RAGBRAI 2016 Update 1

by Julie Lefebure | Jul 24, 2016 | personal journey

It’s been a great start to RAGBRAI. Warm, but great!

We spent last night in Glenwood. A lovely town… they gave us a great send off. But sleeping–or I should say, trying to sleep–in a hot, muggy tent last night was challenging. Even with fans blowing directly on us. I think I sweated all night long. But that’s a memory-maker, correct? That’s a night we’ll remember for years to come!

We survived, broke camp, and were on the road before 6:30am, starting the first day of this great RAGBRAI adventure.

We passed through the towns of Malvern, Tabor, and Randolf, and stopped to rest in each. After Malvern, the Mile of Silence, was a special tribute to the many who have been killed or injured while biking. I continue to be thankful that God spared Bill’s life when he got hit three years ago.

We heard of such things as “chicken poop bingo,” and “see if you’re the fastest biker on RAGBRAI” bike race in Tabor. Even though they sounded interesting, we declined to participate in both.

The hills in between were almost as big as the ones we experienced in Kansas last month. Almost. Those 189 miles in Kansas prepared us more than we realized… until today.

After peddling 51.5 miles, we arrived to our overnight town, Shenandoah, sometime around noon. A shower never felt so good! And my nap was incredible! We grabbed some dinner, and as I write this, we’re currently hunkered down inside our tent as a rainstorm is passing through. (Have I mentioned how incredible out tent is? Last night I was not thrilled about sleeping in it, yet today I’m thankful it keeps us dry. Perspective, perspective.)

Some photos from yesterday and today: