Iowa Wind & Rock 2023 Race Recap

First of all my supporters. Berry Fast Bicycles, Taste & See, Adam Foland and his team at EXIT Realty in Madison, Madison Family Dental, Sunshine Foods of Madison, Stemper Autobody, and of course Embark Maple. Each have been so awesome to have as support.

I knew going into Iowa Wind & Rock that it was going to be a hurt locker. 343 miles of almost all Iowa spring gravel, over 26,000 ft. of elevation gain, cue card navigation, and spring weather. I signed up on November 28th, 2022, my birthday, not having a clue what spring in Iowa could be. Would there be snow on the ground, a muddy mess, or would it be sunny and 70? One could hope for the latter of the three but the odds of that were slim. This is what was given to us. Feel like temps in the 20s at the 4:00 AM race start on April 22nd, 2023. Peak wind gusts nearing 30 mph, with sustained near 20 mph the entire first day. And sleet. Sleet in our faces. Could be worse.

I showed up the day before and retrieved my race number at pick-up. I got to use my cop skills briefly when another racer locked their keys in their running vehicle. Sarah Cooper, the race director, reminded me that whenever I am around she is inloved with the police in some form (Was on the phone looking for a vehicle unlock). May I remind you of the active shooter scenario the last time I was racing in Iowa? (SEE HERE)

I checked into a 7-star resort at my buddy Daniel's house about 25 min from the race start location of Winterset, IA. This was my second time staying there and would highly recommend it to any of his friends. Daniel and his family hosted me for some local pizza before I quickly retired to bed. They are champions of cycling and such fantastic friends! It was going to be a 2 AM wake-up to get ready, drive to the parking, park, and ride my bike another 5 min. to the race start location.

That morning I had a bowl of oatmeal with a banana, a sprinkle of PB Fit peanut butter powder, and no caffeine. I am not a caffeine person on the morning of a race. I arrived at the parking location around 3:20 AM. Just enough time to get the bike out, put on my final layers, and join a few other riders riding to the race start location the local Fareway. I knew the weather but was debating if I had the appropriate layers on for the race start. From bottom to top I had wool socks, shoes, a more rain-resistant pair of foot booties, a very warm layer of booties, leg warmers, bibs, a long sleeve under armour slim base layer, a jersey top, rain resistant windbreaker, a thin balaclava with an additional ear warmer band, clear eye protection, and my helmet. I also had padded cycling gloves, a thin layer of gloves, and then my heavy-duty crab claw gloves. I HATE cold hands and feet and knew those layers I could easily take off. I was debating on a fleece jacket instead of the windbreaker, but knew it was going to warm up a bit and didn't want to start sweating. The next thing was what to pack. I needed room to take off layers possibly and couldn't be packed to the brim. I had just enough room to keep my fleece and a set of gortex pants with me. I also had a much thicker balaclava packed away. This left me just enough room to pack the jacket if needed or something else.

Ultra Cycling Setup Cervelo Aspero 5

I had two 24 oz. water bottles, and a 1.5 L Chase Camelback for water/Embark mix. Also packed away were co2 cartridges, multitool, 2 extra headlights, 2 extra taillights, a small charger, more Embark Maple Energy, tire levers, headlamp and batteries, sunglasses, an extra SRAM battery, and other small items. Around my thighs, which I was made fun of, were about 15 Fig bars. Turns out they worked great for nutrition AND another layer blocking the wind!

I arrived at the race start and got my cue cards. Unlike every other race I had done this one didn't have a GPS file. We didn't know where we were going beforehand to prep race conditions or gas station stops. They told us to be prepared to ride 100 miles with no stops. That's it! 4:00 AM hit and we were off. 60 total riders started the 2023 Iowa Wind and Rock. I kept my cue cards in my top bag but had a hard time referencing them in a large group. For the first 40 - 45 miles I trusted those around me to keep me on the course. The front group consisted of many ultra-veterans and fantastic people. I stuck with them again for the first 45 miles or so but their pace over the hills was a little much for me. It's a long race and you really do need to race your race.

The winds picked up, the sleet started, and I knew it was going to be a long day. Fortunately, I nailed my clothing choices. The only thing cold was my feet and I could have used some toe warmers. At checkpoint 1 I did just that and put some toe warmers between layers of booties. Worked great! I rolled into checkpoint 1 around mile 70 ish looking like this.

Race Start

Just after checkpoint 1 was a Casey's General Store. I stopped quickly for water resupply and a body armor drink. I needed to minimize time off the bike and was quickly moving again. Now alone I was following my cue cards and found a good system to quickly glance and find my way. A LOT easier in the daylight. I continued forward until I caught up with JR Volcko on his single-speed machine. It was hard to work together with a single-speed and a geared bike but we provided much-needed company all throughout the rest of the day. We helped each other navigate, and JR bought my resupply stash at the next Casey's. I had some chicken tenders, and another body armor drink, and bought (JR bought) a bunch of toe/hand warmers. I was feeling very good, near mile 121, in the town of Essex. At this point, we heard that approximately half of the field had dropped out. Feeling REALLY good!

