Hello. This is really quick post because I only have 10 min to use internet. We are doing really well and enjoy riding! Now, I am pretty sure that Illini4000 is one of the best way to see real America! I meet many kind people, qute animal , beautiful sunset and so on. ( but I hate wild dog) We still have 2000 miles to go but the rest of the trip will past really fast. I wanna see everything because I only have 1 month to stay in the U.S.
2000 MILES!!!
Today, we are officially halfway done with our trip, which is pretty exciting. Minnesota has been a pretty awesome state so far with some nice scenery and lots of generous people. We had a fantastic time in Rochester at the Mayo clinic. A few of us were able to take a brief tour of the place and talked with the lady at the Cancer Education Center there. In addition to the Mayo clinic, a random stranger a few of the riders met at a local coffee shop invited us over for dinner on our rest day. Justin and his friends were extremely hospitable. They cooked us dinner with deserts, sparkling wine, and topped it off with s'mores. All of us had a great time at Justin's house just talking and enjoying the great summer night. It will definitely be an experience I go back to when I feel down in the future.
Our next state is going to be South Dakota, which is exciting and nerve wrecking at the same time since we don't know what to expect from this state. So far all we know is that the towns are going to be small and farther apart from each other. We may also have to ride on the interstate highway for an extended period of time and camp for the first time since the trip started. Other than that, everyone is excited for the Corn Palace, Mt. Rushmore, and all the other crazy and exciting things we are gonna see out west!
The only thing I am hoping for right now for our next town is shower. I havnt taken a shower in five days and I'm beginning to smell. I may be able to go on two more days without showering, but after that I'm gonna have to start knocking on people's doors for shower.
COULD IT BE??
Could The Illini 4000 possibly have already halfway lived up to their name? Today, Amy hit the fabled 2,000 mile mark on her odometer, as have a few others in the past few days, so I think it's safe to say that we're just about halfway there! Today was a great ride out of New Ulm, plenty flat and not too much headwind at all. We're spending out last night in Minnesota in the town of Marshall before leaving tomorrow for Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the biggest city we'll have been in since Madison! Another state down, six more to go! (South Dakota, Wyoming, Montana, Idaho, Oregon, Washington!) I think the terrain is going to start changing from here on out...
So close to 2000 miles!
That's right, tomorrow we should hit 2000 miles marking about half the length of this trip! The second 1000 miles went by a lot faster than the first 1000 so I wonder how the second 2000 will go.
We are in New Ulm, MN right now, a small German town although I haven't yet noticed anything that looks particularly German. The past few days have been some of the best rides we've had. We've also met some extremely nice people recently, more than willing to stop on the road and get out of their car when something looks wrong, offer us free coffee, and more bread, bagels, and pastries than we could possibly consume before they go bad donated from Panera. Someone at a coffee shop we were invited into for free coffee in Rochester noticed us there and offered to cook a dinner for the entire team the next night on our rest day. The generosity seems to never end in these parts of the country. It's unbelievable. Today while I used the bathroom at a pizza place, 2 women asked me what we were doing and offered their house for the night equipped with a hot tub (unfortunately we weren't staying in that town, we had only stopped there for lunch) and gave a donation.
The rides have been great lately, particularly the ride out of La Crosse, WI on our way to Rochester. The first 15 miles of that ride were my favorite part of the summer. We woke up extra early that day in order to get to Mayo Clinic on time (which ended up falling through) and crossed the Mississippi River into Minnesota, then rode up a big hill as the sun was rising. We stayed on top of the hill for a while, riding through curving rodes through farms with a beautiful, changing view. The downhill was extraordinary, even for me being afraid of going downhill. The view was incredible. Some riders rode back up the hill to ride down a second, and even a third time. We rode through intense fog which we had seen from the top of the hill and then were on a bike trail which was also incredible for about 15 miles. The only bad thing about the trail was that the pavement was covered in mud for much of it, causing our bikes and our bodies to become covered in mud as well. I became even more muddy when my bike skidded and I fell into the mud, causing my entire left side of my body as well as my face and jersey to be covered in mud. I also got a little scratched up which become worse later in the day when I fell on my left side again because I crashed into Andrea after she stopped suddenly to pick up plastic monkeys on the road. Both falls were a lot more funny than harmful. It seems that on my favorite days of riding, I get in accidents. My other favorite riding day was day 2 when a car hit me. Strange how that happens...
