Day 32: Anti rain dancing to Carroll

Today the team rode 62 miles from Ft. Dodge to Carroll, Iowa. The day started out a little shaky with thunderstorms which delayed our start time. Thankfully we only had a 60 mile day ahead of us because we didn’t end up rolling out until 9am when the storm cleared up. Rain jackets and a hopeful attitude for a storm free day proved to be just what was needed to get through it. The miles were smooth and peaceful country roads again with a lighter amount of headwind than usual.

Iowa is shaping up to be the state with some of the greatest stayovers. I would like to thank St. Paul Lutheran Church for hosting us tonight and providing us with pulled pork and the most delicious desserts to date!! The local news crew even came by to talk to us. We really have been treated like royalty so far and it’s been so restorative to be treated so well after many days of long miles.

Today the ride dedication was for Liz’s aunt who has battled breast cancer multiple times.

~Tailwinds~
Mandy

Flat count: 0
Song of the day: Complicated -Avril Lavigne
Memorable moment: The team performing an anti rain dance that surprisingly did the trick for the mosher activity.

Day 31: Day cut short in Ft. Dodge

Today the team was suppose to ride 91 miles but due to lightning the day was cut short at 70 miles. The day started out much easier than yesterday cooler temps, cloudy skies and the best.. NO wind! The day was smooth with very little hills. Country roads that went on for miles and miles felt peaceful and serene. Around mile 65 we could see dark clouds surrounding the area, who knew a monsoon like thunderstorm was taking place only 10 miles away. We quickly pedaled to the nearest shelter and then shuttled to the church. What a day for I4K!

I would like to thank the hosts at Christ Lutheran for having us tonight and making us an out of this world dinner complete with mac and cheese, burgers and a plethora of desserts!

Today’s ride dedication was for a man Mike and I met at the Hope lodge in Rochester, Woody. He also did a portrait with us. Woody is currently battling prostate cancer yet he still had such a great attitude and outlook on life and didn’t let the lows of cancer stop him from golfing everyday. His contagious energy has fueled me the last few days and I was happy to dedicate the ride to him today even though he may never know it.
~Tailwinds~
Mandy

Flat count: 0
Song of the day: Fire and Rain – James Taylor
Memorable moment: Watching 13 going on 30 as a team at the church tonight. Who knew such a corny movie could elicit such strong emotions from the team haha -several nail biting moments were had

Day 31

Hello world!

Today was easy peasy lemon squeezey!

We had the wind on our side for majority of the day so that was a nice change of pace (literally and figuratively). By mile 70/91, storms were a brewin… 60 mile per hour winds and heavy rain meant the team was shuttling the rest of the way to Fort Dodge, IA.

After lunch, one of the riders realized that they left something at the lunch rest stop in Kanawha, IA. Luckily a kind citizen from the town Facebook messaged I4K and notified us that the Police Chief would hold onto it. After dinner, four of us went on an hour long field trip to Kanawha to pick it up we were successful!

BIG shoutout to Police Chief Tony for being a homie and being patient as we scurried our way to Kanawha in the pouring rain!! We are very very grateful. You were a lot of help to some Illini bikers passing through.

PS – We may or may not have killed a bird that flew into the Silver Bullet’s windshield on our adventure back to the town of Kanawha.

Rest In Peace birdy, Rest In Peace.

Marge

Day 30: Light at the end of the ~country~ road

Day 30 did us dirty!!! Today the team road 101 miles in one of the hottest and most windy days yet! The day started out warm as we road to Austin, Minnesota to have lunch at Alison’s (2016 rider) house. She made us a lovely spread of Mexican food which was a much appreciated replacement for PB&J. A group of us then biked over to the SPAM museum where we learned that SPAM is more than just meat in a can hahah. Then it was back on the saddle, this was when the wind really started to pick up! It was insanely windy, 20 mph winds for the rest of the day. I was appreciative of the wind because it cooled us down in the heat. It also prevented us from going faster than 10 mph, which made for a very very long day. All the groups didn’t get in until almost 8 o’clock,and we still needed to shower and eat dinner. Our hosts were incredible and stayed until almost 11 to accommodate us!

I would like to thank all of the amazing people at Our Savior’s Lutheran for being the kindest people and making our stay after a long day great! The ride dedication was for all of our fathers on Father’s Day and Ryan also dedicated it to his grandfather who had cancer.

~Tailwinds~
Mandy

Flat count: 0
Song of the day: Hard day’s night -Beatles
Memorable moment: Learning the art and crafting of SPAM.Also seeing a rainbow after it decided to rain on us the last 15 miles just to throw another curveball in the day :)

Day 30

Hello world!

Today was something else… my group was riding the struggle bus, but that’s just the way the ball rolls sometimes and we got through it.

You can probably imagine facing the heat and humidity, combined with upwards of 20 mph crosswinds and headwinds… not a pretty site.

Unfortunately my group wasn’t able to finish the ride today because of weather/timing, but hey, we tried our best. We also had a few hiccups along the way and had to call the van which set us back a wee bit.

All good in the hood though. We’re fine. It’s fine. Everything’s fine !!

After being shuttled with one other group, rushing to showers, and unpacking the van, we finally sat down to eat by 10:00… feeling more like my normal meal time at home with the European dinner (I miss the late dinner time).

A previous rider from the 2016 team was generous enough to make us lunch, so we took a pit stop in Austin, MN. We later visited the SPAM Museum… Idk about y’all but I get disgusted by that “stuff”. Anyway, it was funny to see.

Also wanted to give a quick shoutout to all the dads out there today, especially mine :) Dad, you do so much for our fam and ILY. You are one incredible role model and I couldn’t ask for a better dad. Wish I could’ve been playin a round of 18 with ya on this mighty fine day. Maybe in Cali though, ayyyy!

Happy Fathers Day to all and to all a good night!

Marge

Day 29

Hello world!

Not too much on the agenda today… we visited the Hope Lodge in Rochester and saw Incredibles 2.

We also grabbed lunch at this delish place called The Half Barrel. If you’re ever in the area, I’d definitely recommend :)

Also, took a hike to Flapdoodles ice cream which was v tasty as well.

Last time I was in Rochester was when my dad was being treated at Mayo, so it felt funny to be back (not in a bad way though). We went to the same movie theater and same ice cream joint today that we went to when we were originally here for him. Kind of nice to be in an area you are somewhat familiar with (not sure if that’s weird or not considering the circumstances).

We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow… another century. That’ll put us across yet another state line, entering Iowa.

That’s all I’ve got for tonight.

¡Buenos noches!

Marge

Day 29: An incredibly restful day

Today was a rest day in Rochester, Minnesota for the team! We started off the day with a tour of the Hope Lodge in Rochester. There we got to meet and collect some portraits of people who are currently battling cancer. I really enjoyed meeting the people and hearing their stories. They were all so incredibly thankful to us for what we are doing. To see their gratitude for groups like ours was really touching. It is so important to know that people with cancer appreciate the efforts we are taking to help battle the illness that has taken a toll on their life.

After the Hope Lodge, the team went to lunch and then to see The Incredibles 2 movie. It was nice to give our legs a break for the day and kick back in the A/C.
Tomorrow we are back on the bike for another century ride to Mason City.

~Tailwinds~
Mandy

Rider Spotlight: Sofie Schwink
What’s been the best part of I4k so far?
Talking to people along the road and seeing their reactions. Seeing how appreciative they are of what we are doing and how they can relate to it.

What motivates you to do push ups at rest stops?
I remember the first day it just keeps my

Favorite rest stop snack?:
Chocolate bars (heath bars or snickers ice cream bars are my go to)

What’s your favorite type of music?
Classical and classic rock

What do you do when you are struggling on the bike?
I try to think of things that start with the first letter A-Z
( finding stuff that starts with X is hard)

If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?
Have more patience for other people. Sometimes I get frustrated with small things. Being able to roll with the punches too!

What’s your dream place to live?
Anything in the Pacific Northwest

What place are you most looking forward to on the ride?
All of Utah. I’ve been to Utah one other time and am excited to bike through it this time. Also San Francisco because I am excited to see family

What has been your favorite day on I4K so far?
Day 4: It was pouring rain and my group passed the lunch stop by three miles and Matthew got a flat and when we stopped to change the flat we saw there was Burger King and then we all had lunch there.

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

If you could have any superpower what would it be?
Ability to make anyone fall asleep at any moment and in any place.

What’s been the most challenging part of I4K?
Being away from home and being away from family. Being from Champaign I am used to seeing my family often, so having Champaign as a rest day was a very restorative day for me. I try to call often but that is definitely the hardest part for me.

New edition to a crayon box what would you be?
Morrow Plots Yellow- because I’m loyal to my roots and the corn. It’s the color of yellow that evokes feelings of a full belly

Favorite pair of socks:
Unicorn and rainbow pair
Song of the day: The Incredits (theme song of incredibles)

Day 28

Hello world!

“Life is like a box of chocolates, ya never know what you’re gunna get”
Forrest Gump’s momma was right. And today’s “chocolate” was no bueno.

Today did me in… The heat. The wind. The mileage. The climbing… ya girl was struggling hardcore and almost had to sit in the van.

We made it though and I’m glad I was able to finish! Having semi trucks fly past us give us a nice push forward. Only bad part was the trucks coming from the opposite direction, making you whip around like the inflatable tube dudes outside of car dealerships.

Regardless, Minnesota is a very pretty state to bike through. Although the farm fields aren’t very special, the bluffs that surrounded us were gorgeous!

I wouldn’t mind living in the state of 10,000 lakes. Still salty that we haven’t seen one lake yet though… I think Minnesotans might be lying to us. Whatevs.

Tomorrow is rest day #4 for the squad. You know what that means???

Bowling and Incredibles 2.

You know what’s up.

Happy Friday to all, and to all a good night.

Marge

Day 28: Rochester round 2

Today the team rode 83 miles from La Crosse, Wisconsin to Rochester, Minnesota. The day started off easy and we had lunch at Culver’s! Coincidently there was buy one get one shakes so the whole team pretty much got one! After lunch we had lots of slow and steady climbing that stretched about 10 miles. They are longest climbs we have done yet, but surprisingly they were not as bad as we anticipated and the downhills motivated the speedsters to reach new velocities on the downhills. Mid afternoon it’s got extremely warm and the crosswind picked up. So much so that many of us felt like we were going to be blown off our bikes!

I would like to thank Zumbro Lutheran Church for hosting us tonight. The ride dedication for the day was for Alex’s baby cousin who passed away from a heart related disease on the first day of the ride.

Tomorrow is our rest day where we will be going to the Hope Lodge, exploring Rochester and getting lots of rest!

~Tailwinds~
Mandy

Flat count: 1
Song of the day: Do you like Pina Coladas?
Memorable moments: Culver’s, because a hefty amount of memorable moments on I4K revolve around food

Day 27

Hello world!

What. A. Day. Today’s agenda was biking from Reedsburg to La Crosse, WI. A whopping 83 miles.

The ride was very enjoyable today. My group had good vibes all around and the best part was we were on trail all day (aka no cars to deal with!!)

We were feelin some oldies today so we listened to the playlist I made for my parents called “Here’s to you, mom and dad”. I think it really helped lighten the mood and it was perfect for the trails today.

One super cool part about the ride was the tunnels we got to walk through. They were so big and dark and had rain falling from the rock of the tunnel. Very spooky but very artsy views.

Riding the Elroy Sparta path brought me back to the bike trip I did with my family and our family friends the Skurski’s. I told a couple funny stories from that trip… such good mems.

Today wraps up our last night in Wisco. Tomorrow we will officially be in Rochester, Minnesota andddd we get a rest day!! Wisconsin will be very missed. I can’t wait to be back in this beautiful, underrated state.

Side note: my group today realized that Vienna by a Billy Joel should be our team theme song because a lot of people on the team are zoomin way too fast and I’m afraid they aren’t taking in the entire cross country bike experience…

Last time I checked, San Fran ain’t movin!! Don’t fret though, we will hopefully get them to pump the breaks !

