Leah K’s Gravel Journey
I love being on the bike for hours. I love being outside all day with nothing to do except pedal and eat!. I started as a mountain biker and 5 years later I started gravel riding, and I liked it! I was a mountain biker, could I really enjoy just pedaling for hours, Absolutely! As a mountain biker racer I of course had to sign up for gravel races. So here I am signed up for my 5th gravel race, the 50 miler at Moab Rocks Gravel Fondo!
I started gravel biking so that I could ride dirt roads and bike paths in the winter to train for mountain biking. I didn’t have a gravel bike so I put gravel tires on my hardtail each winter. It was a brilliant set up and much cheaper than buying a whole new bike. But after a couple of years of doing that I really enjoyed settling in a pace and just pedaling for hours and the pretty gravel bikes just looked so fun, so I bought a Salsa Journeyer, and I love her!
The great thing about gravel biking is you really can do it on any type of bike. I love my gravel bike but if you can ride whatever bike you have and have fun with it.
In 2023, I did my first gravel race at Grassroots Gravel in Pueblo, CO. This race is a fantastic community event that welcomes all abilities and bikes. I loved it, loved the course (38 miles), the vibes, everything! I also experienced my first in-race mechanical. I was about 2 miles from the finish, going very slow uphill and my back tire exploded off of my rim. It made a terrifying bang that scared me and the poor rider behind me. Luckily, I was able to put the tire back on the rim, without taking the wheel off (I know!). I used my Co2 to fill it up and it held until the last aid station where I was able to get some more into it and then finish the race.
I’m not sure why I love gravel biking, other than the obvious of being on your bike outside all day. Sometimes, you don’t need a why, you just need to do it.
I am so excited to ride in Moab with Transrockies again! I’ve done Moab Rocks 3 times but this year I wanted to try a new challenge, 50 miles, in one day, on Moab Terrain! I already know it’s going to be challenging, but it’s so worth it when you’re in Moab riding bikes with other people who have signed up to something hard!
At the recommendation of Transrockies and other racers I’m planning on riding my hardtail, with xc mtb tires. Remember, you can gravel with any bike, just have fun.
There’s only 7 weeks left to train. I’m going to start riding more miles and more hills. One of my goals for this year is to embrace hills…not to look at a hill in disappointment that it’s going to hurt but look at it as a challenge that I can conquer. It’s gonna suck but I can do it.
Having ridden the Gemini bridges’ hill three times, I know how hard the first few miles are going to be, but at least we don’t have to ride up the backside like the Moab Rocks racers do. I’m excited to settle into a good pace, climb, enjoy the views at the top and rip the descent.
For the next 7 weeks, I’ll be riding hills, doing intervals, putting in long miles on the weekends, strength training and some yoga sprinkled in. Being a back of the pack, weekender racer takes a lot of time and effort. If I put in the work, I’ll enjoy the Moab Fondo fest!
To do this, all you need is to want it, even if it’s a small piece of you, even if you’re scared, if there’s any part of you that is curious, sign up and do it! I’ve never regretted any race that I started. You’ll be outside on your bike for hours, in Moab! What a perfect way to spend a day!
After racing the Grassroots Gravel 38 miler twice, in 2025 I decided to go big and do the 75 miler (technically 74 miles). I like riding long distances and I’m good at it. Sometimes, you can’t explain the why, you just know you want to and you’re going to.
I didn’t know how to plan for a 74 mile race. How was I going to eat and hydrate? How was I going to pace? I drafted up a race plan. I studied the mileage, elevation gain and aid stations and came up with a plan. The plan changed when I had forgotten all of my “real” food that I had prepared at the camp site. Luckily, I had plenty of liquid calories, bars, chews, and fully stocked aid stations to help get fuel me.
These were my goals:
RACE Goals:
Don’t look at my watch - no mileage data - just ride
Have fun!
Enjoy the experience!
Finish!
If I can go a little harder then push a bit more
If I need to slow down then slow down
Mental Strategy:
Body check-in (Legs, stomach, arms, head)
Mental Check-in
Stay positive. I know it’s going to be hard, it’s going to be long hard, endurance hard, mentally hard. How do I stay positive and strong?
