2013 Event Schedule

Welcome back! Hope you had a wonderful holiday season. I haven't had a lot to write about since November. I did put Candi up on the CycleOps trainer and have even been on it a few times before the holidays.

But, the holidays have kept me busy and then I've been sick for the last two weeks and haven't ridden.

So, as I lay here with a heating pad on my back, I've been thinking about what I want to do this year in terms of riding. Of course, I'm doing RAGBRAI in July (21-27). And the iGranFondo ride is the day before RAGBRAI starts.

Then there is the UPAF Ride for the Arts in Milwaukee the first Sunday in June. I've done this ride the last three years, with different distances each year. Last year, I rocked (for me) the 75-mi course at over 18 mph. Flat and fast. And fun. It's a must do ride.

Two years ago I rode the Minnesota Gran Fondo (MGF) / Ironman Bike Ride.  That was maybe the hardest day / event I've ever done on a bike.  68 miles, temps in the low 30s, some precipitation and the first 23 miles were into a nasty headwind.  But I persevered. This year, unfortunately, the ride is scheduled on Drake Relays weekend (April 28). I went college at Drake and Relays is like our Homecoming - only bigger - and I haven't been back since 2005. I miss my friends. Hmmm. What to do.

That weekend is also the weekend for the "Feed the Need" Ride in Highland, WI.  Last year I did this ride, and if the 2010 MGF wasn't the hardest ride, then this ride was. Temps in the 30s, lots of wind and hills, a wrong turn, and getting SAG'd back because I couldn't finish it.  I signed up to ride the 100 mi course, but ended up only going 53.  (Needed to start my training earlier to do the century.) Yeah. That was the hardest ride I ever did. It's a small ride, but a fund raiser for the local foodbanks in SW WI. 

I think I will probably do one of these rides and skip Relays (again).  But which one?

What else is out there? Well, last year on the iGranFondo I saw a few riders wearing "Wisconsin Triple Crown" rides. It turns out it's a three event series, with a ride in May, the second in June and the last in August. That works well around the others. And, looking at the website, it looks really challenging. Multiple distances but LOTS of hills. Interestingly, it is limited to only 500 riders.  Which seems that it will attract high caliber riders.  Not sure I fit that category.  But they are rides, not races.  And, really, the object here is to challenge myself, to push myself further, not to see how I stack up against others.  Even if I were the last finisher at each of the rides, if I finish, it's still a win in my books.

Then, at the end of August, there's another ride, the LT Gran Fondo, up in the Twin Cities. I haven't ridden that one (weekend closest to my daughter's birthday). So, I probably should not plan on it this year either.

Possible Schedule:
1) April 27: Feed the Need ride (Highland, WI): 50, 75, or 100 mi - OR -
April 28: MGF (Twin Cities): 68 or 100 mi
2) May 18: Arcadia's Brute, part of the Triple Crown (Arcadia, WI): 50,100, or 150 km
3) June 2: UPAF Ride (Milwaukee): 50 or 75 mi
4) June 22: Kickapoo Kicker, Triple Crown (Viroqua, WI): 100, 150, or 200 km
5) July 20: iGranFondo (Sioux City, IA): 100 mi
6) July 21-27: RAGBRAI (Iowa): 7 days, 450-500 mi
7) August 10: Dairyland Dare, Triple Crown (Dodgeville, WI): 100, 150, or 200 km
8) August 25: LT Gran Fondo (Twin Cities): 100 mi (But probably not.)

I don't want to miss any of those rides, except for one of the April rides occurring on the same weekend.

So, should I register for them all (7 or 8)? It'll be a challenge. But they are all do-able. And they're scheduled far enough apart that I could do them all.

What do you think? Go for it? Or scale it back? Do I need to do more than I did last year (Feed the Need, UPAF, iGranFondo, & RAGBRAI)? I am really intrigued by the Triple Crown rides. Hmmm....

