Race Day
Race day came with a bit of cloud cover and a lot of nerves. I scoured the town square for bathrooms and ended up running into Walmart to use their bathroom before the race started. My training races back home were typically devoid of racers my speed (slow) and had few or no women. Lining up in the starting shoot with 800 strangers, I hoped that I wouldn’t be last across the finish line. The pro men sped off, followed by the pro women, followed by the mass start 5 minutes later. The race was on.
I started at the back of the pack, and learned that a neutral start is meaningless – it was full gas from the get-go. We hit the gravel, the cloud cover burned off, and I finally felt at ease. Right away, the sharp Ozark gravel started to take it’s toll on fellow riders, and a steady stream of folks lined the course fixing flats. My WTB Raddlers served me well, keeping me on the bike, puncture-free for the whole day. As the course wound through the hills, I found that the west GA terrain had prepared my legs for climbing better than I had expected. On the steep, short, loose descents, I felt grateful to have spent some time on a mountain bike – and I tried to give the folks around me with less familiarity plenty of space. While there were a few gnarly wipe outs of loose corners (one even meriting an ambulance), I was impressed with how well-maintained the course was. Rolling into the first aid station at 38 miles, the atmosphere was a joyful, and a mass of friendly volunteers plied us with snacks and hydration mix. I was having a blast, but feeling my legs – it was looking like the final miles would be a slog.
I rolled out of the station solo and slowly chased down the group in front of me. The quiet miles left me thinking about Eckhart Tolle’s wisdom, and for the first time on the bike, I was able to turn off my stream of consciousness and just race. My optimism about the final miles grew, as did my watts. While my Garmin cued me well, the course was super well signed posted and I saw a number of Life Time jeeps standing by, ready for action along the course. At mile 58, the so-called Water Oasis came into view, but it looked more like a party. Volunteers were passing out bacon and shots. I passed on both, and chowed down on a PB&J that I had jammed into my saddle bag. By the second and final aid station at 74 miles (at a cool farm/brewery in the middle of nowhere), I was feeling really good. I noticed that I had gained speed over the course of the day. Riding next to others was such a welcomed change from my solo training. As the miles ticked down, I felt like I could finally ‘drop the hammer’ and stop conserving my energy. I was able to sprint the last 10 miles, passing a few ladies in my age group, and finishing the race 4th in my age group (disclaimer: the women’s 20-29 age group had only 8 finishers. I love that this sport gets more competitive as you get older). I was on a high, and was totally wiped once I crossed the finish line. The Bentonville town square was packed with racers, their family, and locals – it was a great scene.
Life Time introduced a Gravel Rave (party) with a DJ (gravel pro Alexis Skarda) that night, but I opted for an early bed time. I drove out of Bentonville the next morning with a huge smile on my face, and committed to make this race a pillar of my gravel schedule. I hope to have some Sorellas with me next year 😊.