Local News
RAGBRAI: Elvis is in the building
INDIANOLA — The longest day of 2009 RAGBRAI (Register’s Annual Great Bicycle Ride Across Iowa) is in the books, and I’m not about to complain!
Not only did Tuesday’s 77 miles put a pain in my legs but more so my back end, it rained about a third of the time I was on the road and was actually kind of cold (I’m a warm weather guy, so 64 and rain is pretty dang chilly to me). That’s not to count the hills — there weren’t as many as Monday but enough to keep you working — and a head wind in the later stages from the northeast.
Going back to Monday night, the “it’s a small world” thing continued as the guy who sat by me at supper introduced himself and it turned out to be my old high school math teacher. He was doing one day of the ride, today’s.
It rained a fair amount Monday night, but not through the overnight. I awoke to overcast skies but still pleasant overall, and the combined 20-mile ride from Greenfield to Orient to Macksburg went smoothly. In Macksburg we were greeted with a sign, proclaiming the town as home of the national skillet-throwing championships. I guess everybody has to be famous for something.
While pulling out of Macksburg the rain began falling so I reached for my jacket, but I still felt cold and pretty drenched by that point. After Macks-burg we had a 16-mile trek to East Peru, where I rode for a while with Cliff from Clinton, the same person I met a few days earlier.
After East Peru it was five miles to Truro, where many people riding next to me got a kick out of the school’s (Interstate 35) nickname (Roadrunners). Their mascot kind of looks like the one from the Saturday morning cartoons, only with a mean look on his face. I guess you can’t have a wimpy-looking mascot.
From Truro it was only about a combined 18 miles through the towns of St. Charles, St. Mary’s, Martensdale and Prole. During that span it not only stopped raining, but I had some great apple pie from a stand set up by the Norwalk U12 softball team. I always try to support kids’ groups when I can.
In Prole was an Elvis impersanator who did a pretty good job with the songs. I only saw him from the side and he looked like a combo of young Elvis and fat Elvis. He looked skinny, but dressed like the King did in the 1970s.
From Prole it was 15 miles from Indianola, a trip made even easier once we turned south halfway through and out of the headwind. And also during that trip, the sun FINALLY came out and it heated up quite nicely.
We got a greeting from the community members of Indianola when pulling into town, the best reception of the three communities so far.
Today's trip to Chariton is apparently much shorter, so it should be a fun time. I’ll check in later.
Ted Schultz is a former Clinton Herald sports editor and is sports information director at Grinnell College.
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