Chicago, Rest, and Wisconsin

For so long we have been in new places every night, and every morning we have been heading to some other unfamiliar place. From Homewood, however, many of us had home to look forward to.

The day began with an ominous forecast, with warnings of violent storms and eventually some tornado watches. For once we did not attract every storm cloud in the area and instead only saw the lightening and rain in the distance. Like so many other days, we had some difficulties with directions but the increasingly urban landscape and the eventual sight of Lake Michigan indicated that we were headed in the general direction of the city.

As we approached the final trail of the day the lead group of riders ran into some construction on the street bike path. As they rounded some construction barriers they passed over large metal plates which proved to be extremely slick. The first pack called out the hazard as they nearly crashed but it wass to no avail, as Megan took a nasty spill requiring some dental repair. We were all amazed and impressed when she wanted to keep riding but insisted that she wait for the van to pick her up. We're glad to say that she is back to having a perfect smile.

Arriving in Millenium Park was a sweet moment for us all, with many families there to greet their riders and PB&J sandwiches all around. After some group photos and warm welcomes home the riders headed to either stay at the UIC dorms or with their families in the Chicago area. It was great to be home, even if only for a day.

After a relaxing day in Chicago the I4K hosted a ride-a-long from Millenium Park to Highland Park, allowing friends and family to join us on our brief 30 mile ride. It was a wonderful chance for others to get a taste for what we do from day to day. The ride was mostly on bike paths that followed the Metra tracks which made it a really stress free day. We ended the ride at the Metra station where another charity group, Team in Training, was ending a race. It was a wonderful chance for us to connect with another organization and we thank them for their words of encouragement and the two enormous bags of bagels that they donated.

Today we left Chicago on a beautiful day for riding, heading northwest towards Wisconsin. The route was fantastic, consisting mostly of beautiful trails and scenic roads. While it was an extremely hot day, we had the relief of a refreshing swim in the Fox Lake thanks to the Tully family at our lunch stop. For once we didn't have to eat out of the back of the van, instead getting a fabulous lunch provided for us. Thanks!

The last 30 miles of the day were a breeze thanks to the incredible mid-day break and the promise of another swim at Lake Geneva. Arriving at the Topol family lake house, many riders headed to the lake right away. After a hot day of riding, there is nothing like a dip in the lake and synchronised diving to bring you back to life. As if the day couldn't get any better, the Topol and Volkman families provided us with a great dinner. Tomorrow we really begin our westward journey!

On the Road Again

Today, Justin, Zern, Daniel and I went to see the movie "Year One."  DO NOT GO SEE THIS MOVIE, TERRIBLE.  I am getting ready for bed now because we will be leaving the Taylors' house early in the morning.  I want to thank the Taylor family for being so hospitable and feeding us so well.  Between the ribs, burgers, brats, hot dogs, steaks, bacon, eggs, pancakes, hash browns, fruit, chocolate milk, pie, ice cream, and I'm sure many other things I am forgetting, it is impossible not to be full.  I think I have been spoiled the past couple days and fear it may be hard to eat peanut butter and jelly again.  Although part of me is not ready to hit the road again in the morning, I am really excited to see everything between Chicago and Portland, I think it will be the best part of the trip.

My kind of town

It looks like I have some catching up to do...
It would probably make sense to start where I left off, but I'm going to work my way backwards instead. Yesterday began with a national American Cancer Society conference that Brad and I were really lucky to have had the opportunity to speak at. The group we spoke in front of was small, but definitely important. Everyone was extremely supportive and interested in what we had to say about the organization and our own experiences. We are often encouraged by people we meet along our journey, but our interactions with significant medical researchers and/or high level donors are minimal. This conference made it clear that our efforts were appreciated on a higher organizational level as well.
After the conference we headed over to Millennium Park to wait for the rest of the team to roll in. They rolled in later than expected, but luckily avoided the extreme rain. Millennium Park was followed by errands around the city, an awesome dinner of nachos, sweet potato fries and a chocolate chip cookie dough peanut butter vegan milkshake from Chicago Diner, and a slumber party with Christine.
Here is where my memory turns splotchy and pasta dinners, Jesse's mom, swimming pools, and broken spokes all mesh together. Jesse's mom is definitely > broken spokes and I look forward to seeing her again in Portland. That equation may seem like a given, but having broken spokes meant that I got to spend a day hanging out in the van with Saebin, which as everyone who knows Saebin would say was the best part of the ride : ) The point is that Jesse's mom is best!
That's probably a good place to stop, food coma is kicking in...

