Day 27/28: MIN-EH-SOTA

MY B. I feel like I personally let people down when I miss a day of posting so I apologize for that.

Alert Guinness Records, we actually made a 7:15 roll out time yesterday. Proud dads Tyler and Zach beamed as our group circled up to start the day.

Yesterday’s ride was “the most casual 80 miles ever” as Dylan put it. We crossed the state line into Minnesota and spent our rest day in Rochester. Pretty small city. Weirdly strict rules on apparel in dive bars. ANYWAYS riding into this state was really beautiful and all the rolling hills looked incredibly nice. We only had two large hills of climbing but my group talked the whole way through it (who would have thought debating which states are part of the Midwest could be a conversation that could distract you from a 20 minute uphill climb).  Hotshot phone caller Julissa finessed us all free Chipotle yesterday AND pizza so we all loaded up.

Being the home of the famous Mayo Clinic, which specializes in cancer services, we visited another Hope Lodge. We learned that due to its proximity to the Mayo clinic, it is always at max capacity of about 60 people and their caretakers. We got to meet with a brain tumor support group. Robin, our tour guide described the Hope Lodge as “a bubble of good. Our saying here is that if we can spread the good that comes out of this place to the rest of the outside, the world would be an amazing place”.  Robin also told us that she had amazingly, “not met one grumpy patient”. Things like this highlight the insane resilience of people experiencing cancer.

As the team gathered in the kitchen area, a woman who overheard us giving out elevator spheel came up to us in tears and thanked us for what we are doing. It is moments like these that capture the effect our team really has, and it makes all the long days’ worth it.

From speaking with people in the support group, Robin, and even a waitress at a restaurant we visited for breakfast, it is easy to see the warm vibe that Minnesotans give off and it seems to be a very welcoming place. Bob, one of the gentlemen of the support group even said he had left Georgia for Minnesota because the people in Minnesota are better.

After that, a few of us got to sit in on a Portrait with Bob. Bob described Minnesota weather as “winter, winter ending, construction, and almost winter” He said that when his doctors found a tumor on his brain 9 years ago, he used his sense of humor as a way to cope. He told us that he had even named his tumor Fred, and when he learned that cells in the tumor were dead, he organized a “Fred is dead” chant a la Wizard of Oz in the chemo center. Bob was truly an amazing person and I felt so lucky to have the chance to sit in on during the portrait and hear his story.

After the Hope Lodge, many us of spent the day eating out or catching up on some sleep in Zumbro Lutheran Church where we are staying. Tomorrow holds our second century ride to Minneapolis with the promise of another rest day!

Eh *Minnesota accent*

MB

6/16 – Land of 10,000 Lakes

Today we made our way into Minnesota, our 7th state on this trip. The Midwest seems to really vary on the characteristics of its states. From hilly and bumpy Ohio to beautiful and fun filled Wisconsin, it seems as though each state is a whole new world…at least to me(a southern fella). But even though the paths may be horrible, hilly, or confusing, every day is amazing. Over just the past few days, we’ve biked through state parks and old railroad paths, we’ve spontaneously swam in lakes, we’ve waited out a thunderstorm in a gas station car wash, and we’ve told endless stories and jokes. This ride has been amazing so far and with roughly two thirds of it left to go, I’m looking forward to every moment. Even the West, where food may be sparse and cell signal even more so.

That’s all for now, this is Dolfin Killa/Florida Man/Mason Derulo, signing off

P.S. A “dolphin” where I come from is a fish, not like Flipper…a bottlenose dolphin is like Flipper

Day 26: Don’t Wanna Leave Wisconsin

We dedicated today’s ride to Michaeline’s teacher who passed away from pancreatic cancer this past November.

I must say, so far Wisconsin has consistently been best state that we have ridden through. Even though most of what we rode past today was farmland, something about elevation change just makes the backdrop that much more beautiful, and it was nice to see the green pastures with cows grazing. I did not know how bike friendly this state was. Pretty much all of today’s 81 miles were spent on a bike path that led us through several caves, a cute roadside ice cream stop, and even the “bike capital of the US” in Sparta Wisconsin.

Yet another over-the-top church member let us swim in their pool and Jacuzzi this evening, motivating us the move as quickly as possible during the day.  La Crosse surprised me. With the college campus nestled next to the church we are spending the night tonight, a nice looking downtown, and views of the Mississippi river running between here and the town on the other side of the river, which happens to be Minnesota. Tomorrow holds the promise of another rest day and another state line to cross.

