12-Week Training Timeline • Race-Day Checklists • Packing List
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“The biggest lesson for me was the impact of mental fatigue in this race. The combination of staying on top of written cue sheets (manual navigation by mileage) and nearly constant required focus of picking lines through the fresh gravel took a significant mental toll over the course of the race.”
— Greg Grandgeorge ELITE
“I was chatting with Steve Fuller prior to the race about all the crap I was carrying, and he said it sounded like I had 'bags full of fears'… which was spot on. I had traded weight for lower risk, and I was okay with it given my DNF history.”
— Greg Grandgeorge ELITE
Race-Specific Training Focus:
Distance: 340 mi
Elevation: 8,000 ft
Location: Winterset, Iowa
Signature Challenge: Managing 30-50 hours of continuous riding while fighting relentless Iowa wind, sleep deprivation, and the psychological isolation of self-supported ultra-endurance racing with no external motivation.
Establish aerobic foundation. 70-85% volume in Z1-{{Z2}}. {{CTL}} rising steadily (+5-8/wk in loading weeks, netting about +10/month after recovery weeks). {{TSB}} slightly negative (-5 to -15). Week 4 = recovery week (60% volume). Feels boring but doable—you should finish most rides feeling like you could do more.
Layer intensity, develop race-specific fitness. 60-70% Z1-Z2, 30-40% Z3-Z6. Two to three quality sessions per week. The magic happens here: deliberately dig a fatigue hole ({{TSB}} goes to -25), recover just enough, then dig another hole. This is where fitness sharpens.
Shed fatigue, maintain sharpness. Volume drops 30-50%. Intensity stays high but duration decreases. Week 11: {{TSB}} rises to +5 to +10. Week 12: TSB targets +15 to +25 for race day. Fitness doesn't improve—the goal is to remove the fatigue layer so you can express the fitness you've built.
340 miles of Iowa gravel where the wind never stops and the suffering compounds every hour you're out there.
Iowa Wind and Rock is 340 miles of truth serum on gravel. You can't hide behind teammates, tactics, or short bursts of power. This is 30-50 hours of continuous forward motion where the wind grinds you down, the constant rolling terrain never lets you recover, and your own brain becomes the biggest obstacle. The terrain itself isn't hard—Iowa gravel is fast when dry, and there are no mountains. But the wind is relentless. You'll spend hours grinding into headwinds at 8-10 mph, watching your finish time balloon, questioning why you signed up. Sleep deprivation hits around Hour 25-30. Navigation errors happen. The loneliness of self-supported racing amplifies every doubt. And April weather is a lottery: rain turns the course into mud hell, cold overnight temps test your layering strategy, or you luck out with mild sunny conditions. If you finish, you'll have earned something rare: proof that you can keep going when every external factor and internal voice says stop. If you DNF, you'll learn exactly where your limits are. Either outcome teaches you something.
Ultra-remote farmland where "we never passed a single gas station the entire route other than our pre-planned 3 stops," notes Wilco. Sleep deprivation creates real danger—Mathew Wollmann "woke up with my bike almost in the ditch" twice while hallucinating.
340 miles through Iowa farmland will rewire your brain permanently. You'll hallucinate past Mile 230, question every life decision at 3 AM, and discover that gas station hot dogs are gourmet cuisine.
April in Iowa delivers extreme variability from year to year. 2023 brought 20°F starts with sleet and 30mph winds; 2019 swung from 30s to 80s in one day. The 2022 edition saw "tornadic thunderstorms" force riders to shelter in a barn for hours.
Respected regional ultra-endurance event known for wind, weather challenges, and genuine self-supported adventure through Iowa gravel roads. (est. 2018)
Iowa Wind and Rock rewards riders who value internal challenge and self-discovery over external validation. If you need crowds, frequent aid, or competitive atmosphere, skip it. If you want to discover what you're capable of when forced to grind through 340 miles of wind, darkness, and fatigue alone, this is your test. Budget 30-50 hours. Bring redundant everything. Accept that the finish line is about not quitting, not about speed.
