Ramp up to RAGBRAI

For several years, I’ve talked with friends about doing a century or just a nice weekend trip.  I always wimped out at the last minute or forgot about it. It isn’t like a century is especially hard.  A couple of weekends last fall I rode 50 miles solo and unsupported.  OK, well, there was that one woman I got some water from… but that’s it, I swear. Anyway, a couple of months ago, Jim asked me if I wanted to do RAGBRAI with him.  I said “Sure, but only the last three days.”  And then, Rwanda happened and aside from some guilty feelings that I wasn’t riding enough (it has been cold!), I’ve mostly forgotten about the trip. Well, no more.  I’m doing RAGRAI if it kills me.  Yesterday, I hopped back on my bike for the first time in a while.  20 miles and I felt it in my legs.  Tomorrow, and every day from here on out, I’ll do another 20 till I can get back to 1:15 (or better) on my time.  Then I’ll get a decent road bike and do the rest on that.  I expect the road bike will let me get down to one hour on my time.  I’ll have to fill the weekends with 40-60 mile rides. 125 days till RAGBRAI. (UPDATE: Just noticed that the first RAGBRAI was the same year I was born.  We’ll turn 35 together!)