This blog post has been very long overdue. So many things to say and so little time!We've been finally training on our bikes, which has been awesome! We’re increasing our weekend training rides in 15-mile increments, so it has been a bit strenuous, but very rewarding. A couple weeks ago, we had a 45-mile ride in some ridiculous wind. Going into the wind proved to be quite difficult, but we didn't experience true troubles until going perpendicular to the wind, thus giving us crosswinds. What a trip! I was constantly trying to keep myself from being knocked over, whilst keeping my balance so that when the wind let up, I wouldn't fall to the other side! As always, though, we were blessed with some AMAZING tailwinds for the last ten miles of the ride. It was beyond glorious and a great experience! Now that I've experienced such intense crosswinds, I’ll be prepared to encounter those again. Plus it was alumni weekend, so we got to ride with some really cool cats.Last week we had 24 Hours of Cycling, in which we were on the quad from noon on Thursday to noon on Friday! 24 Hours of Cycling was super exciting for me, because it plays a role in why I joined the Illini 4000 for this summer! Last year, I was biking back from hanging out with a friend and passed the 24 Hours of Cycling event on the quad. For some reason, when I passed the group I felt this overwhelming urge to do something bigger than myself. The Illini 4000 seemed like the perfect way to do it! I’d known about the Illini 4000 since my freshman year, so at that moment, I knew I couldn’t push it off any longer. And here I am today!With that being said, I’ve come to the conclusion that I’m doing this ride at the perfect time in my life. Though it has put a bit of a kink in the whole ‘job search’ thing, after getting a full-time job I will not have the opportunity to take three months out of my life to bike across the country. Plus, I could not be more excited about the amazing things being done by the Illini 4000 and all of the wonderful people involved.I also have felt beyond blessed by the overwhelming support I have received from family, friends, and members of the community. I'm amazed every time I see a new donor show up on my fundraising feed! I can’t believe generous people are. To all of my donors, I extend my greatest gratitude. I assure you, your donations are going to a very noble cause.I’ll try to keep blogging more frequently to keep everyone posted. Have a wonderful day!