Pi was caught with the mosher today and made an attempt to play some form of ball game, which turned into hot potato, tips and then soccer.Today’s ride was very relaxed. The weather was warm with beautiful blue skies along the long, fairly flat planes of South Dakota. Rolling into Chamberlain the scenery suddenly changed to beautiful green hills and a wonderful downhill leading right into downtown Chamberlain. Luckily for the team there was a McDonalds right round the corner from the stayover, something almost everyone greatly enjoyed.Early in the evening, one of the local newspapers came to the stayover to interview some of the members of the team. It ended with a lovely team picture beside the van and a donation of peanut butter and jelly from the generous reporter.Today (being the fourth Thursday in June), we have taken it upon ourselves to celebrate an I4k holiday; Thanksgiving in June. We gathered at the table as a big family with yummy french toast, pizza (that was generously donated by the local Pizza Hut), apples, oranges, and a special dessert we called “Little Gobblers.” A Little Gobbler is an oreo cookie with frosting, candy corn, and a Hershey kiss, all shaped to look like a turkey. They were mmm-mmm good. Before eating the Little Gobblers, each of us stated what we were grateful for. To sum up the majority of the statements, we were grateful for having each other as new friends, for all still being safe and healthy, and for having the opportunity to meet so many wonderful people across the country on this trip.Later in the evening, a 10 year old girl, battling leukemia, and her mother came to the church for a portrait. The two told their story of how cancer has changed their lives for them individually and as a family. The little girl has 3 months left of treatment and is remaining very strong and positive. It was a very touching interview and we showed our gratefulness for them sharing their story by giving them a Little Gobbler. The little girl was grateful for her family. Come to find out, the mother and her husband used to live in one of the hometowns in Illinois where a few of our riders are from. What a small world!In conclusion, today has been a very wonderful day and we are all so grateful for that. :)
We are riding on!
So here's my second post. If you have read my first post, you might not have expected me to blog again. I had not wanted an incomplete recollection of the trip. But taking into the fact that I have not been diligently journaling nor posting consistently, I bet I'll not be able to recall all the beautiful details!We had such a good thanksgiving dinner today, thanks to Eamon, Diana and Mary for preparing the awesome food. But I think what made the dinner so special was the team eating together and acknowledging the tremendous effort each and every one has put forth in making the experience worthy and the team, a success. No words could aptly describe how I feel on the trip, or how my feelings have changed along the way. "Great experience" or "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" is far from being sufficient. Just meeting people and hearing their stories are overwhelming and empowering. Learning how people's lives were turned upside down by cancer and yet how they battled it so bravely has been indeed encouraging. A girl whom we did a portrait on today had Leukemia and she had to go through awful shots on her thighs for 56 days, every single day. She was only 8 then. It's has been 2 years now. When we talked with her today, she was so cheerful and did not seem to be affected at all! I marvel at her inner strength and innocence.Sometimes I wonder if cancer brings out the best in people. I'm not saying that the girl is strong only because she's got cancer. But going through something like this definitely makes people stronger. "What does not break you is going to make you!." Like what the girl's mom said, there is a greater purpose in it!Going back to the thanksgiving dinner, we said what we are thankful for. It's great to express gratitude and recognize everyone's effort in making the journey smooth-sailing.I remember Steve told me that we should not call it a "cause", that we should not be riding for a "cause". He does not like that word, but couldn't find another word. I think I understand what he says. Maybe it does not encompass the larger idea of hope. But I cannot find another better word for now too.And lastly, I pray for Lauren's knee. I hope it gets better and does not get in her way of wanting to ride. She wrote a paragraph about how much she loves me some days ago, haha. I love you too Lauren! I don't think I would be able to come up with 2 paragraphs (as promised) about how much I love you. But you know I do:)If you had a wish, what would you wish for?
What sound does a bison make?
Okay so the title to this blog isn't totally relevant, but we did see some bison today and it's a legit question.
Yesterday was crazy windy. I rode with Nate, Kevin, Max, and Shea. With the cue mix-up, we ended up going 35 miles without van support, which was pretty tiring. I had a good time riding with the boys even though I had to push myself to keep up all day long! I fell asleep at 8 pm which was glorious.
