Day 20: Bourbonnais for days

Everyone spent day 19 getting some much needed rest and relax time with family and friends in Champaign. Some of us were lucky enough to have family or friends ride along with us today for the first 20 miles to get a taste of I4K. The team then rode almost 88 miles (originally supposed to be 83) due to construction and rerouting..It was a relatively short day nonetheless. Other than the obstacle of the heat most groups found today to be an easy day. It was a hot one though, with very little breeze (which we all were happy about because headwinds are NOT THE MOVE!!) Some of us suffered from feeling dehydrated or sluggish today because it was one of those days where no amount of water kept you feeling hydrated for long! We all made it through and rolled into the stayover in good time. Seems that the rest day paid off after all!

Today the ride was dedicated to chancellor Jones’ mother who passed away from cancer. We were unable to dedicate the ride to her earlier as he just revealed the other day that Day 18 would have been her birthday. I would also like to thank our amazing stayover in Bourbonnais, Adventure Christian Church for hosting us! This has been one of the coolest stayovers, with arcade games and an indoor soccer field.I would like to also thank Jim Moore from the University of Illinois foundation for giving us goodie bags packed with electrolytes and protein bars. This was exactly what was needed on a day like today!

~Tailwinds~
Mandy

Flat count: 0
Song of the day: It’s getting hot in here
Memorable moment: Stopping at a rootbeer place that was bomb.com in Bourbonnais. It was just the pick me up we needed to finish the day

Day 20

Hello world!

Back on the saddle again, huh.

Today we knocked out 84 miles (which turned into 87 ish because of detours and getting lost per usual). It was a scorcher today… biking in 92 degree weather, but with lots of agua and high spirits we made it through.

Alex hooked it up with the local YMCA so we got to shower again! Thanks girlfriendddddd

Also wanna give a quick shoutout to my friends Jess and Katie for hosting A-Aron and I when in Champaign!! Love you guys and shmanks for being grand hosts!

Tomorrow we will go from Kankakee to Elmhurst, IL. We’re looking at about 70 miles. Also rumor has it that the route is on a lot of bike paths, so I’m stoked.

Only 1 day until chi city!!! Can’t wait to be with fam and friends :)

Marge

Day 19

Hello world!

Brb – rest day #2, please come again

Marge

Day 18: Home away from Home

Today the team rode 77.8 miles from Rockville, Indiana to Champaign, Illinois. The day started out great with a wonderful pancake breakfast from Randy and Aunt Martha (our hosts). We then set out on the country roads that would take us home. Approximately 10 miles in we crossed the state line to Illinois and I felt a rush that we were finally home. We had completed our first major milestone, we made it from New York to Illinois!! The ride today was a bit difficult with 16 mph winds alternating between headwinds and crosswinds. Everyone was avidly watching their bike computers the majority of the ride because we all wanted to reach our destination. Each mile felt long with the rushing wind, but the thought of being in our home away from home was an excellent motivation to push through.

Today we had the privilege of riding with three prestigious guests: chancellor Robert Jones, vice chancellor of advancement Barry Benson, and president of University of Illinois foundation Jim Moore. The chancellor even deemed himself a new nickname (sir chancelot). These three were a blast to ride with and Barry and Jim definitely proved they could keep up with the team! The chancellor having only done 20 mile rides prior to today realized that 77 miles was a bit of stretch, but he was still able to complete 50 miles! He and the group he rode with today even bonded over the team’s love of Waffle House. Needless to say the Chancellor is a cool dude!

Once we arrived in Urbana, we were escorted by two police bikes and a police car the 3 miles to Beckman Institute. We all felt like celebrities riding through campus with cars stopping to take our picture. Upon arriving to Beckman we saw a large crowd filled with parents, faculty, friends, other Illini 4000 alum, and many more all cheering for us. It was a surreal experience and a little emotional to return back to where it all started and to realize that we had just biked the 1000+ miles home. The support, and love felt upon arriving at Beckman puts into perspective how important our cause is!

At the ceremony inside Beckman we met David Krantz who represented the Cancer Center at University of Illinois. He graciously spoke about Illini 4000 and the positive impact it brings to ending cancer. He also shared his own experience watching his family pass from cancer and explained that he wanted to make a contribution to our organization. On behalf of David Krantz and his wife 10,000 dollars was donated to Illini 4000. This generous gift made the team extremely emotional. With this large donation we now have the ability to make a greater impact on the cancer groups we donate to. We cannot thank the Krantz family enough for their generosity. The mayors of Champaign and Urbana also dubbed June 5th Illini 4000 day!!!

