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I had the joy of racing through the Ozarks under a canopy of fall colors on a sunny October day this past year as part of Big Sugar Gravel. The race is based out of Bentonville, AR where the Walton family of Walmart fame has invested considerably in bike trail system. While Bentonville’s is known best for its MTB scene, the gravel was sweet, the town provided racers with a warm welcome, and Life Time went above and beyond to make the race weekend fun and smooth. This race capped the pro’s Life Time Grand Prix, and was a chance to complete my goal of finishing a 100-mile gravel race. It didn’t disappoint, and I would highly recommend it to any gravel-loving Sorellas.

Gearing Up
I had set my sights on completing a 100-mile gravel race as soon as I moved to GA in 2022, but one thing after another got in the way of accomplishing that goal. This past fall, I was able to get the necessary training in to feel like I would be able to get myself across the Big Sugar finish line, but I wasn’t sure what I was capable of. I had tried to conserve my energy in training rides and B races, and was still dialing in my fueling plan – the racer in me would finally get to come out, but the risk of bonking was high. I decided to hope for the best and go for it.

Big Sugar, and the Ozark gravel, have a reputation for shredding tires. Videos I found of the prior years’ races were full of racers on the side of the course plugging, patching, sewing, and inserting tubes into their set-ups after a run-in with the sharp rocks. I took heed of this, and scoured far too many internet forums about the best tires to run. In the end, I decided to stick with what I knew – but size up. I swapped my trusty WTB Raddler 40’s for a new pair of Raddler 44’s (120 tpi), and added CushCore to my set-up for extra piece of mind. I topped it off with fresh sealant, and hoped I would be spared the fate of a tire blowing out. Erring on the side of caution, I also packed a mini pump, a handful of tire plugs, a tube, and enough snacks for two.

Getting There
While there is an airport near Bentonville, I love a road trip, so I decided to drive out to Bentonville from my home in Decatur. The drive was an uneventful 11 hours, and I arrived Thursday night to camp at a nearby state park. I downloaded a few audio books to keep me entertained on the drive and took a chance on a book on meditation that a friend recommended. The author, Eckhart Tolle, talked about how the stream of consciousness in our heads is separate from our selves (i.e. I am not my mind). This was a novel idea for a novice meditator such as I, and the idea took root over the next few days.

The next morning, as I geared up for one of the shake-out rides led by the great folks at All Bodies on Bikes, I noticed my shifting was wonky – I had somehow bent my derailleur hangar in transit, and I didn’t think to bring a spare. After the shake out, I pedaled to the Meteor – a iconic Bentonville bike shop/coffee bar/wine bar (maybe my new favorite bike shop!). The mechanic was able to bend my hangar back, which improved the shifting a lot, and was a huge relief. I spent the rest of the day taking in the scene in the town square. The expo included some gorgeous bikes, more accessories than I had ever seen before, and a wide array of performance foods. Chicken chips? What’s next? The pros on the Life Time Grand Prix circuit were giving interviews, signing autographs and mingling. It was my first race of this scale, and for a gearhead like me, I was in heaven.

Race Day
Race day came with a bit of cloud cover and a lot of nerves. I scoured the town square for bathrooms and ended up running into Walmart to use their bathroom before the race started. My training races back home were typically devoid of racers my speed (slow) and had few or no women. Lining up in the starting shoot with 800 strangers, I hoped that I wouldn’t be last across the finish line. The pro men sped off, followed by the pro women, followed by the mass start 5 minutes later. The race was on.

I started at the back of the pack, and learned that a neutral start is meaningless – it was full gas from the get-go. We hit the gravel, the cloud cover burned off, and I finally felt at ease. Right away, the sharp Ozark gravel started to take it’s toll on fellow riders, and a steady stream of folks lined the course fixing flats. My WTB Raddlers served me well, keeping me on the bike, puncture-free for the whole day. As the course wound through the hills, I found that the west GA terrain had prepared my legs for climbing better than I had expected. On the steep, short, loose descents, I felt grateful to have spent some time on a mountain bike – and I tried to give the folks around me with less familiarity plenty of space. While there were a few gnarly wipe outs of loose corners (one even meriting an ambulance), I was impressed with how well-maintained the course was. Rolling into the first aid station at 38 miles, the atmosphere was a joyful, and a mass of friendly volunteers plied us with snacks and hydration mix. I was having a blast, but feeling my legs – it was looking like the final miles would be a slog.

I rolled out of the station solo and slowly chased down the group in front of me. The quiet miles left me thinking about Eckhart Tolle’s wisdom, and for the first time on the bike, I was able to turn off my stream of consciousness and just race. My optimism about the final miles grew, as did my watts. While my Garmin cued me well, the course was super well signed posted and I saw a number of Life Time jeeps standing by, ready for action along the course. At mile 58, the so-called Water Oasis came into view, but it looked more like a party. Volunteers were passing out bacon and shots. I passed on both, and chowed down on a PB&J that I had jammed into my saddle bag. By the second and final aid station at 74 miles (at a cool farm/brewery in the middle of nowhere), I was feeling really good. I noticed that I had gained speed over the course of the day. Riding next to others was such a welcomed change from my solo training. As the miles ticked down, I felt like I could finally ‘drop the hammer’ and stop conserving my energy. I was able to sprint the last 10 miles, passing a few ladies in my age group, and finishing the race 4th in my age group (disclaimer: the women’s 20-29 age group had only 8 finishers. I love that this sport gets more competitive as you get older). I was on a high, and was totally wiped once I crossed the finish line. The Bentonville town square was packed with racers, their family, and locals – it was a great scene.

Life Time introduced a Gravel Rave (party) with a DJ (gravel pro Alexis Skarda) that night, but I opted for an early bed time. I drove out of Bentonville the next morning with a huge smile on my face, and committed to make this race a pillar of my gravel schedule. I hope to have some Sorellas with me next year 😊.