But I didn’t even get cheese curds :(

Day 25: Dippin in at Devil’s Lake

Day 25: Logan had the ride dedication today in honor of his teacher’s father who passed away from pancreatic cancer.

It was a bit tricky leaving Madison this morning because of all of the trails. Our day in the heart of UW Madison campus yesterday might have been the one of the best so far. As of late the team has been taking more time to enjoy small moments in the places we visit, and we decided that it would be a good idea to jump in the lake in t shirts and shorts after the long and hot ride. We also watched the sunset on the terrace to cap off the night. Their Union gives the one at U of I a run for its money. @UofI alcohol at the Union=$$$$

Today was somewhat of a challenging day, but it completely changed when we spent our lunch rest stop at Devil’s Lake State Park. By the time we stopped most of us were soaked in sweat from the humidity and climbing, so we jumped in the lake (which was surprisingly warm) to cool off. Since most of us come from Illinois, seeing the cliffs in the backdrop of the lake prompted us all to take pictures. It seems the further west we head the most beautiful the sights we begin to see.

Although the weather channel told us that we would experience rain later in the day most of us doubted it. Unfortunately, we were caught in a sudden thunderstorm in the last 20 miles of the ride. For shelter my group went to a veterinary office awning and waited out the rain. To pass the time we played charades and made up raps until we got the go signal from Tyler.

And of course rule #1 was not broken today as we noticed our church home for the night just HAPPENED to be on the top of one of the only hills in the town (apparently). To celebrate this tradition my team chanted “rule number one, rule number one, as we pedaled to the top”.

Special thanks to Julissa, Jessica and Rebecca for finding the team food for tonight! We were lucky enough to pick up some taco’s and pizzas from some local places in Reedsville.

Wisco you have been treatin’ us well so far.

MB

Day 24: I LOVE WISCONSIN

Zach had the ride dedication today for his friend Max who passed away as a result of cancer.

Today’s ride: 71 miles, hot but not too hot, lots of cornfields and slight hills.

Logan Orr is one of our graduated senior riders. His degree is Bioengineering and he is one of the resident team Dads. His spirit animal has been chosen by the team as the Golden Retriever.

Describe your home town: So I’m from Reddick IL. It’s outside of Reddick actually. On a good day it has 200 people in it. It’s a small farm town. I went to high school in another farm town in the area. Reddick has a bar, a post office, and a school that is closed down now…and a couple churches.

What are you going to be doing after this trip? I will be working at Eli Lilly Company in Indianapolis. I’ll start there a couple weeks after the ride.

Your older sister did this trip. How did your prior expectations compare to the reality? I knew it would be a lot of fun from hearing stories from my sister and that I would see a lot of things that I wouldn’t normally. But I underestimated the friendships that I would make. I really enjoy our team and getting to know everyone on it. I also underestimated the kindness of random strangers. I knew that the people at the stayovers would be super nice, but I didn’t expect receiving a bunch of random stuff from strangers. And how many people that thank us when they are the ones that are hosting us. It has really surprised me and it makes the trip really rewarding.

Have you noticed any changes in yourself since we started? My legs have gotten stronger and I’ve gotten to gain a new perspective on a lot of things. Our team is full of people from different backgrounds and walks of life. I’ve gotten to hear what they think of things and what they call things, and how they don’t know a lot of farming terminology (laughs). Gaining perspective on how I myself have changed and gaining more of an appreciation for people.

What have you enjoyed most so far? I have enjoyed getting to know the team. I feel like we have a lot of cool people who are all really different. I really liked meeting the mayor of Rochester with a police escort. Any time that there’s been a pool, we’ve all gone back to the days of being 12 and acting like little kids and that has been really nice to see.

Where has been your favorite spot we’ve stayed so far? I think my biased answer would be… Kankakee. Just because I got to see my family and old teachers and friends from home and my family took me out for ice cream after. Showers, really good food, and family were the best.

What are you still looking forward to? I’m really looking forward to being out west. My sister said her favorite state was South Dakota because of being able to ride through the Badlands. I’m also stoked for the National parks we’re going through like Yellowstone and the Grand Tetons. I’m really excited for Portland because my brother lives in Seattle and he’s coming to see us ride through there.

What do you do while riding? I talk a lot, probably too much. Sing, play hot seat, I try to look up as much as I can. Every once in a while we’ll pass through parts of small towns that are really pretty and I know I’ll probably never go to the same places again. I want to see as much as I can.

Do you see yourself continuing cycling after the ride? I see myself riding around Indianapolis just for fun because they have a lot of trails. Possibly biking to work. I don’t see myself doing any races or another cross country trip anytime soon (haha).

