2019 RAGBRAI - June notes

Thanks for stopping by the Team LMM blog and learning more about the 2019 RAGBRAI ride!

2019 route is the 6th shortest in the history of the ride at 427 miles and the 8th flattest with 14,735 feet of climb. According to those that keep stats, this is the 8th easiest ride in 47 year history!

Team LMM will start from Council Bluffs and end in Keokuk 8 days later!

More information will be forthcoming soon!

428 Miles & 12,576' of Climb

2018 is the 46th RAGBRAI!

The 2018 route is 428 miles and has 12,576' of hills to climb!
This makes it the 4th flattest route and the seventh shortest in the 46 year history.

Here are the route maps!
All images courtesy of www.RAGBRAI.com 

2018 TEAM LMM SPONSORS

TEAM LMM wants to thank the generous support of the following companies and individuals for their contributions to the 2018 team jersey!

FSB Premier - Waterloo, IA

Rhonda & Mark Vaughan, Wavery, IA

Sticky Construction, Brent Halvorson - Thompson, ND

Meicher CPAs - Middleton, WI

Libarty Inc - Maryville, TN

Portico Benefit Services - Chicago, IL

Karras Loop - Wednesday

In 1972, 4 Des Moines Register Sportswriters started RAGBRAI. This was the idea of John Karras 44 years ago! 

For the last 30 years, there is a day with an extra 30-35 mile loop to take it to a "century day" (100+ miles) and  that loop is called the Karras Loop. Riders get a special patch. 

Joel and Kyle from the team rode the karras Loop is year! 

Here's the Lake Rathbun dam! 

 

At the Honey Creek Resort, the mid point of the Loop, you got the patches plus had a chance to relax and unwind!

 

Most riders chose to jump in the lake including Kyle

 

Day 2 Stories

Here are the random stories from Monday!

- Doug gets passed by a guy who says "hey, Lutheran men... Do you know Doug Haugen?!!"

And Doug said "hi! I'm Doug Haugen"

- Joel was asked what women's ministry that LMM does! 

- Jerry was asked for contact info and had lots of people ask "who is LMM and how do I make contact?!"

- several team members needed to go purchase chafing balm after they got off their bikes! 

- in Corning, Jesus was there with a menu on the 10 Commandments for the chicken noodle dinner at the methodist church

- Perre and Mark had a guy and his wife take a photo with them just because they liked the jersey!

- at breakfast, a man from Des Moines comes over to us and says "hey, Men On A Mission"... Thanks for the   $12,000!donation in May! That will fund our ministry for a year!  Turns out it wasn't Lutheran Men in Mission, but a Des Moines ministry called Men on a mission and Chicks For a Cause

- Drew was riding next to a man and his pedal literally fell off riding down a hill! 

Sunday Conversations

On Sunday, as we stopped in towns, and talked and pedaled, there were some great connections made!! 

Doug and Kyle talked with about 10 pastors, and pastors spouses. 

Lots of conversations about the methodist and Lutheran logos on the jerseys! 

Project Twelve got a lot of questions!

Joel Fischer and his daughter received a lot of positive comments as they pedaled as a father daughter pair!

Glad we were out there! 

DAY 1 - GLENWOOD TO SHENADOAH

 Thanks for following team LMM!
Today was technically 49.7 Miles but we rode closer to 55!
2614 feet of climb with total of 4400 feet elevation change!
Temps about 90F and we made it through!!

The "traditional tire dipping" spot in the Missouri River was 8 miles west of Glenwood so the team drove out to the river and did a virtual tire dip!

We were on the road by 530a!
Here we are leaving Trinity Lutheran in Glenwood!

 

Our first stop was in malvern for breakfast!

Dozen of choices but we like our "Farm Boys" breakfast burritos 

 

Here we are ahead of the pack

 

In Shenadoah the evening town we had live music that looked a lot like this photo from Saturday in Glenwood

 

We stopped at the Everly Brothers house

 

Our host for the evening was Pastor Jeff and Candace Alvestad from Emmanuel Lutheran in Shenadoah! 

About 5p we got rained on for 45 minutes. Glad we have AC at the alvestads. 

More pictures and stories to come tomorrow!