Monday, April 21, 2014

Stop: TI Time

Less than 7 days to the start of the 2014 running of The TransIowa. I've finished all the preparation that I can for the event. This week is all about resting, massage and riding just long enough and hard enough to keep the synapses firing and the legs loose and ready. Compared to last year's preparations, I've got an additional 40 or so hours of seat time and and other 200 or so miles of distance, since I started in December instead of January. I am sure that the additional seat time and all of the winter gym work is going to come in handy at some point over the weekend.

Looking at the weather forecast, last weekend's 116 mile rain ride might have been the smartest bit of prep that I've done for the last 5 months. Sunday looks like it has a good chance of being soggy starting around midnight. If it does, it's going to really test people both physically and mentally.

The Fargo is at Rasmussen Bike Shop getting some TLC shown to the shifters, brakes and bottom bracket. For the event, I'm going to run a Porcelain Rocket Booster Rocket seat pack, along with a Tangle bag, gas can, and two feedbags from Revelate Designs. This should give me room for enough food, spare clothes, and mechanical spares to get me through the event.

No matter the outcome, the best part will be seeing and talking with everyone at the pre-race MeatUp, watching everyone arrive early Saturday morning, and then listening to every speed off into the darkess behind the Truck With No Name at 4 AM. Everything else we experience throughout the next 36 hours will be frosting on top of that cake.