My Super Bowl

The time has come, the gear is packed, most everything is checked off the list, including "nerves". In my small world of bike racing the Trans Iowa has emerged as my everything. I think about it a lot! It's the one race that I've competed in that I feel has left a mark on me that will never go away. Most races are about competition and GOING FAST. Some races are about the experience. The T.I. is one of those races. My training partner (Hondo) once told me, and it stuck with me, "the T.I. is your race". Many seasoned racers have one race that they truly identify with and I agree with the old sage, the T.I. is what I hang my hat/helmet on. I may not be the fastest guy on the course, but I can feel the eyes on me. In last year's epic I went to places within myself I'm sure I've never been before, I'm happy to say that I was good with what I found there. It's kind of like being given the opportunity to see into the future, do you like what you see?

Amy and I will be loading up early Friday morning for the journey to the hills and farms of Iowa. While Amy bubbles with excitement and encouragement I remain stoic and frantic all at the same time, awaiting the "calm" that will at some point come over me. It is not my competitors that I fear, it is the T.I., for she and only she decides what lay before me.

Good luck to my fellow DBD'ers, Charlie Farrow (T.I. vet) and Jason Buffington (T.I. rookie). I also want to send positive vibes to my fellow racers, especially, Joe Meiser, Ari (I'll see you at the finish), Charly Tri, Sean Mailen, Jason Novak, Matt Gersib (my Salsa brethren) and John Gorrilla.

See you on the gravel...