Trans Iowa Stories: The Finish Line Agreement

The look of exhaustion. Matt Wills upon finishing T.I.v5

"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 going back to earlier Sunday posts on this blog. Thanks and enjoy!

The end of Trans Iowa v5 was a pretty special one. I've briefly recounted a few highlights in the past, but ironically this event's finish has not been well documented. I'm not sure why that is. In my final report on it on my blog, I glossed over a lot of things that were pretty remarkable, really.

While Corey, "Cornbread" Godfrey did not make the finish, a couple of the other "Lincoln Crew" guys did. Matt Wills finished on a single speed, and Matt Gersib, who was then someone I had just become friends with, finished as well. Ol' "MG" and I became pretty tight in the years afterward, but there will be a story coming later about he and I and T.I.v7 which put that friendship to the test.

But as for the finish line, it was just one of those things. Unplanned, organic, and "real", as they say. I already related how that David and I arbitrarily chose a mail box at the end of a drive way as our finish, but there also was a wide, grassy lawn there as well which ended up becoming a "lounging area" for supporters and riders who were coming in. That is, if they could drag themselves that far! Some immediately got off their bikes and sat right on the road. I remember B.J. Bass doing that. And Matt Gersib, well he just laid himself right out on the pavement and had a short nap!

Others were taking advantage of the grass and kicking back. I recall that finisher Andy Stockman, from California, had a gal friend there that worked for New Belgium Brewing. She had a cooler full of beer that you couldn't get in Iowa at the time. Craft beers being kind of rare back then, and we had New Belgium "Fat Tire Ale", but nothing else here. Well, she busted out that cooler and we had ourselves a few brews right there under the Sun! It was pretty fabulous, and again- completely impromptu. 

MG cashed out. I remember thinking this was a bit amusing, but I was concerned about how we'd get him up as well!

Then  there was the second finisher of Trans Iowa on a fixed gear bike, Ben Shockey. It was pretty crazy that he managed to pull this off, but he did, and I remember the shocked looks of the bystanders when they realized Ben had been on a fixed gear. There was a set of HUGE rollers on the Benton/Iowa County line that I just had to ask Ben about. He said he walked up and down them! They were just far too steep, long, and too far into the course for him to risk it on the fixie. That was about three miles worth of walking, by the way!

This was one of the nicest finish line experiences Trans Iowa ever had. I believe it got into the 70's later in the day, and the morning and early afternoon was Sun drenched, calm, and just beautiful for an early May day. We had our last finisher two hours before the cut-off at 2:00pm. So by the time we had finally accounted for everyone, all the folks hanging out had long gone. When David and I had realized no one else was coming in, it was already about 2:00pm. I remember we stood there remarking about things that had transpired during the event, and then the inevitable pause in conversation hit. David looked at me, stuck out his hand, and said, "T.I.v6?"  I grabbed his outstretched hand, shook it, and said "Yeah!, Why not?", or something to that effect.

In a Trans Iowa full of "one-offs", the event ended with one last example of a "one-off"- an agreement to do the next Trans Iowa immediately after finishing the current one. That would never happen again, well.......kind of. You'll have to wait for a while to find out what I mean there.

Next: New Things

Trans Iowa Stories: The Finish Line Agreement

The look of exhaustion. Matt Wills upon finishing T.I.v5

"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 going back to earlier Sunday posts on this blog. Thanks and enjoy!

The end of Trans Iowa v5 was a pretty special one. I've briefly recounted a few highlights in the past, but ironically this event's finish has not been well documented. I'm not sure why that is. In my final report on it on my blog, I glossed over a lot of things that were pretty remarkable, really.

While Corey, "Cornbread" Godfrey did not make the finish, a couple of the other "Lincoln Crew" guys did. Matt Wills finished on a single speed, and Matt Gersib, who was then someone I had just become friends with, finished as well. Ol' "MG" and I became pretty tight in the years afterward, but there will be a story coming later about he and I and T.I.v7 which put that friendship to the test.

But as for the finish line, it was just one of those things. Unplanned, organic, and "real", as they say. I already related how that David and I arbitrarily chose a mail box at the end of a drive way as our finish, but there also was a wide, grassy lawn there as well which ended up becoming a "lounging area" for supporters and riders who were coming in. That is, if they could drag themselves that far! Some immediately got off their bikes and sat right on the road. I remember B.J. Bass doing that. And Matt Gersib, well he just laid himself right out on the pavement and had a short nap!

Others were taking advantage of the grass and kicking back. I recall that finisher Andy Stockman, from California, had a gal friend there that worked for New Belgium Brewing. She had a cooler full of beer that you couldn't get in Iowa at the time. Craft beers being kind of rare back then, and we had New Belgium "Fat Tire Ale", but nothing else here. Well, she busted out that cooler and we had ourselves a few brews right there under the Sun! It was pretty fabulous, and again- completely impromptu. 

MG cashed out. I remember thinking this was a bit amusing, but I was concerned about how we'd get him up as well!

Then  there was the second finisher of Trans Iowa on a fixed gear bike, Ben Shockey. It was pretty crazy that he managed to pull this off, but he did, and I remember the shocked looks of the bystanders when they realized Ben had been on a fixed gear. There was a set of HUGE rollers on the Benton/Iowa County line that I just had to ask Ben about. He said he walked up and down them! They were just far too steep, long, and too far into the course for him to risk it on the fixie. That was about three miles worth of walking, by the way!

This was one of the nicest finish line experiences Trans Iowa ever had. I believe it got into the 70's later in the day, and the morning and early afternoon was Sun drenched, calm, and just beautiful for an early May day. We had our last finisher two hours before the cut-off at 2:00pm. So by the time we had finally accounted for everyone, all the folks hanging out had long gone. When David and I had realized no one else was coming in, it was already about 2:00pm. I remember we stood there remarking about things that had transpired during the event, and then the inevitable pause in conversation hit. David looked at me, stuck out his hand, and said, "T.I.v6?"  I grabbed his outstretched hand, shook it, and said "Yeah!, Why not?", or something to that effect.

In a Trans Iowa full of "one-offs", the event ended with one last example of a "one-off"- an agreement to do the next Trans Iowa immediately after finishing the current one. That would never happen again, well.......kind of. You'll have to wait for a while to find out what I mean there.

Next: New Things

Trans Iowa Stories: More Quick Tales From v5

Jeremy Fry, who finished v5, at the Traer checkpoint. Image by Paul Buchanan

"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 going back to earlier Sunday posts on this blog. Thanks and enjoy!

The Traer Checkpoint was the sight of more than just Charlie Farrow's amazing comeback from the dead. It was also the scene where much of the character and grit of many of the finishers was shown. Riders like Jeremy Fry, who made it there and ended up finishing his first attempt at Trans Iowa. Jeremy nearly had to be carried off at the finish, he was so spent. Others didn't fare so well. Riders like Corey, "Cornbread" Godfrey, one of the five who made the truncated finish of T.I.v4, had to "pull the plug", as we used to say, at CP#3.

