Week #12 So ready for spring!

I have been trying to recover from Land Run this week. All the traveling the past week caught up with me and I got sick after the race. This seems to happen when I get run down and usually takes a few days to recharge. Tuesday was the day I got hit the hardest so I just rested. Amazing how one rest day can make a world of difference.
Saturday's ride was a little chilly and wet, but it was outside, so no complaining. I got in 92 miles on the gravel. I actually found some new roads east of town. Good rollers and the gravel wasn't in that bad of shape with the help of being dry for a few days before. Sunday was a different story. Josh wanted to get in 100 miles, so I decided to join him. Once we got to the gravel, things got tough. As it had rained the night before, the gravel was really muddy. We headed north into a slight head wind and soggy roads. We knew right away that we weren't going 100 miles, but hopefully getting in 5-6 hours. Unfortunately, around 45 miles, Josh's derailleur decided it had enough and broke. Josh had to walk into Malcolm and get a ride. I tried to get home intime to go back and get him, but he actually beat me home.
Overall it was a good week of training with 346 miles. I am trying to get in a couple good weeks of riding but without overdoing it. April is going to be a tough month with 3 races in a row.

Week #11 Land Run 100

Land Run 100 was an awesome race! Super fast day and hardly any mud out on the course. There were lots of hills though, which played into my favor. I was able to have great folks to ride with for the majority of the race, except for a couple solo breaks. 
I was very happy with how the Lauf True Grit handled the rough terrain. Lots of chunky gravel in spots and a few rideable muddy sections. 
I rode Panaracer Gravel Kings 43s and they handled the course great. I was a little worried that I might have trouble with clearance when we hit the mud, but everything worked out well.
I found out that Science in Sport mixes well with red Oklahoma mud. Since I wasn't planning on stopping at the neutral support station, two bottles of filled with Go Hydration and a few Go Energy gels got me through the day.
I ended up 48th overall and 2nd in the 50-59 age group. 100 miles in 5:38 was close to the time I was expecting to ride.
Next up is Grinder Nationals and Gravelleur's Raid on April 13th in Lawrence, KS. #moveupoffroad #fueledbyscience #isotonicsquad#laufforks #panaracer #vie13 #unlearnpavement #justanotherdayonthebike #joypower

Week #10 Finally got outside!

Spent 5 1/2 hours out on the gravel today and it was a mess at times. There was a little ice still on shady spots along with some really soft gravel. It was nice that the sun was out and there was only a light breeze. We are suppose to get some more rain this week and hopefully it will continue to melt all the snow that we have.
Next week is Land Run. It looks like they are to get some rain midweek but race day looks dry. This is my first time doing it and I am looking forward to it. I plan on taking a second bike incase the mud is bad. Since I have to be in Seattle most of the week, my legs should be rested. I have to make all my flights back home!

Week #9 Dirty South Roubaix 100K

The Dirty South Roubaix 100K in Alto Pass, IL was a fun race. The course turned out to be a little different than most of the midwest gravel races. There was a little more technical trails to mounver and even a good trail that we had to hike up about a mile from the finish.
The race had one of its big hills around mile 10, so it strung out the field fairly fast. The hills on the the course were some of the steepest hills I have had to climb in a long time. I was really happy how the Lauf True Grit performed for me. It was the first real test climbing with the 50 big ring on. I did have to use the 42 on the cassette, but I never felt like I needed more gears. The other thing I really liked about the Lauf was how if handled on the rough terrain. There were tons of potholes and ruts on the course. It is amazing how smooth the Lauf fork is when you hit the bumps.
I tried to sit in the pack as much as I could during the race. Roger and Mike really pushed the pace along. I was impressed how strong Roger was riding. We were the top two masters in the race and I told him a few miles out that he should take the win. He worked so hard during the day and I felt he really deserved it. Unfortunately, less than 3 miles from the finish, his front tire began to go flat. He had to stop and hit it with CO2 and it held. I kept going since I didn't want anyone else to come up on us and get the masters' win.
The Move Up Off Road had a good day and it is always fun to get to hang out with everyone. The weather was good and so nice to actually ride outside!
Next up is Land Run on March 16th. The weather doesn't look good - rain is forecasted.