It Hurt So Bad

Grinduro by Lindsay Dwyer

By InnerVoice

October 5^th, 2018

Grinduro

Grinduro is a 63-mile un-timed loop, but within the course are 4 timed stages. When you approach the start of a segment, it’s go time! Outside of the segments, you can ride easy, chat with friends, enjoy the aid stations (there's a lunch stop too!), fix your bike, and take in the views. Unlike your traditional race, it is won not by the first one to cross the finish line, but by the man and woman with the lowest summed time on the four segments. It is designed to reward the most well rounded of “rouleurs” while also celebrating everything that is great about cycling.

Each segment is about a 10-15 minute effort on different terrain: a steep loose gravel climb, a gradual winding fire road descent, a fast flat pavement (optimally ridden in peloton format to gain speed), and a ripping singletrack downhill. What makes Grinduro even more interesting is that it’s a complete toss-up on the best bike to ride: a mountain bike or a cyclocross/gravel bike. The climb and paved sections are best on a cross bike due to lightness and more powerful gearing, while the downhill sections are better on a mountain due to the suspension and fatter, grippier tires. For men, Grinduro has been won on both a cross bike and a hardtail mountain bike. For women, it’s only been won on a cross bike. I just got an awesome new cyclocross bike last weekend, but it's still so new that I didn’t feel ready to race it just yet. I wanted to ride a mountain bike. I don't own a hardtail, but my cross-country bike has been good to me all season, so I was up for the challenge.

Photo by Elliot Layda - Associate Photographer, Giro Sport Design

You Will regret it

I was told, “you have to do well on the road section to win Grinduro.” The theory goes that if you are dropped from the speedy peloton, you lose enough time riding solo (2-3 minutes) that it is nearly impossible to make up for it on the other sections. If this statement holds true, it makes racing a mountain bike a risk because 'fast pavement' and 'mountain bikes' just don't go together.

My season was coming to an end, and I could sense some mental fatigue setting in. Leading up to race day I was feeling a bit unfocused and unmotivated. “Maybe I’ll take it easy Saturday and ride for fun,” I thought. After all, there is no better race to do just that than at Grinduro. It was the drive along Highway 70 that got me in the zone I was searching for, and I decided to go for it. Unlike all my other races this season, there were no major butterflies standing at the start line. Actually, I wasn’t near the front row because the start isn’t a critical component of this unique format. The first segment begins 5 miles into the ride, and at that point, the riders are generally broken up.

I was glad I had a couple other very strong women around me for Segment 1 because they provided extra motivation to dig deep up the 1.2-mile climb. This is by far the most painful segment. IT HURT SO BAD. I’m not sure what hurt more, my lungs or my legs, but it was a true battle of heart versus mind. I had one moment of nearly giving up, but quickly remembered how hard I’d worked all season. “This is exactly what you worked for, Lindsay,” my inner voice shouted.

“Giving up here is not an option. You will regret it.”

I gave it my all up that climb. I collapsed at the top, my chest and legs were burning for several minutes after, but I was so happy to be done with that segment.

I won grinduro!

I rode the “in between” parts at a good pace in hopes of being with the lead pack for the infamous road section. Looking back at the results, the lead group completed this segment ~30 seconds faster than the next fastest peloton for the day. I knew it was a risk trying to hang with the fastest group, but it was a risk I wanted to take. I hung on for about half of the segment before getting dropped.

Dammit!

I watched the group sail away and then put my head down and time-trialled to the end. My legs were burning like a motherfucker as I pedalled my heart out to the finish, hoping I didn’t lose more than two minutes on the lead woman. The funny thing about Grinduro is you don’t know where you stand during the race, but I knew my downhill times had to more-than-compensate for the lost time on the road. Luckily, I had the best bike for the singletrack descent, a clear advantage over those with cross bikes.

I shocked myself by winning Grinduro this year. I’m proud of myself for finding my fight to race, amidst moments of self-preservation and mental fatigue. And to top it off, I am the first person to win Grinduro on a full suspension MTB; a true testament to the race saying, “run what you brung”. I can’t think of a better way to end my season.

What a feeling it is to stick to a plan and have it all pay off.

Beach season

What's next for me? I have a couple of enjoyable weekends coming up on the bike: I’m riding Levi’s Granfondo in Sonoma this coming weekend and then the Usal Grasshopper along The Lost Coast on my new Santa Cruz Stigmata. I’m looking forward to riding with good friends and taking in the beautiful scenery. After that, I’ll be focused on what beach to lay on!

Lindsay is a return contributor to InnerVoice, you can read her original feature here.

Footnotes

Words by Lindsay Dwyer, Cover photo by Jim Merithew and as attributed, Edited by Cody Royle, Published by Travis McKenzie, Copyright NTSQ Sports Group

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FootNotes

Words by Lindsay Dwyer, Cover photo by Jim Merithew and as attributed, Edited by Cody Royle, Published by Travis McKenzie, Copyright NTSQ Sports Group

Colin O'Brady

It Hurt So Bad

Grinduro by Lindsay Dwyer

FootNotes

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My Incredible Journey

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Season 3