Garmin Gravel Worlds 300 Long Voyage

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Described by race directors as the ultimate challenge for the ultimate pirate. The Long Voyage is for those extra crazy Pirates who think 150 miles of rolling gravel seas simply isn’t enough. This is the ultimate Nebraska Grass-Roots Gravel challenge! This challenge will push the individual in body, mind, and spirit like few challenges on earth.

The course consisted of over 300 miles of endless rolling hills that held 15,000 ft of elevation treasure. The race is 100% self-supported, with the only help from public gas stations and water stops provided by the Pirate Cycling League.

The race start was Friday evening August 19th at 5:00 PM sharp. A short five days earlier I was crossing the finishing line at the Tour of Central Iowa Mann Powered 380, my longest ultra and RAAM qualifier. A quick turnaround non less. Those five days I focused on active recovery with plenty of hrs. with the powerdot, walking the dog, and getting the steed prepped by Berry Fast Bicycles for another ultra. I had many motivating factors for Garmin Gravel Worlds . The first and obvious was my bride Emily would be along for the trip racing in the 150 mile. This would be her longest ride to date! Second I would have roughly 137 other registered ultra racers joining me, up from 12 the weekend prior. Thirdly the course would be 80 miles and about 10k ft. less of elevation gain. My mental state was top tier going into it and my body recovered very well considering the circumstances.

We decided to get an Airbnb just outside of Lincoln near the town of Raymond, NE. It was actually cheaper and just as close of a drive from local hotels buried deeper into Lincoln. It provided us with a great escape from the city and just enough room for Emily and I. Turns out the Airbnb was right along the 300-mile voyage route so at around 275 miles I got a glimpse of my bed and shower. Pro or Con? Emily and I checked in early that Thursday. I received my free pair of Goodr sunglasses and my trackleaders tracker. Follow that link to rewatch the dots!

I'm very used to all of my ultra races starting in the morning. With this race starting at 5 PM I tried my best to sleep in that morning. I was able to successfully sleep until 8 AM. When a person wakes up before 6 AM on a daily basis it is hard to sleep past 7 even when extremely tired. I put the finishing touches on the bike. For this race I would be running 40 mm Maxxis Ramblers on a Reserve 32mm wheelset, my Red Shift aero bars, a Revelate Frame Bag, an Apidura Racing Saddle Bag, SRAM Force AXS 1 with power meter 40t front chainring, and SRAM Force XPLR 12s XG1271, 10-44 cassette. For those wondering, I run Muc Off Sealent with around 40 psi in the tubeless tires. For navigation, I had my Garmin 1030 Plus with the route pre-loaded. I noticed that both of my tires were about 1 - 2 psi under what I had put in them the night prior. They were brand new tires. This concerned me but I didn't want to think too much into it.

Since I was already up and we had the entire day Emily and I decided to attend the pro panel and grab a bite to eat on location. Emily was super stoked, as was I, to meet Lauren De Crescenzo . Gravel Worlds had done a wonderful job promoting the 1,000 women of gravel. They met their goal and had over 1,000 women sign up between all the classes. Incredible!

Emily was sure to sign the gigantic poster that all women were invited to sign. It was extremely cool to see!

After the pro panel and lunch was over I did my best to stay off my feet and rest my eyes. I knew that I had a long night and next day ahead. We made our way back to the pickup where I took a nap and watched the rain shower pass over us. It was just enough to take the dust out of the gravel at our location however I was worried about what it had done in other areas of our 302-mile course. The course brought us east southeast out of Lincoln and South all the way past the Kansas border to the town of Marysville. From there we would make our way back north. The weather, besides the rain, was extremely favorable for our journey south. We would have a nice tailwind pushing us into Kansas. The next day however would not be as enjoyable. The winds were predicted to be 10 - 15 mph out of the north meaning a straight headwind. After last weekend's wind shift into the face the entire 380 miles I wasn't phased by this information. I was just happy to have some favorable winds. Each water stop or gas station was placed every 50 miles or so.

