If you came out and saw us at Quad Day, thanks for showing your interest and signing up!  We had nearly 250 people sign up and passed out even more quartersheets.  It also helped to have an enormous banner (see below for our booth before the crowds showed up).  If you didn't show up for Quad Day here's the scoop:

We're holding interest meetings on the following days in the following locations:

• Thursday, August 28th at 7 p.m. in Davenport Hall, room 329

• Tuesday, September 2nd at 7 p.m. in Gregory Hall, room 319

• We'll also be having a laid-back, friendly bike ride out to Jarlings' Custard cup every Thursday starting the 4th of September until it gets too cold.  Meet at 7 p.m. on the Quad-side of the Union.
  

Hey Illini 4000 fans.  We will be at Quad Day tomorrow (that is August 24th) from 12 to 5 pm.  Come check out the Illini 4000 booth and see how you can help spread the message of our cause.

With the anticipation of a bride on her wedding day, the 20 road-tested members of the 2009 Illini 4000 Bike America departed Yelm, WA for their ultimate destination: Magnuson Park in Northeastern Seattle.   Underneath blue skies and Blue Angels fighter jets, the team cruised through the 70 mile route like the veterans that they are, easily conquering the few obstacles that stood between them and the seemingly-impossible End: crowds of pedestrians watching the Blue Angels soar overhead, steep roads, and a maddening network of streets.  After 71 days of brushes with cars, wrong turns, and brief periods of homelessness, nothing could stop the Illini 4000 team....

At approximately 5:15 PST on August 2nd, the 2008 Illini 4000 Bike America team turned into Magnuson Park and broke the ceremonial toilet paper finishing tape, thus concluding another successful year in Illini 4000 history.  Greeted by adoring friends and family, the 20 members of the Illini 4000 exchanged hugs and took photographs before enjoying a WONDERFUL spread of pizza, veggies, fruit, sandwiches, oh-so-delicious lemonade, and even a birthday cake for rider Connie Ger (August 5th -- Happy Birthday Connie!)  It was truly the perfect end to our last ride.*

But wait, there's more....

After leaving the park, the team traveled to the beautiful University of Washington campus.  Here the majority of the team divided-up and settled in at its last stayover locations, the Chabad House (for the girls) and the AEPi Fraternity House (for the guys) just down the block.  For many of the (male) team members, staying at the fraternity house added a new element to their Illini 4000 experience -- particularly because it gave them the opportunity to watch television for the first time in 72 days! 

Alas, it must be noted that the separation of the team and the absence of several riders -- who had chosen to spend the night with their family -- foreshadowed the second seemingly-impossible fact: everyone would soon go their separate ways. After 72 days living, laughing, riding and sleeping side-by-side, the team would soon be no more....

It would be no more, but not without one final celebration.  At 9:30 am on Sunday, August 3rd, the 20 riders of the Illini 4000 got on their bikes (haha) and made their way to the Campagne Restaurant in downtown Seattle for a brunch hosted by the U of I College of Medicine.  Here the team enjoyed the most spectacular food ever tasted on an Illini 4000 Bike America Ride and celebrated their achievement as an entire team one last time....

And so, with everyone's stomach full of organic yogurt, quiche, and blueberries, the team ventured into the street outside of Campagne and Seattle's (truly) world famous Pike Place market for one last round of hugs, songs, and photographs before saying goodbye to the individuals who had - more or less - made up their world over the previous 72 days.

It was a great ride.



*Acknowledgements:
Special thanks MUST be given to the following families for helping put together this wonderful reception: The Xiaos, Topols, Gers, Cillicks, Ludmers, Clarks, and the entire Erikson clan.  Of course, the Illini 4000 wishes special thanks to Mr. Ger for serving as both official photographer and support-vehicle driver2 (thus allowing everyone to ride into Seattle), Allen Tran (for being support vehicle driver 1, preparing delicious food over the past few days, and making our team look larger than it really is in all team photographs), the Cillicks (for making awesome "We did it!" t-shirts), and Jill, the American Cancer Society representative who trekked out to Magnuson on her day off to talk about the importance of raising money for cancer research.  We, the riders of the Illini 4000 Bike America team thank you for making the end of our ride so memorable.  Thank you also to Sarah Robinson and the U of I College of Medicine for hosting such a wonderful brunch  and giving our team the opportunity to one together one last time.

The same must be said to all of the family members, donors, religious leaders, churchgoers, cancer patients,  cancer survivors and strangers who are reading this message who could not make it Seattle.  You provided us with nourishment, lifted our spirits on windy days, and jumped our car when we played the music too long and killed the battery!   We could not have made it this far without your help.

Note: While this journal documents the final days of the Illini 4000, we would encourage you to continue to visit our website in the coming days, weeks, and months.  Riders will surely be posting  additional end-of-the-ride posts as they return home and regain access to the "interwebs", thus providing you with a more comprehensive look into the end of our journey!  In addition, we will soon be making our donation to the American Cancer Society, Camp Kesem, and preparing for the 2009 Illini 4000 Bike America Ride.  That's right -- we're already thinking about next year!  As long as cancer remains a serious public health issue in America, generations of Illini 4000 riders will continue to ride across the country in support of cancer research and awareness.  We're a young organization -- you don't want to miss the next chapter in our story!

In the past two days the team has left Oregon behind and moved into the southwestern part of Washington State where we are currently settled at the Emanuel Lutheran Church in Yelm, WA.

Today's ride took the team from Castle Rock to Yelm, WA. The morning started with a French Toast breakfast in Castle Rock, the work of our masterful guest chef/rider Allen Tran. As we departed Castle Rock, the drizzle began to fall and continued through much of the morning. We stopped for lunch in Centralia where we enjoyed a fabulous PBJ lunch out of the back of the van and visited the bike shop and the library. With about 30 miles to cover following lunch many people took their time getting to Yelm stopping to cool off in a swimming hole where a rope swing hanging from a tree provided much entertainment. When we arrived in Yelm, Connie and Andrea prepared a fabulous meal of rice and grilled cheese putting our donated Panera bread from Portland to good use. After dinner the team was treated to ice cream at Dairy Queen thanks to a generous ice cream donation from Matt's aunt. With less than 24 hours before we pull into Magnuson Park in Seattle most of the team is currently fast asleep in preparation of tomorrows ride. For those meeting us in Seattle tomorrow we'll see you at the finish line!

Today we had a rest day Seaside.  It was very relaxing.  Seaside is a great little town centered around tourism, so it has lots of shops and things to see.  Several people spent all day wandering around.  Many people also biked 8 miles to the nearby Cannon Beach, which I have been told was amazing.  Xixi, Sandy, Andrea, and Brad went to Astoria for a Cancer support group meeting to do a Portraits project interview. Tomorrow we ride to Castle Rock.

Today we finally reached the Pacific Ocean in Seaside, Oregon.  It was a miserably cold and wet day, but everything was made somewhat lighter by Allen Tran's visit.  He is guest riding from Portland to Seattle.  He also rode from Chicago to Champaign last year, making him the longest guest rider in the I4K's 2 rides.  Tomorrow is another rest day, and it feels sort of weird, having another one after we had one yesterday.  I'm sure everyone will love it anyway.

