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 Intro00:47 Podcast Setup and Plan02:33 Taper Stress Check In06:42 SAG Logistics and Timing07:44 Bike Comfort Upgrades12:28 New Bike and Tire Setup14:11 Flat Fears and Spares16:29 Nutrition and Caffeine Plan23:13 Race Day Timeline Strategy23:39 Ideal Day and Aid Stations28:24 Holly Pace Expectations29:26 Pacing Without Power31:05 Cutoff Math and Aid Stops33:17 Course Elevation Confusion35:14 Wind and Weather Factors35:49 Expo Plans and 350 Start39:17 Race Kit and Gear Choices42:41 Tara Cameo and Moab 24045:50 Endurance Mindset and Pain Cave53:52 Race Day Wrap and Plugshttps://www.youtube.com/channel/UCUYFKP1OYAMiMR1Ve36fOAwhttps://www.instagram.com/averageagegroupers/https://averageagegroupers.substack.com/