Click on a link above for the corresponding day's blog.
In July 2006, six of us decided to take part in RAGBRAI and took off to Sergeant Bluff, Iowa along the Missouri River for a week long bike ride across the state ending in Muscatine, Iowa along the Mississippi River. We created this site for the soul purpose of uploading pictures from day to day and writing a short blog about the days events. Friends, family, and members of our local church were then able to keep up with the days events and see how we were doing. The trip was one to be remembered. We rode about 450 miles across the state in 7 days while eating the delicacies of the American Midwest (pork chops, tenderloins, steak, pork etc.). For more information on RAGBRAI visit their website.
Below you will find personal reviews of RAGBRAI 2006 from different members of Team Crazy Delicious.
"RAGBRAI 2006 was my first and not to be my last RAGBRAI. The whole idea of doing RAGBRAI started as a hair-brained idea of Darren "Papa Delicious" Johnson after watching the 2005 Tour De France and deciding that cycling would be "fun". When spring 2006 came about it became apparent that Darren wasn't joking, I hopped on board and went out and bought my first road bike in late March. After doing so I started riding about 4 to 5 times a week for about 10 to 15 miles per day trying to get myself into shape. By the time RAGBRAI was here I had about 985 miles on my bike and was ready to go.
After RAGBRAI I realized that RAGBRAI is different for many people, and there are actually 3 main types of RAGBRAI riders. There's the speed riders - ride in draft lanes, go about an average of 17 to 20 mph, ride for the physical agility aspect of the ride, and just want to get the ride over with and get to the next stopping point; social riders - pedal along at about 10 - 15 mph chit-chatting with different people and enjoying the scenery of Iowa; and the party riders - usually travel in packs, decorate their bikes with anything, haul a cooler, and stop at as many drinking establishments as possible. We were told if you REALLY want to experience RAGBRAI leave at a different time each day, and you will ride with different types of riders each time. Our riding sytle was a mix of speed riders and social riders. We mainly kept to the ride and scurried across the dialy mileage at a rapid pace, but would every so often chit-chat with people along the way.
My final thoughts on the trip was nothing but positive. I enjoyed socializing and getting to know the members of Team Crazy Delicious much more closely and also the physical challenge of the ride, and how far I could push myself. When I do RAGBRAI again I think I may like to camp-out a few nights, but also arrange a few nights to stay in people's homes. Staying in someone's home is great, besides the obvious aspects of air conditioning and a hot shower, you also get to know people you either hardly knew or didn't know very well. And there's no greater way to get to know someone than to be invited into their home and experience their hospitality after a 70 mile ride in 90-100 degree weather.
Advice to future riders: Getting in shape does help, but as we witnessed by other riders, is not necessary, but the main thing to worry about is your backside. Your legs will adapt and strengthen but if your backside is not in shape, you will be very uncomfortable."
"Initially, RAGBRAI was a great target date for a personal goal of losing some weight, and would cap off a 4+ month long program of exercise and better eating to meet my goal. I typically need specific challenges and timeframes to get me going, and it worked well. I didn't lose as much as I wanted to (40lbs), but I lost over 20lbs and have rekindled some lost motivations and disciplines regarding my eating and exercise that I'm glad to have back. I hope to drop the next 20 by the end of this year. It was originally Darren's idea to use RAGBRAI as this challenge. Darren and I were a part of the AXIS Spring Break trip to the Smoky Mountains, and after 25 miles of hiking through those mountains over 4 days, I think we were both disgusted with our current states of physical fitness. I'm really glad that Darren thought up the idea and invited me along, and he also lost about 20lbs.
The second reason I wanted to do RAGBRAI was to participate in a single-day ride of 100 miles. They usually have a "century" ride on one of the days, and so I figured this would be a great way to do this with others, which is always a help. The century route wasn't quite 100 miles (it was around 94), but it was still longer than my previous single-day ride of 74 miles, and so for me, it was another challenge met. Luckily, that day (Thursday) was overcast and never got to more than 78-80 degrees before I finished the ride. The other days were not so forgiving.
The third, and certainly not the least, was to spend time with members of Team Crazy Delicious. I like to work towards common goals with others, and while I wasn't able to be on the ride the whole week, I still enjoyed enduring the heat, pain, and toil of biking hundreds of miles with Darren, Jordan, and Mark. These guys attacked the week in their own ways and we all had a memorable time. I enjoyed getting to know Bruce, and while he wasn't successful in getting Christy Vilsack to jello-wrestle with him on Thursday night, we certainly enjoyed his audaciousness. Any time with Mark Stephenson is always a opportunity to observe someone who never complains, treats strangers with sincere interest and kindness, and does what it takes to get the job done. He served the team tirelessly for the whole week and, as usual, was fun to just hang out with.
Most-enjoyed meal: Mama Raphael's breakfast burrito (soft-shell tortilla, eggs, sausage, cheese, salsa, and crushed red pepper), with a side of biscuits and gravy on Friday AM. Hassle-half and I skipped breakfast to take Sherpa up on his recommendation of these burritos. We waited in line for 30 minutes and was it well worth it after biking an hour or so.
Most-memorable event: The burrito stand was on top of a hill along the ride route, giving a great view in all directions for miles. When you looked at the road, all you could see were hundreds of bikes in both directions. All those people with one goal in mind--accomplishing the ride and meeting the challenge. Some were doing it fast, some slow, but they were all making the effort. Everyone out on that road loved the ride and loved biking. It was good to be a part of that experience.
Least-favorite event: After the ride, we decided to make our way to the
Muscatine aquatic center on our bikes (as if we hadn't had enough!). We
didn't know where we were going, so we stopped at an intersection and I
placed a call to Sherpa to get updated directions. Before making the call
but after we had stopped, I started to fall down on my bike. I couldn't get
my shoes unattached from the pedals and in the panic of trying to get free,
I sliced my lower-right calf on my outer chain ring. I prevented the fall,
but I put quite a gash in my leg. We rode the 1-2 miles to the aquatic
center, but as I dismounted and began to look after my leg, my heart started
beating real fast and I started to get light-headed. I immediately grabbed
a bottle of water and went to get in the shade of the camper. Sherpa was
right on me, grabbed some tape and closed the gash, and told me to lay down
and get my feet in the air. After pouring 2 bottles of water over my head,
I began to get better. In a few minutes, I changed into my suit and went
swimming with the rest of them. After we left Muscatine, we headed home and
the first stop was the Mary Greeley Emergency room where Dr. Sherri Clewell
proceeded to stitch up the gash in my leg. Her fine work is seen here...
These were my first stitches and the worst were the shots to numb the wound and the tetanus shot. I'm such a wimp when it comes to shots. After 250 miles in the blazing heat and finishing the ride, I get hurt riding to the swimming pool! What a great way to end the week!
What I'd do different next time: I really enjoyed staying in the home of Rick and Pat Bazal in Newton. Their son John and daughter Laura attend ORC and they were so hospitable in putting us up for the night on Wednesday. I enjoyed their hospitality and getting to know them. The towns along RAGBRAI routes have people that make their homes available, so instead of pulling a camper, I think that I'd like to repeat my experience at the Bazal's every night--getting to know a family I hadn't known very well or at all before.
So, that sums up RAGBRAI for me. If you love biking for hours in 90 degree weather, I highly recommend it. If you don't, stay home!
More reviews from members of Team Crazy Delicious still to come!
Copyright 2010 - Needssalt.net - 09/05/2010
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