Tomorrow: Bagels for Breakfast! Gotta love Panera.

Come ride with us!

Tomorrow, Sunday June 21st is the date of our ride-along where we invite parents, supporters, and other interested cyclists to ride along with us for the day.  The details are as follows.

When does it start?  meet at 8:30 a.m.  The ride departs at 9:00 a.m. sharp, weather pending (the forecast calls for 83 and sunshine, however!)  We anticipate the ride will take about four to five hours with breaks.
Where should we meet?  meet by the the Bean in Millennium Park.  There is ample parking underneath the park and many transit options for getting into downtown. 
Where are we going? The ride will end at the Highland Park Metra station, 1800 St. Johns Ave.  There are trains departing at 2:30, 4:30, and 5:30 back into the city.  In Evanston, you can take either the Metra or the 'L' back into the city.
How are we getting there? We'll be riding up the Lakefront path, then winding our way through the beautiful Edgewater and Rogers Park neighborhoods and the North Shore suburbs.  We will be riding mostly on signed bike trails and less-heavily trafficked urban streets.  Directions and transit information will be provided.
Other details:  Please bring a helmet, we will not allow you to ride without one!  You do not need a fancy road bike to ride along with us.  Make sure your bike is in good mechanical condition.  Donations are very appreciated.

We hope to see you there! Have a great weekend!

First Blog...EVER

So as I sat in the basement of Justin Taylor's house i remembered that i have et to post anything on this here blog. Been an awesome ride so far. More opinions later.

Chi-Town

Today we made what we thought was going to be an easy 30 mile ride into Millenium Park in Chicago.  We left four hours before we supposed to be there, thinking we would be way to early.  However, we ended up being about an hour late due to a number of reasons.  For starters, once again the cues were not very good so many of got lost, some multiple times.  Second of all, it was just slow going because we were in the city dealing with traffic and traffic lights.  To top everything off, a few miles out, Megan had an accident that left her front tooth chipped and her lip and chin a little scratched up.  I have to say though, being that I saw the accident because I was right behind her when it happened, I thought it was going to be much worse than it was.  Also, Megan handled it really well, she really showed some toughness.  Once we finally got on the bike trail along Lake Michigan, everything went really well, and it was a beautiful ride into the city.

Tonight, I am staying at the home of Justin Taylor along with Justin (Obviously), Zernyu, and Daniel.  Justin's family provided us with a great meal that did not consist of pasta, and did include meat (ribs), which is hard to come by these days.  Tomorrow is a rest day which will probably include sleeping in, lounging around, and some much needed bike maintenance.

I have been hearing that quite a few people have been following my blog and others, so I wanted to say thank you to everyone who is keeping up with us.  More to come soon.

Illinois, the Land of Lincoln, I mean wind, rain, and gravel roads

It has been a few days since I have had internet access to update this, so I will do my best to fill everything in.  On the 15th we left Greenwood, IN and headed for Rockville, IN.  However, I was stuck driving the van for the day.  I wasn't too excited to drive the van, but everybody has to take their turn.  It turns out it actually wasn't a bad day to drive because the ride was not very scenic anyway.  For those that did ride, it was a pretty easy ride because it was pretty flat, and the riders had a tailwind most of the day.  We stayed at a Presbyterian church in Rockville, and most of us made a short ride to a local ice cream place, that was delicious.

On the 16th we left Rockville, IN for Champaign, IL.  Shortly after beginning the ride it started raining, and not long after that we hit the first of many gravel roads.  At about mile 25 we crossed into Illinois,  but we were all disappointed to find that there was no "Welcome to Illinois" sign.  We also thought that being in Illinois would bring the end to gravel roads, but we were very wrong.  We hit some more gravel roads, and eventually made our own route to Homer Lake, where we were meeting up with everyone, to avoid more gravel roads.  After meeting up at Homer Lake the entire team rode into Champaign where we were expecting to be greeted by media and other supporters at the Alumni Center.  When we rolled up to the Alumni Center, we were greeted by about eight people, none of which were media.  About five minutes after we showed up, a few news crews showed up for some interviews, but they missed the shots of us riding in together.  The news crews did get a shot of us jumping into the fountain outside the Alumni Center.

