Helmeteering: August 2023

If you don't count Zwift races (which I don't) the last competitive event that I took part in was 5 minutes of the USAC Cyclocross National Championship Masters on January 11 2018. I was pretty much done with CX racing after that experience and, while I could have looked for other cycling events to take part in (MTB? Gravel? Garbage Ball?) I took 2019 away from competition. Then came 2020 and the pandemic which were followed by health issues in 2021 and 2022. This is the first year I have had any interest or fitness in events in five years.

I have some experience with gravel racing after taking part in Almanzo a few times but it seems to be a bit of a different sport now than it was early on. Longer distances, more elevation, a bigger challenge. Entry fees have gone up along with the number of participants, many riders are taking this discipline more seriously with specific training programs and equipment designed for performance in these events. There are many "purists" out there who lament this fact and feel that the sport has moved away from its roots. Road racing is over 120 years old, track racing is over 150 years old, mountain bike racing is around 50 years old. I know cyclists have been racing on gravel for many years but the sport in its current form is pretty young and I expect will continue to grow and change. This is a good thing. Innovation and evolution will prevent gravel racing from getting stale and continue to bring more interest into the sport.

Additionally, what was apparent to me as I took part in Gravel Worlds 75 yesterday was the actual riding was pretty much the same as when I rode my first Almanzo race ten years ago. The start is chaotic, things settle down and line out and at some point during the course of the day you will be riding alone. Maybe there is someone a bit up the road or a bit behind you, but the deeper into the race you go the more likely it is that you are going to be riding by yourself. Alone on the road with your thoughts, enjoying the scenery or admiring the views, having an experience on your bike. Sometimes moments along the road are wonderful, sometimes a giant hassle, but at the finish line you had your personal adventure and created some memories. Having experiences like these is what part of life should be about. It's taken me a while to realize this but yesterday was a good reminder.

Checking the weather for the week I knew the days leading up to the ride would be a challenge. I was working the expo area along with my co-workers and we were outside on our feet pretty much all day Thursday and Friday in temperatures over 100 degrees. Luckily the forecast called for a cooling off over night Friday with much more pleasant conditions on Saturday. One thing not called for in the forecast for the week was any rain. So of course it was rain that we woke up to at 5:30am Saturday morning. Over two inches would fall before the rain stopped just before the 7am start.

I'm not going to lie. Looking out the hotel window and seeing that rain almost caused me to bail on the day. After the year I have had, after two days standing in the heat, normal aches and pains keeping me from having decent sleep, did I really want to take this on?

And then I reminded myself, as I have done many many times this year, what a luxury it is to be able to go out and ride. I had nothing else to do yesterday but spend as much time riding my bike as I would need to finish the course. And I thought about the situation I was in exactly one year ago where I would have loved the chance to just go out and ride all day long if I wanted to. I don't care how bad the conditions would be, I thought that August 27 2023 would be a much better day than August 27 2022. Indeed it was.

I got the venue about an hour before the start and stayed in the car to get dressed and prepped until about ten minutes before the start. With no care about results I lined up at the back of the field just as the rain stopped falling. I had planned to start alongside my friend and colleague but he had some obstacles to overcome and was a bit late to the start so I rolled out with the thought of catching him on the road.

I was more than a bit worried during the first ten miles. The gravel was pretty soft due to the rain and required you to stay on the power a bit in order to keep forward momentum. Considering my current fitness I was worried that the day would require more energy that I was going to have. But things turned around pretty quickly. Nick caught up to me and it was great to have a friend to ride with. The wind picked up, which would normally be a drag on the road but helped to quickly dry out the gravel and improve conditions. Once the sun came out the scenery was beautiful as the route weaved through the Nebraska countryside. I have traveled a fair amount for my job but the opportunity to get out of the cities and suburbs can be rare. That being said, you do need to keep your wits about you and not let the mind wander too much. There are other riders that you need to keep aware of. There are good lines and bad lines on the gravel roads and you want to try to spend as much time on the hardpack surface as opposed to getting bogged down in the sand. Corners can be loose, crossroads can have traffic. You need to multitask between your daydreaming and concentration.

The dirt road section at mile 31 provided the obligatory mud obstacle that seems common in gravel races now days. The lack of rain in the forecast made me question the need for the wooden paint sticks the organizers were handing out at registration, but I was sure glad I had one with me to clear the mud off the tires and frame. That Midwest mud is really something else. Having raced cyclocross for so many years one would think that you would have seen all the mud conditions possible but the fact is that CX mud is usually either wet enough to fly off your tires and frame or dry enough to pack down quickly into a rideable track. This stuff is like cement in that it collects upon itself very quickly, caking your tires to the extent that your wheels will no longer turn and packing on to the bottom of your shoes that you feel like you are walking on platform clown shoes. It’s absurd to the point of comedy and, as I saw, it’s a psychological barrier as much as it is a physical barrier. A number of other riders in that section were letting their emotions and fatigue get the better of them pretty quickly. Luckly, this section was only about a mile long and I soon joined the crowd of other riders spending a few minutes clearing the mud off their bikes and shoes enough for wheels to turn and cleats to connect with pedals. And it was back on the road.

We stopped at mile 35 for water and food and again at mile 60. A number of times I thought I might have been carrying too much fluid with two big bottles and the hydration bag on my back. However, as the temps warmed up through the day I always had something to drink and eat when I needed it and never once felt a bonk coming on. I did have some cramping in the last 20 miles but it only took a few moments off the bike stretching my legs to be able to recover and get back on course. Even with the cramping the last 20 miles flew by pretty quickly and soon Nick and I were rolling across the start/finish line just north of Lincoln.

I am still recalling the memories of the day but they are all positives. Even the mud and cramping. Like I said, it was a luxury and a privilege to be able to spend the day riding and I am full of gratitude for the opportunity and the experience.

Thanks to Jason and everyone on his team responsible for Gravel Worlds. If you have the chance I highly recommend participating in this event.