RAGBRAI Days 3 & 4

My journey has deviated the last two days from the scheduled bike route as I was not feeling well Thursday leaving Cedar Falls. I don't know if I should blame the Philly cheesesteak sandwich bought from one of the vendors on Wednesday, or if the cumulative miles have taken a toll, but I needed help from my support team to get to Independence yesterday. I started out before 6 am as I had on the previous days toward Denver, Iowa, our first pass-through town eighteen miles away. I am cycling slow to allow the muscles and body a chance to warm up for the day's activity, and also because I don't seem to have a lot of energy. On previous days I would stop in the towns to stretch and have a snack to fuel up for the next segment of the ride. Usually a shot of GU or part of my PB & J will give me the kick needed to get up and go, but Thursday I never felt any surge of energy--just the opposite as I felt my energy waning as I pedaled to the halfway point of the day's ride--Dunkerton, Iowa. As I debated about calling Bill and asking for a pick up he was calling me to let me know our campsite location for the night. I let him know I had to stop after 34 miles and asked him to pick me up. Poor Bill, thinking I would only ask for help if I were seriously injured or dying, broke nearly every speed limit to get there. Rural Iowa cell phone connectivity can be very poor and our attempts to communicate via phone were going nowhere. I thought the reception would be better if I climbed to the top of the hill--ironically exactly where Bill was parked. We connected and he whisked me away via Hwy 20 to Independence. Bill kept offering to buy me ice cream at the DQ next door to help cheer me up--it did not sound good to me at all...even the cappucino Heath bar blizzard. That proved to me that I definitely wasn't myself!

Last night the emergency vehicles came around on their speakers and talked about severe weather coming and letting us know where the evacuation area was. Bill and I worked up numerous scenarios for today if I rode, but needed support team help; if I rode all the way to Dyersville; and if I did not ride at all. Our plan for the evening was to camp at the end of the line--Bellevue, as we had a site reserved for Friday and Saturday night (Iowa rule, both Friday and Saturday must be booked during the peak season.) We welcomed the thought of having electrical hook-up and escaping the large crowd for at least one night.

We awakened to threatening skies; I woke up as if I would be on the road before six, but in my heart of hearts I knew that not riding was the best option for the day. As we drove east and encountered rain, I was even happier with my decision--I must admit that I am a fair weather biker, riding in the rain when not feeling 100% was not something I wanted to do. So I helped Bill navigate our way here to Bellevue, possibly the best part of Iowa we have seen. The town and state park are located on the banks of the Mississippi with high bluffs allowing for marvelous scenic views of the river and valleys. I am looking at tomorrow's bike route and trying to figure out a way to join the ride without Bill having to drive 100 miles out of his way. It may just be a few ceremonial miles through town to the river, or I could go to the "meeting town" 40 miles out--either option is okay by me as I have learned that RAGBRAI is not about riding the entire route; each rider is here for different reasons. I came here to see Iowa; get in better shape; stretch myself; go on a multiple day bike tour; and at the end see if I wanted to do it all over again. And the answer is--yes, I would. Anyone out there care to join me?

More after the official end of RAGBRAI tomorrow. Bill and I are excited to head back to Phoenix and rest for a few days before heading out to California.

RAGBRAI--Days 3 & 4

Greetings from Cedar Falls, Iowa!

Day 3 (Humboldt to Hampton--71 miles)

I never thought I would ever get to a point where I had an easy 70 mile day, but with the terrain mostly flat and no head wind I made great time. I arrived to our campsite before noon, which I think surprised both Bill and me. At our stop in Humboldt we utilized our internet access by finding a state park just one mile west of Hampton. Bill's objective was to head directly there and call me if we got a spot--and we did. When he arrived there were no other RAGBRAI support teams, by the time I rolled in most of the park was filled with other groups who discovered the park. Electrical hook-up is gold during the heat and humidity!

