Iron Butt!
Iron Butt ..... a term I'd heard for many years though not always used in the correct context. To me it'd always simply meant doing a 1000 mile trip on a bike. At the same time, it sounded absurd to me. I don't like doing 500 miles in my cage, much less 1000 in one pop. Hell, until I rode my bike to Sturgis in '11, I'd never done even 500 in one day on a bike. However back in '11 I did 600 on day one, rolling through 110 deg heat; I thought that was crazy. Then a few years later, 700+ miles to MN. As the mileage numbers creep up, you start pushing a little harder. The bar is raised. Hell, on two MN trips I felt I could have done the trip of 975 miles in one day but stopped once due to a bike break down and the other, due to critters at night possibilities. In '15 I found myself doing 1150 miles each way to/from Sturgis, 20 hours each. Now in all fairness ... that 1150 wasn't planned out either way.... and it hurt. Anyone that thinks it's easy .. has never done it. And .. I swore I'd never do it again. The second leg coming home was nothing short of brutal. I hit the wall and was exhausted.
Well.. never say never. I'd done my Iron Butts .. but .. I hadn't. The "Iron Butt" is an official term used by the Iron Butt Association (IBA) and they don't have just their "1000 mile" run .. but .. dozens of variations. Still, I thought I was done. Then a buddy of mine did a 48 states in less than 10 days run. WTF? I thought he was nuts at first then realized how difficult and .. cool ( at least to me ) was. I then started researching Iron Butt rides, events and rallies. A few buddies of mine knocked out their 1000 mile rides last year. Suddenly, mine was nothing but a 'story'. I like to tell it.. because of some of the things that happened along the way .. but.. now I found myself wanting to be 'official.' I've seen folks abuse the term with BS home made patches, non official event patches, not actually doing the miles required, or within specific time limits. Now, I wanted to do it by the book. So a few weeks ago, I prepped correctly, did a little planning and ... was game time.
It's time. I'm up at 0300 hours to get dressed and out the door. Problem is, I didn't get but about 4 hours sleep. For the life of me, I wasn't' tired so mama' and I did some porch sitting and I did the unthinkable; couple small glasses of scotch. I was wired but not tired! Finally around 10pm I'm in the covers and trying to get to sleep. That damned alarm came early! I quickly hit the shower, and throwing on jeans, boots and a long sleeve shirt. I've learned to cover up as much as possible when riding long distances during the summer after my '11 fiasco ( got fried!). Cup of java, grabbing the wallet, pistol and doing a double check mentally. My wife is up with me and the time flies. Within 15 minutes, I'm loading up the bike with all my gear and by 0330 I'm headed down the road ... with 4 hours of sleep. I'm headed to the gas station to start this officially.
What many don't realize is, what is the "Iron Butt?". Well first, it's not the ride, it's the name of the association. And each ride has specific names. We as a whole tend to generalize them all as "Iron butt" rides, but not so. I'm about to head out on the easiest of them all (easiest? what?).. the Saddlesore 1000 ( 1000 miles within 24 hours). But, there is more. You have to document it. And they don't screw around. Signatures from witness(s) at the stop and start points. Receipts from every gas station. And GPS proof doesn't' hurt and.. sometimes mandatory , depending on the ride. So, when you succeed, and get your certificate/patch, everyone knows it's legit and 100% earned. So, I have an app called REVER to track the ride, I top it off a few miles from home, ensure I have a receipt ( and even took a pic of it) ... and ... we're officially headed down the road. It's approximately 0345 hours, 88 degrees (!), dark as hell, I'm not awake yet fully .... and I'm headed out.
