Faces of Races

Lake Raystown Triathlon 2017 Race Photos

2017-05-22T07:58:00.000-07:00

Meili and I accompanied Spencer to Lake Raystown this past weekend, for his Olympic distance race at the Lake Raystown Triathlon. This event is put on by the good folks at Flat Tire Bike Co based in Greensburg and after four years, Ashley Reefer (the boss) announced that the event is not returning next year. Lack of volunteers and low registration numbers was one of the reasons - Lake Raystown is over 2 hours away from Pittsburgh and Greensburg and it's hard to get anyone out there. I'm still hopeful things will change. The Pittsburgh Triathlon didn't happen this year, and Joella Baker's Mighty Moraine Triathlon took out the half iron distance this year... so if this Lake Raystown Triathlon ends, there won't be any half iron distance triathlons within a reasonable distance of us anymore.

Anyway, I was roped in as a last minute volunteer photographer and took close to 400 photos. The photos can be viewed on my Facebook Lake Raystown Triathlon 2017 photo album. Obviously I'm not a pro. I tried my best, but the swim exit pics came out all crooked! I think the Finisher pics came out okay though. Finish pics are my favourite, and my favourite of all time is of myself (ha) at the finish line at the Desaru International Triathlon back in in 2011. The pic was taken by a photographer friend, and I feel it captures how I felt crossing the finish line while battling autoimmune illness.

Speaking of volunteers, I am getting excited for my favourite event of the year happening October 28th - the Harrison Hills Park 5K/10K Halloween Trail Run 2017. Registration will soon be available on Active.com. In the meantime, check out some pics from last year's event. There's food, fun, a costumed run out on one of the most beautiful trails in Allegheny County, and all for a great cause.

Grace

RACE DIRECTOR'S WIFE'S REPORT: Harrison Hills 5K/10K 'Hill of a Trail Run' Race

2014-11-17T12:45:00.001-08:00

NOTE: The actual Race Director, Spencer Clark, was not inclined to produce a Race Report - understandable as he has way too long a 'Honey Do' list to work on. So I'm just going to type up a brief one from my perspective.

Spencer has been dreaming of organizing a trail running race at the Harrison Hills Park for *years*. Last year he put in the (substantial) paperwork applying to the Allegheny County Parks head to do the race. He didn't hear back from them for the longest time, and actually received the go ahead for the race less than two months prior to Race Day.

He had to scramble to get everything together. Most of the pre-race work was done by him alone as there wasn't time to ask around for volunteers for an organizing committee. He designed and printed race brochures, planned the race route, set up registration on Active.com, designed and ordered the finisher tee shirts, and about oh, a million other things that Race Directors do to make a race happen. I helped with publicity and Grace's Wok (that's me) sponsored the post-race hot meal for racers, plus about oh, a couple other little things that spouses of Race Directors do to make a race happen :)

Race route and Aid Stations
That was one of the biggies. We love running in the Park. IMO the trails are among the most scenic out there. Our favorite route is one that follows the perimeter of the Park - Red / Scout Trail - because it hits a few different natural habitats ie pond, old growth forest, open meadow, (lung busting) ridge line with gorgeous views of the Allegheny River and beyond. So that was our 5K route. To add a 10K to that 5K would have required many more hours of trail clearing and marking, volunteers to direct traffic/racers and so forth. Thus for this first year, Spencer planned on two loops of the 5K to make up the 10K.
Aid stations were available every 2.5 km, and stocked with water, gatorade and bananas. I think that was adequate. We did receive a complaint that there should have also been gels and oranges and more snacks provided, as many road races do nowadays. Same complainant also was unhappy about the lack of emergency medical service personnel at the event venue. o.O

Photo credit: Debi Nuttall

Trail work
Spencer did most of it with a leaf blower and weed whacker. He had great help from Ian Harell and Nick Barker. Probably about three days worth of trail work in all. Wood chips were dumped and spread over the muddy portions of the trail, which made for a clean, fast run. Directional signages were made and markers put out on the course the day before.

Sponsors
Sponsors are crucial to any successful fundraising event and given the limited time, the five sponsors we got really helped: Penn State New Kensington ($100), Grace’s Wok ($300 worth of hot meals for racers), Eric Shick Insurance (insurance worth $300), and $100 each from Sarver True Value , Don Goughler Executive Coaching, Dr Kathleen Hartford of Healthy Pyramid Longevity and Vitality Center. We hope to get more sponsors for next year for sure. Thank you sponsors!

Race registration, Fees and Publicity
Spencer decided to let Active.com handle the registration because he predicted (rightly) that he wouldn't have enough time to deal with checks and email registrations himself. That worked out well.
To encourage people to sign up before the race, he set a very low $15 race fee. To encourage kids and youth to participate, he set their fee at $10. Even with the $25 race day registration fee, I think it was more than worth the money because that got you a race tee, hot meal, (likely) prize, plus a pristine trail run with aid stations. The only thing that didn't get you was a timing service (more on that later).
He designed a nice-looking race brochure that he handed out to coaches of the nearby cross-crountry school teams, Scouts groups, YMCAs and so forth. I posted the event on Facebook and other social media. The Friends of Harrison Hills mailer went out to about 500 folks on their mailing list. And we attended a few other running events to distribute our race brochures.

Race Tee, Bib and Prizes
Spencer's creative side (usually not very apparent) came out in the design of the tee shirt. What a great tee. That took quite a bit of time, but not as much as when it came to trying to figure out how many shirts to order for the various sizes available. Oh man, that was challenging, particularly when he had very little idea how many racers were going to show up! In the end he decided on 60 tees, mostly sizes M and S, with a few youth sizes.
RoadID gives up to 200 free numbered race bibs and Spencer took advantage of that. Very nice!
Prizes. Who knew these ribonned disks of metal would cost so much?! Spencer - frugal genius that he is - ended up ordering generic (but quality) 1st-3rd place medals and printing out labels for all the different age groups/categories that were affixed on the back of the medals. I think they looked decent!

Photo credit: Debi Nuttall

Volunteers
We cannot thank our volunteers enough for all of their time and effort. On race day, tons and tons of work was done by some really awesome volunteers. This race would not have happened without you. Thank you: Mardelle Kopnicky, Susan Goughler (registration /aid stations), Patrick Kopnicky, George Kurn, Benjamin Edwards, Brock Edwards (traffic control/aid stations), Denise Blackburn, Chris Nagy, Debi Nuttall, Mikayla Nuttall and Hunter Nuttall, Courtney Clark, James Jarvis, (food prep and service, post race clean up).

Timing Service
Or lack of. With the $300-400 cost of a professional timing service, and not knowing how many participants we were going to get this first year, Spencer simply could not justify getting that timing service. He'd already taken on the risk of being in the hole by close to $1000 with the Race tees and Prizes. So he decided to use his laptop with a timing app to time racers, and as a backup, he would have the sequential tear off numbers from racers' race bibs. He did a few test runs of the app and it worked good.
Then of course on race day, the app vanished from his laptop and was nowhere to be found... The laptop was rendered useless. Spencer ended up recording times going back and forth windows on his iPhone with its teeny screen. It was the Disaster of the Day and he took it very hard. The backup plan worked but was very tedious to record all the numbers as they came in, match up with the times and then identify the participant.
This epic fail, plus difficulty reconciling bib numbers and times for racers who had last minute category switches (5K to 10K and back again, age groups), caused a delay of over 45 minutes for the Awards Ceremony.
Never again. (see 'Moving Forward' below)

Post Race Food
As official sponsor of nutrition for athletes post-race, Grace's Wok (me), was totally overwhelmed that day. My little helper (baby Meili) went on strike. I had on the menu my usual fried rice, wontons and spring rolls. Plus, as I wanted to provide variety and concession type foods for athletes and families, I also planned for rigatoni, veg chili, naan bread with veg and chicken curries, hot choc and coffee, soda, cookies, sweet breads, and fries. Yes, fries. Fries were my downfall. I had only one fryer and that was occupied with fries for way too long, thus causing a backlog for wontons and spring rolls, which was of course what everyone wanted. The day's special was fried rice, one wontons and one spring roll for $5 - almost all the racers ordered that. We had order slips that seemed a mile long, and the line of folks waiting to order was 15 deep at one time. I think wait time was up to 20 minutes at one point. These were very patient folks. For that I am forever grateful.

Moving Forward
We have enough preliminary feedback that is positive, and we are planning to bring the race back next year - bigger and better.
Based on this year's numbers, we can hire a professional timing service without running a deficit. That's what we will do.
We want to continue encouraging early registration (it really helps planning for t-shirt orders, prizes and food), so plan to continue keeping the pre-registration fee low - possibly $15 for early bird, $20 for pre-reg, $30 for Race Day reg. What do you think?
We want to continue encouraging kids and youth to participate, so plan to keep the registration fee low for this group.
We want to keep this year's sponsors - including Eric Shick Insurance and Grace's Wok (ha!), and seek new sponsors too. Sponsors donate prizes, swag that goes into each racer's race packet, services, cash and etc. More sponsors mean better swag for racers and more of your race fees going towards the fundraising objective. Sponsors can also contribute to a better event experience by setting up booths for massage, chiropractic, runners apparel/accessories/shoes, and much more. Sponsoring $100 and up gets your name / or company name in print on the race tee, and it is contributing to a worthwhile cause. If you would like to be a sponsor in any way for next year's event, let us know!
The race route. We plan to add 5 km of new trails to the existing 5 km loop, so that we can offer a 10 km loop that will challenge and thrill any level of trail runner.
Volunteers - ah where would we be without volunteers - we will definitely need at least twice as many volunteers next year. Stay tuned for our call for volunteers!

Grace
Wife of Race Director Spencer Clark :)

Dash For Cash 2014 - New Installment - The Fun Continues at South Buffalo Firehall

2014-04-27T18:05:00.002-07:00

Trail runners and Mountain Bikers, the Dash for Cash is back - mark your calendars for 31 May 2014! This year the Dash for Cash will kick off at the South Buffalo Firehall.

The running race starts at 12 pm, and offers three distances to choose from: 5K, 10 mile and 17 mile.

The bike race starts at 2 pm. Take your pick of 10, 17 or 23 miles of mountain biking on some of the most gorgeously lung-busting terrain this part of PA.

Want to do both the run AND bike? You certainly can. As long as you finish your run by the 2 pm bike start, you are welcome to continue your physical exertions on your bike. As added incentive - "Your Pain is Our Pleasure" - doing both nets you a $10 discount off registration!

Pre-registration will get you an additional discount - keep checking back for the pre-registration form, it should be out soon.

Race fees are (for day of event):

Run - $30
Bike - $30
Both - $50

Your registration fees includes a feast after the race, with loads of belly-sticking grub and *ahem* adult beverages.

Non-racers (family, supporters, etc) pay $10 to partake of the feast together. Kids pay $5.

More information at The Awesome Dash for Cash Website

Yellow Creek SP Monthly Mountain Bike Race, March 2013

2013-04-01T17:26:00.002-07:00

The first mountain bike race of our season WOOHOO!

(For all the pics GO HERE - sorry, my batteries died so I only managed the flag-off pics!)

The Yellow Creek race series returned this year with some key upgrades:

The addition of a sweet 18 mile Expert loop, while retaining the usual 10 mile out-and-back Sport course.
MONEY prizes for the Expert riders in top 6 (starting at $60 for the Champ), while the top Sport rider gets the usual delish Pie.

After flagging off the 30 plus riders - most of whom opted for Expert - I had a chance to run a little of the course and oh my oh wow what a delightful job the YC trail maintenance crew have done with an already awesome route.

Pulling all stops in pre-race trail prep, generous application of leaf-blowing apparatus-es ensured nary a leaf in sight. One result was a drier, faster ride with only a few slick mud spots. Another result - the cleanest post-race riders and bikes I've seen in a while.

First Expert was Kevin Campbell while First Sport was Michelle Bietko, who narrowly beat out Brad Transue on a single speed (dude what were you thinking :p) by a mere nine seconds. For the rest of the results GO HERE.

For next month's (April 21st) race, I think the warmer weather might be conducive to me providing some free sports massages (just in case riders weren't hurting enough after the race). And should I bring along some post-race nutrition (fried rice, watermelon, etc) also? :)

See y'all soon!

Kittanning YMCA Triathlon & Youth Tri 2013

2013-03-18T15:22:00.001-07:00

The inaugural Kittanning YMCA triathlon and kids tri was held at the Richard G. Snyder YMCA Campus on 16-17 March, kick-starting the 2013 triathlon race calendar in our area.

(To skip right to the Photos CLICK HERE).

And oh what a kick-start it was, with the steeliest of souls - including three Ironmen finishers - toeing the start line in sub-freezing sleet-y conditions at 9 am on the 16th. The adult triathlon, for ages 15 and up, entailed a 5 km run loop on the Rails-to-Trails, followed by a 300 yard indoor-pool swim, and ending with a 10 km out-and-back bike on the Rails-to Trails.

The run-swim-bike race format differed from the traditional triathlon race format of swim-bike-run. Keeping the run and bike legs separate was the intention of the organizers, to avoid possible collisions between runners and cyclists on the somewhat narrow Rails-to-Trails. Transition times were excluded from the total race time so racers could take their time in transition to towel off and change after the swim, before heading out for the bike leg. Sweet!

Congratulations David Keith, overall champ!

First across the finish line and overall champ was 41 year-old David Keith of Pittsburgh with a time of 52:29. Following four minutes later was Edna Spang, 44, of Gibsonia, who wrested first place in the Women's overall category. Spencer Clark, 39, of Natrona Heights finished mere seconds behind to take second in the Men's overall category. (A heroic feat, I say, as this dude was severely weakened by fever, flu and jetlag, having returned to US soil from Malaysia just the day prior.) Half the participants were first timers, and I think this sprint triathlon was a good distance for them. Everyone went home with a prize!

The Youth Triathlon held on the 17th, had a turnout of 15 young triathletes - decent considering the sub-freezing temperature that day.

Brothers Mattithia and Malachi Burtt of Kittanning warming up and stretching before the run start

All the kids, from ages 6-14, blasted off the run start in an all-out sprint that lasted about 100 yards into the 1 mile run. (The kids were then to swim 100 yards and bike 5 km.) I grinned hugely as I snapped away - kids' events are my favorite to cover: cuteness factor through the roof, enthusiasm and energy at Mach 10 levels - what's not to love?

As the first runner, Jacob Lorigan, 14, crossed the timing mat at 6:45, I snapped a pic, and quickly realized that the timing mat set up by Run High was not working. As the Run High person tried to figure out what was wrong, more runners started coming in, and I made it a point to capture everyone's run finish (with time) just in case my photo record was needed later. As it turned out, photographs from Spencer and my iPhones were used to calculate the run and bike times for most of the racers because the Run High equipment refused to work properly. We couldn't imagine what chaos would have ensued or how the kids race results would have been determined if it hadn't been for the super-awesome photos that we took. Yay us hehe.

Rachel Birth, at 6 years of age was the youngest triathlete in the race. Well done Rachel!

The kid's tri was also high on the scare quotient, with one child overheating and almost passing out at the finish, and another losing her breakfast (a Hershey bar) midway during the bike leg. Possibly due to my bright yellow jacket, or perhaps my reassuring air of competence (ahem!), I was called upon to check on the overheated/faint girl. Fortunately, my First Aid and CPR capabilities were not required as she had quickly recovered.

The Biggest Smile Award goes to... Olivia Kovalosky, 10 of Kittanning PA!

Michelle Bauer, 13, took first place overall in the Girls Category with a total time of 22:18. Jacob Lorigan finished at 24:43 to grab first overall in the Boys Category, while Carver Clark (11 years) was second with a time of 25:10. The last to cross the finish at 49:38 was possibly - in my opinion, and probably in her family's eyes also - the spunkiest kid in the entire race. Andrea Krizmanich, 9, of Adrian PA, whose race was rudely derailed by an uncooperative tummy, was coaxed and cheered across the finish line by her family. Well done everyone!

Andrea Krizmanich surrounded by her most ardent supporters and biggest fans. You go girl!

Kudos to Bryce Kuhn and the race organizing committee, Richard G. Synder YMCA Campus for organizing this two-day event and to all the volunteers also. Look forward to seeing all of you again at the summer/fall Kittanning YMCA triathlon!

Grace

Some post-race thoughts (just my two cents :))

Having seen the Rails-to-Trails here, I do think it would be wide enough to accommodate both cyclists and runners if held in the traditional swim-bike-run format.
Having the swim as the middle leg helped stagger the swimmers so the lanes in the lap pool remained sufficient.
Excluding the transition times was a good move as this removed the tendency for racers to rush between transition areas within the YMCA campus.
The timing chip system would be very good to have if this were a larger race and if following the swim-bike-run format as we could stagger the swim starts. I figure half the registration fees went to Run High. Further, the technical snafu in the time recording system was potentially a game spoiler.
The medics I spotted during the adults triathlon on the 16th were absent at the kid's triathlon on the 17th, which was when medical assistance would have been reassuring to anxious parents.
The promotional flyers for the triathlon indicated 'post race refreshments'. Bottled water and breakfast bars were provided at registration, and continued to be available after the race, but at $50 and $30 (adults and kids race, respectively), should I have hoped for more, e.g., bananas, muffins, isotonic drinks, etc?
Spencer and I love supporting YMCA events, particularly triathlons, and see great potential for growth in this area. The staff at this YMCA seem extremely motivated and dedicated to putting on good events and we look forward to attending/volunteering!

Bike Stop, Swap and Save 2013, Maryland

2013-02-11T18:16:00.000-08:00

This is not your ordinary bike swap.

This Stop, Swap and Save at Westminster, Maryland, is a one day event that is the largest indoor bicycle swap meet on the East Coast.

It has grown every year over the 16 years it has been held, and this year it covered the size of a football field (50,000 square feet). That's pretty big.

Yet, every inch of that space is jam packed with goodies laid out by more than 200 vendors. And crawling with bargain hunters from Maryland, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Washington DC, Delaware, New Jersey, New York and beyond.