The RAGBRAI event is a large city on the move with between 12,000 to 20,000 participating in any one day's activities. The amout of people crammed into a small county fairground is mind-boggling; I found out from another rider that several shuttle buses were packed to the rafters and passed him by as he waited one night for a ride back to the campground. Downtown businesses want you to visit so the town has a shuttle route; however, the bus is free to both the RAGBRAI community and the town as well since many of the streets are closed to traffic. For one week cyclists rule the roads here--state and county police stop traffic at intersections so riders don't have to stop.

As soon as I arrived at Beeds Lake State Park Bill and I got on the phone and called Mom to sing her our usual off-key, yet extremely heart-felt rendition of "Happy Birthday." She continues to inspire me to live each day to the fullest much as she is doing.

Day 4 (Hampton to Cedar Falls--68 miles)

The hills have arrived. None were too steep, but the number was much higher today than on all of the previous three days. I switched bikes to the Raleigh to see if the different saddle would help (it did), and having the low mountain gears made the hills much easier to handle. It felt much warmer on the ride today--no overcast skies to greet us in the morning. I stopped at each town on the route for shade and to stretch--my back was tight and I kept trying to stretch out the hip flexors as much as possible. It seemed to help get me to the next town until finally I saw Billy standing on the corner at the end of the ride. He has been a great motivator for me this week, especially on slow moving mornings like today. He kept me on task and moved me on my way so I would be on the road by 6 am.

Three more days left--the legs are getting stronger each day and should be in awesome shape for backpacking next month. Rain is in the forecast for Friday--hopefully it will be an afternoon or evening shower and allow me to continue to ride in good weather conditions.

RAGBRAI--Days 1 & 2

Greetings from Humboldt, Iowa--152 bicycle miles from Rock Rapids! Let me break down my thoughts for each of the first two days as well as share Bill's separate excursion via the support team route.

Day One--Rock Rapids to Spencer (75 miles)

I left the campground about 6:20 am after Bill asked me to wait while he ran up to the street so he could capture the first mile on digital image. Lots of other riders had the same idea to start quickly and there were a load of bicycles four wide for the first 5-10 miles. Everyone had fresh legs and were eager to ride. The pack started separating itself at the first town we passed through, George, Iowa which had the pancakes and waffles ready for hungry riders. By passing the food stands I was able to leave many behind. Sunday I stopped at all five pass-through towns to eat the food in my pack (PB & J, Power Bar, fig newtons) as well as stretch as much as possible. I had no idea what to expect in these towns, but figured out quickly that riding was not always the safest option--often one had to walk past the food stands, the water stations and the outhouses. Here they are called Kybos...though I am not sure why.

We had a bit of a head wind whenever we headed south (the route primarily went southeast), but otherwise the weather was great for riding with overcast skies for the first four hours of the ride. My body was not telling me to stop riding until I hit the fifth hour of the ride around mile 60. That has typically been when I ended my training rides--but Sunday's ride was 75 miles total--more than on any other bike ride for me. I was happy to see the Clay County Fairgrounds sometime after 1 pm. I called Bill on the cell phone to find the location of our "home" for the evening and finally found him and the motorhome. He had only just arrived some fifteen minutes prior to me as he was stuck in support wagon traffic for miles. I quickly understood the huge advantage having a motorhome would be for me as I walked passed a shower line for those paying for one. Other bike groups have the solar shower bags and a privacy tent set aside for their members. The other "perk" was the cold air which greeted me when I opened the door. As the weather grew more humid by the hour, it was definitely needed.

Day Two--Spencer to Humboldt (77 miles)

Cold, threatening skies greeted me when I hit the road at 5:50 am. We watched other riders hitting the road as early as 4:30 a.m. in an attempt to beat the heat of the day. I packed my jacket as I did not know how the day would unfold. I took the first hour at a nice, easy pace to allow my muscles a chance to warm up. Today's route included nine pass-through towns and I did not plan at stopping at each one unless the body said stop. I was feeling pretty good on the bike with sitting on the saddle the only complaint after the first day on the route.

