DK 200 Magazine 2014

DK

The Official Magazine of Dirty Kanza 200 2014

Why Gravel?

Making sense of the appeal of riding 200 miles of challenging terrain PAGE 8

Racing the Sun Tim Ek’s determination to beat the setting sun inspires an award for riders PAGE 15

Seat vs. Sitter Necessity leads to the innovation of a biking staple PAGE 18

T H E W O R L D ’ S P R E M I E R G R AV E L G R I N D E R

2 | Emporia Living

CONTENTS

Letter from the Director

4

Why Gravel?

8

Race the Sun 15

There’s a Butt’r for That... 18

Fueling the Body 24

Cougars on Gravel 28

Women Riders 30

First Time Riders 37

International Riders 42

Chris Walker

Dirty Kanza Executive Director Jim Cummins

Art Director

Justin Ogleby

Contributing Writers Morgan Chilson Ben Fitch Wendy Davis

Contributing Photographers Eric Benjamin Matthew Fowler Dustin Michelson Kim Morris

Advertising

Dirty Kanza Has Gone to the Kids 46

The Emporia Gazette Advertising Department

Results 47

Design

ON THE COVER

Jay Petervary climbs a hill during the 2013 Dirty Kanza 200.

He went on to finish second.

[Photo courtesy of Eric Benjamin]

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Publisher

IM Design Group

For more information, please contact: 517 Merchant Street Emporia, KS 66801 620.342.4800 DK Magazine is a publication of The Emporia Gazette.

Rebecca Rusch celebrates after she wins the Dirty Kanza 200 Open Women division in 2013.

[Photo courtesy of Mathew Fowler]

From the Director To all Dirty Kanza Participants, Fans and Followers,

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On behalf of the entire staff here at Dirty Kanza Promotions, I want to say “Thank You” for your interest in and support of Dirty Kanza 200. It was nine years ago that we held the inaugural DK200 in 2006. Inspired by stories of some of the early gravel grinder events, we found ourselves saying “Someone ought to put on a race like that in Kansas.” We felt as though we had the best gravel roads to be found anywhere, right here in the heart of the Flint Hills. It only seemed right that someone share them with the rest of you folks.

Well, the more we discussed it, the more we began to realize that “Someone” didn’t exist if it wasn’t “Us.” So we scouted out a course, printed up a few maps, then got the word out the best we could about our new little adventure.

With little more than a single lawn awning and a clipboard, we set up shop in a motel parking lot and hoped a few cyclists would show up. As it turned out, thirty-four riders did show up, and everyone had a blast. So much so that we decided to do it all over again the following year.

Somewhere along the line, this whole gravel grinding thing decided to take off in a way nobody could have ever predicted. Each year we increased the limit on our field size and each year the DK200 sold out in record time. And although we certainly enjoyed the growth and success each year, we intentionally throttled that growth back by setting our field limits, not by what we perceived the current demand to be, but rather what we felt we were capable of supporting. You see, we have never aspired to make Dirty Kanza the biggest event of its kind. Rather, our intention has always been to make Dirty Kanza the best event of its kind. Whether or not we have achieved that goal, we will leave that for others to decide. But we think we are doing something right.

In the pages that follow, you will find quite the collection of stories and photographs. Many of these stories were written, and many of these photo’s were captured by actual Dirty Kanza participants. It is our hope that these stories and images will entertain you, but more importantly, we hope they serve to inspire you. It is our sincere belief that we are all capable of much more than we often give ourselves credit for. Dirty Kanza is all about providing its participants with an opportunity to reach beyond what one thinks he or she is capable of, and achieving more than they ever thought was possible. We hope Dirty Kanza will be just one small stepping stone on your personal journey to discovering your true potential.

Most Sincerely Yours, Jim Cummins Executive Director, Dirty Kanza 200

DK Magazine | 5

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DK Magazine | 7

FEATURE

WHY GRAVEL? Finding the appeal of 200 miles of gravel

BY MORGAN CHILSON

DK Magazine | 9

[Photo courtesy of Eric Benjamin]

[Photo courtesy of Eric Benjamin]

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T

he appeal of gravel grinders seems mysterious and obscure to people who don’t ride on gravel. In the middle of the 200-mile Dirty Kanza, understanding the appeal may even elude the very riders who travel from across the country and around the world to pit themselves against the Flint Hills.

Gravel riding is increasing in popularity, and races and bikes geared toward that challenging terrain are popping up across the country.

The DK 200 has earned its spot as one of the most challenging – and rewarding – races out there.

Despite the grit. And sharp gravel that eats tires. And miles and miles of gritty dust. And flats. And sunburn. And heat. And wind. Of course, it’s only fair to also mention the camaraderie, the peacefulness of the rural Flint Hills, the people who cheer and ring cowbells for those who finish and the undefinable feeling of having conquered – yourself, the terrain, the roads, the danged gravel – that swamps you at the end.

“I think the biggest thing that gets people excited about gravel is you’re

just out there in the middle of nowhere,” said Garret Seacat, of High Gear Cyclery in Emporia. “It’s just you and your bike in this big open prairie. You very rarely see cars. It’s a unique experience in the cycling world compared to other types of riding. There’ve been times I’ve ridden for hours and I never seen a car. Just a stray cow or horse here and there.”

When riders look at purchasing mounts for their phones on the front of their bikes, Seacat questions that decision. Part of gravel is being away.

“Why do you want that? Why do you want to be that connected that you see when your phone rings when you’re riding?” he wondered. “Put it in your pocket and put it on silent.”

That’s definitely part of gravel’s appeal, especially in the Flint Hills around Emporia that boast some of the last contiguous prairie lands in the country.

“Just about every state in the union has a gravel road somewhere, but nobody else has the Flint Hills,” said Jim Cummins, Dirty Kanza 200 executive director. “I’ll go to another similar race as a competitor and you’re out

there, in the country, but every quarter mile, there’s a farmhouse. When you get in the middle of the Flint Hills, we’ve got sections of our course where it’s 15 miles from ranch house to ranch house. Riders get out there who have never seen that before, and they’re really taken aback by it.”

It definitely contributes to the race atmosphere, Cummins said.

“They fall in love with it, and they want to come back, but it also really heightens the mental challenge of the event,” he said. “It’s one thing to be out on the gravel road and you’re always within sight of a farmhouse, but when you get out on the gravel road and there’s nothing there but hills and grass. You can’t even see the next sign of civilization other than the gravel road that you’re upon. It really makes you feel pretty small – and makes you realize that it’s up to you to get where you’re going.

“And I think that’s one thing that really adds to the challenge of Dirty Kanza,” Cummins said.

Gravel, in general, can kick a rider’s butt and leave them wondering what ridiculous decision-making

DK Magazine | 11

[Photo courtesy of Mathew Fowler]

“The sound of gravel – I like the sound of gravel.

I like the crunchiness.

As long as the rocks are crunchin’, I’m movin’ forward. I didn’t want to listen to music, I just wanted to hear that gravel crunching.”

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Wendy Davis

skills went into getting on that bike and setting off on a 200-mile race on gravel.

Just check out the hundreds of blog posts online detailing gravel events, and you’ll see photos of people whose skin changed colors under layers of dirt. People prostrate on the side of the road, face down and clearly fighting that internal battle about getting up and moving on.

“I went to a race in southern Kansas, and it was rainy and below freezing,” Seacat said. “We have this twisted sense of fun that we enjoy this. That’s what I think of – it’s bizarre that we love doing this so much. Most people are going in just to prove it to themselves compared to racing anybody else. It’s their sense of accomplishment.”

Shawn Honea, an Emporia cyclist, tackles the DK Half Pint. “The 100

mile is completely doable,” he said.

“200, oh my God, it’s a night and day difference. It’s a game-changer, especially to me because I am really more of a single track cyclist. I love when people think Kansas is ‘flat’ then later hearing them complain about having to pedal down hill because the winds will stop you if you don’t. What great place to ride.”

The challenges of any kind of bike racing – cyclocross, trail riding, gravel grinders, road biking – pile up, everything from time in the saddle to weather to sharp gravel that can lead to flat after flat after flat. It is in those trials that you find out who you are.

Kristopher Auer, from Baltimore, Md., will make his first appearance at the DK 200 this year. He’s raced for years, formerly as a professional, but gravel is going to take him “to a whole new level,” he said.

[Photo courtesy of Eric Benjamin]

“I grew up in a small farming community, so dirt roads are nothing new,” Auer said. “But gravel just adds that extra element to it. Even though I realize it’s a race and it’s competitive, it’s more being competitive with yourself. I expect the race to be intense, but, at the same time, I think the gravel takes the machismo out of it that you usually find in bike racing.”

Tim Ek, who is sponsored by Salsa Bicycles, made quite a stir after writing a blog about struggling through numerous flats in the DK 200 and pushing to race the sun. The blog can be found at timekchronicles. blogspot.com/2012/06/racing-kansas-sun.html.

Reading that post, which has been reprinted and generated a documentary, you waffle between wondering what in the world people see in gravel

and wanting to go find a bike and start riding right now.

Ek told about riding his first DK 200 when the temperature soared over 103 degrees. “It was one of the most excruciating events I’ve ever done, but I made it,” he said. “The conditions were so brutal that year, that it landed me a fifth place in the race. I finished in the dark. At one point, we laid down on the side of the road – I seriously thought I was dying.”

But he came back and did it again. Highs in the 90s, which he still didn’t like. He finished again, but as the years progressed, he dropped back in the field. So in 2012, he set out to place higher and ran a thinner tire.

“Fast-forward to my fifth flat and I was in what I figured was probably dead last place, and it was on a

road called Battle Creek Road that’s infamous in the race,” he said. “It feels like you’re riding in the creek bed. I kept getting sidewall cuts, because the flint rock would flip up and cut the sidewall. I was using the wax paper that he boots came stuck to, that’s how desperate I had gotten.

I was really considering quitting at that point because I was so far back.

