RAGBRAI

In just one and one half short weeks, team Heang and Chicks will set off for Iowa to participate in RAGBRAI 2011.

What’s RAGBRAI? It’s a great big group ride across Iowa. By great big I mean about 8,000 strong. And by across Iowa I mean like this.

That’s this year’s route. Every year it changes. Why Iowa? That’s just where it is. And why not? I’ve heard it’s magical there (yes, I’ve been told that).

We shall soon see.

Here are the awesome shirts we had printed, designed by Brent.

The team is:

• Heang (duh)
• Jessie
• Amy
• Me
• Steve
• Kelly

I don’t know Steve and Kelly, but I’m hoping sure they are nice.

I’m really excited about this adventure, but I’ll admit, a little nervous about riding 474 miles in 7 days. I’ve been training. 713 miles to date. The RAGBRAI people suggest riding 500 – 1000 miles in the months leading up to RAGBRAI. I’m in that window, but still pretty sure that by day three my legs are going to try to remove themselves (think127 hours here people) and walk home, leaving the rest of me stranded amongst the corn.

Thankfully, it looks like there will be a lot of pie and beer and fried food along the way, and I’m sure that will be good motivation.

Also serving as motivation will be thinking about great bike trips some friends of mine have taken and the perspective they give me.

• Last year Heang rode from Astoria, Oregon to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina – all alone, pulling a trailer, in the heat of summer. Pretty impressive. But even better than just the facts of that ride are the stories that he shared on his blog. Here’s my favorite one (part one and part two) but there are many more if you have a few minutes to peruse.
• Right now, as you read this, another adventurous friend is biking with her husband and another friend from Sitka, Alaska, to Glacier National Park – 1200 miles through Alaska, Canada, and who knows where else. Every post I read about their trip makes it sound like they are having the time of their lives (though they look freezing and exhausted!). Emily describes the trip here and has been posting updates every few days.

I’ve been reading the RAGBRAI blog now and again and every time I do I get excited about how ‘into it’ people are. All the towns seem genuinely excited to have 8,000 sunburned, tired, probably smelly people ride through, grab a bunch of food, probably leave a bunch of litter, and ride off again. I’m also excited to see parts of the state that you’d probably never experience (other than gas stations) driving through. This will be my first trip to Iowa and I can’t think of a better way to get to really see the state. I mean, we will certainly see lots of it. Close up.

Also, I’ll be seeing a lot of this beauty.

A while ago I posted a farewell post to my old bike (which I actually still own), but never got around to introducing the new one. Well, there she is. Pretty, huh? Also, she’s a nice bike to ride, and for that I’m thankful.

One thing I hope not to see a lot of on RAGBRAI is this: