Four weeks after racing the Gravel Grinder Nationals in Greencastle Indiana I headed back out to Eminence Indiana, which is very close to Greencastle, to do the Dust Bowl 100. This was my second year and had some high goals for me - getting close to 5 hours - but knowing based on my race 3 weeks before that this was probably too big a goal. But hey one can have goals:). 
While still having sleep problems I had hoped to get at least a few hours so went to bed early but that did not help as just like 4 weeks ago I got 0, yes 0, hours sleep the night before the race. While often the night before a race is not as important with as bad as I have been sleeping 0 was not good. That said went to the line hoping for the best.
Did not get in much of a warmup as was just tired and it was warm - about 75-78f but high humidity so sweating already and had not even started. Got to the line and set up in the 18mph-20 mph group - one can hope. When the race started once again my GPS gave me problems as I could see a blue label on the screen, had never seen that before, but as I need my reading glasses on to read it I had to fumble for them and once again, like last year, I faded to the back of the group - not a good start. Never figured out the issue but got it sorted out and then worked to get back up through the pack before the real racing got going - would not happen as could seem them a ways up there. This meant while many were just cruising I was pushing it to move up before the gravel. I did link up with a few others so at least had company.
While still having sleep problems I had hoped to get at least a few hours so went to bed early but that did not help as just like 4 weeks ago I got 0, yes 0, hours sleep the night before the race. While often the night before a race is not as important with as bad as I have been sleeping 0 was not good. That said went to the line hoping for the best.
Did not get in much of a warmup as was just tired and it was warm - about 75-78f but high humidity so sweating already and had not even started. Got to the line and set up in the 18mph-20 mph group - one can hope. When the race started once again my GPS gave me problems as I could see a blue label on the screen, had never seen that before, but as I need my reading glasses on to read it I had to fumble for them and once again, like last year, I faded to the back of the group - not a good start. Never figured out the issue but got it sorted out and then worked to get back up through the pack before the real racing got going - would not happen as could seem them a ways up there. This meant while many were just cruising I was pushing it to move up before the gravel. I did link up with a few others so at least had company.
When I hit the gravel I was way way back but worked with a group to slowly move up some. While I could tell I was working I did fell fairly good if not sleepy. We sort of pace-lined for quite a while with a few dropping off but stayed with a pretty good group till the first aid station at around 50 miles. While many stopped I did not as just did not think I needed to yet and figured as I was on my own they would likely catch up - and they did. The good news I was only about 3 minutes behind last years pace to 50 miles, when I checked the data later. The bad news was last year at this point I was tired but felt OK but this year I felt spent already. This is where no sleep comes into play as even if my legs might have been able to go harder my sleepy brain said NO and that I had to conserve to just get done.
Last year after 50 miles I linked up with some people - one of which I was there this year - and worked to go to the end. But here I could not hang on and was a weird feeling as did not feel too bad but my brain just said no-go. So they went off and I got caught by a few of those who stopped at the aid station and hung on as long as I could - was not long. This sort of repeated itself till I stopped at an aid station that I think was at about 63 miles. There I filled up with water and had the first coke of the day then got back on the road. Then it was a matter of just catching a few people and then getting passed by a few as could not get going at a good pace. Up til this time I still looked like I could go under 6:00 but that slowly went out the window.
By this time I am not sure how hot it was but at the end of the race I saw temps of 95-98 with humidity and it felt like it. The blessing was that while when the sun shone it was really hot we did get some clouds go by so did a get. Break every now and then. The next stop was at an aid station around 78 miles where I only got a coke and was back out there as so close but still not feeling it. Did catch on with a few people so that helped and from there was just counting down the miles to be done and playing mind games to make the miles seem less - like looking forward to 98 miles as that was around the end of the gravel and the last home stretch - you do what you can.
Was wondering how the last bit would be as the course finishes with a part that goes through a dirt section and then grass as sorta like cyclocross. The afternoon before I had done a shake out ride after a big rain when I got to the dirt it ended up being thick clay and locked up the tyres so had figured if got to the end and looked muddy I would just carry my bike. Thankfully with the heat of the day and looked like a truck may have driven to pack the dirt and lots of other riders there was a good hard packed section so no mud thankfully.
So ended a tough ride but a good one as anytime you finish, and even sometimes if you do not, it is a good ride - my time ended up being 6:14:12 - was 5:36:08 last year - and was 150th OA, out of 322, and 8th in 60-69, out of 31 - only 15 minutes or so out of 3rd and 30 minutes out of 2nd. Geoffrey Chandler who won the Gravel Grinder Nats 4 weeks ago also won here and rode awesome as his time was 5:06 and he was 30th OA - the guy is fast. While it was not the race I wanted it was the race I got for the shape I was in. My initial thought was that next year I would do the 100K but after some days thinking about it I may indeed do the 100K as it is a good distance to race with the training time I have - BUT I may also still do the 100 miler as I really think if I am trained and get this sleeping issue sorted out - and maybe not quite as hot - I can go close to 5 hours.
