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GOING TO BE A GOOD IDEA TO HEAD OUT EARLY. ALYX SACKS YOU’RE LIVE IN WINTERSET FOR US. ALEX, HOW IS EVERYONE DEALING WITH THE HUMIDITY THIS MORNING? I’LL TELL YOU WHAT. THEY’RE GETTING OUT EARLY. THAT’S HOW THEY’RE GOING TO DEAL WITH THE HUMIDITY AND HEAT TODAY. WE HAVE SEEN A STEADY FLOW OF RIDERS. WE SAW FOLKS BEFORE 5 A.M. THIS MORNING, AND THEN IT’S JUST GOTTEN BUSIER AND BUSIER AS WE’VE HEADED INTO THE 6:00 HOUR. WE SAW AN EIGHT YEAR OLD FROM INDIANOLA UP EARLY WITH HIS PARENTS. THEY SAY HE’S GOING TO TRY AND DO THIS ENTIRE RIDE TODAY. SO SMART TO GET IT DONE EARLY AND HOPEFULLY LOTS OF WATER AND ENJOYING THE STOPS ALONG THE WAY. AND THESE RIDERS HAVE ALREADY BEEN THROUGH A LOT. IT HAS BEEN A HILLY RIDE. YESTERDAY WAS THE STEEPEST PART OF THE ROUTE. MORE THAN 4000FT OF OF ELEVATION. THEY HAD QUITE THE CLIMB AND TODAY’S ROUTE A LITTLE BIT EASIER WITH THE 3000FT OF CLIMB. THESE CYCLISTS ARE ATHLETES, SO WORKING THROUGH ANY TYPE OF CHALLENGE AND SOME OF THEM ARE CYCLING ON A MISSION. ALYSSA YOU’VE MET A LOT OF RIDERS ALREADY THIS MORNING, BUT ONE IN PARTICULAR STOLE OUR HEARTS. THERE IS ONE THAT WE WANT TO TALK ABOUT. AND YOU KNOW, BEFORE WE GET TO THAT, WE HAVE SEEN PEOPLE FROM ALL 50 STATES, SEVERAL COUNTRIES COME TO IOWA JUST FOR RAGBRAI. THEY SHOW A LOT OF ENDURANCE AND A LOT OF STRENGTH RIDING THIS RIDE. WE’VE LEARNED THAT EVERY RIDER HAS A MISSION. ����vlog MET PEOPLE FROM COLORADO AND FLORIDA AND EVEN ALL THE WAY FROM NORTHERN ENGLAND. WHILE IN WINTERSET YESTERDAY, THE RIDERS RECEIVED A WARM WELCOME AS THEY RODE INTO TOWN. A LOT OF OUT OF STATERS TOLD US THAT THEY’VE SEEN A LOT OF IOWA. NICE. WHILE ON THIS RIDE. SOME RIDERS ARE ON THIS RIDE TO RAISE AWARENESS FOR IMPORTANT CAUSES. PEOPLE LIKE BARB HEENAN AND HER HUSBAND MIKE. HERE’S A LITTLE BIT ABOUT WHY SHE’S RIDING RAGBRAI. I’M OUT HERE RAISING AWARENESS FOR SCLERODERMA, WHICH IS AN AUTOIMMUNE, CHRONIC, AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE THAT IS PROGRESSIVE, THAT I WAS DIAGNOSED WITH 30 YEARS AGO. SO THIS HAS BEEN A LONG TIME COMING. SO I’M PREPARING FOR A DOUBLE LUNG TRANSPLANT. WE ACTUALLY FIND OUT NEXT WEEK. NOW BARB HAS A TEAM OF TEN PEOPLE WITH HER EVERY FIVE MILES. THEY HAVE TO CHANGE OUT HER OXYGEN TANK. SO IT’S REALLY TAKING A TEAM TO GET THROUGH THIS RIDE. BUT SHE IS DOING IT. SHE IS RESILIENT AND THAT’S THE BEAUTIFUL THING ABOUT THIS RAGBRAI IS ALL THOSE AMAZING STORIES. IF YOU’D LIKE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT SCLERODERMA OR HELP, DONATE TO BARB’S CAUSE, YOU CAN CHECK OUT THAT FACEBOOK PAGE. IT’S CALLED CLA