I don't have much more time to use the internet but those were some of the highlights since I last wrote. Wish me luck as we finish the first half of our ride and begin the second half!
New Ulm, Minnesota
Hello from New Ulm, Minnesota! I am sitting at the public library and yet again the computer is firewalled to prevent me from uploading photos - so no photos, but do know that I currently have about 400 to upload down the road!!
Yesterday we rode into Owatonna arriving rather early and eating lunch at Lake Kohlmier. About half of the team also went swimming in the lake. After lunch a group of us stuck around and went out in the canoes and kayaks after the people at the lake offered to let us use them for free! Andrea and Connie put some of our current massive bread stock to use and made a wonderful dinner of soup, bread and humus.
Today we rode from Owatonna, MN to New Ulm. The most exciting part of the day for me was visiting a bike shop in Mankato. The guy there fixed my bike so the chain no longer skips when I go up hills or just get on it!!! It's extremely nice to ride and not have my chain skipping all the time and it didn't skip all afternoon! We ate lunch in the parking lot outside the bike shop before continuing onto New Ulm. There were no winds today so the afternoon went rather fast and we managed to push out about 30 miles in what seemed like no time. We are in Mitchell, South Dakota in three days some I'm hoping for fast un-firewalled internet access there.
Happy One Month Anniversary Illini 4000!
After our day off in Rochester, and scoring sooooo much Panera bread its ridiculous, our group traveled to Owatonna (pronounced Ooo- ahhh--tonnahhh). With a short 45 mile ride and eating lunch at a lake, we were able to relax the rest of the afternoon, or at least most of us.
When we got to the church we were staying at I started to help clean out our van, because it was ridiculously dirty. XiXi and I took the car, spontaneously I might add, to find a vaccuum to clean out the built up dirt in the car. After driving and calling gas stations for 30 minutes, we finally found one that had a vaccuum. Who knew that it would be so hard to find a vaccuum? After cleaning the car, I then went to Walmart to buy grocery's for dinner, and then helped Connie prepare an awesome lentil, vegetable soup with homemade hummus and bread. After eating more Panera donation desserts, I knew that it was time for bed, because sleeping less than 6 hours a night takes a toll on the body and mind when riding 70+ miles the next day.
After waking up to another beautiful Minnesota morning, we were on our way to New Ulm, MN. However, before we left I had to give a Mosher speech.
For those who don't know what the Mosher is, here is a short introduction. Last year on the ride, someone picked up this ski pass in Telluride, CO of Eric Mosher. After passing this card around, more or less sneaking it into the back pockets of another rider, and you are caught with the Mosher card when breakfast is called that morning, you are responsible for giving a Mosher speech. The speech can consist of anything you want from why you are doing the ride to replaying funny messages on your phone from other riders, to a celebration dance with the whole team and their bicycles around you.
Basically, the Mosher is a way to start the morning immediately before the ride. Today, was the first day I got stuck with the Mosher. Andrew is the only other person that hasn't done the Mosher, therefore, I have outlasted 18 other people. Anyways, my Mosher today was pretty much thought up on the spot.
Today I talked about why I did this trip. I said I wanted to do this trip to help inspire others, learn about myself, and meet new people. Individual inspiration and motivation keeps people going and working hard on this trip. From tackling big hills, to tough head winds, rerouting continuously, we all find some days more difficult than others. While riding we also find time to think about our life, where we are going, what we want to do, how we want to get to the next phase of our life (whichever that may be), and sing songs to keep ourselves occupied on the ride. Some days are longer than others, just as in everyday life, and some days we have more opportunity for self-reflection. I have found that no matter where you are and what you do, reflecting on our actions and motivations can help drive a person to make themselves better.
