It was a dark and stormy day in Champaign this morning as the Illini 4000 team woke up and anxiously awaited the decision from ride leaders Zach and Tyler. With 17 mph winds and projected lightning strikes throughout the day, the 90 mile ride was called off-much to the approval of the teammates. Many of the riders took advantage of the morning off to prepare for finals sleep all morning. To prepare riders for a typical I4K night a ‘mock stayover’ was planned to get used to the daily routine of the summer. Chores included preparing dinner, a flat tire and tent setup tutorial, cold calling restaurants for food donations (with no luck), and social media updates. The standard meal of spaghetti, red sauce and lentils was served and to my surprise it was very satisfying…updates will be provided at the end of the summer whether I will still look forward to this dish or the peanut butter and jelly sandwiches served during the ride. This evening provided us with a taste of what we will experience this summer and I am looking forward to spending more time bonding with the team. Rider shout outs: Earlier this week riders Michaeline and Christine donated 8 inches of hair. With a multitude of organizations accepting donations, they chose Pantene Beautiful Lengths to ensure that cancer patients would receive their donations. Awesome job girls! MB