What Can't Be Taken Away: Gravel Worlds, Long Voyage

What can't be taken away from me is my experience at the Gravel Worlds, as a whole:

• Feeling so powerful on the rolling hills after having COVID-19 just 4 weeks prior
• Literally giving 0 fucks about the weather - been there, done that!
• Watching the sun set, and then rise again, on Nebraska horizons
• Seeing the lightening lace across the sky from miles and miles away
• All the fat fucking toads in the road - get out of the way, bro!
• Fancy skunks just hanging out, being fancy
• A long horn bull staring at the peloton just several miles away from the start line
• All the cattle who moo'd back at me
• & all the beautiful horses who either stared balefully or frisked along the fence rows
• That beautiful full moon coming out from behind the storm clouds
• & the brilliant stars against the black, black sky.
• The kindness of strangers who became friends: Steve Sousek & Sean McKinney
• Especially Sean McKinney... that man is a national treasure & we make a great team
• The kindness and compassion from my own little tribe - Laura and Britt and Curt - your hugs kept me from completely losing it on Saturday when I DNF'd. 
• And of course the "Gravel Family" of the Gravel Worlds.

The GW Team calls it the "gravel family," and they aren't wrong. I spent two days in Lincoln prior to the race: scouting the route, prepping my bike and my mind, etc. This gave me the opportunity to connect with cyclists and race personnel outside of my own tiny tribe. 

I had the opportunity to meet Ben Meyer, one of the Voyagers, at the Thursday Shakedown ride. Party Pace! I made the comment that he doesn't know a stranger... and it's not a bad thing. His friendship was a wonderful way to chill the f* out before the start of the race. And because we shared a bike ride, that meant we automatically got to share a pint, and that meant I was introduced to Sophia Gibson, a wonderful woman who is carrying a beautiful legacy. 

Moreover, Ben's beautiful story of promoting GTFO & Adventure for All helped get GW's first athlete with exceptionalities, Josh Eckert, to the starting line of the 50K race. When Ben's bike blew up during the 300 miler, he was able to somehow get back to the start line to ride with Josh across the finish line. Which is so damn beautiful. 

My derailleur was acting particularly fussy after the Shakedown Ride, and the team at the Liv tent and at Cycle Works helped me get all of the parts moving again... and they didn't have any particular reason to be so motivated to do, since they didn't know who I was. A particular shout out to Acacia from Liv, who not only took time out of her day to help me out, but continued following on my own journey. 

While on-route, I ran into Christie Tracey, one of the women's field front runners. She was DNF-ing, but was willing to share her rear taillight while mine was recharging. Through her own misfortune, I had some luck. We caught up on Sunday, and even though (again!) she doesn't know me or have a reason to, she spent some time just talking about how ... devastating things can feel or be. Having her transparency shared with me, in such a real way, helped give me some of my courage back. Words can't describe how much that meant to me, in that moment. 

The race promoters/directors Jason Strohben and Corey Godfrey keeping Gravel Worlds inclusive and open to all. They handled my situation with compassion. 

Most of all, my little tribe... Laura's "couch to 75 miler" and Curt's placing 3rd in the men's division of the 75 mile race. I will always take so much pride & joy from people's accomplishments. :) But especially thank you goes to them, Britt & wee Bonnie for being my in-person hype people. I called them my fairy godmothers. I'm so lucky to have them. 

 

& I really want to say how much it meant for everyone who was cheering me on back home.