Thursday, April 18, 2019

Tailwinds To Iowa Wind And Rock

The inaugural Iowa Wind & Rock event is this weekend.
A Public Letter To Iowa Wind And Rock, its organizers, volunteers, and riders.

I thought I'd take this opportunity to write some thoughts about this weekend's inaugural Iowa Wind and Rock event. If you are unfamiliar with what connection I have to this event, please read this post.That should bring you up to speed.

All I wanted to do in today's post is to wish all of those attending this new event tailwinds, good times, and safety. While it isn't my burden to bear, the thoughts for the riders are not alien to me, and I still care about them. I also empathize with the race directors and volunteers for IW&R as well. I wish you all success in what you are providing these intrepid riders. 

There was talk of me coming down for the rider check-in Friday, (tomorrow), but circumstances being what they are for me, that just isn't in the cards right now. My truck needs repair from the C.O.G. 100 ordeal yet, and it needs new tires sooner than later. The tires are not worthy of out of town travel anymore. So, with funds being tight for me right now, I am staying at home. I apologize to anyone who had thoughts of seeing me there. I will miss seeing many of you. Sorry......

The weather looks pretty decent for this event, so I expect to hear about many great rides and a fair amount of finishers. I'll follow along on social media a bit. Of course, I expect parallels to be drawn by some folks to Trans Iowa, but please keep in mind that while there are a lot of former Trans Iowa connections in the form of the people of IW&R, it will be an event that births its own personality and feel. I think it is a mistake to burden the experience with anything from the past. Let it be its own thing. Of course, IW&R wants to have "something in Spring which reflects the traditional ultra-endurance event normally held at the end of April", but in the end, theirs is a new story. The individuals riding in it are helping to write that event's first chapters. My wish is for that to blossom into a rich, deep, and meaningful story in the years to come.

All The Best!
Guitar Ted

1 comment:

S.Fuller said...

Thank you for the kind words Mark. We are all truly sorry you won't be able to make it, but we also know that life happens. We are happy and excited to share this new chapter of the Iowa gravel racing story with everyone, whether they are participating or just following the event online.