Minnesota Ironman - CycleTour

It started out okay. The drizzle was manageable and there was even a portion where the rain stopped! We must have had a tailwind, because it was very quiet and I was optimistic. As we headed towards the first rest stop, a middle school in Jordan, the rain started. We saw some lightening and it was really raining by the time we arrived at the stop, 22 miles in. We were worried and there were a ton of people trying to dry off and talking about grabbing a bus back to the start. The next rest stop was at mile 45, but New Prague was halfway. I knew that the course went right through the town, so we reasoned we could stop there and get shelter if necessary. The rain continued and when we turned toward New Prague the wind changed to a headwind. The combination of headwind, painful cold rain, and already being tired and cold was enough for us. We saw a little bar with two bikes parked outside and pulled over. We were done at 10:30 and about 34 miles. We called the Ironman Ride Hotline and asked about getting a ride, or to see if we had to ride to the next stop 10 miles away. They said they would be picking up groups of people in town and to wait, so we gave our location and had some coffee. Around 11:30 we were starting to wonder and called back. They then said they were still coming, but that the majority of folks were at Betty's (a bar?) and McDonald's. So we packed up and the four of us (my friend Carrie and our two new guy friends) rode a mile down to McDonald's. This was the COLDEST part of the ride and we new we made the right decision. There was no sign of letting up and we were mostly soaked through. There was no chance we'd be able to manage the headwind too. We waited another 1.5 hours at McDonald's until Carrie's husband finally picked us up. He was attempting the 100 mile route, but after two flats (in the rain...) he had sagged it in. The ride was overwhelmed with people needing rides, so it was fortunate he could get us. We headed back to Lakeville for my car and to check in. We spent as much time or more waiting and I was so glad to be done and on my way home.

I had about the best gear I could have worn and did the best I could. If we'd started at 7 we might have gotten a bit further, but not more than the stop in Lonsdale. I can't help the weather and that's the risk with this race.

Getting over the shivering was rough, and the fact I was so cold made me feel better about bailing. I do want to try this again next year, but only if the weather is better. Race day registration next time :) It really got me riding earlier in the season and I'm grateful for that. It was also Carrie's longest ride to do, so a victory in that regard as well.