"On Your Left" - Reflections from my first RAGBRAI

Well, it was bound to happen sooner or later.

After several years (like, maybe 15?) of whining, pleading, and sweet-talking from the hubby, I caved. He's long been a huge fan of RAGBRAI, and has ridden this week-long bike ride many times...and I finally agreed to ride Day-1 of the 2021 event. 

I would be "On-Your-Left'ing" with the best of them...

Ever heard of RAGBRAI? Most anyone whose ever saddled-up a bike has heard the name...and now I can officially say I've experienced it, first-hand.

First off, here's a brief introduction from the RAGBRAI site:  

RAGBRAI, The Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa, is an annual seven-day bicycle ride across the state. Heading into its 48th year, RAGBRAI is the oldest, largest and longest recreational bicycle touring event in the world. For those of you who have never ridden, this rolling celebration of Iowa attracts participants from all 50 states and many foreign countries.  It has covered thousands of miles through the years, and hundreds of thousands of riders have hopped in the saddle to pedal part of those miles.

The RAGBRAI route averages 468 miles and is not necessarily flat.  It begins somewhere along Iowa’s western border on the Missouri River and ends along the eastern border on the Mississippi River.  We change the route each year. RAGBRAI is a bicycle ride, not a race.  It started in 1973 as a six-day ride across the state of Iowa by two Des Moines Register columnists who invited a few friends along.  It is held the last full week in July.  RAGBRAI is planned and coordinated by The Des Moines Register.

This year, the ride began in LeMars (a town located in the northwest corner of the state). The hubby and I drove there Saturday afternoon, and stayed at a friend of our sister-in-law's place overnight. We had other cycling friends, with a camper and trailer, who let us drop off our overnight gear before hitting the road Sunday morning (we'd later meet up with them, after riding, to retrieve our stuff).

The temps were chilly (for riding) as we set off on Highway 3, heading due east at 5:45AM. Although I've been doing a lot of cycling this summer, I did have some reservations about this ride I was embarking on. After all, the furthest I'd ridden was just under 50 miles...and this ride had 84 miles on the roster, as well as some hills on deck.

 

It was pretty cool seeing the orange-reddish sun rising as we pedaled onward. I must say, the "fresh" Iowa agricultural air was smelling pretty ripe.

that red orb (upper left), is the rising sun

We weren't even five miles in when the hubby confessed that he didn't remember where he'd put his phone ((seriously??)). He couldn't remember if he'd left it behind at the hosts' house or in his backpack (on the truck). Or, maybe it was stuffed somewhere inside the carrier on his bike. Enter: instant moment of panic...what if we get separated? What if I get a flat (#confession, I wouldn't know what to do)? What if either of us has an emergency?  Then, I took a calming breath, and realized there was nothing we could do at that point other than to not let that little tidbit (of potential stress) ruin the entire day. Besides, he was a veteran rider, he'd pretty much seen (and experienced) everything in previous years and assured me we'd be fine.

 

Just before 7:00 (about 15 miles in), we stopped for a porta-potty break and grabbed a breakfast burrito from a food stand. So far, all was going well. The herd of riders wasn't very crowded (due to the early hour), and the temps were gradually warming up as the sun continued to rise. A short while later, we came upon the Mile of Silence...a tribute and memorial to all cyclists who'd lost their lives while on the road.

I was really impressed how clear the roads were from vehicular traffic. I know the course is meant to stay safe and free of most traffic, for the riders' safety, but we pretty much had the entire road (both lanes) all to ourselves.

It didn't seem like it took us that long, and we'd already made it to Cherokee, the "halfway" pass-through town. Truthfully, by then, we'd gone nearly 40 miles...but we'd stopped a few times (there were numerous stands along the way, in some of the farmers' yards or fields), so the miles were broken up and didn't feel the least bit intimidating. While the roads had not been completely flat, the rolling hills were easy to manage. 

We enjoyed a nice (and by that I mean, BIG) hill going into Cherokee. Once we'd reached the downtown, it got really crowded really quick. It cracked me up how all the cyclists had to "walk" their bikes to make it through the crowded streets. There were food stands aplenty, and lots of friendly volunteers greeting us and giving suggestions and/or directions as to where the various attractions were.

We found a small cafe, a couple blocks off of the downtown scene, and snagged a table with a couple of riders from New Jersey. The service was rather slow, but that gave me a great opportunity to charge my phone (#GlassHalfFull). It was 10:30 when we left the cafe, and it had gotten a lot warmer when we stepped back outside.

Back on the bikes, we had a good-sized climb taking us out of town. Fortunately, all of those training rides - on the hilly bike path back home -  had paid off! Little did I know, though, this hill was only the first of many more to come. 

The next town, Aurelia, was only eight miles down the road, but we had several hills to climb to get there. Did I mention how hot it had gotten? Even though it wasn't yet noon, it was feeling much later in the day...so we decided to stop at a bar for some air-conditioning and beverages. The hubby grabbed an official RAGBRAI beer (yes, it does exist LOL) and I just got a glass of Pepsi. I was feeling kind of tired and light-headed, so I thought a little bit of caffeine would do me good.

We probably hung around there longer than we should have, but we really didn't have any special time table we had to follow. Besides, this was a ride and not a race...it was all about the experience.

