Wow it’s been ridiculously not cold, so I was able to take a ride from Urbana to the neighboring town of Rantoul yesterday. Rantoul is the next stop north of Champaign on the Amtrak line…about 16 miles away. I had the pleasure of running into Ken Beck from the Dance Department at the Walgreens in town. He has a cool blog here: http://kenbeck.blogspot.com/Anyway, I made up a little song about Rantoul and recorded it in poor quality. Check out the link to the video below. I’m seriously considering strapping the ukulele to my bike this summer...Hear the song: (Anne Toole of) Rantoul 
Hope you're having a wonderful 2012!
My Favorite Things (the cycling edition)
Merry Christmas! I had an I4K-riffic Christmas this year, involving lots of spandex and the opportunity to go out biking with my dad, which is one of my absolute favorite things to do! After I got home from a chill ride with my dad, I hopped onto my trainer, and the tune of "My Favorite Things" popped into my head, but I couldn't remember any of the words! So, instead, it got revamped. So here goes, my personal version of My Favorite Things: Blue under-armor and white clip-less pedals,Power-bars good enough to help win medalsShoes for those pedals without any strings,These are a few of my favorite things! Crank brothers items and spandex galore,Brooks leather saddles and izumi shorts,Riding as though you glide with wings,These are a few of my favorite things! Komen gloves covered with pink ribbon sashes,Hoping and praying there aren't any crashes,Riding outside and wishing for spring,these are a few of my favorite things! When the chain breaks,when the wheel bends,when I'm feeling sad,I simply remember my favorite things and then I don't feel so bad! Merry Christmas everyone! I hope everyone had a great Christmas, surrounded by family and friends. For the other riders, enjoy your break and good luck bike shopping!
Crazy Realizations...
Hi all! Every single day, I talk to someone about Illini 4000, and how incredibly excited I am to be a part of this amazing organization. Today, however, brought an interesting conversation. My uncle from Alaska called me, talking about how excited he was for me. Now, my uncle has lead a crazy life, doing everything from working on a salmon-processing boat (imagine dangerous catch without the cameras) to hitchhiking to Alaska from New York, and being struck by the thought that I was doing something on his life was really exciting!However, a much more important realization also happened--HOLY COW WE WILL BE IN NEW YORK IN 5 MONTHS AND 5 DAYS!! It seems so far away, but at the same time, it's coming so quickly! Before we know it, we'll be on a train, heading towards the adventure of a lifetime. I can't believe that in 5 months and 5 days, my bike and I will be heading out with the other completely amazing members of the team. (Also, as my best friend has so nicely pointed out, that's 1.356 X 10^7 seconds. Thank you Computer Science major and WolframAlpha.) P.S. If you're interested in donating, you totally should ;)
We're Young and Inspired
I can't believe I'm doing I4k, I really cannot wait to cycle across the United States and I DEFINITELY can't wait to do my part in supporting research. Every time I see someone wearing a live strong bracelet or a breast-cancer awareness t-shirt, I get a little hopeful. When I'm older (and hopefully when cancer is much less of a problem) it's going to be gratifying to look back on this experience and know that I took a part in changing it. I think as students we too often take a back seat using the excuse that we're too young to be involved in something as large as cancer. I'm glad I4k gives me the opportunity to do something about a disease that's kills one person each and every minute.On that note, if you'd like to donate to me...YOU SHOULD TOTALLY DO IT : )
A trip to the Mills Breast Cancer Institute
Last week, my teammates and I visited the Mills Breast Cancer Institute here in Urbana. We received a full tour of the facilities and had time to ask lots of questions about various cancer treatments. It was a fantastic source of information and a wonderful facility. Check them out here: http://www.millshope.com/
