Podium Podcast

In the Iowa Gravel Series Podium podcast, host Chris McQueen interviews Heather Benning, a successful gravel cyclist and coach, who shares insights on her sports background, the significance of community in cycling, nutrition, recovery strategies, and the challenges of perimenopause. She emphasizes inclusivity in gravel racing and advocates for better course transparency.

Zach Isaacs, co-founder of Movemint, joins the Iowa Gravel Series Podium Podcast to share his insights on the gravel scene and the future of event registration. A 2021 podium finisher at the Lost and Found 100, Isaacs brings a unique perspective as both a racer and a tech entrepreneur. He and Chris dive deep into […]

Ross Hansen, a physician’s assistant and lover of all things endurance sports, joins the Iowa Gravel Series Podium Podcast to share his origin story. A relative newcomer to the gravel scene, Ross dove into the world of gravel grinding after a stress fracture effected his running goals. Fortunately, he signed up for a two gravel […]

If you've been on an Iowa Gravel Series race in the last two years, it's likely you've seen Camden sporting his Ames Velo jersey near the front of the pack. Except for a broken clavicle, nothing much slows Camden down. So, it was exciting to see him come in 3rd at the Albia Holy Cow this year. I've had the pleasure of hanging out with Camden at RAGBRAI and to chat with him at the races, but it was nice to get to know him a little better and learn how he fuels, what he's learned from his trainer, and that he struggles up 138th and Fulton in Pisgah just like everyone else.

Linda Cooper has enjoyed riding her bike for a long time and that consistency over years has paid off. She's a regular on the group rides in and around Des Moines and that consistent effort to show up, week after week, might well be the key to her super powers. Linda took the top spot on the podium at the Waukon 100 and Albia Holy Cow. Those are very different courses and it goes to show the strength that Linda has to take on a challenge.

What would you say the chances are of making the podium on your first gravel race when you had just picked up your bike the day before? If you're Jason Smith, you know there is at least a chance, because he made it happen at the 2024 Albia Holy Cow. Jason is part of team OYRB and really new to cycling... like really new. He got a fat bike last year and has already added MTB, road, and gravel to his quiver. Jason is an example of what can happen when you are "all in" and frankly we like that kind of attitude.

Trevor Irwin is a Math and Science teacher and active triathlete. The 50km distance is right in his wheelhouse and at the Albia Holy Cow he went out strong to make the podium. If you have a triathlete in your life that you just know would love gravel cycling, this might be the episode to send them. We dip into training, nutrition, a little bit of the gear to get you started and what it's like to race on a perfect day. All good things!

Meeting new people was something I assumed would happen with the Iowa Gravel Series. Having people come back time and time again and getting to follow along with their journey […]

Gwen Barrett has devoted much of her life to making things great for the elderly and retired. Surrounded by all that wisdom, it's no wonder she's chosen cycling as a way to stay healthy, build her relationships, and go on adventures. We talk a bit about her 500 mile ride across most of New Mexico, signing up for back to back races, and what life on a tandem bicycle might mean for her soon. It's a great episode!

Charles Erickson grew up in Omaha, but had family in Silver City, so he knows these Iowa roads and when it came time to sign up for the Silver City Century, it was personal. He didn't want to just do well, his goal was the podium. In this episode of the podcast we get to learn a bit about how Charles balances competition and being a good guy; come to find out they both use a core skill. We also dip into nutrition and lessons learned from racing over the last decade. It's a great time and I'm sure you'll enjoy getting to know Charles just as much as I did.

Lots of people embraced biking and gravel in 2020, but few see podium success like Brady Hopwood. His military discipline and midwestern work ethic may be the key. In this episode, we explore with Brady the key elements of bike racing - nutrition, training, tactics, route recon, and more.

13-year-old Otis Maclin, mentored by Roy Hass through Big Brothers and Big Sisters, stands out as a promising cyclist, consistently achieving podium placements. This episode also delves into the experience of being a young cyclist in the era of social media influencers. We even had to have Otis translate some terms into "old people" language. It was a good time.

Michael Lambert, sponsored cyclist with Velovit Elite, won the 100km gravel race at the Kalona Horseshoe. In this interview, we discusses his cycling journey, the Rouge Roubaix race, training, and some USA Cycling regulations.

Claire O’Leary is a special breed of athlete. She podiumed at Unbound in 2023 and the Iowa Gravel Series in 2022 and she has since started the Driftless Gravel Camp. The camp is “to encourage and equip FTW (femme/trans/women) riders to pursue gravel adventures and races through three days of supported adventure rides, skills clinics, […]

Gravel attracts folks from all over because the bike is an amazing invention and the people that ride those bikes know it and respect it. I really enjoyed getting to know Joel Huisenga, who came in 3rd at the 2023 Glenwood Gravel. This is a guy you would never assume could burn your legs off […]

It’s all too common to hear someone on a bicycle say, “well, I’m a runner, but I really enjoy gravel, road riding, etc.”; and at some level we all get it. Running is often the first endurance sport we fall in love with. Jen Sheffield describes herself as a runner at first, but I think […]

This episode features John Rokke, a seasoned racer known for excelling at challenging races and maintaining health during strenuous training. The discussion largely revolves around the gravel racing scene in Lincoln, NE, highlighting Gravel Worlds, along with a focus on nutrition and training strategies.

Hannah Fong is a local educator and member of the Prairie Bloom cycling club. She’s been on a number of Iowa Gravel Series races, but the 2023 Silver City Century was an especially great day in the saddle. Join us in this conversation where we talk about getting into cycling, the support networks we build […]

Jonathan Wait is a multi-podium winner in the Iowa Gravel series. In this episode we dive into various topics including Jonathan’s cycling journey, experiences in gravel racing, training methods, recovery techniques, and nutrition strategies.Jonathan shares his background in BMX racing, cross country running, and how he transitioned to competitive cycling.Throughout the episode, Jonathan’s experiences and […]

Shawna Young has been chasing a podium on the Iowa Gravel Series for a little while. It alluded her at Soldier Cutoff Hillduro thanks to a wrong turn, but fortunately she was able to pull off a 3rd place finish at the 2023 Glenwood Gravel; despite the crazy weather we had on the race. In […]

Jessie is part of the Prairie Bloom Racing Team. We caught up with her a month or so after she took second at the Soldier Cutoff Hillduro in Pisgah. We talk about her goals for next year, her love of Mountain Biking, and what she’d love to see happen in cycling. Take a listen and […]

Chris meets up with Brian Johnson of Nebraska Medicine who has seen the podium several times during the Iowa Gravel Racing Series. From his start racing motocross to his current gravel goals, Brian shares how he arrived at this point in his cycling career, and details some of the causes that are near to his […]

Chris sits down with Nate Kullbom after his first place finish at the 2023 Waukon 100. We chat about Core4, racing, and the value of competition; all good things! Check out: https://www.core4.bike/ – Aug. 19th, 2023 And, check out all the races on the series at https://iowagravelseries.com/