Personally, from doing the Mosher, which I have dreaded (and still do), I found that although there are things in life that I may not want to do or realize, it was silly to stay blind to something that is in front of you the whole time. I knew that the Mosher was coming, but I didn't want to realize it. Only when it is thrown in my face I then had to deal with it. As we progress day by day from one point to the next we don't realize these life lessons, but looking into the future and the past realizing that we just had our one month anniversary makes you realize that time passes by so quickly. So take sometime to realize the important and fun things in life, but don't stay blinded to the obvious facts in life.
Back to 80 mile days
Today we are in New Ulm for the night. The ride in was great, a little over 80 miles, much of which had strong tailwinds. New Ulm is a quiet little town with a TON of Lutheran churches, the one we are staying at is called Our Savior Lutheran. The people of Minnesota are continuing to amaze me with their kindness. Everyone here is so friendly.
Overall
Minnesota exceeded expectations. I am impressed.
Owetanna, MN
Hello! I just drove into Owetanna today, and we had a wonderful day that culminated in a relaxing swim in one of Minnesota's many lakes. To give you an idea of what its like to ride, I've got a picture of several riders, with whom I regularly ride. We typically take turns breaking into the wind to make our progress more efficient. Since I drove today, I have a ton of extra energy. I'll enjoy the local ice cream, and prepare myself for the ride to New Ulm tomorrow.
Today we're in Owatonna, Mn.
Today was a short day into Owatonna. We only had to go 45 miles, so we got to sleep in until 7. When we arrived in town we all went to a lake. Some people swam, some didn't. When we arrived at Bethel, the church we are staying at, everyone unloaded their stuff and started doing things on their own. The three most popular things to do today were chess, cards, and internet. Tomorrow we go back to 80 mile days as we go to New Ulm Mn.
off day
Today was an off day, some really nice people invited us over for dinner, and they were very generous. Whenever I meet people who give back to society, I want to give back too, and aspire too be a better person. Like in the movie Pay it Forward. I’m reading the book It’s Not About the Bike, Lance Armstrong’s auto biography it’s pretty good, and it somewhat relates to what were doing, I highly recommend it even though I’m not done reading it yet.
Minnesota..doncha know
These past few days have been absolutely wonderful. From Wisconsin, we started climbing hills again which was a nice change of pace from the flat lands of the midwest. For me, my journey detoured from the rest of the group these past few days of riding.
My first detour was that when we were riding from Madison to Reedsburg. Since my Grandma and Grandpa Clark were about .5 miles off route I traveled with four others (Nick, Jon, Yiming, and Fei) to go and visit with them. We were provided a great lunch and my favorite cake that my grandma makes (chocolate cake with peanut butter frosting...delicious!). It was wonderful to see them and I was lucky to be able to visit my family, which is very important to me!
After our detour, we took our time to get to Reedsburg, stopping at a homemade swing outside the town center in the little town of Denzer, to relax, enjoy the scenery and weather, which was perfect! After a nice break and having some fun on our route, we finished our day in Reedsburg.
From Reedsburg, I drove the next day to La Crosse. Nothing to spectacular really happened that day, but it was still a nice change of pace. Driving, however, is not very fun or eventful. It does make you realize how much you really want to bike and get back on the rode. Although an integral part of the team, the driver doesn't really get to experience the ride like everyone else. It also doesn't help that we are used to eating so much, that when you drive you feel guilty about eating the food that is needed for the riders to sustain their energy. Driving, something that I don't like to do,puts in perspective where we are going and the distance we are actually traveling. Many times I just stare at the road, not taking in the scenery when I'm on my bike. I joke often that I see more pavement than the country itself. Either way, our trip to La Crosse was ended with potential good news.
We received information from the Mayo Clinic in Rochester, MN that we might have the opportunity to get a tour of their cancer research facility. Taking us off route and having to scramble to find stay over locations, we rerouted and headed to Rochester.