This morning we got to sleep in until 6 am, woo! Props to Max for being the best chore partner ever! I rode with Gabrielle and Jill today through lovely South Dakota. Jill and I were super pumped to learn that the rest stop had Poppin' Pink Lemonade Hi-C. That's twice in South Dakota! We joined up with the Riders of Brohan (Pi, Jordan, and Szymon) for a while at the end of the ride. We were welcomed into Chamberlain, SD by a SWEET 2 mile downhill. Greatttt day for a bike ride!
Mitchell, SD
How soon I have returned to the home of the Corn Palace! It feels like it could not have already been one year since I was here last, but it certainly is nice to return. Although many fun memories are coming back to me from our rest day here last year, I definitely appreciate the difference between my two experiences. Today has been pretty relaxed, and I think I'll try to catch up on some sleep tonight instead of hanging around the corn palace.Having left Minnesota yesterday, I can now securely say that the headwinds weren't nearly as bad as last year. Anyone from last year's team could attest to the hardships of Minnesota in the headwinds, but instead this time around we had more issues with rain than anything. Now we are reaching the rolling hills of South Dakota, one of my favorite states to ride through last year. I'd like to give more details on the landscape here, but the environment here at the local Taco John's where I'm writing from is not conductive to descriptive writing. Hopefully I'll be able to get some pictures up here next time to show you instead!
Home of the Corn Palace
Today we rode about 78 miles to Mitchell, South Dakota. The unforgiving wind slowed us down a bit.At the 40 mile mark there was a cue discrepancy and with the lack of network coverage we couldn't reach the driver, but all was sorted as she was just round the corner in the next town! We reconvened at lunch for some scrumptious peanut butter & jelly and refreshing Gatorade and then made the final windy ten miles into Mitchell.Once arriving in Mitchell, we toured the Avera Cancer Center, which for us all was very informative. The tour took us around the whole center, which we were able to see the rooms where patients are given their specified cancer treatment, where laboratory work is done, and much more. The tour concluded with a gift for all 28 riders; free sunscreen and nail maintenance kits!! Meanwhile some of the members of the team went looking for food donations which led to having one of the most varied and delicious meals so far. Pulled pork, tacos and the good old spaghetti! Among rest for some team riders and well needed showers for others, the night was as typical as any other apart from one little detail....and that detail is 'rocks'(see previous blogs for description).Farewell for today!P.S. The Corn Palace is a well known tourist attraction found in Mitchell, SD. Very exciting!
Sioux Falls Adventure Buffet
Here's a recap:Got up at 5:30 for the ride today, prepared ourselves for the 100 miles ahead by eating the breakfast provided to us by our great hosts in Jackson, MN. We were all pretty jazzed about breakfast. Coffee and everything.Greg's mosher was heartfelt and motivational and today's groups were, as somebody put it, "voluntarily jumbled." When the team forms groups this way we tend move more cohesively. It's a great way to keep the ride fresh, to spend time with those you've not ridden with lately, to become a more versatile rider. We played a lot of Contact, as well, and tried our hand at personifying Admiral T. Cornwall (Mary is a pro).The weather was hot, somewhere in the nineties, and the motionless turbines dotting the landscape verified the lack of wind. This gave us the impetus to stay mobile in light of the spike in ambient temperature whenever we slowed or stopped. A few spills early in the day and some mechanical difficulties, but nothing serious went wrong along the way, and why should it? We were all too excited about the tri-state experience for that.In Manly, MN (population: sixteen burly men), we stopped for manly pictures in front of the sign and tried to work "bro" and "brah" into our lexicons as much as possible. Minnebrota, fresh broduce, trying to stay broductive. It made sense at the time.Out of Manly we went, and Mary and Erik fixed a flat while Jordan and Pi talked about fantasy/sci-fi and Diana listened and I finally experienced one of those "naps on the side of the road" that everyone's been raving about. And again, at lunchtime. The sun on me all day made me narcoleptic the second my legs weren't in use.At our stayover we did a few laps around the block so that our trip odometers read 100miles, then a few of us went to a shower facility at Augustana university that I believe Ana and Tracey found. I realized when I was reminded (by many, many people) that I hadn't showered since LaCrosse, WI, so having hot water and soap was all kinds of nice. Jumping in Lake Geneva a few days ago was good and all, as was getting rained on all of those times, but a real shower with all of the fixin's was a welcome experience. "Oh, yeah," I thought to myself, "hygiene!"We rushed off from the university shower back to our stayover and then to Cici's for dinner from a generous guy named Neil. After the sun and the miles, we ate pretty well. We were elated and on the way back there was an Outkast sing-along in the van. Jordan's aunt had done our laundry and there's currently internet to be had. Such a tremendous day.
