520 Miles Across Utah: Inside the Continental Championship

THE CONTINENTAL CHAMPIONSHIP

The Continental Championship is a 520-mile race across Utah, starting in St. George and taking you through a huge variety of terrain and conditions. The course can throw almost anything at you — wind, rain, heat, mountains, and long stretches of exposed road.

My goal was to maximize efficiency everywhere I could. That meant being strategic with bike swaps, using the right bike for the right terrain, and making sure my equipment choices allowed me to get the fastest splits possible on the time-trial bike while also having the right setup for climbing and descending through the mountains.

Fueling and hydration were equally important. I wanted to keep my energy levels consistently high without going too hard too early and creating fatigue that would come back to haunt me later. With a race this long, managing your resources is just as important as producing power.

BUILDING INTO THE RACE

My training leading into the Continental Championship was heavily focused on aerobic endurance — longer rides of varying duration and intensity, with a major emphasis on fueling and recovery. I wanted to use those long sessions to test different fueling sources and figure out what would allow me to maximize my consumption over an extremely long race.

A 22-hour race is a completely different challenge than a two-hour ride. Testing a nutrition product for two hours doesn't necessarily tell you how it's going to work at hour 15 or 20. So, consistently fueling during my longer training rides and testing products over extended periods allowed me to become much more comfortable with what worked for me across different terrain, intensities, and durations.

As the temperatures increased, heat acclimation became another major focus, knowing Utah could exceed 100°F. I wanted to make sure my body was prepared for that environment rather than simply hoping I could tolerate it on race day.

HEAT PREP

With the Continental Championship promising temperatures above 100°F, I knew I needed to prepare for something I simply don't experience as consistently on the East Coast. I relied heavily on hot baths and sauna sessions to elevate my core temperature and create that heat-adaptation stimulus.

I also spent time training on the indoor trainer in a hot environment, intentionally allowing my core temperature to rise while continuously monitoring it and tracking my performance output. That gave me a better understanding of how my body was responding and helped me find an appropriate temperature and workload for adaptation.

Hydration was also a huge part of the process. I relied heavily on hydration throughout the day, including Mortal Hydration off the bike and LMNT to help meet my electrolyte needs while continuing to train.

And yes, that heat-adaptation pill would have been pretty convenient. It definitely would have saved me from sitting in a hot bath or sweating through indoor trainer sessions. It would be an easy way out — but unfortunately, I still had to do it the hard way.

WHAT DRIVES THE MOMENTUM

A lot of my motivation and energy has come from the race itself. I love racing, but more importantly, I just love riding my bike.

Events like the Continental Championship really excite me because they aren't circular races where you're repeatedly seeing the same piece of road. You're traveling through new towns, new locations, and completely different terrain. There's definitely some anxiety that comes with taking on a huge race, but the excitement of exploring somewhere new, experiencing new roads, and creating new memories is unforgettable.

That motivates me to be in the best possible shape so I can actually take everything in and make the most of the experience.

RACE DAY: WHEN THE PLAN GOES OUT THE WINDOW

The forecast called for temperatures above 100°F, but the actual temperatures only briefly reached the low 90s before dropping significantly into the 60s and eventually the low 50s. We also experienced several rainstorms, which created a lot of uncertainty and constantly changing wind directions.

That forced me to adjust my hydration and electrolyte strategy because my sweat rate was much lower than expected. It also changed my nutrition strategy. Because I wasn't dealing with the extreme heat we anticipated, I was able to tolerate more solid food than originally planned, which allowed me to save more gels for later in the race when I really needed them.

It was a great reminder that you can prepare as meticulously as possible, but ultimately you have to be ready to adapt once the race starts.

HOW THE COOLER CONDITIONS CHANGED THINGS

The change in temperature had a pretty significant impact on my race plan. Because the heat was much less intense than expected, my sweat rate was considerably lower, which meant I didn't need to consume as much fluid as I had originally anticipated.

That actually allowed me to rely more on drinks like Science in Sport Beta Fuel to get additional carbohydrates without unnecessarily increasing my fluid intake. I also had to pay close attention to electrolyte consumption to make sure I wasn't overconsuming either fluids or electrolytes relative to what I was actually losing.

The cooler conditions also meant I could tolerate solid food much better. I was able to rely heavily on things like waffles and bars earlier in the race and save the more concentrated "rocket fuel" — the gels — for later when I really needed them.

MY FAVORITE MOMENT DURING 22hrs OF RACING

There are so many moments from an event like this that it's difficult to choose just one, but passing through Snow Canyon State Park toward the end of the race during golden hour was absolutely spectacular.

Catching the sunrise there, seeing the colors and the landscape after everything we had just gone through, was something I'll never forget. After 20-plus hours of racing, there was an incredible sense of euphoria knowing we had just finished something ridiculously difficult. That probably made the moment feel even more special.