Pretty soon nobody was coming by anymore.”

But he pushed on, determined to race the sun. And in his blog, he wrote, “My lights stayed off and I took one more glance over my shoulder to the setting sun and said, ‘gotchya.’ Into the finish and into Emporia’s open arms I rode.”

For more on the Race the Sun award spurred by Ek’s post and ride, see page 15.

DK Magazine | 13

M

y mental status was in a very bad place. Then it came to me. I flashed back to my early days of endurance racing when all I ever wanted to do was finish. I never had aspirations to be near the front of the race, those things have just come to me over time. I thought about why I do these things and the answer was and has always been, ‘to see what you’re made of.’

Just then everything turned and I was determined to see exactly what I was made of. …I would race the sun…”

— Blog by Tim Ek after he raced the DK 200 in 2012 timekchronicles.blogspot.com/2012/06/ racing-kansas-sun.html

After a tough day in the Flint Hills, Tim Ek finishes the Dirty Kanza 200 after dark. [Photo courtesy of Mathew Fowler]

Tim Ek’s determination to beat the setting sun inspires an award for riders

A

BY MORGAN CHILSON

decision, Ek said, did not go well for him. Or, maybe it did. The blog post that he shared after that tough, tough day spent on the roads of the Flint Hills launched the “Race the Sun” award at DK 200.

It also made him the subject of a documentary made by Salsa Bicycles, his sponsor, called “Racing the Sun.” The documentary is not yet available online for the general public, but it will premiere at the pre-race meeting for DK 200 cyclists, Ek said.

The 15-minute film and the award offered by the DK 200 for everyone who completes the race before the sun sets pays homage to one of the main reasons that Ek races.

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s cyclist Tim Ek typed those words . . .

“I would race the sun” . . . he probably was unaware of the impact they would have on the Dirty Kanza 200. The entire blog, raw in its honesty and he fought flat after flat, was stung by a bee and struggled to maintain a positive mental attitude, spoke to everyone who’s ever faced any kind of battle.

Ek rode the DK 200 several times before 2012, but after a fifth-place finish in one of the first years, he was dropping in the ranks and made the decision that he wanted to place higher. He made the decision, Ek said, to run a thinner tire to pick up some speed.

He traded durability for speed. That

Prints of the engraving being created by artist James Ehlers will be given to riders who finish the Dirty Kanza 200 before the sun sets.

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[Photo courtesy of Dustin Michelson]

[Photo courtesy of Dustin Michelson]

“That’s kind of what drove me to it – to see what happens to me when I know I can’t do anymore,” he said. “When I’ve gone as far as I can go, what will I do when there’s no choice but to keep going? It comes down to this kind of raw black and white – you don’t really have a lot of options here but to push beyond what you’ve ever pushed beyond.”

That day – beat down by so many flats that he was patching sidewall cuts with the paper that his boot patches came on – Ek pushed.

“I went deeper. I came out on top when it seemed so impossible,” he said. “That feeling is just pretty special. Also – and it sounds corny, but honestly true – is just that it becomes something much more than riding your bike from the starting line to the finish line. Something kind of happens to you out there, when you realize the grandness of what you’re in the middle of, and the basic form that it all takes when you’re in the middle of it and you feel so exhausted. It becomes almost like this spiritual experience.”

To give those riders who “race the sun” a special gift for winning their fight, DK 200 race organizers offered a special engraving print starting last year. It was designed by James Ehlers, an Emporia State University professor in the engraving arts program.

“I can remember where I was when they initially pitched it to me,” Ehlers said. “As soon as they talked to me about it – it’s kind of odd – I knew right on the spot what I wanted to do.”

Ehlers created a design for 2013 that included scrollwork traditional to engraving work and yet was simple, incorporating sun rays and a sunflower that evokes Kansas.

“They just told me to try and make something nice. They didn’t micro-manage me at all,” Ehlers said of the race organizers. “It was kind of flattering that they would invest that much trust in me.”

He has just completed the design that will grace the engraving for this year’s DK 200 “Race the Sun” winners. But it’s under wraps until the race.

On his blog, Ehlers thanked ESU for supporting the project, particularly President Michael Shonrock, who was supportive of creating the print. The first edition size was 250, which Ehlers said was the largest he’s made. Students helped with the printing process, and Ehlers donated a portion of his fee toward Frogman’s Scholarships.

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18 | DK Magazine

THERE’S A BUTT’R FOR THAT...

Chamois cream is a staple for Dirty Kanza

Written By Ben Fitch

DK Magazine | 19

[Photo courtesy of Dustin Michelson]

T

he Dirty Kanza could be compared to life: it’s a great ride, but sometimes it’s a real pain in the butt.

Given the extreme heat, unforgiving terrain, dehydration and possible exhaustion, the type of person who commits to the DK’s intense gravel grind will have one predominate complaint whether they win or lose, and even those who finish first will be bringing up the rear.

Luckily, there is solace for the weary cyclist: Chamois Butt’r (pronounced “shammy butter”) is a cream that many cyclists will be using. It was developed by Steve Mathews in the late 1980s and served as the catalyst for the establishment of his company, Paceline Products, in 1993.

About 30 men and women riders will be sponsored by Chamois Butt’r in the DK this year. They will be fully supported with kits containing food, water and butt’r.

The product has experienced wide-spread success and national renown over the past two decades. Paceline Products went from selling around 1,500 units of Chamois Butt’r a year from its inception to hundreds of thousands currently.

Consumers might recognize the juxtapose purple and yellow colors that accompany packaging for Chamois Butt’r. So, what is it?

“You know, it’s butter for your chamois,” Mathews said.

Despite the product’s ability to gracefully comply with cycling nomenclature, it is more aptly referred to as “butt butter” by cyclists in general. Mathews was being modest, of course.

Chamois Butt’r, in its most basic form, is cream for your butt to keep it from chafing.

That doesn’t make it any less important as a tool in a cyclist’s arsenal, especially on long rides.

For those who aren’t cyclists, you’ll surely recognize a chamois as a soft leather cloth that you use to dry off your car after a wash. That same material has been traditionally inserted as a pad into cycling shorts to help reduce chafing and general discomfort caused by saddle friction.

The chamois is no longer made of leather, but it still requires some kind of lubrication during long rides to prevent terrible atrocities such as saddle sores. That’s where Chamois Butt’r comes in. The ardent cyclist applies the cream to either the inside of their shorts or directly to the skin to lubricate.

“When it gets really hot and you’re sitting on a bike pedaling, you can experience problems,” said Mathews.

The battle between seat and sitter hasn’t just begun, though. In fact, the drive to find a comfortable solution has spurred continuous innovation and experimentation with textures, fabrics, creams and seams.

For a long time, since about a century ago — the same time when the front wheel of a bicycle was greatly disproportionate to the back — cyclists were wearing shorts made of wool. Naturally, an alternative was demanded and sought out. Alternative fabrics ultimately caused skin irritation, so the tradition of using a soft leather patch began.

20 | DK Magazine

[Photo courtesy of Dustin Michelson]

The ideal material was soft leather harvested from the hide of a goat-antelope species called the “chamois” that lives in various European mountain ranges. Compared to other materials, chamois leather is absorbent and reduces friction.

It is common practice with leather, however, to moisten and work the material to prevent it from becoming hard as a rock: the opposite of what one wants on a long bike ride.

That’s where the tradition of using a chamois cream started; the fact that a cream served to soothe and lubricate knickers happened to be a nice side effect that cyclists surely thought was their best kept secret.

Like all best kept secrets, though, it was only a matter of time before someone had the mind to capitalize.

Mathews began biking when wool shorts and leather chamois were still a reality.

“You had to put stuff on there,” he said. “They made cod liver-based stuff that didn’t smell very good and it was really greasy. It was great for conditioning leather and it really was a pretty good lubricant.”

Well, a leather conditioner and lubricant was all that Mathews really

[Photo courtesy of Dustin Michelson]

wanted. That was until he washed a pair of his biking shorts with a load of laundry that happened to include his wife’s delicate clothing.

She was not pleased, Mathews said.

Alas, the innovative drive was revived to find a non-oil based and odorless chamois cream — a cream that would serve to protect all kinds of “delicates.”

The trick was to develop a product that was water-based. In the beginning, there wasn’t a market for any kind of chamois cream. After

all, the typical chamois was no longer made of leather, and cyclists were using other non-specific products like Vaseline and Noxzema to reduce saddle friction.

Mathews is a physical therapist by profession, graduating from Kansas University in 1982. While his tinkering with a cream started out as a hobby, it eventually developed into an outlet for him to apply his knowledge.

In 1988, he began mixing experimental topical creams in five-gallon buckets that he would hand out to

cyclists at no charge. Over the next few years, Mathews learned a few things while making concoctions: hand creams were too thin, Noxzema was too much of a drying agent and Vaseline was too greasy.

Mathews eventually went back to the drawing board and started buying raw ingredients. He formulated the perfect recipe.

“Then it got too expensive to give away because people kept calling, so we started selling it,” Mathews said.

In 1993, Paceline Products was incorporated as a business and began manufacturing Chamois Butt’r for real.

“My intent was to develop the product and then sell it to somebody,” Mathews said. “Nobody was interested in it at all.”

That was then, though. Since, interest in a chamois cream as a lucrative investment has increased — it’s possibly a tribute to the success that Mathews has experienced with his company. Either way, he’s had several offers from prospective buyers, he said. There isn’t an intention to sell the product, though, as Mathews enjoys product development too much.

DK Magazine | 21

[Photo courtesy of Dustin Michelson]

22 | DK Magazine

The company is also bringing in between $1 and $5 million annually, so that helps.

Several spin-off products have been developed since Chamois Butt’r first began experiencing wide-spread success. Other products include a ‘Her’ Chamois Butt’r with a neutral PH balance, a eurostyle butt’r containing menthol, sports wash, kit wash and embrocation.

