URBANDALE – Local 5 is continuing its commitment to ride RAGBRAI in 2016, which means Good Morning Iowa’s Elias Johnson is preparing to ride across the state.
In 2015, Johnson rode over 150 miles, telling stories of interesting riders from the route.
It was after the first day traveling from Sioux City, Johnson discovered how difficult the ride would be.
“I remember getting to mile forty seven, just short of the midway point and my legs began to cramp,” Johnson said, “I pulled off and crawled into a ditch to rest for a half an hour before I could get back on.”
This year he’s training at the Bar Performance Gym in Urbandale to avoid a repeat of that first day.
“It’s always important to do an assessment on a person before you train so you know where they’re at physically,” gym owner and trainer Jeremy Smith said.
Smith and his partner, Ben Wafful devised a workout plan to help train Johnson for the hills he’ll encounter suring the seven day ride.
“Elias is a busy man, he’s got a lot going on so he’s going to have to find the time to invest in himself to decide if he’s worth the effort to diet and exercise and lift weights,” Wafful said.
Johnson plans to workout at the gym at least three times a week heading into RAGBRA which starts July 24th through the 30th.
Local 5 will have coverage each day with live reports from each overnight stop.
The BAR Performance Gym is located at 2745 100th Street in Urbandale. You can schedule your own assessment by calling (515) 783-7179.
