Are We There Yet?? Black Fly - Placid Marathon - Catskills

This past weekend my wife and I were gifted with her parents watching our two little girls while we were able to load the truck and get away to the Adirondacks for two days of athletic competition.  Me, competing in my third straight race at the Black Fly Challenge (a 40mi dirt road race between Indian Lake, NY and Inlet, NY).  Her, competing in the Lake Placid Marathon (1/2 Marathon for her). 
We really look forward to this weekend each year.  Besides being a great road trip, it's a perfect way for my wife and I to share our passions while fully supporting one another. 

This year was a little different because we went up without lodging planned.  We decided we would take a trip like we used to back in college.  We would bring the sleeping bags and the air mattress, and hope for the best.

Black Fly Start

Friday night I knew we would stay under the pavilion at Byron Park.  It has always been a safe / quiet place.  So that's where we stayed.  I can say with certitude, for us,  it was a far better way to spend a night in the Adirondacks than in an expensive motel.  A nice resort or luxury hotel would be great, but wasn't really an option in Indian Lake.  And a house rental was outside of our strategic ability and time frame.  So sleeping in the fresh night air was our chosen option.

Saturday morning was perfect.  Our alarm clock was a Loon call out on Adirondack Lake.  I had plenty of time to wake and prepare,  no travel, choice parking, and an early breakfast and coffee.  However, the rain came that morning as well.  And since the rain showed, the down-pours thought they would show up too.  So a morning warm up was basically out of the question for all but the most insane Black Fly enthusiasts.  Who, I was not one of.

I have raced the last two races on a Cyclocross bike and placed fairly well.  However, this year the race had reports of serious washouts.  So with much debate, I decided to race it on the mountain bike this year.  Which, was a really plush ride, but a very poor choice for speed.  This year was unanimously the hardest event in recent memory by most of the racers.  The new sand  the DEC spread on the roads in the beginning was torturous.  The wet sand along the Moose River Plains was torturous, and riding all of that on a mtn bike vs a cross bike was the most torturous part.  The sand allows you to spin out and slog through on a cross bike, but it actually pushes back on the fat tires of a mtn bike.  I was not anticipating that, and paid dearly for the miscalculation.  A word from the wise . . take the rough ride of a cross bike if you would like to place well at the Black Fly Challenge.  

Lake Placid Marathon Start

Saturday night was a place-to-stay-blessing from a friend in Tupper Lake (thank you Jeremy!)  Sunday was the Lk. Placid Marathon.  Jen was well rested and we got there with plenty of time for her to eat, warm up, and get cued in a fair position.  She finished with one of her best times yet.  Most runners threw in the towel when they reached the bottom of the finishing hill, but Jen kicked it in passing many of those who aren't used to hills. 

Jeremy w/ my dog Arrow

One thing I realized while visiting the ADKs, was that they are a great destination location for road cyclists.  There were plenty of them out on their bikes.  However, I'm not sure I would want to be one of them.  The mountains are not a nice place for roads.  With all the harsh weather, freeze / thaw cycles, and 6 months of snow plowing, mountain roads can pretty beat up.  There are many rides I am on here in the Catskills where I wish we had dreamy tarmac everywhere.  But spending the weekend up North, I realized our roads of the Catskills are in really good condition considering those of the the Adirondacks. 

So in the past several weeks I have received a dozen or so emails from cyclists looking to visit the Catskills.  I have to say it was flattering to get them.  It is also an honor to offer suggestions on where to ride.  We have some great routes here in the Catskills, and after a weekend away, I realize we have some great roads here too. 

Get out here and get your butt pedaling!