RAW

If you read this the day it's published, I'm on the road right now.

It's the RAW ride, the Ride Across Wisconsin, a little trip from Dubuque, Iowa to Kenosha, Wisconsin.

In one day.

At least that's my plan.

175 miles.

My longest previous one day ride is 125.

Just thinking about 175 is a bit daunting.  I've read some articles about last year's RAW (the first ever) and one idea that clicks with me is chopping the trip into a series of shorter distances.

It's just 25 miles from Dubuque to a village named New Diggings.  Then 25 more.  25 after that and with another 25 mile trip I'll be in Beloit, Wisconsin.

Looking at the segments, my goal is to ride each 25 miles stretch in no more than 2 hours.  If I'm able to maintain anywhere close to my usual riding pace, I can do this.  If it takes me 2 hours for each segment, or going 12.5 miles an hour, I still get to Kenosha tonight around 8.  My measuring stick is what time do I get to Beloit?  Getting there around 2, or earlier, puts me in good shape to finish on time.

You can mentally exhaust yourself thinking about eating the whole elephant instead of taking one bite at a time.  So, I want to concentrate on each 25 mile trip.  If I remember, I'll note how long it takes for each of those trips.

More than the time, I think about furry four-legged creatures who might want to watch the 500+ riders expected on the ride.  I really don't want to see any of them unless there is a fence behind us or I can see an attached leash.

It's what I call an irrational fear that goes back to when I was 4 and bit by a dog.  Then there was the nip from a dog while on a country ride back in high school.  A couple barks and my heart goes into overdrive.  If it's level or downhill, adrenaline kicks up my pace.

I ask for your prayers for the journey today, that all riders might be safe and arrive in good health. While I ride, I'll be thinking what to share with you in Tuesday's blog, so you can check to see if I completed the trip.

Happy biking!