Ride Slow to Ride Fast: My DK17 Adventure

Photo © TBL Photography

I have decided once again to write up a post-race report of my Dirty Kanza 200 experience from 2017. Now those of you who have taken the time to read my past reports will probably be expecting the same doom and gloom of a tortuous day in the saddle that makes for a pretty good story. I must warn you, my 2017 experience was unlike any that I have had before. So if you are expecting high drama or severe pain, you might as well stop reading now. What I have to say will probably be very boring, compared to my past experiences.Those of you who are still with me, here is how my day went:I had two goals for this year. First, just finish, which is always a huge challenge for me. You may think that because I have already completed this event 3 times before, that would not be much of a problem. But for me, it is always highly questionable.Second, I wanted to beat my previous best time of 19 hours and 20 minutes, from back in 2012. I was shooting for 19 hours, but that was going to take a great day on the bike, for me.My approach this year was going to be much different, ride slow to ride fast. It is very easy to get caught up in the excitement of the mass start and take off way too fast, and this year I was determined to ride my own race, right from the start. Those of you who know me know that I cramp, a lot, when I ride, and I am talking about full lock-up types of cramps. The furthest I have ever ridden in the DK before the cramps start is 30 miles, then I have to deal with 170+ miles of severe pain and too much time standing on the side of the road because I cannot pedal any more. Once they start, I usually get pissed off and then have a horrible attitude the rest of the ride, but not this year. This year would be different. I hoped!

Leg 1: Emporia to MadisonI actually accomplished not getting caught up in the excitement and rolled out at a nice easy pace with Troy Ochs. He had troubles with his seat post only a mile out of town, and stopped to work on it. I told him not to worry, I was sure he would catch me in a few miles and not to kill himself trying to catch back up. I simply rolled along, at a nice, comfortable pace, taking the time to chat with many different riders.Before I knew it, I was chugging my way up to Towers on YY and all of a sudden I hear someone say “Keep it up Mulready’s” (the team that I ride for). I could not believe it, Rebecca Rusch actually talked to me on a ride, and was encouraging me. I know, she didn’t actually know my name or anything, but hey, the Queen of Pain talked to me! How cool is that?Every now and then, a friend would come by and chat for a while, then roll along ahead. I had to keep reminding myself “ride slow to ride fast.” I was getting close to the first checkpoint at Madison, and I had not cramped yet. That has never happened before. Stop thinking about it, and just keep going.The organizers thought it would be a good idea to add a short but steep hill going into the first checkpoint this year. I won’t tell you what names I called them when I reached it. At first I thought, just get off and walk it, you have not cramped yet, and there is no sense in cramping right before the checkpoint. Remember last year? But I decided to try and just spin up it, and did so without pissing off the muscles too much. I was there, checkpoint one, no cramps. I looked at my time for the first time and was shocked, only 3.5 hours. That is fast for me. It had me a little worried that I went out too hard and that I would pay for it later, but maybe there is something to this ride slow to ride fast. I just may make 19 hours after all.I was a little shocked when I saw Troy had made it to the checkpoint before me because I never saw him again on leg 1, but he had passed me when I was taking care of some business on the side of the road.

Leg 2: Madison to EurekaAs I rolled out on the second leg, I rolled past the spot that just last year, I was on the side of the road with both legs completely locked up, only a mile into the second leg. How long could I postpone the inevitable? Just keep rolling and deal with it when they come. I made it to mile 60 this year, twice as far as I ever had, before the first cramps hit, thanks to Texaco Hill. I was smarter this year and simply got off and walked as soon as I felt the cramp, as other riders rode up the hill. It’s frustrating, but this year, I would not let them get in my head. Just relax and focus on the positives. I was well ahead of schedule, I had made it twice as far, and they are not locked-up, just some light ones that you can manage. You will finish, and if you can keep positive, possibly by 1 am. The rest of leg two went along as I expected. Two more big hills, Teterville and The Bitch, and many others along the way. Ride slow to ride fast. Keep a positive attitude. It could be worse.I made it a point to talk with other riders and try to keep my spirits up. Cramps came and went, but never really set in hard. It started to heat up quite a bit, but overall, the weather was incredibly perfect. I don’t think I have ever ridden out there with no wind. It was very surreal.I made the mistake of starting to do a little math. At my current pace, I may be able to beat midnight. How many hours do I have to accomplish that? 16? 18? Crap, it is hard to do math when you are this tired. Stop worrying about time, and just finish. I finally decided that I would have to finish in 16 hours to beat midnight, and that was not going to happen. Oh well, just keep moving forward. You knew that was an extremely slim possibility anyway. That’s my goal for 2018. You know the severe cramps are coming, and probably very soon, so just focus on conserving your energy as much as you can. I rolled into Eureka at just around 8.5 hours, well before my pace in any of my previous years. Cramping some, but overall, not too bad.

