Sorry I’ve been away from the blog front for a while… We’ve been focusing on riding and taking care of some other fundraising elements around the ride.
When we last left our ride – I had just completed my second 100-mile century ride of the trip and made my way through Lincoln, Nebraska. Since then, we’ve worked our way up through Omaha, Nebraska and over to Des Moines, Iowa (which is where I’m blogging from now). We’ve made some pretty good progress as and we’re right on track for our finish in Virginia Beach on or about August 26th.
The main theme for the past few days has been “hot and humid” – everyone warned me that the Midwest in July was not going to be pretty weather wise, and they were definitely right on target. The deeper we get into the Midwest the more the humidity picks up, and the 100 degree days that were marginally bearable out west become more and more oppressive with every passing mile. The good part is that as you bicycle along you create your own 15 mile per hour breeze, so even the humid Midwest heat isn’t all that bad. The only really bad times are the uphills – when you only create a 5 mile per hour breeze – and there are loads of rolling hills out here in Iowa, so you keep going back and forth between breezy and comfortable vs. hot and sweaty.
At least the headwinds have finally died down. Since Lincoln we’ve had mostly calm air with an occasional slight tail-wind at my back. It’s not quite the jet-stream super-boost I was hoping for when I hit the Midwest, but I’ll take it over headwinds any day of the week.
As for Iowa, I think we arrived about 10 days too late (it’s a shame, because that’s almost exactly how much we got delayed when our car died in Pocatello, Idaho). We just missed the end of an annual Iowa event called “RAGBRAI” – (The Des Moines) “Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa” Each year about 15,000 bicycle riders hit the road to, as the name describes, Ride Across Iowa. But this is no ordinary ride – from the bicycle friends we’ve met in Des Moines it sounds like RAGBRAI is more like a 500 mile rolling party. There are literally “Beer Gardens” set up for the rides in each city – and it sounds like beer is the drink of choice for many along the route. (The police literally have to enforce beer garden closure times – and related mandatory town bar closing times – to keep riders moving out of town and along the route.) It sounds like an insane but wonderful experience – one that I’m seriously considering joining in (the ride, not the beers) next summer.
And finally, I’m typing the conclusion to this “catch up” blog as quickly as possible, because in about 20 minutes we’re heading off to the local radio station to do an on-air radio interview about the Dog Cancer Ride Across America. It’s actually going to be the 4th radio interview for me in the last 24 HOURS. Crazy. Last night I spent 40 minutes on air (by telephone) with Fred Haney in Phoenix, Arizona for his “My Doggie Says…” radio program. (What a great experience – Fred was wonderful to talk with). And this morning it was off to a local station here in Des Moines (95KGGO – Classic Rock) to join the morning show with Lou Sipolt… and then, as we were heading out of the station, Lou got us an interview on the “Hatfield & McCoy Morning Show” on country radio KJJY 92.5, which happens to broadcast out of the same studio as KGGO. Between the 2 stations, we were probably heard by over 250,000 listeners.
And now it’s back to the same studios (I think 4 or 5 stations actually broadcast out of the same building) for our 1:20 PM interview on Des Moines talk radio station, 98.3 WOW.FM.
So like I said, just be cause I haven’t been blogging much lately (sorry about that, I should be getting back into the daily routine again starting tonight) there’s been a lot going on around the Dog Cancer Ride Across America.
And it’s thanks to you, and our wonderful supporters across the country, that everything we do to get the word out, fill up the map of heroes, and raise money to help dogs get the cancer care they deserve, is moving towards success as we ride our way towards Virginia Beach, Virginia.
Keep up the great work.
Live On-Air from Des Moines, Iowa – this is Ted Schneck saying goodbye along The Dog Cancer Ride Across America.
Bye for now. Next stop Kansas City.
