In the interest of saving our sleep schedules and, well, actually resting, Maaike and I have made the decision to combine journal entries for rest days and the day after into one. Yesterday, the team had a much-needed break in Washington, D.C., and then traveled nearly 100 miles from there to Hagerstown, MD today. We got to know the natural beauty of Maryland and its surrounding states intimately, biking on the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal trail for a majority of the ride away from car traffic and immersed in its greenery.
Ride overview
Mileage: 91.3 (+7-12 miles for certain riders)
Elevation: 1,993’
Points of Interest: National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, Great Falls Park, US Bicycle Route 50, Antietam National Battlefield, Harper’s Ferry, Beans in the Belfry Cafe, Brunswick Riverside Park, Chesapeake and Ohio Canal, Potomac River, Trinity Lutheran Church
quote of the day
“I think we should not bike today and instead learn how to tango.”
tales of the trail
Washington, D.C. saw the team splitting off and visiting the National Museum of African American History and Culture, the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, conducting another Portrait, and getting a personal tour of the Capitol Building from a former I4K rider in the area (shoutout to Cari of the 2019 team for the amazing tour!!). We were warmly welcomed by our range of stayovers and generously supported by them in more ways than we could have imagined. They provided everything from the luxury of a load of laundry in the washer and dryer to copious amounts of delicious homemade food. We are sincerely grateful to them for taking the time out of their lives to host the team.
Olaf captures an elevator 0.5 at the Capitol Building.
The next morning, the team congregated at one of these six stayovers to officially roll out for a new day of riding. The logistics of this required some to wake up as early as 4:00am to make it to the meeting point on time and others to bike an extra seven or more miles to the start of the day’s ride. However, we took it in stride and everyone was eventually en route.
We know we mostly ride road bikes, but that doesn’t mean we don’t appreciate the luxury of a separated park trail. This took the form of the Chesapeake and Ohio Canal Trail, which we followed for a little over 60 of the miles we did today. Apart from the lack of monotonous stop signs that typically slow us down and the undoubtedly gorgeous views that sped by us, we were also pleasantly surprised by the bustling bicycle culture on the trail. Not a single few miles went by without us encountering another cyclist, whether they were clad in sleek lycra and whizzed by us, or dressed in practical bikepacking clothes and adorned their bicycle with full panniers. We were sure to chirp a few “morning”’s or “have a nice day”’s at passersby as we made our way through this new hub of activity.
Riddhima, Kev, Neal, and Anthony take a picture at Great Falls Park. They met a UIUC graduate right after this!
Two groups combine for a lovely photo on the trail.
Stops were made to step into the quaint Beans in the Belfry Cafe in Brunswick, MD, or observe the intersection of Maryland, Virginia, and West Virginia from a particularly breathtaking lookout. We also previewed one of our upcoming team activities, white water rafting, on the rivers that ran by us.
Jack, Emma, Olivia, and Dylan take a selfie at said lookout. Peep the people floating in the background!
All good things must come to an end, though, as we eventually headed back out onto the roads and approached our stayover for the night, Trinity Lutheran Church, amidst a landscape of farmland and small town America.
I write this from one of many ornate rooms in the stayover, who also provided us with an extensive menu for dinner tonight – dessert included, much to the delight of the team. We are full and content in more ways than just concerning our stomachs, and amazed at the vivid kindness of the people we encounter during this ride. It revitalizes us as we rest in anticipation of the thousands of feet of climbing ahead in the mountainous regions of Pennsylvania.
Pictures can’t capture how good the food was, but we try nonetheless.
cyclist’s corner
Today’s rider: Emma Darbro
How are you feeling today?
