More than ever, today dug at the core of what this ride is about. We ride our bicycles as a form of solidarity toward those who have to live with cancer every day, and all of the exertion and time that is dedicated to doing this. Of course, we are not able to encompass that exertion and time to its full level, but this form of exercise and its longevity hour to hour, day to day, and throughout the entire summer is a thought-provoking and supportive juxtaposition. We also ride for those with cancer who can’t — those who want to feel free or even just more free and would possibly love to do something like this.
Sam R works on his bike at the lunch stop.
Today, we encountered our first major headwinds (we can’t stress enough how lucky we were for this factor leading up to now) and the constant stream and subsequent managing of a wobbly bike made for a grueling yet rewarding ride. We also talked to a lot of people at our rest stops who were interested in what we are doing, and made four new Portraits at our stayover in Atlantic.
Challenging constantly, but worth every second; we are all stronger because of today.
Restauranteur Patrick Jamison.
Ride Overview
Mileage: 81.5
Elevation: +2921’/-2672’
General Direction: Proceed west from the stayover onto the Clive Greenbelt Trail, remain on this as it transitions to the Raccoon River Trail until mile 20.5, turn right onto Old Highway 6 and follow it until it intersects with I-80, turn right onto Route 925 (White Pole Rd.) and ride through Adair, Anita, Wiota, and finally, Atlantic until turning left to reach the YMCA.
Points of Interest: Clive Greenbelt Trail, Raccoon River Trail, Jesse James Historical Site, Lake Anita State Park, Historic White Pole Byway
Tales of the Trail
We could already feel the wind on our faces as we stepped out of the doors of Grace United Methodist. One morning circle later, we were off. Our day began on a bike trail curling through Des Moines and westward, and a portion of this leading to the rest stop gave us a nice tree tunnel to shield us from the wind. One special moment from this was the emergence of a rare super mega group, where the whole team in their rider groups rides in a line. As we left the town of Adel a few miles out of Des Moines, the real ride began. The wind whipped at our faces and bikes constantly for the next 60 miles at a 25 mph average with gusts up to 40. Depending on our direction of travel, it came as a direct headwind, demoralizing for many a cyclist in general, or the more dangerous crosswind which teases the balance as well as slows the pace.
The super mega group from front to back.
Western Iowa’s beautiful country scenery still unfolded as we fought the onslaught of wind, and the tops of corn crops became a bobbing ocean with plenty of windy cows in between. With a good few hills to spare, it made for a very difficult ride day. One group even diverted away from a gravel road as part of a reroute adding a few more miles and making it that much more difficult. For our lunch stop, we ate in Stuart, IA and got to meet Bob Cook, the town’s historian. He was very excited about our cause and took down our information to post an article on the town’s website! Stuart is a part of the White Pole Byway, a road with characteristic white-painted phone poles, a way to provide tourists a direct and scenic route through Iowa in the early 1900s.
Riders talking with Bob Cook near the end of our lunch stop.
The Sams and the Jonathans take on the final miles.
Having been slowed by the wind, we arrived in Atlantic at close to dinnertime and to a top-tier stayover. The YMCA in town has showers, laundry, provided walking tacos for dinner, the whole nine yards. Tomorrow, we begin our transition from cornfields to (Great) plains as we enter Nebraska and its largest city: Omaha.
Stayover shenanigans.
Cyclist’s Corner
Today’s Rider: Jaylen Patel
How are you today? I’m doing great today. Today’s route was definitely one of the more difficult ones of the journey. I felt a rollercoaster of emotions on the ride today, but my team and group got me through it, and I’m excited to spend the night again with my teammates and continue day by day.
You’ve fundraised thousands of dollars for our cause. What has been the most impactful fundraising experience you’ve had? Before the ride, most of my fundraising came from friends and family, which has given me a lot of appreciation and gratitude for the reasons I am riding and who I am riding for. I even created a T-shirt dedicated to those I am riding for which I am planning to wear on the final day of the ride. Honestly, my most impactful fundraising experience has been on the ride. For those that don’t know, each night our stayover host may graciously offer a meal donation or access to showers and laundry, but for a good handful of nights, these are things we need to find when entering a new place (often a few hours in advance). Often, I’ve found myself in the role of finding these, and I think a big part of fundraising for me is conversing with stayover hosts and local people we meet along the way and relaying the message we share. If they are touched by what we are doing, they may provide a donation. I like to take a picture with them (consensually) whether they lend a listening ear or donate, just to serve as a reminder of who we have in our corner.
What keeps you going when it gets difficult to put in all of those miles or even to get on the bike? I think of my grandparents, I think of my teammates, and I think of our mission of inspiration. It’s very easy at any point to give up or fall into a sort of lost hole, but its consistently important to remind yourself of all you have achieved and set out to achieve. Today for example, there were probably 100 times that I wanted to quit. If you take it mile by mile, day by day, and spend time with the team and friends, suddenly you’ve traveled a very far distance. I really enjoy I4K because it builds consistency, helps you assume responsibility even when no one is looking, and when you are on the bike, helps you to explore how capable you are and how much you can push yourself before giving in to immediate gratification, for example.
Do you have a favorite accessory to wear with your ride uniform? I am usually the only guy who is fully covered on the ride, so I guess I would say my breathable base layer of a long-sleeve SPF shirt and SPF long Johns. Goes a long way to help protect my skin from some crazy tan lines.
What’s your rest stop routine? Take a few moments to relax and calm my head and muscles. Usually, we stop every 20 miles, so even if it’s a long day, I like to break up the ride by number of 20-mile segments. I use those moments to visualize how much we have already accomplished for the day. I am a big believer in healthy nutrition (before ultimately grabbing a cookie) and water at the rest stops (a whole bottle). I’ll apply a little bit of sunscreen and refill bottles before heading out, and by this time someone is already announcing that our 15 minutes are up (a good thing that keeps us consistent).
In the remaining portion of the ride, where are you looking forward to visiting the most? For the remaining states, aside from Colorado and California, this will be my first time trekking through the beautiful northwest scenery, so I am very excited to explore this new part of the country with a very different point of view than I would have as a tourist in these cities. I am very excited for back to back national parks in Wyoming.
Please visit the rider profiles page on the website to learn more about this year’s riders! :)
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