What a day!
After a balanced breakfast from Our Saviors Lutheran, the team set out to ride nearly a century. We had 90 degree weather and sunny skies which was a change from our previous days. Teams battled the boredom of Minnesota plains by playing a word game called "Contact" and telling riddles.About 80 miles into our ride we passed by the tri-state marker indicating the border between Iowa, South Dakota and Minnesota.We arrived in Sioux Falls at Zion Lutheran Church around 5:00. Some team members visited bike shops while others enjoyed the snacks and food provided by the pastor. Jordan's Aunt Lisa came by and brought us some food and also did some of the team's laundry.Eamon and Jamie went to Panera to pick up leftover bagels and ended up talking to the manager at a nearby Cici's Pizza. The manager, Neil, was very excited to provide the entire team with unlimited trips through the buffet. We left Cici's stuffed with pizza and cinnamon rolls.
A very busy day
Today we woke up early, in order to prepare for our nearly 100 mile journey to South Dakota in 90+ degree temperatures. After a delicious breakfast provided to us by the ladies of our Jackson stayover we were on the road. In terms of directions, today was one of the simpler days with only a few sets of cues in a couple of towns along the way, with long stretches in between. This led for much time for activities such as Contact and posing in front of the Manley, MN sign (Pop: 16). This year we also made a small revision to the route, opting to travel along the Iowa/South Dakota/Minnesota border. Strangely enough, we were the only group that managed to find the tri-state marker, indicating where the three states meet up. After our group finished posing around and on top of the marker, we finished up the last 16 miles of our ride and arrived into Sioux Falls.The pastor at the church we stayed at provided us with a few pizzas and some chicken for dinner. We supplemented that with some mostaccioli which we never actually got around to eating because shortly after it had finished getting prepared, we learned that the manager of a local Cici's Pizza invited the team over for a free dinner. We couldn't turn down a free meal so we loaded up in the van and headed over in a couple of groups. Thank you so much everybody who made this such a wonderful day!
Almost "no shower Minnesota"
Apparently mother nature does NOT care that it's your birthday. Haha! We had a hilly ride into Rochester, Minnesota last Friday with some obnoxious head wind. Lets just say, we were pretty exhausted after the ride.After we arrived at our stay over in Rochester, we went to visit Hope Lodge. Hope Lodge is a place where cancer patients can stay while receiving treatment. The Hope Lodge is convenient for those receiving treatment at Mayo Clinic. I enjoyed our visit to Hope Lodge because we got to talk to some of the patients there and learn about their stories and how they have been affected by cancer, whether it was about themselves or a loved one. We all spent quite a bit of time there learning about how Hope Lodge works and talking to people.We had a rest day in Rochester the next day so we had some time to explore the city. During our rest day, we visited the education center at Mayo Clinic and got to learn about the clinic and how it serves people. The nerdy part of me was really excited to learn about the clinic and how it works with cancer patients. I feel like I got a pretty good grasp on Mayo Clinic and I hope to learn more about it in my free time.Hit the sack early that night because we had an early wake up at 5am the next morning. Since we had started earlier in morning and we were making good time on our 70 mile ride to Albert Lea, we had some free time around lunch... so we found a playground across from out rest stop and played "rocks" for a good amount of time. Basically, one person has their eyes closed and tries to tag people as they try to quietly navigate themselves to a safer spot on the playground, but they can also yell "rocks" if they think someone is on the ground and that person is automatically it. I think I was more sore from playing rocks than bike riding this morning.We rode to Jackson, Minnesota today. The weather was gloomy and cold today. It made us all pretty tired, which made the beginning of the ride go by slower than usual. We saw some of the tornado damage as we rode by houses this morning. It was really upsetting to see peoples homes and farms in that condition. There were areas where roads were closed off to try and fix some of the damage. Once we got into Jackson, there was a pool that most of us went to for a little while. We were also able to shower at the pool (finally!). If it wasn't for the pool showers, we would have gone through Minnesota without taking a shower. And that explains my blog title :)I'm looking forward to riding into Sioux Falls, South Dakota tomorrow.
