IBA-Certified “Iron Butt™” Rides
Feeling Euphoric in Niagara Falls, NY after traveling over 1,500 miles from Custer SD through six states and three time zones in less than 36 hours. I left Custer on Sunday, July 12 at 9:52am and arrived at Niagara Falls on Monday, July 13 at 9:20pm. Click here to see the July 13 page in my blog describing this trip.
Made it! Excited to be in Silverton, Colorado after traveling over 1,500 miles from Monterey, Tennessee in less than 36 hours. I left Monterey on Thursday, July 23 at 9:29am and arrived in Silverton on Friday, July 24 at 6:36pm . Click here to see the July 24 page in my blog describing this trip.
What an adventure! There was something appealing about going from Sturgis (South Dakota) to Sturgis (Michigan) and then Portland Maine after leaving home from the Portland, Oregon area. This was an IBA Saddlesore 2000 ride with over 2000 certified miles in less than 48 hours. Click here to see the July 15 page in my blog describing the journey.
During a group ride to Klickikat, Washington, I overheard a friend talking about her “Iron Butt™” ride, and my ears perked up when I heard “1,000 miles.” Surely that wasn’t in one day, was it? Intrigued, I asked about it and was introduced to the Iron Butt Association’s™ (IBA) endurance rides. Motorcyclists who provide detailed documentation of rides of at least 1,000 miles in less than 24 hours can receive an “Iron Butt™” certification. I was hooked.
I had a similar feeling before—hearing about an opportunity and knowing it was something I was meant to do. While obtaining a teaching credential as a young mother of three, a light turned on in my head when I observed a more senior teacher in her high school algebra class. She was strong, capable, effective, and compassionate, helping her students achieve to the very best of their abilities. Watching her, I knew with certainty that I was meant to be a high school math teacher. My joy and passion for teaching helped compel me to continue teaching throughout my cancer battle, even when I lost the ability to speak.
Riding a motorcycle has been a similar experience. Within a few weeks of getting on the back of a bike for the first time as an adult, I was off on a 7-day road trip. A little over a year later, I departed for a 7-week cross country trip from Oregon to Maine and back. In the less than four years since getting my endorsement I have ridden over 90,000 miles on my own bike. I have ridden in day and night, snow and hail, thunder and lightning, and intense heat and bitter cold. Yet I can’t remember a single time feeling that I had ridden too much or traveled too many miles.
There was something compelling and irresistible to me about going 1,000 miles in 24 hours and being “Iron Butt™” certified, and I decided that my solo cross-country trip would provide the perfect opportunity to attempt the challenge.
During my 2020 summer trip, I completed two nested IBA rides, each earning a “Saddlesore” certification for 1,000 miles in less than 24 hours and an additional “Bun Burner” certification for 500 additional miles, all in less than 36 hours. While on my summer 2021 trip I completed a nested Saddlesore 2000 ride, earning a 1,000 mile “Saddlesore” certification, a 1,500 miles “Bun Burner” certification, and a 2,000 mile “Saddlesore” certification.
Descriptions of all three nested rides are included in my summer 2020 and summer 2021 day by day narrative. My book, Two-Wheeled Wind Therapy has even more details about the backgrounds of the first two rides. I would encourage anyone interested in completing an IBA certified ride to visit the Iron Butt Association website to read ride descriptions and requirements. You can also join the IBA forum to get helpful advice from a variety of seasoned endurance riders.
Click here to see my name on the IBA list of Certified Ride Finishers