Andy and the RAIN ride

When we went to Terre Haute last week, it was so that Andy could participate in the RAIN ride. RAIN stands for "Ride Across INdiana" and it means what it says. The bike ride is a 1 day, 160 mile ride from Terre Haute (on the western border of Indiana) to Richmond (on the eastern border). Andy had been eying this ride for a while and was excited for the chance to participate. I made him pose when we picked up his info packet and new RAIN ride bike jersey.

I took this picture in the hotel hallway before he left for the start of the ride @ 7am.

After Andy left, I had to get the kids up and the room packed I took a kind of back-roads way back toward home since we had to pick up Carina from the kennel. I knew we would intersect with the riders. Imagine my surprise when I pull up to the stoplight and see Andy with a pack of bikers waiting to cross the intersection! This was their first rest stop on the ride. The boys thought it was fun to see Daddy, too.

I took the kids home and that afternoon, our sitter came over to watch them so I could go pick up Andy in Richmond, mayber 2 hours from our house. I figured we would get to the finish line about the same time since Andy had texted my from the final rest stop before the finish to let me know where he was. I was able to get there with time to find a spot by the finish to snap this photo of Andy completing the ride.

He did it! And, I think he was very glad to be done! It took him a little over 11 hours total-counting the scheduled rest stops. Andy said the hardest parts for him were the "gentle, rolling hills" as described on the ride's website. Apparently, Indiana south of Indianapolis is a little more hilly than the Indiana just north of Indy. He said the hills were tough to go up, but he made it up on the downward side. I was proud that he was able to accomplish his goal of completing this ride.