Day 1…and after a super fun night and a really peaceful rest (as peaceful as you can have in a tent, trying to get even 15 minutes of extra sleep while the EARLY risers get up at 4 am and later get up and get ready to begin thier days) – I am NOT a 4 am rider…hey I am not even a 7 am rider…we HAVE to leave the camp at 8 am…and that is when I leave…HAHA…I like my sleep and believe me it is going to be a LONG day today…slated for 76 miles and we found out that we are about 8 miles from the route…so we will have an over 80 mile day for DAY ONE!!!  How’s that for BREAKING you in for a FULL week of bicycle riding…whoooo boy!!

Okay…first rule of RAGBRAI…you don’t talk about what you do on RAGBRAI…(but I get to bend this rule a little bit) rule two of RAGBRAI…you MUST stop at Farm Boys breakfast burritos!!!  OHmygoodness…that is GOOD STUFF…(okay that isn’t “exactly” rule two, but its definitley ONE of the rules.)  and BELIEVE me you NEED to eat on RAGBRAI…(burned over 4000 calories today!!!)

Okay – let me just say that over 3600 feet of climb, in addition to the 80+ miles of riding…one the first day – whoever came up with that was just SICK in the head.  I feel sorry for all the 1st time riders…well no I dont’ actually – because I rode last year for the 1st time (by the way – last year was the most elevation of climnb in RAGBRAI history) and I honestly was having flashbacks to last year’s ride – the hills last year were MONSTERS and this first ride was pretty close to a reincarnation of one of the legs last year…long, hilly, and the group I was with…well lets just say a few of us were on the grass in one of the towns…laying down in the fetal position trying to “find a happy place” (find a happy place find a happy place…hahaha)…luckily we mustered up enough strength to try to make the last 10 miles…which added another element to the ride…”cracks in the road”…AS IF MY BUTT NEEDED ANOTHER REASON TO HURT…OUCH!!!!!!   (*tear*)  wimper wimper…LOL…okay yes I sound like a sniffling whiney kid (you would too if you were here – but your not…so keep reading and smiling and thinking…SUCKER!!!)…but all of us were feeling it afterward – and it was only the first leg of the trip…

Come back to camp…self medicate…and find a chair to rest our tired legs and rear ends…

Hanging out at the camp site – which by the way was beautifully located next to Storm Lake…we had an awesome view and outside of the BUGS…we had a really great location and enjoyed a quiet night…no crazy storms and a nice cool night to relax and get ready to ride again tomorrow…79 miles tomorrow…two 80 mile days BACK to BACK…hehe did I mention HOW much FUN this is?

Enjoy some of the photos from today:

Golf course rest break

Panoramic view of Farmboys burritos…LOVE my new camera!

Sanders and Hayek – before…

Hayek – AFTER

Sanders – AFTER

Evening Sunset on Storm Lake