Been feeling the need to get some bigger volume rides in lately, especially on the gravl as I get ready for The Rift in July.

Sunday was a 77 mile gravel race out on the farm roads near DeKalb, IL and I was trying to see if anyo of the usual suspects wanted to join me. IN the course of that, I found out that there was a group that was going to do a round trip of the Des Plaines River Trail (runs from the WI border down past O'Hare airport...round trip is 112). I decided to do both.....

Ended up ebing like 20 guys doing the DPT ride on Saturday....some on MTB, others on gravel bikes. I was on my gravel bike and unsurprisingly, pulled a bunch and generally went harder than I should have. BY the time we got back to town from the southern portion of the loop, almost everyone bailed from the northern section except one other guy. He and I are pretty similar in strength (slight edge to him), but neither of us was gonna yield on the last 40 miles. We finished the day pretty spent. and OH CRAP....I have a 77 mile gravel race the next day!

Went out to Dekalb and the gravel roads there were not bad, but far more rough than the DPR. Decent sized group (30 riders, maybe) and it all broke apart after ~12 miles when we hit an overgrown farm road that was hub-high grass. I simply didn't have the power to muscle through it.....

Eventually worked with some guys and caught back on, but by mile 35 I ws toast.....and had 40 miles left, most of which was into a tough headwind. UGH. Caught up to one guy who I knew form some local rides...he had cramped while in the front group but had recovered and was getting going again. We eventually caught a buddy of mine ~25 miles form the line and the three of us limped in together. I was shattered.....have not been in in that deep of a hole on the bike in a LONG time. Was just groveling on their wheels, praying for the end.

Ended up with 189 miles on gravel for the weekend and about 11 hours of riding time. If anyone tracks TSS, for reference that was 355 and 274 TSS for the two rides, respectively.