The ride to Rochester was one of my favorites, thus far. Since we were told that Mayo had us scheduled (or were scheduling) us for an event around 4 PM, we had to wake up at 4:30 AM that morning to make it to Rochester in time. The ride was beautiful! At dawn we took off over beautiful valleys and it felt like you could touch the sky. Descending into an early morning fog, we were able to experience our first early ride and enjoy a great morning and fun adventures of ridiculously muddy trails. Needless to say there was a lot of mud on our tires. As the day progressed, we rode quick enough to make the 87 miles to Rochester, but then the Nick's phone rang with bad news, the Mayo Clinic couldn't give us a tour.
Although we were upset, we made the best of the situation. We relaxed as we rode the rest of the way into Rochester. As some still went to the Mayo Clinic, some of us went to check out the downtown. The people in Minnesota have been, by far, the kindest and most supportive group of people that I have met! We were repeatedly approached, thanked and supported by strangers on the street, given free coffee by Sopra Sotto in the University Mall, and also made some good contacts at the coffee shop where a gentleman that we met set up a free meal for us.
Minnesota, who knew that it was as beautiful and so full of great people. This detour has been the best decision that we made. The generosity and kindness of these people will be remembered and we are so greatful for the support that we have been given. With this support and love we have found we will continue our fight across the country and against cancer!
With time to think on these bike rides, I have also found that it is really time to start looking for a job. However, what am I going to do with an Economics degree? This trip has made me realize that although there are things that I could do, I want to do something I love. People across the country have expressed love and compassion for what we are doing. I truly appreciate all the support and happiness found along the way. Without happiness and the true joys in life, whatever yours may be, people will remember your generosity and kindness. We remember those happy and fun times rather than those monotonous days of continuous work.
Ear Bugs, Photos and the past few days
First of all let me just say my ear is fine - the bug on the other hand, did not make out of hte ordeal alive. Since I last posted we have crossed into yet another state and are currently in Rochester, Minnesota. I'm currently at the Rochester Public Library where the internet connection is extremely slow (dial-up is fast compared to this) but I will try to update some photos if I get a chance to use the church computer later today.
The ride into Reedsburg, WI on Wednesday turned a bit interesting with about 10 miles to go when I had a giant bug fly into my left ear. It went all the way into the canal to the point where when Steph looked in my ear he couldn't see it. I sat on the side of the road shaking my head as if there were water in it for a few minutes as I could feel it moving around inside my ear making a loud echoing sound (a rather unique experience). Shaking my head was an immediate reaction as I didn't know what to do. After a few minutes Steph started dripping water into my ear at which time the bug came out. A truck drive passing by saw me sitting on the side of the road and stopped to see what was wrong however by this point the bug had fallen out of my ear and was laying on the pavement. We decided to put the bug in a bag and keep it in case anything should happen to my ear but thankfully all is fine! As if the day needed to get more interesting, when we arrived in Reedsburg I went to the post office to mail some stuff home and free up some space in my bag. I locked my bike to the stairs while there and when I went out to unlock it afterward found that my lock had jammed! After unsuccessfully trying to free my bike for about five minute a man came out of the post office and offered to help. He was also unsuccessful at freeing it so I walked back to the church to find help. Jon walked back to the post office with me and was also unsuccessful at freeing it but thankfully we found someone who had a pair of pliers in their trunk and used them to cut my lock. It was a rather think cable so it cut rather easily - a good thing in this case but not for the protection of my bike! Jon K. and Ben made us dinner which we followed with a trip to a local ice cream place where they had homemade waffle cones.
On Thursday we rode into Lacrosse, Wisconsin it was rather uneventful compared to the day before and luckily we didn't have any "bug in the ear" incidents. I rode with Xixi, Yiming, Fei and Takaya for the day and we made a stop for ice cream at McDonald's with about eight miles to go. (I'm on a ice cream diet this summer as in eat as much of it that I can!) The church where we stayed in Lacrosse provided us with dinner which tasted amazing as most food does after a 90 mile day and connected us with the local YMCA to take showers.
