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