Day 6, Grinnell to Coralville

The team is off to Coralville! Here is a map of today's route.

Click the map for a larger view.

Day 5 - Altoona to Grinnell

Here is a map of today's ride:

Click for a larger view.

Day 4 Boone to Altoona

Today was more of a recovery day after 3 hard routes in previous days. The weeklong riders were able to take a much needed break as they rolled into Altoona around 12:30. A few moments from today definitely stand out. First and foremost, Mario Bennett completed his first full day of RAGBRAI under his own power. Who-hoo!!!!!!! Major accomplishment and the entire team was extremely happy for him.

Here is a map of today's route. Look at all the downhill!

Here is a pic of Mario rolling into camp tonight in Altoona.

Secondly, one of the guys that plays basketball with us on Thursday nights was sitting out by the side of the road with a sign to cheer the team on. It was so encouraging to ride up and hear someone yelling "Go Adaptive Sports team!" Thanks Nick for coming out to support the team. We look forward to you being a part of the team next year.

Here is the sign that Nick made for the team. Thanks Nick!

We're looking forward to a night in Grinnell tomorrow night. The Carroll's will be hosting the team for a meal at their pumpkin farm. It's sure to be a lot of fun!

Day 3 - Carroll to Boone

Here's the map of today's ride. Big day!

Day 2 - Atlantic to Carroll, 65.4 miles, 4,719 feet of climb

Another great day for the ASI team! The weather this morning was perfect for a bike ride. It was somewhat overcast and definitely cooler then what Iowa had seen over the past few weeks. A cool morning makes for a great start to RAGBRAI. Everyone was able to hit the road around 6:15 AM again and made it to the meet up town with enough time to relax. In fact, the support team had such a great location in the meet up town that the entire team sat around talking and watching the other cyclist for nearly 3 hours. The team is a great mix of different personalities that make the ride a lot of fun for everyone.

Little did they know they would need the rest for the hills that were yet to come! If you look at the route elevation on the RAGBRAI map, there are some sharp spikes in the graph right at the end of the route. Those are some killer hills! By the time the team made it to that part of the route, the clouds had cleared and it was MUCH warmer. In fact, it was downright hot. Everyone made it up the hills, but it was a challenging way to end the day. The air conditioning in the gym where the team is sleeping tonight felt refreshing.

Tomorrow (Tuesday) could be the toughest day yet. Everyone riding tomorrow has decided to go for the century loop, meaning they'd like to complete 100 miles in a day. Check this blog and Facebook for updates on that tomorrow night!

Now for some photos!

Eugene at the top of one of the hills going into Carroll. 

Tai and her pilot, Eric. 

Bob, a fellow hand cyclist on RAGBRAI.

Day 2 - Atlantic to Carroll

Here is the map of today's ride...

Click map for a larger view. 

Updates will be posted here and on Facebook soon!

RAGBRAI DAY 1 ~ Glenwwod to Atlantic 59.5 miles, 4298 feet of climbing

On the road! The handcycles are getting a lot of attention.

Breakfast burrito. RAGBRAI is famous for the food,

We made it! Day one is complete and everyone is accounted for and safe. Customarily the first day of RAGBRAI is the hardest because we come out of the Missouri River valley and today didn't disappoint. One rider from Arizona barked "Iowa is not flat!!!"... No, my humble friend, it is not. Eventually you make yourself believe you've found a rhythm but really it's just denial.

This morning the team was ready to go at 6:00 am just as I had asked them to be last night before bed. After a quick team photo and a briefing we were off on out close to 500 mile journey. It was clear last night that this team immediately began to mesh. everyone is in high spirits and pretty amped to be here. I'm humbled Adaptive Sports Iowa could afford this opportunity for the team. 

Cell phone and internet service along the route has been spotty so far. Updates will continue via this blog and Facebook as service allows.

-Mike

Day 1 - Glenwood to Atlantic

Here's the map!

 Click for a larger view.

The team left Glenwood this morning at 6:15 and is making great progress towards Atlantic. Updates will be posted to this blog as they come in.

RAGBRAI 2011 - It's finally here!

The Adaptive Sports Iowa RAGBRAI team made it to Glenwood today and is ready to begin the great ride across Iowa. Today was an exciting day, but not free of obstacles. Obstacle number one reared its ugly head as the team was meeting to leave. The ASI team loaded their gear in the Ankeny DMACC parking lot in the rain. That was not expected! Hopefully it is not a sign of things to come.

Obstacle number two showed up on the interstate. Everything appeared to be going as anticipated until traffic in I-80 turned into a parking lot. What?! As the team moved down the road, they saw the culprit. Four (possible five) semis had been in an accident. They were scattered about the median and the ditch next to the westbound lane. Eventually traffic started moving at a frightening 20 mph and the caravan moved past the accident.