All of this was stuff David and I would have missed had it not been for Paul Buchanan who hung around and snapped off several shots and told the stories to us later. Paul also related how that the convenience store had closed up before many riders got there. Some were able to resupply at a local bar, but we got the message. It was going to be tough going forward to route the course to find 24hr stores, or to time the route such that riders would be through before closing or arrive after opening times.

Like I said before, this was a Trans Iowa of "one-offs", and one of those was a planned overnight sleeping period for David and I. See, the course went very near to where David lived in Marengo, only about 12 miles away to the West, so after we had made it through the "last town out" on the route, and had checked out some convenience stores, we headed over to his home to catch a few "z's", but this plan ended up being foiled by a few phone calls.

Cornbread ended his v5 ride in Traer. Image by Paul Buchanan

I had just settled into the bed when my phone lit up. I had to leave it on, of course, in case something like a DNF got called in, or if there were issues beyond that. Well, I answered expecting to hear a rider telling me they were done, but it wasn't a rider. It was a rider's wife, wondering where her man was, because I hadn't said his name on "Trans Iowa Radio". Gah! After doing a bit of explaining and "hand holding", I got her off the phone and tried to calm down and get some shut-eye. Then the phone rang again.

This time it was a rider. Only it wasn't a DNF. It was the slow, steady, sonorous voice of Joe Meiser, one of the leaders in the event. He had a question about the cue sheets, because he was confused. This was always a delicate issue from my standpoint. I knew the route, of course, but I couldn't tell them where to go either. They had to figure it out. Once I had Joe confirm he had the correct cues, I had to tell him that he may have missed a corner, but that they were going to have to look themselves. Joe then kind of had a light bulb moment, I think, because he seemed satisfied that he understood what to do, and then I was back to trying to get some shut eye, only I couldn't.

It didn't matter because not long after Joe's call it was the checkpoint #3 guys calling in at 2:22am in the morning to report their findings. The only memorable thing I found out there was that Charlie Farrow had made it through the checkpoint. Then David got up, and well, we just decided we needed to go. David managed a complete hour of shut-eye. Me? I don't think I caught three winks. The whole "sleeping" plan was a big fail!

So, David and I high-tailed it over to Williamsburg, and the ending of T.I.v5. Now, this was in David's part of the recon. I actually had not seen the finish line until that night. Well........morning, that is! Anyway, it was at the end of a little dirt road section coming into a North end residential area of Williamsburg. We arbitrarily made a mailbox at the end of someone's driveway the "finish line"! It was still dark, because we were thinking the leaders may show up around 4:00am, or shortly after, at the speeds that Meiser, Ek, and Pramann were going.

From L-R: David Pals, Ken Yokanovich, (a volunteer), Meiser, Pramann, and Ek- Image by P. Buchanan

Well, we hadn't figured in the extra time on their missed turn, and they lost about an hour, they figured. Meiser ended up powering in at right at 25 hours with Ek and Pramann hand in hand for second. A gentleman's agreement to allow Meiser the win was struck up because he had pulled the group most of the night.

Anyway, that whole deal with the finishers and immediately afterward is somewhat of a haze to me. I was really out of sorts for a while there in the morning, and there were things that happened I cannot recall. I kind of remember being freaked out about possibly waking up residents and a few shadowy memories of the first few riders coming in, but my memories don't really pick up until later in the morning when I must have gotten my second wind. Things were pretty clear from around 10:00am onward.

I regret not remembering the finish of Meiser, Ek, and Pramann well because it was a really special one. The story goes that the three were trading compliments, memories of the ride, and the bond those three had formed was palpable in the air, so they say. There were maybe some tears shed, and soft clapping, and well......you had to be there. I was, but I was so fatigued and beyond delirious at that point with lack of sleep that my experience of that moment has been lost. The price I paid to put on the event at times was like that, I guess.

Next Week: The Finish Line Agreement

Trans Iowa Stories: More Quick Tales From v5

Jeremy Fry, who finished v5, at the Traer checkpoint. Image by Paul Buchanan

"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 going back to earlier Sunday posts on this blog. Thanks and enjoy!

The Traer Checkpoint was the sight of more than just Charlie Farrow's amazing comeback from the dead. It was also the scene where much of the character and grit of many of the finishers was shown. Riders like Jeremy Fry, who made it there and ended up finishing his first attempt at Trans Iowa. Jeremy nearly had to be carried off at the finish, he was so spent. Others didn't fare so well. Riders like Corey, "Cornbread" Godfrey, one of the five who made the truncated finish of T.I.v4, had to "pull the plug", as we used to say, at CP#3.

All of this was stuff David and I would have missed had it not been for Paul Buchanan who hung around and snapped off several shots and told the stories to us later. Paul also related how that the convenience store had closed up before many riders got there. Some were able to resupply at a local bar, but we got the message. It was going to be tough going forward to route the course to find 24hr stores, or to time the route such that riders would be through before closing or arrive after opening times.

Like I said before, this was a Trans Iowa of "one-offs", and one of those was a planned overnight sleeping period for David and I. See, the course went very near to where David lived in Marengo, only about 12 miles away to the West, so after we had made it through the "last town out" on the route, and had checked out some convenience stores, we headed over to his home to catch a few "z's", but this plan ended up being foiled by a few phone calls.

Cornbread ended his v5 ride in Traer. Image by Paul Buchanan

I had just settled into the bed when my phone lit up. I had to leave it on, of course, in case something like a DNF got called in, or if there were issues beyond that. Well, I answered expecting to hear a rider telling me they were done, but it wasn't a rider. It was a rider's wife, wondering where her man was, because I hadn't said his name on "Trans Iowa Radio". Gah! After doing a bit of explaining and "hand holding", I got her off the phone and tried to calm down and get some shut-eye. Then the phone rang again.

This time it was a rider. Only it wasn't a DNF. It was the slow, steady, sonorous voice of Joe Meiser, one of the leaders in the event. He had a question about the cue sheets, because he was confused. This was always a delicate issue from my standpoint. I knew the route, of course, but I couldn't tell them where to go either. They had to figure it out. Once I had Joe confirm he had the correct cues, I had to tell him that he may have missed a corner, but that they were going to have to look themselves. Joe then kind of had a light bulb moment, I think, because he seemed satisfied that he understood what to do, and then I was back to trying to get some shut eye, only I couldn't.

It didn't matter because not long after Joe's call it was the checkpoint #3 guys calling in at 2:22am in the morning to report their findings. The only memorable thing I found out there was that Charlie Farrow had made it through the checkpoint. Then David got up, and well, we just decided we needed to go. David managed a complete hour of shut-eye. Me? I don't think I caught three winks. The whole "sleeping" plan was a big fail!

So, David and I high-tailed it over to Williamsburg, and the ending of T.I.v5. Now, this was in David's part of the recon. I actually had not seen the finish line until that night. Well........morning, that is! Anyway, it was at the end of a little dirt road section coming into a North end residential area of Williamsburg. We arbitrarily made a mailbox at the end of someone's driveway the "finish line"! It was still dark, because we were thinking the leaders may show up around 4:00am, or shortly after, at the speeds that Meiser, Ek, and Pramann were going.

