200 Mile Bike Race? Why not!?

About three years ago, I needed a change. A new challenge, something to help get "unstuck". So I decided to take my shot at endurance sports. Triathlon in particular. Why? Because as a former athlete who found himself out of shape and not sure what to focus on...the combined nature of swimming - biking - running was the hardest thing I could think of. And 4 Ironman races later, doing so changed my mentality - both Personally AND Professionally.

To kick off the Summer of 2024, I wanted to take on a new challenge. After my race entry was selected in the "lottery" process, I traveled back to my home State of Kansas, to compete in the "UNBOUND Gravel 200" bike race.

UNBOUND is a 200 mile gravel bike race - starting in the town of Emporia, Kansas - traveling 202 miles to be exact, through the middle of nowhere Kansas - finishing back in Emporia. Primarily on gravel, rocky, muddy backroads - it is an absolute GRIND. As a native Kansan, I say "middle of nowhere" affectionately, because it is there where you will find some of the friendliest people and communities, anywhere. A stark contrast from the unforgiving conditions!

What started as a handful of cyclists from the Midwest, has turned into the biggest Gravel Bike race in the world. Attracting everyone from current Tour de France riders to Weekend Warriors.

I completed the race in 13 hours 35 minutes and learned too much not to share. It was ME vs ME... as I was competing not just with other riders...but mostly with my own expectations and capabilities. A refreshing take on Competition that Endurance Sports has brought me, versus competing strictly with the scoreboard. Ironically, I've found that the more I push myself to achieve my own personal race goals, the better I finish on the leaderboard.

After every race, I take time to reflect and put together a "race recap," full of notes that I use to get better and prepare for the next one. I ALWAYS have a takeaway from training and racing that I can directly apply to my Career.

SO here we go...my Top 7 Takeaways from Unbound 200, and HOW these takeaways will also make me a better Leader:

Consistency is Key

To prepare for a race of this length, you HAVE to be consistent with your training. You can’t fake your fitness over 200 miles. Same goes for business – the more CONSISTENT you are with your Leadership, Communication, Process – the better you will be. Beat others with your Consistency, not flash.

Comfortable being UNCOMFORTABLE.

I felt great over the first 120-130 miles….but with 70 miles to go, fatigue started to set in. Even with all of the training hours, the demands of race day take a toll. BUT, because of my training and because of my prior experiences with endurance events…it was not the first time I’ve been that uncomfortable. Same goes for business – the more you expose yourself to uncomfortable situations – tough sales calls, difficult performance management meetings, having the "hard"conversations that need to happen – the more equipped you will be to handle the next challenge.

Balance is Fleeting

I don’t believe in balance. It doesn’t work for me. As a Father of 3, full time Employee and on a mission to stay physically fit and healthy on the side, I can’t possibly give everything an even split (nor do I want to). Each demand has a different push and pull on any given day. Being able to prioritize your tasks, allocate your time effectively around high-value actions and staying present in your current activity, is what I call balance. A challenge I will always be working on.

Set Checkpoints along the Journey

200 miles is a long way to ride a bike. Looking at the map, it is very daunting. BUT, setting checkpoints along the way (20 miles, 50 miles done, 15 miles until my next water stop) setting short term goals along the path to completion, gives you small wins that you can build on. Need to make 100 phone calls today? How about 10 before your first coffee break of the day? Then 20 more before you take your next break. Then another 20 before Lunch. Before you know it, you are where you need to be.

FUEL the Tank

In endurance sports, you MUST eat and drink to fuel your body for the entire effort. For UNBOUND, I burned 9,397 calories during the effort. I knew that I needed to intake approximately 100 grams of carbs an hour, to fuel my body properly. In business, how are you fueling your tank? Are you constantly learning? Listening to podcasts? Reading books? Reaching out to others who are where you want to be? Fueling the mind is just as important as fueling the body.

Cheer for the Success of Others

This sounds counterintuitive for a race and as competitive as business is…but I believe competition makes you BETTER and pushes you further. Any true competitor wants to beat their competition while they are at their best. You can support and cheer on those around you, while striving to outperform them. But at the end of the day, you are also competing against YOURSELF. You know what your true effort level is and holding yourself accountable is just as important as looking at the leaderboard. Maybe you don't know what you are truly capable of. Wouldn't it be cool to find out? Challenge yourself. You might just be surprised on how much better YOU perform, when you focus on positive mental thoughts versus wishing for the fall of others.

There is no Finish Line

This race might be over, but the Finish Line has not been crossed! Just like in business, you may have closed that big deal, helped those on your Team get that promotion, opened a new office or hit a new record…but there is ALWAYS another step that you can take.

So I'll say it again...200 mile bike race? Why Not!? Do hard things, learn from them, get better and then APPLY the lessons to all aspects of life.

Then start the process all over again for the next one.

https://www.unboundgravel.com/events-200-2/