And then, of course, there is the matter of this being ok with my better half!  Since the rides are all (except RAGBRAI) local and don't involve being gone for more than a day, I'm hoping that this will be ok.  I'll let you know.

iGranFondo

Because spending 7 days riding nearly 500 miles across Iowa in late July isn't crazy enough, I signed up for a new event, a 100-mi ride called the iGranFondo, that ran the day before RAGBRAI began.  The Sioux City Convention & Visitors Bureau is behind the event and is looking to connect it to RAGBRAI in riders minds.  This, the innagural year, the ride ran from Sioux City and ended in Sioux Center, where RAGBRAI was starting from the following day.  And, the organizers would SAG your gear up to the start town so you wouldn't have to worry about that.

The iGranFondo is a timed ride (but not a race! haha).  The organizers put together three routes - the Fondo, a 30-mi jaunt that began and ended in Sioux City; the Medio, a 60-mi ride from Sioux City to Sioux Center; and the Gran, the 100+ mile ride, which followed the first half of the 60 mile route before detouring on a 40-mi loop back through Sioux City and then finishing on the second half of the Medio route.

Through the wonders of social media, I had previously made a friend with another avid cyclist from Omaha, Krissy (or @FutureMrsChaps as she's known on Twitter) and we decided to ride the iGranFondo together.  We rode as Team Stomach of Anger (a cycling-themed t-shirt company that also had a cool jersey we both owned).  Like me, she was also riding the the whole week of RAGBRAI.  (Her tales from RAGBRAI can be found over on her Team Uffda blog.  She and her family, riding in her grandfather's memory, were using RAGBRAI to raise money for the Alzheimer's Association.  You can donate to this great cause by clicking on the link on the Team Uffda blog site.)

Team Stomach of Anger is ready to conquor the Century Ride!

I met Krissy at her grandmother's house the night before.  (THANK YOU, LOIS for your hospitality and generosity!)  We woke up Saturday morning and headed down to Riverside Park for the start of the ride.  Because of the forecasted heat, ride officials opted to have two start times - 7:00 and 8:00 - so riders could try and beat the heat.  We missed the 7:00 start by a few minutes.

Unlike RAGBRAI, where riders get up and go whenever they want, the iGranFondo has a scheduled mass start.  It was kind of cool, being escorted by the police for a few mile with a rolling "neutral start" from Riverside Park to Stone State Park where the ride would officially begin.  

Let's Do This!

And what a beginning!  After rolling over the timing pad to get our start time, we immediately started a climb - the Stone State Park Challenge.  We climbed almost 400 feet in less than a mile to start our 100+ mile adventure.  It was like going up a wall.  And then out of the blue, comes along this older gentleman, zipping up on his old cruiser bike (with baskets!) and just goes right by a bunch of us.  That is humbling.  Chapeau, sir!  And keep pedaling!

After a rapid descent (no one was sticking to the 20 mph max recommended), but they weren't flying all out either, we turned north to ride 16 miles to Westfield.  After a quick stop at Hummers (yes, a listed "unofficial" stop) so I could do some carbo reloading, we rode east for 13 miles, passing the Medio route turn off.  Krissy and I were having a real solid ride those first couple of hours.  

Carbo Re-Load!

Then we turned south, back towards Sioux City ... and into the wind.  It was a solid hour of riding into a headwind.  That kind of effort can be brutal and we made our second stop of the day.  Again, at an "unofficial" stop, Mike's Saloon on the outskirts of the city.  More carbs (but good carbs!) for me.

As we rode south, we passed a handful of riders all heading north, on their way to Sioux Center for the start of RAGBRAI.  Most were self-supporting - hauling their gear in bags on the bike and/or a trailer.  A few were on their way to meet their team vehicle.  In Mike's we chatted with three guys from Oklahoma who were riding up.  Two were "virgins."  We wished them well and took off.

The stop couldn't have been better timed for Krissy.  She was about to bonk going into that headwind.  That's a great thing about having a riding partner - you have someone to watch out for you.

Feeling good early in the ride and hammering out the miles

With her energy restored, and me refreshed after a cold pint, we turned north for the long haul to Sioux Center.  We made another brief stop at the the 65-mi mark, where the route re-joined the Medio.  The "official" stops were tents manned by volunteers, with water and food.  A peanut butter sandwich and a banana later, we pushed on with fresh, cold aqua.

The route was quite hilly - about 3,000 total feet of climbing.  (For reference, that is about half-way up from sea level to Denver, CO.)  Most of the hills were rollers - where you are literally going up and down for miles.  It wears on your legs.  SHUT UP LEGS!  We have miles to go yet.

