Welcome to the first in a series of blogs from staff member Molly Weaver:
In August I will be embarking on GBDURO, a self-support ultra-endurance gravel race from Land’s End to John O’Groats, and documenting my journey to the start line through this weekly blog series.
Follow along for an insight into everything from building the best bike for the job, and deciding what’s worth carrying over the 2000km route, to the big rides I will be doing in the lead up to the main event, and the approach I’ll be taking while I make my way up the country.
For those of you who haven’t followed GBDURO before, the brains behind it can certainly describe it better than I can: https://www.theracingcollective.com/gbduro.html
And for those who don’t know who I am, here’s a very short synopsis of the pedal strokes (and lack thereof) that have brought me here. I’ll fast forward through the early years of a professional road racing career, my retirement, and a crash marred comeback attempt, to arrive at my foray into the wonderful world of ultra-endurance gravel riding.
In the summer of 2020 I began my first attempt at completing GBDURO, which finished much sooner than expected due to injury.
Instead of ending the journey there, I waited to recover, and then went back to complete the ride myself. Dubbed ‘unfinished business’, this was one of the toughest and most enjoyable experiences of my riding career.
Once I got home, I hung my wheels up ready to move into a new chapter of my life where cycling would have to take a backseat. What began as a few weeks off the bike, turned into months, and here I am over a year later only just starting to get back into riding regularly. It turns out absence really does make the heart grow fonder though, and I have a new love for cycling, as well as a healthier relationship with the bike.
It only seemed right that my big goal of the year was to complete the GBDURO story I began over two years ago, and bring this chapter full circle. It’s quite a substantial undertaking after such a long break from riding, something I don’t take lightly, but this leaves room for a more enjoyable and explorative experience in many ways.
Whether I can get fit enough to be competitive, or it becomes a race against myself just to make the finish line, is something I will discover over the next few months. Either way, it’s often the fun you have getting there that matters the most.
Next week: Bike Decisions