Spring?

Hello and Happy Spring! Despite the snow flurries and chilly temperatures we are just over a month away from the start of this summers ride. I’m excited to have the opportunity to ride again and am looking forward to meeting everyone in about 37 days!

Outdoor training got off to a slow start due to the weather. I was finally able to get outside the first week of April and have been riding outside ever since, although not continuously. I rode to Sidney and back last Sunday for a round trip total of 57 miles and was planning on riding to Cooperstown yesterday however the weatherman had other ideas when he invited a cold front to town for the day. Personally, I blame Punxsutawney Phil, even though it’s far surpassed the six weeks since he saw his shadow I'm pretty sure he had something to do with it. Despite the cold and wind I did manage to go out and ride 20 miles mid-afternoon. It’s suppose to warm up over the course of the week so hopefully that will equal some quality training time!

Thank you to everyone who has donated thus far, it means a lot to have your support.

Riding in the wind

Today's ride was intense! I did about 15 miles round trip, just to stretch my legs before the weekend training. Into the wind, I was only able to manage about 12 mph on average...but, on the return trip, I brought it up to ~22 mph on average, with a peak around 38 mph! That was really fun. I finally got to use the big gear up front, which I haven't been able to get into up until today, because it is very tall. My knees are feeling better. With time, I'm sure they'll be in good shape for our trip!

HERE WE GO AGAIN

first post! i win.
gonna be cold this weekend so we're not riding to arthur. the ride last week to monticello was great - super flat road and nice weather. i'm trying to do a better job of riding with people who ride at the same pace as i do so that i don't get too far ahead or too far behind. i think amy does a good job of keeping up, i'm not sure who else, but we've got a couple thousands miles to figure that out, no?

right now i'm trying to do a better job of stepping up and making us really feel like a team, especially if i want to be a ride leader. we're a team, whether we realize that or not...there's some people that i don't even know yet, and that needs to be fixed! we're gonna be spending the WHOLE summer with just each other, we're gonna have to rely on each other and support each other for almost three straight months...it's time to start acting like a team, being family.

ya knowz?

Training...Yahoo!

So, we've begun our trip already, by training in advance with Saturday rides. We're gradually ramping up the mileage as the team gets used to riding as a together. Already, we're able to communicate readily, and ride in a tight pack to increase efficiency.

In order to keep things in perspective, so we don't forget the purpose of our ride, we're reviewing pieces from the Portraits Project, which was completed last year, before our training rides. This helps us keep in mind why it is that we're riding. Part of my personal effort will be to read up as much as I can about factors affecting cancer, and cancer prevention. As with all humanity, I share the idea that proactivity and knowledge can help defer the onset of diseases, though cancer certainly seems to strike indiscriminately. I hope to share the facts I uncover with people across the U.S. For instance, at the intensity levels of EM radiation at which cell phones function, IEM < 1.6 W/kg, no tumors have been known to develop in test animals. It is only when test animals are exposed for prolonged periods of time to intensities ~4 times greater than this, that the animals developed tumors. So, we can tentatively say it is safe to speak with our cellphones, without worry of developing brain tumors. This says nothing about the danger of driving while using a cellphone, however! Hey, I'm a cyclist. I'm sensitive to that topic, in particular...

No ride this weekend :(

Due to inclement weather, we will not be riding this weekend!

Getting Huge to Fight Cancer

    With the spring season upon us, the name of the game for the Illini 4000 is training.  For us, this means watching a lot of Tae-Bo videos in fast motion and a strict regiment of steroids (just kidding).                                                    

     For the last two weeks, the team has been working hard spending their Saturdays training in preparation for the summer.  On March 29th, we completed our first outdoor ride to Homer Lake!  This fun filled 36 miles was a little rough at first, but a headwind in the morning always makes for smooth sailing in the afternoon.  Only one short week later, the team upped the ante and completed a 55 mile ride to Monticello and back (Not the one in Virginia).  Having worked out all of the kinks and equipment issues the week before, the team focussed on communication and safe riding while in a group.  The improvement was astounding, and it all culminated with a trip to Jarlings Custard Cup for celebratory ice cream.  This weekend, the 2008 team will be facing its greatest challenge yet as we attempt our first full length ride together: an 80 mile round trip to Arthur, Illinois and back! 

     Great job so far guys.  It's amazing to think that in one month, this rag tag bunch will be transformed into the cross-country cycling machine that is the Illini 4000!  - Nick Ludmer, Co-Director

Welcome to the New Website!

Greetings Illini 4000 friends, family, and fans,

The moment we've all been waiting for has arrived, and no, it's not a gorilla on waterskiis.  Our new website is finally up and running!!  So welcome and thank you for your interest in the Illini 4000.  We are gearing up and counting down to May 23rd when we leave for our second annual Illni 4000 Bike America Ride, this time from New York City to Seattle, WA.  This new website will allow you to stay updated on our daily activities, see pictures from our training and travels, and find out more about us and the organizations we support.

