Races, friends, family, and adventures; 2017 in review

2017 in Review



2017 was filled with many races, awesome riding trips, vanlife trips, family riding adventures, great rides with friends, and fun-filled Liv Ambassador events. And that's why we cycle, to enjoy life and all of it's adventures. That's #HowWeLiv.


Racing
2017 brought some changes for us; team affiliations changed at the end of 2016. This year, sporting the kits of Liv Cycling for myself and Bicycling Magazine for Joël; we each also returned to our roots, racing under the support of Saucon Valley Bikes. As for the race season, overall Joël and I both feel good about the year. Sure, there were some disappointing races and some races didn't go as planned but all in all we feel 2017 was a success. Those not-so-spectacular races were a bummer when they happened but were a great way to learn about how to improve for the future.  24 hour races (Old Pueblo, Hardcore 24, and RVA 24) were our main focus; doing well at those being our top goals for the year.  Besides those events, the Trans-Sylvania Mountain Bike Epic (TSE) Stage race and numerous other marathon and endurance events were key races on our schedule.  We raced hard, put in good efforts, and accomplished many of our goals. And of course while always enjoying the journey. Race results for 2017 as follows:

Jess
5th open women: 24 Hours Old Puelbo; Tuscon, AZ: Feb 18 through19
No real results, just a fun race; IIGO MASS Relay; Marysville, PA; April 2
2nd open women: Rattlin' Marathon; Rattling Creek, PA; April 9
1st open women; Leesburg Bakers Dozen; Leesburg, VA: April 22
1st open women; Shenanduro 6 Hour; VA; May 13
7th GC women; Trans-sylvania Mountain Bike Epic Stage race; May 25 through 29
2nd open women; Rothrock Trail Mix Long Course; Boalsburg, PA; June 10
2nd open women; Volvo Endurance Series Michaux Maxiums; Shippensburg, PA: June 11
1st open women; 6 Hours at Woodstock; Patapsco, MD; June 25
2nd open women; Michaux Curse of Dark Hollow; Gettysburg, PA; July 16
1st solo female; Hardcore 24; 1st solo female; Naples, NY: July 23 through 24
1st open female; Big Bear Ultra; Bruceton Mills, WV; Aug 5
1st overall female; ADK 80K; Lake Placid, NY; Aug 27
1st overall female; Kingston Marathon XC Championships; Kingston, ON, Canada; Sept 2
2nd overall female; Volvo Endurance Series Michaux Terror of Teaberry; Shippensburg, PA; Sept 10
2nd overall female in the Volvo Endurance Series Long Course (30 miler) overall series championship
1st overall solo female; RVA 24; Maidens, VA: Oct 7 through 8

Joël
Something new for Joël this year, he raced single speed most of the year.
7th solo men; 24 Hours Old Puelbo; Feb 18 and 19
IIGO MASS Relay; April 2
6th single speed; Rattlin' Marathon; April 9
2nd open men; Leesburg Bakers Dozen; April 22
1st open men; Shenanduro 6 Hour; May 13
4th single speed; Trans-sylvania Mountain Bike Epic Stage race; May 25 through 29
1st single speed; Rothrock Trail Mix Marathon; June 10
2nd single speed; Volvo Endurance Series Michaux Maxiums; June 11
1st single speed; 6 Hours at Woodstock; June 25
2nd single speed; Michaux Curse of Dark Hollow; July 16
2nd solo male; Hardcore 24; July 23 through 24
2nd single speed; Big Bear Ultra; Aug 5
2nd overall male; ADK 80K; Aug 27
1st single speed; Kingston Marathon XC Championships; Sept 2
1st single speed; Volvo Endurance Series Michaux Terror of Teaberry; Sept 10
1st single speed in the Volvo Endurance Series year end championship in the Long Course (30 miler) division
1st in division, 2nd overall male; RVA 24; Oct 7 through 8