Instead of using cue cards I like to use the notes app to list out where my stop locations are at. I then screenshot this and set it as my lock screen background. This allows me quick access to the information and I don't have to worry about losing cards, laminating them, or damaging them in any way. My plan was to stop every 50 miles no matter what others might be doing. I knew I had plenty of food with me to get through the race I just needed water. I wasn't quite sure what mile 81.2 was, that is why I had the ??? marks.

Sitting around waiting for the 5:00 PM start time turned out to be the hardest part. Finally, 3:45 PM rolled around and I couldn't take it anymore. I got changed in the pickup and rechecked my bike's tire psi. Again they were both about 1 - 2 psi under 40. No problem I could work with that. I put a couple of psi more than I would usually in both. I turned on my tracker device as instructed 1 hr. before the start, and I loaded as many snacks as I could on my kit. I absolutely love my Borah Teamwear OTW (Out to Win) Cargo bibs. Plenty of storage! Emily and I made our way to the start line and I powered up the Garmin.

The start line was absolutely energized! I could tell that everyone else was just stoked that it was finally time to start. Any racers will agree just getting to the start line healthy, fit, and prepared is an accomplishment. I met up with my buddy Damian for a quick photo. He had also done the 380 miler the weekend before. Cue ACDC Thunderstruck and we were off!

The Dodge Viper led us out of the starting gate and onto the course. We had a neutral start for a good distance. After that, the race was on. I kept near the front about 15 riders back for a good portion of the start. As we continued east the pace picked up a bit but wasn't terrible. We had one close call as the group attempted to cross the highway. The front three were able to make it. As they crossed the remainder thought that they could make it as well. I looked left and saw multiple vehicles coming at highway speed. I and others yelled, "Cars left!" We all halted just before the road but our last-second decision forced those vehicles to stop. It wasn't our finest moment but we all got across safely. The front three held up and we all rejoined. The pace continued and I found myself at the front a few times. Conveniently for a few of the photo ops (FLEX). At that point, I was photographed at the front so I could quit right? A few pushed the pace hard and created some fractures. I covered one of these fractures by burning a match. The front group eventually was brought down to 12 - 15. Whenever I was on the front I wasn't pulling. It was safer and much easier riding at the front but I wasn't exerting much effort.

One tricky part of the course was the bridges with railroad ties running parallel with the roadway. Some of these bridges provided gaps in-between ties just big enough for a tire to fit in. This is one reason I enjoyed being at the front of the pack. It allowed me to have 100% vision of my line rather than trusting the person's line in front of me. During daylight hrs. we had no issues within the group navigating these bridges.

The front group was coming up on mile 50 with the first stop just ahead. One rider had broke away and had about a 1/4 mile gap on us. I started asking around to see who was going to stop at the first gas station, a Loves Travel Center. I wasn't receiving many answers and thought to myself this is where I am going to let them go. Turns out I had two stop with me. Colin Patterson , the eventual winner of the race, and Scott Sawyer. They went straight for the machines and I bought bottles of water. We all got refilled about the same time and I tried to switch out my tinted lenses with clear quick. That's when Colin asked, "You ready man?" I said screw it with the glasses and said, "Yup," knowing I could switch those out later. They weren't necessary at the moment and I would benefit from staying with a small group more. We took off and continued our journey. My time with those two would come to a quick halt. Both Colin and Scott were much stronger than me and when we hit the rollers my HR also hit 170. After 50 miles in the break, I knew I needed to start racing my race. As hard as it was I let them go I did and settled in. There were 250ish miles of race left. Further up the road I took the opportunity to swap lenses and took the only photo I had time to take. Behold an awesome Nebraska sunset. Please Venmo any money available for copyrights. Actually, donate to our Semper Fi & America's Fund page! I honestly was planning on taking a lot of photos and videos however it was so humid out and I was sweating heavily. My phone's screen was so full of sweat and moisture that I couldn't operate the touchscreen. At that point, it was more of a hazard so I left it in my pocket.

To the left of this photo was a magnificent thunderstorm. I was watching lightning and hearing thunder praying that it would continue moving SE. It did, but again I worried about what the course looked like. I continued solo into the night. As the evening became night I started to see lights pop up on the course. Three of them steadily made their way closer to me. I welcomed this knowing I would be able to work together with them. Soon Paige Redman, last year's overall female winner of the Long Voyage and this year's overall female winner again, pulled up next to me. "Hey buddy!" She stated. I had met Paige in Durango, CO when she helped SAG for the Vegan Cyclist and Shane Trotter at the Race Across the West. She was accompanied by two others and we all made our way to mile 81 ish where I realized it was another water and food stop. I still had plenty so I continued forward knowing they would work together and catch me again. The rains however would prove to be a challenge. They had hit a dirt portion of the course just enough to turn it into complete MUD. I hit the mud thinking it was just perfectly packed dirt. Immediately my tires lost traction and I fought to keep the bike upright. Soon I came to a stop and found myself walking my bike in the grass next to me. At this point I also caught and passed Scott. Geno Villafano was nice enough to share some of his footage from this moment that he captured on his camera.

The grass on the edge of the road helped considerably to clean the tires and allow forward progress. I would say that the mud lasted for about a 1/4 mile. I took a moment to assess my chain and derailer and to clean the mud from my tires. I hopped on and flung the excess mud off as I rode away. Paige, and I believe, Matthew Turner caught back up and we worked together into the night. A scary moment happened when we approached one of those bridges. Matthew was leading the pack with me right behind him. I saw the bridge but was focusing too hard on it. Matthew slowed down to a stop and I crashed into the back of him. Paige was able to slow down enough but also slid into me. We were all ok and made it over the bridge. As we continued forward a super stud Singlespeed rider rode past us. Paige jumped the wheel. "Bye Paige!" I stated. Never saw her again.

Matthew and I rolled into the 110-mile stop and refueled. He stated that he was struggling stomach-wise. I felt great and grabbed a few extra food items like Bonk Bars and electrolyte tablets they had available for us in the big plastic tote. At this point, Scott, Sean Conley, and another Singlespeed rider rolled in. We all grouped up and began a significant push into Kansas. Each of us would take a good 5 min pull at the front and swap out. Eventually, the Singlespeed rider dropped off and it was Scott, Sean, and myself. Sean's light died and instead of stopping Scott and I took the front and Sean held the rear. We rolled into the Casey's just as Paige and some others rolled out. Welcome to Kansas! It turns out the Point of Sale system at Casey's was down momentarily and that is the only reason we caught a glimpse of them. I used this opportunity to utilize Casey's facilities, buy a Body Armor, and refill bottles. I had been using my Embark Maple the entire time with great success. Sean had a paint stick and I borrowed it to clean my wheel area off better. Soon Scott, Sean, and I departed. This was a fantastic group! Sean got his light working again and we all shared the front. At this point, I felt a few cramps coming on. I pounded some Embark and took an electrolyte packet. I also stopped taking turns at the front for a while. I kept the cramps at bay but knew I needed to stay on my nutrition more.

We continued up the road and soon noticed a flashing red light ahead. Scott saw this carrot and really pushed the pace! We entered a technical part of the course and Scott took off. I told Sean, who was just ahead of me, that I was going to take this portion easy. He decided to do the same and we watched Scott ride off. He ended up finishing a strong 10th place. As Sean and I rode through the night we waited patiently for the sun to rise. The sun provides life and almost a feeling that you had slept the entire night. We rolled into yet another Casey's together to refuel. Matthew from earlier came in shortly after. When stopped for even 5 min. I would begin to shiver. The sweat-soaked jersey and slightly chilled morning air were just enough to get me cold. All three of us rolled out.

