This is a public service announcement! I need a shower...

Looking for anyone that may know someone in Burlington, IA...

This is our ending point for RAGBRAI this year. Dip of the front wheel in the Mississippi River and a photo of your finish and then hopefully find somewhere to clean up.

This is the one town where we do not have a team acquaintance that will allow us to clean up prior to driving back to Des Moines. A van full of ripe cyclists is not fun. There are public showers in a few locations, but when there are 10,000 riders doing the same, it makes for a long afternoon.

If anyone has a friend, family member or otherwise in Burlington that might allow at the very least myself (if not others) to shower up, I (we?) would be so very gracious. I'd even go so far as to say that we'd gladly pay for their services.

Feel free to email me at pschmiddy@cox.net and let me know if anyone has any contacts in Burlington.

Thanks again.

Getting closer...33 days away

My uncle notified me that this blog has been neglected as of late...thanks, John.

So here we go...

Had some outpatient surgery in early April that had me unable to ride for 5-6 weeks. Terrible! Love that time of year! Was able to keep active with some running. Back on the bike a few weeks ago. Been commuting to work...12 miles one way typically and occasionally will do longer rides going to or coming from the office in Tempe.

Getting hot! Been really nice the past couple weeks and I can just feel the heat that's right around the corner. Nooooo...

We start in Council Bluffs, the location of the Bob Kerrey Pedestrian Bridge, completed in September 2008. Very cool nighttime shot can be found here.

Not a lot to report...just wishing that the airline would stop changing my itinerary for flying out there...bad enough that I have a layover in Minneapolis in both directions. Not that Minneapolis isn't a great city or anything...

Getting some interest generated with different members of my family...both sides! Family team next year? Anyone?

Please forward me your home addresses so I can get postcards out to everyone. Thanks.

Lastly...pay attention when cycling. Don't be an idiot like this guy that one of my coworkers encountered on his way to work this AM...note the green light my coworker has and how the rider looks away while on the phone...