From L-R: David Pals, Ken Yokanovich, (a volunteer), Meiser, Pramann, and Ek- Image by P. Buchanan

Well, we hadn't figured in the extra time on their missed turn, and they lost about an hour, they figured. Meiser ended up powering in at right at 25 hours with Ek and Pramann hand in hand for second. A gentleman's agreement to allow Meiser the win was struck up because he had pulled the group most of the night.

Anyway, that whole deal with the finishers and immediately afterward is somewhat of a haze to me. I was really out of sorts for a while there in the morning, and there were things that happened I cannot recall. I kind of remember being freaked out about possibly waking up residents and a few shadowy memories of the first few riders coming in, but my memories don't really pick up until later in the morning when I must have gotten my second wind. Things were pretty clear from around 10:00am onward.

I regret not remembering the finish of Meiser, Ek, and Pramann well because it was a really special one. The story goes that the three were trading compliments, memories of the ride, and the bond those three had formed was palpable in the air, so they say. There were maybe some tears shed, and soft clapping, and well......you had to be there. I was, but I was so fatigued and beyond delirious at that point with lack of sleep that my experience of that moment has been lost. The price I paid to put on the event at times was like that, I guess.

Next Week: The Finish Line Agreement

Trans Iowa Stories: The Legend Of Charlie Farrow

Charlie Farrow, (blue jersey), cemented his legendary status in T.I.v5 Image by K Stuedal

"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 going back to earlier Sunday posts on this blog. Thanks and enjoy!

 The story of Charlie Farrow's adventures on bicycles was one that was well on its way to being a fairly successful, legendary one in the circles of ultra-mtb and in Minnesota/Wisconsin in particular, by the time I got to know him. However; what happened at Trans Iowa v5 may have cemented his status as "legendary" in the annals of the tales of the early gravel scene, never to be forgotten.

Charlie Farrow signed up for Trans Iowa v4 and when people saw his name on the roster I was noticing a certain reverence, a "respect" in the tone of conversations concerning him. Charlie came out of the Northern Minnesota scene, Duluth to be exact, and he and a few friends had formed a confederacy of cycling loosely held together under some cryptic name or another. (Death Before Dishonor? Something like that....) Charlie knew and drew in another cyclist into the fold named Tim Ek, another Duluth resident. Their training exploits were of epic nature and their friendship, at the time of T.I.v5, was solid. Tim, a finisher of T.I.v3 and Charlie eventually became stalwarts of the event in terms of support and performance in the event for a decade. But perhaps no story these two were involved in is more amazing than that of Charlie's ride in T.I.v5.

Charlie came into T.I.v5 with some high expectations from David and I. So, when Charlie showed up in the front running group at the first checkpoint in Washington, Iowa, we weren't surprised. If you've been reading this series you know Charlie figured into a four man break after the stop at the North English convenience store where his friend Tim Ek joined him along with Joe Meiser and Dave Pramaan, himself a rider from "up north". In fact, all in the break were from "up North"!

Things were going along well for the quartet as they punched through Level B roads and headwinds along their way to the second checkpoint in LeGrand, Iowa. If I recall correctly, David and I missed seeing them there, as we arrived before they did, and left to do a little recon of a "lollipop" part of the course before we decided to head on over to Checkpoint #3. That would be in a little town called Traer, Iowa. This is a town I doubt Charlie will forget for a long time, although I do not know if he even knows the name of it.

We commandeered another road sign for our own directions during T.I.v5

David and I were feeling pretty good about T.I.v5 as we rolled into Traer. Our checkpoint volunteers finally took up their spots at the convenience store and we waited. The furious pace which the quartet of break away riders were holding was so fast we knew that they, if they could finish, would be the group the winner came out of. Who would it be? Could they break the 24hr barrier to finish? It sure looked like it was still possible late into the event.

We waited for what seemed like an eternity. It was getting toward nightfall, perhaps about 7:00-7:30pm. A fellow from my city, another cyclist named Paul Buchanan, showed up just to hang out and see the goings on. Generally I wouldn't have allowed such a thing, but Paul is cool and he actually ended up documenting, and helping out the event, so it was all good.  But where were the four Northerners?

Well, it wasn't much longer before they showed up in the twilight of an early May day. Three of them..... Wait! Three? Charlie? Where is Charlie?!!

A dismayed Tim Ek told us that Charlie had to stop. He had run into a gut issue and it was making him slower. They begged him to get back on and make it to Checkpoint #2, but he wasn't able to hang after that point, so they reluctantly had to cut him loose. Dave Pramann shook his head, and his words echoed Tim Ek's- it didn't look good for Charlie. There was some hope though, as I hadn't gotten any word that he had missed the Checkpoint, so he must have kept going.......

Charlie Farrow at the Traer, Iowa convenience store. Image by Paul Buchanan.

Well, at this point Charlie fell out of knowledge to David and I while the event was still underway. However; we know the tale of Mr. Farrow well now.

He did indeed have to fall off the lead break, and he apparently had to stop a few times to deal with his malady. He made it through the CP#2 on time, and eventually he made it to CP#3, but not before the convenience store had closed up, and nearly everyone else had left.

Feeling rather ill, Charlie went around town, gathering the unwanted advertising newspapers many people left in their mail boxes or that were in copious supplies at homes which were vacant. These were known to most of us Mid-Westerners as "shoppers", and Charlie put them to good use. He packed them around his body between his skin and clothing to build up a layer of insulation, and then he found a nice, quiet place, some say in the city park, others say in a cemetery, and he curled up, and took, what he described later as, a nice long nap.

Apparently the ill effects of "whatever" had cleared Charlie's intestinal system by the time he awoke, as he said he felt a LOT better. He had some water and something to eat, then rejoined the chase. He was back from the dead, as it were.  I recall MG saying to me several times afterward, when speaking of v5, that Charlie's appearance at one point during the night was a big surprise. As if he had appeared out of nowhere. See, when you do these events, you get a feel for who is near to you up and down the road as paths cross several times, and MG hadn't seen, nor heard about Charlie for most of the event. Charlie was like a ghost. He had disappeared, then hey! He pops up unexpectedly. So, it was definitely was a big surprise then.

Charlie Farrow after finishing T.I.v5

And no one was more surprised than David and I when we got word at the finish line that Charlie Farrow was not only still riding, but was going to finish! All we knew was that Charlie had passed the test of getting to checkpoint 3 on time, but we knew he was ill. How he managed to come back from being sick, we had no clue. At the time, it just seemed like a miracle. How in the world did he manage it?

And not only that, but when Charlie rolled in, he was chirpy and looked none the worse for wear. We were simply astounded, happy, and relieved. Our mystery about how he did it was satisfied after we were able to talk to Charlie, and we could not do anything but shake our heads in wonder at his perseverance and  grit in the face of such an obstacle.

Of course, sleeping in Trans Iowa as a competitor was not a realistic option for 99% of the riders that ever rode in the event. Charlie was afforded the "luxury", if you can call hobo-camping somewhere in rural Iowa a luxury, of sleeping due to his vast lead on time. Remember- the event finishers, Dave Pramann, Tim Ek, and winner Joe Meiser finished in about 25 hours, and Charlie was with these guys well into the event. He had built up a good bank of time to withdraw from, and his renewed vigor after his rest carried him home in 6th place, at a time of 31 hours and 18 minutes, a full 2 hours and 42 minutes before the final cut off for the event.

