Monday, July 27, 2015

John Karras and maps

On Tuesday of the ride, four of the team members of the team road the "Karras Loop" which is an extra 25 mile loop to take you over 100 miles in a day. 

John Karras is one of the two Des Moines register staff members who started the ride back in 1972. 

He and his wife were sitting at the far point of the extra loop under a tent and letting people take photos with "Grandpa RAGBRAI"


It's also interesting looking at the maps along the way where people can indicate where they are from



Saturday, July 25, 2015

Saturday adventures

We made it! Here is the official welcome to Davenport and the finish!


And just because…


On the way to Augustana college… We went over the brady bridge and stopped to take pictures


So we started at Augustana Lutheran Church in Sioux City at Augustana College in rock island Illinois!




And packed up and got on the road!

Dipping tires

Here's the group doing the traditional dipping the tires in the Mississippi River!

Most of the team had over 500 miles and we had a lot of fun along the way!








Saturday mid day

So the team is peddling their way to Davenport.
With a tailwind and great cloud cover, we are ahead of schedule. 
Our rides don't show up until 1-2p st Augustana college so we are slowing down to experience the last day

By 10a, Doug Sal Kyle and Mark were in Walcott getting lunch at the city park. Steak sandwiches, beverages pie and smoothies were In order. 

Ryan Carl Bethany and Jenn made the stop at beekmans tent outside of town, which is homemade icecream and grilled amazing-ness. 

14 miles to the river! 

Here we go!

Saturday AM part 2

Here is the team gearing up at Christ the King Lutheran in Iowa city for DAY 7


Saturday

The team was on the trail by 5:30 AM.

It's a longer day… 68 miles

Hi humidity and foggy this morning but a great sunrise


Friday, July 24, 2015

Friday evening

So half of the team stayed at the last town before the end of the ride and avoided the thunderstorm this afternoon!

Once we all got in town, some of the team went down to the expo at the Coalville Landing and wanted around to look at the vendors for the last time!

Since we are right next to the University of Iowa we went to the campus wellness and recreation center to clean up and enjoy some time in the large Hottubs soaking sore muscles! 

Cheryl Juhl provided a fantastic evening meal for us and we are sitting around talking! 

Our host this evening is Christ the King Lutheran Church in Iowa City and Pastor Connie  and other staff members have wandered through to great the team


Friday

Team LMM was up at 4:45 AM and was on the trail by 5:30 AM! 

We were smaller group today with just eight of us riding... But the LMM jerseys were still in force!

So today we wrapped up around Cedar Rapids and down through Cedar Rivervalley. 

One of the regular team stops has become "Farm Boys Hearty Food Company" which does the farmers market in DSM every week... They do breakfast burritos about 20 miles out every morning. 

We traveled across the historic Surluff bridge


In Solon, there was live music on the stage and we thought about staying a couple hours


BUT...

then somebody look at radar and we realize that there was an angry thunderstorm heading directly for Eastern Iowa. 

The team got on the road and made it about five of the last 20 miles before the rain and winds hit!


Thursday, July 23, 2015

Thursday update

Today was a day of hills and a shimmering mirage on the Horizon that you thought might be a downhill!

We got out early to beat the heat but we were not the only ones on the road!

Hudson Iowa was packed with enthusiastic riders and we made our way through it and tackled the hills of the Cedar Valley!

Couple of the riders on the team had mechanical issues today… We had some crank issues and also some front derailer issues. As a result, we are losing one of our team members for the last two days... Thanks for riding TEAM LMM Ried Bentley... Look forward to seeing you next year!

Today seem to be a day that the team interacted with a lot of alumni from lutheran colleges... Luther, wartburg, Augustana, Trinity, and California Lutheran. 

We had a new interim from the Ames Iowa area come up to us and talk shop for a while!

Our host for the evening is Saint Andrews Lutheran Church on Centerpoint Road in Cedar Rapids Iowa! This is a quieter spot then last night with only one other group camping here! 

Big dilemma of the evening was showers… We went up to the main campground... the line for the shower trailers was over an hour long so we lucked out and called the YMCA in North Cedar rapids and they actually had nobody there so everybody had plenty of water!

Team LMM went out to dinner this evening at Granite city! We laughed… Stories… And wished Ried well!


We hope to be out tomorrow at 5:30 which means we were up at 4:45 AM

Thanks for the prayers! See everybody on the way

Thursday early out

Here goes TEAM LMM out at 545a!
Go team go!




