Belgian Waffle Ride - North Carolina Event Recap (Karel)

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On Wednesday morning at the aquatic center, a fellow triathlete asked Karel if he was participating in the Belgian Waffle Ride: North Carolina. As a new location in the BWR event series, Karel didn't know about the event. Later that evening Karel looked into the event online and sent me a link via text. I didn't see the text until the next morning as I was being interviewed for a panel discussion for the OC marathon. If you missed the expert round table, you can check it out here. 👇

Since the broadcast didn't start until 9:30pm (about our bedtime), Karel was fast asleep when I finished close to 11pm. 

When I saw Karel's text the next morning (Thursday) about the BWR, I instantly responded that he should do it. With online registration closing on Thursday evening, he registered in the afternoon. I guess when you register for an event two days out, there's little time to overthink. Karel knew it was going to be a very challenging event, especially after reading the race bible (scroll down on the website to read it - it's rather hilarious) and other social media posts about the event. He had ridden on most of the segments of the course but a few routes of the almost 100-mile course with nearly 10,000 feet of elevation gain was new to him. 

On Friday afternoon, after I finished my run and Karel got finished with a bike fit, we made our way ~40 minutes north to Ride Kanuga. This was our first time visiting this location and we were really impressed with the beautiful lake, small cabins and event facility/hotel. 

With this being our first time at a BWR expo, we didn't know what to expect but the expo had a lot of great vendors. The registration process was very smooth and Karel received a pre-race swag bag of goodies from the expo booths and received a t-shirt (and beer) at the finish line. We visited each expo booth and enjoyed being in the laid-back gravel scene. It is definitely much more chill than a long distance triathlon. Campy received a lot of butt rubs and we saw a few familiar faces while we were there. Around 4:30pm we made our way back home so that Karel could get his gravel bike and gear all ready for the ride. He uploaded the event route into his computer and prepared his bottles/nutrition. It was then early to bed for Karel as he had an early wake-up alarm set for 4am. 

Karel left for Hendersonville, NC a little after 5am. I woke up around 5:45am and received a text from Karel that he had arrived with plenty of time before the 7am event start. 

As much as I wanted to join Karel in his gravel adventure, I haven't been on my gravel bike in a while and I knew it would be too risky for me to jump into this race. Instead, I stuck to my planned training and joined my buddy Alvi at the Donaldson center for a 3.5 hour ride followed by a 45 minute run. 

We did the country loop first (~1:40) and then restocked our bottles at the car and started our main set: 
3 x 30 minutes as (#1: 20 min IM effort, 10 min HIM effort. #2: 15 min IM effort, 15 min HIM effort. #3: 10 min IM effort, 20 min IM effort). Each with 5 min EZ spin between. The perimeter loop where we did our main set is about 7 miles and changed up directions for each loop. 

After the ride, we did ~45 minutes worth of 1/2 mile best EZ pace, followed by 1 mile tempo. We did 4 rounds. I was only planning 3 rounds but Alvi was having a solid workout so when I saw him continue after the 3rd round, I felt like I had to keep going. It was a great morning of training. Nearing the end of our workout I received a text from Karel saying "Just finish. Holy crap that was hard! Probably should have removed the auto stop. Garmin thought I was stopped while I was just slow."

As for the BWR, Karel lined up near the middle pack as he knew "racing" this event wouldn't be smart. This was only his second ride on his gravel bike since breaking his hand mountain biking in May so this event was all about having fun and enjoying the experience. Additionally, this event brought a lot of professional (and past-professional) riders like Ian Boswell, Jeremiah Bishop, George Hincapie and Bobby Julich. 

After 20 minutes or around 7 miles of riding, Karel started his first climb toward Mount Olive. The next segment of around 16 miles had a little bit of everything, which was nice after the first climb. Although around this time, Karel started to feel his back tighten up, which is nothing abnormal for him when he rides. He kept up on his hydration (2 bottles on the frame and a hydration back) and also stayed well fueled with solid food, bars, gels and chews. He also had a vile of salt to help with cramping in his inner thighs - which is also nothing abnormal for him when he rides. 