Whaddup from South Dakota!?!?!?
Hey.Long ride today. 98 miles or so. 3 States. 100 degrees probably. oh jeez. it was one of the hardest days yet but with teammates, it was no problem.I can eat so much when its warm. I must have consumed 6000 calories today and I'm not all that full. Crazy stuff.Otherwise, things have been good. South Dakota is supposed to be full of headwinds but also has things like the Badlands and Wall Drug. It'll all be worth it, I'm sure. Free ice water!Ok, thanks for reading, hope all is well!!
Century #2
Finally after several days of rain, we had a sunny day! Unfortunately, with the sun came heat somewhere in the 90s. I rode this morning with Connor and Kyle, and we went way faster than I thought I'd be able to keep up with... but I did! Connor&Kyle yelled at all the animals we passed, and they succeeded in getting a herd of goats and a herd of cows to run with us. Way to go boys, I knew all of your heckling would pay off. After lunch, Priscilla joined us for the last 40 miles, which were super hot. We stopped for some photos and bro puns in Manley, MinneBROta (population 16... the town is literally like 3 car repair shops and that's it... pretty brolicious). [Legit] pun points to Kyle for "bros and cons list." We rode 4 extra miles to pass the Tristate Marker between Minnesota, Iowa, and South Dakota, except that no such marker existed... but we really were there! Upon arrival in Sioux Falls, SD, I rode circles through the parking lot to add the extra few miles to complete a century.I went with Eamon after dinner to pick up a food donation from Panera, and we spotted a CiCi's Pizza, which we quickly recognized as I4K Heaven. The manager allowed the whole team to come in and eat for free. And they had Poppin' Pink Lemonade Hi-C. Which everyone knows is the BEST kind. Score!
Fair well Kwik-Trip!
This morning the team left Albert Lea and biked in the rain for the first 60 miles. Our second rest stop took place at a Kwik Trip and we have reason to believe that was our final encounter with such a fine establishment.We ate lunch at a covered pavilion in Fairmont and some riders visited a nearby bike shop and talked to the owner. A bit after lunch the clouds broke and we all enjoyed some sunshine.Our hosts at Our Saviors Lutheran in Jackson have been very welcoming. We got to visit with some of the people from the church and were able to do a Portrait of a woman who works at the church. We were provided a delicious dinner and eagerly await a delicious breakfast.
Jackson, MN 06/21
I knew this day was going to be interesting when I started the morning with an attempt to inflate my tires, only for them to completely go flat. For breakfast, two tables were filled so I started a third one, instead of this third table being filled, tables four and five were, not on purpose but it was just a hilarious coincidence. Then I dropped my bagel on the floor. Taking off, it rained and rained. I had a headache. We then rode through an area that was completely destroyed by the recent tornados. I've decided that there are so many things that I hear about on tv... such as the meat packing industry or destruction of areas from natural disasters. Hearing about these things is NOTHING compared to seeing them with your own eyes. The little things that I complain about in the morning are laughable compared to what these people are being put through. I only wish we didn't have such a long day (84.5 miles) so that we could have stopped to see if there was any way we could help clean up the area.Starting back up in the afternoon rain was a struggle. About 15 miles out of Jackson, an interesting event happened: A bug flew in my mouth to the back of my throat and I swallowed it. Instantaneously, I pulled over and upchucked lunch. It's now 8:15pm and this reoccuring stomach issue is slightly irritating. My bike is also giving me a whirlwind of problems. I can't be bitter, all I can do is laugh... life's funny isn't it?On the flip, we got to swim in a pool today (: the church provided us a yummy dinner and desert including brownies with M&M's (: and I finally showered after well, a very very long time (:
Albert Lea, MN 06/20
I can describe Minnesota in 3 statements: wind, rain and bagged milk. At least that has been my experience thus far.We had an early wake up of 5am to leave Rochester and I was actually quite sad to go. It may have been because the sun wasn't out yet, or that I knew a long day lay ahead, or that I was leaving where I might just work one day... either way, my nomad life must continue. I head out with Megan, Shao and Ana that day but after Megan blew another spoke, a substitution was called on the court and Steve traded in his van driving duties for his bike.This day I came to a conclusion: Shao is hilarious and I love her. She started the morning by giving me a big hug. Later, a few miles after Steve had joined our group, Shao proclaimed, "Steve, I have been riding behind you all this time staring at your calves." I almost peed my shorts. While playing contact, for Shao's turn, she makes up a first letter but never an actual word, also hilarious. Being Father's Day, she also jumped in on a phone call to my father (who verbally adopted her at my house previously). I love Shao and if I come home for Thanksgiving, she is coming to Mazurski Thanksgiving.I was very Nate-like this day. During lunch, we stopped at a small diner in Geneva, MN. The team spent hours playing "Rocks" while I slept inside. Upon arrival, some head out for bagged milk, but I joined the DQ crew. After a blizzard, I napped outside until everyone else was finished with their second servings. We head back to the church for a lovely grilled cheese and tomatoe soup dinner, and about 3 seconds after popping in Finding Nemo, I concluded my night by falling asleep at 8pm.
