La Crosse Ride Day!

Up @ 4:30, breakfast 2 5:00, Bike Rooom to distribute bikes, pump tires, fill bottles, kit up. Down @ the edge of the Mississippi for the anthem, the take-off. Over the bridge into Minnesota. Good roads as we travel south along the river. Break Point #1 @ 15 miles, with a small group that's riding okay. Move some coaches around and realize I have no one to ride with. Catch a lift for a sag up to a group. Break Point #2, still overcast, nice temps (80-ish) and moderate humidity. Hawks, frogs, tons of dragonflys but no sign of darting turtles. Breakpoint #3 is in Lansing (!!) Iowa, during "Fish Days" no less. Oh the humanity! Hoook up w/ fav coach Terri from Minn and take a group up the big climb ( about 40% 0f Jubilee). Sun comes out, temp goes up as do we. Water stop @ the top and I lose Laura to the med car (briefly). Big downhill back to BP #3 where I meet Scott, who I'll ride w/the rest of the day. Back to 2, where Laura gets in J2's sag (she rejoined us @ #3 after getting her color back). Scott and I press on - at the end but w/ 5 riders behind me. Back through Minn, there's the bridge back to Wis. Ride back almost to the finish w/ Scott, turn him lose and back to the next group. Do that 2 times and.......we're done! 240 some riders in safe, sound and smiling. $600K + raised! Quick ditch kit in the BIke Room and throw Team Tee and shorts over sweaty skin. Dinner in the big tent alonside the river. Tell them about "bikeface" from Patti B, give out Spirit (another post in itself - remind me) and Best Youbg Rider jerseys. Eat too much brisket and pie. Hang around and back in the doneness and success. Bike Room - then the bar, then a pizza w/ J2 then here to crash but not before telling y'all at least this much.

Thanks for reading, for riding, for caring, for being who you are.

Hugs - Coach Mike