Bye for now :)

Marge

Day 27: Laxing in La Crosse

Today the team rode 82 miles from Reedsburg to La Crosse, Wisconsin. It was a wonderful day for a bike ride, with sunny skies and beautiful trails. We started the day on the 400 trail. We had our first test stop in a little town that is essentially built for the trail and for bikers. It was really cool to see such a popular trail that is recognized by the public. We then hopped on the Elroy Sparta trail which included several tunnels from old railroads. This was one of the coolest finds on the trip so far. One tunnel even doubled as a waterfall because the decaying rocks let water seep in on both sides of the tunnel. It was impossible to take photos of because the tunnels were pitch black and we only had our bike lights, but it was a moment I won’t forget! We were also on the La Crosse state trail and the Great river trail.We were lucky enough to be on the trails for 77 of the 82 miles which made for a very talkative and stress free day. The team also got to visit and tour the local Mayo Clinic in La Crosse for a rider event.

I would like to thank First Presbyterian Church for hosting us tonight. Today’s ride dedication was for Hitarths grandfathers who both had cancer.

Tomorrow we cross into Minnesota as we make our way west!
~Tailwinds~
Mandy

Flat count: 1
Song of the day: Vienna -Billy Joel
Memorable moment: A bee flew into Matt’s jersey while riding. He attempted to grab it and stop it from stinging him but sadly it still successfully stung him. Their group was then named the bad news bees *buzz buzz*

Day 26: Rolling to Reedsburg

Today the team rode 61 miles from Madison to Reedsburg, Wisconsin. The day was shorter but with lots of hills. It was sunny with strong winds in the morning, which made it difficult to go more than 12 mph. With a slow start to the day the team as whole had a more casual and relaxed day. We had our lunch stop at Devils Lake, where some of us took a dip in the lake to cool off. It was so gorgeous and one of my favorite places so far on route. After two hours at the lake we reluctantly got back on our bikes to finish the last 20 miles. We all enjoyed our time at the lake so much we didn’t want to leave! The climbs in and out of Devils Lake were long and winding but we made it out alive!!! We ended the day with Culver’s like a true Wisconsioner and free tacos from Taco Bell! All in all a successful day :)

I would like to thank St. John’s Lutheran Church for hosting us for the night and providing us with delicious Lasagna! The ride dedication for today was for Nick’s grandparents who passed away from lung cancer.
Tomorrow we head west to La Crosse Wisconsin for more cheese and more fun!
~Tailwinds~
Mandy

Flat Count: 4
Song of the day: Running with the devil – Van Halen
Memorable moment: Our team for the day was feeling the burn the last 5 miles, we saw a Culver’s and knew it was the mooove (one of our teams sayings). We pulled in to see two other groups also stopped there. It was indeed confirmed as the mooove hehe

Day 26

Hello world!

Today was a wonderful day! For starters, we only had to ride 61 miles today with a few steep climbs but that was it. Second, we pre-planned our lunch rest stop at Devils Lake which was so so pretty. A little lake action, a little beach/nap action, a little exploration action… just what the doctor ordered.

When we were about 2 miles out from the stayover, we stumbled upon a Culver’s which was a must needed treat. After we wrapped up there, we biked about a quarter mile and Nick spotted a bi-plane about to take off, so of course we stopped to watch.

Just as we were about to head on our merry way, we got a message from our good friend Liz saying that there were free tacos at Taco Bell (which we were right next to at the time). You are crazy if you thought any I4Ker turned down free food, so naturally we ventured to the Taco Bell for a taco.

After our mini fast food thanksgiving (thought of you bro @John) we eventually made it to the stayover.

One of the last songs we were boppin to on the ride was Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy. Not entirely sure why, but it inspired my signing off for today.

On that note… Save a horse, ride a bike.

Marge

Day 25 – update

Hello world!

Today was an adventure. Within the first mile, we passed the lakefront area where my cousin Katha had her wedding reception so I was reminiscing and thinking about the good times at Chrystal weddings :)

The ride today was unexpectedly hilly, but you know us and we just chug right along! Made it the whole 76 miles. Easy. Breezy. Beautiful. My favorite part of the ride today was when my group went to the skate park! We were going over some cool ramps and feelin like a rebel. Don’t worry though, I kept my wheels glued to the ground so no broken bones !

One of the best parts about today was meeting and learning about our host for dinner. Previous ride leader, Zach, started working for ETC (Electronic Theater Control) and they had offered to donate dinner to us. The 20+ of us crammed into the van and headed to the office.

Not only was the food club, but the company…. now that’s an office I’d work at! It had a whole plaza painted on the walls, basically looked like a movie set!

With a little bit of networking, who knows… I might be moving to Madison after college!

Right before leaving, a small group of us did a portrait with Fred Foster, CEO of ETC. He was diagnosed with stage 4 esophogial cancer. He was projected to live a matter of months, but he’s now 3 years out.

After listening to Fred’s story and trying to understand how difficult fighting cancer really is, you won’t know what it’s like or what it takes to overcome it until you’re fighting yourself.

Whether it’s fighting cancer, biking across the country, or facing your own personal struggles, just know that you can get through it. I suggest we all take the wise theater words to heart that Fred reminded me of today…

The show must go on.

Marge

Day 25: Mad for Madison!

Today the team rode 77 miles from Lake Geneva to Madison, Wisconsin. The hills were alive and well on the ride today and definitely proved that a flat land is supreme! We started the day riding along Lake Geneva and ended it by riding along the lakefront trail in Madison which is not too shabby by the way. It was muggy and humid most the day but we successfully didn’t encounter rain today (hooray!!) For one of our rest stops we got cheese curds and they hit the spot! The cheese quality in Wisconsin is no joke!! For dinner we got the pleasure of eating at the company that the past ride leader works for now. It was super cool to see and hear about the story of the company (ETC) and get a tour around! Thank you so much for having us!!

Today the ride dedication was for my grandma who successfully caught her cancer in time before any serious measures had to take place. I would also like to thank our hosts tonight at the Calvary Lutheran Church in Madison. We are right in the heart of campus so many of us took the evening to explore the city, get ice cream and look at the water on the terrace. It was breathtakingly beautiful to sit up along the water and watch the sunset. Madison, bring some of your beauty to Champaign please.

~Tailwinds~
Mandy

Flat Count: 5
Song of the day: Drift away -Uncle Kracker
Memorable moment: Hitarth jumping into the lake spontaneously at the terrace.

Day 22-24

Hello world!

My apologies for being MIA for a bit. Because of the weather on Day 22, the team was unable to bike into the city, so we essentially had 2 full rest days in Chicagoland!

My parents put together a little shindig Saturday night so it was awesome to see all my friends and family!!! Thank you so much to those who came, I hope you know I feel the love no matter what state I’m in :)

Day 23 brought yet another pleasant surprise… tickets to the cubs game!

Day 24 started with a 5:00 am wake up and drive into the city where we left from the bean. We didn’t roll out until about 9:00, so that made for a pretty late arrival to Lake Geneva.

No worries though because my group was bookin it! Made it to the stayover over an hour before everyone so I had time to get a cat nap in.

Today’s ride had us passing through the burbs, one being lville!! I was so lucky to have some amazing supporters out there along the ride. Cowbells, signs, cookies, and standing out of sunroofs! Wouldn’t have made it the 95 miles without their presence, so thank you Mrs. Orsini and Mrs. Wid!!

No idea how many miles tomorrow (technically today) is but I know we’re headed to Madison, WI. I love that city.

On Wisconsin baby.

Marge

Day 24: Helllloooo Wisconsin

Today the team rode 95 miles from Chicago, Illinois to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. The day started off a little hectic but it was fun to start in the heart of the city! At Millenium Park, the team took the opportunity to take photos since we weren’t able to the other day. We ended up rolling out a little later than expected but it was really cool to ride up along the lakefront. A thick fog and a light mist made it difficult to see at times but we made it through the busy city and onto smooth trails. It was really strange to ride through some of our hometowns on the way to Lake Geneva. We did enjoy the familiarities along the way as it made the sometimes confusing cues easier. We know this is the last bit of familiarity we will get. We all really enjoyed the trail rides too, which gave us the ability to talk and not have to worry about cars.

I would like to thank Lake Geneva Youth Camp for hosting our team today and providing us with good food and beds! It really feels like summer camp because we are all sleeping in bunk beds tonight.

