RAGBRAI 2015 – Update 5

by Julie Lefebure | Jul 22, 2015 | personal journey

What a gorgeous day!

Those of you who have prayed for us and for good weather, God has answered your prayers! Thank you! We cannot get over the mild weather this week…. in the middle of July… in Iowa!

Last night’s sleep was wonderful in our tent. Waking to 57 degrees, neither one of us felt like climbing out of our sleeping bags at 5:30, but since no one else would be tearing down our camp, we forced ourselves to get moving.

We rode 58 miles today. I originally thought that was going to be a piece of cake… but no. Halfway through, our legs felt incredibly weak. It was the strangest thing. We were filling our bodies with all we were “supposed to” for such a ride, and kept hydrated. We couldn’t figure it out, but took plenty of breaks as we moved on.

Thankfully we pushed through and finished. (Thanks to Tina and anyone else who prayed us through!) I wanted to cheer and celebrate as we peddled into Cedar Falls, our overnight stop. Whoo hoo!!

More incredible small-town Iowa hospitality was experienced at every stop throughout our ride. These people are so welcoming and friendly, cheering for us, feeding us, letting us use their bathrooms, etc., as we converged on their towns. So many great causes to support! It feels great to bless these towns and people in ways we can. (By the way, if you’re on this ride tomorrow, in Palo be sure to stop at the Kennedy Dance Team booth in the city park. They are raising money to go to Nationals this year!)

I have appreciated the simple things today… running water, my toothbrush, my health to be able to do this, a quiet tent away from the crowd, a warm shower, pizza delivery this evening, and my husband. (He’s so good to me, and I forgot what this week does for our marriage. I can’t explain it, but it’s nothing short of amazing.)