The legendary performance Charlie put in was never equaled again in Trans Iowa's history. Every time Charlie came to Trans Iowa, I knew he was capable of something special, or terrifying, or both. Charlie did Trans Iowa nine times total, and there are more stories concerning him to be told, but none perhaps more spectacular, crazy, and heartwarming as his story from Trans Iowa v5. But rest assured, his name will figure into several more "Trans Iowa Stories".

A final word on Charlie before I sign off here. He was especially kind in word and deed toward David and I, and for Trans Iowa overall. Here is just a snippet of words he posted on his own blog about Trans Iowa:

"Bravo for creating, developing, and continually enhancing such a masterpiece that is the Trans-Iowa. I have been around cycling for 30 years and the Trans-Iowa is to my mind the most incredible citizen’s event in USA cycling."

Thanks Charlie, wherever you are. I really appreciate you and what you brought to Trans Iowa over the years. 

Next Week: Some v5 Short Stories

Trans Iowa Stories: The Legend Of Charlie Farrow

Charlie Farrow, (blue jersey), cemented his legendary status in T.I.v5 Image by K Stuedal

"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 going back to earlier Sunday posts on this blog. Thanks and enjoy!

 The story of Charlie Farrow's adventures on bicycles was one that was well on its way to being a fairly successful, legendary one in the circles of ultra-mtb and in Minnesota/Wisconsin in particular, by the time I got to know him. However; what happened at Trans Iowa v5 may have cemented his status as "legendary" in the annals of the tales of the early gravel scene, never to be forgotten.

Charlie Farrow signed up for Trans Iowa v4 and when people saw his name on the roster I was noticing a certain reverence, a "respect" in the tone of conversations concerning him. Charlie came out of the Northern Minnesota scene, Duluth to be exact, and he and a few friends had formed a confederacy of cycling loosely held together under some cryptic name or another. (Death Before Dishonor? Something like that....) Charlie knew and drew in another cyclist into the fold named Tim Ek, another Duluth resident. Their training exploits were of epic nature and their friendship, at the time of T.I.v5, was solid. Tim, a finisher of T.I.v3 and Charlie eventually became stalwarts of the event in terms of support and performance in the event for a decade. But perhaps no story these two were involved in is more amazing than that of Charlie's ride in T.I.v5.

Charlie came into T.I.v5 with some high expectations from David and I. So, when Charlie showed up in the front running group at the first checkpoint in Washington, Iowa, we weren't surprised. If you've been reading this series you know Charlie figured into a four man break after the stop at the North English convenience store where his friend Tim Ek joined him along with Joe Meiser and Dave Pramaan, himself a rider from "up north". In fact, all in the break were from "up North"!

Things were going along well for the quartet as they punched through Level B roads and headwinds along their way to the second checkpoint in LeGrand, Iowa. If I recall correctly, David and I missed seeing them there, as we arrived before they did, and left to do a little recon of a "lollipop" part of the course before we decided to head on over to Checkpoint #3. That would be in a little town called Traer, Iowa. This is a town I doubt Charlie will forget for a long time, although I do not know if he even knows the name of it.

We commandeered another road sign for our own directions during T.I.v5

David and I were feeling pretty good about T.I.v5 as we rolled into Traer. Our checkpoint volunteers finally took up their spots at the convenience store and we waited. The furious pace which the quartet of break away riders were holding was so fast we knew that they, if they could finish, would be the group the winner came out of. Who would it be? Could they break the 24hr barrier to finish? It sure looked like it was still possible late into the event.

We waited for what seemed like an eternity. It was getting toward nightfall, perhaps about 7:00-7:30pm. A fellow from my city, another cyclist named Paul Buchanan, showed up just to hang out and see the goings on. Generally I wouldn't have allowed such a thing, but Paul is cool and he actually ended up documenting, and helping out the event, so it was all good.  But where were the four Northerners?

Well, it wasn't much longer before they showed up in the twilight of an early May day. Three of them..... Wait! Three? Charlie? Where is Charlie?!!

A dismayed Tim Ek told us that Charlie had to stop. He had run into a gut issue and it was making him slower. They begged him to get back on and make it to Checkpoint #2, but he wasn't able to hang after that point, so they reluctantly had to cut him loose. Dave Pramann shook his head, and his words echoed Tim Ek's- it didn't look good for Charlie. There was some hope though, as I hadn't gotten any word that he had missed the Checkpoint, so he must have kept going.......

Charlie Farrow at the Traer, Iowa convenience store. Image by Paul Buchanan.

Well, at this point Charlie fell out of knowledge to David and I while the event was still underway. However; we know the tale of Mr. Farrow well now.

He did indeed have to fall off the lead break, and he apparently had to stop a few times to deal with his malady. He made it through the CP#2 on time, and eventually he made it to CP#3, but not before the convenience store had closed up, and nearly everyone else had left.

Feeling rather ill, Charlie went around town, gathering the unwanted advertising newspapers many people left in their mail boxes or that were in copious supplies at homes which were vacant. These were known to most of us Mid-Westerners as "shoppers", and Charlie put them to good use. He packed them around his body between his skin and clothing to build up a layer of insulation, and then he found a nice, quiet place, some say in the city park, others say in a cemetery, and he curled up, and took, what he described later as, a nice long nap.

Apparently the ill effects of "whatever" had cleared Charlie's intestinal system by the time he awoke, as he said he felt a LOT better. He had some water and something to eat, then rejoined the chase. He was back from the dead, as it were.  I recall MG saying to me several times afterward, when speaking of v5, that Charlie's appearance at one point during the night was a big surprise. As if he had appeared out of nowhere. See, when you do these events, you get a feel for who is near to you up and down the road as paths cross several times, and MG hadn't seen, nor heard about Charlie for most of the event. Charlie was like a ghost. He had disappeared, then hey! He pops up unexpectedly. So, it was definitely was a big surprise then.

Charlie Farrow after finishing T.I.v5

And no one was more surprised than David and I when we got word at the finish line that Charlie Farrow was not only still riding, but was going to finish! All we knew was that Charlie had passed the test of getting to checkpoint 3 on time, but we knew he was ill. How he managed to come back from being sick, we had no clue. At the time, it just seemed like a miracle. How in the world did he manage it?

And not only that, but when Charlie rolled in, he was chirpy and looked none the worse for wear. We were simply astounded, happy, and relieved. Our mystery about how he did it was satisfied after we were able to talk to Charlie, and we could not do anything but shake our heads in wonder at his perseverance and  grit in the face of such an obstacle.

Of course, sleeping in Trans Iowa as a competitor was not a realistic option for 99% of the riders that ever rode in the event. Charlie was afforded the "luxury", if you can call hobo-camping somewhere in rural Iowa a luxury, of sleeping due to his vast lead on time. Remember- the event finishers, Dave Pramann, Tim Ek, and winner Joe Meiser finished in about 25 hours, and Charlie was with these guys well into the event. He had built up a good bank of time to withdraw from, and his renewed vigor after his rest carried him home in 6th place, at a time of 31 hours and 18 minutes, a full 2 hours and 42 minutes before the final cut off for the event.

