Trans Iowa Stories: It All Came Down to This

In many ways, the t-shirt for v-13 was a prophecy for those who rode in the event.

 "Trans Iowa Stories" is an every Sunday post which helps tell the stories behind the event. You can check out other posts about this subject  by clicking on the "Trans Iowa Stories" link under the blog header. Thanks and enjoy!  

The meeting we had with the volunteers and a few supporters of Trans Iowa at the Mc Donald's breakfast were ready to witness what would be, by any stretch of the hackneyed term, 'an epic ride finish'. The weather amplified the normal Trans Iowa experience into something that those who were there probably will never forget. The wind, the rain, the cold! Just trying to stay warm was really hard to do. Anytime the humidity is high, whenever the Spring winds howl, and when you combine all of that with temperatures in the upper 30's and lower 40's, you will get into a situation that makes it very hard to retain body heat. Hypothermia can be a real problem for normal folks during such times. But when you have people that are dressed in cycling gear, who have been exposed for well over 24 hours to rain, wind, and cold, well then you are really pushing your luck there. And we definitely dodged a few bullets over the night and during the early morning of T.I.v13's finish. 

Sarah Cooper was one such person who ran into some trouble. Ironically, it all happened at about the same spot where Matt and I had waited to see Dan Hughes' glowing headlight cresting a hill several hours earlier. Sarah was riding with Luke Wilson and another rider. Sarah was dropping into the icy grip of hypothermia when Luke, a trained law officer, recognized that she was in bad shape. They stopped at a local farmhouse where they spied an open garage and Luke had Sarah get in a dog bed they found while he roused the owners. Eventually they were cared for by a nice Iowa farm couple and found their way back to safety. Then there was also Ben Mullin, who got within 80 miles or so of the finish but found himself taking shelter from the wind behind a barn. Due to time running out and he being nearly hypothermic,  he decided to pull the plug on his attempt.

(L-R) Walter Zitz, Jackson Hinde, and Matt Aker climb the final hills in T.Iv13's course. (Image by Jon Duke)

Meanwhile there were now only seven riders moving toward Grinnell with any hope of getting back to the finish before the 2;00pm cut-off time limit. The few that were hardy enough to want to stand around and see the front runners come in made their way down to Miller Park. The rain had pretty much ended at this point, thankfully, and would not return. However; the winds and the temperatures were such that just merely being outside was really hard on one's body. 

Mark Johnson toils up a hill on his single speed. (Image by Jon Duke)

Thus began the 'Dan Hughes Finish Watch', and it was a highly anticipated event for the few who were there. Just when it would happen was somewhat in doubt, but that it would happen, now, was not in question. 

Matt and I witnessed first hand the conditions  which Dan had persevered through. We witnessed his countenance and the way he had been carrying himself. Dan had proven his mettle. That was not any longer a thing to be questioned. It was now- as they say- just a matter of time. 

These things which were noted by Matt, myself, and the gathered few which made up the small crowd at Miller Park were the reasons we all were there. We knew we were witnessing the finish of a ride which, on the one hand would go largely unnoticed by those who champion cycling's biggest feats and accomplishments, and on the other hand, would be treasured by the witnesses for a lifetime as being something really quite special. That's kind of the way it was with Trans Iowa.

Any other 'big time' gravel event of that day, or afterward, would have had the eyeballs of cycling's Cognoscenti. The gatekeepers of 'The Narrative' would have been feting Hughes' accomplishments far and wide. 'The Industry' would have offered him prize endorsements and support. But no.... This was not how Trans Iowa was set up. This was something quite different, and to be honest, quite in opposition of such 'normal' affairs associated with such ultra-endurance events. Trans Iowa didn't create 'rock stars', nor was it set up to celebrate the participant's accomplishments. It was, however, set up in such a way that maybe, just maybe, the participants would gain a thing that no one could possibly give to them, but would be worth more than ribbons, trophies, and endorsements. What 'those things' might be could be quite different depending on the person's experiences. Go ask them. I cannot tell you. 

Dan Hughes driving it home over the last miles of T.I.v13 (Image by Jon Duke)

Dan Hughes was the center piece of Trans Iowa v13. Matt and I, and several others, had been keenly following his efforts for most of the event. While we were, at one point or another, fairly sure he would fail, he was proving to us that we were all wrong. He, perhaps, was proving himself wrong, but however that was that cold, wet, windy weekend, we will never truly understand. Only Dan really knows what went on out there. 

And that's the way it should be.  

Next: An Ending- A Release