Expected Race-Day Conditions:
Climate: Unpredictable April Iowa weather with constant wind
Key Challenges: Wind is THE defining factor—headwinds for hours crush morale and slow speeds to 8-10 mph, April rain risk turns Iowa gravel into mud; bikes become unrideable, Cold overnight temperatures (30-45°F) for 30-50 hour efforts
60-90 minutes Z2 endurance. Keep legs moving, nothing hard. Optional: 3 × 1 min Z4 to keep neuromuscular system awake.
45-60 minutes Z2. Maybe 2 × 3 min G Spot if you're feeling restless. Don't go hard.
Rest day or 30-45 minutes very easy spin. The last hard workout was 4-5 days ago. Everything now is just maintenance.
45-60 minutes Z2. Include 3-5 × 30 seconds Z5-Z6 (openers to keep legs sharp). Last real ride before race.
Travel day (if traveling) or rest day. Optional 30-minute easy spin if legs feel heavy.
30-45 minutes Z2 with 3 × 1 min Z4 openers. Course preview if racing Sunday. No heroics.
20-30 minutes very easy spin or complete rest. Do what's worked for you previously.
Tire Setup (Fast Iowa gravel with constant rolling undulation):
Reviewed Picks for This Course:
Top tire pick: Schwalbe G-One Ultrabite 40mm ($69.90) — See full analysis →
Climate Gear (Unpredictable April Iowa weather with constant wind):
Drivetrain: Chain clean and lubed. Shifting smooth across all gears. No chain slip under power.
Tires: Tubeless sealant fresh. Tire pressure set for race conditions. Check for cuts, sidewall damage.
Cockpit: Computer charged and mounted. Bottles/cages secure. Bento box organized.
Wheels: Thru-axles tight. No spoke issues. Hubs spin smoothly.
Don't: Install new chain race week. Change tire pressure drastically. Add new untested equipment.
Essentials: Spare tube (even if tubeless), tire plugs, CO2 cartridges (2-3) or mini pump, multi-tool with chain breaker, quick link, tire levers.
Nutrition: Gels, bars, chews—whatever you practiced with. Bottle with sports drink pre-mixed. Extra water bottle.
Other: Sunscreen, chamois cream, arm warmers/vest, rain jacket (if forecast), extra base layer.
Race essentials: Bib number and pins, race chip, ID and emergency contact info.
Iowa Wind and Rock Start Time: Saturday 6:00-8:00 AM. Set your alarm for 5:00 AM.
Wake up. Coffee if you normally drink it (not the time to change habits). Breakfast: 100-150g carbs, minimal fat, minimal fiber. Oatmeal with banana and honey, bagel with jam, or white rice with a pinch of salt.
Start sipping sports drink. Begin hydrating and topping off fuel. Apply chamois cream and sunscreen.
Arrive at start area. Check in, use porta-potty. Get your head right.
Light warmup ride: 10-15 minutes easy spinning. Wake up the legs.
Final gear check: bottles filled and secured, nutrition in pockets, tire pressure verified, drivetrain sounds good. Run through your performance statements mentally.
Openers near the start: 2-3 x 30 seconds at race effort with easy spinning between. Gets HR up, legs awake, reminds body what fast feels like.
Roll to start line. Find your position. Deep breath.
6-2-7 breathing if anxious. You're ready. Trust your training.
Your Fueling Math (340 miles): At ~10mph, expect ~34.0 hours on course. Survival pace — palatability and GI tolerance are the limiters — target 30-50g carbs/hour (1020-1700g total, or 40-68 gels).
Carb targets scale with duration: shorter races burn more carbs per hour at race intensity, while ultra-distance events shift toward fat oxidation and GI tolerance becomes the limiter (Jeukendrup 2014, van Loon et al.).