This may have been the only stretch of flat road we rode all day.

We made one final stop in Hawarden for a water refill before taking on the last 22 miles.  While we riding, the wind shifted from out of the south to out of the east.  And it picked up.  We were both doing great at about mile 90.  Heading north, we flew down a long descent, made a bend to the northeast, then another 45° turn to the right, with a slight climb to start the last 13 miles.  Straight into that wind.  I blew up.  After riding an average of 17.2 mph most of the day (93 mi in 5:24), I limped into Sioux Center averaging 11.3 mph for those last 14 miles (1:14).  Krissy was dragging me... like an anchor.  Not sure I would've made it without her.  Like I said, it's good to ride with a partner sometimes.

And, when I saw a water tower in the distance, like an oasis, I was sure that I was almost done.  Just get to the tower and you'll be in town.  Just a little further.  C'mon! Not much longer.  There!  WAIT! WHAT?!?  the towers were for an agri-business.

We were starting to see RAGBRAI riders.  We asked how much further.  When we were told 7 more miles, I came to a stop.  I got off my bike.  Took off my cleats.  Drank some water.  Ugh.  After a couple minutes, I pulled myself together and pressed on.  I caught back up to Krissy (actually, she was waiting for me up ahead) and we pushed on. 

We finally made it.  6 hours and 38 minutes of ride time later.  107 miles covered.  3000 feet of vertical climbed.  We crossed the timing pad.  We weren't last, but we certainly weren't first (that was someone who finished in a little more than 4 hours!).  But we finished!  We were handed a nice medal to honor our efforts.

WE DID IT!

What a way to start the week!  I must've been nuts! (And I can't wait for next year!)

Drained after 107 miles of hills, wind, and work.  (Not quite the same enthusiasm as before the ride.)

Overview of a Week in Iowa

8 Days. 600+ miles. 55 Iowa towns, villages, and cities. 1 Tweep. 75 Teammates. $225,000.

What an incredible week and a day.

Ready to roll!

After driving west across the state of Iowa,from Dubuque to Sioux City, with my little brother (Thanks, Ron!), I arrived in the start town for the iGranFondo. This ride, a new event created by the Sioux City visitors' bureau (or maybe by the city), was scheduled to ride from Sioux City to the RAGBRAI start town. This year, that town is Sioux Center, about 60 miles from Sioux City.

But I'm ahead of myself and getting too deep into details for this post. I'll do posts with the detes about the riding in the coming days/weeks.

So, Friday night, I met up with a cycling pal I got to know via Twitter, Krissy (aka @futuremrschaps), a librarian from Omaha, was also riding the iGranFondo and has family in Sioux City. We stayed at her grandmother (Lois)'s house - they even had a room for me in the basement. And her grandmother took us out to the Olive Garden for dinner (carbo loading!).

Saturday morning, we headed to Riverside Park to start the ride. We both had signed up for the 100-mile ride (aka a "Century") so we chose to ride together so we could support each other on what was sure to be a tough day. And we needed each other. About halfway through Krissy was struggling. At the end of the ride, it was me. But we finished, together. It ended up being closer to 107 miles.

107 miles later, we finished the iGranFondo!

It was a tough ride to Sioux Center. But we made it. And, thanks to her family, so did my gear! Her dad and uncle delivered it from Lois's house. I can't say enough about the generosity and kindness of Krissy and her family. THANK YOU!

We rolled over to the middle school in Sioux Center, where Team LIVESTRONG was setting up camp.  I got to meet up with some people that I met last year on my abbreviated ride and, over the course of the week, got to meet a number of new people.  

Team LIVESTRONG

It was with these folks that I’d spend the next seven days, riding and camping … and eating and drinking. Everyone on this team was committed to giving the finger to cancer.  Collectively, the 75 of us raised over $225,000 for the Lance Armstrong Foundation. With your support, I was able to raise over $2500 of that. (The team's top fundraiser, Laurey M, who raised over $25,000!, was not able to join us on the ride, unfortunately.  She was recently diagnosed with a relapse of cancer and had to start treatments right away.  Our thoughts and prayers are with you, Laurey!  And FUCK YOU, CANCER!)  There is still time to contribute to the Foundation if you want to add to that - just go to my donation page here. The Foundation exists to provide support and education to cancer patients and their support team – friends and family.  Our team includes survivors, family members of survivors and of those who have passed, as well as those that just want to support LIVESTRONG. 