"Buy, sell, browse, shop, trade or just hang out with industry reps, individual vendors, bike shops, manufacturers and like-minded cyclists... everything cycling has to offer. Road bikes, mountain bikes, triathlon bikes, BMX bikes, clothing, bike parts, cycling accessories, vintage, new or used at Ridiculously Low Prices." (blurb from stopswapsave website).

Mark Dempster has made the annual pilgrimage to this event for 10 years. In his words "Every cyclist's Wet Dream"

This year Spencer and I tagged along to see what all the fuss was about.

Getting there. It was a 3 hour drive the day before - we stopped at a local bike shop, White's Bicycles, and Johannson's Dining House & Restaurant where many a pint of beer was consumed before retiring to Day's Inn.

White's Bicycles

The boys at Johannson's Dining House and Restaurant.

Anyway, back to the Bike Swap.

We split the cost of a vendor's table ($50) five ways. Vendors are allowed in at 6 am while non-vendors are let in 9 am. Everyone pays a $5 admission fee. The guys were in at 6 am to set up their vendor's table, and - more importantly - to get first dibs on the goodies.

By 9 am, the line of people queuing to get in snaked all the way around the Ag Center building.

I scored six pairs of socks (Shimano, Zoot, DeFeet coolmax) for $20. And a Quintana Roo wetsuit for $10. And four SkirtSports running skirts and cycling tops for $30 (that retail for more than $160).

Everyone else bought a bunch of bike stuff, gear, and a few bikes. The van was loaded up pretty good!

This is what I have to say about the Bike Swap: It was WOW. Just WOW.

See you all again next year!

StrongLand Off-Road Roaring Run Mountain Bike Race Report 2012

2012-09-09T14:57:00.000-07:00

The 24th Annual Tour de Strongland kick-started its two-day festivities with an off-road mountain bike race on the Roaring Run Trail , Kiski Township yesterday.

The Warriors
The forecast of 80% chance of thunderstorms may have kept some people away. However 36 wheeled warriors - including three kids - showed up with undeterred to battle the elements. Experts (15 mile course) were flagged off at 9.15 am, Intermediate racers (11 miles) at 9.30 am and the Novice riders (3 miles, 9 -11 years of age) about 15 minutes later.

The Course
The first one mile was double track next to the Rails Trails, then cut out on to the Rails Trails and banked sharply right before the Bridge, to a tight hill-acious single track Loop. Then back to Rails Trails for a nice downhill finish. The Loop was planned to include an exciting splash across a shallow creek, but due to the rain and burgeoning creek, Novices were diverted around that section.

Crossing the Creek

The forecasted 9 am thunderstorm arrived prematurely and had depleted itself by race time. It was a gentle drizzle for the rest of the race. This made for a refreshing jog to the creek where I lay in wait to shoot passing riders with my waterproof lifeproof cased Iphone.

I also captured a photo of volunteer race marshalls helping make sure riders stay on course.

Helpful volunteer marshalls make sure riders stay on c-

Okay, sorry, wrong pic... Here's a better one.

"I think it's this way". :p

Race Strong
It was a good race. Excellent signage, plenty of race marshalls and volunteers, grill hot dogs (with donation) and a wet but very rideable course at the riders' chosen level. The $35 race reg fees come with a quality cotton t-shirt and a chance at winning a bike from sponsor Pro-Bike. Maybe a bit steep for the novice 3 mile race, which was basically a kids race.

Race PICs!
View the rest of the pics HERE. (Most of the creek stake-out pics turned out blur. Sigh! I couldn't risk getting my Panasonic Lumix wet so had to make do with the iPhone)

Three kids, three proud winners!

xo Gracie

P.S. It would be AWESOME if you could click on any ad here - my sponsors give me a few cents per click. Thanks for supporting my blog!

Xterra Appalachia 2012 Video and Report Part 2

2012-08-14T14:36:00.000-07:00

People! As promised here is the second part of my Xterra Appalachia 2012 race report, with VIDEO! (Part 1 HERE with links to 500 pics)

Thanks to all of you who left comments or messages (I love hearing from you!) and who helped tag some of the pics I posted on Facebook. That was certainly an encouragement for me to hunker down and get the video edited! This will be my first video produced on my brand spanking new Mac, so I am definitely learning as I go. It has been laborious, but I think you'll like the end result. If you don't, you can still appreciate the effort I put into it! :p

Just some thoughts about the Xterra Appalachia. Looking at the results, about 17% of the 65 racers who toed the start line, did not finish the race. This DNF rate is higher than some of the Ironman races I've followed. The Xterra Appalachia covers somewhere between a Sprint (short) and Olympic (long) distance course, with its 800 m swim, 13 mile mountain bike, and 4 mile trail run. The distances are 'sprint', but the exertion level feels 'olympic' - thanks to the mountain bike portion. Adding rain as a factor, ramped up the difficulty level for mountain bike course to 9.5 out of 10 for non-mountainbikers. Fellow-non-mountain-biker, Briana Dawson found the mountain-biking 'super-challenging'. Briana is a runner who regularly runs 5 and 10 K distances and has completed a few half marathons, but she had 'no idea it would be so intense/extreme!' She and her friend Jaci, who signed up for the race as a fun way to celebrate their birthdays, successfully finished the swim and bike course after three gruelling hours, and will be back to tame the run course next time. Hats off to these indomitable girls!

Hats off, and Happy Birthday girls!

And also, a shout out to the Fans and Supporters of the Xterra Appalachia 2012 racers:

The entire family turned out to cheer on #53 Jesse Matheson

This multiple Hawaii Ironman returns after a 4 year hiatus, to attempt this Xterra

Loyal fans give encouragement to racers Briana and Jaci in the swim-bike transition

Lara Cilo (and Rich Riley, not pictured) kept runners
hydrated

And the award for most hardcore fans of the Xterra 2012 goes to: Katie and Julianne!

I really think more people should sign up for this top-notch event. For starters, this is the only off-road triathlon this side of PA. Yellow Creek State Park is only 1.5 hours from Pittsburgh where 1000 triathletes recently competed in the Pittsburgh Triathlon 2012. The organization and execution of the event (by Doug Crytzer and team at American Adventure Sports) is, as always, stellar. The course is gorgeous. The difficulty, although high, is manageable for most anyone with a decent level of fitness. You don't need to be superman to complete the course. You do however, need to be able to maintain a moderate level of physical exertion for up to 4 or 5 hours. If you have completed an olympic distance triathlon before, you are definitely in good shape to finish the Xterra Appalachia.

Check out the Xterra Appalachia 2012 Video HERE!

How did the Xterra go for you? Would love to hear your experience!

xo Gracie

P.S. It would be AWESOME if you could click on any ad here - my sponsors give me a few cents per click. Thanks for supporting my blog!

Xterra Appalachia Race Report 2012: Part 1

2012-08-06T13:52:00.001-07:00

One word describes the Xterra Appalachia - TOUGH. This year it was ToughER.

(You can skip the report and go directly to the 500 race pics on GOOGLE PLUS or on Facebook)

The 2012 edition of Xterra Appalachia was one of the wettest ever for the 65 participants (and hordes of fans ) who came from as far as New York and Georgia to pit themselves against the race course at Yellow Creek State Park. Racers comprised a mix of seasoned off-road triathletes, triathletes new to the terrors of mountain biking, and totally unsuspecting first-timers.

Transition area with racked bikes

The swim started out pleasant enough with warm sunshine, blue skies, and dead calm water. Swimmers assembled on the beach for the running start, different from the water start of previous years.

I'd mooted the run start to Doug Crytzer, Race Director earlier, the conversation going something like this:

Grace: Hey it would make for a cool race start pic if it were a Run Start for the swim. (I had my waterproof shockproof Panasonic camera 'Ducky' and never pass up a chance to take cool pics of athletes in pain)
Doug: Ok. It's going to be a run start then.
Grace: ... (open mouthed.. wow really?)
Doug: I'm the Race Director - I can do whatever I like!

Nice... :D.

A very exciting swim start. (For tips on surviving swim starts read HERE)

Despite the luxuriant growth of water weeds along the swim course, swimmers somehow came out without looking like swamp things adorned with vegetation. I was very happy with the swim start video capture with my waterproof Life-cased Iphone (clickable pic on right), and the 200 plus swim exit racer pics. I cheered the last swimmer out of the water - her heroic and inspiring 45 minute effort had me wholeheartedly rooting for her. I ran to the Mothership, switched out Ducky with my preferred camera (Bubs), grabbed my running pack, and jogged up to the Hydration Station where the bike and run routes intersected.

Hydration Specialists: Lara Cilo and Richard Riley.

The fickle Rain Gods promptly turned on the deluge, so I had to run back to retrieve Ducky! Fortunately I didn't miss too many riders. Unfortunately, Ducky isn't very good at shooting fast moving objects, and gave me a bunch of blurry pics. Why Ducky, why??!

I am currently accepting donations of umbrella hats such as depicted in the clickable pic on right. An umbrella hat will greatly assist in protecting my favored camera Bubs and enable me to take decent photos of racers thus capturing precious memories of their suffering.

