Announcing Trans Iowa 13

Testing....Testing...1,2,3! (Artwork by Izabel Stevenson)

It is with great trepidation and a somewhat overall feeling of "am I crazy" that I announce that I am doing this thing at least one more time. I would like to take this time now to go into some greater detail about the "why" of those statements and the "why" of doing this again. I know that for many, they stopped reading at the title. For anyone still left with me, here goes.......

For anyone out there with a head for math and probabilities, you know that the more you do something, the higher the chances will be that something could go pear shaped. When it comes to Trans Iowa, I have been very blessed to have not had to deal with grave issues that have plagued some other events around the cycling world. Last year was a high water mark for the event in terms of the success rate of riders, but there were a couple of incidents that could have brought a black cloud over the proceedings. It's a huge risk I take every time I toot the horn on whatever vehicle I am in when we start Trans Iowa at 4:00am in the morning. I probably should stop taking that risk, but now that this cat is out of the bag, there will be one more.

Secondly, and appropriately brought to my attention by a sponsor of last year's Trans Iowa, I have to consider my own well being when it comes to Trans Iowa. I must admit that in the past, I have been rather cavalier about this and I have had friends step in who have greatly changed how a Trans Iowa affects me in several ways. First, I want to say THANK YOU to those friends, and you know who you are. But with that said, there still is a lot of stress and more that a Trans Iowa puts on myself, and maybe more importantly, on my wife and family. I probably should stop that, but again...... Here we go. 

So, why do it at all? Well, I have a new challenge. Not actually "new", but one I've been eying for a few years now and I want to see if I can pull it off. The course draft looks good so far. I have a "Plan B" course in case it doesn't. Yes.....both are mostly new roads. You know how I roll in regard to that. So, anyway, I wanted to get that out of my system before I stop doing these ever again. Because when I stop, that's all she wrote.

Another thing is that I love the people involved. I have made so many good friends and acquaintances via Trans Iowa, that I could never imagine not doing another, when it comes to that part of it. I would so miss all you riders, and then some of the other folks involved in Grinnell, and in the industry. Well, there are so many I cannot name them all, but this is a huge reason I want to do another Trans Iowa on any given year.

I know......I am making this sound like it could be the last. Every year could be the last, truth be known. I take this one year at a time. If it means anything to y'all out there, my step dad says I have five more of these in me. Ha!

So, the date will be April 29th-30th, 2017. More details will be released soon..... Stay tuned!!!