The time is getting closer and it's almost here. Trans Iowa V2! It's the main thought that runs through my mind most of the time now. To complicate things, we are super busy at work. To find the time that's not related to work or family right now is very tough to do. That makes it even harder to get in any detail work for the event that is only a week away! Yikes!
I'm anxious to get on with it, as I know most of the racers are. The thing is, I have a different motivation for this than they do. For them, it's the culmination of all that they have been training for all winter long. It's the trip into the unknown depths of their physical and mental beings which draws them into a place that they have never been to before. It's exciting for them to see what they will find. However; for me it's a task that must be done. A difficult, long, and dreary slog through the backroads of Iowa. Making sure there are no surprises. Bridges out? Road construction? Watching the front of the race develope, keeping tabs on it so I can organize volunteers over a time window that could stretch to ten hours from one end to another. Keeping track of riders. Heck, keeping awake! I just want to see folks having fun, being challenged, being smart and safe, and getting through this with no major complications, crashes, or death.
If it's anything like last year, the best part will be after the event is over. That will be true in two ways. One: I'll be able to relax. No more worrying about details, time schedules, or managing events. Secondly, I'll get to start reading the great stories that are sure to come out of this. Like a huge tapestry, all the parts will reveal a different scene, a new color to the composistion that will become the true picture of this years Trans Iowa. I can't wait for this to be over and for the stories to come in.
Of course, there will be a flood of coverage here and on Jeff's blog, along with some bits on The Biking Hub and Twenty Nine Inches. I'm sure there will be several stories related on mtbr.com as well as other photo sharing sites, just like last year. The thing I want to do differently this time is to write a story for release for some magazine or other. I wanted to do that last year, but I couldn't get a handle on anything to hang a narrative on. We'll see about that this time. It might happen.
Inbred Update: It's finished! Well, at least to ride, I never leave a bike set up alone for very long. I'll be shaking it down on some commutes to work, to find any hidden foibles. If it passes muster, it may get put to the test this eekend for the first time. Sorry! No pictures.........yet! I forgot my camera at my mom's house over Easter weekend! Maybe I can talk Mr.24 into taking a couple shots for me today!
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