(Note: Mr Santa Claus, I have been a good girl and would really like to have an umbrella hat for Christmas. My favorite color is teal blue, but I think burgundy really sets off the blush on my cheeks so that would be okay for me also. Thank you very much. :p)

The bike course, on rolling double and single track with some rock gardens and creek
crossings, wraps up with switchbacks through a gorgeous pine forest blanketed by ferns.
By the way this racer looks like he is having a LOT of fun.

The torrential downpours during the bike leg made for a slip-n-slidey ride, transforming the normally not-so-technical course into an xxx-treme hardcore one, for many of the less experienced riders. I've ridden part of the course at the Yellow Creek Monthly Grassroots Race Series (see report HERE for the monthly race benefiting Yellow Creek State Park), and DNFed. As it were, the gal who conquered the swim ended up pulled from the bike course (I really hope she returns next year to tame the rest of the course). Fortunately there were no major scrapes.

Looking impossibly fresh despite having just summited a big climb. Taken mid-way into
the 4 mile run

The Xterra Appalachia is the only off-road triathlon around here. It is superbly organized by the team at American Adventure Sports and enthusiastic volunteers. The race route is meticulously marked, the prizes are sweet, swim safety is excellent, racers get to refuel on pizza at the end of the race, part of the proceeds go to the Friends of Yellow Creek State Park, and the mini-triathlon held for the kids (FREE) just rocks. This is one race you cannot afford to miss, and you betcha I'll be there at the next one.

Check back next week for Part Two (video, behind-the-scenes stories, the greatest fans, and interviews with racers. Update 14 Aug 2012: Video is OUT!) or subscribe by email to receive the post in your inbox. I'd love to hear you - how did your race go, how was the swim, bike, run, hydration and food? Any suggestions for improvement?

By the way the official Results are out!

xo Gracie

Shannock Valley Mountain Bike Race Report 2012

2012-07-28T20:04:00.000-07:00

The Shannock Valley 15th Annual Mountain Bike Race certainly had a lot in store for the 82 riders lined up at the Start this morning. The forecast '30% chance of rain' turned out to be a 100% heavens-wide-open deluge that turned the trails into a mud fest, albeit surprisingly rideable one.

(Note: you can skip the entire report and get right to the 300 Race Pics HERE)

Mark Liti, a satisfied survivor of the mud fest

Except maybe, for the hills.
Oh the Hills. The cramp-inducing climbs and bombing fast descents are, as I gather, legend. Be not deterred however, as this course is eminently doable for young and young-at-heart, for beginners and pros alike (according to Coach Levi). Described as rolling hills with some grassy sections, a mix of single and double track, mostly forested this course is relatively safe. It's just, really, really, hilly. Did I say hilly? (Check out the route and elevation chart HERE)

The nice thing about going uphill, is that you can let fly downhill (see pic below).

Hannah Brewer, en route to 1st overall (women's), looks quite happy about going downhill.

The men's overall champion for the 10.5 mile Sport category was Chris Hollingsworth (University Bicycle, Clarion), who has dominated this year's Bike the Wild series. Chris also placed first in the Dash for Cash and Fat Tire Challenge. Chris, who also crushed all the competition in the Sport category of the Bike the Wild series last year, probably should be promoted to Expert category now!

Winners get to take home a sizeable hunk of metal that they could eat dinner off,
and most everyone goes home with pickings from a generous selection of door gifts

Team ESI and their spoils of war. Back (L-R): Josh Shirley, Benjamin Edwards, Aaron Hook, Brad Bowser @ H. Balzac, Eric Shick @ Johnny Awesome, Spencer Clark @ Zen Warrior; Front (L-R): Brian Olearchik (Big O), Patrick Kerr (Slingblade) and Mark Dempster (Sparky)

The Shannock Valley Community Festival is celebrating its 23rd anniversary this year, and though times are tough, sponsors continue to give, and everyone is turning out in support of this awesome three day event that brings the local community together. While many such events have car shows, rides, DJs, magicians, entertainments, food vendors, etc... this has to be the only one with a Wiener Dog Race in our neck of the woods.

Random cute photo from fortfido.blogspot.com

Check out the 300 Race Pics HERE , and get more information on the Shannock Valley Community Festival at svcfestival.com

xo Gracie

p.s. It would be AWESOME if you could click on any ad here - my sponsors give me a few cents per click. Thanks for supporting my blog!

Butler YMCA Triathlon 7 July 2012 Report

2012-07-11T11:44:00.004-07:00

I think I have just found myself a new favorite sprint distance triathlon. It's the Butler YMCA Triathlon. It calls for a 400 m swim, 7 mile bike and 3.1 mile run. Not that I took part or anything crazy like that. I merely spectated and snapped about 2000 photos of triathletes as they passed me. Still, I was pretty bushed at the end of the entire thing! (Note: If you raced, there is a high likelihood that there will be a pic of you in my uploaded album, and that pic may even be flattering! If you only want to check yourself out, skip down to the end - the link to the photo album is at the bottom of the post).

Ok, why is the Butler Tri my current fav? Well, it is the most, and I mean MOST laidback triathlon ever. Ever. They don't mark up bodies like in most other triathlons. The transition area isn't barricaded or regulated even, and nobody seems too concerned either. This totally laidback atmosphere, I totally dig!

Family, friends, supporters and racers move about freely in the Transition. No barricades!

Good example of transition set up. Love the shoes!

Search Amazon
for Lifeproof Cases

However, competition was anything but laidback for some of the more serious racers. As I shivered in the water waiting to capture pics of the water start, some folks looked really intense. (Pics were taken with the shockproof and waterproof Panasonic DMC-TS3 Camera while my Iphone 4 in the Lifeproof Case captured the vids). Swimmers were let off in waves 5 minutes apart: orange, yellow, red, then white caps. Spencer and Ben registered on the day, were given white caps, which could be strategic, because there weren't many people in this wave.

The last wave of swimmers: GO!

Safety during the point-to-point swim was great - lots of lifeguards with floaty buoys were at ready to assist, and boats were stationed at the (approx) 100 m and 300 m Big Turn Buoys. The course started off the beach on the right, straight out to the first buoy, then turning left to swim parallel to the shore, before making another left towards and exiting on a lovely grass-carpeted runway to Transition.

Check out those biceps!

I was a little concerned seeing one of the swimmers who was let off in the third wave. She alternated between freestyle and what seemed like doggy paddling, and flipped over on her back every 20 m or so. She was quickly left behind by the other red capped swimmers, but continued slowly onward, a lone red cap bobbing in the water. She was just about reaching the first buoy when the last wave was flagged off. I worried that she would get mauled by these swimmers as they caught up to her! I couldn't tell how the rest of her swim went but she finished, because I saw her going off for the bike and run later. I was inspired by her courage, and reminded of a dear buds of mine (who overcame her phobia of open water swimming in 'Taming the Fear"). Ya know, that's Why I Love Triathlon.

The 100 m buoy in the far distance.

After the last wave went out, I hurried over to catch some of the swimmers exit the water. I snapped away until first Spencer, then Ben came out.

I didn't realize until sorting thru the pics later - tell me that isn't a butterfly in the water. :O

Then, I ran over to the Transition area and shot racers as they left on their bikes, and some as they rolled in back from the 7 mile bike leg, including Ben, with Spencer hot on his wheels. The temperature was steadily rising, and I could see that the heat was taking its toll on some of the racers. The organizers were constantly encouraging them to hydrate.

Ben B. on his way to winning his age group

By the time most racers started the run, it had become quite warm. Probably 90 degrees. I was very content - having grown up near the equator, this kinda weather is lovely. These race conditions made for a blistering Run Finish!

Lifeguards doing double duty as hydration personnel

I'm looking forward to doing this triathlon, heck any triathlon, as soon as I can run again. I really like that they give out plenty of medals (16-20, 20-24, 25-29, 30-34, 35-39, 40-44, 45-49, 50-54, 55-59, 60-64, >65 year age categories, both male and female). That works out to about 70 shots at glory, and for the 252 participants this year, about a one in three chance of going home with a shiny hunk of metal. Sweet! :)

Here are a few more of my favorite photos (click to enlarge):

Just an artsy pic

Waiting for the next wave to be let off

Best Baywatch Moment Dude!

Most exciting end-of-bike-leg

Biggest Smile

Just love this one.

Most Fiery Finish

Most Airborne Run Finish

Heroine of the Day

Check out my Race Photo Album containing 1000 pics. If you need any of these in high-resolution, let me know!

Check back for the Video of the various swim start waves too!

Race Results are posted at Runner's High, another race report on BoroRacer's blog and a piece in the Examiner by Carol Hamilton.

I love hearing from you, please do take a moment to leave a comment at the end of this post :)

xo Gracie

p.s. It would be AWESOME if you could click on any ad here - my sponsors give me a few cents per click. Thanks for supporting my blog!

