3/30/23 "Just Like That, Season Started!"
Just like that, my race photography season started. I actually do more than just shooting races. That's another topic all together. My season actually started in late February, shooting the Snowbike Festival organized by Ready Set Go Adventures up in Prattsville NY. It was a warm up race but the early morning snow drama kind of made things a bit more interesting. Next time I would need some snow chain for the front tires so that I could get out of the driveway....I almost needed to tap into my inner Colin McRae when driving to the house the evening before we were staying. It was snowing hard and I could barely make it up through the hilly country roads. I played a lot of Dirt Rally 2 in VR with a $1k direct drive wheel setup. At least, I have some experience driving in snowy condition at speed. At least, I have some ideas what the car would do when sliding around.
The following 2 weeks I was shooting the Randall's Island Criterium races. I always love the series because the race starts in the morning but not too early that the sun isn't even up. Is special because is the only early season crits in NYC. The course is generally underused during March, unlike our other city parks. I enjoyed the downtime in between races and seeing friends and familiar faces at the race. Is a 4 hour event although the race is small.
The week later, I shot my first real race, the March Classic Duathlon organized by New York Triathlon. New York Triathlon puts out over 13 races throughout NYC and NJ! I have spent countless hours right through the Winter off season in marketing the races for the club. To reach out to more athletes and to get everyone motivated and inspired to race their events. Only 2 days ago, I have just finished editing and uploading the race photos. Over 1k shots uploaded, working with 2 photographers, over 230 athletes, with a crew of staff and some new people....my season started!
My next race is this Sat, 4/1, shooting an off road trail run race featuring a half marathon, 10k, and 5k, and in a very technical course as well, the Jungle Habitat in NJ. It will be raining and wet. I shot this course before last year in a MTB race. Challenging and yet very familiar with the race layout.
So far, I have 2 or 3 race schedule conflicts over 25 races this season. Far less than I expected. I will take that as a good sign.
What is making news locally in our niche USAC racing scene is that Prospect Park is currently being repaved and remarked with 2 jogger lanes. Literally squeezing the race course right in the middle of 2 jogger's lanes. When you have 40 riders all sprinting to the finish because they have paid for a timing chip to get official results of their mid 30th placing....the field tends to spill out to both right and left jogger's lanes. It can crash into other joggers. You can't tell riders not to ride into the jogger's lanes because it has no physical barriers. Where do riders go if there is a crash and riders need to find space to bail out? To the jogger's lanes. The park is not a race course and to protest it....nobody wins...