Describe I4k in one word: impactful

Don’t want to leave Madison with its prime stayover location and beautiful Terrace views.

Will accept Spotted Cow donations.

MB

Day 23: So This Is “Real” I4k?

Day 23:

Special shoutout to Mackenzie’s uncle for providing us with the desserts from Pie Five and Alia’s family friend for the cookies! We loved them!

I must apologize to those loyal daily readers out there for my slacking on blogging these past few days. I hope today’s post can make it up to you.

We dedicated today’s ride to Phil’s grandpa John who passed away from cancer before Phil was born.

*Speaking of Phil’s birth, fun fact: he was born in his driveway (in an ambulance).

Somewhat of a rude awakening today after a day and a half of a rest in Chicago and a combination of the longer mileage and extreme heat. During our time off we enjoyed spending down time with family and friends, and those who do not hail from Illinois got to explore the city and do “touristy” Chicago things.

With the hottest ride day yet from downtown Chicago to Lake Geneva Wisconsin many of us were wiped out by the time we arrived at our lake house stayover.  We have a team saying that “rule #1 is that every stayover must be located at the top of a hill”. However, since today’s spot did not follow this rule we rationalized that if it isn’t at the top of a hill, then it’s also not at the bottom…

Special shout out to my dad Paul and Steve Bailey for making it through the 80-mile day, you both exceeded my expectations. The tough day was broken up by the awesome rest stops we enjoyed. First stop was my alma mater of Loyola Academy in Wilmette where we were provided with refreshments, and then we cruised through to Mundelein where Phil’s family hosted us for lunch.  (The hose sprinkler was MUCH appreciated). After the awesome food at Alison’s in Frankfort two days ago, then being able to have access to our pantries at home, and today’s lunch, it will be hard to have to go back to PBJ.

Each day while on the road us riders find ourselves explaining the point of the ride, and then talking about the logistics of the trip, and what it took to prepare for a journey like this. Most of the time people seem shocked and respond something along the lines of “Oh I could never do something like that”.  Even though many of us were nowhere near the fitness level we are currently at, before joining the team none of us told ourselves that this insane mileage was something that we could not accomplish. And even though many of us never even got on our bikes for the first time until April, I don’t think any one of us ever doubted that we would be able to reach San Francisco.

I have been asked a few times if people ever quit and go home midway through the ride. I don’t think any of us ever even considered this as an option. For us, completing the ride each day is all about breaking it down. Making it to through the first 20 miles, playing games and chatting to get us to the rest stop, playing music or making up raps while looking forward to being able to get to lunch and chow down on some sandwiches, and finally cruising through the last 15 (because the I4k rule is last 5 miles don’t count).  Even though riding an average of 70 miles a day seems like a huge feat, for some reason each day is actually fun, and this crazy lifestyle is something we are all dreading being over.

While on the ride today, Steve expressed to me that he didn’t think he would be able to finish today, and surprised himself at being able to get as far as he did.  From our conversation it was clear the strategic rest stops made everything possible. Once you make a daunting 87-mile day just a series of three ride segments of 20-25 mile intervals, it doesn’t seem so scary anymore. After witnessing the progress this team has made and will continue to make, I am now a believer that anyone can reach a goal with a clear vision of what the ‘finish line is’ and the will to push through to get there. It is all about just breaking that seemingly far-fetched goal down into smaller steps.  I really hope that people reading this understand that none of us are superhuman or possess anything close to superhuman qualities, but rather we are just a determined group of college students that share an affirmative mindset.

Heat is still > Rain

Madison or bust.

MB

Coming Home To Illinois Was Pretty Cool

After the hype of the first few weeks had died down, riding into Champaign and Chicago was something to look forward to. Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois all essentially look the same, so it was nice knowing that we would get to see some familiar faces pretty soon. The time spent at home seeing family and friends is very much appreciated. That being said, I’m real excited to start moving out west in a week or so. I know the riding will only get more challenging and the weather will get hotter, but it will be worth it.

Phil “I hate Ohio” Kagebein

21 Takeaways From 21 Days of I4K, Presented Without Context

1) The New York City subway system is not designed to accommodate 27 people and their bikes. But it can be done.

2) Bear Mountain is a real place, not just from a Bob Dylan song! It’s also very beautiful and tough to climb.

3) An ice skating rink is a pretty okay place to sleep.

4) Flat tires will come to us all, but not everyone will be as lucky as to encounter a support van for a different cross country cycling trip to give you a nice pump to change it quickly (this did happen to me).

