How to have your BEST GravelWorlds Experience
By Frank Pike
Head Coach at Beyond Category Coaching
Hello Gravel Worlds nation! As I write this, we are 25 weeks away from event day. I know this sounds like a long time and that you have plenty of time to get ready for your epic adventure. As a cycling coach, I look at the 25 weeks more as training blocks and depending on your experience, maturity, unique physiology and training history this might be a mere 4-6 training blocks, which when looked at this way, you better get training and preparing!
I love gravel riding and I am convinced it can appeal to everyone! As a matter of fact, gravel is now an official riding disciple along with road, MTB, cyclocross and track. Many athletes I coach ride gravel as their main discipline and athletes are seeking out coaches who have specific gravel experience, both as a rider and participant as well as athletes they coach who ride gravel as their main discipline. I would encourage you to start training and planning now and see what kind of fun awaits when you set sail on August 21, 2021 at the 12th annual Gravel Worlds.
Whether you are trying to finish or beat your time in an epic event like Gravel Worlds or you just want to test the waters by hopping into your first event, gravel racing may seem intimidating at first. The training, equipment, and preparation for gravel can be very different from what you may be used especially if you come from a road or mountain bike background, or if you are new to cycling altogether.
In this multi-part series covering all things gravel in the leadup to Gravel Worlds, I want to help you prepare for your epic adventure. Whether you consider yourself a novice, a first timer, an experienced gravel grinder who has completed many gravel events or anyone in between, my goal over this series is to provide you with information that will enable you to have your best Gravel Worlds experience whether your goal is to just complete the event, set a new PR or finish inside a specific goal time.
The topics we will be discussing over the course of the blog series are:
Training
Training for gravel is unique because there are so many different pieces to gravel riding and racing. You have to have endurance just to finish the event and you will also need to rely on some higher, harder intensities and efforts to get up and over the hills or even battles with the wind. Gravel events may vary in length from 30 to 300 miles, and you will encounter smooth roads where you wish you had your road bike, you will bounce around on really rough roads wishing you had your MTB bike or installed wider tires. Factors to look at when training for Gravel Worlds include the terrain where you live, volume and intensity of training. If you are doing the Long Voyage or Gravel Worlds routes you want to focus more on volume and getting your mind, body and equipment ready for a long day in the saddle and if you are doing the Buccaneer or Privateer routes you would want to focus on more intensitiy vs pure volume.
Equipment
Your success and enjoyment on event day can largely be affected by the equipment you chose. Your bike, tires, tire pressure, suspension and gearing are crucial parts of planning for your gravel event. The process of selecting your tires and what width to deciding if you want to use 700c or 650b wheels can all seem a bit overwhelming. The course itself and even the weather will influence your equipment selections. I will help you keep from over analyzing when choosing your equipment and also educate you on how you can better use the equipment you already have.
Handling Skills
While good bike handling skills are crucial for every type of cyclist, having confidence in your skills is uber critical for being fast and safe while riding and racing on gravel. Terrain can range from smooth to rough to really rough and bumpy and everything in between! You will encounter, mud, sand, dirt, minimum maintained roads, private drives or likely a mix of all of these conditions. Practicing your bike handling skills on different types of terrain is crucial to success in whatever gravel event you choose. We’ll talk about specific skills you will need and how to practice them. These skills are often forgotten by many cyclists preparing for gravel races, and if you dedicate time to improving on different types of terrain, you will definitely have a leg up on the competition and will ensure a safe voyage.
Nutrition Strategy
Gravel events by nature tend to be very long days on the bike. Most people aren’t used to riding their bikes for 6-8+ hours at a time, especially when you factor in heat, humidity, wind, terrain etc., so testing your nutrition and hydration strategy in training is critical so you know what works and what doesn’t. My goal with your nutrition strategy is to keep it simple and not to over-complicate it. While having a strategy is important it can be as simple as knowing when to eat, what to eat and how much to eat. Nutrition plans can go off track especially after so many long hours on the bike. I will provide some tips for preventing this so you can keep the pedals turning all backed by science and my experiences as an athlete and coach.
Mental Preparation
The whistle blows and you are off and sailing the dust is almost unbearable as you try to catch your breath after going anerobic in the first few minutes of the event. What do you do in that “oh crap” moment when you ask yourself “what did I get myself into” or “what was I thinking”. Inevitably, you will find yourself riding alone at times, even when no other riders are in sight and you will have all sorts of conversations with yourself. Being able to maneuver through these situations and stay motivated will ensure success and you crossing the finish line!
Techniques like mindfulness- being in the moment and embracing the adversity and visualization- seeing yourself crossing the finish line can be as beneficial as all the training you will do on the bike that ensures your success on event day. Whether you need get rid of the jitters at the start line or push through the last 10 miles of your route, having a plan for what you are going to do when your thoughts go negative can be what makes or breaks your event. So, be sure to incorporate some mental training into all your bike training! We always talk about swinging the leg over the bike, but rarely do we talk about swinging the mind over the bike!!
Crisis Management
When you ride your bike on gravel there is a lot that can potentially go wrong. Being prepared for any mechanicals (from flats to broken derailleurs) and bio-mechanicals (from cramps to sharp hip pain) that may happen will give more confidence when the whistle blows and give you the margin and ability to handle the unexpected. Whether it is your bike or your body that fails it can be a bummer if you do not know how to fix the problem or know what to do when you hit the wall physically or mentally, or even encounter a sharp change in the weather. With a little forethought, most crisis can be managed or even avoided altogether.
Race/Ride Strategy
Having a race/ride plan to crush your goals is important, especially the longer the event. Your plan can be as detailed and deep as you want, however a simple one that focuses on a few key things can suffice. I will discuss these things in future blogs. Event day strategy is all about taking all the hard work you have done and figuring out your fitness and strengths to ensure your success during the event. We will discuss analyzing course information, what clothes to wear and pack, how to best use aid stations plus a whole lot more! Gravel racing/riding is about having fun and pushing yourself and having a solid race strategy should help you accomplish just that.
I realize this is a lot of information to digest, FEAR NOT as you have 24 weeks to train and plan! Gravel can be complex perhaps overwhelming for some, but the one single most important aspect is that everybody shows up to have a good time and the folks from Gravel Worlds are great at doing this and want nothing more for you! No matter your ability, fitness or experience level, you will have a great time and learn some things about yourself along the way that you can take to next gravel adventure and make it even better. I want to help make your training and planning easier, more precise, and more manageable so that come event day you will be set up for SUCCESS. If you have any questions related to any of these topics, feel free to contact me at frank@beyondcategorycoaching.com and I will do my best in replying back to you. If you think you might be interested in 1:1 coaching with me, a coaching consult or a training plan I would love the opportunity to speak with you as I am offering some super sweet exclusive deals for Gravel Worlds athletes. Until we meet again, I hope your training and planning is productive and allows you to GO BEYOND AND CRUSH YOUR GOALS!
About Beyond Category Coaching
Beyond Category Coaching was born out of a passion for cycling and the desire to help athletes reach their goals and discover their own potential. The company is led by owner and head coach Frank Pike who has been riding, training and racing bikes for over 20 years and is based out of Denver, CO. Frank holds certifications from USA Cycling as a level 2 advanced coach and Training Peaks as a level 2 premium coach. Additionally, Frank works with Inscyd a performance software tool that can analyze and identify some key metrics such as VO2 max, efficiency, fuel utilization, lactate accumulation and clearance as well as identifying overall strengths and weaknesses. The test is done on your bike using critical power durations and is available if you are working with Frank as your coach or if you have a coach already. A detailed performance report is provided identifying metabolic efficiencies, load characteristics, metabolic footprint showing strengths/weaknesses and training zones.
Beyond Category Coaching is founded on the belief that it takes exercise science, experience and awesome customer service to help athletes reach their goals. My company aims to provide complete personal coaching for the needs of each individual athlete. I am proud to provide top-level coaching and customer service at affordable prices. I combine the expertise of professionalism, my experience and education in coaching all levels of cyclists. Beyond Category Coaching exists to empower, motivate and challenge athletes to GO BEYOND!
Frank Pike
Owner/Head Coach