On the 17th we left Champaign for Clifton, Illinois.  We got to sleep in a couple extra hours due to the fact that we were in Champaign and everyone wanted to hang out with some friends/family they hadn't seen in a while.  We had to ride with the wind in our face most of the day, which really slowed things down.  Also, once again while riding in Illinois we found ourselves on gravel roads from time to time again.  It was also a pretty boring ride, since it was so flat and straight, so we had to make up games to keep ourselves preoccupied.  There was about a 40 mile stretch where we actually passed more tractors on the road than vehicles.  When we finally arrived in Clifton, after what seemed like forever, we were happy to see that there was a public pool right across the street from where we were staying.  After dinner, we went to the pool, and they let us all in for free, which was great.  The water really felt good after a long day of riding.

Today, we woke up to a thunderstorm, which delayed our departure by about an hour.  After getting on the road late, we had to battle the wind for about the first 35 miles.  After the wind died down, things went pretty well.  We are staying in Homewood, IL, the home of rider Jesse Krantzler.  Once again we got in at the public pool for free, but this time it was after getting free Coldstone ice cream.  Then the church we are staying at provided us with a meal.  Last but not least, we went to Jesse's house for another meal.  Needless to say, I am quite full.  I want to thank everyone that povided any kind of food, pool, or place for us to stay.  Everything was great.

Over 1,000 Miles

As a team, we have gone through 11 states and ridden over 1,200 miles. I can't believe how far we've come in such a short period of time. Today, we rolled into Homewood, Illinois just getting over 60 miles in the day. Faith Lutheran Church provided us with a wonderful dinner that stuffed the team to its seams. Later on, most of the team headed to rider Jesse's house where his family and neighbors threw a big bash. There was tons more food that we all indulged in and it was nice to be in a real home again since the team has been rolling through towns we don't know and resting in churches we've never been too.

Rolling through Urbana yesterday was great and surreal at the same time. It's strange to think that it was probably the last time the whole team will be together on campus. It was also a huge landmark to jump in the fountain holding hands as a team.

Tomorrow we ride into Chicago and I am so excited to see everyone there. It's going to be another landmark on this ride; we'll be about a third of the way through the ride. We still have way more to see and ride in the coming weeks and I can't wait for it.

Ready, Set, Ride

What a summer. Unfortunately this is my first time posting about the summer, but I assure many posts to follow.It's hard to sum up how things have gone so far, simply because it has been overwhelming. Everyday there are a myriad of new experiences that challenge and reward us. I can easily say that the last two and a half weeks have felt more like a month and a half.It's becoming exceedingly apparent that this trip is not a mere vacation, it is a way of life. I would liken it to being a nomad moving from place to place relying on the generosity of others for shelter, food, etc. The one activity that becomes our main priority is biking, which is strange when you think about it. Most people work or volunteer to earn validation in society, but now, for us, biking has become that source of validation. I guess the one thing that we have to offer is perseverance and thats something worth passing on. Everyday I try to think of the people who are going through physical and mental hardship from their ailments, and I think of lending my strength to them just as they may lend their strength to me. Knowing that there are those people out there, makes climbing the monstrous hill ahead that much easier.We're currently in Homewood, a southern suburb of Chicago. I'm can't wait to see the family whom have supported me throughout this process as we ride into millennium park tomorrow morning. It will be a brief homecoming, but one well earned. This trip has been incredible so far, and I have no idea what the future may hold.Random moments:-Reapplying sunscreen at lunch only to find that the sunscreen has mixed with salty sweat already on my skin, peanut-butter from lunch and dirt from the road.-Every shower I take is the best shower of my life. (except when lights in the bathroom are controlled by motion sensor and I have to stick my arm out of the shower and flail about every minute so that I can bathe in the light.)-Waking up at 4:30am to run inside with sleeping bag/pad because of unexpected rain storms.-Only getting flats when its raining outside (changing a tube with numb hands is very difficult!)-Icy Hot and Ibuprofin help me through a lot of days, I think I deserve a sponsorship.Thanks for reading. blog you soon.

feelin homey in Homewood

Tonight I write from Homewood, IL, about 20-30 miles south of Chicago, and home to Jesse Krantzler, one of our riders. 

It was great getting to see and hang out with everyone in Champaign the other night... Tons of great food at Dr. Woods place and then some chillin at Murphys.  Too many beers- typical.

The rides the last two days have been pretty boring, both 65-75 miles or so and through pretty much nothing but corn.  Both yesterday and today, though, we were rewarded with free entrance to the community pools, a nice reward for a hot sweaty beast.  Yesterdays pool had a high dive and todays a water slide.  Can't ask for much more.  Also, today when we got in, the mayor of the town had set us up with free ice cream from coldstone.  I went with the "All lovin, no oven"

In a little while we will have a sweet dinner at the church we're at, followed by more food, possibly dessert at Jesse's house.  His mom is super nice.  His dad lost a fight with cancer a few years ago so I can tell that she is really glad to have us and especcially fond of what we are doing.  Later tonight we are meeting with some people from the Cancer support center here in town, who have also provided us with some sweet snacks.

Tomorrow we ride into Millenium Park, or possibly Willenium Park.  Saturday we have a rest day in Chicago.  Not sure what we will do, but I'm lookin forward to a free day in the city.  Seems impossible that we will be reaching Chicago tomorrow.  Thanks to everyone who has sent me messages telling me how much you are enjoying following this- good to know I'm not doing this for noone.

Heard that Losman is trying to get a job in the United Football League, which I just found out was a league today... what a bum... he should be baggin grocerys at wegmans

Cruising the Great Plains

Ah, has it been good to be home in our home state. We have experienced both the good and the bad of the plains. Yesterday we had a late start because we could not part with our beloved Champaign-Urbana. We finally got on the road and had the great experience of riding with Geoff, one of our VIP supporters and first year rider Brain. While the flat land has been great we have encountered another villain, the unrelenting and gutsing wind. We had somewhat of a headwind, making our legs work extra hard on flat land. On the other hand we have also found out that Illinois is the hardest state to get lost, go grid system!!! When we got into Clifton we had the luxury of going to the public pool across the street and had some fun watching each other flail off the high diving board. We were quite a sight with stark tan lines and white bellies, look out for a possible Illini4000 calender!!! Don't worry we won't actually subject you to that.
As for today our requests for good weather was answered!!!! We woke to the frightening sound of thunder and lightening, not a promising start... But we forged ahead and got ready, ate breakfast and tooka quick nap while waiting for the storm to pass. In a half hour we decieded to begin the ride when low and behold, the rain stopped and the sun began to break, woo hooo! The rest of he day turned out to be calm and relaxing and we arrived in Homewood around 1. We were greeted by the mayor of Homewood and were given free Coldstone. We were also warmly welcome by rider Jesse's mom Mrs. Krantzler, friends and members of Faith Lutheran Church. The boys went to the pool making a ruckus on the slide. Later in the night members of the church made us a delicious dinner, filled with pasta  goodness, dessert and fried chicken, hungry yet? We then got to experience the great neighborhood of Jesse and were greeted by neighbors, family and even more food. Dinner 2! Overall Homeood has felt like home but we are all excited to visit Chicago, the real home to many of us.
Lastly a reminder that we will be riding into Millenium Park tomorrow at noon if anyone would like to give us a large welcome. Also, on Sunday we have our friends and family ride along, for all biking levels, to Highland park.

sending our love,
the illini 4000

The Illini 4000 is coming to Chicago!

Today the team rides out from our dear Alma Mater and heads up on a two-day trek to Chicago through the prairie and suburbs alike.  The ride this Friday will conclude with a ride up the lake shore and conclude in the heart of downtown.

If you're in the area and want to support the team, come out to Millennium Park at noon on Friday for our arrival.  We'll be finishing off the day by going down Michigan Avenue - look for us as we enter the park at the intersection of Michigan and Madison avenues.

Sunday the team will be departing from Millennium Park at 9 a.m. as we ride out to Highland Park up the Lakefront, through  the Edgewater and Rogers Park neighborhoods, Evanston, and the North Shore communities.  If you would like to ride 30 of our 4000 miles and experience a day in the life of the Illini 4000, we invite you to come along!   Meet at the Cloud Gate sculpture (also known as 'the Bean') by 8:30 a.m.  We look forward to riding with you!