Enter your details for a complete race fueling plan — carbs, hydration, sodium, and an hour-by-hour strategy.
Your numbers are the easy part.
Hitting them at race intensity is a trained skill — gut training over 4-6 weeks, bottle logistics, heat adjustments when the plan meets the weather. The custom training plan builds your fueling protocol into the actual training weeks, so race day is a rehearsal, not an experiment.
BUILD MY PLAN — FUELING INCLUDEDGet race-day tips in your inbox
What Riders Say About Conditions: April in Iowa delivers extreme variability from year to year. 2023 brought 20°F starts with sleet and 30mph winds; 2019 swung from 30s to 80s in one day. The 2022 edition saw "tornadic thunderstorms" force riders to shelter in a barn for hours.
Plan your fueling around these conditions — heat and humidity increase fluid and sodium demands significantly.
Aid Stations: None. Self-supported format. Resupply at Iowa small-town gas stations/stores (25-40 mi gaps).
2-3g carbs/kg bodyweight. Low fat, low fiber. Familiar foods only. 500ml water with meal.
One gel (24g carbs) with 200ml water. Tops off blood glucose.
Focus on pacing, positioning, settling in. Sip on drink. Heart rate is spiking, gut blood flow is reduced.
First gel or equivalent (24g carbs). Start your fueling clock. Hydrate consistently.
Consume carbs consistently by the clock. Target rate depends on race duration: 80-100g/hr for races under 4 hours, 60-80g/hr for 4-8 hour events, 50-70g/hr for 8-12 hours, and 40-60g/hr for ultra events (12+ hours). At lower intensities fat becomes your primary fuel and GI tolerance is the limiter. Set a timer. Your brain will be stupid. It will forget to eat.
Practice eating real food on easy rides. Start with 40-50g carbs per hour, mostly solid. Build tolerance gradually. SGLT1 transporters can double in 2 weeks of consistent gut training (GSSI).
Increase toward your race-day target rate. Mix of liquids and solids. Practice eating at tempo pace. Your gut adapts to what you train it for.
Hit your race-day target rate (see duration-scaled targets in your prep kit). Race nutrition only (gels, drink, bars you'll use on race day). Practice at race pace. For ultra events (12+ hours), include savory and mixed-macro foods alongside gels.
Stick with what worked in training. No new products. Trust your gut (literally).
Known Suffering Zones:
Budget Planning:
Entry Fee: ~$150
Cost of Trip: Moderate (3/5)
Nearest Airport: DSM (Des Moines) - 45min drive to Winterset. Rental car useful for area exploration and post-race flexibility.
DSM (Des Moines) - 45min drive to Winterset. Rental car useful for area exploration and post-race flexibility.
Winterset, IA has limited motels/Airbnbs—book early. Des Moines (45 min) has more lodging options. Book flexible dates: finishers arrive Sunday-Monday depending on pace (30-50 hour range). Consider post-race recovery lodging for 1-2 nights.
Friday evening or Saturday morning at Winterset start venue. GPS tracker required for safety monitoring.
Parking available at start/finish venue **Lodging:** - **Winterset, IA** - Small town with limited motels/Airbnbs - **Des Moines area** - Mo
Self-supported format: resupply at Iowa small-town gas stations and grocery stores (25-40 mi gaps). Bring cash—not all rural stores accept cards; some close early evening. Plan resupply stops using route map beforehand. Shelf-stable convenience store food becomes race fuel (hot dogs, pizza, candy, sports drinks).
Spin in Z1 after crossing the finish line. Let heart rate drop gradually. Stopping abruptly causes blood to pool in your legs.
20-30g protein, 60-100g carbs, 500-750ml fluid with electrolytes. Chocolate milk, protein shake with banana, or whatever the finish line has.
You lost 1-4 liters of fluid. Drink 500-1000ml within the first hour. Add electrolytes. If pee is dark yellow by evening, keep drinking.
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