The route changes every year. This year the route began in Sioux Center and ended in Clinton.
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| Route Map source RAGBRAI.com |
My husband has participated in RAGBRAI for the last 15 consecutive years. He rides with Team Spare Tire, a group of friends from Iowa. My son has participated for the last 6 years. I stay with friends and have a week of sewing, shopping, eating and chatting... but these details are worthy of another post.
This year some 15,000 (yes... fifteen thousand) riders participated in RAGBRAI.
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| Mary Chind/The Des Moines Register |
And isn't this picture great with the barn quilt in the background.
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| Justin Hayworth/The Des Moines Register |
This year the ride went past the farm where my husband grew up in Aurelia, IA.
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| Christopher Gannon/The Des Moines Register |
On Wednesday, on the fourth day of the ride, in 100+ degree heat, with strong headwinds, while drafting with his team members, my husband had a terrible crash. His tire met the tire of a team member ahead of him and he went down... hard. I received a call that he was okay but going by ambulance to Marshalltown. Thankfully Jess, the sole female on the team, rode along.
I was in Coralville, about an hour and forty minutes away. I hurried off to Marshalltown, not too worried... afterall, they said he was okay. I entered the ER, it was overrun people clad in biking wear. Most were sufferring from dehydration, in fact Jess's husband Josh was there receiving IV fluids. I found Brad in room 10 with six ribs with multiple fractures, a shattered collar bone, and a punctured lung. Poor guy, he had a similar accident in September of 2009. He had to stay in the hospital for two and a half days due to the punctured lung. He had a very hard time breathing.
As bad as it is, he is very lucky. He landed on his head and shoulder on his left side. His helmet
has 6 cracks on the inside, proving it did it's job.
We traveled 6 hours from Iowa home to Indiana. The husb never complained. He contacted the doctor that helped him after his last accident and now has a catheter placed in his back, to the left of his spine that works like a sprinkler hose delivering a novacaine like product to the rib area. He wears a sling to protect his collarbone. We have a lovely hospital bed in our bedroom. Now it is a waiting game. Everything has to heal on it's own.
Today, not quite two weeks later, he is attempting a short day at work. Up until this weekend he did not drive. We went out yesterday and bought a new helmet. He is ever the optimist. After 26 years of marriage you'd think some of that would rub off on me.