Sorry this is a day late, but we had a few very busy days in Portland.  We left Cascade Locks a little late, around 8 instead of 7:30.  It didn't matter too much; we only had a 40 mile day into Portland, and we had to meet Barbara and Bruce (two alumni club members who led us into town) at the 22 mile mark at 11:30.  We took our time, and stopped at several large waterfalls.  One of them is the second largest year-round fall in the U.S. The meeting point was at the top of a large hill, so once we met the alumni it took us very little time to get the rest of the way into town.  The Alumni club threw us a barbaque lunch, and then we went to kennedy school for showers.  We got to the church at around 6.  Most people went out for dinner.  We also got a HUGE donation from Panera.  People spent time until they went to bead eating.

Portland was indeed a treat. We started off the morning today by attending the first ever Northwest Cancer Summit, a conference on cancer survivorship. Seminars on everything from sharing your personal cancer story to advocacy topics were hosted by a wide variety of speakers. The event was both educational and inspiring to see. Afterwards, everyone headed out to explore what's been called the most bike-friendly city in America, especially one of the team's favorite activities: visiting bike shops! And Portland definitely had quite a bit to see. Alas, our stay cannot be prolonged, and tomorrow we venture on to finally dive into the Pacific Ocean - a 90+ mile day to Seaside!

Christmas in July has come and gone, and what a day we had!  We traveled from Umatilla, OR to Biggs, OR.  As we trekked 87 miles to our campground we hit forceful headwinds and hot desert heat but it couldn't stop us from enjoying our ride.

Today we hit more road construction being once again piloted 7 miles out of the gravel and newly paved asphalt.  Although we got a ride, the roads were still bumpy which in turn affected our speed in journey.  Some of the riders were able to beat the afternoon heat with another swimming adventure at Lake Umatilla in Roosevelt.  However, following the swim we climbed out of the river valley to even stronger headwinds and a challenging climb.  As we neared the top of the hill, we found our teammates tangled in blackberry brambles!!  What a delicious surprise, a perfect reward for the effort it took to make it up the hill.  A few of us even filled up spare water bottles with fresh picked blackberries.

As we arrrived to Merryhill State Park which was actually on the Washington side of the river, we began our Christmas celebrations.  An amazing meal was cooked by Ben and John filled with lots of veggies, rice and potatoes.  Afterwards we gathered around the pine tree where our secret santa gifts were piled high, and revealed our roadside ($5 budget) finds.  We then wrapped up the night with the campfire staple...S'MORES!!

Today was a GORGE-ous day!!!  We rode through the Columbia river gorge after starting off the day with a one mile ride to a morning booster at McDonald's.  It was a really dramatic (and wonderful) change from yesterday's deserts.  As we headed to our stayover at Cascade Locks, we could see Mt. Hood in the distance, a sure sign that we were closing in on our final destinations. 
For a portion of the ride, we climbed to the top of Rowena Crest where we found a beautiful view from the top of the bluffs.  Along our route, we rode with several cyclists participating in the American Diabetes Association's Tour de Cure.  It was a nice change in pace to see more cyclists than cars.  Oregon's Historic Columbia River Highway was really friendly to cyclists, and the people sponsoring the Tour de Cure ride even replenished our riders with bananas and locally brewed root beer. 
The transition from the scenic highway to Interstate 84 was really loud despite the generous shoulder.  It made us appreciate some of the more cyclist-friendly back roads.  Although I-84 wasn't ideal, we were once again surprised to find an abundance of blackberry bushes all along the highway!
As we made it into Cascade Locks after another long day, we can now look forward to tomorrow's breezy (hopefully not windly) 42 mile ride into Portland.  Andrea and Connie are especially looking forward to paying for plastic bags in Portland due to the new city ordinance to charge $$$ for bags.  Use reusable bags!!!

Today we entered the state of Oregon, where we learned how to never underestimate the impossible. As soon as we crossed the border, the road became smooth new asphalt and gained a 15 mile per hour tailwind. Tailwinds have been unheard of throughout the trip, except for the brief portion from Champaign to Chicago. The view was filled with beautiful black sand beaches and columnar joints that traversed the Columbia River. Several of us decided to take a dip in the river from a hot afternoon of riding.

As the eve of Christmas in July ensues we leave you with our warm holiday wishes:

'Twas the night before Christmas in July, when all through the McNary Elementary School
Not a rider was stirring, except for our ride leaders (Nick, Jon, and Sandrew)

The bikes were all ready inside the gym, tires pumped with air
In great hopes that our secret santas will surprise us with cheer!

As we nestle in our sleeping bags to get ready for the next day
We dream about our jerseys and shorts and prepare to fly away.

As we entered the final state of Washington, although we will be leaving tomorrow, we encountered fun obstacles that made our day fly by. We started off with a 2000 foot climb, which wasn't as intimidating as it sounds due to the gradual grade. After our climb to the top, we continued onto the rolling wheat fields which created a beautiful view. The view was intriguing due to a technique called strip cropping. This sounds misleading, but it is used in conservation efforts to minimize soil erosion. A few miles out of lunch we ran into a block of road construction. Although some of us tried to ride through the 4 miles of gravel roads, a 6% steep incline, laden with new oil, most of us were able to hitch a ride due to the kindness of strangers with pick-up trucks. Either way we all made it safely.

The state of Washington has not only been gorgeous, but we have already felt the generosity and kindness of the people we have meet. When we arrived in Waitsburg, WA this afternoon a local cajun cafe donated delicious food that really helped reenergize the team. We also celebrated Rachel Burke's 24th birthday with superb vegan rice crispy treats and candles that her teammates made. 

See you later Washington, BRB! 

Today the team had a relaxing rest day in Lewiston, ID. The church provided the team with oatmeal and coffee for breakfast in the morning. After breakfast, a group of people went to a waffle house while others remained in the church to recharge. A few people took multiple naps throughout the day while others read and played chess. The church once again provided us with a lasagna dinner today followed by ice cream and cookies. Since today is Pastor Kevin's birthday, a few of the girls decided to bake him a surprise birthday cake to show our appreciation. After dinner, a few of us sat down with Helen who is a survivor of breast cancer for a portrait project. Helen shared with us her experience dealing with cancer as well as a few interesting stories after her recovery. Overall, our experience in Idaho has been extremely positive and we are excited to see what Oregon and Washington state have to offer.

After spending three days in the scenic Clearwater National Forest, we were finally back to civilization. Although we had a tough day going up and down the mountains of Idaho, it was a very rewarding ride and we all had a lot of fun along the way. The front group got in Craigmont by noon while the back group took their time and rolled into town in flying V formation. After having a delicious meal of vegetable stew cooked by Nick, Andrea, and a few others, a few members of the church offered us both laundry and shower. Most of us took up both offers and chatted with the families who let us use their showers. We are expecting a relatively easy day tomorrow into Lewiston followed by a rest day.

Leaving Craigmont and entering Lewiston, ID was a great adventure. We climbed a few more rolling hills (leftover from yesterday) and had a scenic descent that lasted around 10 miles. We're currently at the First United Methodist Church of Lewiston where the members have been very kind to us. The bought groceries for us to have a barbeque later tonight and have offered to cook for our other meals as well.

We are excited to explore Lewiston and Clarkston. Many of us will watch the new Batman movie later tonight, and are also planning on sampling the local restaurants. We are especially interested in a breakfast/lunch place called Waffles & More and a pizza place called Bishop's Bistro.