Product development is a meticulous process at Paceline, and races like the Dirty Kanza are perfect opportunities to test ideas.

“We develop products, get them through the development stage, and we have both the riders and the trainers for those teams give us feedback,” Mathews said. “The DK is a really good example.

If it worked for somebody who is doing 200 miles in one day, it’s going to work for anybody.”

Adam Trunnell is an employee at Sunflower Bike Shop in Lawrence, one of the first retail locations to start carrying Chamois Butt’r.

Trunnell has worked at Sunflower for just over a year, but he’s been using Chamois Butt’r for longer; most typically for rides that are 40 miles or more.

Trunnell says the product is popular with customers. Over the summer he traveled with his family to Michigan and found some time to do some biking. When he encountered the need for some Chamois Butt’r, he stopped at a small cycling shop, amazed, he said, to find what he was looking for.

“That’s really the measuring stick for other brands out there that I’ve used,” he said. “I think it easily stacks up against any of the others.”

Trunnell said the Sunflower Bike Shop will order a case of nine tubes, as well as anywhere from 50 to 70 single-use packets in the spring, and place three or four more orders before the fall.

Mathews’ original product continues to be his bread and butt’r. It’s hard to explain the passion that necessitates a solution to chafing because a cyclist just can’t bare to not be on a bicycle. Maybe that’s why Paceline’s tagline is “Passionate for Cycling.”

Mathews says it’s freedom, and it’s a challenge.

“Can I get from point A to point B without a car? You’re challenging yourself to do something where you don’t know whether you can do it or not, and you are doing it completely on your own,” he said. “It’s the wind in your hair and the breeze on your face, but unfortunately your muscles get tired and your butt gets sore.”

Chamois Butt’r will be a necessary component for riders in the DK because of the length of the race, the heat and general jarring that a bicycle will encounter over gravel.

“It definitely takes a certain type of person,” Trunnell said. “It’s a defect in the cyclist brain that confuses pain with pleasure so that the more you suffer, the happier you are.”

It’s like life after all: it’s a great ride, but sometimes it’s a real pain in the butt — good thing there’s a butt’r for that.

[Photo courtesy of Dustin Michelson]

[Photo courtesy of Dustin Michelson]

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DK Magazine | 23

NUTRITION

it long t w o h arre ce, stan g,” said G and i d ria idin g on ndin you’re r in Empo u can e p e o d hard h. “Y clery ies, ’re calor and how Gear Cy ed Coac , so you r r fi i o h u s t g o r e i h H Ce ing f tak t, of Cycling es an cit. Fuel most i a r c o l a ca Se A defi ng the a US in a t 300 i also at abou ally get mak e n to u t ear, w y n l o e n o ev igh G ng es d o t H m t g o a lly c pari goin erts K rea alories.” ther exp p on pre rs to D e c h o o ce t 0 h orks ith ra , with at 30 an of th cat, who tional w works w eed for n l l Sea informa e race, wi an dies e th nffers DK befor their bo . o ng co t i t s a t a e e e a a il Kanz for th stand wh f 200 m lot as an ike,” Seac o a Dirty three r b e e K ’s c a d r D a a r n e un d st ye en o to th ance s an . ery ndur e to refer to happ trition. on la 12 hour e course e r the v ir e d s u t i h k e m s r n i n t l n o a e f i l l fr “I st p o to the nish r, the d on faste t hap ortance start off to fuel rst a h t The ed the fi t pedale iders late ria after imp t riders teps in the fi t test f the a e firs ate s red r mpo cross aid o ritical th ppropri els right from tha 200 es after h ee hund de into E s t e m o e. hr It’s c taking a who fu benefit rt th minu re than t he race r n his bik the botto t ur son ng to e sta one t o l s , r o i l h h 0 p e s Mo s c 1 o t p i e y rs e d oi Pe fin op yc nut g fi dies. “ Th ours is g our 18. riding an ip of the t ever 6 mi on to h o s t h pers rs and 4 placed in the race, y, pushin , b r a f 5 a r1 a eo y st y ken h ou oupl ome hou and the ven’t ta 20 h ether the e to finis ills that d c a tH Wh en’t abl ying ited, ey h eat c e Flin it. es pa ent gr very exc ealize th ” er h k t w a r h 10 o t throug o the lim riding m quirem race n, they r ny food. t e i h a re foug her body nduranc bsolute hour or eaten g e a r r f n i o e n o o a his wat k ind tion u’re g That to nutri ly yo o 12,000 l a c i p t tion K , ty 000 atten cess. he D ries – 7, t n i c o e u for s compet 8,000 cal “ To lose to rn c to bu

24 | DK Magazine

n ilso n Ch orga

By M

G N I L E U F BODY E H T

BUILDING THE BODY FOR THE NEXT RIDE As a USA Cycling Certified Coach, Garret Seacat of High Gear Cyclery in Emporia gets to talk with numerous cyclists at different stages in their pursuit of the sport.

There are two mistakes he sees riders make as he works with them on training for endurance races like the DK 200: “The biggest mistake I see in all training is people don’t recover,” Seacat said. “They just go go go go go. They can’t figure out why they’re not getting better.”

It’s important to give your body time to rebuild and that means structuring training to build and work hard for three or four weeks, and then take a week of “very easy riding.”

“Once you know energy systems, how your body

works, it can be applied to almost any sport this same way – just knowing what that sport demands and giving it the correct workout,” Seacat said.

The second biggest mistake he sees is that people don’t eat correctly, even on short training rides. If they can only grab an hour in the middle of the week, they’ll ride hard and often carry just a bottle of water. “What they don’t realize is they’re going to go out there and burn 700 or 800 calories, maybe even more than that,” he said.

“You come home and you don’t put any food back in your system, and your body’s in a deficit. That’s okay for one ride, but over time, you build those deficits and you just can’t get out of it.”

“You’re fueling for tomorrow, not so much for today, on short rides,” Seacat said.

DK Magazine | 25

ese o th e t n c i e g ur tr goin ke s eaca that e to ma es of ur, S rams of o h t h i p y v 75 g led w ever nt t y for e u ha rugg ted. “Yo n differe at you’v ories ut 50 to ater, and , t l s a c e i t v i o h 0 m ’ I 0 g b w u “ w m i at 3 in a s of sod tak in e ad k of Of th s taking 0 ounce rams of es,” h ting and ’t get sic c a ught g 3 r i d l l to en ea on mi at.

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Rider Matthew Makarwicz celebrates as he finishes the Dirty Kanza Half Pint.

[Photo courtesy of Mathew Fowler]

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26 | DK Magazine

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DK Magazine | 27

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WOMEN

COUGARS On Gravel

By Wendy Davis

[Photo courtesy of Kim Morris/kimmorris.com]

I

you. Pedaling small circles can save your life. Riding my bike has saved me many times from going off the deep end. My husband quickly realized that it made me a happier person on days I rode so he fully supported it. Happy wife = happy life.

It turns out that there is significant research stating that any mild or moderate form of exercise will release “feel good” endorphins that help to counter stress and make you happier. Spinning the wheels has also boosted my self confidence, which has poured over into many areas of my life. For instance, I am no longer afraid to walk into a room full of people I don’t know.

The bike can bring you great things. If you ride frequently you will reap some incredible benefits. Riding is a huge mood booster. I have left mad as hell and come back singing, It’s amazing. Meeting like-minded people is a huge benefit. You can get the down-low, find a riding buddy, and stay accountable when you are surrounded by like-minded folks. Going outside, taking in some sunlight and getting some fresh air in your lungs is part of being healthy.

Did you know that regular exercise can help with depression, help you lose weight, and lower your blood pressure. With all of these positives to having a bike how can you not own one?

[Photo courtesy of Eric Benjamen]

There are a few things to remember before you head out. Some bike rides will be easy with everything going in your favor. The weather is wonderful, your “legs” are ready to take some QOM’s on Strava, and your bike is running smooth as the day you bought it. You will need to remember those days when you are on a challenging ride that leaves you wondering if you have been punk’d.

Flats and mechanicals will suck the life out of any ride and unexpected weather is awful while it’s happening but neither experience is the end of the world. Adapting to these types of experiences forces you to grow and take care of yourself. Remember, if you are riding solo you are all you’ve got. These opportunities allow you to learn more about yourself, find out who you really are and what you have inside you.

You know the saying “you are stronger than you think you are”, well YOU ARE! It’s entirely true but you have to push your limits, boundaries, and comfort levels to find out what you are truly capable of.

Have I sold you? Are you ready to take the plunge?

Very simply…Ladies (and gentlemen), I highly suggest you purchase a bike, let it mold you into a better human, a healthier human, a happier human. Buy a ride that fits, grab a helmet, Chamois Butt’r up and go ride. Ride often. Give your bike a name.

Let it take you places, adventure around. Ask any cyclist, the best way to see the world is by bike.

DK Magazine | 29

n my opinion I think there are enough men on bikes. I believe the world needs more women, more cougars. Indulge me for a moment and allow me to explain why I feel this way. I bet you a beer you will agree with me before you finish reading. If you were to type the word “cougar” into the Google bar, two things come up…

MANY photos of women over age forty, complete with memes, who prefer the company of much younger men and several beautiful photos of a mountain lion type cat. Being the happily married 45-year-old woman I am, this article will be steering toward the latter. I believe a rider must have a “cougar” mentality in order to conquer the Dirty Kanza 200.

For starters, did you know that cougars can adapt quickly to their surroundings? They can choose to run with the pack or survive solo.

Being able to survive and adapt to whatever Kansas throws at you will play heavily in your finishing factor. Next, cougars have exceptionally powerful legs. They can jump 30 feet from standing still and quietly slip 15 feet up a wall before you can blink. Finishing a 200 plus mile gravel ride is going to take some strong legs and tough spirit. Also, cougars are extremely patient animals. They have a stalk-and-wait type of approach. It’s going to be a long day in the saddle no matter who you might be; elite riders finish around 12/13 hours, with back of the pack riders taking up to 22 hours. My two DK finishes were around the 19 hr mark, I had to have the patience of a saint.