The legendary performance Charlie put in was never equaled again in Trans Iowa's history. Every time Charlie came to Trans Iowa, I knew he was capable of something special, or terrifying, or both. Charlie did Trans Iowa nine times total, and there are more stories concerning him to be told, but none perhaps more spectacular, crazy, and heartwarming as his story from Trans Iowa v5. But rest assured, his name will figure into several more "Trans Iowa Stories".

A final word on Charlie before I sign off here. He was especially kind in word and deed toward David and I, and for Trans Iowa overall. Here is just a snippet of words he posted on his own blog about Trans Iowa:

"Bravo for creating, developing, and continually enhancing such a masterpiece that is the Trans-Iowa. I have been around cycling for 30 years and the Trans-Iowa is to my mind the most incredible citizen’s event in USA cycling."

Thanks Charlie, wherever you are. I really appreciate you and what you brought to Trans Iowa over the years. 

Next Week: Some v5 Short Stories

Trans Iowa Stories: Three Quick Tales About v5

Looking back at a road grader during T.I.v5 recon in "The Dirty Blue Box".

"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 going back to earlier Sunday posts on this blog. Thanks and enjoy!\

In this edition of "Trans Iowa Stories" I thought I would share three quick tales from the v5 event.

The first was a lesson learned. David, who reconned the first half of the route alone, had done so always during the day. When T.I.v5 started in the dark, the roads did not look quite the same! This came almost to our undoing within the first hour of T.I.v5.

I was driving "The Dirty Blue Box" while David navigated from the cues. I saw a "T" intersection coming up in the headlights. "T intersection. Which way do I go?" There was a brief silence, then David said "Straight......We're supposed to just keep going straight." Well, obviously something was wrong. My heart was in my throat, and when I reached the intersection, David realized that there was a slight offset to the road at the intersection, so that in the dark, it was impossible to see the road continuing off just to the left of the intersection we were at.

We managed to mark the corner quickly with our DK200 inspired stakes and ribbons, but only juuuust in time, since as we were getting set to leave, we saw a bright, bluish light growing like a weird Sun rise, and then suddenly there they were! The leaders of T.I.v5! Whew! That was close!

Well, that precipitated the "jig-a-jog" cue for future Trans Iowa events, which helped to solve that issue. However, this wouldn't be the last time David and I would be found scrambling to mark the course ahead of the leaders right away in the morning, as we shall see later in this series.

Dust in the air creates a surreal effect. T.I.v5 image by Cornbread

Then there was the "Disappearing Banana Incident". This occurred after Checkpoint #1 at a convenience store in North English, Iowa. David and I were standing around in the chill morning air waiting on the leaders to come in, which we were certain would happen, because not one of them resupplied at CP#1. After what seemed like hours of waiting around in silence and peacefulness, the scene suddenly got tense and exciting.

Joe Meiser, a Salsa Cycles engineer, was leading with Charlie Farrow, who had been one of only five finishers the year before. After trying unsuccessfully to get answers to my questions about what was going on in the event from Joe, both he and Farrow disappeared into the store.

A few minutes later, they emerge, and this happens just as two other figures are rolling into the convenience store parking lot. One, a slim figure clad in black, starts yelling at Farrow. "Charlie! Let's go! Farrow!.......", he stops suddenly right by me, but I may as well have been a million miles away. The figures wide eyes are staring at Charlie. The mysterious figure produces a banana from a pocket, quickly peels it in two strokes, and with one bite......a single bite....he inhales the fruit and screams, "C'mon! We gotta get outta here now!" A befuddled Farrow, with a gallon jug of water and in the process of refilling a bottle, looks up, and without a word Charlie set the jug down, took his partially filled water bottle, re-mounted, and chased after the now disappearing figures of the man in black, Meiser, and another rider by the name of Dave Pramann.

Well, David and I eventually figured out who the manic banana eater was. It was Tim Ek, a finisher of T.I.v3, and Tim would come in a tie for second in this version of T.I. as well.

Finally for today we have the story of how it came to be that we quit announcing where checkpoint locations would be in future Trans Iowa events. That was due to some possible cheating we heard about later. But this same instance was also why we never took Trans Iowa through the villages of LeGrand and Gillman Iowa after v5. Well.......kinda. You'll see.

Checkpoint #2 of the three we had in T.I.v5 was set to be at a convenience store in LeGrand, Iowa, a small railroad village east of Marshalltown. The store had a pretty good sized parking lot on its east side which we figured would make for a decent, out of the way place to hang for our volunteers. One of whom was Matt Maxwell, who rode his bike over from Ames, Iowa to do the checkpoint, then he rode back to Ames afterward!

Tim Ek, Charlie Farrow, Dave Pramann, and Joe Meiser just after leaving N.English. Image by D.Pals.

Since we had announced the location of the checkpoint ahead of time, we found several cars and vans choking the area, leaving little room for true customers to park. Then the riders started coming in. The bikes lined the sides of the store as several riders were inside availing themselves of water, food, and the restroom. This spot also served as the point where many were bailing out of T.I.v5 due to a Westerly headwind and rough, fresh gravel which was taxing many of the riders into exhaustion. So, a LOT of people were milling about waiting to be picked up, as well as the riders passing through, which were a constant for hours. Now, let it be known that this particular, independently owned and operated store also served as LeGrand's pizza place. So, out of two total employees, one was dedicated to pizza orders and fulfillment. The other was a register clerk, and the place was swamped!

David and I were gone when this happened, but apparently the one employee got so angry and frustrated that she shooed away incoming riders and enforced a "no bicycle parking policy", made up on the spot, to ostensibly "clear the way" for regulars to get into the joint. Well, we weren't too very happy to find this out, and it made little sense, as we were obviously enriching the place with our business. But we also had news after T.I.v5 that a couple cyclists had received new tires, and possibly a wheel, from a support person there. Plus, support people were there in great numbers, which we witnessed ourselves. It was almost like T.I.v2 all over again.

Afterward David and I swore we'd never use, or go through, LeGrand again, and since the same owner of the convenience store there owned the one and only convenience store in Gillman, we also said we would never use that store for Trans Iowa either. (Although, the Gillman store was on one Trans Iowa route later, but by then a different owner ran the place.) Sure, we could have forewarned them that they may have extra business, but they also could have been a little more diplomatic about our presence there as well. Either way, we made the decision, and it stood. By the way, this event also contributed to keeping the lid on entries to Trans Iowa in the future. I didn't want to tax a convenience store with too many people and too much business either.

The next year, at T.I.v6, checkpoints after CP#1 were secret. We figured we needed to keep any chances for resupply by supporters to a minimum, plus, we had to avoid the setting where a bunch of T.I. voyeurs might show up, clogging up parking lots and interfering with local business. This led to a testy situation during T.I.v6 which I'll get to in another edition of "Trans Iowa Stories".

Next: The Legend Of Charlie Farrow

Trans Iowa Stories: Three Quick Tales About v5

Looking back at a road grader during T.I.v5 recon in "The Dirty Blue Box".

"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 going back to earlier Sunday posts on this blog. Thanks and enjoy!\

In this edition of "Trans Iowa Stories" I thought I would share three quick tales from the v5 event.

