Unbound!

Unbound Gravel is finally coming up this weekend! Every race I have done this season has been in preparation for Unbound. It is not that Unbound has been my main target for the season, but I have been using other races and specific training sessions to focus on how to prepare myself to race Unbound. From the day I found out I was racing in January I have been researching and preparing how to be successful at this event from dialing my equipment, fueling, racing strategy, how I am training, recovering, and racing. Unbound is a race you cannot go in unprepared in your physical, mental, and equipment preparation. Luckily my dad is a mechanic and has been a huge part of helping me dial in my equipment for race day. We have both done a LOT of research and preparation to make sure I can be at my best for this race. In this blog I want to go over my race set up, fueling strategy, and my goals for this race. I hope you enjoy!

Photos by: Paul Nguyen Huu

            I first want to discuss my bike set up. Other than training, the bike set up is what I have been thinking of the most and honestly has been consuming my thoughts almost every hour of every day. In my last race at the Gralloch, I suffered a rear tire sidewall slash followed by 4 punctures that led me to not finishing the race. Not finishing a race is the worst possible outcome for me. Anyone who knows me knows that I will do absolutely everything in my power to finish a race, I almost considered walking to the finish. Not finishing the Gralloch has been on my mind the past 10 days. But more so of how I could have done things differently to finish. First, the only way I do believe I could have finished is if I had a new tire. The slash was too large and no matter how many times I plugged it or changed the flat it wouldn’t hold. However, I do think I could have done a couple things in my preparation to at least avoid it. As much as I was and still am disappointed with not finishing, I do think this taught me valuable lessons of what to do if this happens at Unbound.

            First off, I am riding with too high of tire pressure, and I have not found the ideal tire pressure for my weight. As a smaller rider I can get away with riding at a lower pressure and I will experiment with a few different tire pressure combinations while pre riding the course this week. Another bonus is both HUNT wheels and Kenda tires (both amazing sponsors) will be at the race, and I will be able to speak with them about tire pressures and tire and wheel set up for the race. Tire pressure and tire choice is something that consumes the mind of all gravel racers, so I know I am not alone with this, but it is also something that is extremely important to get right to have a successful race.

            The weather forecast in Emporia this week will make race day very interesting and play a significant role in my bike set up. It is forecasted is rain on Thursday and Friday while race day will be a high of 27 degrees and sunny. However, the rain on Thursday and Friday will cause the of road trails to become extremely muddy and something I will have to be cautious about. Seeing pictures and videos from last year’s addition makes me a bit nervous for this. I saw a lot of people forced to drop out due to a huge buildup of mud causing broken derailleurs and broken bikes. Knowing this, to save my bike and my race I will opt to walk through the extremely muddy sections I don’t want to do anything that would risk not finishing. Knowing how much mud could potentially be on the course as well as the nature of the course being extremely rocky and having a lot of sharp rocks, my tire decision and pressure is VERY important. My dad and I have been going back and forth discussing what I should use and if I should use inserts. After consulting with Kenda I have decided run the Alluvium Pro 40s with Cushcore inserts for extra protection!

            Another important part of my setup I need to think about is what I am bringing in my saddle and frame bag. Being mechanically prepared is one of the most important parts to have a successful race. If something were to happen on course and between checkpoints, I need to have the right tools with me to fix anything on the go. For this race I decided to go with both a saddle and frame bag to get in everything I need as I need a LOT! This is what I am brining:

·      3 tubes

·      4 Co2

·      10 Dyna plugs (better to be safe than sorry!)

·      Hand pump

·      Allen keys

·      PNW Pebble tool (X2)

·      Lube

·      Tire patches

·      Spare tire

·      Chain break + spare master links

·      Tire levers

·      Paint sticks (in case there is a lot of mud!) 