Friday - In our first "early" day of the summer we rose at 4:30am in anticipation of a 100 mile day to Rochester, MN. To our surprise we awoke to find that the route was only about 85 miles however we still needed to cover it and get to Rochester by 4:00 pm. (While in Reedsburg we had been contacted by the Mayo Clinic in Rochester about possibly touring the clinic. After a team vote we decided that this was an opportunity we couldn't pass up and with a full team effort re-routed and changed our route to go to Rochester rather than the Twin-Cities area.) We were on the road shortly after 5:30 am hitting the road just as the sun was rising. Less than a mile down the road we crossed the Mississippi river and crossed into Minnesota. Crossing into Minnesota reminds me of crossing into Missouri last summer as the rolling hills seemed to appear right after crossing the Mississippi. We climbed a rather long and winding hill and then had a long decent where I reached 42 mph. Some people decided to re-climb the hill so they could fly down it again and broke the 50 mph mark on the final stretch. Mid morning we cycled along a bike path that was so muddy in parts that our bikes quickly looked as if we were mountain biking. I was riding with Andrew, Steph and Jay and Andrews bike got so muddy that the mud clogged his breaks so he could barely pedal. When we exited the path at about mile 35 we found the rest of the team cleaning the mud off of their bikes as well. From there we continued on to lunch around noon time at mile 60. We departed lunch around 12:30 with about 25 miles to cover by the 4:00 pm, which is when we wanted to tour Mayo. With about six miles to go we all met up at a gas station in Chester, MN. When Nick and Jon pulled into the water stop they informed us that Mayo had just called an that they were unable to give us a tour thus allowing us a bit more time in our schedule. About half of us decided we still would like to go and see the Mayo Clinic so after a short break at the gas station for slushies and water we continued on our way. While we didn't get an official tour of the clinic we were able to walk around and talk with a few people. The building is rather amazing and I was amazed to learn just how many people come to Mayo from all over the country and world. Unlike a normal hospital/medical building Mayo is rather open and a very people friendly environment. I'm glad I went to see it even though we didn't get to talk with any doctors.
Andrea and Connie made an amazing dinner last night and afterward we celebrated Ben's Birthday with cake and ice cream! Today we are off enjoying a rest day, taking care of team business and hopefully in a little while I'll find a way to upload photos for your viewing pleasure!
Happy Summer!!!!!!
wow wow wee wisconsin & magnificent minnesota
june 21st already!
the past few days of riding have been some of my absolute favorites so far. wisconsin and minnesota have shown us days of beautiful rolling hills, blue skies, and winding country roads almost free of potholes and traffic speeding by. everyone on the team seems to agree that these past few days have treated us well and have put us in good sprits.
yesterday we had an early to rise time of 4:30 a.m., as we were planning to visit and have a tour of the mayo clinic here in rochester, minnesota. we wanted to ensure that we had enough time to arrive at the clinic in the afternoon. unfortunately, the tour we had scheduled fell through, however that did not stop us from having an enjoyable day. we rode out of lacrosse, wisconsin with the sunrise behind us and crossed the mississippi river as a team. as we traveled on we encountered clouds of fog hanging over the hills, a mud-covered bike trail with baby squirrels and bunnies scampering alongside us, and beautiful, vibrant greenery.
when we arrived in minnesota we were greeted with an abundance of friendliness. numerous minnesotans stopped to ask about the ride and two women invited us into their shop for a complimentary cup of coffee and some insight on the rochester area.
we now have the day off to explore the city of rochester -- the third largest in minnesota and, as stated on a road sign as we rode in, "the best place to live in america."
A rest day in Rochester
Today we had a rest day in Rochester, Mn. I know that Rochester isn't in our original list of stops, but we came because of Mayo clinic. Redeemer Lutheran was nice enough to allow us to sleep in their building for two days despite having a wedding, a funeral, and a church service. Because it was a rest day, we were able to sleep in. When people woke up, they mostly wandered off, and continued on their own all day. Several people visited bike stores, a Chipotle, and a Panera Bread. For dinner, we all went to somebody's house. They had offered us dinner after some team members met them in a coffee shop. We then got a massive food donation from a Panera. Overall, Rochester is the friendliest place I can remember visiting.