Leg 3: Eureka to MadisonLeg 3 is always the make or break leg for me. It was the longest section this year, it is always the hottest, and it just seems to break you. I always want to quit at some point during leg 3. The first section was painful as usual, but I rode almost every hill, unlike last year. There were thunderstorms forming to the east and west of us, but at least that kept it much cooler. Then they hit, and we got drenched. I was very lucky that I was already through the low maintenance sections, and the gravel I was on was hard packed. The lightening was fairly severe for a while, and some of the smarter riders took shelter in a barn. I am not smart, and I was on a mission. I was somehow going to meet that 1 a.m. goal. As we approached highway 54, the rain eased off, and I kept heading north. I was lucky enough to ride much of leg 3 with a local friend, Tim Sadowski, and I met another gentleman from New York, and we passed the miles talking about fishing and what it was like to live in up-state New York.At some point during leg 3, I started doing the math again, and I realized my error from earlier in the day. I had 18 hours, to beat midnight, not 16. Holy shit, I might be able to do that. Stop thinking about it. You know your legs are going to lock up any time now. You just need to focus on finishing. Ride slow to ride fast.Before I knew it, I had reached checkpoint 3. The look on my wife’s face was priceless. It was still daylight and I was at checkpoint 3. I have never done that before. I think she was more surprised than me. She knows me well, after all, we have been married 29 years. She never once mentioned my time, or the possibility of me coming in by midnight. She never once asked if I was cramping. She simply got me what I needed and wished me luck. Neither one of us wanted to jinx it.

Leg 4: Madison to EmporiaI took off with the hope of coming in a few minutes before midnight. I knew the first 20 miles of the last leg were the toughest, and I had to keep reminding myself to ease off and conserve the little energy that I had left. If I started pushing it, I just knew the legs would lock up. It was very strange riding that section in daylight this year.As I turned onto Road P, just off that last tough section, I decided to peak at my time. I had 30 miles to go, and 3 hours before midnight. I just had to maintain 10mph. I had a chance, if I could just hold those cramps off. I know, 10mph sounds slow, but after 170 miles, that can be hard to maintain. I tagged on with some other riders, letting them help pull me along, then I would jump ahead to the next group. I was feeling really good. As we approached a railroad crossing where a train actually stopped right in front of me last year, I warned the guys that I was riding with of the crossing. We picked up the pace to get across, but sure enough, here came a train. About 8 of us sat there waiting for it to go by, just hoping it did not stop. I was not going to be denied a pre-midnight finish by some stupid train. We were lucky, and it rolled on through. With 5 miles to go, I texted my wife and daughter. I am guessing they were pretty shocked. I even rode up Highland Hill, the last kick in the face that the organizers decide to throw at you.

What changed???So what was so different about the 2017 Dirty Kanza? First, obviously we had perfect weather, and without a doubt that contributed greatly to my success. The 80% completion rate proves that. But it was more than that.This year, my nutrition was dialed in much better. I was much better hydrated and my stomach did not bother me as much. I actually even had a little better nutrition leading up to the race this year. I did not change a lot, and I still have a long way to go in terms of healthy eating, but I made some small adjustments.My approach of riding slow to ride fast actually worked. It was a constant battle all day, especially when people passed me, but I stuck with the plan, and it worked.But without a doubt, the one thing that helped my performance out the most, was my attitude. That has been my focus this year. I accomplished that at Land Run, and I accomplished that at EPIC. I am a firm believer that the mental aspect of this race is much more important. The physical challenge is hard. Very hard, and it will suck, and it will hurt, a lot. But this year, I decided that each time I would cramp, I would not get pissed off. I would keep positive. I would relax. I would enjoy the experience, and I would just finish. If I had a good day, I may meet my 19-hour goal. In the back of my mind, I let myself hope I would have a great day, and I might beat midnight. I had a great day on the bike. The mind is a powerful tool. It can work for you or against you. I chose to use it in a positive way. I think I will try that again.

SupportEveryone that has participated in any of the DK distances know that it takes a community of people to support you. Emporia has a cycling community second to none. This account would not be complete without thanking them.

DK PromotionsYou guys have transformed this community. Both the cycling community and Emporia as a whole. I cannot say thank you enough.

Team Mulready’sWhat a crazy bunch of great teammates who love to ride bikes and drink beer. Thanks Rick for having me on the team, and thanks to all of my teammates who push me to get better and for all of the encouragement. A special thanks to Joe Reed and Mike “Chug” Allen for providing SAG support all day long. My bike worked flawlessly. Speaking of bikes, is there a better bike than the Salsa Cutthroat? The answer is no.

Support Crew:My wife and daughter were there to keep me positive and load me up at the checkpoints. Dave and Kaari Harding helped out as well. Sorry for making you touch my sweaty shoe inserts, Kaari. That was above and beyond the call of duty. They deserve a huge thank you. Your assistance with keeping my checkpoints as quick as possible played a huge roll in me meeting my goals.

Family:I have the best family in the world. Both of my daughters are very encouraging and supportive of my riding, even though it may mean less time with them. Those of you who know my wife, must know that I have the best one in the world. She puts up with a lot from me. I am constantly on my bike, and if not on my bike, I am usually fishing. She is my biggest supporter, and even gives me a kick in the butt when I may not really feel like riding. She knew just what to say and not say all day long. I am extremely grateful. I would not choose to go through this crazy world with anyone else.

Final Thoughts:
DK2018, I am coming for you. I am going for number 5. My goal is to finish, and that little voice in the back of my head is pushing for another great day on the bike. Wouldn’t a 10 p.m. finish be excellent? How about beating the sun!?! Okay, now that is just crazy talk. Don’t get cocky. Remember, you have to ride slow to ride fast.

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