74: Fueling a Pro Gravel Cyclist: Chase Wark on Carbs, Racing & Going Long

What happens when you combine professional gravel racing, race directing, fatherhood, a LOT of carbs, and an impressive knowledge of Midwest gas stations? You get Chase Wark.Chase and I have worked together on his nutrition over the past year, so this conversation was especially fun because we get to pull back the curtain on what fueling actually looks like for a high-volume gravel cyclist and why getting it right often has less to do with perfection and more to do with planning ahead.Chase is a professional gravel cyclist, co-founder of Lunchbox Racing, coach, race director, and community builder. His impact goes well beyond his own racing, and in 2026 he received the inaugural Gravel Cycling Hall of Fame Community Impact Award for his contributions to the sport.In this episode, Chase and I talk about how he went from biking to hockey practice as a kid to competing at the elite level, why giving back to the gravel community matters so much to him, and what it takes to balance training with being a dad, race director, and team leader.And, of course, we talk nutrition.When Chase first reached out to me, nutrition wasn&#39;t necessarily a disaster. The bigger challenge was consistency when life got chaotic. Travel, race directing, long training days, and stress could quickly throw his normal eating routine off.Instead of making radical changes, we focused on small adjustments that made his nutrition easier to execute in real life.That meant meal prepping before busy race weekends, packing coolers for travel, keeping easy meals and snacks available, prioritizing protein around massive training days, and being more intentional about carb loading before races.We also get into Chase&#39;s approach to fueling on the bike, including why gummy worms have replaced some of his beloved gas station donuts, his ability to take in around 120 grams of carbohydrates per hour during races, and why he thinks more endurance athletes need to get comfortable eating carbs while they train.What You&#39;ll LearnWhy Chase believes building the cycling community matters just as much as his own race resultsHow becoming a dad changed his approach to training, recovery, sleep, and planningThe nutrition challenges that finally pushed him to ask for helpWhy we focused on consistency instead of completely overhauling his dietResources MentionedChase Wark / Chase the Biker Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/chasethebikerChase the Biker YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@chasethebikerLunchbox Racing: https://lunchboxracing.com/Gravel Underdogs Podcast: https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/grvl-undrdgs/id1879702903 Granny&#39;s Gravel Grinder - Registration Connect with Me:Follow along for more practical sports nutrition and fueling support: Instagram: @alexlarsonnutritionWebsite: alexlarsonnutrition.comWant to take the guesswork out of your endurance nutrition and learn how to fuel your training, racing, and everyday life with more confidence? Work with Alex Larson Nutrition: https://alexlarsonnutrition.com/Check out our endurance nutrition tools and resources Don’t Forget to Subscribe!Click that follow button to stay updated on future episodes packed with actionable insights and expert advice for endurance athletes. Leave a quick review to help more endurance athletes find the showHave Questions or Suggestions?Send me a message, and I might cover it in a future episode!This episode of Endurance Eats is brought to you by Alex Larson’s 1:1 Nutrition Coaching.If you’ve ever wondered, Am I eating enough? Am I fueling this right? Why do I still feel tired? you’re not alone. Alex Larson Nutrition helps endurance athletes cut through the confusion and build a fueling plan that actually works for their training, lifestyle, and goals.You can learn more at <a href="http://alexlarsonnu