Lastly, a cougar can rip apart its prey with its claws and drag prey larger than itself due to an extremely powerful jaw. So, you can see where I am going with this. Cougars are an incredibly strong and patient breed.

The Premiere Endurance Gravel Race, also known as the Dirty Kanza 200 filled up very quickly this year. The field limit was reached in both the DK 200 and the DK 100 “half pint”, totaling over 1200 participants! Which just goes to show ”if you build it they will come.”

Jim Cummins and Co. have done a wonderful job developing this race. It’s hard to put into words what it feels like to be present within a massive amount of cyclists, like-minded brothers and sisters of the bike. It’s a quite a sight to see as we all gather and take over the small town of Emporia.

While registering for the race I was thrilled to see that the powers that be had separated the womens category. There was now a thirty-nine and under category and a forty and over. Isn’t that cool? I thought so too – for about five seconds – I would still be riding against Rebecca Rausch. Coming back to reality I couldn’t help but smile at the thought that thirty-six women signed up in the forty and over. HellsYeah! That’s incredible since that is more than the total amount of women who signed up for the DK last year. Astounding! The thirty-nine and under category features just over a dozen riders. Seeing that made me smile, ahhhh gravel babies. These are the women who will grow the sport. Isn’t it awesome that they have some older gravel girls to mentor them? I thought so too.

You see… with age comes wisdom. I have been riding for six years now and am always happy to share what I have learned so far. Some things were learned the hard way, I refer to those as character builders. However, most of my riding information was obtained from awesome cyclists who shared their experiences with me. The best thing I learned was the fact that I could make cycling mine, I could fit it however I wanted in my life. I have the choice to pick an adventure requiring a backpack full of food and H2O or go on a simple pedal to the store or restaurant for dinner.

I also found that every bike ride doesn’t have to be epic, yet every ride is important to my well being. Riding has forced me to slow down and become more aware of my surroundings. Those two wheels has helped me rekindle an incredible relationship with the outdoors, I feel like a kid again. I try and breathe it all in and just can’t get enough. Riding a bike has helped me grow as a person by allowing me to become a better, a healthier human. Who doesn’t want all of that?

The choice is up to you. Riding a bike can be a very positive way to deal with all of the “you gotta be kidding me” stuff life throws at

WOMEN

DK Magazine takes a look at women riders telling their own story about the grueling race and why they ride it

IN HER OWN WORDS

By Morgan Chilson

JAIME WATTS “My riding began in 2009 as a means to cope with grief.

My mother was losing a hard fought battle with colon cancer and our family was devastated to watch her slow and painful decline. A friend suggested that I should do things I enjoyed most as a child to help deal with this heartache. And so I began riding the 1982 steel touring bike Mom bought me as a teenager.

30 | DK Magazine

At first I would ride ten miles to Mom and Dad’s house to help with chores. Soon I began riding every day I could as a way to just clear my mind. Each week I rode farther and further than the last. In 2010 I rode a Metric Century on that old bike to raise money for Roswell Park, the cancer hospital that helped Mom fight so bravely. Mom’s journey ended a few weeks after that ride, but I carry her memory in my heart as I follow my own path.

Last year I rode over 4,000 miles in ten states on different bicycles that I now own. But my most favorite rides are still taken on a 1982 Univega on a local back country road.” — Jaime Watts

Jaime Watts of Claremore, Okla., took to the roads of her hometown in New York out of sheer frustration with her helplessness and as an escape. As her mother battled colon cancer for five years, she found solace in the sound of wheels on pavement.

The impetus for her first bike ride was to support the experimental cancer hospital in Buffalo, N.Y., that took such good care of her mother.

“I trained for the Metric Century that year on my old steel bike,” she recalled.

It was a bike given to her by her mother.

“When I first started out, I could barely make it 10 miles.”

After her mother died, Watts continued to ride, pedaling out the grief and frustration with a world that felt out of her control. “I think for me, at that point, I had developed a community of friends, and it was just something that I did,” she said.

When she moved to Oklahoma, it was easy to make friends in the biking community. Although she has purchased other bikes, she still runs the 1982 steel bike – her mother’s gift – on her trainer.

Watts tackled her first gravel grinder in March, riding 107 miles in Stillwater, Okla.

“I’ve done several centuries on the road. I’ve never ridden on gravel on anything,” she said. “It was awesome. Oh my God, it was just amazing.”

Watts signed up for the 56-mile ride in Stillwater, but a guy riding near her said, “You look like you’re having such a good time, you should just do the hundred.” So she did.

Watts had to ration her food and water, which she brought for a shorter race, and the rider who encouraged her shared his food at the checkpoint.

Gravel opened up a new experience in bike racing for Watts. “I think for me, you get on the road, and you get almost hypnotized. You’ve got hills to climb, of course, but there the terrain would change from hard-packed clay to loose sand, to big chunky gravel. You had to really watch your trail line. I came home and I downloaded my ride segments. I think my peak speed on a downhill was 36, which I never would have done if I was paying attention.”

But she was exhilarated after the ride, and even caught herself thinking that she wished she signed up for the full 200 miles at DK. She’s planning to do the 100-mile race.

“To me, it’s almost like . . . the sport’s almost kind of reinvented, in a way,” Watts said.

The hours on her bike have become a lifestyle for Watts – not just a hobby or an activity. Her circle of friends has become made of people who bike; she plans vacations around biking. She and her sister, who is a runner, talk about the different ways of viewing the world.

“We call it levels of granularity,” Watts said. “You can drive a car through the Flint Hills, which I’ve done, and it’s beautiful, right? You can ride a bike and now all of a sudden, you’re at a different elevation, a different speed. My sister runs, and takes it down to a micro-level. You’re there and you’re seeing things that I’m not going to see even on a bike.”

WENDY DAVIS “I was 38 years old when I hopped on the bike. My first ride ended in an ER visit but did not dampen my spirit or keep me from trying again. I quickly found that the more I rode my bike the better human I became, so I continued and started riding long distances.

I saw a blurb about the DK and made it a goal.

My first attempt in 2010 was thwarted by Mother Nature. However, my next two DK’s resulted in finishes near the 19-hour mark; I am not speedy but I will get it done.

This year I am back at age 45 thrilled to be representing Chamois Butt’r and bringing a goal of 17 hours. I keep coming back because I love the challenge, Kansas is absolutely beautiful (so are the people) and should be seen by bike, and I love to be around that many like-minded people. Positive energy overload! I have met friends for life during the DK weekend too. I will never forget my gravel angels nor the folks I struggled with to cross the line. I have to tell you that the journey/training to get to the DK has transformed me into a strong, healthy woman. My self esteem and confidence have improved so much that I am ready to pursue my dream as a writer.

Yay for bikes! Yay for the DK!” — Wendy Davis

GILLIAN FORSYTH “I wasn’t very sporty growing up but in my late 20’s found enjoyment in mountain biking. I entered 24-hour MTB and adventure team races. At 30 I was side-lined with a diagnosis of Type-1 diabetes.

I was losing weight and craving sweets as my body was getting energy from breaking down my fat and muscle tissue. I had classic symptoms including frequent urination and unquenchable thirst. I was energy starved.

I live with this disease which requires constant self-medicating and regulating. It is complicated and affected by regular occurrences such as stress, illness, exercise, carb counting and adrenaline.

However, I was not going to let it ruin my life. I began running marathons it seemed easiest for blood sugar control. Eventually I discovered longcourse triathlon which requires a different regime of insulin for each discipline.

SARA BILHIMER

“Then I felt 38 for like a minute,” she said. “I was so mad. I wanted a do-over. I only made it a mile and a half. I had to wait like three and a half months before I could get back on the bike.”

She spent the down time educating herself about the sport, and before she hit the road again, her husband took her to a bike shop and bought her a professional bike.

And she began riding. And riding. And riding.

“It was just so fun,” Davis said.

“I’ve had many spills since then.

Blood, sweat and tears. But it’s made me a better person, and those are so few and far between that it just didn’t matter.”

Davis will be 45 when she crosses the starting line at the DK 200 this year. She spends a lot of time on her bike thinking about life . . . or at least it seems so, because it’s easy to just sit and listen to the wisdom she spills, all with that joyful lilt to her voice.

“I ride because it puts me back together again.”

“I am riding the Kanza because I am a quitter. I should clarify. Six months ago I was lost. I was 23, teaching French 110 to college freshman, and knee-deep in 19th century French Romanticism. I was overworked, uninspired, and miserable.

Six months ago I quit grad school. All I really wanted was wake up in the morning and not feel stretched thin. I wanted to feel whole again.

Leaving academia feels shameful. I thought that maybe this meant I was lazy, that I was weak, that I didn’t care about asking the basic questions that are central to the humanities. Like, what does it mean to be a human being?

I ride because it puts me back together again. I’m riding the Kanza to prove to myself that I can finish something I thought I couldn’t do. If I can do one more mile, ten more, twenty more, a hundred- then maybe I can be stronger than I thought possible.

I grew up on gravel roads, and I think they are a prime place to show what you are made of. Which is really the same question I was trying to answer in grad school- who am I?” — Sara Bilhimer

DK Magazine | 31

For a new challenge I entered the Leadville 100 MTB race. On top of having to train in the flat mid-west and learning to mountain bike again it brought a new level of complexity to diabetes management; the distance; adrenaline and elevation were factors to consider. “ — Gillian Forsyth

Wendy Davis’s pure joy in life reverberates through her voice and even sitting on a telephone in a different state, it’s not hard to imagine a wide smile and probably the constant movements of a person with places to go and things to do.

Most of those things involve a bike. Davis found her way to biking at age 38 after the unexpected blessing of having a daughter she never expected to have. She was told no more children after her son was born.

And then. . . a miracle happened.