Traveling Adventures
Sure we race, that is our main focus, but we also just really enjoy riding our bikes and use them as a way to see the world.  Probably one of the best cycling adventures for the year, and probably rates up there as one of the best cycling adventures ever, was the weekend with family and friends riding the Pine Creek Gorge Rail Trail.  The riding was amazing as was the fun times with others. Beautiful scenery, great lunch stop, tons of Bald Eagles, and lots of laughter made for great memories. Riding the trail at night allowed for spectacular sightings of wildlife and an awesome view of the "Grand Canyon of PA".
As for road trips this year, driving to and from Old Pueblo (PA to AZ) is an adventure that will never be forgotten.  Many nights sleeping in the van at rest stops and shopping plaza parking lots.  Stops along the way to ride and hike with Clifford.  Meals prepped and cooked along the side of the road; many times in the cold and in the dark. This adventure had it's high times and it's low times; but that is what makes adventures and memories.
Racing and training are just as much about the riding as they are about the travels, the locations, and getting to visit amazing places.

Friends
Camping trips with friends, regular weekly rides, organized group rides, and the usual "van city" at TSE is what brings friends together to ride.  Whether it be the cold Stokesville weekend, hanging out in the tent during the rain at Forbes State Forest,  the annual RB Winter trip, or riding destination trips with others we always look forward to these times with friends.  Reconnecting with old friends, making new friends, and hanging out with the regulars is one of the many things about cycling we really enjoy.


Liv Ambassador
The Liv Ambassador program is such an awesome thing. Through the support of Liv Cycling and Saucon Valley Bikes, I held numerous clinics and seminars in 2017 that helped empower and enabled women to become more confident on their bikes. Flat fixing clinics, endurance riding, and winter clothing were in shop events.  Rides such as skills clinics helped women learn more about cycling and gain the skills and confidence to ride farther and more technical terrain than before and the social ice cream rides were a great way to have fun and enjoy the company of others while getting to stop for a spectacular mid-ride treat.  What an amazing program Liv has developed; I am honored and happy to be part of it.

Clifford
Last but not least is Clifford. Really, he should be the first thing listed on this blog post since everything we do revolves around Clifford. Riding when it's freezing cold out- done so that Cliff gets out.  Revamping the van set-up for sleeping- changed with Cliff in mind to make sure he has the best sleeping area. Choosing what races to do- if it's not dog friendly we have a hard time putting it on our schedule.  We travel everywhere as the Nankman family, and that means Cliff comes with us. He is our training partner, our traveling companion, and our snuggle partner when waking up in the cold van.  The Nankman Adventures in Cycling really do revolve around Cliff. And we tend to think he enjoys it also.

So that's it, 2017 in summary. A year of far travels, lots of races, time with friends and family, adventures with Clifford, Liv Cycling...and all that these things bring to our lives- joy, adventure, and challenges.  Here's to wrapping up an awesome 2017 and looking forward to a great 2018.

-Jess (and Joël)

It's Not Always Smiles, Laughter, and Beautiful Scenery

It's Not Always Smiles, Laughter, and Beautiful Scenery

I recently read a post on the Liv Cycling webpage/Facebook page by fellow Liv Ambassador Lesley Paterson about social media and the impressions we get about others via the brief moments of their lives they share with us.  It goes into how what we see on the internet is really only a microcosm of what people are like and what they do and often it is the better highlights of their life.  Rarely do they share the horrible selfies, the not-so-spectacular scenery, and the events that went wrong.  As the article states, this concept is coined "impression management".


Reading this article got me thinking about my own social media use. I'm not a big user of Facebook or Instagram.  I don't use and really don't understand Twitter or Pinterest.  I have a Strava account but rarely make rides public.  Heck, Joël and I still have flip phones.  And why? Because we like to keep things simple, we don't like to get caught up in others drama and in trying to "keep up with the Joneses".  We enjoy seeing what everyone is doing but we don't want to judge our workouts, our races, or our lives for that matter based on what others are doing.  We often refer to Facebook as "wastepage" because it can be such a time sucker.  This outlook helps us not get sucked the self-criticism that comparing lives via social media can lead to.