Thanks!
I wanted to make a quick post thanking everyone who donated to make my trip possible! This has been a wonderful experience so far and I definitely would not be here without everyone's help. As a team, we have raised over $100,000 so far, which I think is incredible. Each donation brought us closer to our goal. So thank you to all my friends and family for being supportive and giving me this opportunity. :DI also wanted to thank George Garner Cyclery in Northbrook for helping me choose the perfect bike for my journey. And oh yes, for tuning it up for me so quickly when I brought it back to Chicago all messed up. (I didn't even know there was that much wrong with my bike ... but now I can switch gears so smoothly and it feels like I'm gliding).I can't say this enough to everyone but maybe once more will help... THANK YOU for being supportive and making this possible! :)
Great lunch on the way to Albert Lea
This morning our team had a 5 a.m. wake up call because we needed to get out of the church in time for morning services. Some of us enjoyed getting out on the empty road, while others did not. The morning started out cool and weather soon turned to rain. Spirits were high and we took no rest until mile 52 when we stopped in Geneva, MN. Some of us stopped in a cute little deli and had lunch. We chatted with the patrons inside and one generous woman gave us a $100 donation. We also did a portrait with a woman we met inside.During what would become a 2.5 hour lunch stop, the team reconnected with their inner child and played "Rocks" on a nearby playground. The game is similar to tag, where one blindfolded person is "it" and must tag other players while they are on the playground equipment. The other players can step on the ground, but if the blindfolded person suspects anyone is on the floor, they can call "rocks!" and that person becomes "it." The I4K created their own rules as the game went on to make it more extreme and a good time was had by all.We got into Albert Lea relatively early and had a great dinner of grilled cheese and tomato soup!
A wonderful ride to Albert Lea,MN
We got up an hour early at 5am because we had to leave the church by 7. This was the first time I craved for coffee, but sadly there was none at breakfast today.I had a great time riding with Disha and Greg. We spent most of the ride giving each other riddles and learning more about each others' lives. As we started off early, the roads were nice, smooth and relatively empty, and we had tailwinds, we arrived at our lunch stop in Genera at around 10.30! Genera is a small town that gives a lot to cancer research too. In fact, the small diner we visited would be having a pancake buffet in July in which half of its proceeds would go towards cancer research. Too bad we won't be around for that. Kyle was talking to a table of people in the diner and one of them gave us a HUGE donation. It was so huge we had to confirm with them that it wasn't a mistake. It is so encouraging to see how generous people are. We had so much fun playing Rocks (its like marco polo), with an added Mochure-passing element, in the playground during our 2.5 hour long lunch break.After arriving at our stay-over, some went to our all-favorite Kwick Stop, some went to Dairy Queen, and some went to Subway. Eamon, Max, Tracy and I ran to Subway for a light snack, and then continued to run around the whole lake (Fountain Lake?). It felt great to be running again. I miss running so much, but my quads were aching a little from the 70 miles ride in the morning. We took a quick dip in the lake, got really lost, almost wanted to hitch a ride back, ran much further than expected (5ish miles?), and thankfully got back in time for a tasty dinner of grilled cheese, or cheese toasty as Jordan calls it (cute :D), and tomato soup.My third day of no proper shower. I think its my new record. :)
I can't think of a title.