Overall a very emotional and proud day for the team. Days like today make the hard journey worth it.
~ Tailwinds~
Mandy

Flat count: 0
Song of the day: I’m coming home
Memorable moment: Barry Benson falling off his bike and Rachel getting photo evidence of it :)

Day 18

Hello world!

Day 18, Champaaaaign here we are! It feels good to be back on the ol’ stomping grounds.

I went into the day hoping to go slow as molasses but then was notified as we were rolling out that the Vice Chancellor would be in our group for the day. That meant we were goin fast, so today was nothing close to recovery after yesterday’s speedy day. The ride was very enjoyable, especially because we supergrouped for most of the ride, biking with 9 people as a group (safely don’t worry).

Anyway, we survived and hammered it out!! The last 3 miles were completed with a police escort to Beckman Insititute where the team was given a warm welcome to campus.

Tomorrow marks our second rest day of the ride and I am way too excited to do nothing except rest. Maybe go to the pool!

It’s been nice to see familiar faces from school and catch up with good friends that I haven’t seen for a while now.

Life is good y’all.

Marge

Day 17 : Rockville really ROCKS!!

Today the team road 66 miles from Indianapolis to Rockville, Indiana. It was a less windy day as apposed to yesterday but the ride was not as conversational as hoped. Instead of the backroads that we have primarily been riding on, we were on a fairly busy roads with many semi trucks (honk, honk). The weather was beautiful and sunny as well which made for a pleasant day for riding!

Today our ride was dedicated to Matt’s grandfather who passed away from brain cancer. I would like to thank Randy from the First United Methodist church for hosting our team for the 11th year! They have been the warmest welcome yet! We gota delicious meal provided by the sweetest women from the church. We even got to meet Dorothy, the singing and dancing 90 year old who is famous from past teams! Our team even got to go swimming, which was a refreshing change from biking and helped to work out our sore muscles! The hosts went above and beyond to make our free time amazing and we are so thankful! Also a special shoutout to Rebecca (2017 rider) for driving the van for us today and tomorrow and for providing delicious snacks!

Tomorrow we arrive in Champaign and I know it will be surreal riding back through campus!

~Tailwinds~
Mandy

Flat count: 1
Song of the day: just keep swimming -Dori
Memorable moment: Having a blast at the pool! Relaxing, playing basketball and chicken fights made for a fun time

Day 17

Hello world!

Day 17 was something else.

My group had the honor of riding with Jim, the President of U of I Foundation. We thought we had an easy day ahead of us by having him in our group but oh gosh we’re we wrong!!

That man is unbelievable. An absolute tank. We averaged about 18 mph the entire 67 miles. My legs were screaming but hey it’s all good. Jim is a very cool dude and I’m grateful to have ridden with a celebrity at U of I! Our speedy group, arrived first to the stayover and ohhhh dang, this place is top of the line!!!

Big special shoutout to Rockville because this stayover is straight fire!! We were able to go relax and swim at a parishioners pool, were given an amazing feat at dinner(and breakfast tomorrow morning), andddd given “lovebags” with a bunch of treats, my fav being trail mix

The night ended with a nice episode of none other than Veggie Tales!! Brought back some good memories.

Tomorrow we will bike 78 miles, officially making it to Champaign, IL!!!

Let’s groove.

Marge

Day 16

Hello world!

Day 16… el fin.

Today was a straight up battle between wind and I4K. I4K came out with the W by the skin of our teeth.

You don’t appreciate the rolling hills of New York (and Ohio I guess) until you’re in Indiana fighting wind like no other. It’s okay though because we made it to Indianapolis in one piece, so all is well.

Today I played the most intense game of fooseball ever. The dynamic duo of Justin and Maggie came through and won the championship!

Ya gotta take pride in the little things my friends!

Tomorrow we will be biking from Indianapolis to Rockville, IN. Also, Chancellor and Vice Chancellor of U of I will be biking with us, so that’s pretty neato!!

That’s all I’ve got for ya today.

Toodles.

