The first step towards recovery is admitting that you have a problem, right? Well, it's probably not a surprise that I suffer from an affliction that affects many endurance athletes, no matter the discipline. I’m talking about Endurance Amnesia (EA), which isn’t an official medical term, “but it refers to memory loss, often Transient Global Amnesia (TGA), occurring after intense physical exertion or endurance events, where the brain experiences stress, lack of oxygen, or neurotransmitter changes, sometimes leading to temporary inability to form new memories (anterograde) or recall recent ones, as seen in case studies after marathons or strenuous exercise.” Many of us, myself included, have succumbed to EA more times than we might like to admit, just ask my wife who has, in the past 22 years, witnessed me do many ridiculous things on my bike that I said I’d never do again. It’s possible she’s even called me a meathead more than once, when I’ve gone back on a promise not to do something, which is partially why I’m admitting that I have a problem. The more we say it out loud, the more we acknowledge it, maybe that’s how we get it out of our system? In my particular case, that is not what’s happening in 2026.
I swore I’d never do it again, that I’d spent enough time suffering in the Flint Hills, that completing another 200 mile gravel race was not necessary to fill my cup. If you’re not familiar with Unbound Gravel, which is based in Emporia, KS, it’s considered by many to be the Super Bowl of gravel events in the world, attracting thousands of folks from all over the globe and is an event that I have a very intimate relationship with. I did my first Unbound in 2013 and immediately fell in love with the landscape, the community, and the challenge of that distance. While I didn’t know it at the time, I was one of the early adopters of gravel, hopping on a new cycling wave that would change the trajectory of my professional career. I was lucky enough to win it in 2015, the true mud year, in a two up sprint, all of which was captured in a film called “I Ride For Her”, which came from a finish line quote I gave about dedicating my win to my wife who was four years clear of a stage 4 cancer diagnosis. In 2018 I was honored to be part of a small but mighty crew to be the test dummies for the inaugural Unbound XL, a 350 mile event, where I got second. In the intervening years I have completed a total of six 200s, the 100, and done the 50 the past two years as I felt that I never needed to do the 200 again.
But you know what? I may suffer from Transient Global Amnesia, a real medical affliction, that has caused Unbound 200 “memory loss”, which means that I’m going to tackle the 200 in 2026, but this time with a compassionate twist. I will be racing for the Lifetime Foundation to raise funds for a local bike park and other cycling infrastructure that helps promote Youth Movement, one of the three giving pillars of the Lifetime Foundation. Knowing that I am going to be pedaling for good, literally, in a place that has been extremely impactful on my life and career, it was an easy YES when Kristi Mohn of Lifetime flattered me with the ask. But it won’t be your typical 200 mile gravel race start because I’m going to begin DEAD LAST and then chase down as many riders as possible in 200 miles, all fund raising dollars predicated on the pedalers I pass. Never done a 200 mile TT before, so this should be interesting!
What’s most surprising about all of this is how much this fundraising ride has lit my fire to be my personal best for the 2026 edition, even entertaining chasing my best time of 11:55, which wasn’t the year I won nor would it get me anywhere close to the podium these days. It’s just a silly carrot, actually, one that’s oddly woven into my Endurance Amnesia in the sense that I think it’s possible for me to be fitter than my 2017 self when I set my fastest time. I’ve done dumber things, just ask my wife, so who knows what’s possible in 2026?! More on how I plan to chase the possibilities in my next blog, so stay tuned, but until then, keep dreaming big about all the “new” things you forgot you already did that you plan to do again in 2026!