WHAT IT TAKES TO RACE 520 MILES

Most of my racing experience has been in more circular formats, where you're racing on a controlled course and doubling back through the same sections multiple times. An event like this is completely different.

You have to be fully prepared to travel with everything you need because you're constantly moving through new terrain and conditions. I was incredibly reliant on my crew, and I'm tremendously thankful for their support. There is so much more that can go wrong in a race like this, and there is very little margin for error.

Every detail had to be considered — the route had to be mapped out, equipment had to be ready, nutrition and hydration needed to be organized, and we had to prepare for situations we couldn't predict.

Ultimately, you have to be willing to go with the flow. That's part of what makes this style of racing so unique.

TRACKING 7,400 CALORIES

I actually brought a separate trash bag with me during the race and collected everything I consumed so I could go back afterward and calculate the total calories and carbohydrates. The goal was to understand exactly what I consumed and use that information to optimize my strategy for future events.

In total, I consumed roughly 7,400 calories during the race, including about 1,800 grams of carbohydrates.

One of the biggest things I learned is that I probably need to have a greater variety of foods available. Around the 16-hour mark, I started craving something different from what I had originally planned. I wanted something more like rice or sticky rice — a true whole-food option rather than another gel or bar.

At the same time, I eventually reached a point where I felt full and struggled to eat more. So there's definitely some experimentation ahead to figure out the right balance and variety that allows me to keep increasing energy intake without overwhelming my stomach.

The challenge is that it's difficult to replicate a 20-hour race in training just to test fueling because it obviously has a significant impact on recovery and the following days of training. So every ultra-distance race becomes another opportunity to learn, gather feedback, and refine the strategy for the next one.

MY FUELING STAPLES

OPTYGEN HP

Optygen has been a staple of my training leading into this race because my goal is to maximize the quality of my training and get as much as possible out of every session.

I actually do a lot of high-intensity training, which I think surprises some people given the ultra-endurance focus of my racing. Having products like Optygen as part of that training allows me to push myself harder and maximize the benefits of those sessions so my body can continue adapting.

For me, the foundation of a successful 20-plus-hour race starts months before race day. The better I can train, recover, and adapt, the better prepared I am when it's time to race.

MAURTEN 160, ENERVIT MANGO

Maurten 160 has become a great addition to my fueling strategy because it gives me carbohydrates in a format that doesn't leave me feeling overly full. The neutral flavor is also a huge advantage during a 20-plus-hour race because it's something I don't get tired of easily. My goal was to have a gel roughly every 40 minutes to keep topping off my carbohydrate intake.

The same goes for the Enervit Mango gels. That's a flavor I genuinely crave, which is pretty important when you're asking yourself to consume fuel for 20-plus hours.

Unfortunately, my Enervit Mango gels did not make it through security before the race, so I had to leave them behind. That was heartbreaking because they're my favorite. Thankfully, I was still able to show up with enough alternative fuel to compensate and execute the race successfully.

WHAT'S NEXT

It feels pretty incredible to have the Continental Championship wrapped up. I've trained extremely hard for this, and now I can finally take a deep breath knowing I did everything I could to prepare and gave the race my best.

In a way, this was my birthday gift to myself — all the training, preparation, and sacrifice led to this moment. So now I feel like I can finally celebrate a little and enjoy some sweet treats.

But the season isn't over yet. I'm really excited about the fitness I've built, the lessons I've learned, and the fueling strategy we now have to build on. I'm more motivated than ever to keep pushing, racing hard, and finish the season on a very high note.

WORLDS IN FLORIDA

Florida will be a completely different climate and definitely presents its own challenge. I've raced in Florida before, so I know the terrain and conditions will be very different from what I'm accustomed to.

Fortunately, the heat shouldn't be as demanding as what we prepared for and experienced in the Utah desert. At the same time, that means most of the competitors will be facing a similar adjustment. They'll likely be more accustomed to cooler temperatures and may not have had to deal with such dramatic heat exposure.

At this point, though, I can't worry too much about the competition. I can only focus on myself, my preparation, and showing up ready to perform at my best.

GRAN FONDO NATIONALS

I love the Gran Fondo National Series, so I'm very excited to participate in this race because it will be such a different experience.

Racing a hard 15-minute section is a completely different challenge from racing for 20 hours. The training is different, the strategy is different, and it forces me to step outside of my comfort zone. I enjoy that variety because it keeps training interesting and gives me something new to work toward.

Instead of focusing on my ultra-endurance power numbers, I have to think about pushing myself harder, racing directly against new competition, and responding to different race dynamics. There are different strategies involved, which makes me think differently and essentially flex different muscles.

As always, I'm going to give it everything I have, make the most of the race, and hopefully have a great day out on the bike.