RAGBRAI - 2019 Support Vehicle Driver Edition

Last week was the 47th annual bike ride across Iowa, better know as RAGBRAI.  In a rare occurrence, last year I didn't partake in any aspect of the ride.  Did I come out of retirement for the third time to cycle on RAGBRAI this year?

Sort of.

For the first time ever, I drove a support vehicle for others instead of riding the route myself.  While others have done the same for me countless times, this was my first chance to be there with supplies and encouragement for others as they rode a day of the route.

It was a whole different way of seeing the ride / riders.  Here are just a few observations:

* If you're sitting somewhere along the route as it goes by, get ready to wave and talk a lot.  I thought I'd be able to listen to some podcasts, or maybe read a little bit as the riders passed.  However, most of the riders are waving or honking a horn at you as they say hello.  This was true even though I was stationed at the top of a hill, where you'd think out-of-breath riders wouldn't want to say anything.  They were relentless in their desire to exchange pleasantries, and many were happy to stop and talk a while, especially if you asked them about their unique dress, or where they were from.

* Not to overstate it, because most riders were in good shape, but there were a lot more riders than I'd ever noticed before who were obese.  Frankly, they should not have been riding.  I say this with all due respect to them for their attempt, but people have heart attacks every year on the ride, and it's easy to see why.   Maybe I didn't notice them in past years because I was always passing them?

* So many specialized bikes!  Not just tandems, but things like side-by-side cycles, elliptical bikes, and many adapted cycles for disabled riders.  It was a much greater number than I ever realized.  This actually was a reason for the funniest line I heard on the ride, from a rider who was with another person using a hand-powered bike.  At the top of a hill, he said to the clearly paraplegic rider, "Are your legs tired?"

* Getting the the meeting / destination town early, then staying there for a couple of hours, gives one a better idea of how large RAGBRAI is.  The populations swell by thousands in just a short time, the lines for food and beverages grow, and finding shade very quickly comes at a premium.  This is where looking at maps beforehand is so important, to find an optimal meeting spot for those riding.

While it isn't something I'd be interested in doing every year, driving a support vehicle does give one a way to experience the 'party' side of the ride without having to experience the physical aspect.  Plus since I was wearing my cycling clothes, no one knew any different!

Fitbit(e) Me Again

The warm weather and longer daylight of summertime encourages people to increase their level of physical activity.  It might be something big, like long range running / cycling / swimming, or something simple like gardening, or walking the dog.  (Alas, many people don't walk their dogs much in colder weather, and yes, that makes them terrible pet owners.)

Regardless, this is a net good thing for those people's health, and to a lesser extent, a society that may not have to bear a cost to care for more unhealthy people.  Unfortunately, some of those who fall into the 'simple' category also fall into a net bad category.  Specifically, the category of people who feel it's necessary to brag to others about their new, extraordinarily minor activity.

This is the scourge of the Fitbit, a fitness tracking device introduced several years ago.  I blogged about it in 2015, and it's only been made worse (meaning even more ubiquitous) by the very popular Apple Watch.  Here is the key paragraph:

Hey Fitbit users:  The rest of us are happy that a consumer product has made you more fitness-aware.  We just don’t want to hear about it every damn time you’re around us.  You might want to assume that some of us are doing a lot more than you are to stay fit, we simply aren’t publicizing it.  Also, I would caution Fitbit users to remember the importance of diet in overall health – but please, you don’t have to tell the rest of us your daily fresh vegetable or yogurt intake, either.

Bragging about a slow walk or slow bike ride only incriminates the bragger.  Those who wear fitness tracking devices should not confuse activity with cardiovascular-improving, weight-loss inducing exercise.  Movement is good, but movement without elevating your heart rate, or burning substantial calories, is a big health nothing-burger.

I suggest that before these folks brag about their activity, they think about whether their audience cares, or whether anyone is seeing any actual results.  If the answer is no, don't brag about it.