There’s something to be said for finding cycling in your 40s, when your athletic debut and your physical decline come conjoined. It’s so common there’s a name for us—both masculine and emasculating. We’re Middle-aged Men in Lycra (MAMIL). And compared to the faster folks, we’re a different animal. An elite athlete’s arc might look something … More What If You’ve Already Peaked?

I have a weird thing for opposites. Or maybe it’s the opposite of a weird thing. This happy little flickering chill that comes whenever something swings into its opposite—maybe that’s the most human thrill there is. We could just be hardwired to like opposites—to enjoy the jolt of a genius oxymoron. Cycling itself is full … More The Victory of Third Places

I try not to let my day job at Nebraska Wesleyan University cross streams with what I write for my blog job. (Well, I guess there was one time…) But a recent article I wrote about a tremendous athlete at NWU warrants an exception. Reagan Janzen is an All-American 800 runner, a conference champion, an … More Don’t Just Feel the Burn. Understand It.

Around mile 63 of this year’s Solstice 100, the temperature touched 97 degrees; the course turned north; and my well-being tipped south. Sam, Pete and I had ridden well together all morning. And our positivity, pacing and patronage of a particularly well-stocked oasis had all done me a world of good. Knowing my history with … More Hot Routes: Gravel’s greatest course designers shine at high heat

Hey, congrats again on being one of the 110-ish riders invited to take part in Gravel Worlds’ first running of the Long Voyage 300. It’s the hardest course in Nebraska’s biggest gravel race. For a few of us (myself included), this’ll be our first adventure well north of the 200-mile marker. So just getting in … More 5 Reasons YOU WILL FINISH the Long Voyage 300 This Year

My childhood mind popped a serious knuckle the day our science class learned that cold wasn’t really a thing. There was only heat, Mrs. Eberspacher told us, and the relative absence of heat. The vanilla ice cream that gave us headaches when we ate it too fast, she said, was merely “less hot” than the … More The Opposite of Strong

When I learned I was among the 100 riders invited to the Pirate Cycling League’s first 300-mile event, The Long Voyage, I was jabbed with a twist cone of excitement and dread. And right away, I thought of the Barkley Marathons. That infamous off-trail race in Tennessee selects just 40 runners each year, and shares … More We Regret to Congratulate You.

Better husbands than me have been guilty of the wandering eye. Beth caught mine years ago and promptly jabbed it with her thumb. “Ow, Jeez!” I staggered backwards, pressed a palm to my face and took a knee. “Don’t even think about it,” she said. “I was only looking.” I blinked hard and tried not … More Surviving Gravel’s Sirens

People are poking some predictable fun at DK’s new name. You’ll recall Lifetime parted ways with the event’s cofounder in June and committed to renaming the race. The original title’s racist connotations had grown intolerable, and the folks in Emporia and at Lifetime hunkered down for several months to do their work. They went public … More Same Great Gravel Taste! America’s biggest gravel race gets a rebrand.

I arrived at my in-laws’ with bloodshot eyes. That morning’s solo ride hadn’t gone well. Enough sweat had dumped down my face to blind, and I had to ditch my sunglasses just to see the road in front of me. The extra air helped, but the wind burned, and the dust bit. Add some heat … More What Are You, Exactly?