We continued on westerly wondering when we would turn and have the wind at our backs. We were hitting a strong headwind all day and were ready to reap the benefits. Absolutely beautiful views, monster rollers, and the sun even poked out for a bit. Some of those rollers JR and I walked. Felt good to get off the bike and move the muscles in a different way. Given the circumstances, things were going very well. No major issues to contend with. Not many farm dogs giving us chase, and the winds were even dying down. We shared many laughs about our suffering until we thankfully found another Casey's near mile 180 in the town of Malvern, IA just before dark. As we rolled in we saw a rather large plane taking off to our west. No. It couldn't be. The store clerk confirmed it was Omaha airport. We really did ride west!

I really do wish I took more photos, but my phone was tucked away under layers and not worth the risk to take out. At this Casey's I stuck with my game plan and had some popcorn chicken bites (Warm food), and body armor, I bought a Pop Tart and splurged on some Cliff Nut Butter bars. I took this opportunity to change headlights, and taillights, put on my headlamp, lube my chain, and prepare for the long night ahead. We could already feel the temperatures dipping down from the warmest part of the day. At around 8:30 PM we set off into the night.

JR and I knew that we were finally going to be riding back east, which meant a slight tailwind at times. The wind had died down to around 6 mph, but since it was going to be cold I actually preferred this. At some point, I just couldn't hold JR's pace, and he rode off into the night around 9:30 - 10:00 PM. I was alone. Races like this you just have an agreement and understanding that you are going to race your race. What a strong rider!

As I progressed I started to shiver quite a bit as the temps dipped. I stopped in the middle of nowhere and put on my final layers, switched out my toe warmers, and got ready for a long night. Temperatures dipped again in the lower 20's. I was comfy in my clothes just enough not to sweat, but not to shiver. It was a comfortable miserable. My pace suffered, and I was averaging about 8 mph. But I was moving. At one point I started hallucinating seeing tree canopies over me, and multiple times waking up while riding the bike. On two separate occasions, I woke up with my bike almost in the ditch. It wasn't looking good. I was talking to myself, singing outloud, and doing everything in my power to stay awake. I had a packet of liquid IV on me which I drank without mixing anything into it. Remember, I can't do caffeine during these races. I've learned that the hard way.

Then out of nowhere around 2:30 - 3:00 AM, I saw a truck, and Sarah Cooper hop out. She was checking on her flock. I stopped and shared my concerns about sleep deprivation. I just couldn't stop to sleep in the ditch like a summer race because I literally could have frozen. Staying moving was my only option. Plus I had to cross the finish line before 2:00 PM that Sunday. Sarah said, "Well wake up," and with both hands hit the side of my cheeks. She then pointed behind me, you have company now! I turned to see two bikers about to pass me. I quickly mounted my steed again and joined them. Now I had someone to talk to, ride with, and focus on. The rest of the morning wasn't easy, but it just became easier.

At sunrise, the typical happened. I woke up feeling like I had slept the entire night. The energy that didn't exist was magically created by the power of the sun. I ran the numbers and knew I needed to pick up the pace. With that, I picked up the pace. The next 10 miles I averaged what I needed to, 10 mph. I swung into what would be my final stop at Casey's in Creston, IA at mile 280. I had been receiving a ton of text messages from friends and my wife Emily and had replied to zero. I took this time to refresh my water/Embark mixes, which were slushed from the cold, pound an Under Armor drink, eat some fruit, and take off my extra layers. I knew I was going to be pushing the pace harder and definitely didn't want to sweat. I called Emily and told her my situation and that I didn't know if I could make the cutoff. I ran the numbers again and knew that I needed to average the 10 mph number for the next 60 miles of Iowa rollers. I left Casey's with another racer at around 7:30 AM.

My pace was a bit faster from the gates than his, and I pulled away with the newfound energy I had. The next 60 miles I saw some of the toughest rolling hills we had seen yet. But with each 10-mile increment, I saw my goal being met. 54 min, 55 min, 50 min. I was gaining time. I stayed on top of my nutrition knowing that I needed every oz moving forward and couldn't quit now. I had been awake for nearly 40 hrs., burned nearly 18,000 calories, and was ready to be done. My knees ached from all the standing and climbing, and my ass ached from all the sitting. Not a good combo. After 32 hrs. and 57 min. I rolled across the finish line. 10th overall, but more importantly an Iowa Wind & Rock finisher. 60 started and 13 would have eventually finished within the allotted time limit.

How do I sum it all up? I've been through a lot of tough situations in my life. Iowa Wind and Rock was an absolute soul crusher that is near the top of the miserable yet rewarding experiences of my life. I will tell you the feeling of finishing an event like that is so remarkably rewarding, and almost like a drug that keeps you searching for more.

Total stats:

Total time - 32 hrs 57 min

Total moving time - 29 hrs 51 min

Time off Bike - 3 hrs 6 min.

Miles - 343

Average speed - 10.41 mph

Elevation gain - 26,555 ft.

Avg power - 144 watts

Calories burned - 18,336

Special thank you to the Iowa Wind & Rock race directors, volunteers, and community. This one was special. All the photos above were taken by the talented Greg Grandgeorge

We are still raising money for the Semper Fi & America's Fund getting closer and closer to our $20,000 goal. Thank you all for your support, and cheers to 2023! Stay tuned for more! Next up, UNBOUND 200 (Didn't win the XL Lottery)

Mathew Wollmann