2023 Moultrie Militia Gravel Raid Recap: Disheveled & Content

Last night's 170-mile race through the Francis Marion Forest was an incredible experience, but two photos perfectly sum up my emotions: disheveled and content. While I won the same race last year with my friend Bertrand Doran, this year was different. I had put in a lot of training leading up to the Moultrie Militia Gravel Raid, and despite the nighttime start, I felt confident. However, driving four hours through massive downpours to the start line, I couldn't help but worry about the weather. Thankfully, it wasn't raining when I arrived, but the wind had picked up, which could be a problem. I made sure my bike was ready and packed extra layers and water, including two rain jackets that I didn't end up using.

At the start line, I noticed a good number of riders, including some with a lot of aero gear. I felt outclassed with my fenders, extra bags, and four liters of water. But as soon as the race began, I focused on staying with the front group. Three of us, including Will, Tyler, and myself, managed to break away from the pack after 20 miles or so, and we established a gap.

Riding through the beautiful Francis Marion National Forest and around Lake Moultrie was exhilarating, but some of the doubletrack roads were challenging, especially at night. We had to slow down to avoid damaging our bikes on wheel-swallowing holes. We picked up the pace on the levies, which was a surreal experience riding on gravel at night. The north side of the lake had more pavement, and we had to be careful with trucks and boats headed to the lake. Originally planning to stop at a gas station around mile 120, we passed it before it opened.

After completing the final levy sector around Lake Moultrie, we agreed to stopped at a gas station at mile 132 to grab water. At this point, I had drunk all four liters of water I had on me, which also made up most of my caloric intake. As we left the gas station, it started raining heavily, but we kept up the pace. Will and I made it off the final levy and took a bit of pavement over to the section known as "Hell hole," where we picked up the pace again. The rain was blasting my eyes, and my glasses were getting clogged with mud, making it hard to see. I hit a massive pothole that disoriented my bike. Feeling bad, Will stopped because he missed calling it out. I reoriented my bike, and we were back on the road, but the rain was making the road treacherous.

Will and I rode side by side, each taking a side of the doubletrack road. Will hit it again and I followed, until I hit another pothole that forced me to stop and clean my glasses. After making a turn onto another short paved section I saw will up the road and found it somewhere inside of me to pull out a threshold effort to claw back on. I caught up with Will again, and we rode together until the next dirt section, where he hammered again. This time, however, my seat slipped down after hitting a smaller pot hole, forcing me to stop once more. After fixing my seat, I chased after Will again. I caught him again and gave myself a moment to catch my breath before attacking. With everything I had left in the tank, I attacked right before the last right hand turn onto the final streach. Once makin the turn I put my head down and emptied the tank, crossing the finish line in 9 hours and 55 minutes, beating my previous time by nearly half an hour despite worse conditions. My time set a new FKT for the route, previously held by the infamous Ted King.

Every time I participate in an event, challenge, or race, I learn something new and push my limits. This year's Moultrie Militia Gravel Raid taught me that I can race for nine hours and still have enough energy to handle attacks and make my own. I gave everything I could out there mentally, physically, and logistically.

Yes, I sized my chain wrong. It’s good I only had to use the 52t to ride from the finish line back to my car…

I would like to extend my sincere appreciation to Mt. Pleasant Velo for organizing such an incredible Gravel event. It's rare to come across an event of this caliber that's small, has amazing routes, and a fantastic vibe. It's a true grassroots event that you must experience if you're in the South East. I highly recommend checking out their other races, such as the Swamp Fox Gravel Fondo or the thrilling nighttime Gravel Raid.

I needed a good long shower. I’m still finding sand in places the sun doesn’t shine both on my Rodeo Labs Traildonkey and me, but as disheveled as I was after the race, I was content knowing that, for once, I left it all out there. There wasn’t anything I could have done more. I pushed beyond where I thought my limits were. To me, my sense of content doesn’t come from crossing the line first or breaking the FKT, it is knowing I not only did the work, but put all the puzzle pieces together in the end.