To those who missed our last installment of the I4k journal, we promise that we have a good reason! After a great rest day in Missoula, where we enjoyed the pro-bicyclist leaning of the city, our next destination was just past Lolo pass on Route 12 in Idaho. Our stopping point was a campground with plenty of space for our 5 tents. Several people decided to sleep outside while others stayed in the tents. The place was quite scenic and very nice, considering that we just chose the location out of convenience. The river next to our campground was a great spot to cool off.

We left that location today but hadn't bike 10 miles before stopping again for at least an hour. Nested in one of the trails was a series of hot springs, which we took advantage of. Given that showers were not expected, they were a very welcome addition to our ride. After about 60 miles of following the river, we arrived in our current location, another campground called "Wild Goose Campground".

Stay tuned for more updates!

    We left Hamilton in high spirits with the realization that we only had to ride 45 miles to the bike friendly town of Missoula, MT.  The latter half of the ride was spent on a trail, something we haven't done in a while, and something that was a treat for all of us.  We arrived at the Lutheran church, where we would be staying, and many of us set out to explore the town.  With four bike shops in the area many of us were occupied with spending most of the day oogling the bikes and parts at each one.

     We returned to the church for dinner to find that pizza, along with chicken and tacos, had been graciously donnated by some of the local pizzerias.  We engaged in a feast that would last all of fifteen minutes.  The rest of the night was spent exploring the downtown area and the campus.

     Today on our rest day, we visisted the Adventure Cycling Association in Missoula, which offered us free trial memberships, ice cream and drinks, and the use of a computer from which I am writting this blog entry.  Tomorrow we leave for Idaho and with close to two weeks remaning in the ride, many of us are very excited to reach our final destination.

Today began with blustering winds and threatening rain clouds. We were reticent to exit the warmth of the community center in Wisdom, and enter the reign of the mosquitoes outside. After mustering our courage, and realizing that Matt's birthday is today, we got around to finishing breakfast and preparing for the Mosher. Sandy gave the Mosher, providing words of encouragement by referencing all that we've accomplished thus far. We had a massage circle to relax our shoulders, and completed the morning routine by singing Happy Birthday to Matt.

We set out toward an impending climb and gray skies. At mile 10 or so, the grade began to steepen. The tall pines lining the street provided wind protection, and we maintained a reasonable speed through the first water stop, at mile 20. Immediately following the water stop, the grade picked up for the next 5 miles, and provided a challenge to our legs. We climbed at a steady pace through the continental divide for the 3rd time, and began the steep descent into the valley. The miles flew by as we cut through the rock lined roadway. Before we knew it, Nick was swinging his arms wildly in a motion resembling that of an "Air Guitar," in order to wave us into the second water stop. We paused for a few minutes, and continued down hill through mile 60, where we enjoyed our lunch beside a cool stream. The fisherman seeking trout passed by in boats, and some of us tried our hand at skipping stones across the creek. After enjoying some delicious sandwiches, we continued on the road. The remainder of the ride was relatively uneventful, and went by very quickly. We arrived to a warm welcome from the Baptist church in Hamilton, and eagerly await a delicious dinner in celebration of Matt's birthday. Until then, I4K.

I know at first the title for this journal might appear deep and thoughtful, and that one might expect it to start out with something philosophical like, "What is Wisdom."  However in actuality it's quite plain, and the answer to that question is simply that it is the name of the town in Montana where we are staying.

Today was a great day filled with climbs, descents, and everything in between as we went over a mountain ridge into an area called the Big Hole.  This area is a large flat expanse surrounded by snow-capped mountains making for one of the most beautiful expanses of terrain we have seen so far.

Also, as we are now following the Adventure Cycling route, we are encountering more and more cross country cyclists along the way.  Today we met a guy from Indiana who is also biking to Seattle, and is supported by his wife and daughter in an RV that travels with him.  We also met two ladies who actually live in the area who were cycling the climbs for fun.  Turns out one of them actually contributes to a camp for youth undergoing cancer treatment called Camp Mak-a-Dream located outside of Missoula, Montana.  This camp is for youth under the age of 25 who currently have cancer, and allows kids undergoing treatment to still have the summer camp experience!  It sounds really cool, and if you'd like to learn more, check out there website at www.campdream.org.  Hopefully it will be close enough to Missoula that some of us can visit it on our rest day. 

One of the great things about this trip is that we get to see how cancer treatment and the cancer experience can vary depending on ones geographic location.  This camp seems like an amazing program, and I'm really glad were able to hear about it while passing through Montana.

On a slightly less serious note, (Although some would argue that it is the most serious of all notes ever in the entire universe)  Mustache Montana gained seven new supporters as a majority of the girls on the team used a dry erase marker to draw mustaches and facial hair of all shapes and sizes onto each other.  I wish I had pictures to share with the world, but take comfort in knowing that Mustache Montana is alive and well, and open to all genders.

Today we traveled from west Yellowstone to Ennis Montana. The mornings here are a lot colder due to the altitude and a lot of us had to bundle up, but it quickly got warmer.  

We stopped for water at a location that once held a resort building.  However, due to an earthquake a while back it fell in to the river.  Overall, the ride was flat and we arrived quickly. We where supposed to stay at Ennis Elementary school, but was a mix-up where we were unable to get in contact with anyone there.  After a little bit of searching, a few of us stumbled upon a church where a lady was turning on the sprinklers outside.  We told her about our situation, and after a few brief phone calls we were all set up for the night!  Big thanks to everyone at the Assembly of God Church in Ennis. The time spent looking for a place to stay was put to good use in other ways as well, as a lot of us were able to get some good candy at the local pharmacy.

On a different note, today marks the beginning of mustache Montana.  For those of you who are unfamiliar with this phenomenon, it involves a few brave souls gathering together the courage to wear a mustache for the entire duration of Montana.  It’s not so much about the mustache, but rather the camaraderie that all mustachioed people feel.  So far three of us are participating in this event (Nick, Praveen, and Jay), but I imagine more will follow after they see the raw maturity and ruggedness emanating from our upper lips.

Well, here we are in West Yellowstone about 2 or 3 miles outside of the park spending our first night in Montana!

Yellowstone was amazing.  We stayed at Bridge Water Campsite along the northern shore of Yellowstone Lake, and the view was absolutely spectacular.  Most of spent the off day exploring around the Yellowstone Canyon or hiking up Elephant Back Mountain, while others used the rest day for some much needed rest and relaxation.

Today we rode the remaining seventy miles or so out of the park stopping at the many points of interest along the way, the most famous of which being Old Faithful.


We stopped there for lunch and waited for the geyser to come alive!  While we were waiting, it was amazing to see how many people approached us and inquired about what we were doing.  Many of the people even mentioned going on line to support us and our cause.  It's really amazing that no matter where we go, people everywhere seem to welcome us with open arms and are so excited to support us in our efforts to fight cancer.  Often times, people want to help us out and connect with us as a result of their own personal experiences with cancer.  While at times it is overwhelming to see how many people's lives have been affected by cancer, it is truly inspiring to see people all over the country doing what they can and uniting to combat this common problem.

