Race Report: 2024 SBT Gravel - Black Course

Race: SBT Gravel Black Course

Date: August, 18th 2024

AVRT racers: Kelly Brennan

Top Result: 33/88 women, 1/10 20-29F

Course: https://www.strava.com/activities/12182560400/overview

Nutrition: 2L pack with 200g of superfuel; 1 large bottle with 80g super fuel; 1 bottle of pure water (to cool myself down with and drink if I got sick of mix – I highly recommend); 13 NeverSecond Gels (~1/3 caffeine).
Equipment: Specialized Crux. Continental Terra Speed TR 45s

The 6:15 AM mass start was nothing short of chaotic. Positioned about five rows from the front, I quickly found myself struggling to hold my place and gradually drifted backward. Thankfully, I latched onto my friend’s wheel, and he pulled me up the small road knoll and onto the gravel, allowing me to merge into a group of about 30-40 riders.

The way this group moved through the fast, flowy, and punchy gravel section reminded me of rides like Spectrum or the Noon Ride. My goal was to stick with them until the base of Wahooligan Pass, the main climb in the new route at around 23 miles in. To stay with them, I had to throw down my best 1-5 minute efforts of the day, and I wondered if I’d regret it later with over a hundred miles still ahead.

When we finally reached Wahooligan Pass (miles 23-37), I chose to climb at my own pace. Having pre-ridden this climb, I knew it was easy to burn out too soon, especially with the steepest and toughest part at the end. Most of the women in my group passed me early on in the climb, leaving me to wonder if I’d see them again.

Descending Wahooligan Pass solo was a dream – the technical off-camber corners and chunky rock were a blast. Many riders flatted here, but I managed to get through unscathed. From there, the course felt a bit like a mix of Huffmaster and cyclocross, with long, straight gravel sections where you were either lucky to be in a group or left on your own. Then came a stretch of sand, where my cyclocross experience came in handy, and I passed all women who passed me on Wahooligan pass..

Rolling into Hayden at mile 66, I had drained my 2L Superfuel Pack and debated whether to stop at the aid station. But after being pulled at a solid tempo pace by a friendly rider for about 15 minutes, I didn’t want to lose the momentum, so I opted to rely on my gels and keep pushing.

Around this time, I encountered a large group of riders from the Blue 100-mile course. Initially, I was excited to have more people to draft with, but soon realized they were moving much slower than I was. I drafted where I could, using steady fast wheels to recover from my recent effort and continue progressing.

At mile 86, I made my one and only aid stop to refill my bottles and grab some pickle juice, Coke, and a backup gel. I had planned to refill my pack with carb mix, but the station had run out. I decided to press on with just water and the remaining gels, resolving to stop again only if absolutely necessary, knowing the back half of the course had more frequent aid stations.

With 40 miles to go, I was getting stoked to finish! A strong woman passed me on the climb out of the aid station, and I decided to stick with her. As we descended into a section marked with “Caution!” signs, the danger became immediately apparent when her front wheel hit a loose, deep rut, sending her over the bars. I stopped to check if she was okay, and thankfully, she was, and I told her she was so strong.

The next section featured a gentle 2% descent on smooth gravel roads – fun if you're skilled at it, but tricky this late in the race if you’re not a super powerful rider on the flats, like me. Another strong woman flew by, and I worked hard to grab her wheel. I asked if she wanted to work together, and she agreed! We flew through this relatively flat section until, unfortunately, she dropped off on the next little climb to the second-to-last aid station at mile 101.

On the next 2% descending gravel road, I was thrilled to spot my friend Sarah, who was riding the Blue Course. I motioned for her to get on my wheel, and we worked together until we reached the second-to-last climb, known as the “Corkscrew.”

The final aid station was at the top of the last climb at mile 113, but I flew by, feeling surprisingly strong – no cramps, and my legs were still solid! As I approached the finish line, I pushed hard to beat the 8-hour mark and finished at 7:55! I’m really proud of my effort, managing to stick with a strong group at the beginning, pacing myself on the climbs, and finding others to ride with throughout the race.

Overall, the Steamboat Gravel event is a blast, with a fun vibe and excellent organization in a stunning setting! There's something for everyone. I also noticed a significantly larger portion of women and more diversity than at any other race I’ve been to – I highly recommend it!

Key Learnings & Notes (If You Do This Event):

Gear: I ran a 40T with a 10-44T SRAM XPLR, but I found myself spinning out frequently on the 2% descents. Next time, I’d opt for a 42T or maybe a 44T chainring.

Support: There’s no outside support allowed, so be self-sufficient. Bring all the flat repair supplies (including a tube), enough food for the entire race, and extra drink mix – the aid station I stopped at had run out.