Rochster, MN
The last few days have been awesome! Wisconsin has provided some of the best riding yet, and Minnesota (in particular the Mississippi valley) is beautiful. Some of the cool things that have happened include Paul's hospitality in Lacrosse-he, his wife and his community provide nice meals for us, and Paul joined us for the ride-out toward Rochester this morning.
We were also able to celebrate Ben's birthday today in style, thanks to the coop in town. They provided us with some cake mix, and other supplies for our meal. I have been very impressed with the generosity of the people we've met in all of the communities we've stayed at!
This is a shot of the bridge we took over the Mississippi. The ride was gorgeous, in spite of the early departure. We pressed on and rode strong through many of the surprising hills in MN, and in spite of my two flats I had in one day! The weather was great for our ride, and the terrain was enjoyable to tour through. Unfortunately, our projected tour of the Mayo clinic was cancelled. We made the best of it by clearing out the slushy machines at the BP in Chester on our way into town. We took our time for the remaining distance; Brad, Praveen, Jay and Ben enjoyed a game of Chinese poker at the picnic bench outside of the gas station.
This evening's dinner was amazing. Connie and Andrea prepared the vegetarian meal, and Dana baked Ben's cake. We all had generous, healthy helpings, and look forward to our rest day here in Rochester!
Until next time,
John
Minnesota
OK quick post. Came to Minnesota, crossed the Mississippi, cycled through some hills and found a Panera Bread. Connie and Andrea cooked (they switched cooking duty for cooler duty with Fei and I) which was good for all parties considered.
Pictures:
Mayo Clinic:
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Today was probably one of the worst days of my life, I killed a squral, and I feel so bad all I want to do is, cry. It got in the way of my tire I swerved, he/she swerved and my tire collided with it’s neck. I struggled for a few minuets and than it died, and nothing I do will bring it back. I never thought that my reckless behavior could contribute to the death of an innocent animal. I wish I could have baled out. I don’t deserve to ever feel happy ever again. This makes me the biggest hypocrite ever considering I’m a vegan who thinks non-violence is the highest form of morality. Well anyway I am writing out of sadness not rationality right now. Diner was good and we saw the mayo clinic. And there was some nice scenery on the way in and I hate myself right now
Reedsburg
Today was a beautiful ride through the Wisconsin countryside. We enjoyed traveling through the dairy heartland of the U.S., and the terrain provided for some great aesthetics. We also bore witness to some of the less pleasant side effects of the flooding-our support vehicle was out of commission for much of the day due to detours, and we had to walk our bikes through a wiped-out roadway (See the team photos!). This provided for added adventure, and make nice memories for our trip, but our heart goes out for all those families in Wisconsin seriously affected by the flooding.We had lunch near the 60 mile mark, near the peak of a long climb. The lead group left lunch feeling great, and took off at pace toward Reedsburg. We stopped for some delicious bagged milk (sealed in plastic bags instead of bottles), which tasted amazingly fresh. We had a long, relaxing stop at the Kwik Trip, and arrived at the church to a nice reception.Ben and I were responsible for the meal today (Thanks to Drew Webster for his awesome support of the team in Fitchburg yesterday!). We re-heated some leftover pasta dishes, and prepared some beans for protein. I'm looking forward to burning the meal off tomorrow, and then some! We'll be in Lacrosse...stay tuned!
I have internet!
Hello again. Today I'm writing from Reedsburg Wisconsin.
Since the last time I wrote, a lot has happened. We had several gorgeous days in Illinois with strong tailwinds, and we had a rest day in Chicago. We also had a ride along on father's day, and a hospital visit the next day. Now we are busy moving through Wisconsin,which has many more hills than I thought.
On a side note, if you are ever in Wisconin near LaCrosse, look for bags of fresh milk. Its still pasturized and everything, but it's fresher, and it tastes better.
Matt