SURVIVORS!

Over the next seven days, we pedaled from Sioux Center to Clinton,covering over 470 miles (plus another 23 for those crazy enough to do “TheLoop”).  We would spend the nights in Cherokee, Lake View,Webster City, Marshalltown, Cedar Rapids, and Anamosa.  We would ride in groups, large or small, or ride solo.  We would ride hard, cranking out the miles, or go easy making many stops along the way.  

RAGBRAI comes through one of the many small towns in Iowa on the 2012 route.

It was a great week. I met up with Krissy and her dad later in the week (while we were all doing "The Loop").  I also met and rode with the husband of someone who went to high school with my little brother, as well as another guy from the Madison area who it turn out is going to sell his tandem bike once he gets back home.  (Hello! If Olivia wants to do RAGBRAI withme, it will be on a tandem for the first year or two.  Hmmmm.)

So, I’ll be writing up posts for each of the days and about some of my many new friends.  I hope you find them readable, enjoyable, inspirational, and encouraging.  One thing about RAGBRAI is that it never lacks for providing material for many, many stories.  I hope I do the stories justice. 

A personal greeting just for me!

As always, your comments and feedback is more than welcome.

  

RAGBRAI 2012 - It's ON!

I am now signed up for this year's ride across Iowa and will again be joining Team LIVESTRONG, fundraising for the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF).

I'm really looking forward to being able to ride the full week again this year, having only ridden two days last year. RAGBRAI is a fun and challenging way to push myself to be healthier and stronger than I have ever been. (For example, my Cycling For Life post documents the improvements in my health since I started riding in 2010.)

RAGBRAI
The Des Moines Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa is a week-long adventure. This year, the 40th edition, is scheduled for 477 miles from Sioux Center in the NW corner of the state to Clinton on the Mississippi. The week looks to be challenging with three long days (75+ miles each) sandwiched between two shorter days to start and to end the week. And then, there's the Karras Loop, an optional loop of additional miles to bring one of the days up to about 100 miles. The reward for completing the Loop is ... a patch. But well worth it!

But really, it isn't as daunting as it sounds. The key, I think, it not think of it as a 60, 70 or 80 mile day, but rather 10 or 15 miles to the next town. And the next town always has at least two things: PIE! and BEER! And while the beer is not always the best, the pie always is!

This year, there is a new event to coincide with RAGBRAI. There is a Gran Fondo ride from Sioux City to Sioux Center the day before. The feature ride is a 100 mile timed ride. This would be a fantastic way to kick off the week. (And will likely result in the first day or two of RAGBRAI being ridden at a more leisurely pace.)

If you are interested in RAGBRAI, I encourage you to check it out. The website is http://ragbrai.com/. Info about the Iowa Gran Fondo can be found at http://igranfondo.com/.

Fundrsaising for the LIVESTRONG.org
And, as in the past, I am using this opportunity to fund raise for the LAF. In the last two years, thanks to the generous support of my family, friends, colleagues, and readers, I've raised over $7500. These funds are used to support programs and services dedicated to serving cancer patients and their loved ones as they fight like hell against this scourge.

As you likely know, the reason that supporting efforts to fight cancer and support patients fighting cancer is important to me is that my sister died at age 21 of cancer. Hard to believe but it will be 30 years ago this summer - not long after I finish this year's ride.

The reason I chose LAF was easy - it was an obvious connection between cycling and fighting cancer. Only after I signed up in 2010 for the ride did I learn that there was a team of riders from across the country doing the same thing.

I'm proud to be associated with LAF and be a member of Team LIVESTRONG. After camping with the team for the days I did ride last year, I know that the work LAF does is helping people. And that's what it's all about. (You can read more about my experiences with the team last year in this post, scroll down to the "Camp Life" section.)

If you want to support my fundraising efforts and support the work of the Lance Armstrong Foundation, you can make a donation on my fundraising page, here. Thanks!