Today we had a short ride to Cody, WY.  It was not as scenic as yesterday, there was less greenery and more rock formations,   We had our lunch in Cody.  Andrew's mom's friend, Ms. Jane Pennick bought us DQ.  Andrew mentioned free DQ in today's Mosher (Motivational) speech -- it really motivated us during today's ride.  Many thanks to Ms. Pennick. Large size blizzards are awesome!

Cody is an interesting town. It is deeply influenced by old west cowboy culture.  Walking done Sheridan St, we saw so many cowboy customer stores, cowboy gift shops, rodeo shows, etc. It was also a cyclist friendly town. We felt like we had a lot of previliges in the town because we had a seprate lane.  When we walked around in the town, we saw a lot of cyclists / cycling fans who were very interested in us.

We are so ready for Yellowstone National Park!

The day started off a little cool in Dayton. We began our ride somewhere around 3900 ft and went straight into our climb only about 2 miles out of town. The next 16 miles was an almost continual climb up to the summit of Cutler Hill at 8300 ft. We saw some of the thickest forests that we've encountered in Wyoming while riding through the Big Horn National Forest. We had some great decents and there were fields of mountain flowers. The air temperature dropped below 60 as we followed the tops of the mountains. We even got to play in some snow at our lunch stop. It was shortly after this point that we saw one of the most beautiful sights that we have ever seen. An 18 mile descent down into a gorgeous river valley called Shell Creek. As we rode our way down the scenery changed. Looming red cliffs arose before us. Large waterfalls crashed along the side of the road. The temperature slowly rose to 80 degrees as we neared the end of our downhill experience. This ride has only made us more excited for the upcoming Rockies. Two days to Yellowstone. We can't wait.  

Today, we left Buffalo and head for Dayton, WY. Today's ride is good us usual. The ride was 60 mile and most of the road was downward slope. Scenery in Wyoming is still beautiful. We finished our ride about noon and we went to see creek. Some people jumped into the river though the water was terribly cold because of the snow-water. Tonight we are staying at Tongue River high school in front of Horsehoe Mountain which is about 9000 feet. We suppose to climb this mountain tomorrow. Team members are preparing for tomorrow's challenging ride! See you.

Tomorrow: Greybull (long climbing and down hill!)

As we departed our restful stay at the recreation center in Gilette, we headed toward our next destination: Buffalo, WY. The ride was stunningly breathtaking - peddling up a hill as it revealed a spectacular display of snow-covered mountains. A combination of rolling hills and grassy plains covered the terrain. Although it was a laid-back 70 mile day, the heat overwhelmed us all. A side trip to Mickey D's cooled us off, though. After a pizza/salad dinner, a large group ended their day with a trip to the cinema for "Wallie." A couple others were met with an extremely kind group of strangers who generously offered them food and a fiesta.

A big thank you to:
St. Luke's Episcopal Church for your hospitality and provided food.
Grace Fellowship Church for a spontaneous fiesta invitation.
Cinema across the street who gave us a disount for "Wallie."

Tomorrow, Dayton! (and showers!)

If anyone would like to send us mail/packages to Missoula, MT we will have a general delivery mail stop there on the 16th and the 17th. The mailing address is:

(Rider name)
General Delivery
200 E. Broadway
Missoula, MT 59802

We rode into Gillete, WY. Today's 75 mile was speedy and scenic ride. Moreover weather was fine. We met family  of dear and rode together for a couple of minutes! It will be a unforgettable memory. We are staying at Gillete Recreation Center. Surrounded by the great facilities we are having relaxing time. Also, half of the riders went horse race stadium to watch fireworks.  Fireworks shot off from the vast prairie was really beautiful. We really enjoyed each  Independence Day at Gillete.

Tomorrow we ride into Buffalo. We will see a lot of animals!

After a restful stay at Rapid City we headed towards our 14th state, Wyoming. Though climbing through mountains is hard work, our reward came when we stopped at Mt. Rushmore National Monument for a team photo. Upon arriving we noticed an enormous number of cars lined up for the parking garage for an independence day celebration. However, the exhaustion of parking space caused traffic to back up on Hwy 16, ergo created congestion, ergo made it fun for us to pass by the cars that normally fly by us on the highway!

We pressed on, passing hill after hill and stopping at shady locations chosen by the driver to enjoy some impressive vistas. These stops definately made the day more enjoyable and this supremo van service lifted everyone's morale. We finally ended the day with pizza and breadsticks from Pizza hut, tacos from Taco John and hand-prepared fruit yogurt. A last big shoutout to First Baptist Church in Newcastle who not only sheltered us on first request but overflowingly supplied us with food for the next few days. Thank you!

Tomorrow we hit up Gillette for a spectacular 4th of July celebration! Pics and more tales will be coming to you shortly!

After a delicious pancake breakfast – prepared by the I4K ride leaders and directors – the various members of the Illini 4000 team set-off for various business establishments of Rapid City, SD.  Some riders made their way to coffeeshops; others pedaled several miles to check out the new bikes at the local bike shops.  Still others devoted their time to doing the team’s laundry (thanks Xixi and Andrea!), writing postcards home, and spelunking in a local cave. 

However, out of all of these activities, one of the highlights of our 7th day–off was interviewing two local cancer survivors – Judy and Sheila -- as part of “The Portraits Project”, a program created by the Illini 4000 to document cancer’s influence on American Life in the 21st Century. By interviewing these two women, several members of our team had the opportunity to see first-hand how these two incredible women were able to get through their respective treatment programs. These interviews – along with tours of cancer centers across the country – have helped make the 2008 Illini 4000 Bike America Ride into an unparalleled learning experience.


Tomorrow: Mt. Rushmore & Wyoming! 

Last night was extremely clear, so a few brave souls, including myself, slept outside.  We hoped to see our first glimpses of the aurora borealis.  This was not to be, oh well.  We woke to the sun raising and we started our day the same as always. 
     It was to be a long ride today, and we were to have heat to spare.  As we rode we went trough one small town after another, and made it to Kadoka, SD.  The team regrouped and had an early lunch.  After a few stops we had to ask ourselves a question, ’to go to the badlands or not?’
    A small contingent when to our stay over location of Wall, SD.  The rest added on the twenty extra miles and rode the badlands.  It was amazing; the painted hills were striking against the prairie.  The alien landscapes rising from the floor of the valley thousands of feet high.  We were able to talk to some people at the visitor centre and at the scenic out looks.  Some of these people we would run in to later today at our next stop.
     WALL DRUG!!!  The free ice water, the five cent coffee, homemade doughnuts.  All good, I thought for a tourist trap that the prices would have been way higher then they where.  We all got some ice cream and hung out for a bit.  Mr. Matt Cilick made pizza for dinner tonight, it was divine.  After dinner we walked over to the Drug (wall drug) for some more refreshments.  Our stay over location is located behind Wall Drug, a prime local for us. 
     Well this has been Stephe Kamykowski, catch ya’ on the flip side.

