Mileage: 82.82 miles
We had a slow start on Day 25, which was a bit concerning since we had over 80 miles to ride. Our host was at YMCA Camp Abe Lincoln in Blue Grass, IA. There were a lot of campers there, and we got to eat breakfast with them. Since breakfast was at 8 am, we got to sleep in until 7, which is really late for us. I got a full eight hours of sleep that night!
By the time we were ready to leave the camp, it was close to 10 and already pretty hot. I was riding with Brady, Walt, and Jocelyn. Iowa actually has a lot of rolling hills, which was a nice change after days and days of riding in pancake-flat Illinois. I was so excited to see a hill, I bombed up the first one. Fun :)
Since we had such a late start and had two water stops before lunch, it was already almost 4pm by the time we finished lunch. Another long day, but we just pedaled steadily.
At the last water stop, about 15 miles from the host in Marengo, the water van had a surprise for us. Chris had bought the whole team ice cream sandwiches from Dairy Queen! That was the highlight of the day; we were so close to finishing the long day, and the ice cream definitely helped keep us going. You're awesome, Chris!
The last 10 miles riding into Marengo were gorgeous. Hilly countryside and fields with the golden light of early evening. The temperature was also dropping, which made it more pleasant. Less than 2 miles from the host, we finally saw the sign for Marengo and had to take a team photo. As we rolled into the small town, we were greeted by our teammates and the people from the church we were staying at. It's so nice to have such a warm welcome at the end of the day. We were served dinner first thing, then waited for the last group to arrive.
For the next four days, we will not be riding since we are going to Maryland to attend the celebration for Jamie Robert's life. We are riding a bus all day Thursday from 4 am to 11 pm, attending the memorial service on Friday, and driving back to Marengo, IA on Saturday.
We had a slow start on Day 25, which was a bit concerning since we had over 80 miles to ride. Our host was at YMCA Camp Abe Lincoln in Blue Grass, IA. There were a lot of campers there, and we got to eat breakfast with them. Since breakfast was at 8 am, we got to sleep in until 7, which is really late for us. I got a full eight hours of sleep that night!
By the time we were ready to leave the camp, it was close to 10 and already pretty hot. I was riding with Brady, Walt, and Jocelyn. Iowa actually has a lot of rolling hills, which was a nice change after days and days of riding in pancake-flat Illinois. I was so excited to see a hill, I bombed up the first one. Fun :)
Since we had such a late start and had two water stops before lunch, it was already almost 4pm by the time we finished lunch. Another long day, but we just pedaled steadily.
At the last water stop, about 15 miles from the host in Marengo, the water van had a surprise for us. Chris had bought the whole team ice cream sandwiches from Dairy Queen! That was the highlight of the day; we were so close to finishing the long day, and the ice cream definitely helped keep us going. You're awesome, Chris!
The last 10 miles riding into Marengo were gorgeous. Hilly countryside and fields with the golden light of early evening. The temperature was also dropping, which made it more pleasant. Less than 2 miles from the host, we finally saw the sign for Marengo and had to take a team photo. As we rolled into the small town, we were greeted by our teammates and the people from the church we were staying at. It's so nice to have such a warm welcome at the end of the day. We were served dinner first thing, then waited for the last group to arrive.
For the next four days, we will not be riding since we are going to Maryland to attend the celebration for Jamie Robert's life. We are riding a bus all day Thursday from 4 am to 11 pm, attending the memorial service on Friday, and driving back to Marengo, IA on Saturday.