            Other than my bike set up my pre and in race nutrition has also been a huge priority of mine to get right. Racing hard for 12 plus hours will require a solid nutrition plan with the right fuel to have a successful race. Not only will fuel be important but being on top of my hydration will be extremely important. Race day will be both hot and humid and the last thing I will want is to be dehydrated. The last few months in both training and racing I have been experimenting with my race nutrition and figuring out what products work well for me. The plan I am sticking with will be the same as the Traka with consuming 90-100 grams of carbs per hour using a mix of liquids, gels, and bars. As well utilizing caffeine gels in the middle and end of the race. Due to the length of the race, I will be also using nontraditional ride food. My mom made banana bread (Thank you!), as well I will have coke, candy bars, and watermelon, and an extra hydration bag at the checkpoints. I am not sure if many people use watermelon, but I found it works great for me! Watermelon provides both natural sugars and hydration that will be beneficial towards the end of the race. I will be extremely diligent the week leading up to the race focusing on my fueling and hydration to be prepared for Saturdays race. The last thing I want is to bonk due to inadequate fueling. If I stick to my plan, I will be well fueled and hydrated throughout the entire race.

            Riding for 200 miles or 325km is quite intimidating and a bit scary. I have never ridden that long before in my life and it is hard to know how I will cope. However, I am confident with the hours I have put in this year that I have both the stamina and fitness to fight for a good result. For my race strategy I have been doing quite a bit of research from what other riders have done as well as I have had many discussions with my coach on what I should do. First off, I decided to divide the race in three parts, KM 0-108, and checkpoint one, KM 108- 217, and KM 217-325 and checkpoint two and the finish. By dividing the race in sections, the race does not look as overwhelming, and I can have specific goals for each section. In the first part of the race, I want to find a good and cohesive group to ride with. With this race it can be tempting to go out too fast at the start and burn out quickly, I want to avoid that and be smart on how hard I go out. It is a long day and just because you find yourself in the lead group in the first hour does not mean you will still be in the lead in the last hour. After having a discussion with my coach and advice from other riders I want to try to maintain a power that I know I can ride for 12 plus hours. This will give me some references that I am going too hard, too slow or if I am feeling good, I can even push a bit more. In the first half I also want to focus on making sure I am fueling well and staying hydrated. It can be hard sometimes with how hectic the start can be, but making sure I am on top of my nutrition in the first part of the race will be important to making sure I am fueled for the rest of the race.

            The second part of the race will be difficult. There is a lot of technical parts and tough climbs that will be difficult when starting to feel fatigued. At this point of the race, I will be hitting the 8-hour mark, and this will be new territory for me. The middle part of the race could arguably be the most important part as I have never raced longer than 7.5 hours and I don’t know how I will be feeling both physically and mentally. Again, it will be important to be in a good group, stay on top of my nutrition, and stay focused mentally on getting to the last part of this race. Going into the last part of the race this is when fatigue will really start setting in not only physical but mental fatigue. At this point it is just about surviving to the end, not letting the wheels in front of me slip, taking in the final feeds from the last checkpoint, adding some lube to the chain, maybe adding pressure in my tires, and having my last caffeine gel. I know myself, and at this point of the race I know I will be successful mentally. No matter if my race has gone completely smooth, I am in a good group or if I am having a bad day and suffered mechanicals I can always push harder when I know the end is near. Something switches in me, and I can always find that extra bit of motivation and power to get me through to the finish. If I find myself in the top half of riders at this point, I believe anything is possible.

            Something I am reminding myself of is that exactly one year ago on the day of the race I was hit by a car, and everything changed. One year ago, today I didn’t think I would be riding a bike again let alone racing Unbound. It is hard to put into words how far I have come both physically and mentally. My family has reminded me that no pain that I might feel in the race will compare to the pain I felt during my recovery. Putting that in perspective, riding a bike for 12 hours feels more like a privilege than anything else. I am ready to go out and give everything! Thank you again to TLAB, CAPO, Kenda, HUNT, POC, Inspire Athlete Management, my family, friends, my boyfriend Simon, and Coach Mark for getting me here! Stay tuned for my race report!