But...then the more I thought about it the more I realized that despite my minimal usage of social media and the fact that I don't get caught up in following others "impression management" I am just as guilty as most at posting the highlights.  Now, don't get me wrong.  Just as I portray in posts, I truly do enjoy riding, go on many awesome riding trips, and always try to race with a smile on my face.  Both Joël and I will post photos and reports of rides that maybe were not ideal, had negative moments, and challenged adversity in someway.  We still find the positive in these outings, but there are also many deep, dark moments that are not filled with smiles and joy; they are in fact quite the opposite. Some of the smiling moments also have a dark side. In the spirit of debunking the "impression management" persona, I thought I would share some of the bad times to show that not everything is the Nankman's cycling lives is always smiles, laughter, and beautiful scenery.

Hard Core 24 Sure, I won this race. And when you look at my social media posts about it I'm smiling and look like I just had a great time on the bike. I did, there certainly were many awesome moments.  But, what cameras didn't catch was me vomiting next to the van at around 3am and then only be able to keep down liquids for the rest of the race.  Many of my last few laps I walked a good portion due to such severe back pain; in fact I had to stop and lay down between laps to give my back a break.  I even cried my way though portions of laps due to the pain.  No pictures to capture these moments, but they were a big part of my race.

Winter riding Many of the social media posts have shown Joël, Cliff, and I galavanting in the snow. Riding along in a winter wonderland. Looking like it's the best time in the world.  Yes, winter riding can be enjoyable but in fact a good portion of the time it's miserable due to cold temps, snow and rain, and slippery trail conditions. If you see a picture of me riding in the snow, most likely I was probably objecting to stopping for the photo because of getting cold and not wanting to put my feet down in the snow as to not get my cleats all filled with chunky frozen goobers. I can hear myself now "really, another photo, this sucks, can we just get this ride over with and get home"


Erie 80 This race is in a great venue and put on by a great group of people, but personally speaking was a horrible experience for me.  It was cold, really cold.  It was late in the season and the motivation to race was just not there.  I sat in the van prior to the start and practically cried telling Joël I just didn't want to do it.  For most of the first portion of the race my fingers were so cold I had trouble shifting and braking; which is not ideal on a technically demanding course.  The race was long and challenging with rough-cut single track, I rode by myself most of the time, and just didn't want to be there. But, I pushed through all the bad thoughts and rode on. Sure, I made it on the podium and was smiling for the photo but a good portion of the day I was cursing, feeling miserable, and just wanted to go home.

24 Hours in the Old Pueblo Arizona should be warmer than Pennsylvania in Winter, right?  Not the time we did Old Pueblo.  Temps near freezing during the night laps, with rainy, muddy, and just down right miserable conditions to be out there. Both Joël and I were determined to ride the entire 24 hours, and we did. In fact, I even had to go out well past the 24 hour mark.  Due to the finish time rule of having to complete your last lap after the 24 hour mark; which I stupidly didn't know about.  I came through the finish area ready to stop with my last lap ending just before 24 hours and was told if I didn't go out for another lap I would be a DNF.  Thinking I was done I didn't grab any more food or water on my way through the pits.  Could you imagine the look on my face, one of complete despair, when I was told I had to go out. I wandered around the finish tent asking for food and water.  Tired, cold, hungry and miserable I went out for one more lap.




Having to ask bystanders help me with the zipper of my windvest at a race because my hands were too cold to move my fingers, having a trail-side meltdown and then arguing with Joël in the middle of the forest, waking up in the van to sub-freezing temperatures and being too cold to cook on the camp stove...thus eating cold pre-made meals from the local run-down gas station in the front seat of the van while sitting in the parking lot are all other events that just didn't make it on social media; but maybe the smiles from the podium, the picture of the beautiful scenery, or the happy couple seen a few moments before or after did.