At approximately 7:30 am this morning, the Illini 4000 Bike America Team said goodbye to Wall, SD and Wall Drug and hello to the month of July with an easy 55-mile ride to Rapid City, SD.  With the sun shining and a light tailwind, the team cruised from waterstop to waterstop, gliding past hayfields, long-abandoned homesteads, herds of Angus Cattle, and last but not least, the self-proclaimed “World’s Smallest Biker Bar.”  (This last institution is but one of the many businesses created throughout the state to cater to the wants and “needs” of the 60,000+ motorcyclists who attend the annual Bike Week Rally in Sturgis, SD.) Afraid of how our motorcyclist “cousins” might respond to our spandex uniforms, we waited outside and enjoyed a classic meal of good ol’ fashioned lunch of peanut butter and jelly.

In a matter of no time, the entire team reached Rapid City, the second most populous city (pop. 59,607) in South Dakota and the gateway to Mt. Rushmore National Monument.  After several days in small towns and open land, several members of the team were delighted to see a few reminders of life back home in Illinois, including Dairy Queen—conveniently located directly behind our stayover location, Bethlehem Lutheran Church!  To make things even more exciting, the team was greeted with 20 coupons for free kid’s sized Blizzards upon our arrival at the DQ!  A big thank you to George Larson of the American Cancer Society of Western South Dakota for procuring these delicious and rejuvenating treats.  (George also brought over a big jar of Kosher pickles; several members of the team found these pickles to be equally rejuvenating in their own briny way.)

With an off-day on the horizon, here’s a glimpse at how we may spend our time in Rapid City: sleeping in (until 8:00 am!), enjoying a pancake breakfast (cooked by the I4K rider leaders/directors), attempting to get free showers at the local public pool (we really need ‘em!), exploring the town, and preparing our bicycles for the Wyoming roads that will ride on Monday!

**A big thank you to the folks at the family-owned People’s Market in Kadoka, SD for donating a gift certificate to our team.  Your support helps us increase our donations to the American Cancer Society and Camp Kesem UIUC!  Thank you!

**If YOU would like to express your support for the Illini 4000 Bike America Team or a particular rider, you may send care packages, perfumed-soaked love letters, or homemade chocolate chip cookies to the following address:

Shortly after a cheery breakfast of Mini Spooners our team said goodbye to Chamberlain, SD and rolled over the Missouri River and into the great American West. The miles that followed were marked by small towns, few people, scant wildlife, and even fewer plants -- spare the incomprehensibly wide-expanses of grass that stretch to the horizon in all directions.  This is a landscape that is difficult for many of us to ride through; many of us actually prefer a landscape of concrete, steel, and glass to this “nothingness.”  Others, however, find solace in the openness, admire the shades of green grass running up and down the hillsides, or enjoy the sight of a mother deer bounding across the road with her two fawns. Whether or not one falls in love with this place, one must respect its subtle beauty and place in American life.
Upon arrival at our destination, Messiah Lutheran Church of Murdo, SD (pop. 600*), several members of our team made a pilgrimage to the hippest place in Jones County, the Dairy Bar, for a refreshing post-ride recovery snack.  Illini 4000 riders, it should be noted, have a remarkable penchant for homing in on the nearest ice cream shop and even more remarkable ability to consume large quantities of ice cream.  For better or for worse, several members of our team consumed 2 or 3 different ice cream concoctions from the Dairy Bar today!  (Parents: rest assured, the team is eating very well.  Our resident chef, Connie Ger, prepared a delicious and nutritious meal of lentils and fried rice for dinner tonight).
Here’s a quick look at what’s in store tomorrow:  95 miles to Wall, SD; a stop at the world famous Wall Drug; an extra hour – the beginning of Mountain Time!  It should be a great ride!

***The Illini 4000 would like to send out a special thank you to Betty and Dean of Murdo for opening up their home to several members of our team.  We can’t tell you how great it felt to take a shower and sip a cold glass of homemade lemonade. We wouldn’t be able to do this ride if it wasn’t for people like you!





*Don’t trust the population sign at the entrance to town – it hasn’t been updated since the last Census.  That said, the population would probably exceed 641 – as the sign indicates – if the Census takers had included all of the friendly cats and dogs that live here.

F.Y.I:

“The grassland of the American West are created by the Rocky Mountains and by the costal mountain ranges of California and the Pacific Northwest.  The mountains impose rain shadows downstream of the prevailing westerlies, because the warm air along the wind-ward side of the mountains wrings moisture out of the passing weather systems.  This makes the aridity that makes the treeless plains.”
~ Grassland: The History, Biology, Politics, and Promise of the American Prairie by Bruce Manning.

(The author of this journal receives no commission for the sales of this book.)

Today is a wonderful rest day in Mitchell, South Dakota, home of the only Corn Palace in the world, as we are often reminded.  Everyone in South Dakota seems to enjoy telling us about its few claims to fame.  Yesterday we left Sioux Falls after an early morning thunderstorm which left menacing clouds all around.  We biked through rain with heavy lightning in the distance but luckily the afternoon showed us blue skies.  It was a nice, calm ride, the most exciting part being the herds and herds of cows we passed.  One huge herd of cows all turned and stared at us as we passed and then all began to run with us.  Connie said she had never seen cows move so fast!  Apparently cows aren't as lazy as one might think here in South Dakota.  Another herd of cows was bathing in a pond!  They all stood in the water and simply watched us bike along.  We passed another cow which stood on a mound of dirt, appearing to rule the cow kingdom.

Later, after arriving to Mitchell, we received many donations of delicious food and hospitality.  We were able to relax last night, sleep in a bit this morning and then we visited the Avera Cancer Center.  We were given a tour of the center and the chance to ask questions to the staff and a cancer survivor.  The rest of the day is free with plenty of time to roam the Corn Palace!

Hello from a new state -- South Dakota! We had an early wake-up this morning to bike our second longest ride of the summer so far, 95 miles from Marshall, Minnesota to Sioux Falls, South Dakota. We faced a strong headwind early this morning, in one of the windiest regions of the country, but luckily we were able to sail through the afternoon. We had a "macho" water stop in the town of Manley, population 16, the smallest town we've seen yet. A small group decided to take a short detour to visit tristate park the point at which iowa, minnesota, and south dakota intersect where they did a joyful jig around the midwestern trifecta's monument. New scenery of note today -- fields with rock formations, pink roads and gravel, and windmills. we rode in through the city of Sioux Falls and arrived this afternoon at Zion Lutheran Church and a generously donated pizza dinner, yum!

Could The Illini 4000 possibly have already halfway lived up to their name? Today, Amy hit the fabled 2,000 mile mark on her odometer, as have a few others in the past few days, so I think it's safe to say that we're just about halfway there! Today was a great ride out of New Ulm, plenty flat and not too much headwind at all. We're spending out last night in Minnesota in the town of Marshall before leaving tomorrow for Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the biggest city we'll have been in since Madison! Another state down, six more to go! (South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Oregon, Washington!) I think the terrain is going to start changing from here on out...

Today we are in New Ulm for the night.  The ride in was great, a little over 80 miles, much of which had strong tailwinds.  New Ulm is a quiet little town with a TON of Lutheran churches, the one we are staying at is called Our Savior Lutheran.  The people of Minnesota are continuing to amaze me with their kindness.  Everyone here is so friendly.

Today was a short day into Owatonna.  We only had to go 45 miles, so we got to sleep in until 7.  When we arrived in town we all went to a lake. Some people swam, some didn't.  When we arrived at Bethel, the church we are staying at, everyone unloaded their stuff and started doing things on their own.  The three most popular things to do today were chess, cards, and internet.  Tomorrow we go back to 80 mile days as we go to New Ulm Mn.

