So I biked 473 miles across the state of Iowa in July on RAGBRAI (the Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa). So did approximately 10,000 other people. Yes, it was challenging and yes it was fun. As I reflect on that wonderful week in July, the pedaling was no surprise – I knew what I was in for mileage wise, but it was the takeaways from the ride that were the surprise, the icing on the cake, the Coup de Gras of completing RAGBRAI. It has definitely taken me a few weeks for all of this to sink in but as I look back, here is what I see.
IT’S TEAM A SPIRIT
Our team was “The Moving Tassles” and we were just one of hundreds of teams. Each team had their own unique flair. Throughout the course of the week, I enjoyed discovering all the nuances each team had to offer – The Pink Flamingos, The Lizard Kings, The Aristocats, The Loons, Team Spin, and my personal favorite – Team “Biking Bad” featuring Walter White and Jesse Pinkman. Every team had their defining accouterments and themes. Some teams were costume based; tu-tu’s, boa’s, thongs, (yes, thongs), horns on helmets and feathers (to name just a few). Bikers rode with their dogs in tow, and even their Cockatoo’s. Charitable teams and worthy causes showed up; the Livestrong Foundation Group, and the Ed Thomas Foundation Team, whose riders supported Aplington Parkersburg former football coach Ed Thomas, who was shot and killed by a former player in the school’s weight room in 2009. There was the girl who rode the entire ride in combat boots to raise money for veterans and their families through the nonprofit Boot Campaign and there was Team Gourmet, whose team members carried wooden spoons with catchphrases on them, honoring Wayne Santi, the team’s founder, who died of heart failure at the age of 65 in October. Wayne will be remembered for his role as food manager and planner for the team by inscribing his inside jokes on the spoons, “more butter” or “another grape please” to name a few. An entire day was dedicated to Carter LeBeau, a Davenport Iowa biking guru who died in August 2013 at the age of 87. LeBeau was one of only eight people to participate in RAGBRAI for 40 years straight since its start in 1973. Every mile he sported vintage soccer socks so those who honored him on Friday of the ride had an entire ensemble of mixed match socks.
NO MAN LEFT BEHIND
I rode my first century plus on Tuesday of the week. For me, there was something about riding at the 100-mile mark that I was not sure of. Could I do it? I thought so, but I did not want to be alone in the midst of it and somehow cross that line physically where there is no turning back and your muscles betray you. My “cycle-mates” stayed with me for the whole ride and it felt wonderful. There also was another rider in our group who was having knee issues, so we hung with him too. It was wonderful to have a small crew with you and of course, there was someone to high-five at the end of the ride which made all the difference for me. There is some indescribable about seeing “109 miles” on your Garmin.
DO A GOOD DEED
So I am tooling along and I notice a woman biker with a crown strapped to the back of her bike. I took it as another RAGBRAI oddity – probably someone belonging to a “Queen’s Court” team or a Renaissance Faire enthusiast. I could not let it go at that, so of course I had to ask her. It turns out she was appointed the “RAGBRAI Queen for a Day”. Get out – really? Apparently there is a RAGBRAI “court” and beginning with the first day of the ride, they appoint someone “Queen” who they witness “doing a good deed”. So this lovely woman photographed left, handed someone a roll of toilet paper when they entered the porta potty because the toilet paper roll was empty, and a court representative came up to her and pronounced her “Queen”. She had to attend the nightly crowning ceremony, where the then Queen for the Day abdicated her day-old reign to crown someone else the “Queen”. Precious.