Some of the segments around Saluda were new for Karel but when he got to a segment that he was familiar with, it definitely helped with pacing. Karel often found himself riding with similar people - although he wasn't able to always keep up on the climbs but he could use his skills on the descends. The course was around 60/40 - road/gravel - which helped when there was a descend as he knew he could catch back up to a group if he got dropped on the climb. 

Karel was very familiar with the Green River Rd and Pinnacle Mountain road, which starts off with gentle incline and then once you turn at the church to Pinaccle, it just goes up and up on very rocky and loose gravel. Pinnacle mountain started around mile 60ish in the ride so by this time, the legs were tired. Gravel riding requires so much full body strength and mental focus but thankfully (or not so much) Karel knew what was coming. This was actually my very first gravel ride segment back in the winter (and it was on snow!). This segment was a long one - 13.2 miles and it took an hour (13 mph). Karel stopped at the top of the climb as there was an aid station and he knew the next segment would be technical with switchbacks on the descend down into Dupont State Forest. Karel was riding with some local guys and people that he knew so he would often get ahead on the descends - and this Pinnacle descend segment was one that he has a lot of experience with. 

The next hour had some familiar segments - one of my favorite segments of the ride that I have done is by the dam and there is a beautiful waterfall near the top of the climb. It's a gentle climb and one that is not technical. For this event, they reversed the direction so there was a road climb by Dupont to start and then they descended by the waterfall and Dam.

Karel was starting to get close to the finish as another hour (18.3 miles) had passed. Karel turned onto Crab Creek Road, but not the direction he was familiar with. Once he turned on to Jeter Mountain Road, he started climbing and climbing and it didn't stop for 2 miles. Thankfully it was on the road (and not gravel) but it was steep. And hitting the climb at mile ~87 did not make that climb easy. Karel said many people were walking their bikes and while that looked like a great idea, he just wanted to get it over with. I have a feeling this climb will be in my near future....once Karel forgets about it and has the desire to do it again with me :) 

After the last big climb, the finish line couldn't come fast enough. Around 7 miles later, Karel rolled into the finish and was announced as he crossed the finish line as "the legend Karel." Apparently the announcer had fun announcing everyone who came across the finish line. 

Power is not accurate, Garmin made this up. Karel doesn't have a power meter on his gravel bike. :)

Karel was exhausted but he had a great time. He enjoyed a pork sandwich from the venue and passed on the beer (he hasn't consumed alcoholic beer in a few years). He then made a stop at the Flat Rock bakery for, you guessed it, a pastry. He also got me a cinnamon roll - yummo! 

This event was organized very well. The signage was great, the volunteers were amazing, the event staff was enthusiastic and the overall vibe was really encouraging, competitive and friendly. It's a different atmosphere at the gravel and mountain bike events, which is a nice change and provides a great opportunity to meet new people, see old friends and to try new events. 

Karel said that the 14-mile run he did on Thursday made his legs a bit toasted going into this event but he's just happy that he could be back on his gravel bike, doing what he loves on and off the road (albeit, not as fast/strong as he wishes he could go), all on two wheels. 

Bike Specs
Bike - Ventum GS1
Wheels - Enve AR 3.4 SES
Tires - Panaracer gravel king SK
Groupset - Shimano GRX Di2. w/ Sram Force 165mm crankset

Gearing - 1 x setup, 42 front chainring. 10-42 cassette. 
Pedals - Shimano XTR SPD
Shoes - Bont 
Saddle - Fizik Argo Vento

Handlebars: Ventum NS1 integrated bar/stem combo 110/42

Bartape: Supacaz Sticky Kush 

2021 Thomasville Clay Road Classic - 104-miles of mud, clay, water and sand.

 

**If you'd like to skip the race recap and view a video from the event, JOM from The Gravel Cyclist did a great video recap from the event. Scroll to the bottom to see the footage.**

Around 12pm Thursday, we left for our 6-hour drive down south to Thomasville GA. It was a rainy day for a long road trip but it’s been several months since we had a true “race-cation” road trip so it was somewhat enjoyable to know that we were traveling for an actual event. 

