12-Week Training Timeline • Race-Day Checklists • Packing List
12-week training timeline, race-day checklists, packing list, and a personalized fueling calculator — free, instant access.
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
“The next mud section was when it really split up. I reckoned that section when I arrived, and it was muddy after two days of no rain, so I knew it was one to watch. I took the grass, and the other girls took the mud and were stuck. But Gee is so good at mud she managed to come back to me.”
— Rosa Klöser ELITE
“I love the vibes of Gravel Worlds and how no one is more important than another. We are all equal here! The race organizers are wonderful people and have their shit dialed! They work tirelessly for days to make sure our experience is a positive one.”
— Carey Lowery ELITE
Race-Specific Training Focus:
Distance: 150 mi
Elevation: 10,000 ft
Location: Lincoln, Nebraska (Sandhills Global Event Center)
Signature Challenge: The heat and relentless rolling terrain (no flats, per rider accounts). Heat adaptation is essential, while late route changes can remove or retain race-defining minimum-maintenance roads depending on weather.
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.
Shed 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.
The OG grassroots gravel race—where the spirit of the sport lives on in Nebraska summer heat.
Gravel Worlds represents what the sport was before corporate money arrived. It's authentic, community-driven, and legitimately hard. The 'World Championship' name started as a joke but the race earned its reputation through genuine challenge.
Late August Nebraska heat reached extremes in recent editions—"Boy, it was hot! 100+ degrees and the gravel was dusty!" before overnight storms transformed conditions. Race morning temperatures dropped to "a chilly 69 degrees" with rain, then climbed as "the sun came out" creating steamy conditions.
Peak grassroots gravel culture where "no one is more important than another. We are all equal here!" as Carey Lowery describes. The event philosophy remains: "We didn't ride gravel because it was the cool thing to do, we simply rode gravel because it was what we had and it was fun.
The combination of pirate theme, Nebraska heat survival, and relentless terrain creates defining memories. Race director Jason Strohbehn personally greets finishers with fist bumps while "volunteers handed me an ice cold Coke and a wet towel.
The OG grassroots race. Where the gravel movement's spirit lives on. (est. 2010)
If you want to experience what gravel racing meant before it went mainstream, Gravel Worlds is your pilgrimage. Harder than it looks, more meaningful than its name suggests.
Expected Race-Day Conditions:
Climate: Nebraska summer
Key Challenges: Heat index can exceed 100°F, Humidity is brutal, Limited shade on course
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 (Classic Nebraska farm gravel with minimum maintenance roads):
Reviewed Picks for This Course:
Top tire pick: Schwalbe G-One Ultrabite 40mm ($69.90) — See full analysis →
Climate Gear (Nebraska summer):
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.
Gravel Worlds Start Time: Saturday 6:00 AM. Set your alarm for 3:00 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 (150 miles): At ~11mph, expect ~13.6 hours on course. Ultra pace — fat is your primary fuel source — target 40-60g carbs/hour (545-818g total, or 21-32 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: Late August Nebraska heat reached extremes in recent editions—"Boy, it was hot! 100+ degrees and the gravel was dusty!" before overnight storms transformed conditions.
Plan your fueling around these conditions — heat and humidity increase fluid and sodium demands significantly.
Aid Stations: Multiple aid stations at key points
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: ~$150
Cost of Trip: Above average (4/5)
Nearest Airport: Omaha (OMA) - 1 hour. Lincoln (LNK) - 15 minutes but limited flights.
Omaha (OMA) - 1 hour. Lincoln (LNK) - 15 minutes but limited flights.
Lincoln has ample hotels. Book 1-2 months ahead.
Friday at event venue. Grassroots vibe, efficient process.
Start area parking is generally available.
Lincoln has solid food options. Not a foodie destination but functional.
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.
We use cookies for analytics to improve this site. No ads, no tracking across sites. Learn more.