Thanks for helping us hit a grand slam!
There’s no crying in baseball… or cycling! We made it! 425 miles across northern Iowa. I must say, this trip made me fall in love with Iowa all over again (I truly did fall once – photo evidence!). Someone asked me during the ride, “How could you ever move from this beautiful state? The people are the most genuine and kind people I’ve ever met.” I couldn’t agree more, and I asked myself that question many times during this adventure. This year’s RAGBRAI was called the Small Town Classic. We travelled through some of the most...
read moreFighting the heat for a great cause
Well, Iowa never lets us down, always saving the heat for RAGBRAI week! Regardless of weather, we are having a great time. We loved our overnight in Okoboji, enjoying live music and fireworks in historic Arnold’s Park. Sunday’s ride was great, with wind at our side or back. Monday was not as pleasant due to 20 mph winds against us and high humidity. Tuesday was the longest – and of course hottest – day, so we took it slow with breaks to hydrate, hydrate, hydrate! We are excited to get to Waverly and Independence, the overnight towns closest...
read moreTeam BOB gets ready to ride
RAGBRAI 2014 is less than a week away, and Team BOB is getting very excited! We know that we’ll make a lot of great memories and experience lots of new things, but we are most excited to tell people about Build Our Ballpark. I can’t think of a better way to raise awareness for Build Our Ballpark than by traveling across its very own state in a way that promotes health and teamwork, just like the organization does. It’s even better that this year’s route crosses the northern part of Iowa – the part of the state where the Hellman family comes...
read moreLessons of Spring Training
“People ask me what I do in winter when there’s no baseball. I’ll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring.” – Rogers Hornsby Puddles of melted snow. The sounds of birds chirping and carefree children playing outside. This means only one thing to us at Build Our Ballpark – spring training season. We resonate with the quote from Rogers Hornsby, even after the record-breaking mild winter Iowa experienced these past couple months. For spring represents a fresh renewal in our spirits here at Build Our Ballpark. We get to...
read morePedaling to restore America’s Favorite Pastime – Accomplished!
454 miles complete! Our last day of riding began in Coralville and proceeded through Iowa City (home of the University of Iowa and the former state capital), West Branch, Springdale, Moscow, Durant, Wilton, Walcott and finally into the Mississippi River town of Davenport. Not your average milk man! Each town once again had its own signature means of attracting and encouraging the riders. In West Branch (birthplace of Herbert Hoover), you could naturally have your picture taken with the former President’s likeness. In Wilton, a banjo serenade...
read moreHumor Helps in High Humidity
Little Leaguers provide inspiration on Day 6 This was destined to be a rough one from the start, and delivered in every sense of the word: 75 miles from start to finish, not a cloud in the sky, temperatures over 95 degrees with high humidity, and LOTS of rolling hills. As we rode from Grinnell to Coralville, and passing through Brooklyn, Victor, Ladora, Marengo, Amanas, Homestead, and Oxford, we saw a true cross section of Iowa. Little League supporters in Brooklyn, IA We started with a big dose of inspiration, meeting with Little League and...
read moreRAGBRAI: Hill after Hill, We Pedal On
Only 66 Hills to Grinnell As we were departing Altoona today a sign on the road said “56 Miles To Grinnell,” followed by another saying “Only 66 Hills to Grinnell.” That alone describes the day – hill, after hill, after hill (and you thought Iowa was flat!). Enroute we passed through Mitchellville, Colfax, Baxter and Rock Creek State Park. Thursday’s RAGBRAI crowd This summer has been characterized by high heat and humidity. We’ve been starting each day hoping that the heat would break. In Iowa there are two ways to get a big drop in...
read more56.1 Miles is a Nice Break
Sometimes you get a break, and Day 4 was exactly that for the Build Our Ballpark RAGBRAI team. Our ride started in Boone and proceeded through Luther, Slater, Sheldahl, Alleman, White Oak, Elkhart, Bondurant and then into Altoona. While that seemed like a lot of pass-through towns, a couple of them elicited a “Was that wide spot we just passed a town?” reaction from the team. 56.1 miles from start to finish. Bicycle arch on RAGBRAI route The team made the mistake of looking at the weather radar as we awoke. Sometimes it’s better NOT to know...
read moreThis is Why We Ride
We close the tale of Day 3 – 71 miles, which on the one hand was very flat, and yet full of challenges, traveling from Carroll to Boone. The day was really the tale of two rides. The first 40 miles we had a gorgeous sunrise, beautiful flat roads and a slight tail wind. The roads of RAGBRAI were filled with signs for the bikers of all types and motivations. The first half of today’s ride was characterized by one of our favorite signs: “Ride It Like You Stole It.” But just when we were feeling good about the day, somebody turned on the oven and...
read moreRural Towns with Big Hearts Greet Team BOB
We just finished Day 2 – 65.4 miles from Atlantic (Iowa’s Coca-Cola capital) to Carroll, Iowa. When we pulled into a city of 10,000 people with a volume of riders and support vehicles that make up RAGBRAI, I thought it would once again overwhelm this city. But Carroll showed its worth – in how they welcomed the ride (with families lining the streets applauding each biker), offered their homes and lawns to riders to sleep overnight, and provided anything it took. Their excitement for being part of RAGBRAI was palpable, and their appreciation...
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