RAGBRAI for beginners

[Reesha]

Well there are definite weeks where I'm doing 40-50 miles each day between commuting to school and then riding with my team after school. There's breaks in between the rides though so I'm not sure it counts! 12 miles in the morning for instance, then 25 at 3 pm then another 12 once we're done with the 25.

Truth be told I haven't done anything over 35 miles in a single shot since I moved here. Haven't found a good long distance riding group yet. I guess when cycling isn't the ONLY scene in town it's a little harder to break into

[millefolia]

I was glad to see this thread--I've been thinking lately that I'd like to do RAGBRAI someday too. I don't live in Iowa anymore, but I grew up there and so it was always the big cycling event every year--only I wasn't big into cycling then.

[Ann G]

I did my first RAGBRAI at age 52. Like you, I'm from Iowa, and I read about RAGBRAI all my life, and always thought, hmm, someday. Seven years ago (does that work out right?) the town where I lived was a host community, and I hosted a friend and his buddies. I made lasagna for them, opened a bottle of good merlot, and we had a great time. The next morning I joined the late risers and rode my old 10-speed for about 8 miles along the route. The late risers, by the way, tend to have the goofiest things on their helmets, and add other things to their jerseys, like feather boas, etc. I loved the humor aspect of the whole thing. About at the point where I needed to turn around and go back to my real life, I stopped at a farmyard where a nearby church was serving breakfast. Okay, the weather was perfect, the smell of pancakes, coffee, and sausage was in the air, and I sat at a picnic table and pretended I wasn't going to turn around.

I had heard that recumbents are more comfortable, so I did some research and bought one, and put on several miles for the rest of that summer. Around Thanksgiving I decided to get serious about it, and started being more careful about what I ate. (My weight at the time was 169 pounds.) The charter service that operates out of the town where I lived requires everyone to send in their first payment in February, so I held my breath and wrote out a check, knowing that I still had a lot of weight I needed to lose. I lifted weights, and that winter I walked like I was the one who invented walking. That year was a southern route, with plenty of hills. By the time RAGBRAI started, I had lost 35 pounds. That spring and summer, I rode 900 training miles before starting RAGBRAI. Climbing on a recumbent has its challenges, and I wouldn't say it was easy, but I only walked up one hill that year. It was work but by the end of the week, I found myself thinking, "Oh darn, only one more day left."

I've done the last 6 RAGBRAIs. I'm 58 years old now, and I'm signed up for this year's RAGBRAI. It's another southern route, and I wish I could say that I kept all that weight off. Some of it came back, but I think that getting ready for RAGBRAI forces me to get into better shape than I would otherwise. I'll probably lose a few pounds in the next few weeks, and if I have to walk a hill or two, I'll do that. RAGBRAI is a ride, not a race, and nobody cares how long it takes to get to the host town.

By the way, one of those years I saw John and Ann Karras sitting on a park bench in one of the pass-through towns. I had a disposable camera was in my bike bag, so I dashed back to the bike, grabbed the camera, and asked him for permission to take his picture. He was very gracious about it. So, I took a couple of pictures of John, Ann, and a woman on the other side of the bench. Afterward, she turned to him and asked if he was famous. I thought to myself, hell yes, but didn't wait around to explain. Maybe he did.

[Ann G]

Oh, right, I was supposed to offer advice. I got lost in telling about my experience in my previous post. Conventional wisdom is that you should do a minimum of 500 miles ahead of time before RAGBRAI. Others claim that more is better, and I don't think that there is universal agreement about it. My training miles have ranged from 500-900, and I've been fine. 28-34 miles per day is a typical training ride for me. It would help to ride with a group at least for some training, because RAGBRAI is not a solitary experience. If that doesn't work out for you, however, don't sweat it. I don't have a riding partner, so most of my training rides are alone. The biggest thing about riding in a group is that you need to be predictable. You need to ride in a straight line, don't weave, and signal your intentions. Call out what you plan on doing, and point.

The weight of the rider is the biggest factor in climbing hills, so losing some pounds will make RAGBRAI easier. However, there are plenty of riders carrying extra pounds along, and they all manage to do it. You can too.

Northern and central routes are easier, but every year involes some significant climbs. I think they need to prove to everyone that Iowa isn't flat when they plan the routes.

It's possible to do just a day or two, if you're unsure about tackling the whole thing. But do it. RAGBRAI is weirdly fun. People sit in lawn chairs in front of their houses and shout out welcomes and ask where you're from. Some very nice people aim sprinklers onto the road on hot days. Kids stand on the curbs and high-five you as you ride into town. You're treated like you're part of a liberating army. It is just addictive, and kept me coming back.

[millefolia]

Ann G, thanks for the story and the advice!