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PAST EVENTS
Congratulations to the Air Force Cycling Team
2008 RIDER CUP AWARD WINNERS!
In July, I rode my bike across Iowa in remembrance of my beloved husband. Many people have asked me to describe this weeklong event, and there is one word that summarizes the experience the best - "extreme".
I am more of a casual cyclist, riding ten to twenty miles on a quiet afternoon. When the Air Force Cycling Team invited me to ride in RAGBRAI, I had no idea the cycling would be so extreme. We usually rode fifty to one hundred miles a day in the rain and hot temperatures with no flushable toilets! Who would have thought that cornfields could be used as restrooms?
At the end of the riding each day, we camped in various Iowa towns. The camping was also extreme for a city girl like me, as showers and toilets were limited. "Port-a-Potties" also known as "Kybos" (keep your bowels open), were a staple in each town.
By the end of the week I had ridden over five hundred miles! One day we rode one hundred miles in honor of Kevin, and the Air Force named this ride the "Sonnenberg Century".
The most extreme part of the ride was not the conditions or the cycling, but the emotions the ride evoked. "Some Gave All" was the phrase used to describe the event, and the Air Force Cycling Team embraced what it meant to ride in honor of Kevin. On the last night, they even hosted a special dinner and ceremony for the entire Sonnenberg family.
Of course the fact that the entire family traveled from Ohio to Iowa for one day of events was extreme in itself! They were there to see me ride across the finish line, and they were waving their American flags the entire time!
I can't say that I would like to ride my bike that far anytime soon. However, I can say that the ride and the support from my family and friends helped me get through my first year without Kevin. As for the next year, I have wonderful RAGBRAI memories of determination, pride, and honor.
God Bless,
Lorin Sonnenberg
Special Thanks to: The Air Force Cycling Team VFW Post 657 CTS Staff!