5) Everyone on I4K Ride America 2017 has at least one odd sleeping habit. Everyone.

6) Rain sucks.

7) May 26th is Illini 4000 Day in Rochester, New York!

8) Being a (relatively) recent vegetarian and visiting the birthplace of your favorite meat based food (Buffalo wings) is more challenging than any hill or headwind.

9) Lake Erie is a top tier great lake.

10) Sometimes you lose your wallet, and that’s bad. Sometimes you find it on the side of the road, and that’s good!

11) East Cleveland has some of the worst roads in the U.S.

12) No for real, they are no fun at all to ride on.

13) The Towpath trail west of Cleveland is lovely and lots of fun to ride on. 15% grade hills, not so much.

14) Rule #1 of I4K: The stayover is always at the top of a hill.

15) Snowcones are good.

16) Riding 100+ miles will make you do some strange things, like willingly eat Domino’s pizza.

17) Being 92 years old doesn’t inhibit dancing ability.

18) Riding into Champaign-Urbana from New York after riding in from a training ride a dozen times is a very surreal experience.

19) Route 45 is different than Old Route 45.

20) No matter how you set it up, your own bed will always be more comfortable than a sleeping bag.

21) New York is pretty cool. Chicago is still better.

Day 19: Zach in the Spotlight

Zach had the ride dedication today.

A sunny, breezy 77 miles from Champaign to Kankakee. We were joined by some I4k alumni and one brave mom (you go Mrs. Behyl) on today’s ride. Looking around at the network of previous riders was really cool and gives me hope that we will stay connected as a team even after this summer ends. Although the sun was very hot beating down on us, Dylan’s parents were generous to ride along the whole way with us and provided the team with snacks during rest stops.

In the third edition of team member Tuesday Thursday, ride leader Zach is in the spotlight. This is his second year completing the ride. He responds to “Zach” “Dad” or “Mom”, take your pick.

Why did you first join I4K? I first joined my sophomore year (2015) because many people in my life had been affected by cancer.  I also wanted to be a part of an organization that seemed meaningful, and I liked how I4k involved traveling for a cause.

How long have you been a board member? This last year I was director of the Portraits Project. I was also on the Portraits board the year before.

Has being involved with I4K shaped you in any way? Definitely. Being in I4k has made me more patient and I have developed a respect for the generosity of random people. My faith in humanity has been restored (laughs). It made me grow up a little bit. It has forced me to get things done on a deadline.

Do you see yourself cycling after this summer? Yeah I’ve always wanted to do bike racing. Or a criterium (race consisting of several laps around a closed circuit, the length of each lap or circuit ranging from about 500 m to 1000 (thanks Wikipedia)). I want to push myself to do shorter races that involves more speed.

How does this ride compare to your last? This one has give me more appreciation for I4k and more appreciation for the ride leaders. Right now I am always “on”. It is kind of difficult sometimes but also nice. When the team works together it all comes full circle and gives Tyler and I more satisfaction.

How has this organization evolved since you first joined? Every year everything gets smoothlined. The training gets harder, but that way we know what we can expect from people during the ride. Team meetings are planned to a T. As an organization we are becoming more serious- social media and they way we present ourselves has come a long way. I am still impressed that we are run by students without outside help.

How do you like being a ride leader so far? I really like it. It makes me happier because I’m able to help people when they need it. There are a lot of situations where people don’t know what to do and I can be there for them. I am given opportunities to make real decisions that have real outcomes, in a lot of ways being a ride leader is like a real job.

What is the hardest part about it (being a ride leader)? I really want the team to be happy all the time. If it’s a hard day I don’t want to inflict people with more stress even if it needs to get done like packing the van, etc. I care about each team member’s well being and I want make sure they’re having a good experience.

What is the next big thing you see yourself doing after this? SLEEPING (just a joke). I would like to hike the Pacific Crest Trail one day.

Describe i4k in one word: Bliss

Tomorrow’s forecast: corn sightings on the way to Frankfurt.

Chicago countdown: 1 day!

MB

Day 18: Back in the ‘Paign

Crazy day today crossing the border from Indiana back into sweet home Champaign-Urbana. Near perfect conditions for the first 20 miles of the ride were followed by some strong headwinds for the middle and end of the 77 miler. We all celebrated when we saw the Illinois state border sign, and were able to capture some pictures of us scaling the top of it.

When we arrived we were greeted by a crowd of family and friends as we rolled up to Alma Mater to take pictures and then headed to Illini Grove for a potluck picnic complete with more Chipotle, pulled pork and even homemade ice cream (thank you Jeff).

