Today I’d like to share a short version of how I got involved with the local gravel cycling community and how I went from commuter to ultra endurance mega stoked athlete AKA regular person riding bikes all day.

In January 2013, I began riding bicycles on the gravel roads around Stillwater. I had been commuting to OSU's Student Union for work on a Trek Mamba 29er mountain bike for almost two years. The first of many bicycles I would purchase from the Wintles at District Bicycles. I didn't really have any interactions with the bike shop and their shop rats before I was told by my employee Trevor Steward that I could ride my bike on these gravel roads. Though I had since learned that period is when the Land Run 100 was birthed. I don't need to repeat their origin story, but I will say I missed out. I would have met some of my future friends a bit earlier, which would have been interesting. Especially shop fly Mr. Adam Gribben. Whom I believe did a lot of the early gravel road scouting with Bobby. On a Surly Long Haul Trucker no less.

My work commute was only 3 miles round trip. Getting to 100+ wasn't even really in my realm of thought. Like ever. Trevor told me about a group ride and got me in touch with Jimmy Bruer. He was leading a 35-40 mile group ride. So I showed up. Wearing my Chrome commuter SPD (clip-in) shoes, jeans, and coat. Not a jacket, a full-on coat. Hey, it was January and coldish.

This was my first group ride. I didn’t know any rules or the lingo. Turns out there is really not much that you need to learn. The entire group stayed together as we went south of Lake McMurtry. I looked at my phone and saw we had already traveled 8 miles and I felt great. Then we turned North. The hills slowed me way down. Most of the group road away. Jim, however, doubled back to check on me. It wasn't a no-drop ride, so he wasn't obligated to do this but he knew I was new and wanted to make sure I was going to be okay.

As you can see in the image below, at 23.7 miles, I was done. I learned about leg cramps that day. I would continually battle them for years while riding these stupidly long rides.

Yeah, I bit off more than I could chew and had to ask Andrea to rescue me. She learned what being on the support crew was like early on. She was and is fantastic in that role.

You'll notice this first gravel training ride was January 3rd, and the race was March 9th. I squeezed in almost 300 miles of gravel training rides before race day. My daily commute by bike to work was vital. It may have been only one and a half miles each way, but it counts as time on the saddle. I recorded about160 miles of commuting in that period.

Finishing that first year turned out to be a pivotal moment in my life. Letting me be apart of a new and growing community. It also gave me confidence mentally and physically. That confidence would get me signing up for a future of torture on the bike. #thisisstupid #teamcockroach

I've participated in this local race multiple times. Finished 3 of 4 attempts. Fed a ton of fellow riders BBQ one year and opened a thousand ice-cold Mid South IPA beers for finishers the next year. By the way, volunteering for just race day is MORE tiring than doing the 100 mile ride.

This year's race won't be like any year before it because I have the honor of riding with Kara. We are riding in The Mid South 50 miler. It's a non-competitive ride while the 100 miler is a race. Well, for some. For most, it's a race against yourself. It's a challenge for everyone who toes the line. Newbie or Pro.

It's been fun seeing her confidence grow as we put in some long rides. She is ready to do this. We are prepared to enjoy the day and ride our ride. #partypace She's not even scared of the potential cold rain!!! #notme #iRemember2017 #iFroze

Now the potential mud isn’t something is looking forward. #herestopushingbikes

PS If you haven't yet. Go to landrun100.com and read about the name change and why it needed to happen. Better yet, read and listen to the linked Podcast and Book. Also, check out midsouthgravel.com for details about the race.