Trans Iowa race roster

The race roster is full for Trans Iowa. I made the list. Check out the race roster here.

Event website

Trans-Iowa for 2009

What's Trans-Iowa? Trans Iowa is 320 miles through dirt, gravel, mud, B roads, paved roads, country roads and who knows what else. I wish I knew the elevation gain but the race director doesn't have it...yet



From what I hear, and see from the finishing results, it's a really tough Ultra race held in Iowa. The finishing results show very small numbers. Years past they have had as many as 100 starters and less than 25 from what I can see. I have t o dig a little deeper into the results.

So how did I hear about this event? I work with Andy at Ben's Cycle out of Milwaukee. I bought my Fixed Gear from Andy and many other accessories and they have always treated me right. In my conversations with Andy he tells "Hey I know you like doing crazy hard stuff you oughta check out Trans Iowa." He knows that the Fixed Gear I bought from him was used in the Furnace Creek 508.

I asked him to tell me more. The more tall tales he told of the horrible conditions the more it interested me.

The registration process has begun. The race will take place May 2-3. The race director has specific guidelines spelled out on the event blog. There are only 75 spots available and past participants get first pick.


all for now
.

Already thinking of next year...

Here I am barely 3 weeks from having completed my goal event of the year and I'm already thinking about next year's goals.

I have penciled in the San Diego Brevet Series. The 2009 schedule is up on my website with registration links. You can also go to the San Diego Randonneurs site and get more information.

200km

300km

400km

600km

1000km

Website Updated

For those of you having trouble reading my Furnace Creek 508 Race report in the blog format I have transferred it to my website. Here is the link. Now you can read it in order. LOL!

Now the only thing missing are crew perspectives from MY CREW!! They say they're almost done. We'll see.

Now the Data Geek in me...

THIS BLOG IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION PLEASE CHECK BACK FREQUENTLY AS I UPLOAD MORE GOOD STUFF














THIS BLOG IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION PLEASE CHECK BACK FREQUENTLY AS I UPLOAD MORE GOOD STUFF










































THIS BLOG IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION PLEASE CHECK BACK FREQUENTLY AS I UPLOAD MORE GOOD STUFF

Stage 8 Almost Amboy to Twentynine Palms

Stage Eight: Almost Amboy to Twenty Nine Palms, 58.2 miles. Elevation Gain: 4170'.

"After you pass through the funky throw-back hamlet of Amboy (where you can not count on any services), you cross the valley and at mile 472 begin the last climb: 1500 feet in 10 miles to Sheephole Summit (Mountain Section Ten). The climb begins gradually and gets steeper near the top. The shoulder is very sandy; the crew should be careful with the vehicle. A quick descent leads to the rough road and rolling slight uphill to the finish line."


This ranks as the point of the race where I hurt the most. On the way to Baker from Shoshone was my lowest point mentally. But Amboy, for a brief moment on the Sheephole climb, was my lowest point physically. I was hot. My triceps hurt. I couldn't switch to my TT bike because my undercarriage hurt too much. I was getting a headache from dehydration. AND I was just done with this race. I did my best to push through the hurt. I sucked down a 50 oz hydration pack of plain water from Nathan Sports and was thinking that's just not enough.





Thank you to Motor Tabs for providing different flavors for my CarboPro Motor Tabs cocktail.




Amazingly in this desert landscape, I found a shrub just tall enough to crawl under. I got off of the bike, crawled underneath the shrub and folded over like a towel on a rack. I was not having fun. I sat there and tried to hide from the afternoon sun.

I then realized that would not be enough either. I resorted to ice cold water poured on my head. Brandy then began to work on my triceps, which were aching.


The next series of pictures shows what a little water, a little shade and A LOT OF LOVE AND CARING can do. Notice how I go from the depths to new highs! Thank you Brandy and crew for taking care of me. Ticia, you captured a very important moment of the race-something that Brandy and I will always reflect on as a turning point. And Jason, steady Eddie, always there. Thank you all.








































The look on my face should explain that I am not happy with the current situation. On the descent off of Sheephole Summit my Nightrider MiNewt headlight was loose. The MiNewt headlight is attached to a bracket which "clamps" to your handlebar by a tiny screw. Tighten it too much and you can't rotate the light, too loose and it will eventually fall off.