Today we had a rest day in Rochester, Mn.  I know that Rochester isn't in our original list of stops, but we came because of Mayo clinic.  Redeemer Lutheran was nice enough to allow us to sleep in their building for two days despite having a wedding, a funeral, and a church service.  Because it was a rest day, we were able to sleep in.   When people woke up, they mostly wandered off, and continued on their own all day.  Several people visited bike stores, a Chipotle, and a Panera Bread.  For dinner, we all went to somebody's house.  They had offered us dinner after some team members met them in a coffee shop.  We then got a massive food donation from a Panera.  Overall, Rochester is the friendliest place I can remember visiting.

What a perfect day for bicycles!! And merry-go-rounds (rustic, homemade, tire swing-bench)!! Today was 75 degrees and sunny, with winding country roads, very few potholes and limited traffic. We rode from Fitchburg to Reedsburg under clear blue skies and just a few obstacles. Go to the photo gallery to see images of the obstacle course we encountered. Unfortunately, all of the news we heard about the flooding turned out to be true. County road PF was completely washed out and collapsed due to the immense amount of rain. Despite missing sections of road, the ride was spectacular. For many of the riders, today was one of their favorites. As we passed through the small town (pop. <100) of Denzer, a few of the groups coincidentally all stopped at this rustic merry go round. Go to the photo gallery to see images of this adventure. We were so close to Reedsburg when a few riders stopped abruptly. It's not uncommon to wind up with a few bugs in your mouth or maybe one in your eye. but a bug in your ear?? Sandra Moxley had the luck today to find out what it's like to have a bug in your ear... Fortunately, we were able to remove the bug, and no damage was done to Sandy's ear. After we all made it to Reedsburg, we had a filling dinner prepared by John and Ben, with live music performed by John while we ate. Following daily traditions, a large group of us walked to the local ice cream shop for a homemade treat, a perfect way to celebrate Dairy Month!

We woke up this morning to a brisk Wisconsin breeze, but it turned out to be a beautiful day for riding.  As we rode further into Wisconin, the terrain changed from flat flat lands to rolling hills.  It's incredible to see the land change so dramatically over just one day of riding!  Looking back at the past three weeks, its amazing to think we've already rode through the east coast, Appalachian mountains and midwest plains (and cornfields).

Instead of staying in Madison, we wrapped up a 70 mile day in Fitchburg at the Christ Memorial Church.  We were also priveleged to meet (or reunite) with an 2007 Illini 4000 rider, DREW WEBSTER!!  He treated the entire team to a dinner at Noodle's and Company, which was a short bike ride away.  It was great to hear about last years ride from an experienced rider.  Also, it looks like having ice cream is becoming a nightly ritual for the team.  Thank you Drew!!!

After a refreshing extra hour of sleep we started the day off with an intense 30-second bike ride and photo shoot at the Northwestern Evanston Hospital in Highland Park. We were warmly welcomed by Hania Fuschetto and Vice President Lindsey Cox before embarking on our VIP tour of the oncology center. Karen, Carole Martz, Sonya and Hania showed us around the facilities including the exam rooms, treatment rooms and the radiation clinic. We were also treated to a panel discussion featuring cancer survivors Bruce Horwitz and Angela Scarim. Dr. Matthew Adess, Carole Martz, and Stacey were also in attendance to explain details of the cancer treatment process and to answer any questions.  

The last couple of days have been extremely packed - we got to go home and see our families, we had a chance to spend some time in the cities and of course we got to do some laundry (and bike maintenance).

After a night in the UIC dorms, we got ready for a nice Father's Day bike ride only to find that the weather was in an uncooperative mood. Luckily, it cleared in within some hours and the stop in Evanston, IL boasted good weather and high spirits. We enjoyed our time in Chicagoland and the rides in and out of town, but alas, it is time to go again. The trip is about a quarter done and the remaining three quarters promise to be exciting!

Get to know the team on your bike! Join our team for a casually paced ride along the lakefront path from Evanston to Highland Park- or start in Chicago for a challenge! Don't worry- we wont leave you behind, come out and show your support!

• Leg 1: 7:45am, start in Downtown Chicago.
  Those wishing to ride with the team should meet at Millenium Park's Cloud Gate ("The Bean").
  The team will leave promptly at 8am.
  MP to Evanston: 14mi, MP to Highland Park: 28mi
  
• Leg 2: 9:45am, start in Evanston.
  Please meet at the Evanston Northwestern Hospital's front circle driveway
  The team will leave promptly at 10am.
  Evanston to Highland Park: 14mi
  

Today we arrived in Homewood, IL, which is a suburb 35 miles south of Chicago. We were blessed with another tailwind today, which made the 60 mile ride feel like 30. Other than the small stretch of road filled with gravel and potholes, the ride went smoothly and most groups managed to get here before noon. We were welcomed with snacks and beverages at the Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church on Dixie Highway. The people at the church were extremely hospitable to us. They offered us access to the entire church, dinner, and even showers. Tomorrow, we will be riding to Millennium Park in downtown Chicago. We will be taking a tour of the UIC Oncology Center and have dinner with the Chicago Alumni Club afterwards.

     Today we left Urbana with Allison Heim, a rider from last year, and Geoff Merritt, of That's Rentertainment.  We all left after breakfast from the Spanish House for a couple of photos and then headed for Rantoul.  At Rantoul Allison and Geoff returned to Urbana and we continued for another 60 miles to the Chebanse Zion Lutheran Church, where we were welcomed with cold drinks and snacks.  The wind at our backs lightened the load on our 80 mile ride today.  One of the groups saw two acrobatic airplanes chasing each other through the sky.  Luckily, none of the groups had to outrun the Champaign-Urbana area dogs, like we did during the training rides.  More to come, see you in Chicago!

     Today's weather appeared at first to be ominous. We packed our bags to fierce rainfall, and gladly returned to the haven of the church for a delicious pancake breakfast. We were pleasantly surprised upon our return to the road with great weather, and smooth sailing all the way into the Mooney car dealership, crossing the Illinois state line along the way, where we met the generous gentleman, who loaned us our vital support vehicle. We continued into the wind after a short break, and arrived in Champaign county after some intense peddaling.
    
     Lunch was eaten in the cool shade at one of our cues, and we enjoyed some leftover pancakes from the morning's breakfast. We pushed onward into the wind, traveling northwest toward Urbana. We reconnected with familiar people and terrain at Homer Lake, and were reinvigorated for our final approach to Urbana. Upon arriving at the alumni center, we were received with generous support and generous helpings of food and water. We enjoyed reconnecting with campus, and are excited to be traveling toward Chebanse tomorrow!

     We left Carmel, IN, in high spirits after our restful night in the beautiful Carmel Lutheran Church.  Though many of our mileage cards read 108 miles the ride ended up only being 78 miles.  One rider, who will remain nameless, decided to adjust the mileage on the cue board, and everyone was preparing for a longer day.  The weather through most of the day was very hot, we were refreshed in the later portion of the ride with a breif sun shower.  It escalated to lightning and we were forced to take shelter.  Fortunately we saught shelter in a small ice cream store and finished the last 7 miles of the ride full of delicious ice cream.  We arrived to friendly greetings and a delicious meal in Rocksville.  We have been promised pancakes for breakfast tomorrow and are excited for this delicous breakfast.  Stay tuned for details about our Champaign reception tomorrow.