As she went through her pregnancy, Davis would see her husband, a mountain biker, come in from the road with a s*!&-eating grin on his face.

“When my daughter was finally born, I looked over at her and I thought, ‘What a gift.’ I wanted to become a better person and a role model for her,” Davis said. “When she was about 15 months old, I hopped on a bike. It was a beginner’s ride. I’m about a mile in and I’ve got that same smile. I’m so happy.

The wind’s blowing in my hair, and all of a sudden, I didn’t feel 38. I didn’t feel like a wife. I didn’t feel like a mom. I felt like just a girl.”

Of course, on that first ride, Davis said, “I launched over a cliff and broke my elbow.”

IN HER OWN WORDS JENNY WISE-COOK “The kid didn’t even make eye contact with me. His vision was focused somewhere down the road beyond the direction that I was coming from and then he started to pull out. I had

32 | DK Magazine

three, maybe four seconds to minimize

March 16, 2013. My story starts here.

At 51, in my mind, time was limited and my athletic highlights were going to have to be made in these next few months. I had big plans for the 2013 triathlon season and had been rehabbing relentlessly to get beyond a fractured hip and torn labrum from the previous year. Everything was getting dialed back in. My speed on the track was the fastest it had ever been. I had clocked a 5:30 mile and wasn’t even peaking yet. This was going to be my year. But the universe had other plans for me, and now looking back, the way that everything played out, it was perfect.

what I knew was going to be a hard

When the physical therapist told me

impact and they played out slowly as

that the massive whiplash would

I tried to swerve around to the rear

prevent me from running for the

of his car and maybe into the ditch.

duration of the season, I felt a piece of

There was nowhere else to go and

me dying. Running was my identity,

then the explosion of glass and debri.

what I was good at. This was about

Then silence.

more than just another down season,

at my age this meant declining times and not being able to see what 2013 could have been. Each year presented new obstacles to getting this body honed to race in a way I knew was still possible. So this was it. After hours and hours of work. It was over.

I mourned hard for about 24 hours before coming to the realization that I was not going to sit out another season. I would find another way and Dirty Kanza was appearing on my radar, growing larger and larger as the hours ticked by. The therapist did tell me that I could ride a bike. By that, I don’t think he meant that riding in the Dirty Kanza would be a great idea (and I think I conveniently forgot to mention that to him).

This decision proved to be one of the most important ones of my life. Way more important than any trophy, medal or cash prize could ever be.”

— Jenny Wise-Cook

Good Luck to all riders!

DK Magazine | 33

34 | DK Magazine

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DK Magazine | 35

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Dirty Kanza 200 Rider Checklist

36 | DK Magazine

1. Hydration System 2. Energy/Food 3. Sunscreen 4. Headlights 5. Phone Number of Someone With an F-150.

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First-time rider Mark Orton of Broken Arrow, Okla., spent many of his biking years as a professional mountain bike racer. Last year, he decided to find something that would increase his endurance.

What he found was gravel racing.

“One of the things I like about the gravel is you can get out and do roadside miles and not worry about cars,” he said. “You get to see the countryside. I really liked it.”

As a USA Cycling Coach and the owner and head coach of Speedworks Coaching, Orton ought to know just what to do to get ready for a 200mile gravel race. And he does know. But coaching yourself isn’t quite like coaching others.

“I have been coaching myself, and it’s been tough,” he admitted.

“With my job, I’ve been traveling a lot. Knowing that I have this coming up, I’m actually in Charleston, S.C., right now. I packed my road bike and I”ve been trying to get out as much as possible. I got in about 40 miles today. I did a 102-mile gravel race two weeks ago, and my body wasn’t ready for it. I know I’ve got some work to go. Within the next month to a month and a half, I’ll get to the point where I’m doing some back to back 100s on weekends just to start getting myself ready.”

Up until last year, he’d only ridden 100 miles three other times.

“Distance and endurance definitely weren’t my thing,” he said. “It’s been a fun experience trying to push myself and seeing how much more capable my body was of doing things than I thought it was.”

Finding time to get in the saddle is always tough when you’re training.

Orton has three kids who are playing baseball, soccer and t-ball with all the practices and games those entail.

Oftentimes, he’ll find himself on the trainer at 8:30 at night, trying to get in two hours and doing specific, targeted workouts. “When you don’t have a lot of time to train, you have to make sure you are making the most specific use of your time,” Orton said.

“As a coach, I sit there and I analyze it and I write out my plan,” he added. “But it’s how often I stick to the plan. I’m the worst client I’ve got right now. It actually is a lot easier when you have a coach helping you that isn’t you.

You’re accountable to somebody.”

Having never ridden 200 miles, Orton is planning to get in a few 150-plus mile rides leading up to the race. “But I’m pretty sure that will be my first 200,” he admitted. “The distance is going to be the biggest thing.

Mentally, you get into it and you really have to focus on keeping those negative thoughts out and letting the positive ones in – just not doing anything stupid.”

Orton had a new bike built and expected to get it in mid-March. He races for Twin Sticks Metal and Form Cycles in Sedona made the prototype bike, he said. He’s still deciding what tires to run, and plans on visiting the Emporia area to try some out before making a final decision.

For now, he’s spending as much time as he can riding. And he’s set a goal.

“I think this year, really what I would like to do is beat the sun,” Orton said. “I’ve got guys that I ride with that have placed in the half pint. I just don’t know if I’m capable of doing it this year over that distance. I haven’t done this before, so let’s see how it is first. I’ll pace myself well and see how it goes.”

MARK ORTON

Preparing for the Dirty Kanza and 200 miles on the Flint Hills gravel roads can be daunting. Nutrition, getting in shape physically and mentally, and just finding the time to ride, ride, ride. We talked to some first-time riders about what they’re doing to get ready for the race.

DK Magazine | 37

JIM BELFORD First-time rider

38 | DK Magazine

Jim Belford of Emporia got his first “serious” bike last June and this year, he signed up for the 200-mile Dirty Kanza.

“I did 107 miles last week (the Stillwater, Okla., Land Run). That was the longest that I had done,” he said. “I really went down there specifically as a dress rehearsal for the DK. Well, I can still walk and after 800 mg of ibuprofen, I felt pretty good.”

Even though he lives in Emporia, Belford said he was “late to the DK buzz.” Two young daughters play traveling softball and so he had missed all of the race weekends. Then last year, despite the urge to stay in bed, he got himself up to go to the starting line.

“I thought, ‘Man, these guys are absolutely nuts,’ and then I decided I wanted to join ’em,” Belford said, laughing.

He bought a bike and started biking a little with no real aspirations of riding the DK. But after putting some miles on the bike, “it felt like I needed a goal, and that was it.”

He’s riding five or six times a week, and is tackling the race with organization. “I’ve created just a kind of an outline or a plan on an Excel spreadsheet and just kind of knock ‘em out,” Belford said. “Right now, I’m riding about 130 miles or so a week. I’m hoping I’ll get up to around 350 to 400 miles a week a couple of weeks prior to the DK.” He spent a lot of time on his trainer this winter, watching TV and spinning his legs, Belford said.

Like many bikers, he hates the trainer.

“The only thing that I could do was just sit and watch a basketball game,” he said. “I did quite a bit of that. When the games on and when the commercials are on, I would use those as timing points for how hard I’d ride. What they’d like for you to do is work really, really hard for like 8 minutes, and then slow down for maybe half of that, and then go hard again, and then slow down. I would use the TV timeouts in the basketball games.”

The Stillwater race gave him a good idea of what it would be like to tackle the DK 200.

“The first thing I said to my wife at the finish line in Stillwater, was ‘I couldn’t do that ride again, which is what it would take for the DK,’” Belford said. “That’s the first thing I said. Your back is sore, your legs are tired, you’re irritable from bouncin’ around on gravel all day. I don’t think I could do it again. I know there’s an awful lot of work yet to be done.”

Belford is studying up on nutrition and trying to learn as much as he can talking to experienced riders.

“That’s kind of an advantage of being here because so many locals have at least tried it and they know what works and what’s failed,” he said. “I’m kind of drawing on their knowledge of what to try and what not to try. On the bike, I use a product called Hammer, which is made specifically for events like that. It’s liquid fuel; you don’t chew it, you drink it. My bike computer has a timer on it that I use as a reminder. Every 30 minutes the alarm goes off on the bike computer and I know that it’s time to eat and that just really amounts to grabbing one of the water bottles full of nutrition.”

Belford’s wife was his support at Stillwater, and they were both surprised at how fast the racers zipped in and out of the stops. He had planned no longer than 15-minute stops, but other riders were in and out of there in minutes. “Like the Tasmanian devil, they come in and they’re just throwing stuff off their bikes and reloading,” Belford said. “It’s like a NASCAR pit crew.”

“I’m nowhere near that,” he added. “My wife asked me before what my goals are, and they’re not to hurt anybody is the first one. Not to fall down in front of somebody and knock them out of the race. Do no harm. And then just not embarrass myself.”

He may not be setting lofty goals, but Belford is determined to show up and ride that gravel. It’s become an integral part of his life.

“There’s a certain tranquility that kind of happens out there, when you’re 30 miles from nowhere, and even further from anywhere, that you just kind of feel like it’s just you and the world,” Belford said. “It’s kind of a cool feeling. Sometimes, we have music on in our ears, and sometimes not; sometimes it just kind of feels good or sounds good to hear the gravel crunching under the tires and roll out in the middle of nowhere hearing the wind blow in your ears. That feeling of being out and being one with God and one with Nature – it’s kind of a cool thing.”

First-time rider

KRISTOPHER AUER Kristopher Auer owns Twenty 20 Cycling Co. in Baltimore, Md. Like many other first-timers signed up for the DK 200, he’s ridden some gravel but nothing of this magnitude.

And although he gets to be around bikes all day, and talk to others who love the sport like he does, it’s pretty challenging to get on his bike enough to get prepared for such an endurance race.

“Owning a bike shop is one of the best ways to not ride a bike,” Auer admitted.