The first was a lesson learned. David, who reconned the first half of the route alone, had done so always during the day. When T.I.v5 started in the dark, the roads did not look quite the same! This came almost to our undoing within the first hour of T.I.v5.

I was driving "The Dirty Blue Box" while David navigated from the cues. I saw a "T" intersection coming up in the headlights. "T intersection. Which way do I go?" There was a brief silence, then David said "Straight......We're supposed to just keep going straight." Well, obviously something was wrong. My heart was in my throat, and when I reached the intersection, David realized that there was a slight offset to the road at the intersection, so that in the dark, it was impossible to see the road continuing off just to the left of the intersection we were at.

We managed to mark the corner quickly with our DK200 inspired stakes and ribbons, but only juuuust in time, since as we were getting set to leave, we saw a bright, bluish light growing like a weird Sun rise, and then suddenly there they were! The leaders of T.I.v5! Whew! That was close!

Well, that precipitated the "jig-a-jog" cue for future Trans Iowa events, which helped to solve that issue. However, this wouldn't be the last time David and I would be found scrambling to mark the course ahead of the leaders right away in the morning, as we shall see later in this series.

Dust in the air creates a surreal effect. T.I.v5 image by Cornbread

Then there was the "Disappearing Banana Incident". This occurred after Checkpoint #1 at a convenience store in North English, Iowa. David and I were standing around in the chill morning air waiting on the leaders to come in, which we were certain would happen, because not one of them resupplied at CP#1. After what seemed like hours of waiting around in silence and peacefulness, the scene suddenly got tense and exciting.

Joe Meiser, a Salsa Cycles engineer, was leading with Charlie Farrow, who had been one of only five finishers the year before. After trying unsuccessfully to get answers to my questions about what was going on in the event from Joe, both he and Farrow disappeared into the store.

A few minutes later, they emerge, and this happens just as two other figures are rolling into the convenience store parking lot. One, a slim figure clad in black, starts yelling at Farrow. "Charlie! Let's go! Farrow!.......", he stops suddenly right by me, but I may as well have been a million miles away. The figures wide eyes are staring at Charlie. The mysterious figure produces a banana from a pocket, quickly peels it in two strokes, and with one bite......a single bite....he inhales the fruit and screams, "C'mon! We gotta get outta here now!" A befuddled Farrow, with a gallon jug of water and in the process of refilling a bottle, looks up, and without a word Charlie set the jug down, took his partially filled water bottle, re-mounted, and chased after the now disappearing figures of the man in black, Meiser, and another rider by the name of Dave Pramann.

Well, David and I eventually figured out who the manic banana eater was. It was Tim Ek, a finisher of T.I.v3, and Tim would come in a tie for second in this version of T.I. as well.

Finally for today we have the story of how it came to be that we quit announcing where checkpoint locations would be in future Trans Iowa events. That was due to some possible cheating we heard about later. But this same instance was also why we never took Trans Iowa through the villages of LeGrand and Gillman Iowa after v5. Well.......kinda. You'll see.

Checkpoint #2 of the three we had in T.I.v5 was set to be at a convenience store in LeGrand, Iowa, a small railroad village east of Marshalltown. The store had a pretty good sized parking lot on its east side which we figured would make for a decent, out of the way place to hang for our volunteers. One of whom was Matt Maxwell, who rode his bike over from Ames, Iowa to do the checkpoint, then he rode back to Ames afterward!

Tim Ek, Charlie Farrow, Dave Pramann, and Joe Meiser just after leaving N.English. Image by D.Pals.

Since we had announced the location of the checkpoint ahead of time, we found several cars and vans choking the area, leaving little room for true customers to park. Then the riders started coming in. The bikes lined the sides of the store as several riders were inside availing themselves of water, food, and the restroom. This spot also served as the point where many were bailing out of T.I.v5 due to a Westerly headwind and rough, fresh gravel which was taxing many of the riders into exhaustion. So, a LOT of people were milling about waiting to be picked up, as well as the riders passing through, which were a constant for hours. Now, let it be known that this particular, independently owned and operated store also served as LeGrand's pizza place. So, out of two total employees, one was dedicated to pizza orders and fulfillment. The other was a register clerk, and the place was swamped!

David and I were gone when this happened, but apparently the one employee got so angry and frustrated that she shooed away incoming riders and enforced a "no bicycle parking policy", made up on the spot, to ostensibly "clear the way" for regulars to get into the joint. Well, we weren't too very happy to find this out, and it made little sense, as we were obviously enriching the place with our business. But we also had news after T.I.v5 that a couple cyclists had received new tires, and possibly a wheel, from a support person there. Plus, support people were there in great numbers, which we witnessed ourselves. It was almost like T.I.v2 all over again.

Afterward David and I swore we'd never use, or go through, LeGrand again, and since the same owner of the convenience store there owned the one and only convenience store in Gillman, we also said we would never use that store for Trans Iowa either. (Although, the Gillman store was on one Trans Iowa route later, but by then a different owner ran the place.) Sure, we could have forewarned them that they may have extra business, but they also could have been a little more diplomatic about our presence there as well. Either way, we made the decision, and it stood. By the way, this event also contributed to keeping the lid on entries to Trans Iowa in the future. I didn't want to tax a convenience store with too many people and too much business either.

The next year, at T.I.v6, checkpoints after CP#1 were secret. We figured we needed to keep any chances for resupply by supporters to a minimum, plus, we had to avoid the setting where a bunch of T.I. voyeurs might show up, clogging up parking lots and interfering with local business. This led to a testy situation during T.I.v6 which I'll get to in another edition of "Trans Iowa Stories".

Next: The Legend Of Charlie Farrow

Trans Iowa Stories: Subterfuge At The Meeting

 "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 going back to earlier Sunday posts on this blog. Thanks and enjoy!

One of my all time favorite Trans Iowa stories has to do with a bit of subterfuge and daring on the part of a woman by the name of Tara Brick. I cannot recall how many times I've shared this story about Tara and T.I.v5 orally, but I haven't ever fleshed out all the details on the blog here before, so check this out....

I had a fellow, who at the time of T.I.v5 ran a bike shop in Mason City, Iowa, by the name of Robin Bennett, get into T.I.v5. Along about two months prior to Trans Iowa that year, Robin e-mails me. I figured he was dropping out, but no- he was lobbying me to let in some really great woman cyclist, supposedly great at triathlon, into T.I.v5. Well, that was a hard pass from me. Once registration closed, that was it. I told Robin she should "try next year to get in the proper way". Besides, if I let Tara in, I'd have to let others in that petitioned me as well. Nope! But not to be denied, Robin emailed me at least two more times on her behalf, with similar responses from me each time.

Finally, about two weeks out from Trans Iowa, I get an email from Tara herself, pleading with me to let her in. Okay, by this time the whole ramping up to another Trans Iowa was happening for me, plus I was on the eve of leaving for Sea Otter. I may not have been too kind in my response, I don't remember that, but I do remember being very annoyed by this entire situation, and I was making asides to this in posts on the Trans Iowa site. I should say, I never outed Tara at anytime, but I wasn't sure I could contain my annoyance much longer. Thankfully, she left me alone, and I went on with my life.