The Day Before Champaign

We interrupt this journal post for some exciting news about our Champaign-Urbana arrival on Tuesday, June 16th:

The team will be arriving at the Alice Campbell Alumni Center (601 S. Lincoln in Urbana, 1 block south of Illinois St.) at 3 p.m.  Come out and cheer us on as we parade down Lincoln Avenue!  If you'd like to join our ride for 16 of our 4000 miles, ride out to the Nature Center at Homer Lake by 1:30 p.m. to catch the team rolling through (or meet us on Main St. in Homer before then - look for the Illini 4000 support van) .  Bring your helmet, a water bottle, and a sense of adventure and excitement!

And just to give you a heads up for the weekend:  The team will be riding into Millennium Park at noon on Friday.  Our ride-along will take place this Sunday at 9 a.m.  Join us at Millennium Park as we roll out of the city and into Highland Park.  Check back for more details!

We now take you back to our normally scheduled journal post, already in progress:

We left the Bartholomew household this morning well rested and well fed, bound for Rockville, Indiana but looking forward to our homecoming in Champaign tomorrow. After being on the road so long and passing through unfamiliar places, the thought of a place as familiar as Champaign feels like home. 

On our way out of town, the group rode into downtown Indianapolis to see the Soldiers and Sailors Monument before heading westward.  With tomorrow on our minds, the day\'s ride seemed to be a short one and we effortlessly arrived at our stayover in Rockville.  Rockville incidentally has the best and biggest ice cream cones we\'ve had on this trip so far, courtesy of the Dairy Barn. 

Many thanks to two special people we met along today\'s route.  First, to Mark Bailey of Magnode Corp., who offered water, snacks, and facilities to one group of riders as they changed a tire.  Second, to Roussa (sorry if we\'ve butchered your name), who kindly donated to the Illini 4000 while we stopped for lunch between Greenwood and Rockville.  Thanks to you both. 

Day: Unknown

Yesterday I officially biked over 1000 miles since leaving New York.  I crashed again as usual since I seem to have trouble riding my bicycle the way it was meant to be ridden.  I will also never fool around as much while traveling 20+ mph :P  I'm beginning to get used to being perpetually bruised and scraped.  It could be a new look for me.

It's currently day two of my stayover in Greenwood, Indiana.  If you read the main Illini 4000 journal entry for today, you'd understand why these two days have been so incredible.  The whole team is staying at a fellow rider and friend's house, the Bartholomew residence.  As I'm typing this, I am nearly drooling on myself because his parents are cooking up sausage and egg biscuits for tomorrow's breakfast.  There must be a stack of 40 of them piled on a tray at the moment with more to come.

I spent the better part of today fixing my bike up with free parts courtesy of Bike Garage Indiana - hopefully it will stay in one piece for the next month and a half.  The rest of today involved eating biscuits and gravy for breakfast and watching movies on Dan's giant flat screen TV in the basement.

Here are my highlights for this trip so far (in the order they pop up in my mind):

1. Impromptu pirate battle on paddle boats on the pond in Dan's backyard.

2. Riding 110 miles into Richmond, Indiana and going straight to a Wendy's.  I ordered an Asian Boneless Chicken combo with a supersized fries and drink and 4 1/4 lb DoubleStacks with cheese.  That comes out to about 2600 calories.  Two hours later, the church we were staying at provided an enormous feast and I was already hungry enough to eat it.  Apparently 6 hours of cycling burns a lot of calories.

3. Going into Philadelphia and eating at both cheesesteak places that claim to have the best cheesesteaks in the world.

4. Rolling down hills next to a church we were staying at somewhere in Ohio.

I should have kept a journal because all the days are blending together and I'm forgetting where and when I did what.  I hope I've taken enough pictures, because I'm sadly already forgetting a lot.

I'm just going to give a few notes of what I remember about each day so far:

Day 2: Philadelphia, PA
We stayed at the UPenn Chabad Jewish Center.  At first we thought there wasn't much space in the building so we laid out our sleeping bags in the hallways, but after further exploration, we found a door that lead into another hallway with offices and a creepy steep staircase that ended with a door that was locked from the inside.  This is the day that some of us went to taste test the two best Philly Cheesesteaks in the world.  Pat's is waaaay better by the way.

Day 3: Newark, DE
We were welcomed into Delaware with big factories and drain grates that run parallel to the road so bike wheels can fall into them.  Since the ride was only 44 miles that day, we decided to push hard and got to our stayover in about two and a half hours.  Once we got there, we found a diner and proceeded to order several times as much food a normal person would eat.  A friendly woman there saw the jerseys we were wearing and learned about our cause.  She donated some money to help pay for our meal and the rest to cancer research. 