“I’m putting some extra time in when I can, as often as I can. Whereas in the past, getting an hour a day in might have been acceptable, now I’m kind of pushing myself out there a little earlier in the morning before work, trying to get a couple of hours, two or three.”

Auer races cyclocross and rode through January for that, but it’s shorter than what he’s facing in Kansas. “It’s training, but it’s not preparation for a 200-mile race,” he said. “I’ve raced a long time and used to do it professionally, but the longest race I’ve done was about 140 miles. This is going to take it to a whole new level for me.

“I certainly have goals, but finishing is the main one,” he added.

Auer isn’t spending much time worrying about the weather, acknowledging that every community has some form of the joke “wait awhile and it’ll change.”

But the heat would probably be a bigger challenge for him than wind or rain, he said.

“If it’s wet, I’m okay with it. Rain may just make it something less forgettable.

If it’s windy, I would rather it not be, that’s for sure. We don’t crack a hundred too often in Maryland, a few times a year,” Auer said. “Hopefully not on the day that I’m going to be riding 200 miles.”

The details will have to wait as Auer just tries to get time in on his bike, putting in those miles that he needs to be ready to power through 200.

“We’re only down to two months, and quite honestly, yeah, I haven’t put in near the miles at this point. There’s two months to get ready and hopefully on the day, there’ll be enough motivation.”

He’ll be touching base with some of the people he knows who’ve raced the DK 200, including Dan Hughes who has won several times. Knowing Kansas roads, he’s going to pick durability over speed for his tires, but plans to talk with Hughes before making a final decision.

“The only gravel race I’ve done prior to this was in West Virginia,” he said. “It was a last-minute decision and I threw some cyclocross tires on there, and I flatted twice. It takes the wind out of your sails. Anything I can do to relax with that.”

DK Magazine | 39

15,000 pairs of jeans!

Welcome Dirty Kanza

1114 Commercial St. (The Kellogg Plaza) Orange Leaf Emporia

GETTING DIRTY SINCE 1963

OrangeLeafYogurt.com

Welcome Dk200 participants anD fans!

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2716 W. 12th st. emporia, ks 66801

DK Magazine | 41

Supermarket Of Fine Wines

International Riders

A LONG TRIP

F

OR

SOME

DIRTY

KANZA

CYCLISTS, THE 200 MILES OF GRAVEL MAY BE THE TOUGHEST

PART OF THEIR TRIP, BUT IT CERTAINLY ISN’T THE LONGEST. WITH THE RACE GAINING INTERNATIONAL ATTENTION, SOME

RIDERS

ARE

TRAVELING

THOUSANDS OF MILES FROM ALL

42 | DK Magazine

OVER THE WORLD TO TACKLE THIS GRAVEL GRINDER.

We chatted with a few of the riders who will board airplanes, deal with jet lag and hop in the saddle in a part of the world they’ve probably never seen before. Here’s what they had to say: Simon Castley and Tim Kremer both live in Hong Kong and will travel together to ride the DK 200. Castley, managing director of Sewgroup Asia, is an Australian who has been living in China for 23 years. Kremer is a German who has been living in Hong Kong for 21 years. He works at a company that makes products for children, including diaper bags and stroller accessories.

The two have traveled together to numerous races around the world. Castley “re-established” his cycling legs in 2011 after taking a break for marriage and kids. Kremer has been biking about 15 years.

Right up front, both cyclists said they’ve never done a gravel race. “No clue whether we will like it or not, but it is an adventure,” the two wrote back in an email. Kremer raced in the big Cape Epic race previously, which is a challenging mountain bike race in South Africa, and both rode 300 miles in Mongolia on mountain bikes in 2005.

The two pick one “special place” to ride every year, they wrote. Last year, they spent seven days in the Pyrenees. “We have ridden the highly mountainous Taiwan, raced in triathlons in Thailand, Hong Kong, China, etc.,” they explained.

Living in Hong Kong, they’re in an urban area, although it is hilly, they wrote. There is nowhere around them that even remotely compares to the terrain they’ll be tackling in Kansas.

“We are looking forward to the open spaces that Kansas should provide,” their email said.

The fact that both men will be in the United States on business is what encouraged them to seek out area bike races.

“I had to be in St. Louis late May to visit a client for work around that time,” Castley said. “I also need to be at an exhibition in Mexico City in mid-May, and so thought the GFNY (Grand Fondo New York) was something worth doing at the start of the two-week trip and to finish at the DK 200 would be a blast!”

Kremer also is signed up for the GFNY. “The DK200 will be the furthest we have ever ridden in a single day and so we will enjoy getting ready/ training for this and indeed to see come May 31st what mentally and physically gets thrown our way,” they wrote.

The mental and physical aspects of biking appeal to both men, who said they spend too much time working in their offices and also traveling internationally. “Each hour out on the bike is a nice stress relief, as cycling is a great sport in which you can get rather fit but still have a talk to your buddies while riding and see some beautiful parts of the world,” they emailed.

Jens Freiberg, of Solingen, Germany, plans to tackle the Dirty Kanza with his friend, Julie Santoro, from Keston, Great Britain.

Freiberg, 36, works for an audit firm and said cycling is his only hobby. With friends, he founded a team and they ride in races in central Germany. “I am biking for 6 years now (started after the birth of my youngest daughter to lose weight),” he said. “I met the other guys from my MTB team in the forests near Cologne. We all live in and around Solingen, famous for its knives.”

Santoro, 46, also works for an audit firm, and like her riding partner, cycles as her only hobby. “I would describe myself as a casual cyclist at the weekends – the term used in the UK is ‘weekend warriors,’” she said. “I got my first mountain bike in 1993 and for 15 years or so, basically just pottered around on it periodically. Then I started to take more of an interest and then two years ago got my first roadbike.”

Santoro is a little nervous about riding without her husband, who always rides with her and looks after their bikes, taking care of any flats or other issues. “This is the first time that he’s not riding with me (although he’s coming with for support) – and I’m scared,” she admitted. “However, I take comfort in the fact that Jens is riding with/looking after me – and as you can see from his picture, he’s very tough!”

The Dirty Kanza will be both Santoro and Freiberg’s first gravel race, although both like endurance races. Santoro said she rides a lot on gravel every year in South Africa in the Cape.

Freiberg said most of the events he participates in are mountain bike and racing events only, and most are in Germany. But once a year, he rides a race across the Alps. Freiberg became intrigued with what he called the “DK 200 experience” when Santoro approached him with the idea of traveling to the U.S. and riding.

For Santoro, the mental and physical challenges of biking are what make it fun.

Good Luck!

702 Commercial • 620-340-0620

Simon Castly

DK Magazine | 43

Welcomes all the DK Riders!

Tim Kremer

Julie Santoro

44 | DK Magazine

“Physically, you just have to see how you are on the day. Mentally, I love the challenge of seeing the horizon and knowing that the end is always way beyond what you can see – so you are forced to break it down into smaller rides in your head,” she said. “I also like to sing little rhymes to myself – usually nothing that really makes sense and repeated many many times – hopefully I will not drive Jens mad.

Santoro, who said she “really really” wants

to finish the DK, said her interest was piqued when she saw an article about the DK by Paul Errington in the UK Cycling Plus magazine in May 2013. “When I read it I just knew that I had to do it – the gravel and the heat and the distance were so appealing. Luckily Jens agreed to do it with me, because I would never have the guts to enter on my own,” she wrote by email. “I am expecting an incredibly hard day, and I sincerely hope that I finish – I really want that finisher’s mug that I hear you get.”

Jens Freiberg

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DK Magazine | 45

1602 W. 15th Ave., Ste B Emporia, KS 66801 620-342-6989 or 800-794-1209

1,200 Riders

Americus

Lake Kahola

Registered in 2014

Emporia

Cottonwood Falls

Madison

Teterville

Cassody

by the numbers Riders must maintain a

10 mph

1000 entrants 331 finishers

DK200

450 entrants 267 finishers

350 entrants 68 finishers

200 entrants 65 finishers

100 entrants 19 finishers

75 entrants 42 finishers

44 8

2008

There are riders representing

50 entrants 19 finishers

pace to stay in the race

2007

Countries

2013

2012

2011

2010

States

2009

Kids wanting to get a little taste of what the DK 200 riders are going through can participate in a bike race and fun run event while the adults take on the gravel roads.

The Emporia Recreation Commission is working with DK 200 to coordinate Kids Races, a two-mile and half-mile bike race and a half-mile fun run, said Jennifer Bennett, ERC spokesperson.

They held their first kids’ event last year, and even with little advertising pulled in about 90 kids to bike and/or run, she said. They’re expecting to top 150 participants this year.

The two bikes races will start about 4 p.m. and the fun run at 4:30, which gives kids time to participate in both if they’d like, Bennett said.

Bennett said her co-worker, Amanda Gutierrez, came up with the idea last year because she’s a runner. She wanted something that would allow kids to run across the same finish line as the DK 200 riders.

“DK loved it and asked us to take it on this year,” Bennett said.

“Because it got so much attention last year, Jim Cummins, the race director, told us that people from all over the country are asking how their kids can be involved.”

The first 200 kids who register for the races will get finish-line prizes, which are being provided by the race sponsor, the Flint Hills Optimist Club, Bennett said. If kids don’t get registered online, they can still bike and/or run by registering on-site, but if there are more than 200 kids, they won’t get a prize.

Interested bikers and runners can get registered through the ERC website, www.emporiarec.org, and there will also be information sent out to riders through the DK 200.

Kids aged 5 to 12 years old can get in on the fun. The start line will be at Emporia State University’s circle drive. Bikers can choose either the twomile or half-mile race. The half-milers, Bennett said, will stay in the circle drive area.

For more information, contact ERC at (640) 340-6300.