This was my first race on the new custom Capital Bicycle Company bike and it did great, It was a super dusty day so my left Favero SPD pedal gave me some issue as it did not want to let me out at the end - did the same last year - so need to work out that problem. The SRAM Red XPLR 13 Speed shifted great and 1X gearing - 46frt and 10-46 rear - was just right. The Rene Herse Oracle Ridge 48’s, used the Endurance + as to me will take the weight hit for no flats, on the ZIPP 303 XPLR S Rims were great. I will tell you the tyres were awesome - and the width was perfect as no issue in the gravel and they felt OK on the road sections.
Was wondering how the last bit would be as the course finishes with a part that goes through a dirt section and then grass as sorta like cyclocross. The afternoon before I had done a shake out ride after a big rain when I got to the dirt it ended up being thick clay and locked up the tyres so had figured if got to the end and looked muddy I would just carry my bike. Thankfully with the heat of the day and looked like a truck may have driven to pack the dirt and lots of other riders there was a good hard packed section so no mud thankfully.
So ended a tough ride but a good one as anytime you finish, and even sometimes if you do not, it is a good ride - my time ended up being 6:14:12 - was 5:36:08 last year - and was 150th OA, out of 322, and 8th in 60-69, out of 31 - only 15 minutes or so out of 3rd and 30 minutes out of 2nd. Geoffrey Chandler who won the Gravel Grinder Nats 4 weeks ago also won here and rode awesome as his time was 5:06 and he was 30th OA - the guy is fast. While it was not the race I wanted it was the race I got for the shape I was in. My initial thought was that next year I would do the 100K but after some days thinking about it I may indeed do the 100K as it is a good distance to race with the training time I have - BUT I may also still do the 100 miler as I really think if I am trained and get this sleeping issue sorted out - and maybe not quite as hot - I can go close to 5 hours.
Here is a map of the course - Dust Bowl 100 Mile Route
Strava Info - Dust Bowl 100 Strava
Ride Video - This is the YouTube link to the video below:
As far as fueling I have been working at being able to better use carbs as after years of getting fat adapted and being able to do well with very few carbs my ability to utilize carbs as needed is not what it needs to be in fast races like this one. My goal was 300g in 5 hours - so 60g/hr so that was what I carried - idea is if I go slower I need less anyway so was a good number. I will put the totals below but my final figure was around 225 during the race so at 6.25 hours that is 36.3g/hr. A little story - as I have told people I put 3 gels - in this case 90g carbs - in a soft flask and carry that and had 3 other gels (66g) in another one and a couple other gels and drink mix . Well I went to take my first hit of the 90g gel flask but hit a bump and it made me grip the flask too much and out squirted half the flask all over my hands and top tube bag - just what one wants with 4+ hours to go:) As far as water I carried 2ea - 900ml bottles, 1ea - 2ltr bladder and 2ea 500ml soft bottles - I did refill one bottle at an aid station and refill my 2ltr bladder - likely not fully empty - for likely total of 6.65ltrs for the whole ride. I never used the two 500ml soft flasks as they were there if raced through the aid stations. The 900ml bottles had 75g carbs in each but figure I drank one full one, and filled it, but the other I drank about half of and refilled that half with water at an aid station. I did also take 2ea Vespa UC at 2 hours and 4 hours. I did look back and as I did not finish my bottles I was likely short on electrolytes so need to work on that. Total break down is below:
Pre-Ride
2 cups coffee with some collagen, Creatine and cream
1 packet oatmeal
30 minutes before race
1 Vespa UC
1 UCAN Latte with Caffeine
10 minutes before
1 Vespa JR
Totals for Preride
Cals - 610kcal
Carbs - 80g
Fat - 22.5g
Protein - 34g
Race Fueling - this is what was taken in not what I carried
Carbs in water bottles - 110g (Goodlife)
Carbs from Gels - 105g (Neversecond and SIS)
As a note I used the Unflavored Neversecond Gel but it is far from no flavor and strong but I find this with any of the higher carb gels
Carbs from Vespa - 10g
Totals
Cals - 903.3 kcal
Carbs - 225g
Electrolytes
In water bottles - Myoxcience Electrolytes - 441mg sodium/675mg Potassium/180mg Magnesium
4 S!Caps - 1364mg Sodium/84mg Potassium
Water - 6.65Ltrs
So, now to get ready for Gravel Worlds where I initially was doing the Double (50K run Friday/150 Mile ride Saturday) but with sleep issues and training decided to move down the Half Double (25K run Friday/75 Mile Ride Saturday). While my ego thinks I am coping out I realize the smart thing to do was drop down as still a hard two days but will be fun and not a slog for the sake of slogging.
As a final note the Dust Bowl 100 it is a great race so give it a go next year but let me warn you it fills up fast.
Click on images for more information and if you want more info on OFM check out this post:
To order Vespa you can go here and use coupon code - tkonvalin15 - for 15% off.
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