I did it!!! I can now say I've qualified to be one of the IBA's World's Toughest Riders. Where do I begin to explain the experience of completing an endurance ride of 1,000 miles in under 24 hours on a motorcycle? Short Version: Husband and I left Lead, SD, crossed a total of five states, 10 gas stops and rolled over 1,000 miles at Emporia, KS in 17 hours.
I picked a simple route of two Interstates 90E and 35S. We followed a storm (didn't get wet) with a cold wind as we travelled through South Dakota and Minnesota. It was good to head south for warmer air into Iowa and at that point I was pleasantly surprised at how easy the trip seemed at about 680 miles. But, as time wore on things got a little loopy-almost psychedelic as we pulled into the bright lights and fast traffic of Kansas City, Missouri. At 900 miles, I'd say I was feeling wobbly and dizzy from the 75-80 mph wind beaten speeds and bumps for the past 15 hours. The last 100 miles through the Kansas Flint Hills was the toughest fatigued riding I'd ever experienced. But I finished it and now have to submit my documentation paperwork and wait to receive my certificate, license plate back (above) and IBA patch. While this is one thing from my bucket list, I still think I'd like to push myself again to complete longer IBA rides someday.