     Today was a warm, blustery day on the road.  We kept up on our water consumption to avoid dehydration.  Fortunately, we arrived inclement weather, and the ride was slightly shorter than yesterday's century.  We enjoyed our lunch by the road side and arrived to Carmel Lutheran Church to a warm reception.

     The Indianapolis alumni treated us to a nice dinner, and offered to clean some clothing for us.  We are enjoying our stay in Carmel, and looking forward to another day on the road!

We started our day earlier than usual, at 5:30 A.M. to promptly leave the comfort of the Erikson's home.  After a relaxing rest day, we were ready for the "Century Challenge"!  The outset of the ride was comfortable.  As we progressed through Ohio, we encountered a bit of a challenge along the way . . . Although we had not trained for river forging, we met the challenge head on. 

     Soon after the river forging we were met with a rain that lasted the entire day, and was intersperesed with hail.  Though this added to the challenge of the century, our riders were up to the task.  We arrived in Richmond, IN, to a warm downtown area.  The friendly people at 5th Street Bagels donated an ample supply of bagels for the team's breakfast.  Saint Andrews Catholic Church furthermore provdided showers, a computer with internet, some food, and of course, shelter over our heads.  Until next time, team I4K.

Today the team enjoyed its second rest day spending the day relaxing at Andrew Erikson's home in Dublin, Ohio. It was the first day that we have gotten to sleep in and while some riders took advantage of this to catch up on sleep others were up early having already adjusted to the early wake up schedule. After a trip to the bike shop this morning we spent the day resting, fixing up our bikes and catching up things that needed to get done.

Around 5:00 pm we got on our bikes and headed to a local park where we enjoyed a picnic style dinner with Columbus area University of Illinois alumni and friends of the Erikson’s. We all left full and energized for tomorrow’s 110 mile ride into Indiana! The Erikson’s have been wonderful during our stay in Dublin providing with more than we could have ever imagined, it will be sad to leave in the morning but with another state checked off our itinerary we will be 110 miles closer to Seattle come tomorrow night.

The team is currently at the Erikson residence in Dublin, Ohio. We arrived in Dublin this afternoon and were welcomed with an amazing meal and showers after a long warm day on the road. Today’s route consisted of just over 80 miles with temperatures nearing 90 degrees by late afternoon. We were on the road shortly after 7 am and followed different bike paths for the majority of the morning before stopping for lunch in Johnstown where we each enjoyed our own personal pizza courtesy of Pizza Hut. Pizza has been the theme of the past 24 hours after Jon and Nick got a number of pizza places in Zanesville to donate pizzas for dinner last night. With 30 miles to cover after lunch we got back on the road and headed toward Dublin. The land has flattened out significantly in the past day and we got our first taste of headwinds this afternoon along with intense heat and humidity. By 5:30 p.m. all of our groups had arrived at the Erikson’s where we enjoyed a wonderful dinner. We are extremely grateful to Andrew’s parents for letting us stay at his house during our stay over here in Dublin. Tomorrow we have an off day which will be spent relaxing and resting up for the upcoming week when we make our way through Indiana and into Illinois!

Today was another wet and rainy day on the road for the team as we made our way from Cadiz to Zanesville, Ohio. We were up and ready to depart Scott United Methodist Church in Cadiz shortly after 7 a.m. when the storms rolled in postponing our departure for about 45 minutes. When the thunder and lightning stopped we hit the road in the rain to begin our 65 mile ride to Zanesville. It rained off and on throughout the morning leaving the roads wet and slick. We followed US-22 for the majority of the day which contained many potholes that left us dodging puddles all day. There were a number of flat tires on the day including the first of the summer on our support van this morning. We stopped for our normal picnic lunch out of the back of the van at a CVS in Cambridge before finishing out the final 24 miles. The Central Presbyterian Church in Zanesville has kindly offered us shelter for the night and Xixi and Takaya are currently down in the kitchen preparing tonight's dinner. In the morning it's off to the Erikson residence in Dublin, Ohio!

Hello! Today we left Pennsylvania, crossed through a small section of West Virginia and are now in Cadiz, Ohio. The morning part of today’s ride took us through some rather remote places on back roads before we passed through Stubenville, Ohio and finished the day riding on US-22. The weather consisted of cloudy skies for most of the morning before the clouds opened up in the afternoon soaking much of the team over the final few miles. Tonight we are staying at the Scott United Methodist Church in Cadiz. Xixi and Takaya made dinner of burritos followed by ice cream from the little stand across the street for many team members. Tomorrow it’s off to Zanesville!

After several days of 80+ mile rides, the team received an unexpected surprise when today's ride to Murrysville, PA was only 25 miles long. After a few short hills and some amazing views, the team arrived at our stayover location before noon. We were even able to sleep in an extra hour before we left! Once, we arrived in Murrysville, the good times just kept on rolling. The last of the team arrived just before the service at the church we are staying at got out. This was great because it allowed us to meet talk with many different members of the community and the congregation, which unfortunately is not always possible. As we were a this was going on, we also met a local police officer and fellow cycling enthusiast who was out on bike patrol and decided to swing by. After everything had sort of settled down, the team had a nice relaxing afternoon to fix up our bikes, stretch our legs, and catch up on some much needed sleep. At around 5 o'clock though, many of the people we had met that morning returned to the church and helped to prepare an amazing meal for us. The buffet table was enough to make even the most stalwart competitive eater question his confidence, and the deserts were amazing. However the best part was the company. The generosity kept on coming as people offered us places to shower and the opportunity to do laundry. Dee, one of the women we met, even went out and did our breakfast shopping for us and brought it back to the church! Perhaps the greatest aspect of our visit here in Murrysville, however, was the chance to sit down with three cancer survivors from the community who volunteered to participate in our Portrait's Project; a compilation of interviews and visual portraits of people we meet along the way who have been affected by cancer. After listening to Diane, Ken, and Kathy's stories, it really helps to put the ride into perspective, and to remember why we're doing it in the first place.

We sacrificed one of our rest days to split one of our long days in two. We rode 30 miles today and will ride 65 miles tomorrow instead of one 95 mile day. We are still riding up and down the hilly terrain of PA. Many of the groups stopped at Schenly Park in Pittsburgh since it was so beautiful and was perfect weather outside. Most of us arrived at the St. John Lutheran Church before noon. Pastor Bruce met all of us and graciously offered to buy us some groceries. He made great accommodations for our vegan team mate and even bought her some vegan ice cream. Most of the day was spent by walking around the very nice downtown of Carnegie and making excessive trips to Dairy Queen. Tomorrow we ride for Ohio with the sunrise!

This was the first rain day. We were caught in a down pour shortly after we started the ride. We had to stop for half an hour because of the lightning. After that, everything went well.  Many riders think this was the best day so far because we experienced a little bit of everything. Even though we climbed a lot of hills today, it was very rewarding to have a 4-mile long down hill.  After the lunch, the clouds broke and the sun came through. We got caught into a second down pour, but after that we were rewarded by a huge rainbow. The United Methodist Church of Mt. Pleasant is our destination point. It is over 100 years old and is built on a large hill. We had ice cream for desert. It was the best way to end our ride.