Being back to our familiar campus surroundings felt nice but surreal. Coming back to Champaign, it almost felt as though all the miles we have covered leading up to this point had not actually happened, or that all of our journey leading up to Illinois was only an extended practice route. Which, according to veteran members of the team “the ride doesn’t even start until after Chicago” so perhaps from New York up to now actually was an extended practice ride after all.

Countdown until Chicago count: 2 days

ILL…

MB

Day 17: Bless Up Rockville

Alia’s grandfather Fadhil took the ride dedication today. He was diagnosed with colon cancer in 2015 and is still battling today. He originally moved to a town near our stayover tonight in Rockville Indiana which made the ride today extra special.

Upon hearing tales of the food, pool, and showers at the famed Rockville stayover during the morning meeting we were extra motivated to finish today’s ride as soon as we could.  Compared to the rough patch of the past two days, riding today felt like a pleasant stroll (minus the less than ideal state of Indiana’s roads). We could not have asked for better conditions with a breezy high 70’s climate and plenty of opportunity to call dibs on the cows* that we saw on the mostly empty county roads.

We encountered even more incredibly generous people today when a Dollar General manager donated cases of water and PBJ supplies, who then inspired a kind delivery truck driver to give us lunchmeat.  Any substitute to the daily lunch PBJ can mean the difference between a memorable lunch or just another forgotten meal due to the routine-ness of I4k life.

It seems that these stayovers are in competition to one up each other on offering us the most over-the-top amenities. This team of 18-23 year olds turned into a bunch of middle schoolers today when we were provided with the opportunity to spend a few hours in a church community member’s backyard pool (chicken fights and all). Our hosts continued to spoil us with a filling three course meal complete with salad, pulled pork sandwiches, and the most incredible angel food cake I have ever tasted. Who said we would be roughing it on this trip?

What I realized about todays near perfect day, was that it felt so good because we had the past two days to compare it to. It is almost guaranteed that this experience will offer each person a spectrum of emotions and hardships. Today’s experience would not have been as fulfilling if every day was pools and angel food cake. The joy of being able to ride to a new place every day and being able to be a part of I4k is very closely tied to the adversity of the experience. And because of this I will now be more inclined to welcome the everyday challenges. Bring it on, Western United States.

*My Cow™ is a classic I4k game in which riders call dibs on cows. You may double your amount of cows if you see a church. You can kill the cows of other players if you see a cemetery. You can save your cows from a cemetery if you say “save cows” before other players. Enjoy.*

See ya tomorrow Alma Mater

MB

Day 16: I Blame Indiana

A friend of Dan’s, Krystal, who was diagnosed with breast cancer during her sophomore year of college took the ride dedication today. She was a studying elementary education at Illinois State University when she eventually lost her battle.

With humid and hot weather and legs and bottoms still sore from yesterday’s century, today’s 71-mile ride was another hard one.  Although there were only slight headwinds, it still made riding that much more difficult. The difficult day was made better with a rest stop at DQ. Most of the team treated themselves to blizzards to cool down during this time.

As the team continues to become more comfortable with each other and riding our bikes, our ride leaders remind us that “real I4k doesn’t start until after Chicago”. Meaning that the most difficult part of our long journey is yet to come, once we hit the West. With tales of driverless roads in Idaho, and stretches where even gas stations are not to be found in South Dakota, we have been informed that most riders will find a day where they hit their own personal wall. Us new riders are reminding ourselves not to become complacent. Participating in this ride continues to prove itself to be multi faceted: fighting cancer, cycling, experiencing the country, and personal growth.  Hopefully the peaceful dynamic that we have established amongst ourselves can continue all the way to San Francisco. I am staying hopeful.

When’s the next rest day?

MB

Day 15: A Century a Day…

The dedication today was in honor of Logan’s grandparents. Both of them battled different forms of cancer and eventually passed some time ago.

Shameless plug alert: birthday shoutout to myself to Tyler.

First century today! In order to conquer the 100 mile stretch between Columbus and Richmond Indiana many groups today spent the 20 mile intervals between rest stops chatting or listening to music. We were lucky today that we had minimal turns, spending most of the day on route 40. My group today was introduced to “the hot seat” by veteran rider Tyler. This game consists of singling out one person in the group and having the other people ask as many personal questions which can be as intimate or silly as they please.  This game was able to entertain our group for over 80 miles and we barely minded the distance we had covered.

