2011 RAGBRAI

Last Wednesday, I dropped Oliver and Kevin off in Altoona, Iowa, where they met up with my dad and uncle Roger and took off for the second half of this year's RAGBRAI. Pedaling 200 miles over three days with heat indexes well over 100 degrees left them exhausted but when we picked them up in Des Moines on Saturday night they were in such good spirits, happy to see us, happy to get a real shower and even happier to ditch their tents for an air conditioned hotel room.

Aside from the fact that they kind of got their butts kicked by my 67-year old dad, they're feeling pretty good about themselves :)

This is clearly during a nice, flat stretch. Smiles don't come this easy after a hill!

 

Kevin taking advantage of the air-conditioning at one of the high schools that opened their doors to riders:

 A roadside Gatorade break:

 Riding into Coralville:

Oliver and Kevin enjoying a thick-cut Iowa pork chop from RAGBRAI institution Mr. Pork Chop: