My First Gravel Race: The Rift Iceland 2024
I made my gravel racing debut December 2023.
And by debut, I mean I signed up for a my first race (actually, my husband signed me up.)
Here’s the backstory.
My husband rides bikes a lot and used to race them with the goal of going professional. He likes to go fast and far and hard and far. I grew up riding bikes to get somewhere, like my friend’s house or the mailbox. While living in Vail in my twenties, I took up mountain biking and loved it. But as I’ve gotten older, I’ve found myself getting more anxious going both uphill and downhill. I still love it — just slowly.
About five years ago, around the time our daughter was born, my husband signed up for The Rift Gravel Race in Iceland. To me it felt like the worst time to pack up and take a solo trip, so he postponed it. Then COVID hit, and he postponed it again. Really, it was just never the right time.
This December, he posed a different question — would I ever want to ride The Rift, too?
I literally had never considered it, but when he asked it simultaneously felt like the dumbest and most brilliant question ever — I was giddy with excitement by the idea. I was getting a Canyon gravel bike for Christmas, and this would be the perfect opportunity to work toward a shared goal.
He explained to me that, in addition to the 200k, there’s a 100k version — certainly a more comfortable distance for me.
On Dec. 9, 2023 at 10:54pm, we confirmed our registration — we are heading to Iceland!
Background & Context
I’m going to write about my experience preparing for this “race”, because I think cycling is cool but also kind of intimidating. Gravel riding seems like the perfect hybrid between mountain and road biking, and I think there’s huge opportunity for more people out there to join the sport.
About Me and My Baseline
I’m an athlete. I grew up playing lots of sports, including soccer, softball, swimming, and lacrosse. I learned to mountain bike and ski (better) while living in Vail. I can hike, and run, and join pick-up games. I played some part-time Div III soccer, and I’ve completed three half Ironmans.
I write this, because I want you to know what my baseline is. Not your baseline, just mine. I love sports, but I prefer to compete as a team — solo is hard for me.
Let’s continue with some of the important details:
I prefer to run 12 minute miles.
The half Ironman takes me more than 7 hours to complete. (But I do complete it!)
Following a training plan bores me.
Often running two miles feels really hard.
The furthest I’ve ever ridden is 55 miles (about 88k).
I build muscle slowly and injure easily.
I prefer social activities (hiking with friends, biking with friends, skiing with friends).
I only ride my bike when it’s nice out. (This is relevant, because we’re heading to Iceland where the high is 55F and it will likely rain/snow/blow/shine for the 10+ hours I’m on my bike.)
Usually the beer after an activity is more appealing than the activity itself.
And lastly, but maybe most importantly, I’m a mother and a wife. Some of the things I want to do take a backseat, and that includes preparing for an international “real deal” gravel race.
In other words, I’m a pretty regular person, and I want to share my experience preparing for this race. As I write, there might be typos, and I may revise posts after I publish. I’m going to share this journey in real time, and I don’t want to get hung up on perfecting my prose.
So, join me as I figure out what clothes, gear, and training I need to ride The Rift (eek!).
~ Lauren