Marge

Day 16: WINDianapolis

Today the team rode 71 miles from Richmond to Indianapolis, Indiana. One word to describe today, WINDY! Those who call Chicago the windy city obviously haven’t seen Indiana. We had 20 mph alternating cross winds and headwinds for the entirety of the ride, oh what fun!! In my personal opinion wind is the worst poison because no matter how hard you try you can not go faster and the resistance is enough to leave you winded. Although we bikes through a literal wind tunnel the day was still great! The route was relatively flat. We also had rest stops at good gas stations and our final rest stop at Dairy Queen which was incredible. This gave us the energy and positive vibes to finish the last 12 miles which were nuts! When I said Ohio was the pothole capital I had not been through parts of Indy. Holy cow there was not one smooth portion of road for the last 12 miles.

Today the ride was dedicated to Maggie’s grandpa who has pancreatic cancer. I would also like to thank Tabernacle Presbyterian for hosting our team tonight in your beautiful church. We also got a delicious meal provided by an active alumni named. Tomorrow we have the pleasure of riding with the chancellor and president of the University of Illinois foundation. We will be riding with them until we arrive back in Champaign.

~Tailwinds~
Mandy

Flat count: 1
Song of the day: Blown Away -Carrie Underwood
Memorable moment: We all wore out jerseys backwards as part of the mosher activity

Day 15

Hello world!

Day 15 was a doozie. 105.6 miles logged today. My first century bike ride ever!!!

Today was loads of fun. My group was very spontaneous, just how I like it. We saw probably 35 garage/yard sales and decided to stop at one of them. Although I was tempted to buy the old 45s I saw, I had to resist because you can only hold so much on the bike.

We took another fun stop at the legendary Waffle House! I don’t know why people throw so much shade at it because the food is yum and the price is just right.

Kind of crazy to think that our little legs got us from New York City all the way to Indiana… so strange but so cool!

As my group rolled out of the second to last rest stop, I told them that I wouldn’t have made it all the way/wanted to have done my first century with a different group of people. That’s facts right there.

Power to the Fab Five (@Hitarth @Kathy @Caroline @A-Aron)

Marge

PS – Call today a W because my water bottles never fell out!!! Baby steps!

Day 15: The BIG 100!!

Today the team rode our first CENTURY (105.6 miles to be exact) from Columbus, Ohio to Richmond, Indiana. There was a lot of anticipation and anxiety leading up to today but I think overall it was must more manageable then expected.Man, was it cool to see the 105 miles on my bike computer. I never knew I would be able to do it and still be able to have energy afterward! It goes to show of physically and mentally tough everyone is becoming each day. When talking with everyone it was so great to see the new found confidence everyone had. Just a few short months ago we struggled when riding 60 miles and look at us now, tackling 100 miles! The day started out cool and cloudy which was perfect riding weather, around 60 miles the sun came out and it started to get really warm. 87 degrees and humid the team pushed through a relatively flat day with very few climbs! We had several good rest stops today. One being at a waffle house, yum! We also crossed another state line today to Indiana.

I would like to thank the Richmond Friends school for hosting us tonight. The ride dedication for today was for Alex Timmons Aunt would battled cancer.
~Tailwinds~
Mandy

Flat count: 2
Song of the day: Centuries – Fall out boy
Memorable moment: The team getting our second lunch of the day at the Waffle House! Also crossing the border of Indiana at 100 miles!!!

Day 14

Hello world!

Day 14… we were cruisin!

We knocked out almost all of the hills after the first rest stop around mile 22 so that was a plus. The ride was smooth sailing for the most part, except the last few miles but who’s really counting??

Today I saved a banana from breakfast and made a pb & banana sandwich for lunch which was the bomb.com. Sidebar: I4K has opened me up to crunchy peanut butter and I dig it

We had a little bit of time to meander throughout Columbus before dinner and somehow made our way into Northland High School graduation!!! In all honesty, I expected more out of the valedictorian speech… hers was pretty weak.

On another note… tomorrow. Oh boy. A whopping 105 miles will take us from Columbus, OH to Richmond, IN ! Should be quite an experience.

As the Principal of Northland High School says, Aspire. Achieve. Adapt. Hopefully I will be doing all of that tomorrow.

Pray for me.

