Gravel Worlds

Back in April, a guy I knew from back when I lived and raced in Nebraska, messaged me and said "Hey Megan you should come out for Gravel Worlds in Nebraska in August..."  Yeah?  I said?  "Oh by the way," he mentioned, "The jerseys are hot pink this year."  Boom.  I was in. 

First there was kanza in May ‪#‎dk100‬ = 100 miles of gravel with about 4000 ft elev. Then, there was Tushar Crusher in July ‪#‎tusharcrusher‬ = 70 miles of road/gravel with about 9500 ft elev. So what's the trifecta you ask? @piratecyclingleague ‪#‎gravelworlds15‬ ‪#‎gravelworlds2015‬ =150 miles on gravel and about 10,000 ft elev gain. In the Midwest heat and humidity. In August. On ONE. Single. Gear.

Nothing like firing up the GPS on the morning of the race and finding that the race course DID NOT LOAD!!  SO I relied on these little pieces of paper in a ziploc bag all day to get my way from start to finish... 

Single Speed riding goes like this: Muscle it uphill, coast downhill, muscle, coast, muscle coast. The coasting part is an exercise in patience ... you want to pedal, but you don't have enough tension on the chain to make it worth it... so coast...coast...coast... 

Here's Craig-the guy who talked me into this adventure -shown at the final race checkin point at mile 121: 

Here's Jay, another race promoter, who happened to also have been one of my first sponsors/team directors back when I STARTED racing.  #fullcircle  He couldn't stop laughing at me when I crossed the finish line.  ELEVEN HOURS AFTER STARTING.  

Rebecca Rusch had already showered and eaten by the time I crossed - she killed it in the women's open event:

All the suffering was worth it ... I took home the coveted GRAVEL WORLDS champ jersey in the women's single speed division.  I was also the 3rd woman to finish overall.  

Back at the hotel, I bumped into Rebecca who was headed out for dinner in Lincoln wearing her new jersey.  Pretty much bad ass to pose w/her wearing matching jerseys. 

I spent 11 hours inside my head during Gravel Worlds...  No headphones and rarely someone to ride with. It was an exercise in staying positive, focusing on the good in life, expressing gratitude and pushing forward.

We aren't saving the world when we race these endurance events, but I do believe they force us into a deep place within ourselves --where we truly discover what we're made of. And whether or how much we let negativity creep in. You discover that you are in charge of the mental movies you play for yourself all day every day. That no matter the circumstances, you control your outlook.

I believe that it's good to stretch our limits now and then. Many thanks to my Nebraska friends for providing this 'growth opportunity!' 

😄

HERE IS A GREAT ARTICLE AND OVERALL WRITEUP BY NEIL SHIRLEY -THE MEN'S OPEN WINNER!