By the time I hit the half-way town, Laurens, Iowa, the sun had won the battle and no rain would be interrupting the ride. Outside of town there was a loop option to extend today's ride to 100 miles--I opted not to extend the day beyond the scheduled 77 miles. The wind from the south today was much stronger than yesterday and really had everyone drained. I heard someone say--"Oh boy, we get to turn into the wind again...yipee!" You had to have a sense of humor about it if you were to make it to the end of the ride.

When I finally arrived after seven hours of riding time on the bike, I was happy to climb off the bike. Actually, my body is feeling better today than yesterday and my energy level is pretty strong. It is the sitting on the seat which is the hardest part of this ride for me (guess what I'll be trying and buying when I return--a new seat!) We have electrical hook-up here in the fairgrounds which makes it quite nice for sleeping. Bill's drive today was still long (3 hours), but he had enough extra time to get our laundry done in town before I arrived back.

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http://billnsusan.com/ragbrai.htm

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Rock Rapids --- Ride Tomorrow :-)

Day 0 of Ragbrai—All of the pre-ride hype, entertainment, alcohol and food is on tap for the day. A large bike expo will be set up at the high school with cycling apparel, bike accessories, and long ride nutrition supplements. I looked at the menu of the food being offered by the first ride-though town—breakfast burritos, pancakes, and biscuits & gravy. Lord help the soul who eats at every town! I will possibly buy a brownie near the end of the ride if I run out of my PB & J, Clif bar, fig newtons, and GU stash which I will be carrying. I plan on taking the Camelbak so I will have tons of ice-cold water throughout the day as well as a bottle of Gatorade.

The town is slowly being shut down to auto traffic with side streets being blocked near the “beverage” garden and the main entertainment stage. They have bands scheduled until midnight. You won’t see Bill and I there, as my goal is to get out before 7 am as many days as my body will cooperate. Most of you know I am not a morning person by nature—I’ve had to adjust once I moved out to the desert.

Bill and I are ready for this stage of the adventure to begin as we have been hearing all of the hype and stories for over a week now. We have enjoyed the peace and quiet of Rock Rapids since Tuesday; I hope to be able to embrace the crowds and all of the energy they will provide beginning today.

Rock Rapids, Iowa

Bill and I have a campsite in Rock Rapids as we get to know our way around (it took about ten minutes to get the entire city tour) and snag a site with electric hook-up as we swelter in the Midwest humidity. I took my last long training ride today north into Minnesota (62 miles) and hope to get another short ride in tomorrow before shutting down until the ride starts on Sunday.

We are in such a remote location that our Verizon data access does not work so I am typing this in our favorite little cafe/antique store on Main Street. Lunch is on the way (good as I worked up an appetite!) before we venture next door for a haircut. Multi-tasking!!!

I'll try to get in another post or two before the ride as we await the flood of neighbors. We were warned that it will be a zoo and to be careful with our stuff--we plan to lock the bikes inside the motorhome with us the evening before the launch given the park staff member's warning.

Getting to know Iowa

We have been on the move quite a bit since I last posted--today we are in Lewis and Clark State Park on the Iowa/Nebraska border, south of where the bike ride will start next Sunday. As we have driven across the state we have met several people who have ridden in the event and let us know how much fun we would have; one even suggested that I would gain weight due to all of the food and alcohol after the ride. I sure hope at the end of 477 miles that is not true!

Bill and I met up with Mom and her husband John in Louisville on Saturday, July 7th and enjoyed a quick visit and lunch. It was nice to get a family visit while on the road though we have been fortunate to receive lots of emails and phone calls from friends and family along the way. It has been almost three months since we left Phoenix--so many locations that at some point it becomes a blur.

We drove west from the corn fields of SE Indiana through the miles of rows of corn in Illinois before reaching the #1 corn producing state in the US--Iowa. Did you know Iowa was #1 in corn, soybean, egg and pork? We met a chicken farmer from Guthrie Center, IA who has 5 million chickens laying eggs. While the cost of gasoline is on the rise I imagine I can buy a dozen eggs fairly cheap around here.

During my training rides here in Iowa I have discovered Quilt Barns--farm owners who have mounted a painted quilt square to the side of their barn. With so much green corn and soybean for miles it was quite a pleasant surprise to find in the middle of Iowa. I captured some with the camera which we will post in the next few days, but here is a website I found as well which will show you what can be found down these country farm roads across the Midwest: http://www.barnquilts.com/default.htm. I told Bill it may inspire me to try making a quilt--he laughed as I am not the most creative person he has met with a needle.

Yesterday we stumbled across a small Midwestern parade running down the street of nearby Onawa, Iowa. We stopped and rushed out to see the kids on the back of trucks throwing water balloons and tossing candy to the spectators. With the heat on the increase, the water balloons were accepted willingly by the crowd. Later we drove across the Missouri river into Nebraska for a quick stroll along the swiftly moving Missouri river. Hard to imagine Lewis and Clark exploring the area on a keelboat.

I hope to post each day during the ride so you can experience the fun (and a few aching muscles) of RAGBRAI.

SE Indiana

Hello all--

We are in Ripley County near the city of Batesville in Indiana. The change in the weather and the geography has been dramatic since leaving Alabama. Our campground is surounded by small farms, most of which have corn planted. As I was out bike riding this morning I thought this was truly a good warm up for Iowa--the roads and terrain will likely be very much the same. I've been learning all of the history of the area quickly and am trying to ride to some of the local highlights. Today's ride went through Milan, home of the 1954 state basketball team which inspired the movie "Hoosiers." Continuing down the road to Versailles, home to a recently renovated covered bridge which I rode across this morning. It was nice to ride through the small towns of this county--very small and historic towns founded in the 1850's.

On the drive north from Birmingham we stopped for one night in Franklin, Tennessee and met Amanda Burnett (BHS 62) for dinner. She recommended the restaurant J. Alexander, which is a chain primarily located here in the southeast. Good food and even better service--so stop by one if you ever see one. She told us some of the history of the area which is quickly growing--Franklin was another Civil War battlefields where the south took a beating. There is a confederate cemetery in town.

Tomorrow we will visit a nearby Libby tourist attraction--Mom! She is in Louisville for a convention with her husband, John. Bill and I will steal her away for a few hours tomorrow for lunch and a visit. The city is not as close as I once thought, but we'll have great scenery to look at. I really would like a chance to explore Columbus, Indiana which we drove through earlier this week. In the middle of a rural setting I was surprised to see modern architecture; which they link together via signs for a tour around town. If we have the time to explore...

Heading west into Iowa next week.
Susan

Top of the Mountain

Somehow the pictures of me on the highest points in Tennessee and Alabama pale in comparison with the picture taken at Kearsarge Pass (11,760 ft.)-- which inspires me to continue backpacking each summer as long as I am able. Bill and I drove to Cheaha State Park last week--to Mt. Cheaha, the highest point in the state. The view up at the top would have been nice on a clear day--but we were there on a hazy and humid day. An easy drive off I-20 if you are ever in the neighborhood!

Our fellow campers are departing here at Oak Mountain State Park--checkout time is 11 am. The park has this unusual 8 pm curfew when the gates are supposed to be locked--thankfully they were a bit tardy last night as we were a few minutes late following a nice BBQ dinner with Jerry Dailey and his wife Carolyn in Bessemer. Without breaking too many traffic laws we made it back to the comforts of the motorhome before the gates were locked.

Today we are packing up and cleaning the coach preparing for the drive up to Nashville. A few days there--and the Fourth of July holiday--before heading north to a 1000 Trails preserve near Louisville, Kentucky. Mom will be there next week and we hope to be able to meet up with her and her husband John during our travels. The preserve has a nine-hole golf course so I am hoping to work on my game. We played three rounds this week at Oak Mountain State Park--a nice course just down the road. In Tennessee I could not chip one at all--here, it was the best part of my game. At some point I hope to put it all together and have a memorable round of golf! Maybe when we get back to Phoenix and we are playing a round with brother Bob at Viewpoint!

More Later...

Susan