So I thought that our ride into La Crosse was one of the best riding days of the trip so far. It was an 86 mile ride and I rode with Jaime, Ana, Bridget, Diana, and a very special guest: Greg. I was the pace leader the whole ride and it was actually really cool. Jaime rode behind me and was our group's navigator. She has a really great sense of direction that is very handy. We all pushed ourselves and kept a pace of around 20-22 MPH consistently, which is really good for us (minus Greg who rides around 54 MPH in a tailwind uphill on fire on a gravel road).We started the morning off right with some bagged milk and doughnuts. Then we got to our second rest stop of the day and were able to complete a portrait (thanks to Max!) of a two-time cancer survivor. At our third rest stop, a lot of us stopped at Piggly Wiggly and Taco Bell for lunch. I bought cheese curds and locally grown strawberries for the team and got quite a few people addicted to cheese curds. I also bought Taco Bell...Once we got into La Crosse, we were welcomed to a very nice church and free showers at the YMCA. Then a few of us went and got ice cream at a local ice cream parlor. The pastor, named Taylor, at this church was so awesome. He has completed several Iron Man triathlons and rode with us during the next morning's ride to Rochester for a few miles. He climbs hills like they are downhills. It was really cool to see someone who is that talented ride. Taylor changed our route in the morning a little bit so that we could catch some great scenery of the Wisconsin/Minnesota border. It was really pretty we took some great pictures at the top of our 1.6 mile climb.The rest of our ride into Rochester wasn't so fun. It was rainy and we had a major headwind pretty much all day long. Lots of hills too. But, once we got into Rochester, we were fortunate enough to tour a Hope Lodge. Hope Lodges, which are funded by the American Cancer Society, provide cancer patients and their families a free and temporary place to stay while one is receiving cancer treatment in a city that is different/far away from their hometown. Our tour was wonderful and we even completed 4 portraits while we were there!Yesterday we had a rest day in Rochester. A few of us woke up early to do some laundry--a special thank you to Ana's dad who drove us to the laundromat! Then we went to the Mayo Clinic for a tour of their Cancer Education Center. This center is a place where several Mayo patients visit to learn more about the cancer they are facing and the treatments they may receive. The best part of this visit, for me especially, was reading a journal where individuals can openly write about their fight against cancer or their loved one's fight against cancer. There were two entries that really impacted me and that made me cry because I related to them so easily. The following quote is one I read from the journal and I think it is really true: "One day. One life. Enjoy each moment. Waste no time, it is so precious."After our tour, I went with a few teammates to a Dutch restaurant. I have no idea how to spell the name of it but they made these really great Dutch pancake things. So good. Afterwards, I felt like a soccer mom because I dropped all the kids off to Toy Story 3. Then I drove to Target with Bridget and Jaime and hung out there for a good 2 hours. It was an interesting experience to say the least because A LOT of food was involved. Then I picked the kids up and headed back to our stayover. Later that night, Michell, Ana, and I visited Rochester's Barnes and Noble. This Barnes and Noble came highly recommended by Conor and I am so glad we went. It was seriously the coolest and most magical Barnes and Noble I have ever been in. So awesome. There was literally a castle inside.Today we rode out of Rochester and into Albert Lea. Today may also be one of the best riding days of the trip so far. I rode with Bridget, Conor, Jillian, Michell, and Tracey. The ride was so relaxing and a lot of fun. We had a great tailwind and the hills made the ride much better because it wasn't boring at all. We completed 52 miles by 10:30 AM so a lot of us stopped at this local breakfast spot and enjoyed each other's company. Then we all played at a park that was across the street. This was a ton of fun because we played this awesome game called Rocks for at least an hour and a half. Then we finished our ride and were all at our stayover by 3! Bridget and I went on a short run to BP to buy some gatorade (we were having major withdrawals) and now we are all off to eat dinner.Adios for now.