Soon after this I noticed I was working a bit harder than I wanted to. I also began to bounce. I looked down and noticed my rear tire was very low. Matthew had already pulled ahead so Sean and I stopped. I was going to hit my rear tire quickly with some CO2 and be moving again in 10 seconds. As I was about to remove my CO2 pump after successfully filling up the tire, I didn't realize it wasn't unscrewed all the way from the presta valve. I pulled it off in one swift motion, pulling the entire valve core out. Air and a lava of Muc Off came out. My heart dropped. I had a spare tube but didn't feel like messing with that. Thankfully, Sean had a tool to replace my valve, and we used his CO2 and pump to fill the tire back up. I am very blessed that Sean was with me and provided me with the confidence that all was not lost. We would have to stop a few more times to continually fill both the front and rear tire which apparently were not sealed 100%. My hypothesis and biggest fear were correct from the tire check pre-race.

Sean and I pressed forward until mile 247 which is where I believe the 302-mile route joined the 150-mile riders. We were stoked to see the Goodr on course party which was slated for mile 248. As we approached it, we saw a small tent and some flamingos set up. Sean yelled, "They aren't even set up yet!" I laughed hysterically. Sean and I chatted and determined the 150 riders hadn't gotten to this part of the course yet. We were excited to have a front-row seat to the action. Sure enough, a short time later the men's breakaway blew our doors off. I caught a glimpse of Pete Stetina as he stated, "Riders left riders left great ride guys keep it up!"Freaking cool... I then saw a tandem... This confused me.

The remainder of the leaders passed by us and provided us with motivation. Each roller took a mental chunk away from us and we were ready for the "downhill" finish, and to have the 12 - 14 mph winds at our backs. We were joyous for even a crosswind when we would travel east or west. I went internal just watching my Garmin and the notification when the next turn was. This broke the race down mile by mile for me. Sean and I stopped at a fantastic little general store in Malcom. The shop owners both had their Garmin Gravel shirts on and were super friendly. Welcome to Mayberry I thought as I ate my hand-prepped ham/cheese sandwich outside. Sean enjoyed an ice cream sandwich. Heather Jackson came screaming around the corner as we pigged out. We yelled and cheered! Heather gave us a wave and continued hustling. Freaking cool... We departed and soon I saw my AirBNB and knew we were close. We reached the Gravel Worlds checkpoint at mile 277. This was neutral support for all and I was able to get some air for both my front and rear tires. I was now set for the finish.

Mile by mile we got closer. We were now on the course with a mix of all the events. The motivation was at an all-time high when we turned southbound and had the wind at our backs. It also was considerably flatter! Sean began to cramp slightly. He said, "Now's your chance!" I looked at him and said, "You think I'm gonna leave you now!" We crossed the line together letting the system determine who beat who. It was over.

I'm sure I missed so many details that one can only imagine. My bottom, which wasn't 100% healed from Iowa, was very sore. Sore to the point where it was very painful just to sit. This is an issue I need to find a solution to for any future races. Overall however I was very happy with my performance.

16th Overall Male. (Tied with Sean)

302 miles

16,713 ft of elevation gain

Total time of 21 hrs 30 Min

14.05 mph Pace

13,514 Calories Burned

Weighted Average Power 191 watts

The experience was absolutely fantastic and I recommend it to everyone. Each of the riders I experienced was top-notch. Fantastic pirates sailing the seas.

Special shoutout to the race organizers, Emily your support (She crushed the 150!), and of course the sponsors back home. Berry Fast Bicycles, Taste & See, EXIT Realty Adam Foland and his team, Madison Family Dental, Sunshine Foods of Madison, and Stemper Autobody. Embark Maple has been a huge game changer for me and I appreciate their support as well!

Without them none of this is possible. We are still raising money for the Semper Fi & America's Fund getting closer and closer to our $20,000 goal. Thank you all for your support!

Semper Fi

Mathew Wollmann