Unbound Gravel 50 Mile Race Report 2022

It's been almost ten years since I first heard about the Unbound Gravel race in Emporia, Kansas. These are the facts that I knew about the race formerly called the Dirty Kanza: the race was all on hilly dirt roads, it was 200 miles, and my most accomplished cyclist friend Jenny had just completed it, during which she had a crash that resulted in her stapling her thigh back together with an actual stapler. Jenny and I had just finished our first full distance triathlon at Ironman Texas, and when asked which event was more difficult, Jenny did not hesitate to say it was the 200 mile bike race, no question. Holy cow. Also, hell no.

Flash forward ten years and I've got a gravel bike that I love riding and I'm living in Kansas City, Missouri, only an hour or so away from Emporia. Of course I needed to check this event out. With other big goals on the calendar and still harboring an unhealthy amount of fear of the 200 mile route, I opted for the 50 miler. I convinced Orissa to drive up from Texas to ride as well.

In early January we learned that both of our applications for the race had been accepted. In February, Trent and I moved to Little Rock. Kansas City would have been pretty far away to make a comfortable home base for the race, and places in Emporia had been booked since before the lottery for the event even opened. Orissa and I got a cute little Airbnb in Wichita. 

Because packet pickup for the 50 mile race was on the same day as the event itself, we drove to Wichita on Friday, settled in, and drove over to Emporia in the morning for packet pickup and our 9 am race start. We got there early enough to grab a donut and take our time getting to the start line. The 100 and 200 mile races had started a couple of hours earlier. There was even a 350 mile event that started the day before.

As we lined up in downtown Emporia for the start, Orissa and I shared that we were both feeling quite nervous. I wasn't sure why, because we had decided ahead of time that this would be a bit of a joyride with no goals except to stay upright and enjoy the day. We rolled out with 500+ other riders and slowly made our way out of town and onto the gravel.

Oh, did I mention it was raining? It was sprinkling before the start and we'd decided to start the race with our rain jackets on. I think I can confidently say that there was some type of rain falling from the sky for the entire duration of our race, but it was light and lovely enough for the first 20 miles that I eventually took off my coat. It was difficult for the first little bit of the race to get into a rhythm because of all the people around us. We passed politely, staying in the doubletrack lanes. I felt surprised every time someone went outside the lane to pass, but eventually Orissa and I started to do the same thing. 

I had an idea that we would follow the same pattern that I've been using on my training rides - stop to take a gel every hour and use that opportunity to stretch. It became clear after a while that neither of us wanted to stop because that would require making our way back through the packs of people that we'd just passed. It felt like the course would just stay crowded for the entire event, but eventually the crowds thinned and we mostly were by ourselves. Just us and the cows. That was probably about the same time that it started to actually rain. 

We shrieked when we heard a loud clap of thunder and I hustled to get my raincoat back on. From that moment on (I think we were around mile 25) it was nothing but pouring rain. We decided to bypass aid stations to avoid getting tangled up in other riders. We had backpacks filled with sports drink so it wasn't necessary to stop anyway. The water began to pool on the roads, making it difficult to see ruts and pot holes. Our bikes became noisier as they picked up grit from the road. We stopped at one point to check Orissa's front rotor, but there was nothing either of us could think of to do to fix it. As we passed other riders, some of their bikes sounded insane. One man laughed that his bike was about to fall apart under him, and I worried that he might not actually be joking.

They hadn't published the routes for the race until a couple of weeks before the event. Orissa and I had speculated about how much time it might take for us to complete the 50 miler. For my Leadville training, I've been riding a very hilly 50 mile route on my mountain bike that takes about five hours each time, so we surmised that a five hour finish might be reasonable. We were thrilled to find ourselves heading back towards town much earlier than that, and we ended up coming down the chute at 3:48:02. What a fun day!

It was really fun to race and it was really fun to feel SO GOOD racing. The hours of training around Lake Sylvia that I've put in have helped so much. Learning some skills from my new MTB hero friend Ari and racing on single track at the Ugly Gnome mountain bike race last month has helped to sharpen my skills and my confidence as well. I felt like I was flying up every hill with no effort on my gravel bike. The shocking part is that I felt myself flying down the other side of each one with confidence - confident in my handling skills and my ability to choose a line. It was great to practice riding with other people in a race on rocky double track and I feel so much more confident about the upcoming bike races in Leadville this summer.