After David Pals pulled off the miraculous when he found a spot to hold the pre-race meeting on that May 1st day, (yes- the only Trans Iowa not run in April), I was a LOT more laid back. Everything seemed to be coming together well. We had awesome volunteers, Mark Pals, David's brother, and Daryl Pals, his father, were amongst them. Even Dave Nice, "Fixie Dave", had come out early and lent a hand in stuffing bags again, just like he did for T.I.v2. I was about as relaxed and loose before a Trans Iowa as I ever was before or after.

So, we get to the Pre-Race and I am reading off the rider's names, in the traditional fashion, as they picked up their race bags, (paper that year from World of Bikes- thank you very much!), and I am noticing that it seemed we were having a full roster. No "no-shows", and I was feeling great about that. Well, I am getting on to the back third of names to be called when I call out for a guy, and nothing. Hmm, I call again.....people look around, but nothing. I call one last time. Just before I am about to move on, a young lady jumps up and says, "He told me I could take his spot!"

Taken aback by this outburst, I ask her to repeat herself. She does. I stare at her and a sudden random thought came into my mind just then. I thought, "Okay....... Let's see what she's got!", and I slowly lifted up the paper bag. She looked down at it, took it from my hand, and I asked her to leave her name with David so we could get it on the roster.  Of course, it was Tara. There were plenty of amazed looks by those left in the room, but I was not deterred. David asked me about it afterward, surprised by the turn of events. I explained the situation to him and he seemed pleased. Yes.....let's see what she's made of then! 

A grainy shot of "The Dirty Blue Box" and the T.I.v5 trophy made by David Pals at the start of T.I.v5

Well, we forgot about Tara then, going onward with the event. The next day we started, the morning wore on. Checkpoint #1 was closed and David and I were well on our way toward Checkpoint #2. It was a very sunny, pleasant day. We were in one of those "lulls in the action" when my cell phone crackled to life. It was Cale Wenthur, one of my CP#1 volunteers.

He related to me how he and his friend, Katy, also a volunteer, had headed out for a gravel ride around Williamsburg toward the West after their duties were over at the checkpoint. Then they spotted another cyclist in the distance. Seeing a lone cyclist, they decided to head on in that direction to see what was up. As they approached, Cale told me they could see a number plate, and that the person looked like a Trans Iowa competitor. Seeing that this wasn't anywhere near the course, they became concerned. Was this a racer that was bailing due to injury, were they wandering around, trying to get their way back to Williamsburg?

Well, it turned out to be Tara. Somehow or another she had gotten turned around off course, found a road with a similar name to what she saw on the cues, (it is not uncommon for adjacent counties to use similar, or even identical names/numbers to mark roads), and she was trying to make sense out of cues which didn't make any sense. Cale then used his iPhone with Google Maps, (new at that point in history) and figured out she was 70 miles off course and had no hope of making it back on course in time to make CP#2 before the cut-off. They pointed her off in the direction of Williamsburg, and that was another DNF to add to our list of ever-increasing DNF's on that day.

David and I had a bit of a chuckle after that. But credit Tara, who could have easily never come back to another T.I. She showed up for T.I.v7, and put in a solid ride, but eventually missed a checkpoint cut-off and did not finish.

That was another "one-off" which characterized this particular Trans Iowa. Something so odd, and notable, and which the likes of were to never happen again in Trans Iowa's history.

Next: Three Quick Tales About V5  

Trans Iowa Stories: Subterfuge At The Meeting

 "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 going back to earlier Sunday posts on this blog. Thanks and enjoy!

One of my all time favorite Trans Iowa stories has to do with a bit of subterfuge and daring on the part of a woman by the name of Tara Brick. I cannot recall how many times I've shared this story about Tara and T.I.v5 orally, but I haven't ever fleshed out all the details on the blog here before, so check this out....

I had a fellow, who at the time of T.I.v5 ran a bike shop in Mason City, Iowa, by the name of Robin Bennett, get into T.I.v5. Along about two months prior to Trans Iowa that year, Robin e-mails me. I figured he was dropping out, but no- he was lobbying me to let in some really great woman cyclist, supposedly great at triathlon, into T.I.v5. Well, that was a hard pass from me. Once registration closed, that was it. I told Robin she should "try next year to get in the proper way". Besides, if I let Tara in, I'd have to let others in that petitioned me as well. Nope! But not to be denied, Robin emailed me at least two more times on her behalf, with similar responses from me each time.

Finally, about two weeks out from Trans Iowa, I get an email from Tara herself, pleading with me to let her in. Okay, by this time the whole ramping up to another Trans Iowa was happening for me, plus I was on the eve of leaving for Sea Otter. I may not have been too kind in my response, I don't remember that, but I do remember being very annoyed by this entire situation, and I was making asides to this in posts on the Trans Iowa site. I should say, I never outed Tara at anytime, but I wasn't sure I could contain my annoyance much longer. Thankfully, she left me alone, and I went on with my life.

After David Pals pulled off the miraculous when he found a spot to hold the pre-race meeting on that May 1st day, (yes- the only Trans Iowa not run in April), I was a LOT more laid back. Everything seemed to be coming together well. We had awesome volunteers, Mark Pals, David's brother, and Daryl Pals, his father, were amongst them. Even Dave Nice, "Fixie Dave", had come out early and lent a hand in stuffing bags again, just like he did for T.I.v2. I was about as relaxed and loose before a Trans Iowa as I ever was before or after.

So, we get to the Pre-Race and I am reading off the rider's names, in the traditional fashion, as they picked up their race bags, (paper that year from World of Bikes- thank you very much!), and I am noticing that it seemed we were having a full roster. No "no-shows", and I was feeling great about that. Well, I am getting on to the back third of names to be called when I call out for a guy, and nothing. Hmm, I call again.....people look around, but nothing. I call one last time. Just before I am about to move on, a young lady jumps up and says, "He told me I could take his spot!"

Taken aback by this outburst, I ask her to repeat herself. She does. I stare at her and a sudden random thought came into my mind just then. I thought, "Okay....... Let's see what she's got!", and I slowly lifted up the paper bag. She looked down at it, took it from my hand, and I asked her to leave her name with David so we could get it on the roster.  Of course, it was Tara. There were plenty of amazed looks by those left in the room, but I was not deterred. David asked me about it afterward, surprised by the turn of events. I explained the situation to him and he seemed pleased. Yes.....let's see what she's made of then! 

A grainy shot of "The Dirty Blue Box" and the T.I.v5 trophy made by David Pals at the start of T.I.v5

Well, we forgot about Tara then, going onward with the event. The next day we started, the morning wore on. Checkpoint #1 was closed and David and I were well on our way toward Checkpoint #2. It was a very sunny, pleasant day. We were in one of those "lulls in the action" when my cell phone crackled to life. It was Cale Wenthur, one of my CP#1 volunteers.

