Preparations Underway

With the shipping of my bike to Iowa this week, I would say that final preparations for RAGBRAI 2009 are underway. Every RAGBAI has something special to remember, and this one will be no exception. RAGBRAI 2009 will be the first one that I have ventured on without having come close to pedaling the recommended number of training miles.

As many of you know, my training this summer was rudely interrupted on a Saturday morning ride in the middle of June when I was hit by another bicyclist who lost control of his bike. A trip to the emergency room was necessary and, besides scrapes and bruises, I ended up with a pelvic fracture. The doctor said the fracture would heal on its own in about 5 weeks--IF I was careful and didn't overdo it. Looking at the calendar, I could see that it was just 5 weeks to RAGBRAI. What a bummer. There went all the plans for getting in training miles.

It was too late to cancel out of the registration and arrangements that I'd already made. I was so sore the first few days after the accident that I couldn't imagine I'd be in any sort of shape by July 18. But I made up my mind that I was still going to be there at Council Bluffs and, one way or the other, I would get across the state by July 25. And now that my bike is headed to Iowa there's no turning back.