Dirty Kanza 2018

Where do I even start? This event is so much more than the 200 miles {I don’t mean the additional 6 they tack on} and I’m in disbelief that I made it to the other side. I’m so thankful to all those who got me to the finish line. I’m thankful to my body and bike for making the journey. My heart exploded with emotion when I crossed the line, 15 hours and 43 min after we pushed off from that exact spot. Here’s how I got there.

We headed out to Emporia, KS on Thursday at the crack of dawn. We had Larry’s Jeep-mobile packed to the gills, and Kyle, Chuck, Bobby and I all hopped in for the 10 hour drive.

The usual Friday pre-race runaround had me wishing we had an extra day. We got to do a shakeout ride with 2x DK200 champ Amanda Nauman and her crew which was fun…but a little hot on the pace and long in the length! Got our race packets, visited the expo, dropped our sag bags (freaking Ironman flashbacks of logistical craziness), ate lunch and cheered for the DKXL riders as they left town at 4pm for the start of their 350 mile self supported journey. (Um, no thanks!) Dinner with the crew and we were off to bed!

Woke up at 4:45 and were out the door by 5:15 and…riding into a thunderstorm?! In true Kansas fashion, the storm brewed up out of nowhere. We made it to the start line and they announced a 30 min rain delay. Extra time for coffee, bathroom stop, last minute change to using a wet chain lube vs the dry I had been using {thank you, Bobby!} and more time to get less nervous. Let the countdown begin…

The First 50

Beginning sections were relatively flat, with a high pace. I was doing by best to surf wheels and not put down too many efforts. Tried to keep moving forward rather than backward in the bunch and was mostly successful. Felt great and was stoked to be enjoying the clouds, cooler temps, and tailwind. The roads were a bit wet from the short lived rain dump, and so things were a bit dirtier than expected. Mud wasn’t deep or derailleur snagging, so I counted my lucky stars we weren’t hike a biking though sectors that had been gunky in the past.

First mishap was totally my fault. Came across a huge cattle guard with a 4″ lip, going up a steep hill. Made it over and I was barely moving, so I thought I was in my big ring. Shifted. Nope. Now I’m in the big, and now almost falling over so I immediately try and shift back down. Jammed my chain, so I basically jump off my bike in fear of doing more damage. Assessment: I’m fucked. Chain is totally double backed on itself and wedged between the front derailleur and big ring. Try forcing it. No go. Then I just start asking {yelling} for help. Please help. I need help! Help!

Enter my savior, Jon from Santa Cruz {who I later learned by internet stalking, works at Specialized!} He so graciously stopped and confirmed, yes I’ve really mucked this up. He got his multi tool and proceeded to loosen my front derailleur, unfuck the chain, and by using the placement made clear from the mud, align and tighten the front derailleur perfectly. All in a matter of 4 minutes. It was amazing and I am forever grateful. I took the moment to eat a banana and offered him a bite.

Apparently both Larry and Kyle unknowingly passed me while I was on the side of the road. Later I came across Kyle, fixing his flat when he thought I was in front of him. “Kyle! What are you doing?!”

Then I motored on, and Larry was changing his flat. Then Kyle came motoring back to me! We rode together for only a short bit before deciding to go pee at the top of the next hill. Well, he bombs down the hill and goes into the water crossing at the bottom way too hot. Boom, flat tire. So I stop with him, pee, and wish him well.

Made it to the checkpoint and it was mass chaos finding the tent and getting situated. Got an ice sock made for me, ate some animal crackers and gummy worms. Bobby did a great job making sure my bike was good to go and also helped with the restock. Got the big camelbak, filled bottles and took off leaving the expensive cooler wide open for my husband to discover. {that last part was his addition}

Second Sector: Mile 50-100

This probably would’ve been my favorite section had I not been dealing with a front flat for the majority of it. The views were incredible. We had a lot of tail wind sections. The climbs were hard, but the descents were rewarding. The sun started to peek out and we said goodbye to the clouds.

I’m riding tubeless so the sealant mostly worked for the flat. One of the outer tread knobs had a significant slice and was almost fully torn off. I stopped and got out the pump to add air which took far too long. Descended down some really rocky areas, bottoming out on my rim so I stopped again, this time adding CO2. Larry came upon me and waited up. We rode a bit further and came to a large hill where he dropped me again. By the top the flat was back, so I called it quits, booted the tire and put in a tube.

Made it to the second checkpoint feeling good. Slammed a coke & Uncrustable, swapped out water bladder, filled bottles, got some chain lube and had mechanic Jake take out the CO2 in the front tire and reseed the tire bead.

Third Sector: Mile 100-160

If you read any other reports, I’d guess they’d say this is the hardest part of the day. It’s the longest, hottest, and most windy. We started out heading east, but once we made the turn north, things got tough. 20mph sustained winds out of the north for the entire day makes for a really long ride back to Emporia.

I had never ridden over 120 miles before Kanza and that was back in 2013 training for Ironman on my TT bike on the coast highway. When I reached 120, I congratulated myself every mile after, for currently being my longest ride ever. 124? Longest ride ever. 132? Nice work chica!

This is where I just put my head down and tried to find wheels. Eat. Drink. Eat. Drink. This sector was defined by the headwind and kind people. A nice farmer had a hose out to the road for a water refill around 120 and a mother and her two kids were giving out bottles around 140. Both definitely aided in my ability to get to the next checkpoint.

The river crossing was a gift. It felt so good and definitely brought a smile to my face. I heard after there were water snakes, and I’m grateful to have not seen one or have heard about it before entering. Larry was on the other side taking a break and seemed to be bonking. “Larry!! What are you doing?!” That was the last time I saw him until I greeted him at the finish line. Apparently he took a nap and called his wife, rebounded and finished!

Reconnected with my favorite tandem couple and took the express train to the next checkpoint. Forever grateful to Patty and her husband for the steady wheel and great wind block!

I took a bit longer at checkpoint 3. I changed my entire kit including shoes and socks. Coke, pickle, frosted animal crackers, uncrustable. Refilled the camelbak, bottles and got the lights clipped on {thanks, Pete!} and grabbed my clear lenses for what was inevitable. I wasn’t going to beat the sun.

It’s the Final Countdown: Mile 160-206

Rolled out of town, and was solo. Not a soul in sight in front or behind me. There was a bit more climbing and curved roads but before long we had some incredible headwind sections. Just tried to keep eating and pedaling. Eventually riders came up upon me and I found my partner till the end. We made a mutual agreement to swap pulls and we worked really well together. He stopped when I had to pee. We had a beer together at mile 183 from a nice man and his friends who seemed to have gotten the party started early. We chased the chaise and had our pics taken by the awesome folks at Salsa Cycles. I’m forever grateful to Corey from Austin, TX / Troublemaker Cycling.

We finally saw the lights of Emporia almost 16 hours after we left. I couldn’t believe I made it. That finish line seemed like an impossibility when I received the lottery ticket this winter. It was now my reality and my longest ride ever. I cried as I rolled down the finish chute.

And that was it. Finished. Exhausted. Dirty. Proud. Thankful. I hung out at the party waiting for Larry and Kyle to finish. And Meesa, Beth, and Lauren. I am so incredibly proud and inspired by the efforts of all on the day. Of those who finished and those who tried their best but came up short. Because “short” isn’t really a thing when you attempt to ride 200 miles on gravel.

Done and dusted.

So many thanks to Bobby for keeping my Mosaic, Miss Vivian in tip top shape and for making the journey to Kansas. To Velosmith for all the support. To my training partners for all the miles with smiles. And to my love, for heading on this journey with me by your side.