At the finish, Orissa and I were soaked and freezing but we chose to take the time to take our bikes to the complimentary bike wash sponsored by Muc-Off. What an amazing feature at a gravel race. We rushed back to the car to change into warm clothes and watch the other racers come in. At some point the sun came out and it felt hot as we stood along the chute watching the mud-splattered pros and other heroes of the 100- and 200-mile races coming in. We even claim that we saw Peter Sagan cross the finish and coast around the side of a building on his bike, away from the crowds.

The event was inspiring and exciting and I can say for sure that I'd come back and do the 100. I'd even do the 200 if I can find a way between now and then of being less fearful of riding on dirt roads in the dark. In the meantime, I've got one week until my first race of the Lead Challenge next weekend - the Leadville Marathon. The Summer of Leadville is about to start...here we go!!!

It wouldn't be a race without donuts.

Another cyclist told me "you look like a magical fish." I love these beautiful kits!

Gravel Bike Adventures

When I bought my cyclocross bike back in November, I had no intention of ever using it for a cyclocross race. Instead, the goal was to give gravel grinding a try. This relatively new sport with a funny name has consumed my imagination all winter, and after my first actual gravel race this past weekend, I feel compelled to write about it here. So, why gravel?

Here's why, in a nutshell. Look at where you get to ride! (Castell Grind race course)

It's different

After Ironman Lake Tahoe, I was pretty burnt out on riding my tri bike for hours every weekend on the same roads around town. When we started riding the gravel bikes instead, each ride became an adventure to look forward to. Whether we were exploring the greenbelts around the city or riding on gravel roads in surrounding counties, everything was new and different.

Salado Creek Greenway, San Antonio TX

It's like trail running on your bike

Riding in dirt, gravel, sand, and rocks comes with all the same benefits of running trails. It also has a similar learning curve. In trail running, you’ll be most successful once you’ve learned how to pace yourself, find the best line, and take small, nimble steps both uphill and downhill. Riding a bike in loose gravel and soft sand is similar. Finding a good line and getting in a small gear at a high cadence allows you to negotiate through gravel, rocks, and sand. And then, just like trail running, your body gets stronger from riding on the uneven terrain. And you have no choice but to improve your bike handling skills.

It's beautiful!

In the last 6 months, we have found the most amazing routes that have been all around us the whole time, but we never knew they were there. How do you find them? You can ask at the bike shop, or stalk your gravel-riding friends on Strava, and go look at their routes. That’s how we found a gorgeous 70 mile loop starting in Rio Medina (Thank you, Jenny Park!). On a recommendation from the guys at Bicycle Heaven, we rode the most beautiful route on gravel roads from Bandera to Utopia. The thrilling part is that these routes are literally right next to the highways where we’ve been riding our tri bikes for years. But there are no cars!

Outside Rio Medina. Right next to the 471 route I've probably ridden 300 times.

Between Bandera and Utopia, TX.

Racing

Through sheer luck, Trent and I picked a really beginner-friendly event to do as our first organized ride - the Holey Roller in Smithville a month or so ago. The Castell Grind last weekend was our first real gravel race. For me, the race was a humbling experience. I'm newbie again, struggling with the very real fear of falling off my bike and hurting myself. I have all the endurance base in the world and I can climb any hill you put in front of me, but put my bike in some wet sand and I want to cry and give up. It's scary. I'm glad to remember what this feels like, to be new and unsure of yourself. We talk about getting comfortable being uncomfortable...well, here I am again.

There's also an element of adventure to these races because the courses are unmarked. They give you a map or directions that you have to be able to read (or, if you have a good Garmin, you can upload the map into that). There are no aid stations - you have to be totally self sufficient on these rides out in the middle of nowhere. There are no cheering crowds, only the company of other cyclists, who you'll make friends with as you try to navigate the course and encourage each other through difficult sections. All of these things make it intriguing and fun, and I'm looking forward to the next event.

Turn-by-turn instructions at the Holey Roller - don't get lost!

Beginning of Castell Grind

How to get started

That's the awesome part. You don't even have to get a new bike. You can just put fatter tires on your road bike and lower the tire pressure. That's what Orissa did, and it worked like a charm. Then, stalk one of us on Strava and find that Rio Medina ride. I promise you'll be hooked!

Very versatile bike - you can also use it to accompany a friend on a run. ;)