The I4K leaves home
Long time no post...Since leaving the Appalachians, we've gone through the flat plains of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. Homecoming in Champaign and Chicago was surreal, it was great seeing friends and family in both places. We had a very generous reception at the Alumni Center on campus, and got to interact with alumni and past riders. In Chicago, our arrival coincided with the Blackhawks celebration parade, making our Millennium Park arrival super busy.The trip has taken on a new dimension since our departure from Chicago. On the morning of our Highland Park departure, we shared our reasons for riding and what we would pledge to do on the ride. It was an incredibly moving experience and we definitely bonded over that experience. We also had a chance to meet with one of our founding fathers, Jon Schlesinger. It was nice to see his perspective on the growth of the organization, and I think we all became a bit more in tune with our cause. We are starting to focus more on the Portraits project, and we've all been trying to stop more along the way in search of portraits.Wisconsin was a surprising state, we were faced with rainy weather and lots of hills. The scenery on the routes to Madison and LaCrosse were absolutely beautiful, and some of the hills we faced were quite steep and a great challenge. I got a chance to visit an awesome co-op in LaCrosse and enjoyed some delicious mango, "squeaky" cheese curds, and other local goodies.Wisconsin was also the start of a delicious new treat for the I4K: bag milk. For those that haven't experienced it, bag milk is basically a half-gallon of milk that comes in a bag and costs only 99 cents. The regular milk is delicious, the 1.89chocolate milk is incredibly rich, and bag milk alone has taken over our rest stops and caused them to become twice as long.We arrived in Rochester, MN the other day, and we're staying at a church across the street from the Mayo Clinic. On Friday, we got a chance to tour the Hope Lodge, which is a place for cancer patients to live if they are receiving treatment and are from out of state or need to be closer to the clinic. It was a beautiful facility and is a completely free service offered by the ACS. We had a chance to interact with lots of cancer patients and their caregivers, and shared lots of great stories.My rest day was quite productive. In the morning, I did a full load of laundry and enjoyed some breakfast. Afterwards, we toured the Cancer Library and Education Center in the Mayo Clinic. A group of us went to an Indian buffet for late lunch, and then some of us went to see Toy Story 3 (excellent movie, I highly recommend it!). Finally, I settled in for the evening to clean my bike, drivetrain, and put on new bartape. I'm excited to ride tomorrow, even though we have an early wakeup and I should already be sleeping. Also, we've got a pretty high chance of thunderstorms tomorrow, but hopefully with an early departure we can outrun the storms :P
Western WI and Eastern MN: Home of Bag Milk
From Reedsburg, we headed out for La Crosse. The trend of rolling hills in this part of the state continued, much to my enjoyment. That type of terrain is my favorite because it provides us riders with some challenge while allowing the ride to still be very enjoyable. And, we were lucky enough to have great weather this day as well.But, what was most important on this ride day was our introduction the most glorious beverage this country has ever seen: BAG MILK. For those who are unaware, at most Kwik Trip gas stations in WI and MN, one is able to purchase a half gallon bag of milk for $0.99. Not only is the milk inexpensive, but it is delicious and comes in a package that makes it very entertaining to consume. We as a team are so fascinated that we have continued to buy bags at every single rest stop since then. I personally am dreading the day where this milk is no longer a part of my life.We rolled into La Crosse, a pretty college town right on the Mississippi river. The church we were staying at had a nice big room for everyone to sleep in, and arranged for us to use the showers at the YMCA down the street. The pastor Taylor was really cool as well! He himself runs triathlons, and was able to take me to a really nice bike shop to get a new cable for my rear derailleur. I would have explored the town a lot more, but I fell asleep at 8 pm that day haha.We woke up the next day and crossed the river into Minnesota. We had about a 2 mile bike climb up the bluff, but once on top we were afforded some great views! The rest of the day was plagued by head winds, but we managed to make it into to Rochester by 5 pm. Rochester, in case you are unaware, is the home of the famous Mayo Clinic, a place where many cancer patients go to receive treatment. Once we rolled in, we went to the local Hope Lodge, a home sponsored by ACS where patients are allowed to live during their treatment. There, we got a tour, and met some great people, including a man named Rudy Butteri. Rudy is an elderly man receiving treatment for Lymphoma. Rudy was amazing to talk to because he was so upbeat and so positive about his situation. And, he was a packers fan! I got to participate in my first portrait with him, and it was great. He will definitely be an inspiration to all of us who met him when we get to the hard times on the rest of our ride.Tomorrow, Albert Lea MN, then Jackson, MN, and then we head into the South Dakota. It's exciting to finally start getting to some more western states.So long for now.-Kyle