We've been getting better and better at making our mornings more efficient. We left by 7:30 am and have been cutting our morning time by about 5 minutes everyday. We hope to be leaving by 7am most mornings. The morning was partly cloudy and cool but the sun warmed us up by mid afternoon. As we left Boonsboro the rolling hills we hit were only a preview of what was to come. The afternoon was filled with many steep steep climbs. Our first big one was about 2 miles up with no breaks. This has by far been the hardest day of the ride. We did have a fantastic lunch in a PA state park. There was a large lake that everyone jumped in before we ate. We were entertained by a CD Jon found on the side of the road entitled "Summer Pimpin Foo!" Everyone finished before 7:30 so today was a great success. We stayed at the Everett United Methodist Church and were fed a fantastic sit down meal. We leave at dawn.

To all of our wonderful fans: We're still going! We've had some difficulty accessing the internet over the past few days, but we're still going strong! We can't wait to tell you about our time in Newark, Baltimore, and D.C. later today! ~The 2008 Illini 4000 Bike America Team

As we continue our cross-country trek, we have arrived in our third state, Delaware! Our first Sunday ride as as team has led us to Newark. The team has been fortunate enough to eat dinner and spend time with the wonderful people from the Salem Methodist Church. After another day of riding, there are few things as comforting as being able to sit down and enjoy a hot, fresh meal that was generously prepared for us.

It is these repeated acts of generosity we receive from people who have never met us that truly makes this ride special, and it these acts of kindness that continually fill our heats and minds with unabiding warmth.

Next up, Baltimore!

With only around 32 hours of time in New York City, it definitely felt like the Illini 4000 was able to fill 33 of them. It all started Thursday night when the Illini 4000 team was invited to an event sponsored by the New York Alumni Club


Kelly Belford, a Uof I alumnus, was gracious enough to host us in her beautiful 14th floor apartment looking out on the Empire State Building for an evening of hors d'oeuvres, comradery, and relaxation. Just what the doctor ordered to alleviate the stress of and anxiety of our last day before the ride begins. As always, the life source of our organization lies within support from friends, family, and the community, and this kind of generosity from the our alumni and university community was both fun and greatly appreciated. Thanks Kelly. GO ORANGE AND BLUE!















As the team returned to the Chabad house, though, it was back to business.  Having packaged our bicycles for the long train trip, there were still many adjustments to be made before they would be serviceable for the ride.  This led to a late night bike bonanza in the back yard of the Chabad House, where we adjusted brakes, tightened handle bars, and of course, shaved John Kolinski's head!


The next morning, Rabbi Blum and his two daughters sent us off with his Blessing, and the epic 4000 mile journey that is the Illini 4000 had begun!  After a quick breakfast in Central Park, the team braved the Manhattan Streets heading North West to the George Washington Bridge.  Though a little shaky at first, we were soon to find our feet.  Amongst all the starting and stopping, the traffic, and closed entry ramps, it was all worth it to traverse the George Washington Bridge and gaze across the Hudson at one of the World's most famous of cities.

The next 60-70 miles would prove to test every aspect of our fledgling team's training and ability.  The city put up a fight, throwing in some unlabeled streets and closured due to construction, but in the end determination prevailed.  With the last group rolling in around 7:00pm, the team arrived at the Thakkar residence, where snacks, beverages, and soft grass galore were waiting to cradle and nourish our tired bodies.  The Thakkars are the parents of Anish Thakkar, co-founder and director emeritus of the Illini 4000 last year, who also came out to drive our support vehicle for this inaugural ride.  We can't thank them enough for all they have done for us this year, and for the organization as a whole!

And so, tomorrow we begin again, this time to Philladelphia.  Can't wait to see what it has in store!

We made it!  The Illini 4000 is in the Big Apple! 

Most of the team arrived yesterday by means of either Amtrak Train or in the Support vehicle.  The train departed from Union Station in Chicago Tuesday night, and after 20 hours of riding the rails we finally arrived yesterday evening.  Jon, Amy, Matt, Connie, and Rachel braved the long journey crammed in a support vehicle along with most of our equipment (Big thanks to them), and Sandra, Andrew, and Yiming met us in New York!

The team is being put up in New York by the Chabad House near Columbia's Campus just a few blocks from Central Park.  It's a great location and only a stonesthrow away from our starting location!  A big thank you to Rabbi Blum for letting us stay.

Also, we'd really like to thank Mr. Mooney of Mooney Chevrolet in Dekalb, IL., who has been kind enough to donate our support vehicle for the trip.

It's incredible to be here in New York, enjoying our last day of rest before we take off tomorrow morning.  Time to go tune up our bikes!  See you all tomorrow!

Our bags are being packed, our bikes tuned, and our butts massaged as we make our final preparations for the summer.  Less than two weeks time stands between us and the start of our ride, and with finals out of the way our focus has shifted from what questions will be on our Underwater Basket Weaving 101 exams to how each of us is going to fit everything we need for an entire summer into a back-pack. 

It's the beginning of a new chapter for the Illini 4000 as we shift from training to the real deal, and we'd like to sincerely thank you all for the amazing geerosity we have experienced.  To our friends and family who give us love and support, to the communities and organizations that make the ride possible, and to all of our supporters who help us get one mile closer to finding the cure, we thank you.

Be sure to check in every now and then for more frequent journal updates as well as the rider blogs to see what we're up to as we await the starting gun on May 23rd!  Daily updates will begin once the ride starts, so stay tuned, get hooked, and tell your friends. 

    With the spring season upon us, the name of the game for the Illini 4000 is training.  For us, this means watching a lot of Tae-Bo videos in fast motion and a strict regiment of steroids (just kidding).                                                    

     For the last two weeks, the team has been working hard spending their Saturdays training in preparation for the summer.  On March 29th, we completed our first outdoor ride to Homer Lake!  This fun filled 36 miles was a little rough at first, but a headwind in the morning always makes for smooth sailing in the afternoon.  Only one short week later, the team upped the ante and completed a 55 mile ride to Monticello and back (Not the one in Virginia).  Having worked out all of the kinks and equipment issues the week before, the team focussed on communication and safe riding while in a group.  The improvement was astounding, and it all culminated with a trip to Jarlings Custard Cup for celebratory ice cream.  This weekend, the 2008 team will be facing its greatest challenge yet as we attempt our first full length ride together: an 80 mile round trip to Arthur, Illinois and back! 

     Great job so far guys.  It's amazing to think that in one month, this rag tag bunch will be transformed into the cross-country cycling machine that is the Illini 4000!  - Nick Ludmer, Co-Director

After months of planning and technical work, the Board of Directors of the Illini 4000 for Cancer is proud to reveal our new website! Please take a few minutes to explore the wonderful new features on our website. We can't wait to use the photo gallery, and rider blogs to keep you updated this summer! The Board of Directors of the Illini 4000

The 2007 Bike America Team with the incredible San Diego Illini!

The Illini 4000 Bike America team will hold its first outdoor training ride on March 29th. After months of indoor runs, the team will finally get a taste of the open road. The first ride will take the team from Allen Hall (on campus) to Homer Lake in Homer, Illinois for a grand total of 55 miles. Stay tuned for a ride report! Jonathan Schlesinger Co-director