RAGBRAI DAY 4 and 5 – Beating the heat (before it beats you)

This year’s RAGBRAI has been rough on riders. Record heat and plenty of hills have made this year’s ride one for the record books – and LMQC’s biking blogger Gabe Lareau has been gathering stories along the way. But the heat the past day has been too much for even Gabe who files this dispatch following a day of rest before he rides into Davenport on Saturday, July 29.

by Gabe Lareau

Climate scientists are predicting this July to be the Earth’s hottest on record. On this 50th edition of RAGBRAI, it’s being felt. The heat index on July 27th in central Iowa rocketed to well over 100 degrees.

Combined with a 90-mile route from Des Moines to Tama-Toledo with 4,500 feet of climb and a three-mile gravel stretch, today was a dangerous one for the tens of thousands of riders making their way across Iowa.

One of the hottest (and hardest) days of RAGBRAI ever

Al Friedland cools off with a little help from a bottle of water applied to his forehead.

Former Moline police officer and nine-time RAGBRAI participant Al Friedland was one of them. “In all my years of RAGBRAI,” he said, “this ranks probably in the top four hardest days I’ve ever done.”

Other riders concurred, “Today is what my dad would call a ‘character building day,’” Daniel Clawson of Ankeny, Iowa told me. Clawson and his friend Gabe Smith — a rising senior at Iowa State — are riding RAGBRAI together this year, carrying all of their things with them. The heat, hills, and headwinds seemed to have gotten a little on their nerves after today’s long day.

While the three of us passed the Tama-Toledo Family Aquatic Center where a host of RAGBRAI riders were cooling off, Smith asked, “I wonder what the nasty film on that water feels like.”

“Sometimes I really wish you’d keep your mouth shut,” Clawson replied.

Taking time to beat the heat

After riding the full 57-mile route from Ames to Des Moines on Wednesday, my dad and I couldn’t endure the heat and got a hotel room for the night.

We’d sit today out for good reason. With only minimal training between us, the heat, the climbs, and the temperature combined would have been too much.

Now, I get that it may be a bit odd to read a RAGBRAI blog from someone who didn’t do RAGBRAI today. But this trek across Iowa is not a race. There’s no reason to risk serious physical harm just to say I did the whole thing.

Part of staying active and healthy is knowing your limits—it’s about being smart, not bragging rights.

Pre-ride prep makes a difference (almost) every time

Sue Briggs rode over 600 miles to prepare for this year’s RAGBRAI.

One rider who was immensely more prepared to ride today was Sue Briggs of Lynn Center, Illinois. Riding this year with her sister, Sarah — both childhood natives of Rock Island — Briggs had completed over 600 miles of training in preparation for this year’s ride.

And while all that training paid off today, nothing could’ve prepared her completely. “With about 20 miles left,” Briggs said, “my back derailleur broke, and I was stuck between two gears. I’ve learned to master the hills, but today I had to walk a few.”

Briggs is no stranger to adversity interfering with her fitness. But, just like today, she’s also no stranger to overcoming it.

“Five years ago, I had two carpal tunnels done by ORA,” Briggs said. “I had the procedure done in the winter, and I still did RAGBRAI that year. On my ninth RAGBRAI, I don’t feel anything today.”

In a way, Briggs’ health journey is exactly how she described her mindset attacking all of those hills: “When you get down, you’ve got no choice but to go back up.”

Looking forward to Friday

Because I rode a half-day on Tuesday, Wednesday was a shorter 57-mile stint, and I took Thursday off, Friday will be the day I’ll truly see what I’m made of. A day and a half missed is plenty; my plan is to ride the full final two days.

With both distances around eighty miles with a good deal of climbing — and the heatwave continuing — I’ll need to leave early and hydrate often to keep pace.

Every Iowan with a hose and every kid with a squirt gun will find me at point-blank range for a torrent of freezing, refreshing water.

Time to brace for impact.

Climate scientists are predicting this July to be the Earth’s hottest on record. On this 50th edition of RAGBRAI, it’s being felt. The heat index on July 27th in central Iowa rocketed to well over 100 degrees.

Combined with a 90-mile route from Des Moines to Tama-Toledo with 4,500 feet of climb and a three-mile gravel stretch, today was a dangerous one for the tens of thousands of riders making their way across Iowa.

One of the hottest (and hardest) days of RAGBRAI ever

Al Friedland cools off with a little help from a bottle of water applied to his forehead.

Former Moline police officer and nine-time RAGBRAI participant Al Friedland was one of them. “In all my years of RAGBRAI,” he said, “this ranks probably in the top four hardest days I’ve ever done.”

Other riders concurred, “Today is what my dad would call a ‘character building day,’” Daniel Clawson of Ankeny, Iowa told me. Clawson and his friend Gabe Smith — a rising senior at Iowa State — are riding RAGBRAI together this year, carrying all of their things with them. The heat, hills, and headwinds seemed to have gotten a little on their nerves after today’s long day.

While the three of us passed the Tama-Toledo Family Aquatic Center where a host of RAGBRAI riders were cooling off, Smith asked, “I wonder what the nasty film on that water feels like.”

“Sometimes I really wish you’d keep your mouth shut,” Clawson replied.

Taking time to beat the heat

After riding the full 57-mile route from Ames to Des Moines on Wednesday, my dad and I couldn’t endure the heat and got a hotel room for the night.

We’d sit today out for good reason. With only minimal training between us, the heat, the climbs, and the temperature combined would have been too much.

Now, I get that it may be a bit odd to read a RAGBRAI blog from someone who didn’t do RAGBRAI today. But this trek across Iowa is not a race. There’s no reason to risk serious physical harm just to say I did the whole thing.

Part of staying active and healthy is knowing your limits—it’s about being smart, not bragging rights.

Pre-ride prep makes a difference (almost) every time

Sue Briggs rode over 600 miles to prepare for this year’s RAGBRAI.

One rider who was immensely more prepared to ride today was Sue Briggs of Lynn Center, Illinois. Riding this year with her sister, Sarah — both childhood natives of Rock Island — Briggs had completed over 600 miles of training in preparation for this year’s ride.

And while all that training paid off today, nothing could’ve prepared her completely. “With about 20 miles left,” Briggs said, “my back derailleur broke, and I was stuck between two gears. I’ve learned to master the hills, but today I had to walk a few.”

Briggs is no stranger to adversity interfering with her fitness. But, just like today, she’s also no stranger to overcoming it.

“Five years ago, I had two carpal tunnels done by ORA,” Briggs said. “I had the procedure done in the winter, and I still did RAGBRAI that year. On my ninth RAGBRAI, I don’t feel anything today.”

In a way, Briggs’ health journey is exactly how she described her mindset attacking all of those hills: “When you get down, you’ve got no choice but to go back up.”

Looking forward to Friday

Because I rode a half-day on Tuesday, Wednesday was a shorter 57-mile stint, and I took Thursday off, Friday will be the day I’ll truly see what I’m made of. A day and a half missed is plenty; my plan is to ride the full final two days.

With both distances around eighty miles with a good deal of climbing — and the heatwave continuing — I’ll need to leave early and hydrate often to keep pace.

Every Iowan with a hose and every kid with a squirt gun will find me at point-blank range for a torrent of freezing, refreshing water.

Time to brace for impact.

Check out these photos from Gabe’s day on RAGBRAI ’23 …