Gravel Racing Strategy: When to Work the Group and When to Draft

Learn how to ride smarter in gravel races. Discover drafting tactics, group strategy, and when to work or conserve energy to stay with the right pack.

by Coach Paul Warloski If you’ve raced gravel, you already know how the early miles usually play out. The front group explodes off the line, the strongest riders disappear up the road, and the rest of us settle into smaller groups trying to hold speed and survive the day. For most racers, success isn’t about […]

Building Mental Toughness: Training Your Mind for 6+ Hour Gravel Races

Your brain quits before your body does. Learn 7 mental toughness strategies for conquering 6+ hour gravel races.

All of us have been there: The moments when we question every life choice that led you to this really long gravel bike race. Maybe the weather turned brutal.  Maybe you flatted.  Maybe you didn’t fuel properly.  Or maybe—and this is the hardest to admit—just the sheer tedium of riding for six, seven, or eight […]

Recovery: The Hidden Component of Gravel Race Success

Discover the science-backed recovery strategies that separate fast gravel racers from the rest. Sleep, nutrition, and the tools that actually work.

by Coach Paul Warloski Here’s a truth that separates fast gravel racers from frustrated ones: two athletes with identical training volumes will perform vastly differently based on their recovery habits.  The hours you spend recovering are when the actual adaptation happens—when your body rebuilds stronger than before.  Gravel racing demands everything: sustained hours of endurance, […]

Train Smart, Race Strong: Matching Your Training to Your A-Race Profile

Stop generic training! Learn to match workouts to gravel nationals, cyclocross racing, and trail running for breakthrough performance gains.

The difference between a good race and a breakthrough performance often isn’t talent—it’s training specificity.  When a rider crushes gravel nationals or when cyclocross racers dominate technical courses, they’re not just fitter than their competition.  They’re specifically prepared for the exact demands of their target event. Here’s the truth: Generic training gets generic results. If […]

Heat Training for Gravel Biking: Science-Based Protocols & Benefits

Unlock heat training for gravel racing! Evidence-based protocols help endurance athletes dominate hot conditions and improve performance

by Coach Paul Warloski Gravel races throw everything at you: The research is crystal clear: acclimating to the heat before a race can improve long-duration endurance performance by five to 23 percent.  For gravel racing, that translates directly to seconds or minutes saved per hour. I did a lot of heat training last winter and […]

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