Over the weekend, the Register's Annual Great Brike Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI) began in Glenwood, just south of Council Bluffs/Omaha (NE). Next Saturday it will pull into Davenport after seven days of riding the highways and biways of rural Iowa.
Followers of this blog (both of you), know that I started this as a way to document my RAGBRAI experience in 2010. You know that I rode all week and had a blast. It was demanding and challenging and fun.
So, today is day two of the ride, from Atlantic to Carroll. (You can see the route maps here.)
And I'm sitting in my office.
Ugh.
I wish I were there. I wish I were riding my bike, eating homemade treats baked by people raising moeny for a new roof for their local church or a new jungle-gym for the community park. I wish I were drinking beer to rehydrate after a 65 mile ride, swapping stories with teammates, and sleeping in a tent.
I have RAGBRAI fever.
And following some folks on Twitter who are riding is allowing me to vicariously ride along with them. And it is fueling the fever. It's like an itch I can't scratch.
At least not today. But soon. Very soon.
Thursday afternoon I'll be driving to central Iowa to meet up with Team LIVESTRONG in Grinnell. I'll camp overnight with them and will be riding days 6 (75 mi Grinnell to Coralville/Iowa City) and 7 (65 mi Coralville to Davenport).
As part of Team LIVESTRONG, I committed to raising funds for LIVESTRONG. If you are interested in donating to support the cause, you can contribute on my donation webpage. I am 83% of the way to my goal for this year. And thanks to all who have contributed this year and/or last.
Side note: Saturday will be crazy in Davenport. In addition to 20,000 (or so) cyclists rolling into town, Davenport will be hosting it's annual Bix Fest. Bix Beiderbecke was a Davenport native jazz musician. With the Bix Fest is the Bix7 road race for runnners. There will be about 10,000 runners in town as well. Plus all the people there for the jazz festival. Should be a crazy weekend in the Quad Cities!
My RAGBRAI Team LIVESTRONG Fundraising Page
Monday, July 25, 2011
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Cycling for Life
Why am I writing about the health benefits of cycling? In short, to testify.
As I noted in my first blog post leading up to my posts about last year's RAGBRAI:
You see, I'm a 45 year old man with a desk job. I don't eat the best. At least I didn't used to, trying to do better now. And my doc thought I should shed a few lbs and lower my cholesterol before it got bad. So I've being toying with riding a bike to get exercise. I can't run (due to a hip replacement) and I can't swim (because I can't swim). So, I figured biking would be good.
In the fall of 2009, six months before I began riding to prepare for RAGBRAI, I had my annual physical. It included a cholesterol check. The results: my triglycerides were at 206 and my blood pressure (BP) was 135/91. According to the American Heart Association, the triglycerides is "High" and my blood pressure is Stage 1 HBP. My father has a history of cardiac issues. It runs in his family. In my family.
So, I could do nothing and end up on medications and what not waiting for something to happen (the only thing that would happen though would be a cardiac arrest, a stroke, or some such other event). Or I could get off my duff and do something about it.
So last spring I did something about it. I started riding, with the goal of completing RAGBRAI last July. I am thrilled to say I did it. Over 2100 training miles to prepare and more than 450 miles that week in Iowa.
Then I stopped. Between August and mid-February, I was only on my bike maybe four times. Not per week. Or per month. Total. There were always other priorities, or explanations... or excuses.
For my annual check up in October, my BP was still at a Stage 1 HBP level, 146/87. (I don't know what it was when I was riding regularly March - July. My guess is that it was lower.)
On February 14, I started a new job closer to home. A job where I can be at home every night. A job I can ride to during the day. So I started biking. During the school year, I would drive my daughter to school, then commute into Madison to park and ride the rest of the way in. Now that school is out, I am riding all the way to work on most days.
In May, I had another doctor's appointment. And another blood draw. This time, my triglycerides came in at 113 - well within the normal range. My BP is down as well, to 126/80, which is "prehypertension," but at the low end of that range and close to normal, as well as moving in the right direction. While my weight is still too high, it is inching down as well. My pants that used to be too tight in the waist are now getting a little loose.
So, yeah, I am cycling for health. And somewhere along the way, very early on, I began loving the bike. So now, I am cycling for life.
