Rothrock Trail Mix and Michaux Maximus- Double Header Weekend

Double Header weekend
Rothrock Trail Mix (36 mile IMBA version) and Michaux Maximus (30 miler version)
June 10th and 11th 2017

Anyone who decides to do this is somewhat crazy. These are both tough races; each one on its own is a challenge, but doing them back to back is asking for suffering.  And yes, this was a tough weekend of riding; about four hours of riding each day filled with some of most challenging single track these areas have to offer.  To add to this; it was the first real heat wave of the year; temps in the 80s to 90s each day.  Despite the adversity of it, Joël and I both agree that we really had a good time out there, both days we were just so happy to be on our bikes. We were smiling ear to ear for both races.  And as a bonus, both of us made it on the podium both days.



Rothrock Trail Mix put on by Happy Valley Biking is just such an awesome event.  It brings together some of the most fun, challenging, and beautiful trails in the Tussey Mountain area. Have I ever mentioned how much I love riding in Rothrock State Forest?  OK, I do mention that often because I just really love it there.  The race organizer is super nice and puts his heart into the race; it is well organized and you can tell everyone involved wants it to be a fun time. Tasty food (whoopie pies, yumm) and beer post race , great race swag, and good prizes make for a complete race experience.  All I can keep thinking about it how amazing everything was at this race.  Joël, Cliff, and I slept in the van in the state forest the night prior.  We were parked next to a babbling brook; going to sleep to the sound of the water with the star-filled sky made for a perfect pre-race sleep. Race day was filled with sunshine and blue skies. The trails were fast and dry. Mountain laurel were blooming everywhere. The views from atop Tussey went on forever. Everything was just so beautiful. I just can't get over how amazing mother nature was for this race experience.  The womens field was filled with fast ladies; and the single speeders were a strong group.  Joël came away with with win and I was 2nd open women.  Other members of the Saucon Valley Bikes racing team were there; it was great to hang around with teammate post race.

After Rothrock we heading over to Michaux State Forest for the Volvo Endurance Series Michaux Maximus. This race was rescheduled from May.  Camping was allowed in the race parking area, so we joined a few others who were there for the night.  What an amazing night it was. A full moon light up the sky and the stars were plentiful.  Race morning came around with more sunshine, dry trails, and flowers blooming everywhere. Both Joël and I had tired legs from the race the day prior, so we made just having fun our goal for the day.  I got a flat tire early on, but luckily due to all those Liv Fx-a-Flat clinics I teach changing it went smoothly. In fact, during the process I was told by a fellow racer I was one of the most positive flat-fixers he has encountered.  Both Joël and I raced at a decent pace but also took time to stop and take pictures and enjoy the views. Having fun and enjoying the trails was our number one priority. But...you know how that goes with competitive people .  As the race went on we heard reports at aid stations and from spectators that "so and so is just a minute or two ahead". That means race on. So yes, we took our time, stopped to take photos, enjoyed the view but once we each heard we had podium spots in sight race mode kicked in.  Each of us ended up doing some passing during the second half of the race to each end up 2nd; Joël 2nd single speed and myself 2nd open women.


And how did we feel on Monday...and Tuesday...and Wednesday...and Thursday.  Tired, legs that felt like bricks, heart rates that would not go up. Two days of racing in tough conditions took it's toll. The following week was a tough one; but Cliff was happy because it meant lots of easy rides.

-Jess

A day in the life...what cycling means to me

Many people think that Joël and I "just" ride bikes; that we just go out and meander around the block on nice days.  Nope, we don't do "just" that.  We push the limits of our bodies, we brave extreme conditions and weather, we squeeze rides in no matter what else is going on in life or how late we stayed at work the night before.  Cycling is what makes us happy. It brings us together and it's time we share with Clifford. It's time spent with family and friends.  It takes us on adventures.  It's our life.

To summarize, a poem-esq writing about what my bike means to me.

My bike, it's not just an inanimate object made of metal and plastic, it's a vehicle to my soul.
It allows me to see new places, enjoy beautiful views, and take in what nature has to offer. The conditions may be cold, dirty, hot, or wet.  It's a vehicle for adventure.
I am able to spend time with my family, friends, husband, and dog. It's a vehicle for fond memories.
Through my bike I help women gain skills, have fun, and become empowered and confident. It's a vehicle to get more women on bikes.
My bike helps me challenge myself. Sometimes it's hard and it hurts, but I always end with a smile. It's a vehicle for learning about myself, setting goals, and pushing the limits.
This is how I live, what I embrace, and is all part of doing something epic.

Did you notice this poem was in the video above?

