In twenty days so much has happened and I can only image how much will happen when twenty days go by on the ride! So from 41 miles I’ve now made it to 75 miles - basically there to the daily 80-110 miles.We went on a training ride of 65ish miles and let me tell you it was a test for me. The headwinds were ROUGH, the rain did not help, and the fact that I could not feel my hands or feet was a new feeling when biking. When traveling in those conditions it was hard for me to keep trucking but the mere thoughts of what I was riding for and that I was not alone kept me pushing hard. My teammates and I stopped at a McDonald’s and I befriended the hand-driers; I even named them Stanley and Roger hahaha. I was able to regain circulation, feeling, and warmth while giggling with Lindsey aka The Rock. It was amazing to see how our moods changed when the rain stopped and we got to ride with a tailwind. I was so overjoyed I started to write songs: “Tailwinds, tailwinds, tailwindddddddsssssssssss OOOOOOOOOOOHHHH!” à to the tune of J.Biebs “Houses and trees, houses and trees, you make me so happy I could SIIINGG!”You can bet I’ll be singing these songs on the summer ride when there’s tailwind, crosswind, and maybe a light headwind.Katie and I did a training ride just the two of us. We got a little lost but Momma G helped us out! We got to cross this especially narrow bridge and managed to get lost again! We ended up finding our way and stopping at a gas station. On the way back we bumped into another cyclist who was finishing a really long ride. Talking to him made me feel connected to the world of cycling and I felt like a true roadster!The next training ride (aka this past Saturday) we went 75 miles throughout Illinois. I was selected to be one of this week’s ride managers and it was a new challenge for me. The lessons I learned from the ride were: 1) when times get rough for me I need to talk about food, play would you rather, or sing songs 2) a lot of toads/frogs verbalizing together sound like aliens 3) gas stations are amazing yet slightly expensive 4) laying down on the ground feels like a bed when riding for long periods of time (therefore my sleeping pad and sleeping bag will feel like heaven) 5) I learned what a pace line is and how to pull off a jug-handle. It was a really nice ride because it was very comparable to how day over the summer will be. I think it will be WAY more amazing though because I won’t have to come home to massive amounts of homework! Oh and I did not fall but I did get badly burned on my arms.Yesterday, at our team meeting we were given our team backpacks and team jerseys! I tried my on when I got home and boy did I feel so cool! Putting on that jersey made me feel like ok, I’m really doing this, I’m really apart of this organization, I really am an Illini 4000 rider. I wonder how I’ll feel when I’m riding in that jersey, or how I’ll feel on event days, or how I’ll feel when I’m standing at the train station in 26 days…..26 days… In that time I still have to buy more gear, clothes, and travel accessories. Not to mention graduate, have a job interview, finish all my classes, move out of my apartment… o boy let’s stop this list now before the stress sets in!This weekend I get to go on a long ride and then end at Kickapoo for our team overnighter. I’m too excited I cannot even tell you!May the winds be with you,Ellie