Today I rode in the Minnesota Ironman Bike Ride, a 104 mile expedition across the southern burbs of the Twin Cities. “The Team” I rode with was composed of a 5-time Northfield teacher of the year recipient, a Harvard soccer All-American, a Wayzata hockey ringer, and a freak with a bionic knee (yours truly). During all rest breaks, “The Team” could be found huddled together discussing strategy of “sticking together” with an “all for one, one for all” mantra that would make a great like Bud Grant beam with pride. After each meeting, Northfield wonderboy Ben Danielson and west-side Ward Schwie bolted out of the rest areas like bats out of hell, leaving the rest of “The Team” peering through the dust. Only the times when Keren Gudeman devoured a Snickers bar at the rest stop did she emerge leading “The Team” (this occurred once). Things appeared to work out though, as we all finished and returned home in one piece (sans Keren’s brutal fall on the hill before reaching lovely Lonsdale). Like clockwork, the Bianchi performed admirably and my bionic knee once again stepped to the plate.