12-Week Training Timeline • Race-Day Checklists • Packing List
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“With 75 miles to go to the finish, Walter and I put on a couple of extra layers and headed back onto the dark windy gravel. As we got closer to Grinnell, and our finish, the landscape changed from rolling hills to steep, freshly graveled hilltops that headed directly into the south-east wind.”
— Greg Gleason ELITE
“Not knowing where and how far the next convenience store was, I started planning when it would be best for Walter and me to knock on a farmhouse door and ask for water. In total, Walter and I stopped twice before sunset. The next convenience store ended up being 100-plus miles out.”
— Greg Gleason ELITE
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.
Extreme Ultra Distance Self Sufficiency Cold Training Dress RehearsalShed 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.
300+ miles self-supported requires extensive ultra-distance preparation and back-to-back-to-back long rides.
Self-supported format requires navigation, mechanical, and nutrition self-sufficiency.
Iowa spring means cold exposure for 24-36 hours.
300+ mile self-supported Iowa farmland gravel ultra-distance.
Trans Iowa is a 300+ mile self-supported ultra-distance gravel race—one of the most extreme challenges in gravel racing. The self-supported format means no aid stations, no support, just you and 300+ miles of Iowa farmland. The ultra-distance reputation is legit, but it's flat farmland terrain with a small field. Checkpoint is rural Iowa with limited amenities. This is for ultra-distance purists seeking an extreme test.
Trans Iowa delivered pure adventure racing—secret routes, paper navigation, complete self-sufficiency, and real consequences. Jeff Kerkove witnessed riders 'sitting quietly in a convenience store staring with eyes glazed over onto a slice of pizza covered in Cheetos.
This was gravel's vision quest—340 miles of Iowa farmland with nothing but cue sheets and your ability to suffer through 34 hours. Rolling through small towns at 3 AM, navigating by paper in the dark, buying gas station burritos as your lifeline creates memories that outlast any medal.
Trans Iowa built a tight cult around the 'TI Family' who understood the specific madness of Iowa B-roads and peanut butter mud. Guitar Ted's pre-race steakhouse gathering and the shared suffering created camaraderie among the 100-rider cap.
Ultra-distance self-supported event.
An extreme 300+ mile self-supported ultra-distance challenge. Worth it for ultra-distance purists seeking the ultimate test. Not for everyone—this is flat farmland with no support for 24-36 hours.
Expected Race-Day Conditions:
Climate: Iowa spring
Key Challenges: Spring cold, Wind exposure, Rain possible
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 (Iowa rolling farmland gravel):
Reviewed Picks for This Course:
Top tire pick: Specialized Pathfinder Pro 38mm ($54.99) — See full analysis →
Climate Gear (Iowa spring):
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.
Trans Iowa Start Time: Early morning start.
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 (320 miles): At ~10mph, expect ~32.0 hours on course. Survival pace — palatability and GI tolerance are the limiters — target 30-50g carbs/hour (960-1600g total, or 38-64 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: Late April in Iowa delivered the worst of Midwest spring weather—V2, V4, V6, and V11 were all truncated or affected by brutal conditions.
Plan your fueling around these conditions — heat and humidity increase fluid and sodium demands significantly.
Aid Stations: Self-supported (no aid stations)
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: ~$100
Cost of Trip: Moderate (3/5)
Nearest Airport: Des Moines (DSM) 2 hours
Des Moines (DSM) 2 hours
Checkpoint has very limited lodging. Des Moines or nearby towns have options.
Day before
At start/finish
Rural area with limited dining. Self-supported format requires full nutrition planning.
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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