UnTapped Co-Founder Roger Brown Successfully Completes the Unbound XL. His formula for success? Attitude, Staying on Pace, and… Maple Syrup.
Well that was quite a day (or days). It was my third time trying to ride the Unbound XL, a ~350 mile ride through the Flint Hills around Emporia, Kansas – “Gravel City, USA”. Starting at 3 PM Friday, the goal was to complete the route at an average speed of 10 mph and get back to the finish line by 3 AM Sunday morning. Unsupported – only what you can glean from gas stations – and no places to bunk up either – the dirt on the side of the road is okay.
Having completed the 200 mile Unbound ride twice in a row, I decided two years ago to try my hand at the longer version. The first year was very muddy and after getting a flat right off the bat, I walked around mud most of the night, ran out of water, got heat stroke and then landed in the hospital with an infection a few days later. DNF at mile 225. The second year was better condition-wise but after two flats and a spooky overnight ride alone, I DNFed with knee pain right at mile 200.
I almost didn’t go this year. After half of these ridiculous rides I ended up in the hospital. After both of them I ended up on the biking injured list for a few weeks. It seemed absurd to think that I would be able to complete it. But a little voice said, “maybe” and “boy are there some beautiful moments out there,” and, “You can always quit.”
Pacing Myself
So on Tuesday night I booked a plane ticket for Thursday for the Friday start. By the time I got to the start line I had almost psyched myself out of getting to at least 200 miles (at least how far I had made it each of the last four years). The first few miles are quite thrilling – lots of people cheering, a helicopter following the leaders, etc… and the temptation to go too hard is strong, until you remember at thirty miles that you have 11 more of those to do (and you slow down a little).
But I made it through the first sixty miles at a decent pace with good conversation and no flat tires, then got through the beautiful technical section as the sun was setting (last year I had to run it in the dark), and found myself right on pace at mile 108.
photo credit: Marathonfoto
Fueling to the Finish
After a cup of coffee and a few bags of Sunchips I was off and motoring again. I managed to keep the bike upright with the help of a few Coffee UnTappeds and watched the sun come up (always a thrill). By the time I got to a breakfast sandwich at mile 164 I was feeling pretty good (although a little sad that I wasn’t yet halfway…). I waved “hi” to the crew at mile 200 (they were there supporting Tim, the UnTapped Sales Manager on his ride) and found myself on the “downhill” portion of the ride (after the halfway mark I felt like I was at least getting closer to the finish with every mile). My legs still felt fine, and I was keeping up with my hydration and nutrition plan (basically a serving of Grape and Maple Mapleaid, plus a packet of Mint UnTapped in every bottle – and just keep drinking). For those of you who like to nerd out on nutrition, that equates to 260 calories, 555 mg of sodium, and 66g of carbs per bottle.
I took a fifteen minute nap on the side of the road at mid-day (unfortunately I laid on my hydration pack so drained it into the dirt – I knocked on a friendly door for a little water stock up), and woke up rejuvenated. After another five minute dirt nap later on (great for limiting how long you sleep), I pulled into the rest station at mile 277 staffed by the friendly residents of Marshfield Green and fueled up on delicious pasta and more Mapleaid (common theme). I refilled my water and headed back out.
I quickly realized a few things. First, Marshfield Green has the most chlorinated water on earth. Second, I had just used all the rest of my drink mix in said pool water, so that was what I had for the next 83 miles. 83 miles! Almost done! 83 miles! 30 miles more than I had ridden at once all year! Seven or eight more hours of riding!
After a beautiful evening of riding through the cattle pens (miles of amazing, rolling, open rangeland), I got down to the business of finishing off the last few hours. Fascinatingly, I felt much better than I had in previous years. Better, it even seemed, than the few folks I was riding by. Other than some backside discomfort, I felt like I could have kept riding!
photo credit: Marathonfoto
By the time I arrived at the finish at 12:30 am, I was ready to be done with my grand adventure, but I was happy to have spent some incredible hours in the Kansan countryside (and a lot of hours of pedaling in between).
The Keys to Success
Takeaway? The whole thing seems a little crazy. Why was the Unbound XL more manageable this year than in the past (third time’s the charm)? Lots of little things went right (no flat tires/ mechanicals, new bike, better light, I weighed less, pacing), but I would point to two big items. First, attitude. I’m not sure it was realistic for me to be “confident” that I was going to get to the end, but I think I was able to be open to the idea of riding 24 more hours after I got to mile 108 nine hours in.
However, I really think the biggest factor (and one key element of a better attitude), was my fueling program. Over the course of 32 hours I consumed over 15 pounds of maple syrup (roughly a gallon and a half) almost all mixed with water as a drink mix. I actually started hydrating with Mapleaid 30 hours before the start, drinking three or four gallons before I even crossed the start line. Throughout the day, I sipped mostly on my 2.5 liter hydration pack and relied on regular water stops to stay stocked up.
Not only did I end the ride in good spirits, I wasn’t hungry. Not at the finish, not the next day, not the following week. At a gallon and a half of syrup consumed, I was at roughly 150 grams of carbs an hour.
So – eat lots of maple syrup and ride your bike!