Sagging the RAIN Part I

The
infamous
Ride
Across
INdiana!

90+
degrees
and
humid.

163 miles

in

one

day...

It's
grueling!
says
Tom....

from
his
air-conditioned
Highlander.

Oh,
he doesn't
mean
the
biking...

He's
talking
about
the
sagging.

Endless
hours
of
handing out
gatorade....

icing
down
towels...

exhausting
my poor foot
on that
accelerator
pedal...

and
there's
all that
waiting...















and
waiting...

It's
exhausting!

But for
my
little
girl...

I'll
pack
away
my clips
for one day...

and
SAG.

OK.
I have
to bike
to the
start.

Past
the
Terre
Haute
courthouse

and
the
Terre
Haute
sunrise.

I love
the
excitement
of the
morning
start.

Can I
do it?

Will
my body
last
the
distance?

A
familiar
face
in the
crowd.

Scott.

He's on
his 12th
RAIN
ride....

and
then
there's
Al...

on
her
first.

The
countdown
begins.

10

9

8...

7
6
5...

4
3
2...

And
they're
off!

I'm
surprised...

at the
number
of
ladies...

in
this
testosterone-
laden
event.

I'm
surprised...

at
the
number
of
hills!

Look!

There's
my
friend,
Steve!

He biked
across
America
last
summer...

with
Al
and
me!

Now
he just
needs
to bike
across
one state!

Good
luck,
Steve!

And
good
luck
to me!

In
this
danged
Highlander.

I follow
the crowd
out of
Terre
Haute...

and
they're
off!

Some
riders
are
very
serious....

Some
are
jovial.

And
some
think
it's the
end
of the
world...

It just
may feel
like it

by the
end
of the
day.

Ah!

34 miles!

The first
rest stop!

Time
to
take in
more
fluids...

and
get
rid
of
some.

There's the line-up

for food...

But
not
for
Steve...

He just
wants
Fig
Newtons...

and
some
air.

Now
it's on
to
Plainfield!

It's
too bad
they're so
busy
biking...

they
don't
even
notice...

the
beautiful
flowers.

I hope
they
notice...

their
dedicated
SAG
supporters...

cheering
them
on...

from
the
side
of the
road.

Keep
on
biking...

Up
one
more
hill...

and

we've

made

it!

Friendly
faces...

Lots
of
food...

and
support...

It's
getting
hot...


(in
more
ways
than
one!)

Our
feet
hurt...

I'm 

exhausted!

It's
still

100 

miles

to

go...

Will
we
make
it?

Stay
tuned...

for
Part
II...

of
the
Sagging

of
the
RAIN.