Reasons to Run: Gran Fondo Moab is an intense, exciting bike marathon

About ten years ago, I was assigned to cover the LOTOJA Classic, a bike race of more than 200 miles from Logan to Jackson Hole, Wyo. It was amazing to watch both individuals and teams push themselves past a huge physical challenge, not to mention sitting on a post for over 12 hours.

Ever since then, I have considered getting a bike and hitting the road. Last year, I finally put together the dough to get a bike, and all the related gear associated with cycling.

The first season of cycling was sort of a struggle. I rode a little, and ran a little, doing neither sport with any noticeable amount of motivation. I had run the Ogden Marathon in May, then sort of halfway trained for my first century bike ride, while mixing in some runs here and there.

This January, I set my sights, once again, on the Ogden Marathon, when a friend suggested I sign up with him for the Gran Fondo Moab. The Gran Fondo is a pleasant 60-mile ride at the beginning of May through red rock country, with a “small” 5,700-foot climb in the middle.

At first glance, I had no interest doing that much climbing. Last summer I avoided hills like I avoid celery. It’s just something I don’t do. But as the spring progressed, and my fitness increased, I finally conceded.

The Gran Fondo (written granfondo in Italian) means “marathon” in English. And a marathon it was. By virtue of the terrain, the course was divided up into natural sections of about 20 miles each, which I will briefly try to describe.

The first section, which starts right near the race’s sponsor, Poison Spider Bicycles, heads north to the Colorado River, then east along the river to the Castle Valley turnoff. This part was relatively flat and the peloton cruised along it at a pretty fast pace.

Then came the second portion, which really should be considered the start of the race. After making a right turn toward Castle Valley, I started to understand the real meaning of climbing.

As the landscape turned prettier and prettier, this portion if the course, which started out ugly, gradually tapered off to less ugly, then progressively got uglier, and uglier. Some riders were throwing out numbers like 15-percent grade, which really meant nothing to me, a lazy farmland rider.