We made good time and arrived to our Airbnb shortly just after 6pm. I was happy to have booked an affordably priced 2-bedroom house just a 1/2 -mile from the race venue but I had no idea how cute of a house we would be staying in. The house had historic bone-structure with a few recent updates. It was one of the best Airbnb stays that I’ve booked, which made for a super comfortable stay.

After a good night sleep on Thursday, we took our time on Friday morning to catch up on work and emails. We ventured outside around 11am to ride the first ~10 miles of the course (out and back). We ended up with around 18 miles (in about 82 miles) and a whole lot of mud and water on our bikes. After several days of rain, the packed clay roads had been filled with water which turned the roads into a muddy mess. I couldn’t help but laugh at myself when I fell into the mud as I attempted to go from a muddy groove up to a muddier section. I’ve only been riding off-road on my gravel bike just a handful of times (4 rides + 1 technical skills session) so every ride is a learning opportunity. I’m still getting a feel of what different textures feel like under my wheel and how to handle my bike through those conditions. Karel is a great teacher. Not only does he instruct me what to do but I also watch him and learn from his exceptional bike-handling skills.

   

 After our ride we biked to the Hubs and Hops bike shop to check out the store and to pick up our packets. While this was technically an event (we paid for it, received an event t-shirt and a bib number), the Thomasville Clay Classic was a self-supported, see-ya-when-you-get-back type of ride. The event host/organizer was very nice and it was to hear that the event brought in over 200 participants to this small charming town of Thomasville.

Since I brought all of our food for our stay, we didn’t have to do any grocery shopping or eating out. Although we did visit the local bagel shop (Empire Bagels) for 6 delicious bagels. Our assistant coach and long time friend Joe arrived to our place around 2:30pm.

We went to bed around 7:30pm and feel asleep just before 9am. I wasn’t nervous for this event but instead, excited to embrace the challenge of riding 100 miles on the clay roads of Thomasville.

 

The alarm woke us up around 5:30am. With all of our gear prepped the night before, all we had to do was eat, gear-up and do some foam rolling to move some blood for the chilly start (~low 30-degrees when we left the house around 6:45am). With the sun just rising, we had just enough light to bike our way to the shop for the start of the event.

There were only ~10 of us doing the 102-mile version (there may have been a few others who started later in the morning). We all started together after the event organizer gave us a pre-course talk and a morning prayer. We started the ride just a few minutes after 7am.

 

The first few miles of the ride were on the road and then we hit the clay trail. Three guys broke away right from the beginning and then there was me, Joe and Karel. And for the next 60-ish miles, we didn’t see any other riders. Although this was a race, there was no timing or competition to race against. We didn’t ride easy but instead, rode a steady strong effort to try to complete the course as “quick” as possible – also taking into consideration that this would be a long ride with a lot of challenges to overcome.

I didn’t feel the best for the first two hours. My hands were cold and my body was not awake. It typically takes me about 60 minutes to feel good on the bike when I start a ride but for this ride, I was struggling for the first 2 hours. At one point, I asked Karel to look at my bike because I couldn’t understand why I was going so slow and why it was so hard to ride. He told me that this was all normal and that it was hard for him as well. Realizing that this was only my 5^th gravel ride, I quickly changed my perspective as I was approaching this ride in the wrong way. I didn’t think the ride would be easy but I had no idea that it would be this hard. It wasn’t that I wasn’t having fun but I didn’t have the right attitude. Once I changed my mindset, I started to ride a bit stronger and better. Because I had the course map on my computer screen, I had no idea what mile were at (there were no course markings) or how long we had been riding. And I didn’t want to know. 

I really enjoyed seeing my map and knowing that our next turn would be in x-miles. It was fun to approach each segment and to feel accomplished after that segment ended. Sometimes a segment would end after a super rough 5-6 miles of rough, bumpy and slow terrain, only to turn onto another 8-9 mile segment of road of even more difficult terrain.