The church we stayed at was kind enough to provide dinner for us.  Every single church we have stayed at that provided food has cooked pasta for us.  It's always fun to stay at a large building with a lot of rooms because you get to explore it and find the comfiest spot to sleep.

It's several hours past my bed time, so I'll continue catching up another day!

Chargin' mah lazer I4K style

What a difference the mountains made!  I didn't realize how much stronger we've all become until our most recent routes.  The last two days of our ten-day stretch added up to a long 206 miles.  What was most impressive to me is the fact that all the groups made our 110 mile day with no issues.  Even though my group got in first an hour before the next group that day, the rest of the groups all rolled in within the hour after that.  And to top it off, I hit the 1000 mile mark during yesterday's ride into Greenwood, IN! The time has just flown by so far, and its hard to believe that we're already a quarter of the way done and that we'll be in Champaign in two days.

My thanks go out to the people who have put us up the last few stay overs.  We wouldn't be able to pull off the 100 mile days without the great food that we are graciously provided (especially the way we've been known to cook).  That includes the Bartholomew family who have put us up, and put up with us, for the last two days.  They have fed us great food and shown us the area which has made Indiana feel a lot more welcoming.  It's going to be hard to leave here tomorrow, but heading towards the familiar land of Illinois should keep us going.

Resting Up

Today we had a fantastic rest day at Daniel Bartholomew's house. His family provided us with some fantastic meals and a relaxing atmosphere to unwind and rest up. Last night and today was spent far from our bikes, eating, sleeping, and letting our legs finally recover from the 10 straight days of riding we have had to endure. Luckily, we will not spend such a long period without a rest day for the rest of the trip, with most coming five or six days apart.

With 1000 miles down, we are a quarter of the way through the trip mileage wise, but it feels to me like we have been on the road for weeks and weeks. The days are already beginning to blend together, but I am looking forward to the many experiences we still have in store. The west is sure to hold some incredible sites and some inspiring people.

Tomorrow we head for Rockville, IN and then on to Champaign and Chicago IL. I think most of us are looking forward to some familiar territory and a visit with our families.

Indiana might not suck afterall

Riding in Indiana is easy, since its flat, but boring, because Indiana consists of pretty much nothing but corn and Indianapolis.

Tonight I write you from Greenwood, a south superb of Indy and home of the Dan Bartholomew, one of our riders.  The family couldn't of been nicer to us.  After a 95 mile ride yesterday, we all came in prety frustrated from some routing issues from the last 30 miles or so.  As I was walking in, I was shown the largest bottle of Jack Daniels I have ever seen in my life and my attitude took a complete 180... After a great dinner and a few drinks we went to get some ice cream, for free, at a ice cream place that also had karaoke (weird, I know).  Me and another rider, Issac, brought the place down with an amazing and awkward rendition of Backstreet Boys "Everybody" that even David would be proud of.  After the Karaoke, we returned to find that riders who didnt go for ice cream had found karaoke of their own on the familys living room TV.  Many more drinks, singing, and hilarity ensued- Good to get some toxins in the body.

As I type this, I'm watching the Day the Earth stood still.  Keanu Reeves makes a better cop than an alien

The rest day today was sweet- just what I needed.  Slept in and awoke to some sausage gravy and biscuits, which were super good.  Got in some good reading (I've been working on Watchmen) for a few hours.  Then I got in a long run, 10 miles or so, which was nice.  Took a dip in a pool.  Had a swimming race with Saebin-lost.  Watched a movie- Big Fish, which I'd never seen.  Then, we all got taken out to an awesome dinner at this Mexican restaurant.  I got the "Special Dinner"- a myriad of mexican food items... Some more chillin tonight, some ice cream, and no Keanu Reeves is convincing the president of the US that humans need to be eliminated. 

We have rotating team duties- pack the van, wake up, cooking, team blogging, change diapers, thank you cards, etc.  We all have partners.  I'm with Ms. Megan Mcdermont, a lovely gal, to say the least.  We make a pretty good team.  Anyways, no duties for us for the next 3 days... Lookin forward to seein everyone in Champaign on Tuesday.