As one of my co-workers said to me the other day after I told her I wimped out and didn't ride to work on a cold, wet day "wow Jess, you really are human".  So always remember that the next time you are perusing your favorite social media site; not all that you see meets the eye, not everyone is as super-human as they appear.  I've given you examples of Joël and I putting our best foot forward even though behind the scenes not all is as perfect as it seems.  Don't get caught up in what others do and don't always feel like you need to keep up with others.  You shouldn't ever feel that you aren't good enough, strong enough, or fast enough based on what others have to display. That Strava segment may be during a sprint set for one person and at the end of a all-day epic ride for another.  No one is really as awesome as social media makes them seem, they all have bad days and bad moments. And so do I.

-Jess

RVA 24; 24 hours of riding means pizza, beer, and anti-inflammatories

RVA 24; 24 hours of riding means pizza, beer, and anti-inflammatories

What: RVA24- 24 hour mountain bike race
Where: Maidens, VA
When: October 7-8, 2017 (noon to noon)

Placing: Joël 1st "solo male" category (but 2nd overall male), Jess 1st overall solo female along with 1st "solo female" category

Video: Stop motion video to right, click on to play

It's Monday morning. While Joël and I drive back from Virginia we just can't stop eating. No matter what we eat we just aren't satiated.  We also are having a hard time walking due to sore legs; well, in fact just moving is tough. Every muscle aches.  It's mildly uncomfortable to sit due to chafing in rather sensitive areas.  Ah, the day after a 24 hour race.

RVA 24 (and RVA 6) is a reincarnation of the previous 18 Hours/6 Hours of Scouts Honor.  Held at the Heart of Virginia Scout Camp in Maidens, Virginia this is a must-do race for anyone looking to do a team or solo 6 or 24 hour race.  Camping at the race site (directly along the course) all weekend, perfect 24 hour trails (just challenging enough but not too much when tired), and amazing post-race food (full breakfast cooked by the boyscouts) are key to a good event.  Hot showers, constantly up-dated electronic timing, racer goodie bags, and unique awards round out all that is awesome about this event.  Add in a dedicated race staff (kudos to Billy and Bill), friendly and helpful volunteers (big thanks to the great course marshals on the last lap), and racers who just love riding their bikes and you can't ask for a better event to be at. Oh yes, I almost forgot. The aid station "aliens" and middle of the night chickens.  These fun creatures make the night laps go by that much faster.  

The last 24 hour race Joël and I did was Hardcore 24 in June of this year.  Sure, we had a good race in the fact that we both topped the podium but we were not happy with ourselves.  We both slept quite a bit during the night laps and didn't race until the very end.  This gave us a feeling of unfinished business.  Our goal for RVA24 was to make sure we put in a 100% effort.  Sleep only if absolutely needed and ride until the end.

And that is what we did.  It was hot and never really cooled down at night, so staying hydrated and not overexerting ourselves was a primary concern.  We consumed calories, rehydrated, and rode at a conservative and constant effort as planned.  Chains were lube, lights charged, and kits changed when needed. We each took a few minutes to sit down and rest here and there but kept going consistently until about 4:30am.  At just about this time it started raining and Joël and I arrived at our pit area/tent at the same time. With the start of the rain we heard reports about the course, with it's many off-camber roots, getting slippery and people going down. Joël and I were tired, both physically and mentally, and knowing the rain was just a passing shower we decided to take a quick nap while the rain passed through.

This worked perfectly. About an hour later the rain stopped, we were rested a bit, and back out we went. A few more laps and we were finished.  We each rode until we knew based on timing we couldn't get any more laps in; in fact Joël finishing with terrible leg cramps. Goal accomplished; no feeling of unfinished business after this 24 hour race.  We each rode until a final clock time of approximately 23 hours; Joël putting in 21 laps for 174 miles; myself 20 laps for 166 miles. We both feel good about those numbers 

Now, in our sleep-deprived state it was time for all the post-race events.  Hot showers thanks to the boy scout camp followed by breakfast supplied by the race along with awards.  Then breaking down our pit area and packing up the van.  People always ask us if we drive home after all of this. No way! We find a hotel that is close by which has comfy beds, lots of TV stations, and a local italian restaurant that delivers.  Well deserved pizza, candy, beer, and ibuprofen  are consumed and then we sleep.  We earned it.