(Source: American Heart Association)
As I noted in my first blog post leading up to my posts about last year's RAGBRAI:
You see, I'm a 45 year old man with a desk job. I don't eat the best. At least I didn't used to, trying to do better now. And my doc thought I should shed a few lbs and lower my cholesterol before it got bad. So I've being toying with riding a bike to get exercise. I can't run (due to a hip replacement) and I can't swim (because I can't swim). So, I figured biking would be good.
In the fall of 2009, six months before I began riding to prepare for RAGBRAI, I had my annual physical. It included a cholesterol check. The results: my triglycerides were at 206 and my blood pressure (BP) was 135/91. According to the American Heart Association, the triglycerides is "High" and my blood pressure is Stage 1 HBP. My father has a history of cardiac issues. It runs in his family. In my family.
So, I could do nothing and end up on medications and what not waiting for something to happen (the only thing that would happen though would be a cardiac arrest, a stroke, or some such other event). Or I could get off my duff and do something about it.
So last spring I did something about it. I started riding, with the goal of completing RAGBRAI last July. I am thrilled to say I did it. Over 2100 training miles to prepare and more than 450 miles that week in Iowa.
Then I stopped. Between August and mid-February, I was only on my bike maybe four times. Not per week. Or per month. Total. There were always other priorities, or explanations... or excuses.
For my annual check up in October, my BP was still at a Stage 1 HBP level, 146/87. (I don't know what it was when I was riding regularly March - July. My guess is that it was lower.)
On February 14, I started a new job closer to home. A job where I can be at home every night. A job I can ride to during the day. So I started biking. During the school year, I would drive my daughter to school, then commute into Madison to park and ride the rest of the way in. Now that school is out, I am riding all the way to work on most days.
In May, I had another doctor's appointment. And another blood draw. This time, my triglycerides came in at 113 - well within the normal range. My BP is down as well, to 126/80, which is "prehypertension," but at the low end of that range and close to normal, as well as moving in the right direction. While my weight is still too high, it is inching down as well. My pants that used to be too tight in the waist are now getting a little loose.
So, yeah, I am cycling for health. And somewhere along the way, very early on, I began loving the bike. So now, I am cycling for life.
| TRIGLYCERIDES | 2009 | 2011 |
| <150 Normal | 113 | |
| 150-199 Borderline High | ||
| 200-499 High | 206 | |
| 500+ Very High |
Blood Pressure | Systolic | Diastolic | My Scores | ||
| Category | mm Hg (upper #) | mm Hg (lower #) | 2009 | 2011 | |
| Normal | less than 120 | and | less than 80 | ||
| Prehypertension | 120 – 139 | or | 80 – 89 | 126/80 | |
| High Blood Pressure (Hypertension) | |||||
| Stage 1 | 140 – 159 | or | 90 – 99 | 135/91 | |
Stage 2 | 160 – 179 | or | 100 – 109 | ||
| Hypertensive Crisis | (Emergency care | needed) | |||
180+ | or | 110+ | |||
Wednesday, June 8, 2011
Ride for the Arts
This past Sunday, I got up at 4:30 and drove to Milwaukee to participate in the Miller Lite Ride for the Arts, which was scheduled to start at 7:00. About 7,000 cyclists of all ages and abilities joined the ride this year. They could choose from a 5-mi family ride; a 12-mi ride; a 25-mi ride; a 50-mi ride; and a 75-mi ride. Having not put on as many miles this spring as I wanted to, I chose the 50 mile route.
Like all the routes, the 50-miler started and ended at the Summerfest Grounds on the shores of Lake Michigan. The route was basically an out and back to the Concordia University - Wisconsin campus in Mequon. (Coincidentally, this is where my step-son Ryan is attending school.)
The start of the route this year was different though than in the past. This year, route organizers received permission from the State DOT to include the Hoan Bridge, which is part of I-794. I'm guessing there was a lot of concern about bicyclists on the bridge, which is next to a Great Lake, even though it was closed to vehicular traffic at 5:30a that day (until 10:00a). Organizers were very specific before the start about not stopping on the bridge, no picture taking from the bridge, and don't get distracted by the view. (We were, I'm guessing, about 10 stories up in the air.) I heard later someone said it was a success and that no one was blown off (as some skeptics thought might happen).
