Trans Iowa Thoughts

Hmmm.....somewhere I lost a post on here about mailboxes! Ah! Oh well, onwards and forward. Trans Iowa looks to be one epic of an event! I know that "epic" gets tossed around rather loosely, but this event will represent! Even if the conditions are "perfect", it will be very, very, tough. Let me break this down for you all.

1. Mental& Physical Toughness. You'd better be stocked up on both of these, believe me. Obviously, riding 305 miles will be tough all at one time. Physically, this will demand a HUGE toll from all the riders. However; mental toughness may be even MORE important! There are a few places where I can easily see competitors getting demoralized. If the elements come into play, ( and they WILL!) you have a very mentally demanding situation. Top it off with really technical, fast downhill action at the end- right when you're the weakest, and it gets really interesting!

2. Strategy. He/ she who strategizes best, is the best organized, best diciplined rider, will have the greatest chance at not only fnishing this event- but WINNING it. Having a very specific plan, and sticking to it will be a key for Trans Iowa. Equipment testing, and nutritional planning will be vital! Keeping an eye on the weather forcasts beforehand will be a very smart move. Of course, all good plans may go awry, so being mentally diciplined, and resourceful could be a benefit.

3. Weather Conditions. The wildcard of this event. It could be a non-factor, but probably not. I look for wind to definitely play a big role in this event. Of course, late April in Iowa can be kind, or downright nasty! We shall see. But, definitely, weather will be a huge factor!

Final thoughts. I agree with what Jeff has said about the course. I would add that a couple of the decents north of Decorah are wild! One looks like you are about to come down a rollercoaster descent. You know, that first really high, steep descent? I can't believe school buses go down that one! "B level" roads are sprinkled throughout the course. Some are dirt roads, some are sandy, pea-gravel affairs. These will only really become a factor if it is wet. If it is- LOOK OUT! Some one lane bridges dot the course. One even has a wood plank deck! We had the good fortune to see what a really wet day will do to the course, as it poured rain most of Sunday. I'm glad to report that it would really suck to have to ride this stuff in the rain! But, it is do-able! Lastly; any singlespeeders that finish this course in the time limit are HARD MEN/ WOMEN!!! I am NOT worthy!!!!

Overall, I'm really pleased with the results so far, and I can't wait to see what happens at Trans Iowa! OUT!