Leaving from Ohio at around 7:30 we arrived in Indiana at around 8:00.  By the time the team regrouped at the stayover together, all of us looked pretty defeated. From sore bottoms to extreme hunger and tiredness, everyone seemed ready for a 10:00 bed time.

Feeling accomplished that we did our first century but hoping that we don’t have another one for a while.

Currently accepting chamois butter donations.

MB

Day 14: Groundhog Days

We rode for Johnny today. Mackenzie stepped up to dedicate the ride to his uncle that is currently battling skin cancer.

Today’s 60 miler seemed like child’s play compared to yesterday’s doozy of a ride. Tomorrow will be another hard day for the team as we will complete our first century (100 mile ride) to Richmond Indiana. Now that we have exited New York, crossing state lines seems to come as frequently as the passing of each week. During the first 40 miles of today’s ride we were able to coast. We even got to bear witness to the largest strip of yard sales in the United States. Every year Route 40, which runs from Ohio all the way to St. Louis, hosts an annual yard sale along the side of the road.  With instruction from ride leaders that we had to carry whatever we bought, our group decided against treating ourselves the wares, which mostly consisted of baby goods and old furniture.

With the passing of each day time seems to move in the strangest way. Although every day seems long and hard, the routine of it, when looking back, makes it all seem to be passing by so quickly.  Whenever we notice what day of the week it is we feel confused, because when riding, “every day feels like a Tuesday.” Keeping up with the news is a luxury and most of us could not tell you what is currently happening in the world outside of what we see on the side of the road after riding for 8 hours every day. Things are stating to blur together due to our extremely routine schedule, and we are only able to recall memorable things from each day. “Where were we when we happened” “Oh yeah, the place with (that thing), now I remember” is a daily conversation at this point.

Although we are only two weeks into our eleven-week journey, I am already starting to get the feeling of wanted to freeze time. Picturing riding into Golden Gate Park is one of my motivators when riding, but in a way I am dreading that day. I think I speak for everyone on the team when I say being a part of this groups is one of the most rewarding things you can force yourself to do, and I don’t want it to end. I know I will miss the ride once it has ended.

Pray for our legs tomorrow

MB

Day 13: Did Someone Say Chipotle?

Julissa had the honor of dedicating the ride today.  She shared with us that her best friend’s mom was diagnosed with cancer and had beat it after two years of battling. Unfortunately, earlier this year she passed away once a tumor presented itself on her spine. Her passing occurred the day before the application for the team was due and this is what inspired Julissa to apply for I4K.

Many records were made today. The most amount of uphill climbing in one day, hottest day, most amount of roadkill seen, and arguably best stayover.  Our ride from Wooster to Zanesville consisted of 86 miles in 80-degree weather.  Although we usually only make two rest stops today we added an extra because of the longer route. Even though it seems that rides are starting to get longer and harder, these past two days have been made easier by being given the ‘OK’ by ride leaders to have music playing while we are riding. Most of the ride today was spent on the shoulder of a road with many trucks and cars zooming past us, and plenty of dead animals spotting the sides of the road. So many, that my bike actually ran over a ‘fresh’ one and I experienced a split second of being airborne.

Today we were reminded that we had exited the East and entered good ol’ Middle America as we passed by an Amish village.  We watched as farmers plowed their lawn with horse drawn carts and parked their horses and buggies outside of a local restaurant.

Everyone was motivated during today’s ride by the promise of catered Chipotle waiting for us at our Zanesville stayover. This Church was actually a stop on the original rider’s route 11 years ago, and they have stayed here ever since. Besides the awesome and plentiful food, we also got BEDS. Well, not exactly beds but cots, and if you’re an I4k-er it definitely counts.

Tomorrow’s 60-mile ride seems like an easy day and the team is looking forward to our second stayover next week in Chicago.

Excuse me if I smell like a dead animal.

MB

Day 12: People

Christina dedicated to ride today to make her birthday extra special. She was initially inspired to join Illini 4000 for her aunt and her two cousins after her uncle, Ji Ding, passed away from liver cancer. Ji was actually one of the only survivors of a clinical trial several years ago, and then unfortunately the cancer came back her senior year of high school in 2015 and he passed away.

It is obvious that the team is improving their strength because the rolling hills today from Cleveland to Wooster barely fazed anyone. We were lucky today with the sunny skies and pretty scenery of a national park (no offense Ohio but your national parks could be another state’s forest preserve). Nonetheless the 76-mile day was made much easier with our gracious rest stop host.

