12-Week Training Timeline • Race-Day Checklists • Packing List
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“The gravel is not chunky at all and smooth. Do be careful of the oncoming traffic on the gravel roads and also when descending there can be sections of soft gravel which can through you off line.”
— Dbecker27 UNKNOWN
“I hurt lol. Omg it was so hot. Heat index was 105+. Flat at mile 30 that was a pain to fix. Then mile 60-120 was into a headwind. Stung on the head by something at mile 80ish. Still a welt there.”
— KCBikeNerd UNKNOWN
Establish aerobic foundation. 70-85% volume in Z1-{{Z2}}. {{CTL}} rising steadily (+5-8/wk in loading weeks, netting about +10/month after recovery weeks). {{TSB}} slightly negative (-5 to -15). Week 4 = recovery week (60% volume). Feels boring but doable—you should finish most rides feeling like you could do more.
Layer intensity, develop race-specific fitness. 60-70% Z1-Z2, 30-40% Z3-Z6. Two to three quality sessions per week. The magic happens here: deliberately dig a fatigue hole ({{TSB}} goes to -25), recover just enough, then dig another hole. This is where fitness sharpens.
Rolling Endurance Heat Wind Training Dress RehearsalShed fatigue, maintain sharpness. Volume drops 30-50%. Intensity stays high but duration decreases. Week 11: {{TSB}} rises to +5 to +10. Week 12: TSB targets +15 to +25 for race day. Fitness doesn't improve—the goal is to remove the fatigue layer so you can express the fitness you've built.
Nebraska rolling farmland requires sustained effort.
NE summer/fall means heat and wind are likely.
Rolling terrain requires pacing discipline.
Nebraska rolling farmland gravel in Lincoln.
Garmin Gravel Worlds is a regional event in Lincoln, Nebraska (not to be confused with UCI Gravel Worlds). The rolling farmland terrain offers moderate climbing with farmland scenery, but the moderate organization and regional field keep it firmly in Tier 3. Lincoln provides good access. It's a solid regional event for Nebraska cyclists.
"Gravel worlds is one of the races that's dedicated to preserving the founding principle of gravel that we celebrate first place to last place equally," explains coordinator Hannah Shell. Wollmann notes the "outpouring of support from everyone" visible through phone notifications during the race.
The multi-day festival atmosphere at the fairgrounds creates a proper gravel celebration. Wollmann describes the pre-race ritual of pasta at Napoli's Haymarket and drinks at Starlite Lounge.
2024 delivered brutal heat with temperatures hitting 100°F and heat indexes of 105°F. KCBikeNerd reported "mile 60-120 right into a furnace headwind" that "slaughtered the mid/tail end of the 'party pace' folks.
Regional NE event.
A solid regional Nebraska gravel race with rolling farmland terrain. Worth it for Nebraska cyclists seeking a local event. Not a destination race for out-of-state travelers.
Expected Race-Day Conditions:
Climate: Nebraska summer/fall
Key Challenges: Heat possible, Wind exposure, Variable weather
60-90 minutes Z2 endurance. Keep legs moving, nothing hard. Optional: 3 × 1 min Z4 to keep neuromuscular system awake.
45-60 minutes Z2. Maybe 2 × 3 min G Spot if you're feeling restless. Don't go hard.
Rest day or 30-45 minutes very easy spin. The last hard workout was 4-5 days ago. Everything now is just maintenance.
45-60 minutes Z2. Include 3-5 × 30 seconds Z5-Z6 (openers to keep legs sharp). Last real ride before race.
Travel day (if traveling) or rest day. Optional 30-minute easy spin if legs feel heavy.
30-45 minutes Z2 with 3 × 1 min Z4 openers. Course preview if racing Sunday. No heroics.
20-30 minutes very easy spin or complete rest. Do what's worked for you previously.
Tire Setup (Nebraska rolling farmland gravel):
Reviewed Picks for This Course:
Top tire pick: Specialized Pathfinder Pro 38mm ($54.99) — See full analysis →
Climate Gear (Nebraska summer/fall):
Drivetrain: Chain clean and lubed. Shifting smooth across all gears. No chain slip under power.
Tires: Tubeless sealant fresh. Tire pressure set for race conditions. Check for cuts, sidewall damage.
Cockpit: Computer charged and mounted. Bottles/cages secure. Bento box organized.
Wheels: Thru-axles tight. No spoke issues. Hubs spin smoothly.
Don't: Install new chain race week. Change tire pressure drastically. Add new untested equipment.
Essentials: Spare tube (even if tubeless), tire plugs, CO2 cartridges (2-3) or mini pump, multi-tool with chain breaker, quick link, tire levers.
Nutrition: Gels, bars, chews—whatever you practiced with. Bottle with sports drink pre-mixed. Extra water bottle.
Other: Sunscreen, chamois cream, arm warmers/vest, rain jacket (if forecast), extra base layer.
Race essentials: Bib number and pins, race chip, ID and emergency contact info.
Garmin Gravel Worlds Start Time: 5:55am Elit. Set your alarm for 2:55 AM.
Wake up. Coffee if you normally drink it (not the time to change habits). Breakfast: 100-150g carbs, minimal fat, minimal fiber. Oatmeal with banana and honey, bagel with jam, or white rice with a pinch of salt.
Start sipping sports drink. Begin hydrating and topping off fuel. Apply chamois cream and sunscreen.
Arrive at start area. Check in, use porta-potty. Get your head right.
Light warmup ride: 10-15 minutes easy spinning. Wake up the legs.
Final gear check: bottles filled and secured, nutrition in pockets, tire pressure verified, drivetrain sounds good. Run through your performance statements mentally.
Openers near the start: 2-3 x 30 seconds at race effort with easy spinning between. Gets HR up, legs awake, reminds body what fast feels like.
Roll to start line. Find your position. Deep breath.
6-2-7 breathing if anxious. You're ready. Trust your training.
Your Fueling Math (75 miles): At ~12mph, expect ~6.2 hours on course. Endurance pace — target 60-80g carbs/hour (375-500g total, or 15-20 gels).
Carb targets scale with duration: shorter races burn more carbs per hour at race intensity, while ultra-distance events shift toward fat oxidation and GI tolerance becomes the limiter (Jeukendrup 2014, van Loon et al.).
Enter your details for a complete race fueling plan — carbs, hydration, sodium, and an hour-by-hour strategy.
Your numbers are the easy part.
Hitting them at race intensity is a trained skill — gut training over 4-6 weeks, bottle logistics, heat adjustments when the plan meets the weather. The custom training plan builds your fueling protocol into the actual training weeks, so race day is a rehearsal, not an experiment.
BUILD MY PLAN — FUELING INCLUDEDGet race-day tips in your inbox
What Riders Say About Conditions: 2024 delivered brutal heat with temperatures hitting 100°F and heat indexes of 105°F. KCBikeNerd reported "mile 60-120 right into a furnace headwind" that "slaughtered the mid/tail end of the 'party pace' folks.
Plan your fueling around these conditions — heat and humidity increase fluid and sodium demands significantly.
Aid Stations: Multiple aid stations
2-3g carbs/kg bodyweight. Low fat, low fiber. Familiar foods only. 500ml water with meal.
One gel (24g carbs) with 200ml water. Tops off blood glucose.
Focus on pacing, positioning, settling in. Sip on drink. Heart rate is spiking, gut blood flow is reduced.
First gel or equivalent (24g carbs). Start your fueling clock. Hydrate consistently.
Consume carbs consistently by the clock. Target rate depends on race duration: 80-100g/hr for races under 4 hours, 60-80g/hr for 4-8 hour events, 50-70g/hr for 8-12 hours, and 40-60g/hr for ultra events (12+ hours). At lower intensities fat becomes your primary fuel and GI tolerance is the limiter. Set a timer. Your brain will be stupid. It will forget to eat.
Practice eating real food on easy rides. Start with 40-50g carbs per hour, mostly solid. Build tolerance gradually. SGLT1 transporters can double in 2 weeks of consistent gut training (GSSI).
Increase toward your race-day target rate. Mix of liquids and solids. Practice eating at tempo pace. Your gut adapts to what you train it for.
Hit your race-day target rate (see duration-scaled targets in your prep kit). Race nutrition only (gels, drink, bars you'll use on race day). Practice at race pace. For ultra events (12+ hours), include savory and mixed-macro foods alongside gels.
Stick with what worked in training. No new products. Trust your gut (literally).
Known Suffering Zones:
Budget Planning:
Entry Fee: ~$60
Cost of Trip: Moderate (3/5)
Nearest Airport: Lincoln (LNK) 15 minutes or Omaha (OMA) 1 hour
Lincoln (LNK) 15 minutes or Omaha (OMA) 1 hour
Lincoln has good lodging options.
Day before typically
At start/finish
Lincoln has full dining options. Stock nutrition.
Spin in Z1 after crossing the finish line. Let heart rate drop gradually. Stopping abruptly causes blood to pool in your legs.
20-30g protein, 60-100g carbs, 500-750ml fluid with electrolytes. Chocolate milk, protein shake with banana, or whatever the finish line has.
You lost 1-4 liters of fluid. Drink 500-1000ml within the first hour. Add electrolytes. If pee is dark yellow by evening, keep drinking.
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