The very poor condition of the roads had rattled the headlight loose and at over 45Mph per hour I was trying to hold on to the light and/or work it completely off. But you don't have access to the screw because the head of it is on the underside of the bracket. I was trying to take it off with my left hand but I needed to refuel from the climb because I had 25 miles of steady uphill towards the finish. I would put my left hand back in the drops and drink with my right hand. For some reason I only drink with my right. Don't ask me why.

Well the headlight fell off the bar and hit my spokes. LUCKILY, I was going so fast it could not get stuck in my spokes and richocheted off to the left side of the road into the bushes. Emergency procedures now. Flag the crew vehicle careening down the road behind me over 45 Mph, come to a complete stop as soon as possible, get off the road, get the crew vehicle off the road and tell the crew what has just happen. We had to stop right away or risk loosing the general area where the light was ejected. You travel huge chunks of road will traveling over 45 Mph (if you have to walk it).

Why the heck would Vireo stop on a descent when he loves descending? I tell them what happened and the world's greatest crew jumps into action. Brandy grabs the spare lights and zip ties. Jason doubles back on the road UPHILL digging in the bushes. The search is made more challenging because the light is NOT illuminating-- the battery pack is still on the bike. Ticia is instructed to grab the camera and document. Within five minutes light is found, screw tightened beyond rotating tolerance, reaffixed, crew in van and we are down the road. What a great example of teamwork 36 hours into the race!











Ahh the Finish Line





I spent 28 minutes off the bike in the final stage of the Furnace Creek 508. Added to my 2 hours 36 brings the total of off the bike time to 3 hour and 4 minutes. Not bad in 37 hours of racing. I am pleased with how little time I spent off the bike. It is a huge improvement over years past. But NEXT YEAR I would like to break 36 hours and that means I need to stay on the bike at least one more hour out of the 3 hours I spent off the bike this time.

Just for S & G's I took the 3:04 time off of my total time of 37:34.
I then computed my average speed with just 34:30 and that came out to 14.7 Mph Avg Speed. So the point here is even if you can't ride faster spend less time off the bike and you can improve your overall time significantly.

Finish----509.6-----10/05-----20:34----37:34:41-----13.56----4:53:41-----11.91

Stage 7- Kelso to Almost Amboy

From the 508 website:

Stage Seven: Kelso to Almost Amboy, 33.8 miles. Elevation Gain: 2280'.

"Compared to the just completed Baker Grade, you now head up a slightly steeper climb: 2000 feet in 12 miles to the top of the Granite Mountains (El 4000’) (Mountain Section Nine). The downhill to the outskirts of Amboy is fast and long; watch out for cattle guards."





I was still very excited to be seeing different parts of the course in the daytime. It was really a totally different 508 for me this year.

Once again, the next climb isn't difficult, but it just goes on forever. As is typical on these desert climbs, you get hit with most of the elevation gain in the last few miles.






So after my neck massage I felt like a new man-- not really, but it sounds good. Anyway, in the next series of pictures I chase down a rider because I need something to do, and it helps me get up the mountain faster. The picture of me with one of my hands up is just showing one half my "chompers". It's just part of the game I play of Pac-Man on the climbs and gobbling up the riders.


















Here I am cresting the Kelso Climb with Jaguar and his crew. Notice how I have to warn the crew vehicle that there is a car rapidly approaching.



I spent another 10 minutes off of the bike on this time station. Two minutes at Kelso and 8 minutes getting a neck massage and trying to rest a little. The total time off the bike is now 2 hours and 36 minutes in 32 hours and 41 minutes and 451.3 miles 32,000+ feet of climbing.


Almost Amboy 451.3 10/05 15:41 32:41:00 13.81 02:23:00 14.16