I have this friend named Jake.
You may recognize him from some of my videos and pictures from posts.
Jake is one of my best friends in the world and a guy I used to run with.
A few years ago, Jake messed up his back and was told he couldn’t run anymore. So, as a former mountain biker and current road rider, Jake put all his energy into the bike. And being an excellent athlete, he set his sights high for rides that he wanted to do.
One of those rides is the DK200, or Dirty Kanza, a 200 mile gravel bike right through the Flint Hills in south eastern Kansas.
Last week, Jake’s dream was realized when he was able to fly to Kansas and compete in this one-of-a-kind race.
Below, in his own words, is his firsthand account of prepping for the ride.
If you want to read about the race, it’s here (there were just too many words for one post).
Buckle up, it’s a rough ride:
Dirty Kanza
How do you sum up something in words when the emotions associated are so much bigger?
I have been dreaming and talking about doing Dirty Kanza for about three years. I was fascinated with the idea of doing a ride that was so huge, so monumental, so crazy that it would completely scare me and keep me wondering if I could finish the task I had undertaken. This all stemmed from an article written by Chris Carmichael that said something like “. . . don’t be afraid to fail, do something that scares you.” I thought about the cycling events I had been doing and it struck me that in each case I was confident I would finish the race. My goals were either beating my previous times or finishing under a certain time. There was no unknown – if I would actually finish because I had enough experience with mechanicals, flats, weather or mistakes with nutrition or preparation to know that if I stayed calm, fixed the problem, I could get to the end. I wanted to challenge myself to try something that was out of my comfort zone, something that I might fail at.
Enter my obsession with Dirty Kanza.
Dirty Kanza the premier gravel race in the country – a 200 mile ride on rural and rough gravel roads south of Emporia, Kansas that takes 2,700 riders the better part of 24 hours to complete. It is a test of one’s mental fortitude as well as physical ability, and that is without all the pitfalls along the way. The weather can vacillate between endless rain and mud bogs to withering heat and wind that taunts riders to quit. The event has a mighty following and is very difficult to get into.
The first year I tried to enter I got cold feet and didn’t click the “register” button. Even before entering, I was scared about the amount of time I would need to train, the gear, and the commitment, the support of my wife and kids just wasn’t where it needed to be. I watched as the field filled and closed and just dreamed that someday I would have the courage to do it. I trained for and did increasingly longer events like D2R2, improved at GFNY, rode Mt Evans, raced the Tour of the Battenkill, Tour of the Catskills and with each race got a little closer to tackling the DK200.
The Guts to Enter
The second year I tried to enter I had a plan. I cleared the time I would need to train with my amazingly supportive wife. I talked to my CTS coach about entering and incorporated it into my plan for the year. I purchased a bike specific to gravel riding (a Rodeo Labs Trail Donkey) and had the desire and drive to stare down the barrel of DK200 and not flinch.
By 2018, the race registration changed to a lottery system, I entered the lottery and got the email in January that I was in!! I was thrilled . . . and scared.
Winter Training
Even before I heard about my 2018 slot I started doing the base training I would need for the event. The winter was unusually cold and wet this year but I was so excited at the prospect of doing the DK200 that I threw myself into the work. I had had a long and detailed conversation with my wife about what it exactly entailed to train for this event. Lots of long rides back to back and a lot of time she would have to take control of the family ship while I was focusing on this goal. She wholeheartedly supported me and did so much extra work with our kids — she was (and is) amazing. During the Christmas and Presidents Weekend vacations I was logging miles in Dutchess County, New York on gravel roads that were unmaintained and snow covered. I would regularly take the family snowboarding at Catamount, a small ski area near the Berkshires, in the morning and then switch clothing into winter cycling kits and ride home from the mountain. The double dose of exercise and the treacherous and frigid conditions were all key elements to harden my resolve and mental stamina to withstand the DK200. These winter rides are always a favorite of mine but with each and every one I stretched myself further and did more and more rough long cold miles.
As preparation for DK200 I lined up a solid and fun series of events.
Sourland Semi Classic
I started with the Sourland Semi Classic in Hopewell New Jersey in February. The cold and wet soaked the day and chilled the riders to the bone. But with each and every frigid mile I knew that these small tests of will and ability would serve me well as I prepared for my goal of DK200. I remember riding up alongside Selene Yeger who had had a very rough day at DK200 the year before and I asked her if she would be going back. She looked over and sort of abruptly said “No! I’m going to Michigan.” I remember hearing in her words a trace of animosity and pain about her DK200 experience and remembered the Instagram post where she talked about what a rough day it had been. I was shocked that such a strong and accomplished rider could have had such a rough day making it to the finish line and had the experience Chris Carmichael was telling me to seek. The challenge that lay ahead and the fear I had started growing.
Croatan Buck Fifty
My second event of the season was the Croatan Buck Fifty in Cape Carteret North Carolina in March. The event is 150 miles through the Croatan National Forest, a 50 mile out and back course that included Savage Road, a three mile stretch of mud bog that is impassible by any vehicle other than a tank, on the way back. The mud holes are so big that they could literally swallow a full sized pick up truck. The only way through is to make your way through the sometime six inch wide gaps between mud holes to form some sort of track. My ride went off without a hitch and all my training and preparation worked. I ate and drank as planned, had legs to push through and achieved my longest ride ever that day (150 miles). Along the way, I learned an important lesson. As usual I went out way too hard and tried to hang on to a front group for 30 miles until (after half hour of telling myself to let go and ride my own pace) I finally let them slip away. This meant that I did 120 miles of it solo. It was a wonderful opportunity to get myself ready to “do me” for a while. I was able to pace myself and test my fitness. When I finished the day, I felt great and was so thankful that I executed the day the way I wanted to. A good omen for my scary future DK200 attempt.
The Final Push
The next months were a very busy time for my family and life. Spring break, work travel, moving to a new home, moving sculptures and Dad duties sort of took over. I trained all along, waking before dawn and getting in the miles. Riding on the road in North Carolina, Ohio, Chicago, Denver and many, many places in between. I did weeks of 200 miles with centuries many weekends, building up my fitness and ability to ride long. Several events I had on the calendar either were cancelled for snow or were missed by me because of life.
But I knew I needed to plan a huge day as a test for DK200. I mapped out a route starting at my apartment in NYC that went up to Bear Mountain on an amazing gravel path along the Hudson River, then 50 miles through Harriman State park, then back down to NYC inland following the GFNY back half with all the tough climbs. The day ended up being 153 miles in 11 hours and 30 mins all self-supported and amazing. I used Instagram as motivation and shared videos at the start, 50 mile, 100 mile and finish to keep me accountable and motivated. It was a fantastic day and I surprised myself with my fitness and ability to ride 150 miles with 12,000 feet of elevation.
Then we moved to a new home. I was the family point person for the move. The stress, work, fatigue impacted the consistency of my training during the week. I was still getting in centuries on the weekends and putting in 150 mile weeks but felt like I was falling off my peak. The weeks before DK200 were rough and I really started to worry I was letting something go down the drain I had worked so hard for. The fear and anticipation was growing and the thing Chris had said was really coming true: Could I even do this? I pressed on with the preparation and packing and felt scattered and scared but also excited and as ready as I was going to be for this.
And then it was time to travel to the race.