I can do this! I can Do Hard Things!
I am strong!
My legs are strong!
If I can do Moab I can do anything!
This is fun! Look around at the beauty!
Be in the moment
Make Friends
Listen to Music
Be confident.
Believe in myself
I wrote my race plan and I read it a few times the week leading up to the race, the night before and the morning of. Race plans change. But if you have a starting place than you know where to adapt.
At the time of the race I had only ridden 50 miles. That morning I was extra nervous (ya know, extra time in the porta-potties). I got to the start line just in time. As usual, once I started pedaling the nerves settled, I was on my bike. I rode to the 18 mile aid station (where the 38 milers turn around). As I was leaving to turn left, while others turned right, I had mixed feelings of why am I riding so far? and they’re lucky they get to back but also, now I get to go further than I ever have, I don’t know what’s ahead of me, but we’re going to pedal and find out.
Most of the climbing for the 74mi course is between the start and the 3rd aid station at mile 33. I was riding on roads I didn’t know existed, looking at beautiful farm land with the background of the front range mountains having a great time pushing hard on my bike. I was about 5 miles away from the aid station and I started feeling tired, hungry, weak, my mental strength was waning. I started having negative thoughts, if I feel like this now how am I going to continue another 40 miles! I finally made it to the aid station, I took some extra time, ate some extra food, and hydrated. When I got back on my bike, to my surprise, I felt great! I kept pedaling and I felt really strong on the next climb. I knew I would finish the race then. And I did! I finished 74 miles (3,658 ft) in 6 hours and 30 minutes. I came in under my goal time! I had expected to go an average of 10mph and ended up averaging 12.4mph.
I rode 74 miles! I rode from Pueblo, CO to Bailey, Co and back. As usual I was towards the back and I rode with so many fun people and we talked to pass the time, commiserated and encouraged each other.
I love gravel biking because I can just settle into a pace and go. I have endurance, I don’t really have speed (except on the downhill). I love just pedaling and looking around. I love the mental challenge of staying focused and positive or coming up with games to keep you motivated. These long distances push you mentally.
I am so excited to ride in Moab with Transrockies again! I’ve done Moab Rocks 3 times but this year I wanted to try a new challenge, 50 miles, in one day, on Moab Terrain! I already know it’s going to be challenging, but it’s so worth it when you’re in Moab riding bikes with other people who have the same goal as you - to ride and finish!! And at the recommendation of Transrockies and other racers I’m planning on riding my hardtail, with xc mtb tires. Remember, you can gravel with any bike, just have fun.
There’s only 7 weeks left to train. I’m going to start riding more miles and more hills. One of my goals for this year is to embrace hills…not to look at it in despair but look at it as a challenge that I am capable of. It’s gonna suck but I can do it.
Having ridden the Gemini bridges’ hill (the one that gets you into the canyon) 3 times, I know how hard the first few miles are going to be, but at least we don’t have to ride up the backside like the Moab Rocks racers do. I’m excited to settle into a good pace and climb.
For the next 7 weeks, I’ll be riding hills, doing intervals, putting in long miles on the weekends, strength training and some yoga sprinkled in. Being a back of the pack, weekender racer takes a lot of time and effort. If I put in the work, I’ll enjoy Moab Fondo fest!
To do this, all you need is to want it, even if it’s a small piece of you, even if you’re scared, if there’s any part of you that is curious, sign up and do it! I’ve never regretted any race that I started. You’ll be outside on your bike for hours, in Moab! What a perfect way to spend a day!
I saw somewhere on the internet one time that endurance athletes do this long and hard things because they’re challenging and defeating their trauma. I can only speak for myself, but there’s truth to it. There are times when I’m on the bike, doing hard things, and I think how far I’ve come, I’m who I want to be, I only need to prove that I can do this to me, and I am enough. There is a drive inside of me that needs to do hard things to prove that I can do this. Through therapy I have been able to process this in a much more healthy way. Instead of it being a I’ll show you type of ride, I settle in the discomfort and I tell myself this is who I was always meant to be, an athlete!