Normally I prefer to head out as the sun rises, and ride '2 laners' but that will burn up time and take longer, and .... is less than the 1000 miles needed. But if I head NW to I-35 and roll up all the way to the Twin Cities on it, it's approximately 1025 miles and takes an hour LESS to travel there. So, Interstate ( ugh ) it is. To get to it, I have to go up Hwy 69, then over to Hwy 82 and an hour in, I'll jump on it headed North. When I get to Gainesville, I turn north onto the service road and looking for the on-ramp. I've gone .8 miles when out of the corner of my eye I realize I'm about to pass it doing about 35 mph or so, No traffic, so I do a quick turn onto the on-ramp , which is almost disastrous. There are no streetlights and I didn't see a sign. There are no white lines on the road that I can see and I quickly find out why; they are covered with sand and gravel. I ride through it; feels like my front tire is in a sand box and the bike is wobbling but I stayed in the throttle and rode it out now finding the grass on the shoulder. As I regain control I'm now headed back onto the pavement. No traffic or witnesses; just a bruised ego. I'm taking a deep breath realizing how close that was, suddenly aware that I'm not 100% awake..... so with my heart racing... I'm headed North on Interstate 35 vowing I won't let that happen again.
The best thing about Interstates, especially in Texas is, you can haul ass. I'm soon in the left lane, cruise is set to 85 and I'm thinking this is going to be a long day. One trick I found was to think of it all in increments. With 1000 miles ahead of me, I started counting in 10ths. I wanted to do minimum 100 mile increments. As it'd turn out , I averaged 125 miles between stops. I'd have done 150, but I was burning fuel at the higher speed. I'd average about 33 to 35 the whole way at this pace. As soon as I cross the border into OK, it's casino land and I jump into the first gas station I see on my side of the road. Over the last 7 years with the few long rides I've done, I've learned a couple of things. First, sip your water. Don't chug it, just keep a cup of ice water nearby and sip as necessary. This keeps one hydrated and keeps one from having to P' at every stop. Secondly, I bring protein snacks and some energy bars. I nibble on these the whole way. No meals. Big meals slow you down time wise.. and .. sometimes get you dragging ass tired into a 'food coma.'. Either way, my stops are brief, grab my receipt , take a pic, tuck it away .. and .. I'm headed out. But in the dark, I can still see what's looming ahead. The sky has different shades of darkness. There's rain ahead.
As I'm rolling into Oklahoma City, it's sprinkling. The temps are now in the 70s, fuels gauge is below 1/2, and it's a good time to pull over. My new routine for the day. Top it off, grab a receipt, take a pic, store the receipt, water refill, possible P' break, hit the road and repeat. The good news is I never forgot to grab a receipt. Why a big deal? I NEVER print receipts when I ride normally; I'm surprised that it never bit me in the ass. Getting the routine down, to include pics... created the habit quickly. Well, I'm headed North and for the next 150 miles, with temps in the mid 70s ... I'll be 100% focused on the road conditions and traffic on wet pavement. Soon, it's time for more fuel .. and the roads have dried up. Rain gear off, and back to rolling at 85mph with a smile on the face.
As I get closer to Iowa, the temps are rising. Soon, they are up to 90 as I'm heading for the MN State Line. I'm somewhat surprised this is going smoothly. My last stop I got delayed by 20 minutes thanks to a lot of questions and pics taken of my bike, but I finally break away and trying to get back my time.. ... up to 90mph. But the State line comes quickly and several miles up ahead I've got a surprise! I knew two of my brothers were going to meet me.. but... I've got more.. not 3 .. or 4 .. by FIVE .. waiting for me! Yes, made my day and ... teared my ass up. Damned this felt good! Chris Simmons was there and I hadn't seen him for two friggn' years! Mustache Mike and Tim N also surprised me! Scott B and Rick D were the originators of the idea and there with hugs. One cool part of all this is I'd never met Scott B until that day; only virtually after the "Event Implosion" of 2017 ... for those that know what I'm referring to. Anyways , we all caught up for the next 20 minutes or so, then headed to the R&R mc Clubhouse! Rick D took the lead and we had a nice 85mph pace all way to my final gas stop where I'd get a receipt as proof of my destination time.
When we pulled in at our final destination, grabbing a cold one within seconds ... it all seemed surreal. I had another few hundred miles in me. This time around the first 2 hours were the most difficult. After that, I was on autopilot enjoying the ride. With a signature on my IBA paperwork, all I had left was to double check my log , make a copy of the receipts and submit for final approval. All that planning paid off. It was done. In the record books. My third 1k'er, first 'official'.