Finally - GLENWOOD!! Sleeping arrangements for tonight were made with the On With Life facility in Glenwood. What wonderful hosts!! The room that was reserved for the team fit the specific needs of the team perfectly. The staff was extremely kind and the team was set up in no time. Oh - and the AC in the building was working beautifully. What a a relief.

After a tour of the facility, everyone set off to see the sights of RAGBRAI. The first night of the ride features an expo of the different vendors of RAGBRAI. The excitement at the expo is unlike anything else! Everyone is enjoying the different gear that the vendors have to offer. The team definitely turned some heads as the hand cycles rolled through the crowd. Everyone was interested in the bikes and wanted to ask questions. This just fueled the team exciting for the first day of the ride!

The expo no only features bike and gear vendors, but there is a ton of FOOD as well. A few members of the team had just gotten their giant turkey legs when the tornado sirens started to go off. Enter obstacle number 3. An ominous cloud started to roll in over the riders. Given the siren and the cloud, the team started to cycle back to the On With Life facility just as the wind started to pick up. Luckily, everyone made it back safely and was able to ride out the rest of the weather inside. After it passed, the team loaded the vans and headed back downtown to find food again. Unfortunately in the midst of cycling away from the storm, they had to ditch their turkey legs. Sad.

Overall the attitude of the team is super excited! Everyone has been planning and training for a while now. It's time to let the momentum carry them forward and just experience the ride.

Stay tuned for photos!

Last RAGBRAI training ride

A few members of the Adaptive Sports Iowa team participating the the Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa (RAGBRAI) gathered this past Sunday for one final group training ride. The weather was not desirable with a forecast heat index pushing 110 degrees. Originally scheduled to leave at 1:00 pm, the departure time was pushed back to 8:00 am to try and beat the heat.

This ride was used not only as training for the members of the team cycling but also for the

support crew. Both of our support guys were a valuable asset for the team this day and will prove to be instrumental during RAGBRAI next week. Over the course of the 50 mile ride we were able to meet up with them in four separate locations to rest and refill our water bottles.

The route we took was a 50 mile out and back on the new High Trestle Trail running from Ankeny to Woodward. It was the first almost everyone on the team to see and experience the new bridge. As always, the first reaction is jaw-dropping disbelief. Here in central Iowa we're so lucky to have such an awesome structure like this. As a rode across the bridge this weekend I took a short video on what it looks like.

So anyway, The team heads out to Glenwood on Saturday, the 23rd for the 2011 version of RAGBRAI. Remember, you can follow our progress in this blog.

RAGBRAI or Bust

We have been planning since February the first adaptive team to participate in RAGBRAI. After all the planning and organizing it's finally time for the event. In all the team is comprised of 24 members including support crew, volunteers, and riders. The jerseys are printed, the banners are ready, the sponsors are in, the vehicles have been rented, the overnight locations have been booked and confirmed, the supplies are packed, and the equipment checked. It's officially time to get our RAGBRAI on!

From July 23 to July 30 you can follow the team progress right here. I'll be uploading photos and videos right from the route, reporting the daily activity, and keeping all of you informed of our experience. I welcome all of you (family, friends, and fans) to follow our progress and add your own comments and reactions.

Be a Running Guide to assist blind runners

ASI is proud to announce a clinic to train running guides to assist blind runners!

Saturday, March 5th or Saturday, March 12th
12:30 pm – 4:00 pm
YMCA Healthy Living Center
12493 University Avenue
Clive, IA 50325

Adaptive Sports Iowa, in collaboration for the YMCA Healthy Living Center, is hosting two clinics to teach runners as guides to assist the visually impaired. Registration is FREE and space is limited. Do you want to help people in your community achieve a healthier lifestyle? Want to be more aware of your surroundings?

Are you just curious?

If you answered yes to any of these we recommend you attend!

The clinic is for runners and joggers of all abilities; it doesn’t matter if you’re a recreational jogger or a competitive marathoner, the skills we’ll teach are valuable in any setting. The goal of this clinic is to build confidence and reinforce safety. It can be an intimidating feeling to guide a runner through an urban environment and we aim to teach you the correct skills and techniques.

Interested? Questions? Contact Mike (See Contact ASI tab) for more details or to sign up.

RAGBRAI Route Announced!!!

The Des Moines Register has announced the 2011 route. It's cutting through Central Iowa with the 14th shortest route in RAGBRAI history. Although fifteen routes have been hillier, the riders will have their work cut out for the them as they climb out of Glenwood in Western Iowa towards Atlantic and Carroll.

Interested in riding on the Adaptive Sports Iowa RAGBRAI team? ASI will be organizing an adaptive team for hand cyclists and sight-impaired riders. For more details, contact Mike Boone, the Director of ASI for the Iowa Sports Foundation.

For complete route details and a map, visit the Des Moines Register website at http://www.desmoinesregister.com/article/20110130/NEWS/301300004.