We crossed a few water crossings, which is still a bit nerve-wracking for me as each time I enter the water on my bike I have no idea what to expect. Karel always reminds – keep pedaling, don’t stop pedaling. Nothing good happens when you stop pedaling. There was one water crossing where the road was under water and Karel and Joe decided to ride through it. I like to watch and learn when I see a technical or uneasy section so I stopped far out from the water to watch how Karel and Joe rode through the water. It wasn’t until Karel’s lower leg was nearly covered in water that I realized that this was way too deep for me so I walked my bike around the water on the grass. It was a laughable moment by us all.

Normally the roads are ideal for gravel biking but we have learned that after a rain storm, they become rather difficult for riding. We would be riding along feeling a good rhythm and then we would hit a section of bumps which would knock you around as you tried to dodge the big holes but you would still have to ride over the bumps (which felt like speed bumps). There were very few “nice” sections that were “easy” but plenty of sections of sand and mud which made us feel like our brakes were squeezed tight, we had a parachute behind us and you were riding with a flat tire. Oh, and it was windy too! It’s just the strangest feeling to be riding and then hit these sticky and slow sections and you have to produce a lot of power and a high cadence to keep the momentum going. The roads were fun at times but super exhausting. I’d say that about 85-90 miles of the ride was off-road and only about 15ish miles of pavement. We were always happy when we did hit pavement because it was such a nice change to be able to ride so easy and cover the miles a bit quicker. And then, back to the hard work again.

 

It was incredible to see how many roads were suitable for gravel riding. We had very few cars pass us (maybe 5?) on the clay roads which was great for feeling safe. The only downside of gravel riding is the lack of stops for refilling bottles so we planned our stop for the end of the loop at mile 70 (we passed the store at mile 20 so we knew where we would stop at the end of the loop).

As we were getting close to finishing the loop, we made a turn and saw our local friend Boyd Johnson (of Boyd wheels) riding in the opposite direction – toward us. He was in the front of the ride with the two other guys so we were surprised to see him. He told us that the road was under water and it was really deep (which deep for them meant really really deep for me). He said there was a way around it which would give us a few extra miles but would keep us from being really wet. We all decided that we would take the extra miles on the road to bypass the road under water.

After our store stop for some needed water to refill our bottles (we brought sport drink power to refill and had plenty of snacks for throughout the ride) and a coke, it was time to hit the road again for the last 30-ish miles. At this point, Karel found his rhythm, I was feeling strong and Joe had hit his low moment. We knew that we would all be affected differently by this ride and that we would each have our moments. Karel, however, never hit a low moment and contributed it to taking in more calories than he would in an Ironman on the bike. As we were nearing the last 20 miles, Karel was in the front and then out of sight. Boyd and gotten his energy back after the store stop and Joe was still struggling. We thought we would see Karel at the next turn but he was not there.

 
We rode to the next turn and no Karel. I called and texted Karel but no reply. I was very worried about him and of course, thought the worse – that he had bonked and he was laying in a ditch in the mud half asleep. Joe helped me stay calm as I was super worried about Karel. Part of me knew that he was just fine but I guess when you are exhausted your mind thinks silly things. Karel finally called me and told me that he was feeling good and just kept riding because he didn’t want to lose his rhythm. I was a bit upset at him for not letting me know this as I would have been fine with it but instead, I was worried. Karel’s exhausted brain convinced him that he thought I’d figure it out. Oh Karel - he always keeps me on my toes. 😊

Near the end we had one last creek crossing which I managed to get through successfully, despite the water coming up to my knees. It’s the weirdest feeling pedaling a bike through the water! But this was a nice one as you could see the bottom of the creek and the rocks didn’t get bumpy until the end. And then there was one last super muddy section that forced me off my bike as my legs were just so tired that I didn’t have the power (or willpower) to get through that deep mud.

Joe kept me laughing as he was struggling and anytime he needed to unclip to navigate through a technical section, he decided to just lean over and fall to the ground. He called them his “micronaps” and said it felt really good just to lay down. I was belly laughing at him as he fell twice and both times he could have easily unclipped but in the moment, the easiest thing was just to fall over.