Last year, the team happened to pass through a road side convenience store on the same route and encountered Troy, the wonderful store owner. He was so impressed with the team last year that he offered them complimentary ice cream and took a picture with them that ended up in the local paper and was displayed near the entrance of the store.  This year Troy organized a rest stop at the store. When we arrived we were offered a satisfying selection of sandwiches (anything besides PBJ is considered gourmet at this point) fruit and veggies, and milkshakes all around.  Some local reporters even interviewed Tyler and Zach and took pictures of the entire team.

Something that I have begun to take notice of recently is people’s reactions when we explain that we are riding across the country.  So far I have pretty much been faced with the spectrum of people like Troy and our other stayover hosts who have gone above and beyond and whereas other people in stores and others places have expressionless faces while talking in passing waiting in line at a store.  Today was my first extremely unpleasant with a pickup driver who then gave us an obscene gesture as he sped away honking while we were simply sharing the road with him.  These various reactions bring to light the spectrum of people that we share this Earth with. Overall the positive reactions have brought more joy into my life than darkness from the negative ones, and I hope this positivity means something for the rest of the world on a larger scale.

Since I accidentally brushed over Tuesday’s post (sorry followers) I made some adjustments to Team Member Tuesday and have now declared Thursday to also be fair game for our weekly interview. This week meet Maddie:

How is the ride going so far? (deep sigh) It’s not as hard as I expected but I think that’s because I had a lot of adrenaline during the first few days. Then my body started getting used to it so I think I was able to adjust that way.

What were people’s reactions when you told them you were doing this? Most people thought I was crazy but also after explaining the cause and the purpose of the organization they were more understanding of why I wanted to do it. Biking across the country not something that anyone can or would want to do, but everyone can agree that cancer research and patient support services are extremely important causes to support.

What has been the hardest part for you so far? The hardest part was having my body adjust to the sleeping and eating schedule. I was used to staying up late and then I was forced to wake up 5:45. It was also hard to eat in the morning at first.

What do you have to do for your position? I’m the co-social media chair with Christina. We post and comment on our Facebook and Instagram mainly. It is really important for our donors and the parents of the riders to see what we’re doing every day. I’m happy that this is a shared position because we get two different perspectives of the I4k experience.

How do you think participating in I4k will affect you after the ride?  I think that it has already made me understand myself a lot better. We’re with the same people 24/7 for 77 days straight so you have to learn how to constantly adjust and be with people. There is no time for ‘alone time’ really. It’s also made me into a more social person. I didn’t know anyone going into this, but now I can say I have 26 new friends.

What is your favorite thing to do or think about during the ride? I like singing to myself or talking with other riders if it’s a straight shot and easy terrain. But then if there is a really hard hill I always count backwards from 10 until I’m at the top.

What would you say to people who are considering applying for the team? Do it! I was nervous to apply at first. I had wanted to do it my freshman year but then I chickened out. I’m so glad I finally found the courage to do this because it has been an awesome experience so far.

Describe I4k in one word: family.

Hopefully you have read this far since this post was so long.

MB

Day 11: First Rest Day

First rest day!  This morning Arturo was able to arrange a visit with Rainbow Children’s Hospital in Cleveland due to their oncology specialty. We met with a woman whose family donated the funds for a special terrace rooftop area where children could spend time outdoors with their families and a horticulture therapy room where horticulture specialists ran special programming for the child patients.

Rainbow Hospital was such a special place because of the specially designed architecture that was geared towards the children that would inhabit it, complete with animal statues and colorful building design. An oncology doctor gave us a brief presentation and I was surprised to learn that there were cases of older patients being diagnosed with cancers that were more common in children, and because of this they would be placed in children’s hospitals based on their cancers rather than their age.

After the hospital visit the team broke up into different groups to explore the city. My group was able to briefly visit the free Art Museum and take a look at the exhibits there. I enjoyed looking at American pastoral room and seeing the 18th and 19th century artists’ rendition of the scenery that we ourselves would see on the ride.   After this, a couple teammates and I took a satisfying nap on the museum lawn and then explored the little Italy section of town. We chatted over gelato and coffee and appreciated the down time that we had.

In the evening some of the team members took advantage of being in Cleveland and went to an Indians game while others chilled out in the church we are staying at. We have been on a lucky streak recently and have been provided with food by the kind people of the church community at many of the stayovers.  Hopefully we can beat the previous team’s record of only eating pasta and lentils for 8 days during the entire trip!  So far we have only eaten it once.

Although I thought I would be more than happy to have the day off, today I have actually been missing the feeling of being on the bike and being able to enjoy the scenery. I am excited to continue our journey tomorrow.

