There is nothing healthy or even productive regarding riding ones bike all over Iowa...so count me in!!!

**************************************************************************************************************************************************Feeding the Rat: When a fine, family oriented, all American, healthy hobby turns into an addictive obsession on the fringe of lunacy. The underbelly of amateur cycling in the Northland; what they don’t tell ya about in the fitness and cyclist magazines. Eki and I left Duluth today @ 3:30 this morning to embark on yet another DBD march to folly. The core defining moments of the ride involved a very long and arduous series of climbs complete with a significant headwind. Given my zealous willingness to help out the nice people at The Brewhouse @ Fitgers the night before in their efforts to distribute their Bock-style ales to the locals (a stout yeasty heavenly elixir that is brewed from the by-products of the Spring annual scrapping of the beer barrels…A cautionary note: Bock is not a recommended beverage for the novice or the serious intellectual), combined with Eki’s sheer youthful strength and enthusiasm, I found myself in a bit of a struggle as I floundered up the unrelenting hills. To Eki’s credit, sensing my weakness, generously pulled me along and saved my day. Happily, after about thirty minutes of following closely behind Eki’s wheel, I bounced back to some degree and while unable to give my fair share at the front, I was able to get back enough of the old fire to laugh and make merriment with my good friend as the diesel trucks tried haphazardly to kill us… Later in the day, I had to take my off-spring to a birthday party that also required assisting with ten+ hyper kids at a local bowling alley. I was so worn out from the DBD workout, that I could hardly walk. I could see that the other parents were thinking, “That poor little Sophie Farrow, her Dad is so old and feeble.” Or, “Who is that old duffer, is that Sophie’s grandfather?” Or, “Has that slightly confused elderly man with little Sophie had a recent stroke.” Or, “Are our children safe with the frail looking odorous man in the building?” So it goes….Healthy or not, productive or counterproductive; We are getting totally pumped for the Trans-Iowa IV