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.