Wednesday, May 6, 2009

transiowa v.5 (epilogue)

this will be a very random collection of thoughts and thank yous in no particular order...
-huge thanks to kris and misty from vassago. you guys believed in me and my chances of pulling this off long before most. your support and encouragement from day one has been as amazing as it was unexpected. the fisticuff has been the perfect bike for transiowa.
-scotty...you were there training with me from day one. you missed your chance to get in this year but the hours spent in the worst possible conditions will never be forgotten. i hope you seriously consider lining up next year.
-thanks to travis at decorah bicycles for keeping my bikes running no matter how bad i trash them.
-all my family that has not only put up with my obsession but accepted and encouraged it and have dealt with the sacrifices made so that i could fight my battle. i love you all.
-thanks to novian for teaching me the value of suffering. and for being willing to help me experience what its like to truly suffer on a bike.
-to the entire riding community in decorah. there's always someone willing to ride something somewhere. granted it usually involves ending up at a bar or getting to a bar halfway through the ride or simply drinking on the trails. there are some amazing riders in this town and some people that are perfect for keeping riding what its supposed to be...fun. occasionally i need a good kick in the ass not to take this stuff too serious and you guys are always there to provide that (spinner i'm kinda looking in your direction-mostly because you actually do kick me...a lot).
-matt, matt and jeff...you guys made this adventure. i never imagined i could have so much fun tearing myself apart physically the way i did. you are all phenomenal riders and i'm thrilled i got the chance to know you. i really hope we can ride together again sometime...maybe even find some trails somewhere.
-andy...you saved my ride and kept my hopes alive. thank you doesn't quite seem enough.
-joe, dave and tim...you guys killed it.
-brothers braun...ss kings.
-charlie...your ability to suffer is legendary.
-paul...i couldn't be happier for you.
-guitar ted and dave pals...THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!! i lived a dream because you guys let me.
-to everyone whose bikes or bodies failed you...i wish you the best in the years to come. much respect for being there at 4 a.m. and lasting as long as you did.
-i am glad i failed last year. i think it has given me the ability to appreciate this year so much more.
-i was mostly serious about never riding a fixed gear bike again. mostly.
-the sun holds magical powers.
-when the devil gets bored he kills time by spreading fresh gravel whimsically across the back roads of iowa.
-CARBOROCKET!!! i swear i will do a proper review of this stuff sometime. for now just know that i've never ridden close to a century without cramps. 31.5 hours without the hint of a cramp. thank you brad keyes, this stuff is awesome.
-ergons. following the hand injury 2 weeks prior to transiowa i was pretty nervous. these grips were a no brainer for the final set up.
-rough idea of what i ate and drank...400 oz of clean water from the camelbak. 200 oz. of carborocket before running out, then 200 oz. clean water from bottles. 4 packets of gu. 5 snickers marathon bars. 3 clif bar mojo trail mix bars. 6 pieces/personal sized pizzas. 1 double cheeseburger. 2 cans pepsi. 1 piece breakfast pizza. lots of beef sticks and a bag of jerky. 1/3 bag of trail mix. 6 packets powerbar gel blasts. 3 packets jelly belly sport beans. 1 oats/honey granola bar (thanks wills). tums. 3 large chocolate chip cookies.
-mg has said on his blog that what we did won't change the balance of the world and he is absolutely right. many people i'm sure will feel that i/we make too big of a deal out of this. those people weren't out there with us. we know what we did and we know what it means to us. the world may not be different because of transiowa, but i am.
-guitar ted and dave pals have announced plans for transiowa v.6 in 2010. cresting the final rise on the b road finish i knew...i'll be back. and you're goddamn right i'll have a freewheel.

9 comments:

Reflector Collector said...

Nice job! Welcome to the club.

Yes, TI changed my life. Hope to get back and complete it again sometime.

shockstar said...

ken...you are one of the people i meant to give credit to but blanked on. you were the first ever fixed and i have massive amounts of respect for you.

colin said...

Next year - 53x13 fixed. I double dog dare you. Nay, I triple dog dare you!!

shockstar said...

colin...next year is all about tandem single speed. you and me...

colin said...

I'll do you one better - recumbent fixie! I don't know if thats technically possible, but it's funny as shit!

Anonymous said...

Congrats on finishing that beast of a race and doing so well. Look for some of the new formula CR in the mail box this week. Thanks for your support!

MG said...

No, thank YOU, Ben. The pleasure was sincerely mine in meeting and getting to experience you ripping T.I. fixxie! That was an incredible ride and being able to roll with you was really fun. We will definitely ride together again -- I suspect it'll even be yet this season.

Thanks again, my friend.
MG

MG said...

I'm a changed man too, Ben. Don't doubt that for a second. And I believe we can and will change the world. I'm just saying that, what we did out there, in itself, didn't change the world. It was just one step in our changing the world... part of the learning process.

That's all I was saying. I think you get that, but I feel the need to explain myself to the folks who weren't with us on the road.

Thanks for telling such a great, complete story, Ben. I've really enjoyed reading your recollections. They've brought back a lot of sweet memories for me... because I was there, man. I WAS THERE!!! ;-)

Paul said...

Ben-

You are able to put your experiences with the race in words that I could never tell. Finishing Trans Iowa, even in perfect conditions like we had this year, is a monumental task that people can not grasp until they try it. We were fortunate to be able to continue on through the finish!

Ben, thanks for all the kind words. I appreciate it! I look forward to seeing you soon!