Go ahead, take a look around, bask in its radiance, and be sure to visit the Donate now section.  Seriously, it's super cool.  Tell them Nick Ludmer sent you.

Sincerely,

Nick Ludmer

Welcome to our new Website!

After months of planning and technical work, the Board of Directors of the Illini 4000 for Cancer is proud to reveal our new website! Please take a few minutes to explore the wonderful new features on our website. We can't wait to use the photo gallery, and rider blogs to keep you updated this summer! The Board of Directors of the Illini 4000

The 2007 Bike America Team with the incredible San Diego Illini!

First Outdoor Training Ride: March 29th!

The Illini 4000 Bike America team will hold its first outdoor training ride on March 29th. After months of indoor runs, the team will finally get a taste of the open road.The first ride will take the team from Allen Hall (on campus) to Homer Lake in Homer, Illinois for a grand total of 55 miles.Stay tuned for a ride report!Jonathan SchlesingerCo-director

Jon across America

1 week until our first outdoor ride! I can't wait, though I seem to be having a problem with my rear derailleur. For all of you who aren't familiar with bike terminology, a bike has two derailleurs: one in the front (by the crankset) and one by the rear hub. These two devices are used to change gears.Stay tuned! I hope that I won't have to go to Bruce.Jonp.s. Those of you who don't know Bruce, the owner of Bike Works in Urbana, should check out: www.youtube.com/watch?v=_L1m1QIFTtg

Who doesn't love an oversized check?

Holy cats! Is that a $50,000 dollar check I see? Thank you to everyone who helped us reach this remarkable goal!

In other news, I heard through the grapevine that Zach has finished work on the documentary. I would love to see it! You can view the trailer at : http://filmsthatmove.com/

The team leaders have not made an official statement about how much money we actually raised for cancer research or Camp Kesem. Jon changed his facebook picture to this though so I think it's a safe bet we contributed $50,000 to the American Cancer Society cancer research fund.

Thank you for your continued support of The Illini 4000 for Cancer! Next year's team has their work cut out for them!

Oh snap! Final post!

Hello everyone!

I know, I know, it has been a long time since I last updated! Berate me at will.

Hopefully, my faithful followers know that the team made it safely to the Pacific Ocean as planned on August 4, 2007.

I sincerely apologize for not making a final update until now, 3 months after reaching our final destination.

The bottom line is, the longer the ride went on the less motivated I was to update the blog. My attitude slowly and then more quickly declined and I had less and less positive things to write about in this forum. So instead of expressing those feelings, I stopped writing. Not the best decision, but I can't help that now.

In the end, I am still unsure as to what exactly I accomplished this summer. If you know me personally, you know my research is the most important thing in my life. Would my time have been better served engaging in research enriching projects at an earlier date? Maybe. Would I have adjusted to life in Tucson better if I had moved more than 8 hours before my graduate student orientation? Most definitely. Would I have an up and down, twisting and turning trove of stories to tell the rest of my life? Absolutely not. So, you can see, I am still at odds with my choices. I would love to write here that the ride was the best thing I have ever done, the most I will ever accomplish in so short a time, but I can not say that with my heart in it. There were many flaws to our method, many errors to be corrected next year. All this is to be expected to some degree, perhaps it is my fault to have not expected the specific degree prevalent in our journey.

So, I will say that I have made a best friend, I have lost good friends, I have become averse to those I was neutral to, and positive to those I was averse to. Many people express interest in doing a ride like the Illini 4000. To those of you in that group I must stress that the most important thing is not why you're doing it, or when, or for what cause, but WHO. I can only speak from personal experience, so take with a grain of salt.

It is not about what you saw that day, or who you spoke to, but who you experienced it with. who was by your side, who did you make small talk all day with, or play "the movie game," or gripe to about last night's dinner of cold, canned beans. Who will you remember by your side, sharing your pains or supporting you through struggle (if you're lucky enough to have that support). Looking back on this summer, there are few moments where I was satisfied in the who. I exhort you to not make the same mistake. Do it with someone you love, someone who intrigues you, someone who will make the experience an adventure, not an exercise in babysitting or micropolitical wars. Do it with respect to your cause, to your leaders, and respect to yourself.

So now, if I still have any readers around, I will open the floor to questions.

EDIT: Tom has an extremely insightful comment posted below. I encourage you to read it in its entirety, but I liked it so much I am posting a portion of his comment below.

"So don't be too hard on yourself. Don't be hard on others. Relish in the good things... like how generous and wonderful this country is. Relish in your youth and health that allowed you to complete your trip."

To refresh, we met Tom in Ash Grove, MO in the middle of our trip. He cycled West-East with his friend Erik. You can find a link to his blog in the list on the right.