Abby’s philosophy
A different approach to racing & training
Submitted by Abby Davidson
I’ve got a lot to say about training and racing. My approach and philosophy are different. As co-founder of Grassroots Gravel, my passion for what we do is rooted in making this event welcoming and about celebrating all athletes.
I have been an endurance athlete for over a decade, and have completed triathlons, half-marathons, marathons, and now gravel cycling races. Over the years, and at various races, I have certainly felt like I do not belong.
For me, party pace = race pace, and I do not currently fit the “mold” of what folks may consider an endurance athlete body. This used to cause me ample “imposter syndrome” around calling myself an athlete and being at these events. Though I’m glad to be part of a changing tide that is expanding what it means to be an athlete, and fostering a sense of community and belonging for everyone at Grassroots Gravel.
Now that I identify as a cyclist, I also recognize that a lot of how I train and race are different than most folks I know. I want to share with you all how I approach gravel cycling, health, and fitness.
My Weekly Rhythm - Training for my Old Lady Bod
I work full-time in higher education as a grant administrator and student success specialist. I am fortunate to work at a place where I can take a full hour lunch (almost) every day, and also work out at our Student Recreation Center. I acknowledge this is a privilege, and that many folks may not have this particular type of work setup.
My weekly rhythm is centered on working out every day during my lunch hour. Over the years, I have taken many approaches to my lunch workout. Though my focus has always been the same - get in there, get a good structured workout in, and get back to work. In the last few years, I have focused on consistent weight training. In an ideal work week, I lift about 30 minutes, five days a week. Currently, I exclusively do weight training with dumbbells and body weight.
Back when I first started training for long distance running, I immediately discovered my IT bands (ouch!). My friend and I used to bring Ibuprofen on our runs and start popping them after we’d get a few miles in to anticipate the pain (sorry liver). I bring this up to say that I quickly learned that all those little supporting muscles and tendons get really pissed when you do not adequately cross train. Ever since then, I also heavily focus on dynamic side-to-side movement in my weekly rhythm. Think HIIT training and kickboxing.
Apple Fitness: My Solution for Daily Workouts
When you go to the gym, do you struggle with having a defined plan and getting after it? I know I do, or I end up doing the same thing because I’m not sure what to do. I promise I don’t get paid by them, but I wholeheartedly promote Apple Fitness to serve as the foundation for your daily workouts. I love that you can select the amount of time you have, what you focus on, and it will give you a bunch of coach-led video workouts meeting those parameters. I also appreciate that it doesn’t feel like an MLM pitch for weight loss when I’m doing the workouts. The coaches seem like genuinely kind and good humans, and they are intentional with their messaging on making fitness inclusive. Apple Fitness has seriously been a game changer for me at the gym, and I even use it for cycling!
Training for Cycling: A Little Goes a Long Way (for me)
Speaking of cycling, let’s talk for a moment about training. When I’m getting ready for a race, I try to prioritize getting out on the weekend for a longer ride. I am not obsessive about it, and admit that my longest-ever ride before doing the MidSouth 100 miler was a 50-mile training ride. Though what about during the week? I do not utilize common training platforms like Wahoo or Zwift, but I DO use Apple Fitness on a spin bike at the gym. I try to get in about two 45-minute cycling workouts during the week using Apple Fitness. Combining consistent weight training with HIIT or kickboxing with these cycling workouts do well for me, and help me stay injury-free.
Abby’s Guide to Gravel Racing
Slow and Steady Doesn’t Win the Race, but it Finishes the Race. As of this writing, I have officially competed in two gravel cycling events - the Midsouth 100 Miler in March 2024 and MadGravel Hemi Five-O 50 Miler in May 2024. Before I hop into how I ride in a race, I want to share with you specifically what I bring, what I wear, and what I ride. These are not promos for these brands or items, but rather my sharing of exactly what I use and works for me.
What I Bring:
For a 50 mile or 100 mile race, there are commonly aid stations where you can refill on water or electrolytes, refuel on snacks, and use a Port-O-Potty. I write what I bring with this option for refueling in mind. Be sure to always read about what is provided at any races you attend.
2-3 Water Bottles: I bring 2-3 24oz bike bottles. I have two cages on my bike, so I typically keep them there. Depending on how hot it's going to be (or what I have at home), I’ll either just bring water or put some form of electrolytes in my water. Flow Formulas sponsors Grassroots Gravel, and I really like their flavors. There are lots of great options out there.
Snacks, and include some salty/savory: I typically have an assortment of electrolyte gummies and stroopwafels on hand, and will often start by eating those things. Though for me, I definitely start craving salty/savory things the longer I ride. At Midsouth and Mad Gravel, they provided fun little snack items like Cheese-Its and Cheetos, and those were FANTASTIC. Just remember, your race snacks don’t need to be fancy. What’s important is you have some things with you that you’re going to want to eat. Pay attention to your body, and eat when you’re hungry. I typically get little hunger pangs while I’m riding, and that’s my cue to grab a snack.
Sunblock: I am the poster child for skin cancer (red head), so I have taken sun protection very seriously as an adult. I ALWAYS have sunblock with me on longer rides and races, and I stop about every hour and a half to reapply. Use your favorite brand, and put it in a smaller travel tube so it’s easier to bring.
