Dirty Kanza 200

I rode the DK Half Pint last year and had a blast.  Finished in around 10 hours and was feeling pretty well once we turned out of wind.  My initial thought was to do the Half Pint again to beat my time, but I've decided to go for the whole thing.

It was really a cool experience being around so many strong riders.  The atmosphere in Emporia was very welcoming and it was neat seeing so many bike racks around town.  The slide show at registration was moving and got me all fired up.

I certainly didn't have the training miles in that I had hoped for, but that seems to happen to everybody.  Something that really helped me was constant eating and drinking.  I had a few foods and snacks that I knew worked for me and I just kept chomping away.  The Mountain Feed Bag from Revelate Designs worked miracles in that regard.  I highly recommend it for such endeavors. 

https://www.revelatedesigns.com/index.cfm/store.catalog/Cockpit/Mountain-Feedbag

On the subject of tires, I was thankful to finish the race without any flats, but I was rolling some heavy tires.  On this go around I'm going to invest in something new, probably the Clements since that seems to be very popular.  I've also heard that if you pick your line, especially on the downhills, you can greatly reduce the chance of flatting.

I skipped the map holder and was fortunate to not get off course.  There was one unmarked turn that was throwing several of us off.  I checked my map and decided to push on while several others waited to see how it worked out for me.  When I got to the top of the hill and saw I was on the right path, I waved to the others and took off down the road.  I was passed by several faster riders that had ridden a few extra miles off course.  That would be crushing when the day is as long as it is.  I'm thinking I will invest in a map holder next year.  It will be nice to have something to focus on while riding along.

I was very thankful for my wife and kids supporting me on the half.  It wasn't easy for her to keep two little kids under control and worry about me.  But the best part of the race was hearing her talk about how she would bump into someone months later and find out they did the race, too.  I could tell that she was proud of me and for her part in helping.  I think I've got her talked into crewing for me for the full 200...  

I am riding Dirty Konza in 2014. I couldn’t ride in 2013 because I was in Afghanistan and you simply can't over there. I commanded an Army EOD Battalion (Bomb Squad) and the local people don't ride bikes there; they blow them up. Frames, wheels, handlebars, seats etc., get packed or laced with explosives and fragmentation material and then are detonated near innocent people with the intent to kill or maim as many as possible.  Each day, I woke up knowing that many of my Soldiers would face devices such as the bicycle improvised explosive device (IED)and place themselves at great risk as they attempted to disarm or defeat the device before it exploded.  They did this to protect their fellow Soldiers and also so innocent people's lives and futures were not destroyed.  Ironically, most of the local populace want the same things you or I do: safe schools, a decent place to work, and a neighborhood where you know your family can live in peace-and more so to live in a community of children riding bikes, not running away from them.  From the time we grabbed the handlebars on our very first banana seat bike, we identified the bicycle by its purity and simplicity and the joy it brought to each of us- to change and alter its meaning so it becomes an instrument of death is truly brutal and difficult to comprehend. 

I will also ride DK because when I turn the pedals at the start it will be to honor the two Soldiers I sent home under flag draped coffins and for the more than a dozen who will carry their wounds for the rest of their life. As they rebuild their lives and I regain mine, hopefully we both will come to understand that the turning of the pedals symbolizes the beginning of a simple evolution back to where we came from; and when I step over the bar early that morning, it will remind me that the bike is and must remain a symbol of peace and hope, of solace and of the freedom it brings to our soul---- "carpe viam" (Seize the Road)

RideOn wrote:Lastly, do most people fly into Wichita?  Keep the pointers coming - thanks!

I'm not a race veteran of Dirty Kanza, however learn from my mistake(s) at ride/races of this size:   If you are even considering this event, book your hotel room now and confirm your registration.  It's much easier to cancel the reservation then finding a room after registration.

At LOTOJA a couple years ago, my support crew (my wife) and I arrived in Logan, UT to find hotel reservation was lost, and the closest hotel was 45 miles away. 

Take care of those who are taking care of you on the course.

jimmydot wrote:FrontranageGravel, have you thought about putting on a triple gravel ride here in CO. someone mentioned a Triple ride in their local area that helped them train. Maybe a 50 (march time), 100 (april time) and the AntiEpic 150 (may time), just a thought.

NO YNIN wrote:

I am riding Dirty Konza in 2014. I couldn’t ride in 2013 because I was in Afghanistan and you simply can't over there. I commanded an Army EOD Battalion (Bomb Squad) and the local people don't ride bikes there; they blow them up. Frames, wheels, handlebars, seats etc., get packed or laced with explosives and fragmentation material and then are detonated near innocent people with the intent to kill or maim as many as possible.  Each day, I woke up knowing that many of my Soldiers would face devices such as the bicycle improvised explosive device (IED)and place themselves at great risk as they attempted to disarm or defeat the device before it exploded.  They did this to protect their fellow Soldiers and also so innocent people's lives and futures were not destroyed.  Ironically, most of the local populace want the same things you or I do: safe schools, a decent place to work, and a neighborhood where you know your family can live in peace-and more so to live in a community of children riding bikes, not running away from them.  From the time we grabbed the handlebars on our very first banana seat bike, we identified the bicycle by its purity and simplicity and the joy it brought to each of us- to change and alter its meaning so it becomes an instrument of death is truly brutal and difficult to comprehend. 

 

I will also ride DK because when I turn the pedals at the start it will be to honor the two Soldiers I sent home under flag draped coffins and for the more than a dozen who will carry their wounds for the rest of their life. As they rebuild their lives and I regain mine, hopefully we both will come to understand that the turning of the pedals symbolizes the beginning of a simple evolution back to where we came from; and when I step over the bar early that morning, it will remind me that the bike is and must remain a symbol of peace and hope, of solace and of the freedom it brings to our soul---- "carpe viam" (Seize the Road)