So, after a short delay to the start (so volunteers could cover up some gaps in the pavement with plywood and carpeting), we got started at about 7:25. We left Summerfest and turned left to head south on the bridge. After crossing, we exited, and then re-entered the bridge northbound headed back. It was about 2.5 miles each way.
From the bridge, we rode north through the suburbs to Mequon where there was a rest stop. The organizers had fruit, bars, water, and Gatorade out for us. Wheel & Sprocket, one of the sponsors, was also there to help with mechanical issues.
Upon leaving Concordia, 50-mile riders turned back south to head back to Summerfest. (The 75-milers headed north to Port Washington and then turned back.)
It was a great ride. A beautiful day for it. Temps in the 60s to start, climbing into the 80s. And sunny. There was a bit of a wind from the north/northwest. I averaged over 16 mph going north and over 19 mph on the way back! for an average of 17.25. Which is fast for me. (I normally average about 15-16) I peddled hard and rode strong. And I'm glad I chose the 50-mile route so I could ride hard. (I would have bonked on the 75-mile route going that hard.)
This was the second year I rode this ride. It's great to support the arts by participating. It's fun to push myself to ride further and faster in these kinds of events than I do when I'm on the road riding solo. While I have no illusions of ever being a racer (ok, maybe sometimes I fantasize about it), it's a blast seeing results like I had on Sunday.
Only downside to the day: The "50-mile" route was really only 43.5 miles.
Next year, I AM doing the 75!
Like all the routes, the 50-miler started and ended at the Summerfest Grounds on the shores of Lake Michigan. The route was basically an out and back to the Concordia University - Wisconsin campus in Mequon. (Coincidentally, this is where my step-son Ryan is attending school.)
The start of the route this year was different though than in the past. This year, route organizers received permission from the State DOT to include the Hoan Bridge, which is part of I-794. I'm guessing there was a lot of concern about bicyclists on the bridge, which is next to a Great Lake, even though it was closed to vehicular traffic at 5:30a that day (until 10:00a). Organizers were very specific before the start about not stopping on the bridge, no picture taking from the bridge, and don't get distracted by the view. (We were, I'm guessing, about 10 stories up in the air.) I heard later someone said it was a success and that no one was blown off (as some skeptics thought might happen).
So, after a short delay to the start (so volunteers could cover up some gaps in the pavement with plywood and carpeting), we got started at about 7:25. We left Summerfest and turned left to head south on the bridge. After crossing, we exited, and then re-entered the bridge northbound headed back. It was about 2.5 miles each way.
 |
| Me and a few thousand friends riding across the Hoand Bridge in Milwaukee during the Ride for the Arts. (I am in front on the left, red & white jersey, black & yellow helmet.) Photo Source: Third Coast Digest (via their Flickr page, linked from the Ride for the Arts Facebook page) |
Upon leaving Concordia, 50-mile riders turned back south to head back to Summerfest. (The 75-milers headed north to Port Washington and then turned back.)
It was a great ride. A beautiful day for it. Temps in the 60s to start, climbing into the 80s. And sunny. There was a bit of a wind from the north/northwest. I averaged over 16 mph going north and over 19 mph on the way back! for an average of 17.25. Which is fast for me. (I normally average about 15-16) I peddled hard and rode strong. And I'm glad I chose the 50-mile route so I could ride hard. (I would have bonked on the 75-mile route going that hard.)
This was the second year I rode this ride. It's great to support the arts by participating. It's fun to push myself to ride further and faster in these kinds of events than I do when I'm on the road riding solo. While I have no illusions of ever being a racer (ok, maybe sometimes I fantasize about it), it's a blast seeing results like I had on Sunday.
Only downside to the day: The "50-mile" route was really only 43.5 miles.
Next year, I AM doing the 75!
Friday, June 3, 2011
Riding in LaCrosse
Last week, the state association of my profession held its annual spring conference in LaCrosse. Normally, the conference starts kicks off with a golf outing that benefits the scholarship foundation we have. (Which, by the way, provides almost $20,000 in scholarships annually to HS seniors in the state.) And this year was no exception.
But not everyone golfs. So two of my colleagues who work in the LaCrosse area organized an alternative activity for the day - a 26 mile bike ride on a trail that runs along side the Mississippi River. Proceeds from our ride are going to the Family and Children's Center of Western Wisconsin. I'm not sure how many people signed up to ride, but there were seven of us who braved the weather and peddled to Trempealeau and back that day. (It was raining all day, with temps in the low 50s.)