Le Tour de Brockway Bike Race 4 July 2012

2012-07-05T19:23:00.000-07:00

Question: What's the best way to kick off your Independence Day festivities?
Answer (for about 80 plus riders and supporters): Le Tour de Brockway Bike Race. :)

The race featured 24 miles of scenic, rolling country roads, including four decent sized hills, and a peloton 'parade' on Main St cheered on by a gazillion empty camp chairs lining the street. Road bikers, mountain and hybrid bikers, and even a couple on a tandem bike lined up at the start. It was a gorgeous sunny day, but the downpour the night before left the stretch in the tunnel slick, which potentially made the sharp right at the exit extremely tricky to execute.

The peloton climbing up the first hill

I had positioned myself on the first of the hill climbs so I could snap pics of the riders as they crested the hill. As Spencer passed he yelled out that Ben had flatted and was out of the race. I thought the police car escort in front and the ambulance following at the back was very reassuring safety-wise. After the ambulance passed, I cycled back towards the start, hailing Ben who'd fixed his flat and decided to try catch the rest. I stopped in at the huge Food Fair to grab a pulled pork sandwich to go. I was a woman on a mission, else I woulda checked out the Car Show and Crafts Fair too! Near the start, I spotted another chap who'd also flatted and woulda given up if he hadn't been encouraged by Ben to give it a go. I snapped a few pics of him changing out his tire, and said I'd see him at the Finish.

Number 62 - An inspiring Finish (later)

I cycled a few miles up from the finish line, hoping to catch the first riders as they approached the finish. There would be a few downhill twists before the long straightaway, and I picked a spot that I thought would work. I also managed to chat with Wilbert, who hails from Punxsutawney and when I came across him, was comfortably ensconced in a camp chair set up outside his son's home. A seasoned roadie, he travels here every Fourth to cheer on the bike racers.

I took a bunch of pics in various locations approaching the finish. And boy was I glad to see No 62 (the chap with the flat) roll in at the Finish. All his gals were there to greet him at the Finish! It was truly heartwarming.

Number 62 and his supporting crew. Well done on your inspiring Finish!

Team ESI did good this outing with Brad and Ben clinching third in their respective age groups! And that with Ben's flat! Well done! Maybe I'll participate next year too, just for the fun of it. Having this race, and the Star Spangled 10 km run, as part of the three day Fourth July extravaganza celebration was a big draw for me - and from the looks of the monster crowd that was building up when we departed at 2 pm, the organizers have hit upon a winning formula. See you next year!

For 165 more pics: CHECK HERE! And for the Race Results visit SMILEYMILES.COM

xo Gracie

p.s. It would be AWESOME if you could click on any ad here - my sponsors give me a few cents per click. Thanks for supporting my blog!

Team ESI: Brad, Ben, Spencer

Fair Winds Manor 5K Quality Life Series #2

2012-07-02T18:12:00.003-07:00

We look forward to the Fair Winds Manor 5K every year, partly because it's just down the road from where we live, the very reasonable race fees ($12 pre-reg, $15 race-day reg) include a delicious pulled pork bbq sandwich dinner and some years (sponsors withstanding) a shot at some prize money. It also feels pretty good to know that our participation goes towards helping fulfill the wishes of some nursing home residents via the 'Dream a Little Dream' program.

A steady bone-chilling drizzle was in progress as we pulled in to the parking lot. Aside from two people we spotted running down the road as we arrived, there wasn't a soul in sight and there were only two other vehicles parked there. That did not portend well for the race, I thought.

Just a few minutes before 7 pm, when the race was supposed to start, the rain miraculously stopped. Spencer got out and started his warm up routine. Would this race be a wash? I didn't see anyone!

Then at 7 pm, folks started appearing (I guess there was another parking lot at the top of the hill hehe) and soon a good-sized gaggle of runners were flocking around the start line. Mike Ligo, administrator of Fair Winds Manor Sarver, was given the honor of flag off with the air horn. He got the crowd readied in nervous anticipation for the blast and... 'Three'..'Two'...'One' ... (nothing). Apparently air horns have expiration dates! Fortunately there was a spare, and the runners were thusly permitted to proceed with the business of running.

And... 'GO!!!' (It worked this time!)

While waiting for the lead runner to come in, I chatted with a sweet Italian lady by the name of Sue Sunseri and managed to coax from her, her recipe for Italian wedding soup, which she makes in h-u-g-e cauldrons for feeding her family. (And in case you are wondering, sorry, I can't share this recipe with you :p). When her husband Tony came in from his run, we got a-chatting and I was so happy to have made the acquaintance of this lovely couple.

Tony and Sue Sunseri of Grove City

After the last runner was cheered across the Finish, we headed up for some grub and the awards ceremony.

Spencer wrested First Prize in his age group with a time of 22 m 40 s - a PB!

Here are the links to about 70 RACE PICS , and the RACE RESULTS . Thanks Quality Life for organizing these great local runs!

See you all again soon!

xo Gracie

p.s. It would be AWESOME if you could click on any ad here - my sponsors give me a few cents per click. Thanks for supporting my blog!

Fat Tire Challenge Sigel 2012

2012-07-02T11:02:00.002-07:00

This year's edition of the Fat Tire Challenge in Brookville PA had it all - Thrills, Spills, Gore and Glory... and the most adorable Lil Fat Tire kids on wheels to ever grace the series (now in it's 7th year). Aside from a few unfortunate ferns I sat on while shooting pics of the race, no wildlife was harmed in the documenting of this race!

Pick your poison - 14 mile (Sport) or 24 mile (Expert) promised some nice double track logging path, huge climbs on narrow single track, and the famed, notorius Rock Garden (more on that later). All that against a backdrop of dense forest, blooming mountain laurel and overlooks so lovely that you might even forget how horribly your lungs are burning, your quads and charley-horsed calves are screaming... you might even smile! Ok well, maybe not. :p

The Lil Fat Tire kicked off first, with 32 kids rolling out at 9.45 am for two to three 1/2 mile loops (the big kids do more).

Lil Kids Fat Tire getting ready to blast off!

The race briefing for the grown-ups' race took place after prizes were awarded to the winners of the kids race. This year, everyone's ankles would be adorned with timing chips, and stagger started. This development was much welcomed by racers, as the mass starts of previous years had given rise to some impressive bottlenecks accompanied by colorful language!

Team ESI in their baby blues. Eric Shick Insurance was also one of the race title sponsors.

Riders rolled out ten seconds apart

After I saw the last of the riders off at the start, I hurried over to the third-way point where I proceeded to stalk passing riders. I love that this course is supporter-friendly. I arrived at that point just on time to see the lead expert rider Jordan going off course! (He lost a good 10 minutes, eventually placing third). I hid myself amongst the shrubbery, snapping away. Pic quality with Spencer's indestructible Panasonic Lumix DMC-TS3 was spotty (note to self: use my own Panasonic Lumix DMC-ZS7 next time!).

What do you think this dude is trying to tell me? :)

I even spotted a couple of unicyclists! Truly a brave breed of rider.

At mid-point, volunteers handed out hydration and nutrition (sponsored by Gu and Vitamin Water), all the while cheering on riders.

Photo credit: Fattirechallenge.com

Further down the trail at mile 11 are the Rock Gardens, a 150 foot boulder-strewn stretch that most folks consider unrideable.

The Rock Garden. Photo credit: Fattirechallenge.com

A face plant in the Rock Garden did not deter this chap from
going on to win the race in his category.
Photo credit: Fattirechallenge.com

This Fat Tire Challenge gets better and better every year, with Race Director Michael White at the helm and backed by generous sponsors and volunteer support. There's so much sponsored swag that nobody goes home empty-handed. This year's food was outstanding - the breakfast burritos sold at the Relay for Life food booth were among the delicious hot-grilled lunch items available. We'll be back!

Check out my 400 race pics HERE, Dr Sprocket's race video HERE and the Official FAT TIRE Page for results, pics and more!

xo Gracie

p.s. It would be AWESOME if you could click on any ad here - my sponsors give me a few cents per click. Thanks for supporting my blog!

Yellow Creek SP Monthly Race: June

2012-07-01T13:51:00.005-07:00

We were anticipating a 100 degree F scorcher of a race this time, but conditions ended up cool with a short refreshing drizzle instead.

I photographed the bikers and runners as they partook of the immaculately groomed race course (thanks to the wonderful efforts of the Friends of YC trail maintenance crew). Having ridden most of the race course last month (where I DNFed - and I say this with my head held high hee hee), I had in mind a couple of spots that might make for good pics. Before the 10.30 am race start, I had skulked away and made haste towards the first choice spot in the Pine Forest where I crouched silently, waiting to shoot unsuspecting athletes as they came by.

Dang it! Marty spotted me!

With my cover blown, I sought my next hiding place further along the trail where I camouflaged myself with a couple of dried branches. I managed to capture a blurred pic of the lead runner as he blazed by me.

Apologies for the blurry pic - the dude was just too fast!

I took a couple more shots before doubling back to the Pine Forest to await the racers as they came back my way. Seeing a lot more runners this month, likely due to the 'Run with the Deer Fly' race at the end of the month. 'Run with the Deer Fly'... now that should be fun. I had two flies keeping me company throughout, and they nailed me pretty good :p

In the lovely Pine Forest blanketed with ferns

What would be a suitable caption for this? :\

Ben wrests the coveted Green Jacket!!!

