Monday 07-21-2008 9:13am CT
Missouri Valley to Harlan, Iowa- Ouch! Simply put, my rear end is sore. And to think, I was
laughing at people utilizing padded bikers’ shorts!
The Start: 7:00 am Stephanie and I set sail as waffling members of both Team Bagadonuts and Team GoDaddy.com. Sunday night, Team Bagadonuts hosted a nice get together at the team’s
hotel and they placed the customary “VIRGIN” label on my left calf; I felt “Official.”
Stephanie is a veteran and, little did I know, experience is a huge key along the RAGBRAI route.
Anticipation and excitement–and nervousness–fueled the early stage thru Mo Valley as residents lined the streets and offered their good luck; advertisments offering food, water and last-minute supplies were everywhere. The town streets handing off to rolling cornfields, while picturesque, lulled this unwitting peddler into a soon- to- be realized false sense of security.
Beebeetown: My first mix up. No map — deep down inside I’m, perhaps, still fighting this RAGBRAI thing. Steph calls for a “Biker off”7 milles in. Beebeetown is Peepeetown. Off to a cornfield shes goes emerging…”Now I’m offcial.”
As we peddled on, her iPod afixed to an awesome portable sound system, eased the terrain and accompanied the vast farmland views nicely.
The Hills: The first set of hills looked daunting as they approach. I was pounding the “what goes up, must come down’ theory, into my head. They look tougher than they are and the downsides are inspiring as you break off 30-35 mile and hour clips. Once into the heart of the hill, click into “Grannygear” mode and away you go. Steph offered great advice as I have a tendency to stand while negotiating hills. It’s a bad, energy-sapping, tactic. Sit and peddle and the hills disappear under your feet!
Underwood and Neola: Team GoDaddy spotted up ahead. Captains Matt Lundberg and Chris Stafford are heading up a dynamic group. Richard Hurd and his son, Richie, share some small talk with us–and the jokes and stories are in high gear!
Bikers whizzing by spot my “Virgin” tag and offer polite “how ya’ doin’s” as I grunted a standard, forced, “Great”! Actually I’m doing fine…but I could do without these incessant hills.
As we arrive in Neola, we meet members of Team on Tap and a faithful Marty & Miller listener–The renowned “Dick from Pleasantvile.” He now is Dick from Altoona.
He found us amid the sea of humanity and the famous Elvis impersonator–who he’s related to!
He takes us to his in-laws for lunch (Steph demands Peanut butter and jelly) and we get served at the kitchen table complete with televison coverage of the British Open.
Dick, his wife Janelle, in-laws Shirley and Leo, were incredibly hospitable.
Shelby: Word is Shelby will be party town! Steph is still howling from a weird incident rolling into Neola. I spotted a woman with a dog in her bag ala Toto and the Wicked Witch of the West. She hovered over a dead dog as we cruised by and we doubled-back quickly to offer assistance and condolences, but not before I abruptly cut off a group of 10 or so cyclists, and was showered with nasty well-deserved barbs.
Steph comforted the woman who wondered, quizzingly, why the fuss over the beads she placed over road kill, a dead possum,RAGBRAi custom!!
I heard about the ‘dead dog’ debacle for the next 15 miles! Next up was a ridiculous crash. Dumb cyclist trying to negotiate a sharp turn, thick tires, at 30 miles per hour! @#$%$$$$$%…crash! Mangled skin rolled up his left elbow..spewing blood and invoking
expletives. “You OK,” I barked. “(Mumbles and …yeah, yeah…” Steph bit her tongue and then blurted a guffaw. You laugh, not at a fellow peddler crashing, but the stupidty that causes it!
Homestretch: Team Bagadonuts, headed up by Bent Selix, alert us to Beer tent stop in Tennent. Couple of bottled waters, a few friendly exchanges later, we are headed for Harlan.
Tired, but resilient, I’m still energized by a blast of the Famous Beekman’s homemade ice cream—a RAGBRAI must. The long lines to get it tell you all you need to know. overpriced…but awesome!
4:52 pm were done as we approach an intersection with cheerleaders to greet you. Nice touch Harlan. The post-ride party at the Team Badadonuts hotel is underway. A shower never felt so good!
Special thanks to the teams and Sag wagon driver, Snowman–we didn’t need him today!
Joe “Sparky” Quinn our driver from KXnO…Sparky is the best and very reliable!
62 and even!
It seems that NY Yankee announcer John Sterling is a messy eater and double dipper. According to today’s NY Post Sterling is a bit of slob at the Yankee press dining table.
Los Angeles Times Golf Columnist Thomas Bonk was on the air with Marty talking about the current state of golf and chimes in about Zach Johnson.