At 10:00 we gathered in Onalaska to start the ride. By 10:20 we were mounted and rolling. This was a non-competitive and no-drop ride, so the seven of us rode together and chatted most of the way up. Larry and I talked a lot about the current state of funding and changes coming our way from the State.
The trail was crushed limestone, but flat and straight. I swear in 13 miles each way, we didn't turn once. The trail was in decent shape for being so wet. It was packed fairly hard, but there were vehicle tracks (from the DNR trucks) in which water pooled. Of course, because they were packed even further by trucks, the tracks were the firmest ground to ride on.
As we approached Trempealeau, the group split a bit as a couple riders were interested in getting out of the cold rain while others were keeping at their pace. By 11:45 we had racked the bikes and went into the Trempealeau Hotel for lunch. Being good organizers, Larry and Jason had made arrangements for us to lunch there, so when seven dripping wet and muddy riders showed up, it wasn't too much of a surprise.
After some hot beverages, cold beer (at least for Kent and I) and great food, it was time for the return trip. The rain never let up and the temp only rose a few degrees. But for some reason it didn't seem so cold on the way back. The two Jeffs were anxious, I suspect, to get out of the rain and chose to ride on ahead. The rest of us hung pretty much together for about half the trip back. Kent and I did get ahead of the others but waited after crossing over the Black River bridge.
From there, Jason and I took off, trying to see if we could catch the Jeffs. I sucked wind trying to hold onto Jason's wheel for the first couple miles. Then I took point. It was fun pushing ourselves. At some point Jason turned back and rode in with the others. He says he couldn't keep up but I don't believe I dropped him. Not for a second. I arrived back at the trail head as the Jeffs were warming back up and getting ready to leave. Not too long after I arrived at the destination, the others rode up.
We chatted, then packed up and headed out. Time for a hot shower to warm up and wash away the grit and grime.
It was a great ride with some great folks who are also Loving The Bike. Thanks Larry & Jason for organizing this great event!
Oh, and it turns out that the golf was cancelled for the day! The weather was too much for almost all of them. (Though I hear that there was one foursome that did play a full 18.)
The next day, the weather was perfect. And there was no event planned after 5:30, so I took advantage and did a 26 mile ride on the county highways in the area. This included a challenging climb up Cty Hwy YY - which MapMyRide lists as a Cat 4 climb. (Potter Hill on Day 7 of RAGBRAI XXXVIII was only a Cat 5.)
It was a great climb and the views from the top in the Coulee region are beautiful! If you're ever in the LaCrosse area, be sure to bring a bike!
But not everyone golfs. So two of my colleagues who work in the LaCrosse area organized an alternative activity for the day - a 26 mile bike ride on a trail that runs along side the Mississippi River. Proceeds from our ride are going to the Family and Children's Center of Western Wisconsin. I'm not sure how many people signed up to ride, but there were seven of us who braved the weather and peddled to Trempealeau and back that day. (It was raining all day, with temps in the low 50s.)
At 10:00 we gathered in Onalaska to start the ride. By 10:20 we were mounted and rolling. This was a non-competitive and no-drop ride, so the seven of us rode together and chatted most of the way up. Larry and I talked a lot about the current state of funding and changes coming our way from the State.
 |
| Mounting up and heading out at the trail head. (L-R: Me, Kent, Erin, Jeff A, Jeff S, Larry & Jason) |
The trail was crushed limestone, but flat and straight. I swear in 13 miles each way, we didn't turn once. The trail was in decent shape for being so wet. It was packed fairly hard, but there were vehicle tracks (from the DNR trucks) in which water pooled. Of course, because they were packed even further by trucks, the tracks were the firmest ground to ride on.
As we approached Trempealeau, the group split a bit as a couple riders were interested in getting out of the cold rain while others were keeping at their pace. By 11:45 we had racked the bikes and went into the Trempealeau Hotel for lunch. Being good organizers, Larry and Jason had made arrangements for us to lunch there, so when seven dripping wet and muddy riders showed up, it wasn't too much of a surprise.
 |
| Took a little of the trail home with me on my tail. |
 |
| Lunch at the Historic Trempealeau Hotel |
 |
| Erin and Larry crossing the Black River bridge |
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| Jason, Erin and Larry finishing the ride |
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| Jason is taking some of the trail home with him, too. |
And yes, I gave my bike a shower too! Though not as bad as Jason's bike (above), there was a lot of grit and grime on my bike.