As we made our way on the pavement for the last 2 miles of the event, I was so relieved to be on a smooth road. It was actually a bummer that we didn’t ride on the pavement more often during this ride as the Thomasville and surrounding area roads were super smooth! I finally saw Karel (who had finished about 10 minutes ahead of us) and he rode to the finish of the event with me. There was no official start/finish line but instead, we biked right to the bike racks to hose off our incredibly dirty bikes.

It felt so good to finish the ride. Surprisingly, the ride didn’t feel like 104 miles or just under 7 hours of riding. It was a challenge and an adventure and it was really exhausting. But it was also a huge accomplishment to ride 104 miles on such difficult off-road conditions. At least we had a beautiful sunny day and got to enjoy great scenery with each mile.

After we cleaned off our bikes, we received our post-ride meal of vegetarian stew topped with cheese, sour cream and frittos and a side salad and bread. Oh it was sooo good. During the ride I had 4 bottles of sport drink, 2 bars (Clif PB and chocolate filled bar and a Picky bar), a handful of chews (Skratch and Honey Stinger) and some coke.

After the ride, there was live music and the amphitheater park was filled with local people. There weren’t many cyclists at the finish when we arrived but we did see a few dozen riders out during the last 15 miles. I think most of the riders started around 9am and were riding the shorter versions (25, 50 and 70 miles). There were also options to shorten the ride by taking some of the main roads instead of the clay roads. Like I said before, it was an unofficial, self supported event. Although we had hoped for a bit more socializing before, during and after the event, we still feel like this trip was well worth it. 

 

 We made it back to our rental house around 4:00pm and it felt so good to get out of my cold wet socks and into the warm shower. I was so exhausted after I cleaned up that I barely managed to eat some type of dinner (quinoa vegetable microwave mix with tofu that I brought from home) before collapsing in bed. Wow – I had no idea how hard that would be! It felt like I had just done an Ironman but without the deep aching soreness that comes from running. 

I never grew up a cyclist and really didn’t improve my bike handling skills until we moved to Greenville. Although I still have a lot of skills to learn for gravel riding, it makes me excited to know that I can continue to improve and seek out more adventures on two wheels. Running can be really hard on my body and I just can’t push and test myself when I run like I can when I swim and bike. If I try to push myself running, I get injured so I have to be cautious and careful. Swimming and biking are safe sports for me to feel challenged and to test my limits and abilities. I look forward to more adventures where the focus is on the experience and not on the end result. Don’t get me wrong - I love racing and I love competition. And I LOVE triathlon. But sharing these adventures with Karel – out in nature - makes me so happy. And this type of happiness doesn’t involve a finish line or race results and I'm ok with that. 

It's race week - we're going off-road!

 

Since December 5th, we have been extremely lucky with our weekend weather. We have been able to ride outside every Saturday morning for the past two months. Although a few of those rides were rather cold, drizzly and windy, the weather seemed to always be in our favor. 

This past weekend was a different story. On Saturday morning, it was cold and rainy. Although the trainer is always available for a weather-controlled indoor ride, I craved a change in the routine. Maybe it was meant to be. 

Instead of staring at the wall for a few hours, I decided to start my workout with 30 minutes of mobility and strength (with EC Fit On Demand) and then headed out in the light cold rain for a run on my favorite long run loop. Although I wasn't quiet sure how to dress, I found myself comfortable and happy running in the light cold rain. I listened to two triathlon podcast interviews during my run and found delight in dodging the puddles and feeling the wind in different directions as I made my way out and back on the undulating 11.5-mile loop. To keep with the theme of the weekend (changing things up), I repeated the route on Sunday for two 11.5 mile runs in 48 hours. My legs responded really well to the 2nd run and with a different shoe choice on Sunday (NB Fuelcell) versus Saturday (NB Fresh Foam), I ran much more efficiently on Sunday with a slightly faster pace and an average HR of around 8 beats less on Sunday. I'd call that a successful weekend of quality training! 

Karel and I are really excited for this weekend as we will be participating in our first race of 2021! I came across the Thomasville Clay Road Classic after searching for gravel rides in and around our area. I had just finished my first gravel ride with Karel and was instantly hooked. After showing the event page with Karel, it was an easy decision to register for the 100-mile distance. This will be our first ever gravel "race." Our assistant coach Joe will be joining us and we know of a few other people who will be participating. One of my favorite things about racing is seeing familiar faces. 

I've been asked by a few people if I am giving up triathlon racing for bike racing. My answer is always a quick no. I love the sport of triathlon - especially long distance triathlon training and racing. I love swimming, I love biking and I like running (love/hate relationship with it). But during these uncertain and unpredictable times, I find it really important to explore different racing opportunities - which means using my triathlon fitness for different racing experiences. 

Although I love swimming, biking and running, I really enjoy racing. Although it's incredibly uncomfortable at times and sometimes brings worry, frustration, anxiety and distress, race day is worth getting excited for. I love the community feel of a race, being around other like-minded individuals and escaping the stressors of life for a day (or a few hours) in order to do something that brings you excitement and joy. Competition (or participating in an event) also teaches you a lot of great lessons that you can apply to life. Every race is seen as a driving force and a form of motivation for continued improvement. 

Sport is all about what you make of it. It's all-too-easy to stay in a comfort zone and opt for what's familiar, convenient or comfortable. But with the added weight on our shoulders of whether or not a future race will happen, I believe it's really important to seek out and take advantage of the opportunities that are available to you right now. While it's important not to abandon your structured training for your future events and to also keep yourself safe during this pandemic, it can be a wonderful thing for your mind to change up the normal workout routine and to try new things. 

When looking for a race, consider your current level of fitness and skills and search for something that would slightly stretch your comfort zone. Also consider your safety as it relates to your health. Any race/event that you choose should be something that makes you nervously excited. 

Don't be afraid to step outside of what's familiar to do something that your future self will thank you for. 

Although a systematic training plan will have a certain amount of monotony to produce physiological adaptations, it’s necessary to occasionally break the monotony. Changing up the routine allows you to stay emotionally and mentally engaged. Otherwise, always going through the same motions can increase the risk of boredom and burnout.

Change the sport, change the scenery, change the route, change the isolation, change the need for familiar and comfortable. 

Don’t fear change.
Embrace it.

Taking it off road - my first group gravel ride.

Karel recently got into gravel riding and his immediate response was "why didn't I find this earlier?" 

This past year has really taught us to embrace the current moment and to take advantage of every moment. With such an incredible triathlon playground in and around where we live, we have kept our love for nature alive by finding different ways to use (and improve) our cycling fitness. Most recently it was the GVL WBL 8-week group ride series and now I've ventured into gravel riding. 

My first and second gravel ride was in Dupont State Forest. The first ride include snow, ice, mud and everything else - Karel didn't take it easy on me. Let's just say I learned a lot over 28 miles and 2.5 hours. My second ride was mostly gravel with a mix of roots, leaves and dirt. My third ride was on Friday (a few days ago), when Karel took me on a gravel ride adventure just outside our front door. We made our way to part of the Furman Cross Country course and then on the off-road trails around Furman. And then for the finale, Karel took me to the Gateway Bike Skills Flow Park in Traveler's Rest. 

Although I still have a lot of skills to learn, I am finding myself more and more confident on my makeshift Ventum NS1 gravel bike. Instead of purchasing a new bike, Karel purchased a few off-road specific items and can now turn my NS1 road bike into a gravel bike anytime. Here are the specs of my "gravel" bike:

• Ventum NS1 - XS (size 50)
• 650b wheels.
• Front tire: Maxxistires Rambler 27.5 x 1.5.
• Rear wheel: Continental tire Terra Speed 27.5 x 1.35 (650b x 35).
• Gearing: 36x52 front and 11-34 rear.
• Pedals: Look Quartz MTB.
• Shoes: Bont riot+ MTB.

