Day Six – RAGBRAI 2008
July 25th, 2008
It is the sixth day of Ragbrai already and man has this week flown by. I’m writing this at about 9:30pm, while all my other comrades have left to listen to the obtusely fractured take on life coughed up by comedian Tim Cavenaugh. We enjoyed the culinary expertise of Shawn and his amazing burgers this evening for dinner, along with corn on the cob cooked on the grill and green salad (not cooked on the grill). For Matt, Luke, and I the evening was spent at the local swimming hole shooting down an ultra-fast waterslide. On the advice of some of the life guards, we attempted to position ourselves so that we could glide along the water after coming off the bottom of the slide. Matt achieved the greatest distance, almost clearing the rope at the end of the slide area; probably about 30 feet.
I am sitting under a large tent-like canopy that provides protection from the myriad of mosquitoes that yearn to suck my blood just beyond its virtually invisible barrier. Kicked back in a sort of camp style Lazy Boy, I listen to the throb of my knees and the whining of my sore back. What these various parts of my body have failed to realize over the past week is that obviously, I am not listening to them.
We all are fighting the various aches and pains, but it has all been worth what has been a great trip (definitely a mental trip). The team left from North Liberty through beautiful treed hills under thick clouds and beautiful temperatures. This was some of the best weather that I and others on the ride had ever experienced on Ragbrai, as the ride time temperature never cracked 74 degrees. This day was happily uneventful compared with the previous day full of rain and other unpleasantness. In the town of Lisbon, George, Matt, Luke, Andrew and myself found a bar that sold an absolutely awesome ribeye sandwich that was big, rare, and covered in swiss, onions, and green peppers. Being as naïve as a big city boy (Ames, Iowa) can be, I foolishly tried to order 4 different beers that were not carried at the bar, which served: Bud, Bud Light, Coors Light, and Miller Lite…yes, this is the epitome of rural Iowa diversity. Eventually we did find some more exotic beers…
Overall, today could be considered an easy day. Legs ached and backs were sore, but the 65 miles covered were a relatively easy jaunt, with little head wind and the aforementioned awesome temperatures. Tomorrow is a meager 52.7 miles and as we approach the Mississippi River in Le Claire, are legs will still be crying and are backs whining, but we will be done and will have a lifetime of memories to look back on. But, for know, I have lit up a cheap cigar and will soon retire to the beckoning call of my stiff bedroll and ultra warm sleeping bag. The other team members have returned from a disappointing time with Tim Cavenaugh; a bottle will be passed around and a toast will go out to the final night of our Ragbrai 2008.