Speaking of "the experience," it wasn't too far down the road, after leaving Aurelia, that we came upon these guys. Yes, you do see a little (and a lot) of everything!

I don't think their "shorts" were padded

The next town, Alta, was also a short distance (seven miles). We arrived there around 12:30, and found a convenience store to grab more Gatorade and use the (flushable) toilets. Side note-it's the hubby's quest to never use a porta-potty during the entire week of RAGBRAI. He's really good about finding obscure bars or convenience stores (a few blocks off the route) that a lot of others wouldn't think to look for, due to the numerous porta-potties everywhere.

Arriving in Alta had us at almost 53 miles for the day. Woot! 

More walking of the bikes...

...but we found freezer pops!

According to the map, the next town (Early) was 21 miles down the road. And the trek to get there was the most challenging of the day. It was just before 1:00 when we left Alta, so the sun was blazingly high in the sky, the temps were upwards of 90F, and did I mention there was a steady S/SE wind? We had a 12-13 mile stretch, going straight south, and it was downright brutal. The hills weren't huge, but they were non-stop, and the wind (though it felt a tiny bit refreshing) didn't allow for any coasting on the declines. 

The hubby got a ways ahead of me, for awhile, and I had several miles of a near meltdown...quite literally. I can handle the heat. I can tolerate the hills. And the wind is just a constant. But give me all three of those babies at once and they can really give my grit a run for its money. I think I rode the bulk of those miles solo (well, there were hundreds of other cyclists in my midst, so I did have some company LOL) before I saw him waiting alongside the road for me. Shortly after reuniting, the route turned east, so we had a (mostly) side wind for awhile...and then we spotted an ice cream stand!

By then, I was feeling exhausted...more mentally (from fighting the wind, in the heat none the less) than from the physical energy expended. Getting off the bike, sitting in the shade, and indulging in a cool treat did the trick. I overheard a couple of guys, who looked much younger than myself. One was calling it a day; said he was done and not getting back on his bike. The other said he thought it was odd that this first day had so many miles (I guess 60 miles is the "average" first day distance), especially with so many hills. Well, hearing these two younger guys whine about the tough course made me feel less of a whimp. 

Anyways, we got back on the bikes, and pedaled on to the next town, Early, arriving just after 3:00. The hubs found us another convenience store (the knight in shining armour that he is), before making our way downtown. A huge nuance of RAGBRAI is all the food, and pie is a staple. I realized we hadn't had any pie, yet, so we solved that problem (though I ate most of it).

We also came upon a beer tent with craft brews...so we each grabbed a glass and sat down (again) in the shade. 

With only 9-ish miles remaining, my mood and my attitude did a 180. The remaining route had a few rolling hills, and a short span into the wind, but since I knew we were almost done for the day, I didn't care (or maybe that was the hard cider's influence?).

It was around 4:30 when we pulled into Sac City, the final town for the day. Words cannot express how exhausted and elated I felt, all at the same time. We found our friends' campsite and cleaned up and changed into some dry clothes for the 3+ hour drive back home. 

Much like the finish line of a marathon, climbing off my bike for the last time left me in a state of utter giddiness and wonder. It was pretty surreal to realize I had finally done a day of RAGBRAI, and had ridden over 88 miles! 

A few final thoughts...

***While this was an especially "long" Day-1 (or so I've heard), I'm glad I had the "baptism by fire" initiation into the RAGBRAI gig. From here on out, most any other day(s) will seem easy-peasy in comparison. Our friend, Tammy, has done RAGBRAI for the past 22 years. She said this day ranked in her top-5 of the toughest days, ever, on a RAGBRAI ride. Go figure!

***Although we were on rural highways, I never once felt in danger. The local peeps know, well in advance, when RAGBRAI comes to town, and they know that the thousands of riders will have the right-of-way...so they know to avoid those roads. Plus, there are ample police officers manning the traffic.

***As mentioned, this is more of a ride than a race. It's very much a social thing. I had plenty of people to chat with, while on the road, and most were not from Iowa. I even found a gentleman (who later found me back) with the same Quad Cities Marathon jersey as I was wearing!

***I've said this before, but I think cycling gear is more fun to admire than running gear. The jerseys are really cool (quite literally) as well as practical. It was interesting seeing the various organizations,  charities, colleges, cycling clubs, and racing events featured on the cyclists' backs.

***Unlike runners, cyclists don't seem to have any phobias or superstitions about wearing the event gear the day of the event itself. While I saw many, many RAGBRAI jerseys from years past, I saw even more showcasing the 2021 logo and artwork. I even bought a cycling tank/jersey myself...and although I only rode one day (and not the entire week), I will have zero reservations about wearing it.

So, there you have it! My first-ever RAGBRAI ride! People have already asked if I'll go back and ride it again, or even take on the entire week. I definitely can see myself riding a day (or maybe two) of it, but I don't know if I'd be game for burning a full week of vacation to ride for seven full days across Iowa. But who knows...stranger things have happened.

Have you ever done a ride, similar to RAGBRAI? Could you, would you? What's the longest you've ridden in a day? Would you have bought the jersey, even with no plans of riding the entire week?

 I'm linking this with Kim and Zenaida for the Tuesday Topics Link-Up

I'm also linking with Debbie, Deborah, Lisa, Laura and Jenn for the Runners' Roundup

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