Texaco Hill

38 entrants 18 finishers

46 | DK Magazine

By Morgan Chilson

Average Finishing Time

2006

Dirty Kanza has gone to the kids

15-17 HOURS

Teapot Mound Cattle Pens

Past Results

Race Elevations

50-60 checkpoints. Racers can meet their support crew MILES at these points only

Lake Kahola

Texaco Hill

Teterville

Texaco Hill

Cattle Pens

400

Teapot Mound

500

by Dan Hughes and 11hours 2012 Rusty Folger who crossed 56minutes the line together

Distance between

The best finish was set in

2013 Finishers Class Vet Men Vet Men Vet Men Open Men Open Men Open Men Vet Men Vet Men Vet Men Open Men Open Women Open Men Mas Men Open Men Vet Men Open Men Open Women Open Men Open Men Vet Men Mas Men Vet Men Tandem Mas Men Open Men 1 Speed Vet Men Open Men Vet Men Mas Men Open Women Vet Men Vet Men 1 Speed Vet Men Vet Men Vet Men Open Men Open Men Vet Men Vet Men Open Men Vet Men Mas Men Open Women Vet Men Vet Men Open Men Open Men Open Men Vet Men Mas Men Vet Men 1 Speed Open Men Vet Men Mas Men 1 Speed Open Men Vet Men Open Men Vet Men Mas Men Mas Men Open Men Open Men Mas Men Open Men 1 Speed Vet Men Mas Men Vet Men Open Men Vet Men Mas Men Mas Men Mas Men Open Men Vet Men Vet Men Mas Men Open Men Mas Men

Time 12:03:39 12:22:21 12:24:58 12:25:01 12:32:05 12:33:30 12:33:33 12:33:37 12:34:08 12:49:38 12:51:04 13:17:16 13:22:59 13:27:19 13:28:24 13:40:53 13:44:21 13:46:50 13:49:41 13:49:52 13:55:36 13:55:44 13:56:15 13:56:22 13:56:29 13:56:34 13:56:52 13:56:57 13:57:01 13:57:24 13:57:33 13:57:51 13:58:07 13:58:37 14:02:51 14:07:29 14:07:41 14:07:45 14:07:53 14:08:05 14:08:25 14:08:42 14:08:52 14:09:23 14:10:20 14:13:40 14:14:31 14:14:37 14:14:45 14:14:50 14:16:21 14:19:24 14:20:31 14:20:55 14:21:35 14:23:59 14:24:13 14:28:55 14:29:08 14:29:43 14:31:16 14:31:21 14:35:33 14:36:25 14:41:45 14:42:12 14:42:18 14:44:59 14:45:29 14:46:07 14:46:21 14:46:38 14:47:26 14:47:57 14:53:20 14:57:44 15:02:31 15:03:26 15:07:03 15:10:23 15:13:33 15:13:38 15:13:51

Place Rider Name 84 Eric Baum 85 Kristofer Moore 86 Matt Gersib 87 Richard Lengyel 88 William Copeland 89 Bill Clinesmith 90 Mark Elssaser 91 Ebby Norman 92 Dave Pryor 93 Jeff Usher 94 Matt Morrow 95 Joe Constantino 96 Zach Owen 97 Jim Rutberg 98 Tim Segraves 99 Don Buttram 100 Paul Hershberger 101 Sean Chisham 102 Corinna Manion 103 Dustin Eagan 104 Chris Beggs 105 David Wilson 106 Ben Alexander 107 Eric Chambers 108 Bob Billings 109 Randy Colburn 110 Doug Tice 111 Lars Hundley 112 John Geissinger 113 Nathan Phillips 114 Jenny Park 115 Doug Foxworth 116 James Slauson 117 Greg Brown 118 Marc Ostryniec 119 Mitch Bernskoetter 120 Emily Korsch 121 Mark Gullett 122 Bryce Hylton 123 Peter Goode 124 Rich Worth 125 Randy Ballheim 126 David Romisch 127 Steve Christian 128 Aaron Dunlap 129 Collin Snyder 130 Joel Hammontree 131 Alan Bossert 132 Edd Pineda 133 Craig Anible 134 Mike Phillips 135 Gus Hemingway 136 Scott Noel 137 Joe Kraxner 138 Kirsten Mcdaniel 139 Jonathan Groene 140 Robert Tucker 141 Brian Gillies 142 George Hollerbach 143 Chris Burger 144 Trevor Greenwood 145 Adam Burns 146 Michael Somers 147 Roger Hedlund 148 Peter Beers 149 Marshall Bell 150 Tim Hejny 151 Scott Rothe 152 Mike Penosky 153 Bill Hill 154 Francis Bach 155 Scott O’mara 156 Jarred Young 157 Patrick Casey 158 Michael Drackert 159 Phil Schweizer 160 Bobby Smith 161 Brad Kampschroeder 162 Darin Grubisic 163 Micki Harris 164 Collin Little 165 Rob Delaney 166 Nick Perrow

Class Open Men Open Men Vet Men Vet Men Mas Men Vet Men 1 Speed 1 Speed Vet Men Mas Men Vet Men Vet Men Open Men Open Men Open Men Vet Men Vet Men Vet Men Open Women Open Men Vet Men 1 Speed Open Men Open Men 1 Speed Mas Men Vet Men Vet Men Mas Men Open Men Open Women Mas Men Mas Men Vet Men Open Men 1 Speed Open Women Vet Men Open Men Vet Men Open Men Mas Men Vet Men Mas Men Open Men Open Men Vet Men Open Men Vet Men Open Men Vet Men Open Men Mas Men Open Men Open Women Mas Men Mas Men Vet Men 1 Speed Vet Men Open Men Open Men Mas Men Mas Men Vet Men Open Men Open Men Mas Men Mas Men 1 Speed 1 Speed Open Men Open Men Open Men Open Men Mas Men Vet Men Vet Men Vet Men Open Women Open Men Open Men Mas Men

Time 15:14:01 15:14:19 15:21:38 15:21:58 15:22:04 15:22:32 15:22:40 15:22:46 15:23:26 15:26:41 15:26:48 15:27:10 15:27:49 15:28:10 15:28:54 15:29:00 15:29:15 15:30:57 15:31:50 15:31:57 15:35:16 15:35:21 15:35:37 15:35:44 15:42:00 15:42:29 15:42:35 15:42:56 15:43:26 15:43:44 15:43:50 15:44:03 15:44:26 15:49:22 15:49:32 15:49:50 15:53:05 15:53:14 15:54:12 15:54:25 15:54:31 15:54:52 15:54:57 15:57:03 16:02:21 16:02:30 16:02:36 16:06:15 16:06:43 16:08:18 16:08:35 16:12:12 16:12:28 16:13:39 16:21:08 16:21:14 16:21:45 16:22:25 16:22:37 16:27:16 16:27:31 16:27:41 16:27:51 16:28:03 16:28:20 16:28:28 16:32:21 16:32:27 16:32:34 16:36:57 16:37:06 16:39:54 16:43:07 16:43:19 16:43:28 16:43:34 16:43:45 16:43:52 16:43:59 16:44:30 16:48:15 16:48:22 16:48:34

Place Rider Name 167 Clay Chiles 168 Todd Tvrdik 169 Tyler Cordia 170 Kurt Hellweg 171 Bain Carpenter 172 Tim King 173 Andrew Schoen 174 Tim Kelsey 175 Justin Juarez 176 Casey Lamb 177 Kevin/Barbie Uballez 178 Bradley Perry 179 Lance Fraley 180 Dana Burch 181 Steven Thompson 182 Dennis Michalis 183 Michael Weinstein 184 Perry Braun 185 Andrew Pollina 186 Bruce Currin 187 Joel Dyke 188 Scott Kiddoo 189 Hillary Seminick 190 Don Daly 191 Jim Nabakowski 192 Jen Barr 193 Yuri/Lorinda Cook 194 Rob Stork 195 Josh Lederman 196 Curtis Byler 197 Nat Amato 198 Nathan Stover 199 Chuck Remboldt 200 Bentley Brooks 201 Jack Christian 202 Michael Kauk 203 Andrew Keffer 204 Malcolm Tassi 205 Gary Owens 206 Dave Mccollough 207 John Pugh 208 Robert Wright 209 Loren Uscilowski 210 Carl Ring 211 Nick Smith 212 Allen Brunner 213 Dennis Blochlinger 214 Roger Stirtz 215 Ron Dempsey 216 Lance Page 217 Bradley K Peck 218 Bob Lock 219 Andrea Cohen 220 Robert Breckner 221 Gerald Hart 222 Jason Zoll 223 Tony Blochlinger 224 Kevin Soules 225 Ben Swenka 226 Brent Kline 227 Mike Jacobs 228 Patrick Mattson 229 Craig Myers-Arenth 230 Brian Edeker 231 Scott Mcdonough 232 Keith Fry 233 Jesse Richard 234 Shelby Stokes 235 Lane Bergen 236 Jeff Howatt 237 Thomas Huber 238 Bryan Ford 239 Stephen Sides 240 Tim Herre 241 Steve Carman 242 John Kovacs 243 Nathan Hahn 244 Shawn O’mara 245 Bob Stewart 246 Jay Freeman 247 Weston Wiebe 248 Warran Wiebe 249 Dusten Vermeire

Class 1 Speed Vet Men Open Men Mas Men Mas Men Open Men Open Men Vet Men Open Men Open Men Tandem Vet Men Vet Men Vet Men 1 Speed Vet Men Mas Men Mas Men Open Men Mas Men 1 Speed Mas Men Open Women 1 Speed Mas Men Open Women Tandem Mas Men Vet Men Vet Men Open Men Mas Men Vet Men Open Men 1 Speed Open Men Vet Men 1 Speed Vet Men Open Men Open Men Vet Men Open Women Vet Men Open Men Vet Men Mas Men Vet Men Mas Men Mas Men Vet Men Vet Men Open Women Mas Men Open Men 1 Speed Mas Men 1 Speed Vet Men Vet Men Vet Men Vet Men 1 Speed Vet Men Vet Men Mas Men Open Men Open Women Open Men Mas Men Vet Men Vet Men Vet Men Open Men Mas Men Vet Men Open Men Open Men Mas Men Mas Men Open Men 1 Speed Open Men

