I know how it feels to finish ‘dead last’ – here are my tips for completing your first gravel race
From CyclingWeekly.com
After conquering Unbound and MidSouth, Marley Blonsky shares 3 tips to get you to the finish line triumphantly
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Congratulations, you’ve registered for your first gravel race! Now the real fun (and work) begins – training and preparation for what will likely be your longest, hardest day on the bicycle yet.
With two Unbound Gravel century finishes and one DFL crown (Dead F***ing Last) at MidSouth Gravel to my name, I’ve figured out a few things that are crucial to taking on a gravel century.
While I don’t have a specific training plan or mileage targets for you to follow (–I’m by no means qualified to give you that advice but you can find one here), I have some tried and true advice that will hopefully have you crossing that finish line triumphant and excited to sign up for your next big challenge.
TIP 1: EAT EARLY AND OFTEN
A century is basically a 100-mile snack parade. Your job is to continually eat and drink your way through the miles. When it feels hard, eat. When you hate your bike, eat. I’m serious. You love bikes, you love riding your bike, and today, you get to do it all day long. Eat and it’ll be easier to remember this.
Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash
