The heat spreading across the country is certainly influencing some riders’ choices, but the Tetris game of routing and riding makes for complex planning with the hope it all falls into place. Riders are mentally moving the blocks of bonus locations, daylight only bonuses, planned stops and rest bonuses, while the clock ticks away the hours until they must arrive at Checkpoint 1 on Thursday evening in Carmel, Indiana.
This year’s
theme Miles of Progress – will take riders
to “bonuses with historical significance in innovation and progress for
the human condition.” I anticipate lots
of “oh! I didn’t know that!” moments, which is part of the fun. The official Iron Butt Rally site is your
home source for all things IBR including the official blog and photos taken
from the checkpoints.
Day 1 is always
a push-pull situation. Riders are READY to
go, then they question their route, then there's the wait to launch, then remembering to turn right or left out of the parking lot…. For those family and friends watching, it’s a
mix of happiness, excitement and emotion. It’s a big ride. The
biggest. The excitement about what the
riders will experience is there, as well as a prayer for smart
safe rides. Mostly, I watched this
launch and thought of all the friends out on the road for the next 11
days. And one friend who isn’t, but his
bike is. Tom Loftus, 10 time IBR veteran
(with 7 finishes), great guy and friend, is in the hearts of many today. Tom’s ST1100
was ridden first out of the lot this morning by Danny Dossman to much cheering
and a few tears. I’m so happy Tom’s bike
is in this rally, and I’m glad Danny is riding it.
Kirsten is Rider #8 in this, her 4th Iron Butt Rally. The full list of riders and their trusty steads can be found on the IBR page. Going down this list just makes me smile. The SKILL of these riders is fantastic. The IBR is not something to approach lightly and these folks, and the rookies too, come to the gate with their full selves ready for action.
Behind the
scenes, riders have shared their route plans and SPOT tracker links with family
(aka rally home crew). For the safety of
the riders, we can not share specific locations, plans, direction, or any other
routing information publicly while they are riding. But I can say that Kirsten is riding her plan
and managing the heat. Hydration
system! Electrolytes! Wetting the LD gear down 3 times for
motorcycle air conditioning! (wet
wicking shirt + open vents in jacket + ride = evaporative cooling) And she’s picking up bonuses along the path
of innovators that have come before, already making miles of progress.
You go, K T-S! Don’t get stuck in the sand; stay away from hungry bears and mountain lions; don’t sleep in porta johns; stay cool when it’s hot; stay warm when it’s cold. Know that your friends back home are cheering you on. The fire pit and puppers will be waiting for you 🔥😁🐶🐶🐶
ReplyDeleteWow, so much goes into the planning and execution of the route, I know your great minds are making this happen, Team T-S! Glad to hear she's got a cooling method that works. Go, Kirsten, Go!
ReplyDeleteHave a safe next leg!!!
ReplyDeleteCheering you on Kirsten!
ReplyDelete