Ep. 10: Unbound Eve in Emporia: Mud, Taper Crazies, and the 207-Mile Plan

Holly, Maggie, and Laura record together in Emporia, Kansas ahead of the Unbound gravel race, reflecting on how the final weeks went and whether they feel ready. Maggie describes heavy work stress limiting her usual pre-race planning, while Holly shares an anxious “taper crazies” experience, hunger, HR work stress, and ongoing post-car-accident issues; Laura discusses the challenge of SAG support with wide timing windows between checkpoints. They compare bike prep choices, wide 54mm tires with minimal clearance, padded bars, and chain waxing versus new tubeless tires and failed CushCore inserts and worry about mud, flats, and self-sufficiency. They outline fueling (carb mixes, gels, maple syrup, rice sandwiches, cookies, electrolytes, Red Bull, sandwiches, salty snacks), pacing and checkpoint strategy under a 21-hour cutoff, gear and clothing plans, and a mindset shaped by Ironman experience and Courtney Dauwalter’s “pain cave” framing.

00:00 Emporia Water Tower Intro

00:47 Podcast Setup and Plan

02:33 Taper Stress Check In

06:42 SAG Logistics and Timing

07:44 Bike Comfort Upgrades

12:28 New Bike and Tire Setup

14:11 Flat Fears and Spares

16:29 Nutrition and Caffeine Plan

23:13 Race Day Timeline Strategy

23:39 Ideal Day and Aid Stations

28:24 Holly Pace Expectations

29:26 Pacing Without Power

31:05 Cutoff Math and Aid Stops

33:17 Course Elevation Confusion

35:14 Wind and Weather Factors

35:49 Expo Plans and 350 Start

39:17 Race Kit and Gear Choices

42:41 Tara Cameo and Moab 240

45:50 Endurance Mindset and Pain Cave

53:52 Race Day Wrap and Plugs

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