but overall it was a top-notch event with a challenging course with beautiful views.