Here is my promised post about the RAGBRAI week.

Saturday, July 22nd:
My mom drove Julie, my dad, my grandma, and I to Cedar Rapids to meet with the Sprint Selzer Bicycle Club. We loaded all our gear on the charter buses and Budget trucks at a bar/restaurant called Union Station. The club members have a connection to the owner. Before we left we watched Floyd Landis take third place in the time trial to secure his Tour de France victory (more on this later). We left the bar and made our way to Sergeant Bluff. The drive was fairly long, but we finally arrived at the house where the club camped out in the yard. We got there in time for dinner. My dad and I ate at Subway and tried to get to bed a little early for the ride the next day.

Sunday, July 23rd:
Around 7:30 a.m. my dad and I parted from Sergeant Bluff. The first 10 miles were very flat. This trend did not last long. The rest of the day was very hilly until we hit the last town. After that, it was quite flat and we had a nice tail wind. We arrived in Ida Grove early and found our campsite at the Ida Grove fairgrounds. Many people in the club were not too impressed with the site because there were only cold showers and poor camping terrain. I took a shower with a hose next to the goat shelter house.

Monday, July 24th:
I woke up at 5 a.m. that morning because I could hear wind and see lightning outside my tent. I had flashbacks of Shelden last year and decided to not take any chances. I walked around a bit and talked to some other riders that were also up. Luckily, the storm missed us. My dad and I got on the road at 6:30, which turned out to be a great idea because it was a rough day. The hills were very rough and the head wind was unrelenting. RAGBRAI veterans placed it in the top 10 percent based on toughness. We still got into Audubon around 1:30, which is pretty early for RAGBRAI. We set up our tents and went to a church for a spaghetti dinner that started at 3. It was nice because there was no line when you get there early. We stayed at a golf course that night. A nice neighbor offered showers in their house. I didn't want to wait in line, so I took one with a hose outside.

Tuesday, July 25th:
To tell you the truth, I don't remember much from this day. It was getting very hot by this point. There was an alternate route when we reached Redfield. A nice bike trail took us from there to Waukee, which was the overnight town. It was shaded most of the way and pretty much followed the real route. It was a nice break from all the other riders and the sun. That night Julie invited us to stay with her old neighbor in Mt. Pleasant who now lives in Waukee. It worked out perfectly because it stormed that night. A lot of baggage got wet at the campsite. We missed all of it because we were inside the whole time. I am so thankful for the night inside! I still took a shower with a hose that day because it was a while after we arrived when we went to the house.

Wednesday, July 26th:
Today, we started out and I found Robin, Kyle, and Joe from the U of I Cycling Club. Julie and Jami were nice enough to ride with my dad. I rode with those three the rest of the day along with John (a surgeon from Iowa City) and Cheryl (his sister in law). John was a very strong rider who rides for the Mercy Specialized Cycling Team. This was one day that I won't forget because we saw Lance in Mitchellville. John chased him down and talked to him. I was just in shock to see him ride by. The myth had become reality! People were cheering so loud when he rode by. It was an amazing site! We made it into Newton that night where we stayed at a nursing home. Julie, her friend Becky, and I went into town to watch Lance's speech at the square. Amazingly inspiring and really well put together. He did not have anything to read off of, but he knew his facts and really got his point across. By the way, I used the hose outside the nursing home for a shower again.

Thursday, July 27th:
This morning I rode with my dad again. We made fairly good time through all the towns. It was supposed to be an optional 100 mile day, but at the end it didn't add up to that many miles. Everyone is still puzzled. Anyways, the real attraction of the day was another ride with Lance. I was in Brooklyn when I heard a lady with a walkie-talkie say that he just left the previous town 5 minutes ago. I was determined to ride with him today. We made it a little further along and my dad wanted to stop for something cold to drink. As I was waiting on the side of the road, I saw the giant pack make its way toward me. I let it pass me, started pedaling, and caught it. I made my way up toward the front and next thing I knew I was riding next to Lance himself. I didn't get to talk to him, but being right next to him was good enough for me. Like I mentioned, I did not get a photo, but the image will be engraved in my mind forever. I couldn't believe it was really him. It was amazing to imagine that this guy had survived cancer and done all that he has done now. Now I was right next to him. The words of his books came alive and really impacted the way I thought about him again. Just incredible! I stopped riding with him at the last town before the overnight stop. I rode into Marengo with someone in the club. That night we stayed in a yard of the bowling alley. The house next door offered showers with the hose outside. Perfect for me this week!

Friday, July 28th:
Today, we rode into Coralville. It was a short day of riding. We arrived in town around 11 a.m. We invited some people in the club to stay at our house that night. It was fun having them over. My mom cooked and grilled something for everyone. It was a grand ol' time. That night I got to sleep in my own bed, but by the time I settled down for bed I was too tired to shower. Oh well.

Saturday, July 29th:
We rode to Muscatine to conclude another year of RAGBRAI. The last day is always sort of sad. Everyone is sad to see another ride go by because it is always a fun time. I woke up a little late that morning. I told my dad to go ahead and leave with the others at our house. I left about an hour after them and made way out to the route from our house. Right away I saw an Atlas rider and talked to him for a little while. I saw my neighbor Gary and spoke with him a little also. Right around West Branch Cheryl caught me and we rode the rest of the way together to Muscatine. She is an awesome lady. We had a great time talking the whole way. Her pace is perfect so I don't really have to think about spinning up every single hill slowly or running out of breath. After we made it to Muscatine, we rode an extra 20 miles because the day was not very long. I really hope to see her around IC because I would love riding a little more with her.