Phone with RideWithGPS and Lightning Stick: I have not used Strava, and as of this writing, I have used RideWithGPS twice (at both aforementioned races). At this time, I don’t want or use a computer, but rather use my phone to have the race map downloaded on RideWithGPS. I also do not mount my phone on my bike - I keep it in my snack pack with the verbal cues turned on so I can hear it, but I primarily rely on the course markings. I don’t want to obsess on where I am on the ride and how many miles I have left, so I find this works better for me than staring at a screen. In the likely event my phone dies, I have a charged lightning stick that I also bring with me to keep my phone charged. This was definitely needed on the 100-miler at MidSouth!
What I Wear:
Some of my clothing is the same gear I use daily or for other activities like running and hiking. I think it’s important to feel comfortable and confident in your clothing on a long ride. What works for me may be different than what works best for each person reading this. Explore and experiment!
Bike Chamois with Shredly Pants or Shorts: Wear your favorite chamois for race day. I’ve worn the hell out of a Patagonia chamois that I got with a pair of mountain bike shorts years ago. I need to replace them. I also like wearing shorts or pants over the top of my chamois. I am very partial to Shredly, and their stretchy waistbands. I highly recommend you give them a try, plus I always get compliments on their pants and shorts when I wear them.
FiveTen Freerider Pro Shoes for my Flat Pedals: I ride flats exclusively, and love FiveTens and their grippy rubber. I recently got a pair of Freerider Pros, and actually wore them for the first time on my 50-mile race at Mad Gravel (I know that’s a bad move to wear brand new shoes at a race, but it worked out totally fine).
Patagonia Sunshirt: I live in Patagonia sunshirts through the summer months, and almost always wear one when I’m riding. Even though folks assume I love sunscreen, I actually hate it. The more I can cover my skin and not feel too hot, the better.
Patagonia Houdini Jacket: This is a jacket I bring with me nearly everywhere. It is very lightweight and kind of rain resistant, so perfect for when you start off in the morning and are cold. My favorite trick is that it packs up into a little self-contained pouch, making it easy to store after I warm up.
Dakine Fanny Pack: I nearly always ride with a Dakine fanny pack, which has two slots for holding bottles. On days when I’m riding with three bottles, I put one on my fanny pack. This is also where I store my sunblock, extra snacks, wallet, lightning stick, and jacket.
Look at those tires! This is at mile 90 of Midsouth, and I caught the famed Salsa Chaise Lounge.
What I Ride:
Salsa Cutthroat! I call her the Watermelon, and I love her. I never thought I would be a bike nerd to the point of loving a bike, but here we are. Something about the geometry and setup just works great for me, and I hear from a lot of other folks that they are also obsessed with their Cutthroats. Also, please note my big chunky tires. These babies are not built for speed, but are built for stability. In the two races I’ve done so far, both courses had double track, single track, and very sandy sections. I love feeling confident on my monster truck tires!
How I Race:
I’ve become confident in saying that my race pace is my party pace. When I do a race, I am out there to have fun and enjoy the experience. While I am a competitive person in many aspects of life, I have learned to not be competitive at races. I am there to ride my ride. I like to enjoy the whole thing, and not feel like I’m dying. I like to hold a conversation if someone rides next to me and wants to talk. I also like just riding alone, singing songs, and keeping an eye out for birds and mules to say hi to.
When it comes to the actual race, I prefer to start in the back of the pack so that I don’t get caught up in the frenzy. I take it slow on descents, and tend to zig-zag on steep uphills to make climbing a bit easier. I feel more stable when I’m riding flat or slightly uphill, and that’s when I’ll ride one-hand to eat a snack or drink some water. As mentioned, I stop about every hour and a half to reapply sunblock. I don’t typically stop for long at aid stations, though I make a point of saying thanks to folks volunteering their time to run them.
Prioritizing “Feeling Good”:
While I’m not focusing on it while riding, I have found that I am consistently in Zone 1 and Zone 2, with shorter spurts into higher zones during climbing sections. My heart rate on my two big races averaged 137 bpm. I share this to reiterate that my heart rate and zones reflect my pace. I prioritize feeling good the whole time over a time performance. Some other things I do: I try to stand up for any downhill segments to give my undercarriage a break. When I stand up (and not on a steep downhill), I do some mini “cat/cows” with my back to loosen it up. I try to move my hands around on the bars and wiggle my fingers. I do some shoulder rolls and neck rolls to help loosen up.
Screenshot of my heart rate during MadGravel, showing how I stayed primarily in Zone 1 & 2.
My rhythm for staying on top of essentials…and body functions:
I’m a person who sunburns easily and who can really feel it when my body is low on water or calories. We’ve got more info on fueling your ride here.
Water: I make sure I’m drinking every time I eat, and more besides. I’ll drink a bottle per hour while riding (more when it’s hot or harder terrain), and will supplement with electrolytes. Salt is super important!
Sunscreen: I set a timer for 90 minutes and reapply every time. I never skip it. Taking care of your skin is seriously important for your health! Plus, these sunscreen-stops serve as a sort of back-up for timing my food and water.
Food: I usually follow my body’s hunger pangs, but that may not work for everyone. Typically I’ll be eating about once an hour or slightly more often. You’ll want to eat about 150 calories every 45 minutes or so…and it doesn’t have to be fancy or expensive sport-specific food.
Let’s talk about pee! I actually prefer peeing outside over a Port-O-Potty. At Midsouth, I needed to pee several times, and had no choice but to pull over, try to find a slightly covered spot, and get it done. It is a common sighting to see dudes pulled over during races, and it’s important for women to stop and pee too. I’m sure some folks saw my bare butt, but who cares? Riding feels 100% better after you pee when you’ve been holding it in.
That’s it for now.
I hope you found some of this helpful. Come say hi at Grassroots Gravel or out on the trails and gravel roads!
-Abby