Now.... I find myself thinking ... what's next? I've got a bike trip to Boise Idaho next year. It's 1600 miles. So the question then becomes... do I do it (1500 of it)... Iron Butt Style .. .. .. Bun Burner 1500 (36hrs) .. or Burner Burner 1500 Silver or Gold (24/30 hrs)? Then maybe a Southern Border to Northern Border? Or.. "Ride around Texas?" Guess I'm getting ahead of myself ...
Well.. never say never. I'd done my Iron Butts .. but .. I hadn't. The "Iron Butt" is an official term used by the Iron Butt Association (IBA) and they don't have just their "1000 mile" run .. but .. dozens of variations. Still, I thought I was done. Then a buddy of mine did a 48 states in less than 10 days run. WTF? I thought he was nuts at first then realized how difficult and .. cool ( at least to me ) was. I then started researching Iron Butt rides, events and rallies. A few buddies of mine knocked out their 1000 mile rides last year. Suddenly, mine was nothing but a 'story'. I like to tell it.. because of some of the things that happened along the way .. but.. now I found myself wanting to be 'official.' I've seen folks abuse the term with BS home made patches, non official event patches, not actually doing the miles required, or within specific time limits. Now, I wanted to do it by the book. So a few weeks ago, I prepped correctly, did a little planning and ... was game time.
It's time. I'm up at 0300 hours to get dressed and out the door. Problem is, I didn't get but about 4 hours sleep. For the life of me, I wasn't' tired so mama' and I did some porch sitting and I did the unthinkable; couple small glasses of scotch. I was wired but not tired! Finally around 10pm I'm in the covers and trying to get to sleep. That damned alarm came early! I quickly hit the shower, and throwing on jeans, boots and a long sleeve shirt. I've learned to cover up as much as possible when riding long distances during the summer after my '11 fiasco ( got fried!). Cup of java, grabbing the wallet, pistol and doing a double check mentally. My wife is up with me and the time flies. Within 15 minutes, I'm loading up the bike with all my gear and by 0330 I'm headed down the road ... with 4 hours of sleep. I'm headed to the gas station to start this officially.What many don't realize is, what is the "Iron Butt?". Well first, it's not the ride, it's the name of the association. And each ride has specific names. We as a whole tend to generalize them all as "Iron butt" rides, but not so. I'm about to head out on the easiest of them all (easiest? what?).. the Saddlesore 1000 ( 1000 miles within 24 hours). But, there is more. You have to document it. And they don't screw around. Signatures from witness(s) at the stop and start points. Receipts from every gas station. And GPS proof doesn't' hurt and.. sometimes mandatory , depending on the ride. So, when you succeed, and get your certificate/patch, everyone knows it's legit and 100% earned. So, I have an app called REVER to track the ride, I top it off a few miles from home, ensure I have a receipt ( and even took a pic of it) ... and ... we're officially headed down the road. It's approximately 0345 hours, 88 degrees (!), dark as hell, I'm not awake yet fully .... and I'm headed out.
Normally I prefer to head out as the sun rises, and ride '2 laners' but that will burn up time and take longer, and .... is less than the 1000 miles needed. But if I head NW to I-35 and roll up all the way to the Twin Cities on it, it's approximately 1025 miles and takes an hour LESS to travel there. So, Interstate ( ugh ) it is. To get to it, I have to go up Hwy 69, then over to Hwy 82 and an hour in, I'll jump on it headed North. When I get to Gainesville, I turn north onto the service road and looking for the on-ramp. I've gone .8 miles when out of the corner of my eye I realize I'm about to pass it doing about 35 mph or so, No traffic, so I do a quick turn onto the on-ramp , which is almost disastrous. There are no streetlights and I didn't see a sign. There are no white lines on the road that I can see and I quickly find out why; they are covered with sand and gravel. I ride through it; feels like my front tire is in a sand box and the bike is wobbling but I stayed in the throttle and rode it out now finding the grass on the shoulder. As I regain control I'm now headed back onto the pavement. No traffic or witnesses; just a bruised ego. I'm taking a deep breath realizing how close that was, suddenly aware that I'm not 100% awake..... so with my heart racing... I'm headed North on Interstate 35 vowing I won't let that happen again.