The ride dedication today was for Aaron’s mom who had breast cancer. He wanted to dedicate it to her when we rolled into Chicago because it was her birthday but the weather didn’t allow this to happen so he made up for it today!

After a long day of riding, the team is excited to rest up and take on Madison, WI tomorrow.
~Tailwinds~
Mandy

Flat count: 1
Song of the day: Toes – Zac Brown Band
Memorable moment: Finding a delicious ice cream stand to stop at just outside Lake Geneva. With only 20 miles left this was exactly what we needed as a pick me up!

Day 22: Sweet Home Chicago

Today the team sadly rode 0 miles due to inclement weather. With thunderstorms in our paths again, we unfortunately had to call off our ride into Millenium Park and the picnic to follow. This was a sad change of events for the team but fear not we will still be taking advantage of picture opportunities on Monday at the bean.
I would like to thank Matthew’s parents for allowing the team to stick around this morning as we sorted out plans and had our parents pick us up from Elmhurst.
Although the day didn’t go as planned we were still able to be greeted by friends and family. We are looking forward to a few days of rest before we hit the state known for cheese!
~Tailwinds~
Mandy

Flat count: 0
Song of day: Sweet Home Chicago
Memorable moment: Sadly today was Justin’s last day before he begins working in “the real world”. We will all miss him. His quirkiness and positivity was a great asset to the team!

Day 21

Hello world!

Day 21… more like day twenty-fun am I right?!?

Today was an adventure, mostly not on bikes haha! We started our ride and within 7 miles we saw lightning and heard thunder so we pulled off the road and hung out at the park.

Following safety procedures, we played on the playground (lava monster of course), had shoe flinging contests, and made a music video to the six flags theme song (keep an eye out for it becaus it’s a sight).

Gotta give a B I G shoutout to Mrs. Powell for hosting us as we waited out the rain. Our deepest apologies for raiding the Powell kitchen. We are eternally grateful for all the food you had for us and the lovely couch. Much needed relaxation and napping :)

King Phil made the ultimate decision that we’d bike the rest of the way from Homer Glen to the Niewiara household where we are staying for the night. An easy 25 miles… smooth sailing except a little stressful handling the traffic. Nothing we aren’t trained for though!

Another B I G shoutout to the Niewiara fam because they supplied us with an amazing polish dinner and dessert which was delicioso!!

Side note: they have a deck on top of their garage and it is goals I tell ya. Definitely taking notes for when I build my dream home

Tomorrow is the day!! We will depart Elmhurst and head into Chicago, IL.

The toddlin’ town and my family awaits!

Gotta blast.

Marge

Day 21: Thunder and Lightning stopped us from biking

Today the team was suppose to ride 70 miles from Bourbonnais to Elmhurst, Illinois. However, we only made it a short 8 miles before we saw several strikes of lightning. Upon protocol we pulled over and found the nearest shelter which happened to be a metal pavilion and a metal playground. Seemed to be the best option hehe. We all played on the playground for the standard wait time of 30 minutes, however the lightning was not stopping. The ride leaders made the executive decision to shuttle everyone to Kathy’s house for the time being to wait out the lightning. By the time all the people and bikes were shuttled,a few hours passed. The team occupied the time by watching National Treasure (shout out to Nick Cage). Also a big thanks to Kathy’s Mom for graciously taking us in with very little notice and providing us with food and letting us eat every ounce of food she already had in her house!! Once the weather cleared up we were then good to ride again. We rode from Homer Glen to Elmhurst with no formal cues.It ended up being a long 20ish miles with several reroutes but we made it! In total we ended up riding a solid 30ish miles today. We ended the day by attending a local Relay for lIfe. We talked about Illini 4000, dancing in a flash mob and played lots of games. A nice end to the day!

The ride dedication today was for Sam’s aunt, Carolyn Rakowicz, who passed away one year ago from cancer. Tonight we are staying at Matt’s house. His parents are awesome enough to let the whole team crash at their house! Tomorrow we will roll into sweet home Chicago. I’ve got to say I’m so excited to be home and see my family :)
~Tailwinds~
Mandy

Flat count: 0
Song of the day: Thunder -Imagine Dragons
Memorable moment: Making good use of time while waiting for the lightning to pass by making a music video (will appear on facebook)!!!