He related to me how he and his friend, Katy, also a volunteer, had headed out for a gravel ride around Williamsburg toward the West after their duties were over at the checkpoint. Then they spotted another cyclist in the distance. Seeing a lone cyclist, they decided to head on in that direction to see what was up. As they approached, Cale told me they could see a number plate, and that the person looked like a Trans Iowa competitor. Seeing that this wasn't anywhere near the course, they became concerned. Was this a racer that was bailing due to injury, were they wandering around, trying to get their way back to Williamsburg?

Well, it turned out to be Tara. Somehow or another she had gotten turned around off course, found a road with a similar name to what she saw on the cues, (it is not uncommon for adjacent counties to use similar, or even identical names/numbers to mark roads), and she was trying to make sense out of cues which didn't make any sense. Cale then used his iPhone with Google Maps, (new at that point in history) and figured out she was 70 miles off course and had no hope of making it back on course in time to make CP#2 before the cut-off. They pointed her off in the direction of Williamsburg, and that was another DNF to add to our list of ever-increasing DNF's on that day.

David and I had a bit of a chuckle after that. But credit Tara, who could have easily never come back to another T.I. She showed up for T.I.v7, and put in a solid ride, but eventually missed a checkpoint cut-off and did not finish.

That was another "one-off" which characterized this particular Trans Iowa. Something so odd, and notable, and which the likes of were to never happen again in Trans Iowa's history.

Next: Three Quick Tales About V5  

Trans Iowa Stories: The One-Off- Intro

The calf from the morning of T.I.v4's pre-race became the header for T.I.v5.

 "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 going back to earlier Sunday posts on this blog. Thanks and enjoy!

By the time of the running of the fifth Trans Iowa, you would think I'd have had everything all figured out. Boy! Nothing could have been further from the truth. With the event evolving every year, and with some of those changes being pretty significant ones, the event really lacked a lot of continuity. The fifth one didn't help much in some ways with that, but in others it was the event which 'solved a lot of problems' for me. I hope to paint a clearer picture of this as I get into the telling of the stories about this, singularly unique, and very memorable, Trans Iowa.

Some things I won't dive into very deeply as there are things I've beaten to death concerning this event. But there are details I've never shared which may help put some puzzle pieces together for some fans of Trans Iowa. I will touch on all that was unique to the event though. One thing in particular should be told up front that I believe was a story that sets the stage for what is to come concerning T.I.v5's stories.

David Pals was still my co-director, and for this Trans Iowa, we had a new territory to explore, but an area that David knew well, being it was within his area of gravel riding from his home, then in Marengo, Iowa. I'll get into why it was we were down that way later, but one of the things David was excited to share with me was a quaint little village called Washington, Iowa.

Now, I had a bit of familiarity with this town, located Southwest of Iowa City, as I had explored possibly living there at one point when I was working in Iowa City as a jeweler. (That's another whole story of my life, but there is no space for that here.) That said, I hadn't really gone "downtown", and this was what David wanted to show me. Washington, like many smaller Southern Iowa villages and towns, has a town square. It was surrounded by businesses, and David was thinking we might use the town square as a checkpoint location. He showed me the central, park-like lawn, and then we drove around the square looking for a coffee shop or bakery. David was sure there was one, but he didn't know exactly where it was.

It was early, perhaps too early, for small Iowa businesses to be open on a Saturday. We didn't see anything inviting, that is, until we saw her. She had appeared as if out of nowhere. We hadn't noticed her on our first circumnavigation of the town square. She was a strange visage for such a town in Iowa. She seemed to me to be more like a liberal arts student from the University of Iowa than a small town, conservative, rural woman. We immediately were both struck by the incongruity of her appearance and her presence on the very edge of the street. She stared at us intently as we gazed upon her. Then something very peculiar came over us. We slowed down. It was as if we were hearing the Siren's song, but it was eerily silent. She beckoned to us just then. As if under a spell, David simply pulled into a parking space, and we both got out. The young woman then offered us coffee from her shop, which plainly was there, all of a sudden. But we didn't see it until just at that point in the day.

Odd that. But the coffee was as magical as the woman's appearance, and she not only was a fine and engaging hostess, but the owner of the shop. In the end, we struck up a deal for her to offer her coffee and pastries when we arrived with the event later that April, and by all accounts, the coffee was excellent and she did a great business that day.

It was weird like that, and so was the entire event. A one-off, magical moment in Trans Iowa's history.

Next Week: Rejected!

Trans Iowa Stories: The One-Off- Intro

The calf from the morning of T.I.v4's pre-race became the header for T.I.v5.

 "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 going back to earlier Sunday posts on this blog. Thanks and enjoy!

By the time of the running of the fifth Trans Iowa, you would think I'd have had everything all figured out. Boy! Nothing could have been further from the truth. With the event evolving every year, and with some of those changes being pretty significant ones, the event really lacked a lot of continuity. The fifth one didn't help much in some ways with that, but in others it was the event which 'solved a lot of problems' for me. I hope to paint a clearer picture of this as I get into the telling of the stories about this, singularly unique, and very memorable, Trans Iowa.

Some things I won't dive into very deeply as there are things I've beaten to death concerning this event. But there are details I've never shared which may help put some puzzle pieces together for some fans of Trans Iowa. I will touch on all that was unique to the event though. One thing in particular should be told up front that I believe was a story that sets the stage for what is to come concerning T.I.v5's stories.

David Pals was still my co-director, and for this Trans Iowa, we had a new territory to explore, but an area that David knew well, being it was within his area of gravel riding from his home, then in Marengo, Iowa. I'll get into why it was we were down that way later, but one of the things David was excited to share with me was a quaint little village called Washington, Iowa.

Now, I had a bit of familiarity with this town, located Southwest of Iowa City, as I had explored possibly living there at one point when I was working in Iowa City as a jeweler. (That's another whole story of my life, but there is no space for that here.) That said, I hadn't really gone "downtown", and this was what David wanted to show me. Washington, like many smaller Southern Iowa villages and towns, has a town square. It was surrounded by businesses, and David was thinking we might use the town square as a checkpoint location. He showed me the central, park-like lawn, and then we drove around the square looking for a coffee shop or bakery. David was sure there was one, but he didn't know exactly where it was.

It was early, perhaps too early, for small Iowa businesses to be open on a Saturday. We didn't see anything inviting, that is, until we saw her. She had appeared as if out of nowhere. We hadn't noticed her on our first circumnavigation of the town square. She was a strange visage for such a town in Iowa. She seemed to me to be more like a liberal arts student from the University of Iowa than a small town, conservative, rural woman. We immediately were both struck by the incongruity of her appearance and her presence on the very edge of the street. She stared at us intently as we gazed upon her. Then something very peculiar came over us. We slowed down. It was as if we were hearing the Siren's song, but it was eerily silent. She beckoned to us just then. As if under a spell, David simply pulled into a parking space, and we both got out. The young woman then offered us coffee from her shop, which plainly was there, all of a sudden. But we didn't see it until just at that point in the day.

Odd that. But the coffee was as magical as the woman's appearance, and she not only was a fine and engaging hostess, but the owner of the shop. In the end, we struck up a deal for her to offer her coffee and pastries when we arrived with the event later that April, and by all accounts, the coffee was excellent and she did a great business that day.

It was weird like that, and so was the entire event. A one-off, magical moment in Trans Iowa's history.

Next Week: Rejected!