Post race refreshments (fried rice and juicy cut watermelon) went down well with the hungry folk. Thanks everyone who tipped so generously - an additional $32 (after deducting my food cost of $10) was raised for the park! Thanks again to the Friends of Yellow Creek for yet another well-put-together race, and to the sponsors Indiana Cycles for the Pie Prizes!

For the rest of the pics, Follow This Link....

xo Gracie

p.s. It would be AWESOME if you could click on any ad here - my sponsors give me a few cents per click. Thanks for supporting my blog!

The Yellow Creek Grassroots Mountain Bike Race #3

2012-05-26T11:20:00.001-07:00

This was gonna be my first mtb race but I DNFed! And Dave on a unicycle, completed the entire twelve bumpy, rock-studded, root-riddled miles. On a unicycle. :o

Dave Krack on his unicycle, towers over me

Still, I had a whale of a time! The organizers - Friends of Yellow Creek State Park - have been putting up these monthly races for several years now and the rides just keep getting better! ( from what Spencer says anyway). For a total noob such as myself, some sections were a lot of fun - gentle little mounds on single track. And I managed to make it up a couple of hills too! But I walked my bike down a few, and I walked over all the narrow bridges. And the baby creeks. And whenever I felt scared (which was a lot hehe). *hangs head in pretend shame*

There was this CRAZY drop into the raging river. I barely made it across alive!

Around halfway through I started getting really really hungry. Those of you who know me know that I eat like every 20 minutes or so. Unfortunately I forgot to pack food this time! So spencer cut our ride short and took us on a nice double track chicken route with lovely views overlooking the Lake.

In total we did 11 miles in 2 hours. I am floating on clouds now. What a wonderful way to spend a saturday morning! And oh yeah, we also squeezed in a short 600-800m swim in the Lake before the bike ride. So it was a good brick workout :D

The fried rice and watermelon that I brought to share, went down well with the hungry mtbikers. Deducting $5 to cover some of my costs, $12 remaining in tips went to YC. :)

See you all again next month!

xo Grace

p.s. It would be AWESOME if you could click on any ad here - my sponsors give me a few cents per click. Thanks for supporting my blog!

The 2008 Ohiopyle Falls Festival

2011-08-05T07:33:00.000-07:00

Summary of post

Spencer and two hundred other boaters go over the Ohiopyle Falls in one of the biggest whitewater events in the USA. Nobody dies.

A terrifying fall

Going over an 18 foot waterfall at the Falls Race in Ohiopyle, Pennsylvania, is as good an excuse as any for peeing in your pants. Why would anyone in their right mind want to do it? The frothing, churning waters at the bottom of the drop look rabidly angry. There's a punishing hydraulic that sucks you in and whirls you around and around under the water. There's also an undercut that could trap and hold you underwater... indefinitely...

Somebody's gotta do it

The only time boaters can legally go over the Falls is

during this annual event. At least eight safety and rescue crew (mostly volunteers) must be on standby, and EMTs ready. Spence ran into a kayaking buddy, Alan, who had been completely trashed going over the Falls a little while earlier. Alan is an experienced kayaker, but somehow lost his line, went over the horseshoe (bad) instead of the tongue (ideal) part of the Falls, and was pummeled underwater for nearly 2 minutes. The nasty contusion on his foot was the only physical evidence of his traumatizing encounter with the Force of Nature - the emotional and psychological effects would run far deeper. "This was the first time in my life that I have been truly afraid"... "I was flailed around like a rag doll, my face was literally on the bottom of the river".

Listening to Alan's harrowing experience did nothing to help Spencer's nerves.

But, somebody's gotta do it (right?).

Blow-by-blow account of the Falls run

Spence waits in line with other boaters at the put-in point. He's only doing the practice runs, not taking part in the race (competition).

There are a few Class III rapids before the 18 foot Class V drop. It's a nice warm-up for Spence.

He approaches the Falls carefully, taking his time to select the best line. The 'tongue' gives the greatest clearance, and he needs to direct his kayak on it. He looks tiny compared with the HUGE waterfall.

He "boofs" off the Falls perfectly...

He all but disappears into the frothing waters below...

Paddling ferociously, he fights his way out of the inhuman pull of the hydraulic. He made it!

Winding down at the carpark with Dad...

The Falls don't look quite as threatening from further downstream, where the waters are calm.

To top it off Spence and I did the very popular (with boaters and rafters) 'Loop' in our awesome NRS tandem inflatable Bandit kayak. This 24 lb bad boy has been all the way across the world with us - we paddled the Kilim Mangroves, Langkawi, Malaysia with it, and also the Gopeng River (with Nomad Adventure, a great outdoor adventure company based in Selangor).

xo Grace

p.s. It would be AWESOME if you could click on any ad here - my sponsors give me a few cents per click. Thanks for supporting my blog!

Ninth Annual Subaru 24 Hour Champion Challenge 2008

2011-08-05T07:30:00.000-07:00

Summary of post

Thrills and spills... guts and glory... pushing and breaking the limits of human endurance in a 24-hour mountain bike relay race at Seven Springs Resort, PA.

(The pic above taken by Mark Dempster)

The Race

Over 300 men and women, in teams, duo or solo, tested their mettle mountain-biking repeatedly on a punishing 12-mile course this past Labor Day weekend. The aim was to complete as many laps as possible within 24 hours, which meant riding in the night. That's right - d-a-r-k. The course has a tight, twisty single-track through the woods, some extremely technical barely walkable 'rock garden' sections and a long, steep, uphill, heart-attack-inducing climb.

Why do it?

Spencer Clark (Team Buffalo Riders I): "It's the Woodstock of Mtn Biking, man".

Mark Dempster (Team Buffalo Riders II): "This is my Christmas!"

Joe Ruggery (Veteran Cyclist, Solo): 24 Hours for Tom (a fundraiser).

Grace: "Dunno... I think I'll go pick some blackberries".

From the viewpoint of a non-mountain-biker, I'll say this: The 24 Hour Race is one huge party. It's hard not to get caught up in the festivities that celebrate the riders, the teams and their supporters. I immersed myself in the friendly camraderie, took in and took photos of everyone and everything, and had an awesome time.

Five star accommodations

A small metropolis came up overnight on the grounds of the Seven Spring Resort. Seven Springs is actually a ski resort that dabbles in hosting other outdoor activities such as this mountain bike race when there's no snow on the slopes.

Pre-Race

Our two teams (Buffalo Riders I & II) were extremely well set up.

There was food.

There was a bike repair station.

There was our massage therapist Jessica.

There was Stacy, our mascot.

There was even a special emergency response team for assistance putting in contact lenses.

The Beginning

At the starting line, the tension and excitement were palpable, could almost taste it. Go! (The racers run a lap around the lake before getting to their bikes.)

During the Race

Ariana and Courtney got busy advertising Jessica's massage therapy services.

Throughout the race, many people sought Jessica's healing touch.

Even Stacy did ("The only part of me that doesn't hurt is my head... oh wait... I don't have one")

I managed to get a couple of shots at the crazy downhill and insane uphill sections (Had to walk and walk to get to these sections).

Saw Spencer off on the night rides too.

In all, most of our racers got in between 3 - 4 laps during the 24 hours (that's 36 - 48 miles). Several crashed at the 'rock gardens', and Spencer had to stop every once in a while to puke during his third (night) lap (food poisoning), but no serious casualties were reported.

What a great way to spend the weekend. See you all next year!

Check out the rest of my photos HERE!

xo Grace

p.s. It would be AWESOME if you could click on any ad here - my sponsors give me a few cents per click. Thanks for supporting my blog!

14th Jackie Kallal Triathlon 2010 Race Report

2010-06-13T18:00:00.000-07:00

The 14th Jackie Kallal Tri held Saturday 12 June 2010 (yesterday) was a resounding success with a record 137 racers of all ages and walks of life. Forecasted thunderstorms were a no show, instead racers enjoyed a sweltering hot day with temps in the 80s.

There were already hundreds of people milling around Yellow Creek State Park when we rolled in at 8.10 am. Registration was from 7.30 - 8.30 am, so there was ample time for Ben B. to sign up and hand over his forty bucks to Habitat for Humanity. Spencer had pre-registered, so all he needed to do was pick up his race packet, which contained a t-shirt, swim cap, bunch of goodies and race info. Donuts and other breakfast foods (generously donated by various local sponsors) were provided for the racers - Ben grabbed one. Mmmm.

After being branded by a friendly volunteer, we headed over to
the Transition Area by the beach.

The Transition is where frenzied action takes place during the swim-bike and bike-run legs. Spencer found a spot reasonably close to the bike start point and laid down his stuff on a tarp next to his bike. Ben set up next to him. The list of stuff follows: Bike, bike shoes, helmet (compulsory), sunglasses, heart rate monitor, water, recovery drink, gel packs, wet suit, goggles, socks, towel, bandanna, tire pump, spare tube, tool set, running shoes.

Everyone gathered by the beach for a short speech, prayer and singing of the National Anthem. Then the racers arranged themselves by cap color in orderly lines.

