Whiskey Rebellion Gravel Race Recap

May 23rd, 2022

Whiskey Rebellion Gravel Race

Website:

https://whiskeyrebelliongravel.com/

Distances:

• The Cask 200K
• The Jug 120K
• The Pint 90K
• The Shot 60K
• The Sip 35K

Location:

EAST FINLEY COMMUNITY PARK

700 Templeton Run Road Claysville, PA 15323

Eight of us made the trek to Claysville for 67 miles and 7,000+ft of gravelly goodness. Dave, Ying, Keith, Sara, Zack, Nick, Shapiro, and myself (I think that's everyone). Ordinarily, the story of the day would be the course. With its variety of gravel and the unrelenting hills, most of which start gradually before getting progressively steeper as you near the top. However, the most significant factor of the day was the heat. The morning temperatures were 70 degrees at the start and moved into the upper 80s by midday with high humidity. The second half was more sun-exposed, and on the few asphalt sections, you could feel yourself baking. Nutrition was critical. We passed lots of people on the side of the road when the heat and hills got the best of them.

The race started fast, with Zack, Nick, and Shapiro holding on to the front group. I skipped back on the first hill so as not to blow up, and it seemed to work well as I felt strong the first 45 miles. Shortly after the first real gravel descent (tennis ball-sized "gravel"), Zack experienced a front flat that also KO'd his power meter. Shapiro and Nick stopped to assist him, allowing us and our friend Ryan to catch them. With his flat fixed, Zack, Nick, and Shapiro caught me/Ryan and took off up the next hill looking in good form. Around mile 22, I caught up to them again because Zack had his second front flat. Shapiro helped him throw a tube in, and despite terrible luck and getting stung by flies, Zack was level-headed and managed to keep going. With Sean helping Zack, Nick was able to keep going, and we didn't see him till the finish when he came in a respectable 11th. I rode with our friend Ryan for most of the first half, and on the last climb in the first loop, we started to see people blowing up. Cramps, heat sick, etc. At the start of the second loop, Zack, Shapiro, and Ryan stopped at the car for proper hydration, and I kept going, only stopping at the aid station. Ryan caught me, pushed ahead, and I hit a wall around mile 55. I crawled to the top of the hill to find the last aid station, and to my joyful surprise, Zack and Shapiro pulled up right behind me.

Feeling reinvigorated, we rode to the finish together, passing plenty more folks sitting on the side of the road. We also encountered Sara, finishing strong up the last hill after a crash. Zack, Shapiro, and I crossed the line together for 20-22nd place. Dave and Keith came in shortly after.

Written by Nathan Omasta - AeroDog Team Member