Tomorrow is the big day, and the team is brimming with excitement. We wouldn't have gotten here without the generosity of all our donors and the warm welcoming embrace of Rabbi Blum; who has graciously hosted the 28 riders on the 2010 bike America team.Endless preparation, months of planning, and here we are, standing at the start of an amazing journey. After a long (delayed) 23 hour train ride, we had an opportunity to explore the great city of New York. Many of us breakfasted in Central Park and spent the rest of the day exploring the town's neighborhoods- some explored SoHo while others paid their respects at the World Trade Center Memorial, and yet some others wandered onto the site of a movie set in Times Square.This evening we were welcomed into the home of U of I alum Kelly Belford for a delicious array of food. We talked with several U of I alums including some who rode in the inaugural 2007 ride from NYC - San Diego. They've been very helpful in preparing us for the road, having been through this themselves (thanks, Mike and Allison!)The city teemed with energy, a fitting atmosphere for the day. We are anxious and excited to hop on our bikes and begin an epic journey across the country and into the history books. To inaugurate the ride, some of us dipped our back wheels in the Hudson Bay -- when we arrive in San Francisco we will dip our front wheels in the Pacific -- a symbolic gesture of the coast to coast accomplishment.Amidst all this excitement however, we have not lost sight of our cause and why we ride - to help raise money to support cancer research and support Camp Kesem. We are very excited to have broken the $100,000 mark and hope to raise more through donations on the road. Thanks again to our families, friends, supporters and donors. We would not be here without you.Stay tuned for a post tomorrow after our 65 mile ride to Hilsborough, New Jersey!
NYC!
So much to say but it's getting late so I'll try to be short...We arrived at Union Station on Saturday at 5:30pm and took the Amtrak to Penn Station. Eamon and I chatted with a nice man on the train who told us about the history of an old castle in the middle of a body of water and that it was made as a honeymoon gift for a couple but was abandoned before construction was completed. We also passed by West Point so I really felt like I was on the Hogwarts express.We were supposed to arrive at 6:30 but were delayed for about 2ish hours. We still all had fun playing cards and eating in the old fashioned dining car!!When we got to Penn Station we met up with Allison (a rider from 2007), Nate and the kids who drove the van and we all had to take our bikes out of the boxes and wheel them onto the subway. I think we got quite a few looks.We are staying at the Chabad Center for Jewish life at Columbia University. When we arrived last night most of us headed out for pizza because the train ended up running out of food. Today was a rest day and I woke up at 9, went to a market and got a yogurt parfait for breakfast. We all took our breakfast to Central Park and ate, took the subway to Times Square for some obligatory pictures, then hung out in Soho for the rest of the day. Nate had been staying with his uncle in Soho for the past few days so he knew his way around.I am in love with Soho. Great stores, great food, and not too touristy. We all went to this Japanese store called Uniglo, which was basically H&M but 100 times better. Sadly, I did not buy anything because I did not think it would fit in my bag...We all then went and got Cuban take-out and ate it outside on a bench. Tough life!We got back a bit ago from an event with some UofI alumni living in New York. The alumni were so nice and made us a bunch of food and we got to hang out on a rooftop.The highlight from my time here has had to be our christening ceremony. A bunch of us rode our bikes to the Hudson River and dipped our front wheels in. When we get to SanFran, we will be able to say that our bikes have touched water from each coast. I'm so stoked for that!Hope you all stay tuned!
NYC 05/22-05/24
SOOO here's what's new. Saturday was departure day. I was apart of the Amtrak group, taking a nice 22 hour ride to NYC. We spent hours and hours playing cards, wizards, painting nails, eating a nice old school train breakfast, chatting it up, and anticipating our arrival. Amtrak's well-known consistency brought us in a few hours late, but it gave us plenty of time to scope out some of the beautiful scenery we'll be seening in the next few weeks on our ride back (: Once we got into the station, I stole my Amtrak mini pillow (should come in handy), the van crew picked up our bags, we assembled our bikes, then caught another train to our stayover at the Chabad at Columbia University. We walked around a bit, got some late night New York pizza (not as good as in the Chi... sorry NY), and crashed out. Our stayover is pretty cool, we have two floors to roam around in and unfortunately, no showers... ha my first "sink shower" of the trip... this could get interesting...Today we had a rest day in NYC and were free to scope out the town. My crew downed some breakfast in Central Park, toured Time's Square, and did a little shopping in SOHO (where Sean knowingly bought the deepest V t-shirt ever created). An essential I realized I was missing was a nice cross body bag (mom purses circa mid-1990s)... so I haggled a street vendor to cut me a deal on a lovely white pleather bag Mary scoped out for me. Of course, people can't say no to this pretty face and I now have a lovely bag to carry my essentials around in. A few of us hit a hole-in-the-wall Cuban restaurant Nate knew of and ate some of the most flavorful food I've ever tasted, delish. We headed back to the stayover, picked up shirts, and headed back into the city to meet up with some U of I alumni. They hosted a lovely gathering filled with tasty treats (I wanted to try the meatballs but Kyle ate them all, typical) and brought us up to the rooftop for a gorgeous view of NYC at sunset. We did your standard photo op, Mary beat up Eamon, and then the party was over...Tonight, we prepare for our big take off. Steve pumped up my tires and helped me reassemble my handlebars, he's the best. Rules were dictated and everyone wrote out directions for tomorrow's ride (well Jaime wrote mine while I braided her hair). I've decided that I really don't think this whole thing has "hit me" yet. Starting tomorrow, we're beginning our journey to BIKE ACROSS THE COUNTRY... um holy moly, I'll let yall know how that goes...
Adventures in NYC
Hello World,After an extremely long yet enjoyable train ride with my fabulous train buddy Sean, we arrived in NYC yesterday. I spent today on various adventures (some misadventures) through the city with the other riders. After accidentally ending up in Chinatown, Kevin, Szymon and I bought some Asian fruit and had dinner for $4.25 at "The Lunchbox Buffet" which was extremely delicious. We also accidentally found the coolest water fountain ever in Morningside Park, after we accidentally took the express subway instead of the regular subway. Looking back on the motif of "accidents," I am finding that misadventures often lead to much more interesting memories.Can't wait for the ride to begin tomorrow! It's going to be I4Krazyyyyy!Love always,Jaime
Send us mail!
You may have noticed that our Rider Spotlight section has been replaced with Send us Mail!. This widget provides the nearest Post Office to each of our rest day stayover locations. By using the arrows above and below, you can scroll to the different rest day locations and find the appropriate Post Office to send your letter or package. Please allow at least 3 days for delivery and let your rider know that they should expect to pick something up at the Post Office.
Train to NYC
I am writing this sitting on the train, somewhere in the middle of New York. I'm not quite sure where we are; all I know is that we have another 9 or so hours to go, and have already been on here for 11. Most people are trying (more or less successfully) to stay asleep as much as they can. The seats are a little roomier than those on airplanes, but they don't recline that much further. This is making me all that more excited to spend the summer on a bike and moving, instead of sitting still. Then again, this seat is a little more comfortable than my bike saddle, but that isn't saying much.That said, I think it's time I introduce this blog. You know my name because you needed it to navigate to this page anyway, so I'll skip that part. I hope I continue to update this, but I really have no idea what this trip will be like. Forgive me if you refresh the pages to find nothing new; that means we'll have to get together some time and talk about it all.Anyway, I'll start writing about the my first experience with I4K. I think it was at Convocation, one of my first days at the university, and I saw a few people stand up on the podium and talk about biking across America. That and the ultimate frisbee team were the only things I really remember from that day. I thought it sounded like an incredible adventure, and as I had just bought my new bike (this one I am in love with and have on this trip) I thought it might be doable. I scouted them out on Quad Day, when all of the registered student organizations had their booths set up in the quad, and asked for more information. I went to an informational meeting, and ended up being the only prospecting student there with a bunch of past riders, and instead of deterring me, I loved it all the more; these people were great. I went for an interview, and left there with the excitement that I still have today. A perfect fit: biking, traveling, landscapes, fighting cancer, and great people to do it with. What a perfect summer.So here I am, on the precipice of the adventure of a lifetime, and I'm hungry. I have food, I just don't want to eat it all now and get bored immediately afterwards. I just finished the first round of editing the pictures from my Aunt Margie's (and UNCLE Brian's) wedding. I wonder when they'll get to see them...I'm staring down Pi's Calvin and Hobbes book, and will let you go for now. Keep in touch. Send me emails at g.colten@gmail.com , I'll try to respond. I also hope to link my photos to this site somehow once I A) take some and B) find a place to put them.Check the map at illini4000.org , go to Route, and then you'll always know where I am.(how does one end a post? you can't say a farewell as in a conversation, but nor can you end it like a letter [Sincerely, Greg] just doesn't work. I think I'll just stop writing. That ought to do it).__
Tomorrow is the big day
I mean, I think a lot of days this summer will be considered 'the big day'. The first day we start biking, the first day we start climbing mountains, the first day we start going down mountains... the list goes on, we have a lot of ' the big day's ahead. But really, tomorrow is the first day that I will be surrounded by 27 awesome people and live a life of sleeping on floors, eating nothing but pb&j and dropping sick beats and dope rhymes while cycling across the country. That's a big day.However, I gotta say that this big day is the result of so many good people coming together to support the organization and me! First, gotta thank the people like Conor, Kyle, Erik, Keith, Saun, Claire, Matt, Matt, Kristen, Jay, Justin and all the other brains behind the Illini 4000. The trip and $100,000 raised would not be possible without the dedicated work of these brilliant cats. Much respect to them, for real. Furthermore, my parents, their parents, aunts, uncles, cousins, family friends and personal friends for the donations. If it wasn't for you guys, cancer might think it still has a chance and this ride would not be in my summer plans. Seriously, thanks to all the cats who came out back in November for the best short-shorts themed party yet. Couldn't have done it without your donation regardless of if you can remember donating :). Also, my sister, Amy, who did the ride 2 years ago just sent me an awesome email (from Senegal) filled with inspiration and wisdom to help me and the teammates get to San Francisco. Merci, Amy, you're da boss.So, I'm still in the process of getting everything packed up and waiting for my last pair of bike shorts to be completely dry. Its getting surreal and so real at the same time. Reader, I hope you are well and please stay tuned. Peace!
Contact Info! Pictures!
I know I have been bombarding people with my contact information for this trip, but I thought it couldn't hurt to post it in one more place. Check it out, follow me along the way, and hit me up if you want to chat or have any questions!twitter: http://twitter.com/mrussell_I4Kpictures: http://picasaweb.google.com/russell.mkemail: russell.mk@gmail.comphone: (630) 631-6072
Doctor Week
This week of preparation is a very busy one. I came home from school with a grocery list of things to get done before I hopped on a train to New York for the Illini 4000. Among these things were preparing for nursing school, tuning my bike and going to the doctor. I dub this week: Doctor Week.For those who do not know, I am a testicular cancer survivor. Technically, I am not a cancer survivor. The real definition of a cancer survivor is someone who has had been treated thought of as "cured" of their cancer and from that point is cancer free for the next five years. I am currently going through year three after treatment. During those five years, a patient is in remission.Hospitals and frequent check ups have become the norm in my life. Unfortunately, constant worrying and preparing for the worst has also become a norm in my life. This indeed stems from my cancer experience.This past Monday I had scheduled my test day. This day is awful- I dread it. On any normal day, thoughts of cancer returning linger towards the back of my mind. However, this test day brings forth a flood of emotion and apprehensiveness. On test day, I am on edge. My family has learned not to mess with me; I am in the zone, concentrating, hoping and praying for negative results. Things that go wrong on this day reverberate in my heart and are not forgotten- they scare me. Call me superstitious.Test day starts out with my waking up at 8am to the taste of liquid