Oh, and it turns out that the golf was cancelled for the day! The weather was too much for almost all of them. (Though I hear that there was one foursome that did play a full 18.)
The next day, the weather was perfect. And there was no event planned after 5:30, so I took advantage and did a 26 mile ride on the county highways in the area. This included a challenging climb up Cty Hwy YY - which MapMyRide lists as a Cat 4 climb. (Potter Hill on Day 7 of RAGBRAI XXXVIII was only a Cat 5.)
Monday, May 23, 2011
Family Ride
I thought about writing today about how awesome my rides were this weekend - a 25 mi ride averaging 17+ mph (which is fast for me) and a 39 mile ride w/ lots of hills and fighting the wind. But, something better happened yesterday.
On Saturday, I was talking w/ my 21 y.o. step-son about going for a bike ride. He is interested in biking to add some aerobic work to his routine. He's going to be using my old Schwinn. We decided to do a ride Sunday morning. My 9 y.o. daughter wanted to join us. Sunday morning started with coffee, the paper, and the previous day's stage of the Tour of California. As others woke up, we made breakfast (waffles, from scratch) and started getting ready.
At 10:00 the three of us headed out to the garage to get the bikes ready and head out. I was on DB, my commuter bike, Olivia was on the trailer bike attached to DB, and Ryan on the Schwinn. We had a great ride! It wasn't the fastest, but we had fun. We went about 5-3/4 miles in town. I was real happy that Olivia wanted to go along.
She enjoys riding with me and likes it when I pick her from school using the bike too.
After we returned home, I switched bikes to my road bike and Ryan I took off again. We rode together for about 4 miles before he pealed off to head home. I'm glad he rode, too. He seemed to like it. So, maybe there are a couple more people in the family who are Loving The Bike.
On Saturday, I was talking w/ my 21 y.o. step-son about going for a bike ride. He is interested in biking to add some aerobic work to his routine. He's going to be using my old Schwinn. We decided to do a ride Sunday morning. My 9 y.o. daughter wanted to join us. Sunday morning started with coffee, the paper, and the previous day's stage of the Tour of California. As others woke up, we made breakfast (waffles, from scratch) and started getting ready.
At 10:00 the three of us headed out to the garage to get the bikes ready and head out. I was on DB, my commuter bike, Olivia was on the trailer bike attached to DB, and Ryan on the Schwinn. We had a great ride! It wasn't the fastest, but we had fun. We went about 5-3/4 miles in town. I was real happy that Olivia wanted to go along.
She enjoys riding with me and likes it when I pick her from school using the bike too.
After we returned home, I switched bikes to my road bike and Ryan I took off again. We rode together for about 4 miles before he pealed off to head home. I'm glad he rode, too. He seemed to like it. So, maybe there are a couple more people in the family who are Loving The Bike.
Thursday, May 19, 2011
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Been too long...
Well, it has been an interesting, but not especially productive month since my last post. For those of you hanging with baited breath for this next post, sorry for the delay. Raise your hand if that includes you... Bueller... Bueller... Bueller. Ok, for everyone else (basically, everyone), here it is anyway....
When I last left you, I had just completed a 40-mile ride and was looking forward to the Feed the Need Ride in SW WI. I had signed up for the 75K ride (just under 50 miles), and the weather was not looking too friendly. Turns out there were only a few riders scheduled (less than 40). When the organizers surveyed riders about cancelling due to the weather (predicted snow), 90% said they would cancel. So the Feed the Need Ride was cancelled.
That didn't happen though two weeks later. Both the LaCrosse (WI) Fitness Festival ride and the Minnesota Gran Fondo (MGF) went off on schedule.
Though the weather conditions were not much better than they were earlier in April.
For the Saturday ride (April 30) in LaCrosse, the temps were in the 40s and it rained. It was a 32 mile ride that I completed in just over two hours. The rain didn't start until the second hour of the ride. By then, I was warmed up enough that the rain wasn't too bad.