Marge

Day 14: To Columbus we go

Today the team biked 65.9 miles from Zanesville to Columbus, Ohio. The day started out with a few big climbs out of the hilly side of Ohio. It then turned into rolling hills which was a relief after several days of climbing. The countryside of Ohio has changed my overall opinion of the state. The feeling of looking down at the green grassy hills that you just climbed is one of the most rewarding feelings. We have all come such a long way and each one of us has accomplished a day we thought in the moment we could not. Today we had our rest stop at a farm that had lots of locally sourced food. Matt even ate a whole rotisserie chicken!
I would like to thank Trinity Episcopal Church for being our hosts for tonight. The ride dedication for the day was from Emma. She dedicated the ride to her friends mom who had breast cancer.

Today I interviewed a rider of the week: Justin Hauter

What’s been the best part of I4k so far?
I think given the wide ranging impact of cancer so many people are willing to let down their guard and talk to you.

What motivates you to do push ups at rest stops?
I remember the first day it just keeps my mind in it. It gets me in a routine of focus.

Favorite cheat food?
Reese’s peanut butter cups

What’s your favorite artist?
Chance the rapper

If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?
I wish I was a better singer

What’s your dream place to live?
South Africa -Cape Town

What has been your favorite day on I4K so far?
Day 7: I really enjoyed mowing the lawn in Buffalo

Team Knife or spoon?
Knife for peanut butter spoon for jelly

If you could have any superpower what would it be?
Telepathic

What’s been the most challenging part of I4K?
Cumulative toll. After weeks the exhaustion seems to pile on.

New edition to a crayon box what would you be?
Shamrock green- spring, new things come to life, it’s got energy

What will you miss most?
Waking up to Phil’s beautiful eyes

~Tailwinds~
Mandy
Flat count: 1
Song of the day: ghost town
Memorable moment: While the team was out exploring Columbus they stumbled upon a graduation and decided to crash it.

Day 13: Zany in Zanesville

Today the team rode 80 miles from Wooster to Zanesville, Ohio. Today was one of the hardest climb days the team has had and several of us were feeling exhausted toward the last 20 miles. I also drove the van as part of rotation today. It was a lot harder than it looks to handle that bus up and down hills meanwhile keep track of teammates and stay on route. The route was very beautiful however, with rolling hills and lush trees all around. Today the ride was dedicated to Kathy’s aunt also named Kathy who had pancreatic cancer.

I would like to thank the hosts at Westwood Baptist Church for their kindness and extreme generosity of providing our team with Chipotle. I have never been so excited to see Chipotle before and it brightened the mood of the team immensely. We also get to sleep on cots tonight which will feel like a dream. They have been hosting teams for 11 years, and it is so incredible to see the connections that have been made between the organization and our hosts throughout the years. Without amazing people like this to host us we would not be able to have the best summer of our lives.
Tomorrow should be less hills as we head to the west side of Ohio to Columbus!
~Tailwinds~
Mandy

Flat count: 1
Song of the day: Castle on the hill
Memorable moment: Justin the most positive and undefeated person on the team felt defeated today and in his words “hit a wall”. If this doesn’t sum up today I don’t know what does!

Day 13

Hello world!

Another day, another 80 miles down. Today was a good day but a constant battle with the heat, rolling hills, and climbing big hills.

I gotta say, Ohio is an underrated state! The landscapes are so pretty here. It reminds me a lot of driving through Ireland… good vibes all around.

It’is the 11th year that Westwood Baptist Church has hosted the Illini 4000 and there is a reason this is known to be one of the top stayovers…

Tickle me pink folks because listen to this… we have been given cots for the night, Chipotle catering for dinner and… MADE TO ORDER OMELETTES FOR BREAKFAST!!!!

I am one happy camper.

We’re lookin at a 57 miles tomorrow to go from Zanesville to Columbus, OH with a bit of climbing to do.

Stay peachy.

Marge

Day 12: What is it about Wooster?

