It's On.................

OK, last week I made mention I was working on something big! I didn't want to talk about it because as I said : It was beyond my control! My fate rested in the hands of our trusted US mail system.

Yep, I got in! Spot number 47 has my name on it! Trans Iowa: 310 mile all gravel road, endurance race! the field is limited to 100 people and the only way to enter is by mail. Registration opened on Dec 2nd and I timed it just right! I mailed my post card last Tuesday with the assumption it would take 3 days to get there. I was right!

A quick break down of the event: It starts at 4am on Saturday the 28th and the official cut off time is 2pm on Sunday. Yep, you have 36 hours to complete the race. At the start they give you a cue sheet with the directions to a checkpoint 50 miles out. You have 5 hours to make it. Then they give you a cue sheet for a check point a 100 miles out, you have 12 hours to make it. Once you make the 150 mile check point you get a cue sheet to take you the rest of the way. Somewhere in the last 160 miles you will have a suprise check point. That keeps you honest!

nope! Iowa ain't flat my friends!!!!!!!!

So in a 36 hour period you have to pedal 310 miles, eat and sleep! No pressure, none at all... The kicker, it's a totally self supported race! No GPS units allowed either! You have to rely on small community stores and your own ability to navigate! Sound like fun???? 

country road! take me home!!!!

You start in Grinnell Iowa and finish in Grinnell. At the start you head to the northern part of the state and make a loop through northern Iowa back to Grinnell. If you fall out at any point in the 36 hour period it is your responsibility to get back to the start in Grinnell!!!

So my friends training has begun! I put in a total of 5 hours over the weekend and we are just getting started! From what I understand (emails from the promoter) you need to get up to the point where you can spend 10-12 hours on the bike at a time. Once you are there it's all mental!!!!!!!! WHAT THE HELL AM I THINKING....I must already be mental....

17 hour drive to Iowa 36 hour 310 mile race 17 hour drive back to Charlotte all in the span of 5 days!!!!! You only live once.....

One last figure from this race: The race is 7 years old and out of 7 years and 700 people who have tried it, only 57 have finished within the 36 hour time limit!!!!!!!!!