The one downside of the ride was the feeling I got that the ride was an after-thought. Parts of the course weren't marked very well, particularly in town itself. In addition, riders returning from the 32-mile course were arriving at the same time as the 5K run/walk was going on. A 5K run only takes about 15 minutes, and this event could have been scheduled to start at 8:00 instead of 9:00. Or the bikes could've started at 8:00 instead of 7:00.
From LaCrosse, I followed Hwy 61 north to the Twin Cities for the MGF. Check in was on Saturday at the State Fairgrounds in St Paul at the Minnesota Bike Expo. At the Expo I got meet Jeff, another member of the Groucho Sports team. Another great guy! (No surprise.) They also had a sample Loving The Bike kit there. It looks even better than I had imagined it. A pre-sale order has been placed and it will be generally available here starting in June.
I spent the night at my brother's (Thanks Chuck!), before heading out to Lakeville, MN for the ride. For the ride, I signed up for the timed ride, the Gran Fondo. We lined up at 7:30 and had an escort out of town. The 68-mile ride went west for about 23 miles to Jordan, before tunring south and east to Lonsdale. From there, we traveled north and east back to Lakeville.
The weather that day was 34 when we started at 7:30. By the time I rolled back into Lakeville, it had warmed up to 37. The cold, though, wasn't the issue, it was the wind. The wind speed was in the 20-25 mph range, gusting to 35 (at least that's the data from MSP airport, 20 miles north - it may have been higher out in the open farm country). And it was coming straight out of the west. In other words, for the first third of the route, we were riding into the teeth of a difficult headwind.
It. Was. Nasty.
I actually contemplated giving up and SAGging back to the start/finish. Quitting. My feet were cold and I felt like I was dragging a parachute. Staying to the right, I jealously watched other riders pass me on the left, cutting through the wind like a hot knife through butter. (Or so I thought.)
I pulled over at a church to get out of the wind, collect myself and munch on a granola bar. After a few minutes of rest, I clipped back in and pushed on towards Jordan. I was as glad to arrive there as I was at Quasky on Day 6 of RAGBRAI last year. It took 2:15 for me to cover the 23 miles. A distance I normally cover in 1:30. I was cold. I was tired. I was sore. I was relieved to be there. I rested for 20 minutes or so, grabbing some snacks to refuel on and using the facilities.
I will say that the ride organizers and the local community did a FABULOUS job with the rest stop! Thanks for your hospitality, Jordan HS!
Despite turning south, the wind was still a nasty element for much of the rest of the day - at least the parts where we were peddling south and north. Going east was, understandably, pretty darned nice. The crosswinds though were difficult to ride in. I rode the 22 miles to Lonsdale in just under 1:30. At the rest stop there, they had a wide assortment of snacks, plus pasta! I wasn't planning on eating there, but it was good. In retrospect, a protein would have been a better option, but the pasta was pretty good.
From Lonsdale, we rode north and east back to Lakeville. As we entered town, I was caught at a red light with a few other riders. One said he'd let us go first up the hill as he was struggling. I didn't believe him. But as we took off, I turned to someone riding with him and said I was jealous of their ability to cut through the wind. He responded that it was tough for them too. That made me feel a little better. And gave me a boost of adrenaline that I used to try to and keep up with a couple of these more fit riders. A well placed red light helped with that. But I did ok on those closing miles.
I covered the last 23 miles in 1:26 and arrived back at the start/finish 6:20 after I left. I was 134th in time (which included the stop time at the rest areas). Out of 165. Bottom 20%. Ok, I knew I didn't have a good ride. That confirms it. Guess Team Radio Shack won't be calling anytime soon.
But, I completed the 68 miles. I made it back to Lakeville. On my own. I didn't quit. I didn't SAG. I made it. And here I am back at Lakeville North HS:
The next rides I want to do are a 75-mile ride in Milwaukee (Miller LiIte Ride for the Arts) on 6/5 and a 50-mile ride in July for the Boys and Girls Club in Madison. Until then, I need to get on my bike more. While I have been riding my commute bike 9 mi/day, I haven't logged any miles on the road bike since the MGF. Time to ride!
When I last left you, I had just completed a 40-mile ride and was looking forward to the Feed the Need Ride in SW WI. I had signed up for the 75K ride (just under 50 miles), and the weather was not looking too friendly. Turns out there were only a few riders scheduled (less than 40). When the organizers surveyed riders about cancelling due to the weather (predicted snow), 90% said they would cancel. So the Feed the Need Ride was cancelled.
