tricks OF THE trade

BY RYANN BROOKS

Each year, thousands of gravel enthusiasts converge on Emporia, Kan., to test their mettle with UNBOUND Gravel. Long established as the world’s premier gravel grinding spectacle, the race brings both professional cyclists and amateurs to the same course in the Flint Hills.

But the experience can be intimidating, even for the more seasoned rider. Enter the UNBOUND Gravel Training Camp — a four-day immersive experience designed to remove that intimidation factor and prepare your mind, body and machine for the rigors of the Flint Hills.

“It was really centered around removing the intimidation factor that a lot of people feel when they’re coming into the gravel scene, both from a surface perspective but also just understanding nutrition and equipment,” said Kristi Mohn, Life Time Off Road team. “It’s about getting a better grasp of what all it takes to come out and ride 200 miles in the Flint Hills.”

The training camps kicked off in 2013 with a goal to help riders take on UNBOUND and other ultra-endurance adventures, and are usually held about 8 - 10 weeks before UNBOUND weekend.

Camp athletes learn through a combination of educational seminars, hands-on clinics, and lots of gravel grinding. Mohn said the camp typically involves some course previews, which is helpful for riders preparing to return to Emporia.

“You just learn so much from being around other people that are out there doing the same thing,” Mohn said. “It gives them a chance to test their equipment and ask some questions, and maybe learn some things that they get to practice with leading up to the race.”

The last thing you want to do, she added, is change anything on race day.

You can learn more about the camp online at https://www.unboundgravel.com/trainingcamp

“If you learn something about nutrition [at camp], you have a good amount of time to try it out before race weekend,” Mohn said. “It’s an opportunity to check your gear, check your legs, and get a realization of the type of climbing and the type of surface. It’s just good prep.”

It’s a positive experience that lets amateur, everyday riders rub elbows with the pros they look up to. On top of UNBOUND staff, camp staff include names like Kristen Legan and Yuri Hauswald, Riley Swickard, Taylor Lideen and Travis McCabe — just to name a few.

“Kristen Legan has been a coach with our event for many, many years,” Mohn said. “She’s done the 200 several times and has been a podium finisher. She’s done the 350. She’s just super qualified and she’s had her own coaching business for years. … Yuri Hauswald has been coming since the very first year and he’s one of our first coaches that came. We have some repeat offenders. I think that’s the best thing that our coaches love coming to camp. They want to be here for camp.”

Lesa Thompson, who raced the UNBOUND 200 in 2022, decided to give herself an edge in 2023 by signing up for camp. A seasoned cyclist, Thompson said she was relatively new to gravel riding when she took on UNBOUND the first time.

“I got my gravel bike about a month before the event and managed to break a wheel on my first long ride, so I just got the bike back about a week before going to UNBOUND,” she said. “I was so naive; I didn’t know what I didn’t know about riding on gravel!”

Thompson had done most of her training indoors using the FasCat Sweetspot training program, and read “GRAVEL!” by Selene Yeager.

“That scared me enough not to miss any training sessions but I was woefully unprepared for the mental fatigue of such a long distance on gravel,” she added. “I’m slow, and I spent 100 miles learning how to ride on gravel, then 100 miles trying to beat the cut-off time.”

But, Thompson needed more than just one good reason to sign up. Based in Japan, she said she needed to justify the cost of both the camp and traveling to Emporia twice in one year. It didn’t take her long to see the benefits: a guaranteed race ticket, gravel practice and lots of learning opportunities.

“1. Since this is a joint endeavor with both my husband and I, guaranteed entry to

UNBOUND was a real attraction,” she said. “It avoided any discussions of what to do if only one of us got a place in the lottery! 2. The opportunity to get some gravel practice in. It’s not so convenient to train on gravel from home, so it was an excellent chance to improve my skills & gain some confidence on the gravel that I’ll be on in June.

3. Last but not least, the camp program looked really interesting, with a fantastic mix of rides and seminars.”

Thompson enjoyed chatting with other riders and her coaches. Nutrition sessions, she said, were especially helpful since she struggled with that last year.

“Remembering that my fuelling was suboptimal last year, I especially appreciated ‘It’s an eating and drinking competition’ (Amanda Nauman) and ‘Sip, sip, nibble, nibble’ (Yuri Hauswald) — my new mantras for long rides and even not-so-long training rides,” Thompson said. “The camp leaders were very approachable and accommodating — huge thanks to Sparky Moir as sweeper and the sag wagon guys for staying with me on the 100 mile ride during camp.”

Mohn acknowledged that UNBOUND Gravel Training Camp is both a financial investment, and a hefty time commitment. But, it’s well worth it for those who love gravel cycling.

“The camp is an investment, but if this is something you love, I think investing in yourself is always worth it,” she said. “If that’s something that’s intriguing, definitely at least find out more, ask us questions.”

UG