The best thing about Interstates, especially in Texas is, you can haul ass. I'm soon in the left lane, cruise is set to 85 and I'm thinking this is going to be a long day. One trick I found was to think of it all in increments. With 1000 miles ahead of me, I started counting in 10ths. I wanted to do minimum 100 mile increments. As it'd turn out , I averaged 125 miles between stops. I'd have done 150, but I was burning fuel at the higher speed. I'd average about 33 to 35 the whole way at this pace. As soon as I cross the border into OK, it's casino land and I jump into the first gas station I see on my side of the road. Over the last 7 years with the few long rides I've done, I've learned a couple of things. First, sip your water. Don't chug it, just keep a cup of ice water nearby and sip as necessary. This keeps one hydrated and keeps one from having to P' at every stop. Secondly, I bring protein snacks and some energy bars. I nibble on these the whole way. No meals. Big meals slow you down time wise.. and .. sometimes get you dragging ass tired into a 'food coma.'. Either way, my stops are brief, grab my receipt , take a pic, tuck it away .. and .. I'm headed out. But in the dark, I can still see what's looming ahead. The sky has different shades of darkness. There's rain ahead.
As I'm rolling into Oklahoma City, it's sprinkling. The temps are now in the 70s, fuels gauge is below 1/2, and it's a good time to pull over. My new routine for the day. Top it off, grab a receipt, take a pic, store the receipt, water refill, possible P' break, hit the road and repeat. The good news is I never forgot to grab a receipt. Why a big deal? I NEVER print receipts when I ride normally; I'm surprised that it never bit me in the ass. Getting the routine down, to include pics... created the habit quickly. Well, I'm headed North and for the next 150 miles, with temps in the mid 70s ... I'll be 100% focused on the road conditions and traffic on wet pavement. Soon, it's time for more fuel .. and the roads have dried up. Rain gear off, and back to rolling at 85mph with a smile on the face.
As I get closer to Iowa, the temps are rising. Soon, they are up to 90 as I'm heading for the MN State Line. I'm somewhat surprised this is going smoothly. My last stop I got delayed by 20 minutes thanks to a lot of questions and pics taken of my bike, but I finally break away and trying to get back my time.. ... up to 90mph. But the State line comes quickly and several miles up ahead I've got a surprise! I knew two of my brothers were going to meet me.. but... I've got more.. not 3 .. or 4 .. by FIVE .. waiting for me! Yes, made my day and ... teared my ass up. Damned this felt good! Chris Simmons was there and I hadn't seen him for two friggn' years! Mustache Mike and Tim N also surprised me! Scott B and Rick D were the originators of the idea and there with hugs. One cool part of all this is I'd never met Scott B until that day; only virtually after the "Event Implosion" of 2017 ... for those that know what I'm referring to. Anyways , we all caught up for the next 20 minutes or so, then headed to the R&R mc Clubhouse! Rick D took the lead and we had a nice 85mph pace all way to my final gas stop where I'd get a receipt as proof of my destination time.When we pulled in at our final destination, grabbing a cold one within seconds ... it all seemed surreal. I had another few hundred miles in me. This time around the first 2 hours were the most difficult. After that, I was on autopilot enjoying the ride. With a signature on my IBA paperwork, all I had left was to double check my log , make a copy of the receipts and submit for final approval. All that planning paid off. It was done. In the record books. My third 1k'er, first 'official'.
Now.... I find myself thinking ... what's next? I've got a bike trip to Boise Idaho next year. It's 1600 miles. So the question then becomes... do I do it (1500 of it)... Iron Butt Style .. .. .. Bun Burner 1500 (36hrs) .. or Burner Burner 1500 Silver or Gold (24/30 hrs)? Then maybe a Southern Border to Northern Border? Or.. "Ride around Texas?" Guess I'm getting ahead of myself ...
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