Start: The mass start is incredibly fast. It’s tough to take in calories from gels early on, so next time, I’d mix more calories into my bottles.

Tires: If the course remains the same, consider running MTB tires like the 2.25 Aspen ST; many of the fastest riders used them and loved it. I would run larger, fast tires. The blue course is significantly less technical.

Race Report: 2024 University Road Race Womens P1234

Race: University Road Race Womens P1234

Date: August 18, 2024

AVRT racers: Niky Taylor

Top Result: Niky 3/4

Route: Literally it goes up and then it goes down.

Recap: Hello. I did a race. Here is my report.

I have not raced very much this year because I have been dealing with Long COVID and some psychiatric problems. One of the main symptoms I have is pretty severe fatigue. So we can just say I wasn’t in the best form going into this race.

Day of the race I wavered on whether I would register. But I decided I wanted to race because while feeding the P12 guys I overheard some masters riders saying “you know, I’m dropped, but I’m so glad I can still be out here.” And I liked that sentiment.

I rolled up to the start after having warmed up with some friends. There were a whopping 4 people in our field so we combined with the 3/4/5’s to get to a field of about 15. They blew the whistle and I started my first race in months.

The first few laps were pretty uneventful but fast. I marked Ilan (Terun) and Jackie (Roxo racing) who I figured were the two main threats. I kept an eye on Hannah (Terun) too. The rest of the riders were 3/4/5’s. One Sprinkles girl kept attacking on the descent, but she kept getting brought back on the climb. 

After a few laps, I felt pretty bad. But we turned onto the climb and I noticed Hannah fading back from Ilan and Jackie a bit. I figured now was a good time to weaken Terun, so I surged up to Ilan and Jackie and hit the gas. I set a PR on the climb and dropped everyone except Ilan and Jackie. On the descent the sendy Sprinkles rider bridged up to us. 

I was pretty gassed. My heart rate had been maxed out for a while and my recovery is not very good right now. I kept with our group of 4 for another lap and then broke. I tried to fight through it. The Sprinkles girl towed me back on the descent and I was able to bridge up to Ilan and Jackie, but again halfway through the climb I couldn’t hold on. I accepted that this was probably my race, I know my form isn’t where it used to be, and I’m trying to be ok with it. The world was spinning.

Sprinkles girl caught up to me and tried to get me hyped. I was like I am sorry but I cannot hype right now. She tried to help me be more aero on the descent which was nice, I was like yeah sorry I know how this works I’m just so dizzy I think I might fall off my bike. But she was really nice so I tried to pace her on the climb, and then my legs really gave out for good. 

I cheered her on and then started trying to recover. I was about an hour into the race and hadn’t eaten or drank much, so I hoped this fatigue spell was at least half bonk and I started *consuming.* 

At the feed zone, I saw Hannah had pulled out of the race. I thought hm, I should pull out of the race. I am done. I could be really done. But Cam was there and he was so committed to giving me water and Louise had come out to cheer me on. And I wanted to finish the stupid thing I started. And there were only three of us, so what the heck, so long as I finished I could get some velo promo money and a wacky Tshirt.

So I kept telling myself one more lap. I will do one more lap and then I will see how I feel. And every lap at the feed zone I saw Cam and Louise and told them “I feel so great” while moving at about 2 miles per hour and Louise would laugh and Cam would say “you look great” or something like that and dump water on my head and I’d keep going.

I was so relieved to be lapped, because when Ilan and Jackie finally came around with 4 laps to go I automatically got to go down to 3. Ilan told me to hop back on with them and I did on the descent, but then immediately felt something cold on my leg and looked down to see sealant shooting out my back tire. I slowed down in case it totally blew out, but it held. I caught back on with them but was too gassed again to hang on the climb. I was really limping my way to the finish.

But I did it. Every lap I thought I’d stop and every lap I kept going, so I was proud of myself for that. I got to stand on the box and Ilan gave me her Bariani bag since apparently 3rd place P1234 didn’t get one, which was really sweet of her. 

Overall I’m glad I did this because it was great to get out and see people, even if I was the absolute dead last person to finish racing, down one lap with my heart rate at 190, course marshals cleaning up the course as I passed. I miss being in top form and I wish I could get back there, but at least I’m able to get out and do things again. And I’m proud of myself for getting out there even when I knew it was going to be rough and ultimately finishing a really tough course. 

Nutrition: Speednut spring energy at the start line, 1.5 sleeves of clif bloks and 3-4 bottles of water + skratch during the race
Strava: https://www.strava.com/activities/12183485194