That didn't happen though two weeks later. Both the LaCrosse (WI) Fitness Festival ride and the Minnesota Gran Fondo (MGF) went off on schedule.
For the Saturday ride (April 30) in LaCrosse, the temps were in the 40s and it rained. It was a 32 mile ride that I completed in just over two hours. The rain didn't start until the second hour of the ride. By then, I was warmed up enough that the rain wasn't too bad.
The one downside of the ride was the feeling I got that the ride was an after-thought. Parts of the course weren't marked very well, particularly in town itself. In addition, riders returning from the 32-mile course were arriving at the same time as the 5K run/walk was going on. A 5K run only takes about 15 minutes, and this event could have been scheduled to start at 8:00 instead of 9:00. Or the bikes could've started at 8:00 instead of 7:00.
From LaCrosse, I followed Hwy 61 north to the Twin Cities for the MGF. Check in was on Saturday at the State Fairgrounds in St Paul at the Minnesota Bike Expo. At the Expo I got meet Jeff, another member of the Groucho Sports team. Another great guy! (No surprise.) They also had a sample Loving The Bike kit there. It looks even better than I had imagined it. A pre-sale order has been placed and it will be generally available here starting in June.
I spent the night at my brother's (Thanks Chuck!), before heading out to Lakeville, MN for the ride. For the ride, I signed up for the timed ride, the Gran Fondo. We lined up at 7:30 and had an escort out of town. The 68-mile ride went west for about 23 miles to Jordan, before tunring south and east to Lonsdale. From there, we traveled north and east back to Lakeville.
It. Was. Nasty.
I actually contemplated giving up and SAGging back to the start/finish. Quitting. My feet were cold and I felt like I was dragging a parachute. Staying to the right, I jealously watched other riders pass me on the left, cutting through the wind like a hot knife through butter. (Or so I thought.)
I pulled over at a church to get out of the wind, collect myself and munch on a granola bar. After a few minutes of rest, I clipped back in and pushed on towards Jordan. I was as glad to arrive there as I was at Quasky on Day 6 of RAGBRAI last year. It took 2:15 for me to cover the 23 miles. A distance I normally cover in 1:30. I was cold. I was tired. I was sore. I was relieved to be there. I rested for 20 minutes or so, grabbing some snacks to refuel on and using the facilities.
I will say that the ride organizers and the local community did a FABULOUS job with the rest stop! Thanks for your hospitality, Jordan HS!
Despite turning south, the wind was still a nasty element for much of the rest of the day - at least the parts where we were peddling south and north. Going east was, understandably, pretty darned nice. The crosswinds though were difficult to ride in. I rode the 22 miles to Lonsdale in just under 1:30. At the rest stop there, they had a wide assortment of snacks, plus pasta! I wasn't planning on eating there, but it was good. In retrospect, a protein would have been a better option, but the pasta was pretty good.
From Lonsdale, we rode north and east back to Lakeville. As we entered town, I was caught at a red light with a few other riders. One said he'd let us go first up the hill as he was struggling. I didn't believe him. But as we took off, I turned to someone riding with him and said I was jealous of their ability to cut through the wind. He responded that it was tough for them too. That made me feel a little better. And gave me a boost of adrenaline that I used to try to and keep up with a couple of these more fit riders. A well placed red light helped with that. But I did ok on those closing miles.
I covered the last 23 miles in 1:26 and arrived back at the start/finish 6:20 after I left. I was 134th in time (which included the stop time at the rest areas). Out of 165. Bottom 20%. Ok, I knew I didn't have a good ride. That confirms it. Guess Team Radio Shack won't be calling anytime soon.
But, I completed the 68 miles. I made it back to Lakeville. On my own. I didn't quit. I didn't SAG. I made it. And here I am back at Lakeville North HS:
The next rides I want to do are a 75-mile ride in Milwaukee (Miller LiIte Ride for the Arts) on 6/5 and a 50-mile ride in July for the Boys and Girls Club in Madison. Until then, I need to get on my bike more. While I have been riding my commute bike 9 mi/day, I haven't logged any miles on the road bike since the MGF. Time to ride!
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