Day 6: Independence to Dyersville- What a Ride!!!

Riding with Lance this week hasn't been a real easy event as he has started at 11am most days. By that time most of us are a pork chop and two slices of pie into our ride. Today, he started at 9am and we were all there to join him for a group ride. It was without a doubt the best day I have ever had riding a bike. 150 of us started out on a fairly leisurely ride out of Independence towards Dyersville. A few miles in Lance picked up the pace and only about 40 of us were able to hang with him. I was one of the 40 and before I knew it I was side by side riding with Lance at 22MPH, chatting and having a ball. All told, I rode with him for 25 miles before he bowed out to head to France to watch his team (Discovery Channel) win it all at the Tour de France. I sat on his wheel, I pulled for him, we climbed a hill together out of our saddles and we lead the team into a 15 MPH head wind for almost 10 miles. When he peeled off, we kept an aggressive pace and I actually completed the 65 miles ride in better than 20MPH. It was a day I'll never forget.

So here we are. 421 miles down, 56 to go. Tomorrow will be our shortest, but hilliest day of the ride. I am looking forward to it. I like hills and I am looking forward to patsrideacrossiowa coming to an end.

Tomorrow my post will come from home. I'll take some time to reflect on the week and the experience and share some of my feelings with you. It has been a week that I will always remember.

The pictures of us with Lance were taken right before our ride. We also made it to the Field of Dreams. Looks just like it did in the movie, right down to the "black sox ghosts" walking out of the corn.

Best food of the day: Turkey/Bacon/Guacamole sandwich.

See you down the road.

Pat