In the words of Liv cycling... this is How I Liv and how I have Lived Beyond

As an undergraduate in college many, many years ago I did what many college students do-partied, drank too much beer, and ate too much pizza. Luckily I realized this was not ideal; and decided to start running and eating better.  Along the way I added cycling and swimming, and soon entered my first triathlon.  This pivotal moment was the transition to a healthy lifestyle that shaped me into the cyclist I am today.

After my first tri I was hooked. I competed in numerous Ironman length races and raced tris all over the world.  A major life event then changed my cycling discipline. After being hit by a car and needing spinal cord surgery, I decided to try mountain biking to minimize my time on the road. I immediately fell in love with it. The challenges, the friendships that developed, the confidence I gained all made me want to keep hitting the trails. Since then mountain biking has helped me experience things I have never imagined possible. I have gotten dirty, challenged myself, gained motivation, and enjoyed many adventures.  As a side note, I do still road ride but tend to keep to quiet country roads.

Cycling is a family affair.  Joël and I met at a race and our relationship developed via chatting on training rides.  Along with our dog Clifford we travel around North America living out of our van seeking out awesome riding spots for mountain biking vacations and races. Our speciality is endurance racing; solo 24 hour races and multiday stage races. But don't be fooled; we have real lives and work full time; myself as a small animal veterinarian. All this adventure seeking occurs on weekends, holidays, and vacation time.

But riding is not all about racing; it's about the relationships that develop.  Many friendships have blossomed out of riding.  Post ride beers, hanging out around a campfire, and the understanding of having to get up at 5am for a training ride make cycling friends extra special.  I am involved with the local bike shop, Saucon Valley Bikes, in helping develop a women's cycling community in the area as a Liv Cycling Ambassador in 2016 and 2017. Through the seminars and rides I hold via this program, I have empowered women and helped them gain confidence to do more and go farther on their bikes then they thought previously possible. It brings a smile to my face when the ladies tell me how excited they are and how much they enjoyed an event I held.

My bike and the relationships is has helped me build is always impacting my life for the better. Through cycling I have adopted a healthy lifestyle that I can be proud of.  Leading women's programs has helped me motivate and empower other ladies. Cycling, especially mountain biking, has challenged me in so many ways possible; especially 24 hour racing and stage races.  Dirt, sweat, and tears are not uncommon; but with a little motivation they are always followed by smiles. Life is filled with epic adventures and my bike takes me there, that is how I live.

Many kudos to Saucon Valley Bikes and Liv Cycling for helping on this journey!

-Jess

Trans-sylvania Mountain Bike Epic Stage Race 2017

Trans-sylvania Mountain Bike Epic
When: May 25-29, 2017
Where: State College area, PA



This was our fifth installment of the Trans-sylvania Mountain Bike Epic (TSE) stage race for Joël and I. This is always a highlight of our year; not only for the racing  but also for the comradery. This is our big vacation for the year.  Most people use their vacation days at work to go to the beach or a relaxing location, we use ours for this.

First off, a quick review of what TSE is. It's a 5 day mountain bike stage race. Each day consists of anywhere from 30ish to 40ish miles of riding highlighting the best single track trails in the State College, PA area.  There is an enduro specific day and also an enduro competition within each division.  Fastest overall time at the end of the five days are the winners.

After four years of riding as a duo team, Joël and I decided to race as individuals this year. We just wanted to test ourselves and see what we could do on our own.  Loving his XTC Advanced Joël decided to race single speed; joining the ranks of the rather rambunctious and somewhat unruly group of single speeders at TSE.  I raced open women, a field filled with some of the fastest pro and amateur women from across North America. I rode my Pique Advanced for everything, including the enduro day.

Homebase for TSE week is a boy scout camp. This gives it a summer camp feel because racers can stay in lodges or camp out on the property for the week.  Nightly awards, video and picture shows recapping the day, and preview for the next day's stage are all done at a lodge directly on the property.  Joël and I camp with friends in an area that we have all named "van city".  An entire group of us sleep in our vans for the week. We complete our little city with pop-up tents, tables, chairs, etc; it becomes a central area for hanging out and sharing a beer post ride. Of course Cliff comes along for the week. He essentially becomes a free-roaming Cliff for the week, entirely off-leash for the time at camp with the van and camping tent open to go in and out as he opts.  Having everyone together for the week is great; TSE is just as much about catching-up with friends and making new friends as it is about riding.

Single track summer camp is the nickname TSE has developed.  The riding each day showcases some of the best trails Rothrock and Bald Eagle State Forest have to offer. However, this year the weather threw a wrench in things. Rain pretty much everyday meant the rain courses would be used; this meant taking out a slew of single track and replacing it with gravel roads. Joël and I didn't really come to TSE to ride gravel roads, we came to ride single track, but we understood why the changes had to be made and embraced them.  Favorite trails such as Tussey, Beautiful, Three Bridges, and the dreaded but loved Wildcat were still ridden during the week which made things OK.


