This was the longest day of the event! It was great to start all together, yet a bit strange as Mike and I seemed to be way ahead of the rest of them. Then after a few miles, a group of about 10 riders came up and I hung with them for a bit, until falling off at some tougher climbs. Finally, during the 4 day event, settled into a rhythm of biking, stopping at KwikTrip controls and repeating. Great food at KwikTrip, Eventually I would come to eat the mashed potato/chicken gravy bowel, since it was so easy to swallow. Then even add some onions and mayo from the fixings bar! Wash it down with the KwikTrip Nature's Fresh lemonade. Yummy. Even had a KwikTrip fish sandwich one time and a couple times of breakfast sausage wrap. Crossed Mississippi at Red Wing, mi 56, where I caught Doug Mc and rode on/off with him. Then around Maiden Rock, mi 70, the 2 Maine riders caught me, so I rode with them a bit. Around 1:30pm, a planned stop at Durand, WI Dairy Queen, mile 132.6 for a burger, fries, and blizzard was a welcome break. Ordered inside the little building but not tables inside, so outside under a big shade tree were 3 tables on concrete. Had a leisurely 30min lunch since it was so hot, 99F, and humid. At mile 85 to abt 80, our travel lane was being seal-coated so rode in other lane. Around mile 95 I left the 2 Maine riders to pull into a farmhouse to alert them to a yearling being on the road. At overnight, I ended up rooming with Jeff from Seattle, with whom I had ridden some on the Charmed Clover 1200k in Seattle. That worked out well.