Today the team rode 80 miles from Cleveland Heights to Wooster, Ohio! Today was a doozy, and getting out of Cleveland was a nightmare. Ohio has got to be in the world records for most potholes! We began the ride on the Cuyahoga river trail. Some people loved it, others could barely breath due to allergies. The air was thick with dust for all the trees it made it very difficult for those with allergies. After a ways of climbing in the warm sun we made it to lunch. Rolling in exhausted and low on moral is the exact opposite from the way we felt rolling out of lunch. T-Roy, a local store owner has invited Illini 4000 teams to his local store for the last few years. He is a legend! Spoiling us with meat and cheese sandwiches, fruit and something very rare this summer.. veggies. He also gave us a free voucher to get ice cream at his store which was delicious and just the pick me up the team needed after a rocky start. Thank you so much T-Roy and all the others that we met at the shop for your kindness and warm welcome on such a tough day!

I would also like to thank Westminster Church for hosting us tonight and providing us more than enough space.
~Tailwinds~
Mandy

Flat count: 1
Song of the day: Another one bites the dust
Memorable moment: Singing to Nick for his birthday during breakfast as he ate his oats and giving him a very I4K worthy card. Also the delicious pizza and ice cream the team got for his birthday! First Illini 4000 birthday celebration (“check that off the list” -Caroline)

Day 12

Hello world!

Day 12… check that off the list!

Today was a long day with a series of events… some fortunate and some unfortunate.

We rode on the gravel trail through Cuyahoga National Park for a while which was super pretty! Unfortunately, after hitting a bump on a bridge, my water bottle flew out of my bottle rocket cages and rolled into a nasty river. Thanks to my homie Ryan, he fished it out with a stick and the bottle was resurrected!

By mile 18, our dear friend Caroline was blessed with a flat and broken spoke on the trail. We proceeded to walk a mile to meet the van up a gravel hill to get out of the park… some tough stuff to start out an 80 mile day I’d say but we made sure to laugh about it and pretend we weren’t struggling as much as we were.

Don’t fret though, it got better as we had lunch supplied by our Man T-Roy Selzer. The fresh fruit really hit the spot and our group the extra boost to push through the last 30 miles. Thanks T-Roy!

For the last 15 miles, we biked through rain. It was pretty refreshing after being outside in the heat and humidity, so thanks for cooling us off Mother Nature. You are a saint sometimes!

Tomorrow we will log another 80 miles going from Wooster to Zanesville, OH. Should be an interesting day!

Goodnight, sleep tight, don’t let the bed bugs bite.

Marge

Day 11

Hello world!

Rest day.

Rock n Roll hall of fame.

Crazy inspiring/cool to see. 10/10 recommend !!

Peace.

Marge

Day 11: Rockin and Rollin in Cleveland

Today the team rode 0 miles today as it was our first rest day!!! It was so nice to be off the saddle for a little while and explore Cleveland. The rest day could not have come at a better time as most of the team was pretty broken down from yesterday’s ride. We started the day off by visit the Cleveland Hope Lodge. We got to get a tour around the facility by the legend, D.Weber. It was great to see such a wonderful place where people going through cancer can take refuge free of cost. From the Hope Lodge the team split into two groups, some went to Edgewater beach the rest went to the Rock n Roll hall of fame. Some people even got to meet the drummer from the band Journey! A few people also checked out Wahlburgers ( Mark Wahlberg’s burger chain). It was a fun and somewhat restful day!

I would like to thank Grace Lutheran church for hosting us for a second night and providing a delicious dinner! We even got to conduct a portrait with the pastor of the church.

We are back on the saddle again tomorrow for more hills and more miles!
~Tailwinds~
Mandy

Flat count: 0
Song of the day: Don’t stop believing
Memorable moment: Lauren, Justin, Mike and Ryan got free milkshakes at Wahlburgers

Day 10

Hello world!

Today was a toughy… lemme tell ya, whoever said that the state of Ohio is flat is a straight up liar. I would also recommend Ohio increasing their taxes because their roads are kinda absolute garbage and no fun to bike on. 1000 too many potholes for a biker’s liking.

We climbed 2300 feet today and it was a hot tamale. Despite the heat, we had a couple encounters with some very generous people! First we met a guy named Gary who owns part of Route 6 and decided to buy us pancakes at the town’s Memorial Day pancake breakfast. Then, we had ice supplied to us by The Cleveland Illini Club which was so nice of them! We were livin large today.

Tomorrow we have a rider event at the Hope Lodge in Cleveland followed by our first official rest day!! The plan is to go to the infamous Rock n Roll hall of fame so stay tuned … ha ha ha get it??

I hope everyone had a nice and relaxing Memorial Day weekend!!

Marge