Good to Relax

After 10 straight days of riding, including over 200 miles in the last two days, we got a rest day.  Yesterday the group passed the 1000 mile mark for the trip.  This is exciting because it means we are about 1/4 of the way done.  I can't believe how fast everything is going along.  We are staying at Daniel Bartholomew's parents' house in Greenwood, Indiana.  The Bartholomews have provided us with so much food and hospitality that I think we may be a little spoiled the rest of the trip.  Yesterday I had a surprise visit from my girlfriend Kelsey and her brother Jared.  It was really nice to see Kelsey, especially since it will probably be the last time I see her until August.  I also really appreciate Jared making the long drive with her.  After doing some work on my bike today, I think I am ready to hit the road again in the morning.

Hangin Out In Indiana

So today was our first rest day in ten days and boy was it nice. Once the team rolled in yesterday from Richmond, IN everyone took a well-deserved load off swimming in the pond and having fun with the paddleboats. One of the rider's family put the team up for two nights, keeping us well-fed and very clean which we totally appreciate. Some of the team, myself included, indulged in the swimming pool across the street, a great treat after two weeks of riding.

My family even made the trip down to grab some dinner with cousins who live in Indianapolis and that was really nice of them, so thanks you guys and see you in Chicago!

Another good note, we have ridden over 1,000 miles! It feels really weird actually to be in Indiana all ready, but at the same time I feel very accomplished. One other good thing to mention is that we rode over two hundred in only two days! I didn't ever really think that I could do all this, but taking it one day at a time sure does help and having such a great team of people riding alongside me everyday is more than a rider could ask for.

1K down, 3K to go

It's kind of daunting to start this blog after two weeks on the road., so I'll start with some simple things I've done and seen since we began the ride May 30.We've biked some 1,000-odd miles since that morning in Central Park when we all ate Captain Crunch, huddled around a water fountain and waiting for that moment when we'd all reset our odometers and start pedaling toward the George Washington Bridge, toward Hillsborough NJ, toward Portland, and most of all into the unknown. These days only two things are certain: we will bike west, and we will eat peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. As the days wear on, though, that unknown has become familiar, and the miles have begun to melt away behind us.We've scaled and descended (and scaled and descended, and scaled and descended, and scaled...) the Appalachian Mountains. More than any other obstacle on this trip, the Appalachians loomed large for me, but they weren't nearly as bad as I had expected. That's not to say they weren't hard - oh yes, we had a few tough days. I can't say I was in top form before the ride, and the nearest thing I'd seen to a mountain this spring was a highway overpass, so I wasn't quite sure what to expect of a proper mountain range. In my worst nightmares, I would be climbing a wall for miles on end until my knees buckled or my heart gave out. The truth wasn't quite as bad, though in central PA there were a few hilly passes that must have been built by some sadistic civil engineer - each bend in the road seemed to be the summit, but around each corner lay an impossibly steeper stretch of road to climb. Of course, what goes up, must come down, and tearing down a mountainside at top speed is one of the most ludicrously satisfying things I've ever done. On one of the steeper descents, I clocked myself going (Mom, skip to the next paragraph) 49.5 mph. Now that we've hit Indiana the terrain has pretty much leveled out, and though the 80-mile days through the mountains would tear me down by dinner time, I miss the challenge of the hills.We've ridden a century (100 miles), plus 8 more miles for good measure. Two weeks ago that seemed a laughably long distance to try to ride a bike, but Friday we did it, Zanesville OH to Richmond IN (I think, the days start to blend together now) in a single shot. Aside from this ride as a whole, that century ride might be one of the most incredible things I've done, on a bike or otherwise.More than the biking, though, people have impressed me. The, churches, and families that have hosted us have been incredibly generous, opening their doors to us and lavishing food on 23 ravenous cyclists. As we sit in traffic awaiting a green light, drivers who read the backs of our jerseys ("Riding 4000 miles for Cancer Research") will roll down their windows to hand us donations. Sometimes these people drive off before we can even properly thank them, but at water stops and pit stops we can engage strangers in a conversation about what we're doing and why we're doing it. One of my favorite parts of this trip has been seeing other people truly inspired by our ride, which they connect to for any number of reasons: because they have had a personal cancer experience, because we're young people getting out to see this country, or because they think we're crazy for even attempting the ride - and they like it. Riders, too, have been equally impressive. Like Isaac said the other day, we each bring our own stories and our own motivations to this trip, and we can draw strength and inspiration from our fellow riders.Otherwise, I've eaten half my body weight in ice cream and sleep eight hours a night. Life is good, and I look forward to the next 3K.-T