Wednesday, July 22, 2015

Wednesday

TEAM LMM had a great day today! 
We did 58 miles and it was "mostly" downhill...
There was 9400' of elevation change. Half of that was climb. 

Roger and Barb Krull saw us on our way with a great breakfast this morning but we got a later start... On the bikes about 7...Leaving eldora that late was a mess... We spent the first 20 minutes just waiting and slowly moving but we were on our way!

Mark Juhl and Doug Haugen are both riding mountain bikes while the rest of the team has road bikes. It's like the old tortoise and hare story... Somehow the road bikes keep stopping at each town and have to catch up! 

We met about 7 more Lutheran pastors on the ride today... And one of the quotes was from a woman in the left lane... "Hey Lutherans .. Move over... Gotta love the Lutherans... You guys are everywhere"

Just a quick note... The US Air Force has 146 officers riding... And their role is to stop and help riders... It's always so cool to see the men and women in their Air Force jerseys on the side of the road helping change tires!

Our host this evening is Bethlehem Lutheran in cedar falls IA and they have a 5 acre rec field on their property... There are about 150 people camping on their property so it's been interesting having some conversations with our neighbors. Cheryl Juhl blessed the team tonight with a wonderful homemade meal and some of the team wandered down to the expo but realized it was mostly the same vendors. 

A big shout out to Steve and Diane Pleis of cedar falls.. They are members at Nazareth Lutheran . They invited TEAM LMM  to their home for showers and refreshments late afternoon! 

The concerts are still going in the distance as we write this but this blog writer is the only team member up. 

We are up at 5a on Thursday... Hope to be on the road at 530!

Thanks for your prayers! 


Tuesday, July 21, 2015

Tuesday

Great day!
Poor cell service in Eldora tonight so no photos tonight!

Great day for riding!

We will miss Ryan and Andy but we welcomed Eric Krull from Minneapolis to the team. 6 of the guys did the "Karras Loop" which is an extra :( mile loop to take the total mileage to over 100. Total for those guys was 105.89. Everyone else did 78. 

Highlights of the day were meeting pastors from Indianapolis and Boise and riding with some airforce officers and talking about ministry to men. 

Our host family in eldora is Roger and Barb Krull. One of their sons is riding with us. 

Aside from some sunburn the only injuries were to Carls bike when he broke a spoke. 

Stay tuned!
Short dY tomorrow ... only 55 miles. 

Tuesday and the option for a century loop

So it's Tuesday…
We are just leaving Fort Dodge now

Couple guys took off at 5:15 to get on the road to do the extra 25 mile loop to make it a century day

The rest of us are peddling along and are picking up another writer in Webster city today to join team element!


There's a sunrise to a great day!


We slept well… Great sleeping conditions being 57°

Monday, July 20, 2015

TEAM LMM in action

Here's what we looked like on the road








Sioux City to Storm Lake

Leaving Sioux city and Augustana Lutheran


Dipping tires in Missouri River 


Enjoying some Farm Boys Breakfast burritos in the middle of a cornfield





Food!

Heres a glimpse of some amazing food!

Every type of pie... In this case rhubarb!


Huge pork tenderloins 

Gyros and steak burritos





A case of the Mondays

So Monday was a trade off .. 15 miles of rain for very few hills, great breeze and great temps!

We started at the synod office!

 

Ever seen a cow two seat bike with fat tires?

An hour after the rain, a few riders were still not fully dry!


There's only one reason to walk into a cornfield ... Have to go see a man about a horse! 


We were pretty even paced... But there was a little bit of waiting...


Lunch town... Manson IA


Last stop before end of day


Tired but home!
We are losing Andy Walters and Ryan Sisson after today... But gaining another tomorrow!


Joyce Phelps home in fort dodge!









Sunday, July 19, 2015

Sunday Numbers and Bike poetry

So there are road poems along the way! 
Signs every 100 ft with stanzas. Here's our favorite!

Eat beans for lunch 
So that the people you pass
Will know you're powered
By natural gas!

Sundays numbers 
84 miles - route plus in town
1 blown tire
1 rider who encounter hot tar
1 rider who used her EMT skills to stabilize a patient until Paramedics showed up
$5 for showers
13 tired riders 
1 rider who cramped


Sunday Funday

Here's the team this morning 



Dipping tires in the Missouri River 

Breakfast burritos at mile 22! 




Here's the last of the group pulling into the western Iowa synod office after dealing with blown tires and tar


Dinner at st marks Lutheran then jerseys were washed and hung to ride again another day!


Here's our campfire!



TEAMM LMM will be up at 530 and on the road about 615!

Thanks for your prayers!