-Jess

A family event- Pine Creek Gorge Rail Trail Ride

Pine Creek Rail Trail and the Pine Creek Gorge

Where: Wellsboro to Jersey Shore, the entire trail
When: September 2017

Joël and I do much of our riding with racing in mind. We are logging miles, watching our heart rates, checking elevation. This ride was not about any of that, it was about a family event.  Riding with friends and family while enjoying the day and helping others meet their goals. By far, one of the best rides I have ever been on.

To set the stage, what is a rail trail. A rail trail is an old railroad bed that has been converted into a walking/biking/maybe horseback riding path. Usually the surface is crushed and packed cinders or may be paved.  There are no climbs, just a gentle low grade (a few percent) one way or the other.

A few of my family members and family friends are rail trail junkies. They travel all over the East Coast to ride different rail trails.  My mom, Uncle Bart, and family friend Jayne made it their goal this year to ride the entire Pine Creek trail, from North to South, covering the entire 63 miles in one day.  A family adventure weekend was set in motion and off we went to ride.
















To do the trail one way we needed to shuttle vehicles.  One vehicle was left at the southern end in Jersey Shore.  The other vehicle, the van Joël and I have, then transported everyone and their bikes to the northern end where we were starting. But...Joël and I opted NOT to be driven back to our van after reaching Jersey Shore. Since everyone else was heading straight home after the ride, Joël and I opted to save them time and effort and just ride back up to our van. That would mean a 126 mile ride for us.  Hey, it's good training.

I will note, if you want to do the trail and not drive your own vehicles around like this, there is a local outfitters that will shuttle your vehicles for you (for a fee of course).

This weekend was not only about riding, it was also about fun times with friends and family. The night before the ride we visited Colton Point to check out the views of the Pine Creek Gorge and then had dinner at Burnin Barrel Bar just outside Wellsboro. Super good food, great beer selection, and just a unique place to hangout and eat. Recommended by all of us I am sure.

Ride morning started with nice temps (low 60s) but was foggy. The first eight or so miles are along swampy, wet farmland which created fog in that area both in the morning and during the night ride on the way back.  Cows, goats, and serene fields dotted the landscape.

The Pine Creek Gorge was the geographical highlight of the trip.  It is commonly known as "The Grand Canyon of Pennsylvania".  Steep slopes and rock outcroppings line both sides of the trail.  Not uncommon to see Bald Eagles in this area, which we did.  Through this section there is a horse and wagon ride that parallels the trail and whitewater rapids occur on the Pine Creek. If one is only going to ride a small section of the rail trail this would be my top recommendation.

After this the trail meanders slightly away from being directly on the bank of the Pine Creek as it passe through quaint, charming towns.  In one of these areas is where we stopped for lunch at Wolfe's General Store. The sandwiches are amazing! The country store has all the supplies needed to continue the ride and lots of knick knacks and souvenir type  items. Good place to refuel and fill bottle.  After a relaxing lunch sitting outside stuffing our bellies, we were ready to continue onward.

From here on south we hit a few more little villages. There were impressive rails bridges that the trail went over with a few great views of the Pine Creek.  But in general, we were now away from the river and just on what one may consider a typical "rail trail". Along with the villages, houses skirted the trails along with the occasional farm and even roadway.  We could tell we were getting close to Jersey Shore.

Just before Jersey Shore the trail becomes paved and all of sudden there is a major highway to cross.  Just after that the final kicker of a small incline and then the parking lot at the end looms in the distance. For many of our group that signaled the end...for Joël and I it was just the midpoint.

Besides the great views, tasty lunch stops, and nicely graded surface, there are many other great attributes of the Pine Creek Trail that make it worth riding. Clean bathrooms are located at numerous locations directly along the trail. Potable water pumps are far and few between, but at least they are present.  We were fine since it was cool but on a hot day staying hydrated well enough may have been an issue.  For those that want to bike pack or backpack along this trail, there are numerous camping areas along right on the trail; most (if not all) require a permit or reservation of some sort.  To us, the trail appeared safe, I never got the feeling of being in a sketchy area.

