DREAMS WITHOUT END | UNBOUND GRAVEL

Living an experience you've dreamed of can often disappoint or leave you wondering why you longed for it all this time. In our minds, we build up all facets, the scenery, the atmosphere, and the result, but is it ever really what our dreams think it will be like?

We were worried we had hyped up Unbound Gravel too much. Isn't it just another very long bike ride? In an area most often referred to as being part of what people in the USA call "Flyover States"?

How could this race ever live up to the hype that preceded it? Well, it did.

Months of careful preparation led to that one Saturday in June when nearly 5,000 cyclists embarked on their adventure in the Flint Hills, creating stories and leaving with memories that would last a lifetime. The start-line nerves hit differently than at other events, but as soon as the gun went off, a bike race's oh-so-familiar rhythm and cadence took hold of our minds

Riding 203 miles in 10 hours and 13 minutes was an almost zen-like experience. Never in a million years would I have thought I would be capable of the ride I did, while appreciating the beauty of my surroundings, connecting with people along the way and digging deeper than ever.

For Jess, riding 108 miles in 6 hours and 14 minutes was filled with big and small wins. When you've spent all winter training for your goal race, there's no room to quit, even when persistent calf cramps are trying to slow you down. Everything was left out there on those dusty Kansas gravel roads before the finish line, which brought sweet relief with a heavy dose of emotion.

Did we end up overhyping Unbound? No. Did we have to deal with derailleur-destroying mud and otherworldly weather conditions? No. Would we recommend this event to anyone driven to push themselves and experience something truly unique? Absolutely.

The physical emptiness you carry across the finish line is met with a mental and spiritual fullness that can only be experienced and understood by those who have completed this event. We will for sure be back to chase after that satisfying feeling again.