Ben and Spencer who were in the 30-34 and 35-39 men's age group, respectively, had saucy green swim caps. They were in the first wave. 'Ready...GO!' The first wave plunged into the 1/2 mile swim with a flurry of ferocious splashes.

Next up, a couple minutes later were the purples, and last were the yellow capped racers. Not long after the last yellow paddled out, the first swimmer, Rebecca, finished her swim leg and sprinted off to the Transition. Go girl! After a bit, the first green-capped mortals beached themselves and took off for the Transition. Spencer was 14th out of the water, and I followed him on the sidelines as he huffed to the Transition for the bike leg. The bike leg is a 9.5 mile closed road bike course that dishes out some killer climbs for the racers' pleasure. He struggled getting his wetsuit off and bike shirt on backwards (oops), put on his socks and bike shoes, helmet, and he was on his way. This was where early birds who snagged transition spots closest to the bike finish point had a wee advantage - racers have to run their bikes to the bike start point, so the closer the better.

I hung around the Transition waiting for Spencer to return, saw Ben off, and took a bunch of photos. Now Ben is a tri-virgin, and swimming isn't really his thing, so I was glad to see that he had gotten his most difficult leg out of the way and could now look forward to having an increasingly wonderful first triathlon. I saw the last swimmer jog into the Transition, change and crank out on her bike. It wasn't long after that that the first cyclist barrelled in. Those in teams had to rack their bikes before their team mate could start on the 3.5 mile running leg.

I saw a bunch of runners off, then made my way to the Finish Line to welcome Spencer and Ben. Ben had made good time on his bike and even better on his run (he does marathons for breakfast). He crossed the finish with a guttural roar, 3rd in his category and 17th overall. Yay Ben! Spencer cruised in shortly after, finishing 7th in his group and 37th overall. Woohoo! It was wonderful watching all the racers cross the finish line. One racer jogged across the finish with his two kids, one tucked under his right arm. Another raised her arms in triumph as she crossed the line - joy shining through the weariness on her face. I wondered what each racers' stories were. Why they raced, how they'd trained, how they felt about all this.

There was a generous spread of baked goods, fruit and warm Gatorade at the Pavilion that racers replenished their expended calories with.

The atmosphere was cosy and friendly and the camraderie was pretty amazing among the racers and everyone there. Families, friends, supporters, volunteers, cheered as the prize winners were called out. The oldest and youngest racer, received a special gift, as with the racer who came all the way from Wisconsin. The prize winners looked happy, everyone looked happy.

In the spirit of the Jackie Kallal Triathlon, I believe everyone who came that day, went home a winner.

For the race results, CLICK HERE (then click on the 'Yellow Creek Triathlon' to download the Word doc).
For some 500 photos of the race, CLICK HERE .

If I get some time I might put together a video of the race, so check back in the next month or so to see if you have a starring role ;) . In the meantime check out my video of the bike-kayak-run Yough Xtreme Adventure Race 2010 to whet your appetite.

xo Grace

p.s. It would be AWESOME if you could click on any ad here - my sponsors give me a few cents per click. Thanks for supporting my blog!

Yellow Creek SP Mountain Bike Race Series: #3 May 2010

2010-05-31T18:12:00.000-07:00

In the biggest turn out so far, 27 racers blasted out of the starting blocks for the third race of the season for the bad@ss 10.5 mile YC Grassroots Racing Series 2010. The sun was shining, the birds were chirping...
an all round happy-mood-inducing day.

Even Mr Frog our mascot approved.

Track conditions were a tad slick thanks to heavy rain the day before, which created some wonderful opportunities to wallow in lovely lil' mud-pits.

First to emerge unscatched was Shane G. who snagged the first of 10 prizes up for grabs in the mens category. Anthony C. of the Buffalo Riders cruised in a little later for 2nd spot, with Ben S. (sp?) hot on his heels. In the womens category, Taylor E. of the Buffalo Riders placed fourth in her first mountain bike outing since The Macey.

Notorious (yet innocent-looking), The Macey has been banned from race tracks all over PA and was last seen plotting another gate-crash at the YC SP.

That's it for this race report. Thanks Friends of YC for organizing yet another orrrrsum race and the Sponsors too, especially Indiana Cycles for filling our bellies with tasty hot grub post race. See you at next month's race June 26, 2010!

Official race results will be posted on Ride YC soon. Race format and times also on RideYC.
For some race photos click here (Check back soon for more photos and possibly, the race video!)
For the inaugural race report and race map click here.

xo Grace

p.s. It would be AWESOME if you could click on any ad here - my sponsors give me a few cents per click. Thanks for supporting my blog!

TeamSOG Yough Xtreme Adventure Race 2010 Race Report & Results

2010-04-25T16:50:00.000-07:00

Think you could ride 25+ miles of mountain bike trails with relentless kick@ss climbs and hairy downhills? Could you paddle 9 miles of whitewater with up to class III rapids? Is 20 miles of running/hiking a 'walk in the park' for you? Does a 140' rappel sound like a good time?

How about doing ALL the above in hypothermia-inducing rain, chilled to the bone, with cramping muscles? And do all that in under 10 hours...

If this still sounds like fun, then you probably are one of those 138 folks who did (or attempted!) the 12th Annual Yough Xtreme Adventure Race yesterday (24 April 2010). This multisport event set in the wild and gorgeous
Laurel Highlands, and masterfully produced by Doug Crytzer and his team at American Adventure Sports, is one that gets better every year. This race is killer.

I didn't race it though. I'm merely an observer. I observed my husband as he put down 140 bones for race fees (solo category). I observed him as he excitedly packed for the race from a long list of compulsory items, e.g., ACE bandage, 50' throw rope, helmet. At race check-in on Friday, I looked on as he carefully marked the checkpoints on his map and strategized which trails/routes he would take. On race day, I watched as he gritted his teeth and determinedly slogged from one checkpoint to the next, to the next, and to the next. It was hard to watch at times - like when he would come in drenched and shivering, and I couldn't give him a towel, because this was an 'unsupported' race.

Here are the race maps - one's a pic and the other's a 'moving progress map':

At 8 am sharp, Doug flagged off the racers for a lung-busting 1.4 mile run from the bridge up Great Gorge Trail to the Ohioyple SP Campground Contact Station (a 400 ft elevation gain, gulp). There teams collected their punch cards that would be punched at each checkpoint, and guarded with their lives for the duration of the race. Returning to the transition area, the running shoes were swapped out for bike shoes and the biking began. The first team blazed in at 20 minutes, and the last team ambled in at about 9.15am. Spencer came in at a slow jog at 8.30 am. After watching the last team ride out on their bikes, I took a little nap. It had started raining at 9 am, and kept on until about noon. Good sleeping weather ;).

Transition to CP1: Mtn bike up to the gate where Gas Well Rd intersects Sugarloaf Rd, via either Baughman Tr (1.5 mi steep climb, more direct) or Sugarloaf Tr (2 mi 'scenic rte' and 'the fastest route'). A slippery ride in the rain, with a sprinkling of hail near the top. Brrr.

CP1 to CP2: Mtn bike to Ramcat Launch Area. Spencer had planned to take Gas Well Rd but couldn't find it, so ended up taking Fire Tower Rd instead. He made decent time, and flew down the mountain, coming up on CP2 at 10.30 am. At this point some folks were dropping out of the race, it was just too much.

CP2 to CP3: Kayak inflatable down the Yough from Ramcat to the Middle Yough boater takeout (9 mi). I've paddled this and it took me 4 hours that time. Spencer pulled in at 12.45 pm, placing 4th in solo. He used his own inflatable tandem 'Bandit' NRS kayak this time. Other racers had kayaks waiting for them at Ramcat, and Spencer did too, thanks to Dad who inflated his kayak for him. Thanks Dad!

CP3 to CP4: Run 1/4 mi to the pavilion at Wilderness Voyageurs. The rappel was scrapped because of the rain (safety considerations).CP4 to Transition: Run a couple feet to the Transition area. Spencer had a PB sammich and salt & vinegar chips for lunch. He'd been sucking in Power Gu's all morning so it was nice to sit down and have a bite to eat. He'd also laid out a fresh pair of socks to change into, but kept on his sodden Salomon XT Wings 'because these are quick dry la'. His 15 minute lunch was 'leisurely' but only because he had dental surgery two days prior and needed to be careful chewin. Mum, Dad, Ariana, Carver and I supported Spencer by helping him eat his lunch too.

Transition to CP5: Run back to Ramcat along the Yough Tr (Rails-to-Trails, 9 mi). Running isn't Spencer's forte, although he runs 5 miles to work every day. All of us family cycled alongside him as he doggedly jogged on. A couple of teams passed us, ladies even hee hee :o . He reached his bike at Ramcat at 3 pm.

CP5 to CP6: Bike up Fire Tower Rd (oh the torture) to the Sugarloaf Snowmobile & Mountainbike Area. I drove to Fire Tower Rd to try take some pics of exhausted racers riding up the mother-of-a-hill there, and found Spencer dismounted, pushing his bike and out of gas. Half the folks coming up the hill were pushing too. It must have been killer, after 7 hours of non-stop balls-to-walls go go go.