So how was the ride back for Joël and I? It was a fun 63 more miles. As dusk and dark hit, all the animals came out.  We saw an Bald Eagle, rattlesnake, toads and frogs, skunk, raccoon, deer, opossum, and I am sure I am forgetting some. During our last few miles up near Wellsboro the fog settled in again which was eerie and surreal at the same time.  Our ride ended with dinner in the van comprised of left overs and pre-made pasta salads along with a celebratory beer for a long day on the bike.

And what a great day on the bike it was.  I'm so proud of my family and friends for accomplishing their goals, Joël and I got in a good day of base miles; and it was all accomplished while have fun with family.  Happiness all around.

-Jess

Sometimes you just don't feel like it...but you are glad you did; Michaux Terror of Teaberry

Volvo Michaux Endurance Series Terror of Teaberry

What: Third and final race in the 30 mile endurance series
When: September 10, 2017
Where: Shippensburg area, PA
Results: Joël 1st single speed, Jess 2nd overall female
Series results: Joël 1st overall single speed, Jess 2nd overall female

Honestly, I really didn't want to do this race.

Hard efforts at races the previous two weekends had me feeling a little overtrained and the far travels to these previous races had me feeling a little under-rested. It was a busy week at work, including working the Saturday directly before the race.  A family commitment of farm sitting for the week prior including race weekend just meant a little extra stuff to do everyday, adding a little extra stress and less time for race prep  prior to the race.  Because of horses to be fed there would be no camping at the race site the night before, we would be waking up super early to drive race morning.  All of these factors had me asking "why" and had me thinking "I don't want to". Part of me just wanted to sleep in, relax on the back deck with a good book, and enjoy the serenity of the farm instead of racing. But of course that didn't happen.

Joël was hellbent to do this race.  He and another were neck and neck for the series championship.  If Joël could win at this race he would win the championship.  I would be second place no matter what so I was indifferent about the championship part.  When I questioned Joël about if we were going (with a bit of hesitation in my voice and knowing I would be perfectly content if he said he didn't feel like going) he animatedly stated yes, so that was it, we were racing.

I knew this race would be a mental game. Physically I could push hard, but I knew I had to get my mind into it.  Being mentally prepared is especially important on this course, it's super technical and if a rider is not on point it can mean disaster. The race started and I was still uncertain about how I felt, until the woman's series leader (who had won the other two races) and I were together at the start. Humm...maybe I would feel like racing and could muster up a good effort. I knew she was faster than me, but I at least figured I would not give up without a fight.  I kept smooth, rode smart, was feeling like I was getting into a grove and then disaster struck.  In the "waterfall" section of the course (which is a huge rock-faced area) I crashed, and crashed hard. A huge hematoma filled up on my knee and my bike need trail side mechanical work.  At this point I knew the first place chick was too far ahead and third place was far enough back that it now became a cautious ride to the finish.  Just don't crash again, hope that your bike was OK, keep smiling, have fun, and hold onto second place.  This plan worked just fine.  Some post race ice and aleve and the crash was soon forgotten.

Joël on the other had raced hard from start to finish. He was feeling good and really was making it a goal to win the series (which meant winning this race).  He and the lead guys rode together for much of the race until Joël felt he could make a breakaway and he did. He put down the hammer and pulled away and luckily no one else followed. This effort secured the win for the race and the win for the series.

After is was all said and done, for all the hesitation and uncertainty about wanting to race I was glad I was there. It's so easy to just give into doubt and do what is easier than stand up to adversity and push through the challenging times.  It was a fun day in the woods; the weather was beautiful, good company, and challenging riding...what more can one want for a weekend day.

Thanks Vovlo Michaux Endurance series for a great endurance race series, as always challenging and fun courses surrounded by a great group of riders and race personnel.

- words by Jess
- photos- some by Joël, some by race staff