All the formalities complete, now for the personal aspect of it.  Joël and I each went into the race with the main goal of racing as hard as we could.  We knew we each had a division with super fast people in it, and it certainly would be five days of hard racing.

Joël certainly enjoyed his week and raced hard.  The single speeders are a unique group, often they are out there to have fun and suffer together. Antics such as somewhat inappropriate podium attire, hydration packs with beer, and stopping to heckle other racers are what the group of single speeders do. Joël, who became named a "part time single speeder" took part in some of these antics, but he also was racing for a podium spot so he couldn't goof off too much.  He held on to third place for a good portion of the race but by the end of the five days had to settle for 4th.


I had a tough week but still raced hard to a good placing of 7th GC open women.  Physically I felt fine (or as fine as I could for five days back to back of hard racing) but mentally I had a challenging time.  The dreary cool and rainy days and the loss of single track every day made it tough to get motivated.  Almost all of our races in 2017 thus far had been cold and muddy, and I just couldn't take anymore of it.  Waking up on a regular basis at TSE to the sound of rain hitting the roof and sitting around at night hanging out while wearing my winter puffy jacket was just not what I wanted for TSE.  And as for the riding, I was a bit dismayed at the changes from single track to gravel road. I'm a big fan of single track and it what I excel at.  But once again it was weather that dictated this, something that there is no control over  (and it was the best decision for the health of the trails). So what can you do about the weather?  Just suck it up and deal with it which is what I did. There were some dark moments during the race but I was able to keep it all together and put in the best race I could.  With all the pro women racing I was happy with this spot.

So another TSE over and done. It was a fun time with friends and a good time in the saddle.  Here's looking forward to the next one.

How will we recover? Find out here: dirtwire.tv video in big blue chair

Photo credit to race photographer Bruce and our friend Karen; many of these photos are from them.  Also huge thanks goes out to everyone who made this race possible- race organizers, volunteers (our favorite aid stations ever!!!), media crew, and the support crew at Saucon Valley Bikes and Liv Cycling.

And side note: you may be wondering what is with the pinwheels and tiaras?  Since the race was held over Memorial Day weekend, the van city residents decided to all race during with a little Memorial Day flare.  A way to recognize the day while racing.

-Jess

As Liv states "More Women on Bikes? Heck Ya!"

As Liv states "More Women on Bikes? Heck Ya!"
2017 Liv Ambassador season thus far

2017 is now my second year as a Liv Ambassador. This is a nation wide program to help develop the women's cycling community. Through the Liv brand and my local retailer Saucon Valley Bikes I lead rides, give informational clinics, and act as a go-to resource for Liv and general cycling related information.

This year has been off to a great start; getting women empowered and confident on their bikes is the name of the game.  And I feel this is being accomplished.

During the first portion of the year when it was still cold out, clinics were held in the shop. Fixing a flat, basic bike maintenance, 3F (fit, form, function) and how to prep for a big ride were topics. It was great to see all the ladies learning new skills and discussing ideas and tips about how to make riding more inspiring and enjoyable.  Smiles were had by all.

Now that the weather has turned warmer, it's time to head outside.  Probably my favorite Liv event is the ladies social ice cream ride. These are based out of the bike shop.  We ride the Saucon Rail Trail with a mid-ride stop for some amazing ice cream. This ride is always guaranteed to be a good time.  Lots of fun conversation, a scenic ride, and who doesn't like a stop for ice cream?

Another regular event during the warmer months is mountain bike skills clinics. These are geared toward the beginner/intermediate rider.  The clinic typically starts with discussing, demonstrating, and practicing skills and techniques.  We then head to the trail to put these skills to good use.  I always love seeing the ladies accomplishing new things and the look on their faces when they overcome a challenging trail obstacle they may have been hesitant about or never ridden before.

Now, for a success story.  Two of the ladies that attended all of the winter seminars and are regulars at the ice cream rides recently rode the 100 mile bike route through the Florida Keys; covering the distance in two days.  They are rail trail riders; usually doing around 10 miles or so a day; so this was a big ride for them. They planned this Florida ride and knew they needed to prep. Through the clinics they learned how to fix a flat, how to prepare and train for a big ride, and all about bike clothing and gear (especially chamois cream).  Their ride was a success!  They had a great time, enjoyed the ride, and felt prepared for any adversity the event may have thrown at them.

The Liv program is such a great thing. It inspires confidence, a healthy lifestyle, empowers women, motivates them, and gets more women on bikes. I am so happy to be part of this. When I think about giving back to the sport I embrace, it brings a smile to my face.

Check out the Saucon Valley Bikes Facebook page and the Eastern PA Liv Events page for info on Liv events.

Ride on!
Jess