Time 16:51:22 16:51:57 16:52:05 16:53:34 16:53:42 16:53:57 16:54:05 16:54:13 16:54:22 16:54:31 16:54:46 16:55:03 16:55:09 16:56:14 16:56:26 16:56:35 16:56:50 16:57:07 16:57:16 16:58:38 16:58:59 16:59:15 17:00:50 17:03:51 17:04:01 17:04:43 17:05:23 17:13:21 17:13:29 17:16:30 17:16:44 17:16:58 17:17:05 17:17:12 17:17:38 17:17:46 17:18:20 17:18:31 17:20:22 17:20:30 17:20:38 17:23:21 17:23:33 17:23:50 17:24:17 17:25:11 17:25:49 17:25:57 17:26:03 17:26:09 17:26:18 17:26:28 17:26:47 17:27:00 17:30:49 17:34:22 17:34:41 17:34:48 17:35:08 17:35:37 17:35:57 17:36:51 17:43:35 17:43:41 17:43:46 17:49:07 17:49:14 17:55:27 17:55:32 17:55:39 17:55:49 17:55:57 18:01:38 18:02:27 18:02:45 18:02:54 18:03:09 18:03:25 18:03:33 18:03:45 18:07:39 18:07:49 18:09:41

Place Rider Name 250 Blake Popple 251 Marty Johnson 252 Robert Pogorelz 253 Mike Brown 254 Robert Brown 255 Aaron Lackman 256 Irvin Tremblay 257 Scott Hefner 258 David Mizelle 259 Shane Merrill 260 John Welsh 261 Todd Detwiler 262 Matt Curry 263 Jeff Schelling 264 Rick Dockhorn 265 Mark Easter 266 Jim Jackson 267 Dougals Gibbs 268 Jason Phillips 269 Tim Greene 270 David Rowe 271 Jason Schuster 272 Frank Dreiling 273 Mark Seaburg 274 Gian Porcu 275 Steven Clark 276 Rodney Geisert 277 Andy Schuette 278 Dan Clinkinbeard 279 Michael Jones 280 Stanley Wills 281 Stephen Hackett 282 Rod Hernandez 283 Robert Neuman 284 Michael Favaloro 285 Mark Wieneke 286 Doug Christie 287 John Powell 288 Naas Tredoux 289 Lukas Eklund 290 John Hoch 291 David Williams 292 Nate Stewart 293 David Lee 294 Allen Sanborj 295 Wendy Davis 296 Jim Davis 297 Sheldon Thompson 298 Bryan Krause 299 Robert Ritchey 300 James Collins 301 Christine Springer 302 Christopher Yeomans 303 Dan Gadbery 304 James Gross 305 Douglas Few 306 Tim Larsen 307 Corey Bacon 308 Ian Buchanan 309 Donald Mcbride 310 Kevin Fox 311 Tim Haskew 312 Keith Hilsenbeck 313 John Strom 314 Benjamin Sopko 315 Scot Harrington 316 Pete Lira 317 Chris Thompson 318 Kyle Gisbert 319 Mike Wagster 320 Steve Mcguire 321 James Foley 322 Angela Boyer 323 Lucas Boyer 324 Rodney Grady 325 Harold Wallin 326 Matt Wills 327 Elisabeth Reinkordt 328 John Porter 329 Justin Eddings 330 Mark Cody 331 Chuck Vohsen

Class Open Men Mas Men Mas Men Mas Men Open Men Open Men Mas Men Vet Men Open Men Open Men 1 Speed Vet Men Mas Men Vet Men Mas Men Vet Men Vet Men Mas Men Open Men Mas Men Mas Men Open Men Mas Men Mas Men Open Men Open Men Mas Men Open Men Mas Men Mas Men Mas Men Vet Men Mas Men Mas Men Open Men Mas Men Mas Men 1 Speed Vet Men Open Men Vet Men Mas Men 1 Speed Open Men Open Men Open Women Vet Men Open Men Vet Men Open Men Open Men Open Women Vet Men Mas Men Vet Men Vet Men Vet Men Open Men Open Men Mas Men Vet Men Vet Men Vet Men Vet Men Open Men Vet Men Mas Men Open Men Open Men Vet Men 1 Speed Vet Men Open Women Open Men Mas Men Vet Men 1 Speed Open Women Mas Men Open Men Mas Men Vet Men

Time 18:09:45 18:10:42 18:11:12 18:17:36 18:18:27 18:18:33 18:18:45 18:19:05 18:26:29 18:29:07 18:40:31 18:40:42 18:40:48 18:40:53 18:41:09 18:41:46 18:41:57 18:46:56 18:47:10 18:47:15 18:55:09 18:55:32 18:55:49 18:56:01 18:56:24 18:56:33 19:00:45 19:00:54 19:01:14 19:01:34 19:02:03 19:02:08 19:02:16 19:13:51 19:13:56 19:14:01 19:14:07 19:19:00 19:19:49 19:19:54 19:20:04 19:20:10 19:25:17 19:25:22 19:34:24 19:36:00 19:36:08 19:36:12 19:36:17 19:37:10 19:37:50 19:37:52 19:47:27 19:47:43 19:47:51 19:47:57 19:48:09 19:55:34 19:55:38 19:55:55 19:56:01 19:56:21 19:56:31 19:56:38 19:56:52 20:16:24 20:19:25 20:19:37 20:19:42 20:19:55 20:20:19 20:26:38 20:26:42 20:26:50 20:26:57 20:27:08 20:37:24 20:37:30 20:46:11 20:46:21 20:46:30 20:46:44

DK Magazine | 47

Place Rider Name 1 Dan Hughes 2 Jay Petervary 3 John Bayley 4 David Wilcox 5 Andrew Chocha 6 Matt Brown 7 Garth Prosser 8 Jim Lehman 9 Yuri Hauswald 10 Daniel Matheny 11 Rebecca Rusch 12 Joe Fox 13 Stan Prutz 14 Christopher Case 15 Steven Yore 16 Joshua Eggar 17 Monika Sattler 18 Eric Drummer 19 Timothy Place 20 Richard Anthony 21 Michael Moriarty 22 Jason Rivers 23 Scott/Angie Rake 24 Chris Carmichael 25 Harison Pitchford 26 Peat Henry 27 Ben Bolin 28 Nathan Shay 29 Dave Hudson 30 Curt Shelman 31 Selene Yeager 32 Mike Marchand 33 Rob Crangle 34 Peter Chrapkowski 35 Alby King 36 Jay Downs 37 Paul Quindry 38 Reggie Douglas 39 Tim Hoppin 40 David Mcleod 41 Greg Pollard 42 Lee Merrill 43 Roger Williams 44 David Pramann 45 Kristen Peterson 46 Darren Gilmore 47 Jim Phillips 48 Jamie Wynne 49 Chris Knight 50 Pierre Echasserieau 51 Eric Nelson 52 Marc Thompson 53 Todd Geer 54 Rafal Doloto 55 Matt Hagenhoff 56 Bill Dietrich 57 Michael Talbert 58 Nick Legan 59 Peter Merrick 60 Darin Schneidewind 61 Andrew Christman 62 Kyle Russell 63 John Mathias 64 Randy Moschetti 65 Mark Lowe 66 Corey Godfrey 67 Michael Reynolds 68 Corey Case 69 Anatoly Zlotnik 70 Colin Mahoney 71 Scott Bigelow 72 Joe Stiller 73 James Blake 74 Tim Ek 75 Robert Sack 76 Bruce Boyer 77 Kevin Barton 78 Dale Pinkelman 79 Jim Thompson 80 Steven Cannon 81 Keith Walberg 82 Martin Robb 83 Brian Hayden

Chase County welcomes the Dirty Kanza riders and support crews

201 Walnut St. • Cottonwood Falls, KS 66845

GRAND CENTRAL HOTEL

Fine Dining ~ Elegant Rooms F eaturing S terling S ilver P remium m eatS

Box 506 • 215 Broadway Cottonwood Falls, KS 66845

www.grandcentralhotel.com suzan.barnes@sbcglobal.net

620.273.6763 • Fax 620.273.8381

1648 FP Road Cedar Point, KS 620-274-4377

R oc k Cr u s h i n g a n d Ea r t h M o v i n g

226 Broadway, Cottonwood Falls • 800-243-5525

Golden Living ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮ ✮ 612 W Center C F , Ks

AWARDED 5-STAR RATING

BY MEDICARE/MEDICAID! alnut

421 Main St., Cottonwood Falls, KS • www.TheLarkInn.com 620-273-1135

of Chase County

ottonWood

Griffin Real Estate & Auction Service LC “We specialize in real estate sales and farm/commercial liquidation auctions.”

“Your Satisfaction is our top Priority.”

305 BROADWAY COTTONWOOD FALLS, KS 66845

48 | DK Magazine

Heidi Maggard, Sales

RICK & NANCY GRIFFIN Broker & Auctioneer

Office: 1-866-273-6421

www.griffinrealestateauction.com

Chuck Maggard, Personal Property Manager, Sales, Real Estate

alls

(620) 273-6369

Shirley Crist, Managing Officer

Title Insurance Closings Escrows

Chase Co. Branch • 328 Broadway • Cottonwood Falls

620-273-6611

Strong City g roCery

Home of the famous Homemade Brats

We have an old fashioned, full service meat counter.

Open: Mon.-Sat. 8a.m.-7p.m. • Sunday 1-5p.m.

Strong City, KS

620-273-8639

A Tradition of Caring & Service Serving Families of the Flint Hills Since 1881

Telephone: (620) 273-6311 • 201 Cherry • Cottonwood Falls, KS 66845 bbafh@hotmail.com www.brown-bennett-alexander.com

Emporia Living | 3

4 | Emporia Living