I’m feeling very tired, but I think this was my favorite riding day so far. And it was a surprise riding day, I technically wasn’t supposed to ride today because of the van logistics, but Lucas thankfully gave me an out. It was a really fun surprise after the chaos of this morning to have beautiful weather, a beautiful trail, there were a lot of friendly people on the trail. I also didn’t know Maryland looked like this, so it’s a good surprise. I’m feeling so well loved by this church and our team…I think today was a turn in a good direction. Something chaotic has hallmarked every day, and today everything was great — aside from the century.
What make and model of bicycle are you riding?
I don’t know what year she was made, but she’s an AL 2 Domane Trek from the gear program — shoutout to the gear program! [The gear program was] very utilized on this year’s team…50% off gear came in clutch. She’s a rental, she’s done me so well, no issues whatsoever. Her name is “Flicka” after my favorite childhood movie. It takes me back, I like it. She’s outfitted with everything from the gear program — shoutout to Ellie Beck for making sure all of us had something safe, comfortable, and fit for I4K to ride. She’s the queen of gear program — every time I get on that bike I’m like, “thank you Ellie.”
Before joining Illini 4000, how much bike training had you done, and did you have any other athletic background that you feel prepared you for this ride?
Emphasis on little to no biking experience. Heavy emphasis on that. When I first told my parents [about I4K], they assumed it was with my beater, 10-year-old Schwinn that I got when I was in the eighth grade. I was like “guys, I’m gonna do it the proper way.” But before I ran a marathon, I was like “oh, I should bike a marathon.” It took me so long. I was only 26 miles — I say “only,” but for me 26 was a lot, and now we cook 26 miles in like, two hours. So I biked a marathon in 2020, and then I ran two marathons in 2020 and 2022. The venn-diagrams between endurance sports and crazy things really aligned quite well. I’ve never done a team sport really, in like a traditional sense, it was mostly just running. I’m glad that it’s not just me out there, it makes me feel like everything’s a little more accomplishable — especially since I still don’t really know how to change a flat.
What has been your favorite part of the ride so far?
Visiting the Capitol was such a highlight of yesterday. It feels like we switched a lot of our route this year to really make it to D.C., we did the nosedive through Maryland and then we’re going back up today, so D.C. was like, the spot. I think we did D.C. really well, with all the Smithsonians, the Capitol tour from the I4K alum was amazing — seeing the House of Representatives Gallery was like my Superbowl. I always appreciate, and especially in an election year, to be able to see it from the other side…there’s real people doing real jobs in that building, it’s not just a tourist attraction.
Is there a specific reason or person you’re doing this ride for?
The first person I ever lost in my conscious life was to cancer. I was 16, and I was going through a huge transition period in my life — switching schools, going to boarding school. And before I left, a couple months before he passed, he was like “Emma, the most important thing is that you do what you love, and that you follow your heart.” And I was like “um, that’s great, I’m trying to pack for boarding school right now.” It was so out of the blue. A couple of months later he was gone, and well now I really have to do that. I was like “I need to do something crazy; let’s run a marathon.” And then four years later, I was like “let’s do something crazier, let’s do the thing that he always wanted me to do,” and follow my heart regardless of what anyone else thought. When you tell people you’re going to bike across the country, they’re like, “you’re crazy.” My grandpa thought that this craziness was just my reality.
Is there anything you want to say to the people who are cheering you on during this ride?
So much support has been poured out. I know they read these journals, so I want them to know I love them endlessly and miss them tremendously. It wouldn’t have been possible without them. In the same way that one person can’t bike across the country — we need 18 of them, and each of them is instrumental — I wouldn’t have even been able to this ride without all of my village. My parents and my sisters, all my friends, my partner, and just all my little circles venn-diagramming together to make this possible. They’re great. So much love.
Is there anything else you’d like to talk about?
The journals and social media are what inspired me to do this. Every time I’m like “oh this is really hard,” or maybe I’d rather sleep in past 5a.m., realizing that the grand adventure is not about the destination. It’s about the growth and the change that you see in yourself and the people around you, and the hope that is reinstored in humanity throughout the process. Also I LOVE MY TEAM!!!