FOOD IS THE SPICE OF LIFE
I really did not comprehend how food is such an integral part of the ride until day three. That’s right – day three. That’s when I rode with a seasoned RAGBRAI veteran who, at every stop, had me try all the various goodies that were available and I normally would not have thought of. Quite honestly, the first two days I was a little bit overwhelmed – trying to get in the swing of it and figuring out the ebb and flow of the ride. After encouragement and introduction, I got my groove on and dipped the waters into a food frenzy, a smorgasbord of butter, sugar, pork, chocolate and ice cream. I had my fair share of “scotch-a-roos”, a delicious combination of peanut butter, chocolate and butterscotch – an exciting version of a rice krispie treat wrapped in cellophane…delicious. The corn on the cob, dipped in butter, was to die for, and then there is the pork. Pulled pork sandwiches, pork tenderloins, Jim’s BLT’s, bacon dipped in chocolate and served on a stick (the town that premiered this food item made 850 such delicacies and sold out in under two hours.) There was Beekman’s Ice Cream, smoothies, and of course, Pie. Cherry, Apple, Strawberry, Blueberry, Mixed Berry, Triple Berry, Rhubarb – the list goes on and on. Every community hosted spaghetti dinners, lasagna dinners, and all you can eat buffets. Along the route I saw food vendors like Mr. Pork Chop, FreezeYourNoggin, the Lemonade people, the home-made ice cream people, the Dove Barn, and a dozen others. You had traditional Iowa foodstuffs; pork tenderloin sandwiches, maid rites and of course, Sterzing potato chips. As you can see, my husband is so in love with them he had to insert his nose into the bag just to have the scent waft over him. Vendors set up their tents, chow wagons, etc. in strategic places along the route. There were pancake breakfasts in the morning put on by Kiwanis Clubs and at night, buffets at local churches where the masses were fed.
ALWAYS REMEMBER TO BE HOSPITABLE
Upon being selected for the lottery in RAGBRAI, you become eligible to apply for housing in the host communities. Many people camped and stayed in hotels, and many, like us, slept in hospitable Iowan’s houses, basements, yards, bedrooms and schools. Our first night in Rock Valley, we were welcomed by the school principal, Don Ortman, to sleep in the Kindergarten Classroom and in turn, we volunteered to serve at their spaghetti dinner for the riders. The classroom was very comfortable and we had our own welcome sign – lovely. They couldn’t have been nicer. We slept in the basement of a house in Emmetsburg with about 20 other people, and we all managed to have a hot shower and wi-fi access, along with great beer, food and company. It was great getting to know our newly found friends as we lingered over beers sitting in lawn chairs during the hot summer evenings. Longtime family friends were our hosts, along with people we just met.
The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart.
Witness the father who pedaled his son across the state of Iowa. His son, crippled with cerebral palsy, had a grand time on the back of his father’s bike, shouting “go faster” as they descended down a hill and asking “what’s up around the bend” with every turn. I pedaled most of an afternoon near this rider and his son and it was truly inspirational.
Last, I close with a heartfelt story, one that encapsulates the Iowa mentality of small town life, the trusting, caring environment where people truly depend on one another. My husband, a sports enthusiast, collects T-shirts from every college and school throughout the country. It is hard to know which team he supports, as he is always wearing a different mascot. While in Waverly Iowa on our Thursday night stop, Jim really wanted the local school Waverly-Shell Rock wrestling team T-shirt. The team won the Iowa State High School Championship in this Iowa revered sport. Jim was not able to find the shirt and mentioned his frustration to a local at the beer tent during the evenings festivities. The woman he was speaking with asked for Jim’s contact information in case she found the shirt. A few days later we finished RAGBRAI, and had not given it another thought until last week when a package arrived in the mail. This package contained the T-shirt, along with a note from “Colleen Miller”, the owner of the Miller True Value Hardware Store in Waverly, and the woman Jim chatted with that night in the beer garden. She enclosed the free shirt, along with a thank you note to Jim for “taking interest” in their wrestling program and encouraging us to stop by and say hi next time we are passing through town. It doesn’t get any better than that.
To close, as a “RAGBRAI Virgin” – I was “de-flowered” by food, fun, excitement, camaraderie, physical feats, endurance, mental toughness, love and happiness. All in all – a great week and a great experience!
Life Experiences Add Up 