Karel is a natural no matter what bike he is on and with experience in mountain biking, road cycling, triathlon biking and now gravel biking, he has been a great teacher for me. Plus, it's really fun to enjoy this new type of bike riding together as we both enjoy adventure and nature. 

Karel joined the Southeast Gravel group for two of their recent recon rides. Most recently (two Saturday's ago) he did an epic 70ish mile ride with over 7000 feet of climbing! After watching the preview video for the Sumter Forest Route in Clinton, SC. Karel and I felt like this course would be a good "intro" course for my first group gravel ride. 

We left our house on Saturday morning around 8:30am, dropped Campy off at my mom's house for his all-day daycare and drove the 51 miles to Clinton, SC. It was a quick and easy drive and one podcast later we were there. It was a bit cold (~30-ish degrees) and cloudy but over the past few weeks of riding with the GVL WBL group, I feel like I have good experience with dressing for the cold winter rides (I've learned a lesson or two from being cold from not dressing appropriately). The ride started shortly after 10am and the large group of gravel riders were off to preview the Sumter course. 

Ben and Boyd did a great job leading the way and giving tips and suggestion as we went along. Since this course will be an actual event/race in March, many people were getting their first preview of the course (along with a great workout). I had planned to do the 70-mile (long) version with Karel but depending on how I felt for the first part of the ride, I knew I would be able to branch off and do the shorter, 40-ish mile loop. I had the longer version in my computer to help with navigation. I'm thankful that every group ride has a route available to download into the computer. It really helps me know what's coming. 

The first part of the ride was on pavement and then we went onto the first gravel section. While my on-the-road cycling journey was filled with a lot of scary, doubtful and apprehensive first-ever moments, I felt somewhat comfortable on the gravel. I am still learning how to interact and trust my bike on the off-road but each time I get a bit more comfortable. I made sure to eat a bit more than normal (a bit earlier than normal too) to keep my energy up. I also had two bottles on my bike (each with ~240 calories INFINIT) that I sipped on throughout the ride. I made a third bottle at the refill stop at a church but didn't drink it. Although I was a bit underhydrated, I felt strong throughout the ride. I'm learning with Gravel that you have to take into account the lack of available fuel/hydration stops. Since it was cold, I knew I still needed calories. I didn't feel dehydrated but I also knew I wasn't drinking like normal (but I was still able to stop and pee twice during the ride). 

After we arrived to the split of the two courses (long and short), I was actually a bit more comfortable with our "small" group of 18 instead of the 50+ riders that started (not sure how many exactly but it felt like a lot). The ride was filled with some laughs like "don't get hit by the train on race day or else you will get disqualified" and a lot of other friendly conversations with the guys in the group. 

The ride was a mix of long stretches of gravel mixed in with a several miles of pavement. The nice thing about the gravel bike is that it feels somewhat like a road bike on the road, even with the thicker tires. 

The ride was really pretty as we were either covered in trees or exposed in a large field with only the gravel under us. There were potholes to dodge, tunnels to pass under and even a river to cross - my first ever river crossing was a success! 

With each mile I was learning more about me and how to handle my bike on the off-road. 

         

The group ride was really helpful as I could watch what other people were doing. I was always paying attention to how others took a turn, climbed a hill, descended or managed the sketchy sections. Plus, Ben, Boyd and a few of the other riders were always pointing out any rough-road sections and letting us know what's coming. Because I'm still learning, knowing what's coming next is really helpful for me so that I can be prepared. 

After a quick stop to refill bottles at a church, we only had about 23 miles left in our ride. I couldn't believe it! I never looked at the time and my computer only showed the route. When we finished the ride, I couldn't believe that we had covered 70 miles in right at 4 hours. It went by so quickly!

I really enjoyed my first gravel group ride and this was just another reminder that my brain and body is really suited for diverse, nature-filled and dynamic courses. Sitting in aero, being by myself and with my own thoughts or settling into one tempo for several miles is just not my style of racing. Gravel riding has confirmed to me that I belong on challenging courses that are filled with nature, hills, technical aspects and the opportunity to see/be around other people. I am still a triathlete and I love the sport of triathlon but this past year has taught me that I love being a triathlete because of the people I get to meet and the places I can see because of my fitness. So yeah, I'm thinking IM Kona is not in my near future. Five times on that magical island was enough - it's time to venture out to other racing adventures and opportunities. 