Sunny days and sleepy ways.

MB

New York Was Pretty Cool

We finally made it out of New York. It is incredible how different riding in Illinois is compared to everything east of Cleveland. Essentially it comes down the distinct lack of corn and land that isn’t flat. The first few days of riding on hills were interesting. No one on the team, except for previous riders, really knew what to expect in terms of hills. But on those first few days, I know everytime I saw a big hill I would just think: “I can’t f@!#ing climb this thing”. But you do. We all do. You just keep pedaling, and it might suck, but you make it to the top. And it is incredible how rewarding it feels. Then in the distance you can see another hill and a different thought crosses your mind: “S#!t”. But you climb that one too, and the 10 other hills for that day. It honestly feels great and it’s a ton of fun. Exhausting for sure, but well worth it. It teaches you a lot about your own mental strength. I’m looking forward to the hills in Zanesville, OH.

Phil “Life is uncertain, eat dessert first” Kagebein

Day 9: Finally Outta New York

The dedication today was for a friend of Michaeline’s friend’s cousin. Ashley Gustafik was born with a brain tumor which eventually led to childhood leukemia. She passed away shortly after her 16th birthday.

A bit of a tough ride today. Luckily, what started as light drizzle eventually turned into a sunshiney day. However, today was our first day of riding with headwind and the team’s usual pace got slowed down significantly.

We finally made it out of New York! Although the state has many beautiful views to offer, some of us were starting to get sick of being in the same state for so long. Two state lines were crossed today as we rode along Lake Eerie.  Per I4k tradition, we took pictures at the Pennsylvania and Ohio state welcome signs. We were surprised by an Illini 4000 sticker on the ‘Welcome to Ohio’ sign from a previous year’s team leaving their mark. Pretty cool that it was able to stay intact after so long.

Although the wind made biking difficult, the team was able to look forward to our first Sheetz experience, one of the most underrated gems in this great nation of ours. Sheetz is a gas station chain in eastern states that features food orderable from a computer screen, exotic coffee like twinky flavored espresso, and some of the cleanest gas station bathrooms you have ever seen. Many riders took advantage of the two for $1 hot dog special as a treat and binged during a rest stop.

Another I4k tradition was begun today: the Mosher. In a previous year a rider found a ski pass id on the side of the road and picked it up. Erik Mosher was the name on the id. From there, a game of trying to slyly give the id away to someone else throughout the day was started, and whoever ended up with the id by dinner time had to make the team do whatever they chose the next morning. This morning the task happened to be a full team human pyramid in the middle of the Westfield Methodist Church. By the fourth row the entire pyramid collapsed (my bad guys).

Tomorrow we will arrive in Cleveland and get to experience our first rest day. I am very much looking forward to having the extra time to explore the city and walk around without bike shorts on.

Coming for ya Cleveland

MB

Day 8: Rub Some Dirt in It

The ride dedication today for in honor of a close friend of mine’s mother. Annie’s mom, Sheila, was diagnosed with cancer while she was pregnant.  Due to her pregnancy she was not able to undergo treatment until after she gave birth. Unfortunately, treatment was started too late and Sheila died shortly after. One of the qualities I admire most in Annie is her strength and it was an honor to ride for her mom today.

The ride conditions today could not have been better: 70-degree weather, slight breeze, views of Lake Eerie, and a short ride day of only 59 miles. The team took the time to enjoy the lake views today at a rest stop and took pictures on the beach.

We arrived earlier than usual at our stayover and about half to team took the opportunity to walk 2 miles to the beach and relax. Westfield is a small town in the middle of grape country, and during the ride today we noticed a vineyard with a Welch’s sign.

We have not had to make our own dinner for five nights now, due to the dedication of Julissa, who is tasked with the position of calling restaurants and asking for food donations for the team. Tonight’s successful calls resulted in a carb lover’s dream of pizza, grilled cheese, and potato chips. No one was complaining.

Day three without a shower, but it seems the team hardly notices. The team has adopted the mindset that “if all of us smell, none of us smell”, which has helped a lot.

Before actually being on the ride, I was worried that the living conditions would make life difficult. However, the minimalist lifestyle has been eye-opening for me. And I actually have gotten rid of a few things I deemed to be excessive in the past few days such an extra towel, and an old t shirt. I think that living in this way for 11 weeks will really lower my living standards (in a good way) and make me more inclined to live a more minimalist lifestyle that I have adopted on this trip once I return to my normal life.

Staying clean by any means necessary (baby wipes)

MB