Our bags are being packed, our bikes tuned, and our butts massaged as we make our final preparations for the summer.  Less than two weeks time stands between us and the start of our ride, and with finals out of the way our focus has shifted from what questions will be on our Underwater Basket Weaving 101 exams to how each of us is going to fit everything we need for an entire summer into a back-pack. 

It's the beginning of a new chapter for the Illini 4000 as we shift from training to the real deal, and we'd like to sincerely thank you all for the amazing geerosity we have experienced.  To our friends and family who give us love and support, to the communities and organizations that make the ride possible, and to all of our supporters who help us get one mile closer to finding the cure, we thank you.

Be sure to check in every now and then for more frequent journal updates as well as the rider blogs to see what we're up to as we await the starting gun on May 23rd!  Daily updates will begin once the ride starts, so stay tuned, get hooked, and tell your friends.