I have to say, I'm pretty proud of myself! Not only was this my longest ever gravel ride (4th ride on my makeshift Ventum NS1) but it was my very first gravel group ride.

I learned a lot of new skills, met new people, saw new scenery and had a fun time. With so much focus on the road under me, I still can't believe how quickly the time passed by.

I’m incredibly grateful for my body and health - and for Karel helping me build confidence in my off-road bike handling skills.

My message to you...never deprive yourself of feeling proud, empowered and strong. 

In a world where it’s so easy to be impressed by others, don’t forget to impress yourself!

If you are looking to "race" or test your skills off road, you can tackle the course that I just rode on for the Southeast Gravel event on March 13th. 

My first gravel ride.

 

Over the past few weeks, Karel has been spending a good amount of time on his Ventum gravel bike. Although Karel has several bikes in his collection, this may be his new favorite. 

Although I've never been off the road on a bike (well - just once on a MTB several years ago but I wouldn't call it a real ride), Karel wanted to share gravel biking with me. Seeing that my bike handling skills have greatly improved since moving from Florida to Greenville, SC. I figured it was time to get into nature and explore a different style of riding. 

Instead of investing in another bike, Karel did a bit of research and Macgyvered my Ventum NS1 into a gravel bike (it can be quickly converted from road bike to gravel bike). 

Here are the specs: 
NS1 - XS (size 50)
650b wheels.
Front tire: Maxxistires Rambler 27.5 x 1.5.
Rear wheel: Continental tire Terra Speed 27.5 x 1.35 (650b x 35).
Gearing: 36x52 front and 11-34 rear.
Pedals: Look Quartz MTB.
Shoes: Bont riot+ MTB.

For several days, I was really looking forward to my first gravel ride on Monday morning. Not surprisingly, Karel didn't take it easy on me. We drove ~30 minutes north and parked near Cedar Springs Baptist Church in Zirconia, NC. It was a chilly 30-something degrees when we started the ride around 11am. 

Since I am used to riding my road bike, the MTB pedals, shoes and wheels/tires were the only "new" things to get used to - and it was a quick adjustment. We biked a few miles on the road before the pavement ended and I had my first taste of riding on gravel. I immediately loved being tucked inside nature. Karel told me that we would be going on a "hike" today but on our bikes. That's just what it felt like - although a lot faster than hiking and at times, a bit more of an endorphin rush. 

Karel led the way since he knew the route and gave me a few pointers along the way. Since this was all very new to me, it was nice to start on terrain that was more like hard-packed clay (and not too technical) to get started. Plus, we started steadily climbing once we hit the gravel so it was easy to feel in control of the bike. And I had no trouble with Karel's gravel "set-up" for my road bike. It handled really well on our route. 

But then the packed clay-like terrain turned into a thin layer of snow. I stayed calm and started to really enjoy this off-road style of riding. And then we started climbing and climbing and climbing. And then we descended. After the first half of the ride, I started to get the hang of things and found myself being a little more adventurous (versus tentative when I started). I didn't want to ride overly confident as there were some sketchy sections of snow, ice and mud. 

As I mentioned earlier, Karel didn't take it easy on me. He gave me snow, ice, mud, dirt, gravel, rocks, switchbacks, climbs, descends, stones, holes, wooden bridges and leaves. I had a bit of everything for nearly 2.5 hours and 28 miles. We also accumulated over 2400 feet of elevation during the ride. 

Not only did I finish in one piece (without a fall) but I had a really great time. I found myself getting a little worried at times but I quickly shut those thoughts out and tried to stay confident and in control. I learned a lot in this one ride and I can't wait to do it again. Karel was a great tour guide and I appreciate his patience....as I know he could have bombed those descents much faster than my casual pace down the hills.