CP6 to CP7: Collect the Open Course map & punch card, collect O-points marked on the map, and return to CP6/7 to punch out. There were four O-points giving 4, 4, 6 & 7 points, respectively. All these involved uphill exertions of 0.5 to 1.5 miles. Spencer was shivering as he sat down on the grass, poring over the map and trying to figure out which O-points to hit. At this point having a team mate to brainstorm with would probably have been helpful because he somewhat misread the map and thought he couldn't take Lytle Rd, which set the stage for some bushwhacking. He started out 4 pm for O-point#2 but couldn't find it, then decided to try for O-point#1 and nailed 7 points. By that time it was 5 pm, and he had to get off the O-course.

CP7 to CP8: Back to Wilderness Voyageurs FINISH. Spencer punched out at CP7 and headed back down to the finish (Baughman Tr) 12 minutes before the cut-off time of 6 pm.

Spencer finished well, 47 points total and 3rd place solo. Good jorb!

Here's the elevation change vs distance chart. Spencer climbed 6746 ft that day.

I took a bunch of photos throughout the race, and videoed the awards ceremony and managed to get most of the winners down here (sorry if I mangled any names folks!). The official race results will probably be out soon but here's what I got from my video:

Unofficial Race Results
Solo
1st: Steve Wendell (51 pt)
2nd: ?? (sorry...)
3rd: Spencer Clark (47 pt, 5.48pm)
4th: Doug Hershey (44 pt, 5.48pm)
5th: Steve & Ben (44 pt, 5.25 pm)

2 person male
1st: Paul Morris & Patrick (48 pt, 5.19 pm)
2nd: Happy Valley Hooligans Jason Contino & Nate Geist (44 pt, 4.55 pm)
3rd: Andy & John (44 pt, 5.36 pm)
4th: Matthew Immekus & Mark Sullivan (40 pt, 3.35pm)
5th Team 'Old & Young' John & ? (32 pt, 3.52pm).

2 person coed
1st: Bob Riley & Veronica
2nd: James McCogan & Megan Donovan (47 pt, 5.52 pm)
3rd: ?, 4th: 44 pt ?
5th Melissa Weaver & Jeffrey Soles (40 pt, 5.21 pm)

3 person male
1st: Simon Shercliff, Marc Shercliff and Etienne de Gonneville (51 pt, 5.54pm)
2nd: ?;
3rd: Steve, Doug & Steve (32 pt, 5.22 pm)
4th Team Weeble Neeble William, Kevin Holt, Michael White (32 pt, 5pm)

4 person USARA coed
1st: Adventures for the Cure Michael Berry, Bill, Laura & Dave
2nd: Cumberland Trail Connection's Dave, Kevin Hauser, Tony & Bonnie. (61 pt, 5.08pm)
3rd: Michael, David, Amy & Tyler Daniels.

3 person coed
1st: Team Trakkers Michael Stiller, Kathy Smith & Greg (61 pt, 4.40 pm)
2nd: Berlin Bikes Ben Moore, Ernie & Vickie Monahan (61 pt, 4.43 pm)
3rd: A List ATP Scott, Martha, Brian Rice (61 pt 4.55 pm)
4th Gold ARA Bruce Wong, Luther, Ali Bronson (61 pt 5.47 pm)
5th: Adventure Racing Maryland Kathy, Greg and Joel (57 pt, 5.35 pm)

That about wraps up this race report for now. Thanks SOG knives for sponsoring this awesome race and AAS for putting together yet another challenging and amazing race!

Check out some of my photos of the race: Yough Xtreme 2010 Race Pics.
And here is the Yough Xtreme 2010 Race Video

Quote of the day: Doug Crytzer, "That's what separates the elite teams, and you can all get there believe me - keep racing, be passionate about what you're doing - and they don't make a lot of mistakes... and sometimes they get lucky.. you know what I'm saying..." :)

A click on any ad below this post will put a few cents in my pocket, from the advertisers. Thanks for supporting my blog!

xo Grace

28th Annual Frog Hollow Canoe Kayak Trip 10 April 2010

2010-04-10T12:42:00.000-07:00

The Frog Hollow Paddle, held annually since the 80's, is not any ole paddle. It's what sets the boys apart from the men... or should I say 'men apart from the boys' ;) .

The 14 mile paddle down Buffalo Creek, PA - by tradition a 'male only' event - is a hallowed rite of passage celebrating all things manly/manliness in general, and also marks the start of trout season.

A record 115 men and boys participated this year. A hearty breakfast of Brian's amazing sausage, egg and cheese sandwiches was
the first order of business.

Around 10 am, a battalion of kayaks and canoes put in for what was to be a 6 hour slog. These brave warriors had wisely anticipated the length of the voyage. Thusly, their vessels were loaded with coolers filled with sustenance, i.e., beer. The water level was a keel-scraping, water-wading, toe-freezing 1.6 ft.

Mile after mile, they persevered. Then, at about midway through the journey, they came to The Chute.

The Chute has claimed many a victim in the past, and this year would be no different (pic below: a casualty of the voyage)

The survivors rallied, and pressed on with perseverance...For at the end of their voyage, a sumptous feast, and their women, awaits!

Here are the rest of the pics: Frog Hollow 2010 Pics
Watch the 2006 Frog Hollow Video
Check back soon for the this year's video!

xo Grace

p.s. It would be AWESOME if you could click on any ad here - my sponsors give me a few cents per click. Thanks for supporting my blog!

Yellow Creek State Park Monthly Mountain Bike Race Series 2010

2010-03-28T17:22:00.000-07:00

The ubiquitous Buffalo Riders were out in full G-4 Force at the Inaugural Yellow Creek State Park Mountain Bike Race, on the morning of 27 March 2010.

The temperature was a cringe-inducing 30 degrees F... Registration at was at 9.30 am, and 10.30 am saw 16 brave riders at the start line. Among the ranks of these stout-hearted were Anthony C., Pat K., Ben E. and Spencer Clark, supported by Lindsey C. the Buffalo Riders photog. I on the other hand was sound asleep in my nice warm bed :).

The Shotgun Start 10.30 am was the beginning of a kick-@ass 10.5 mile loop wasting no time setting the pace for the race with a dizzifying 100 foot climb.

At the top, the trail opens up into a grassy plateau that all too quickly channels into a tight single track with zig-zaggy switchbacks in a gorgeous pine forest setting. Then there are some
technical up and downhills, with a few stretches along gravel road, followed by a couple of huge hills that defeated Spencer 'Crazy Legs' single speed rideability. Mile 5 joins the scenic lakeside trail, then goes up some double track and finally rejoins the single track heading back to the finish. The trail can be a slippery mud-fest when it rains, but on this day it ranked low on the mud-fest factor.

The results: The Buffalo Riders snagged 4th, 5th and 6th place. (A.C., S.C. and P.K, respectively). The top guy was 1 hr 5 min, S.C. was 1 hr 16 min. Casualty: one - Mark L. wiped out and suffered a concussion, was picked up by the safety rider. He is doing fine - brain buckets are a GOOD THING...

That's it for this race report. Thanks Friends of YC for a great job organizing the race, and to the Sponsors for helping get this race off to an awesome start. See you at the next race Sun April 25, 2010!

More on the YC Monthly
The YC Monthly is a grass roots mountain bike race series that takes place on the last Saturday of every month at Yellow Creek State Park from March 2010 to November 2010.
Format:
- 10:30am Shotgun Start
- 3 divisions: Male, Female, Youth
- Riders complete one 10 mile loop
- $10.00 donation per race
- A portion ($2 of your $10) of the proceeds benefit the 'Friends of Yellow Creek', the remaining $8 goes into the pool. Top half finishers get paid!

Check out the Yellow Creek Mountain Biking Website - Click here!
To view some race photos posted on the YellowCreek Grassroots Racing Group on Facebook, Click Here.

xo Grace

p.s. It would be AWESOME if you could click on any ad here - my sponsors give me a few cents per click. Thanks for supporting my blog!

Celtic Cross Cyclocross Race March 21 2010

2010-03-22T16:14:00.000-07:00

A ridiculously summery-like day set the scenario for the perpetually-postponed-ever-anticipated Celtic Cross Cyclocross Race held at the Frick Slagheaps yesterday. There was a decent turnout of about 40 winter-paled bodies, including two representatives of the 'Buffalo Riders', a relatively obscure but cool bunch of spandex-donning dudes from north of Pittsburgh.

Ready.. set.. GO!

And off they went for an hour's worth of torturous physical exertion repeating a 1 mile loop that involved the following:

Scrabbling up an 82 degree Cliff....

...Then falling off the adjacent Cliff II....

...and also wading through the 30 foot D' Spa Mud Pit. Sorry folks, all I have to offer is this photo of an unnamed victim that depicts the aftermath of the Pit....

Check out MORE PHOTOS of the Celtic Cross Cyclocross Faces of Racers and be astounded at the rockin VIDEO of this event!

xo Grace

p.s. It would be AWESOME if you could click on any ad here - my sponsors give me a few cents per click. Thanks for supporting my blog!