barium. Yes folks, that is a metal from the earth that medicine has somehow been able to make a shake out of. It tastes terrible. I like to say that I have a high pain tolerance, so, I chug the barium as fast as I can. I don't know how someone weaker or less tolerant could find the strength to finish that barium shake. Count it- two bottles full, 48 ounces. Thankfully they spread the barium regiment out so that you drink two bottles in two hours. For me, it is one at 8am, half at 9 and half right before my CT scan. All this for a three minute CT scan? You have got to be kidding me.I finished my bottle and a half of barium before heading to the hospital. My sister was very unhappy to drive me to the hospital and wake up before she intended to, but, she loves me. I took my time getting ready and carefully gathered things I needed for my test- phone, barium, CT scan paperwork and the health insurance card. We arrive at the hospital, I step out the door and immediately turn around to Katie saying we needed to go back- I forgot my prescriptions. Bad omen. Let's hope not. I am on edge.The barium serves an important purpose. Right before your scan, the radiologist will inject the patient with iodine, which reacts with the barium. The reaction allows the CT scan to image your gastrointestinal tract with much more clarity. Cancers in the GI tract are very potent and hard to catch because once someone does find out they have a cancer like colorectal cancer, it is often too late to effectively fight off the cancer. The injection is done intravenously. I have very large and obvious veins, so sticking a needle in my arm is not a hard task. However, this time, the radiologist missed the stick. Bad omen? I am on edge. Maybe that is why my vein didn't cooperate, stress.When the injection goes through, the patient will experience a warming sensation throughout their entire body. This warming sensation was really cool and exciting the first CT scan I had. However, as I received more and more CT scans, this sensation made me sick. So sick that I thought I was going to pass out on the table and vomit during the test. Another reason why why I dread this day.Next up, chest x-ray. Nothing bad with the test thankfully. However, as I was waiting to be called, I ease-dropped on someone's registration. Probably not something very ethical for me to do especially because I am going into nursing, but, I get it from my mother. Anyway, this elderly man and his wife were registering for a number of tests including a CT scan and an MRI, both full body and specially focused on his brain. I suspected some type of brain cancer from previous tests they had gotten. There were complications with their registration because Medicare would only cover the CT scan, not the MRI. The price of the MRI would be $5200 dollars. I was outraged that an MRI would not be covered although a CT scan would be. I wish I could do something about that.Time to head home. The rest of the day I did not feel good because of the barium, but I made it a very productive Monday at the very least. This bas feeling comes from the barium. I was exhausted. At lest I don't have to do those tests for another four months! I go to my oncologist on Thursday to review the results of my tests and to get a blood test. I'm sure all the tests will be negative, but I always have to be ready for the worst.
You are your own limit.
The days are numbered! We only have 6 days left until we depart for one of the best summers of our lives. I can’t believe that the time is finally here. During first semester, I thought that this summer would never come. But now it’s here and I don’t even know how to contain my excitement. I have spent the entire school year thinking about the Illini 4000 and imagining what our journey will be like. Now it’s time to make those dreams reality! FINALLY!Before I start blogging about my adventures, I would first like to give a huge thank you and a huge virtual hug to every single person that has donated to our cause. Your donations have made this ride possible for me and you have supported a cause that is so close to my heart.
So, in the order of donations received, THANK YOU:
Kathy Fairbairn, The Schimdt Family, Karen Crowder, Robert Berg, Karen Styrna, Sandy & Gary Houser, The Turk Family, Dan McDonnell, Carolyn Kinsellla, Anne Seidel, Deborah Muehlbauer, Bert Kooi, Shelly & Sara Kruse, Mary Patt Clancy, Janeth Kreis, Daniel Kemock, Melissa Hurst, Carol Whiteaker, Robert Wendlick, Jill & Nick Lundin, Renee Ebel, Chrissy Fosdick, Raymond & Tamara Liberatore, Sara Boroni, Mrs. Mariellen's Preschool, Joe Urbelis, Steve & Kay Zimmerman, Debbie Dobson, Ellen Kijowski, Patricia Kuchenbecker, Dennis Ferguson, Matthew Thomas, Teresa Harrington, Jon Monti, Delaney Contracting Ltd., Tracy Kwasny, Terri Baranski, Anna Fairbairn, Jill Pfieffer, Chris Blackburn, Kelly Thompson, Michael Boeringa, Karen Aldworth, Cheryl Pillsbury, Sarah Massey, Carolynn Bartolotta, Wesley Anderson, Cathy Scaropoulos Smith, Jaime Chandler, Julie & Brian Petrovic, Gerald & Marian Rillstone, Pamela Rillstone, Ken & Lyndal VanBlaricum, Janice Reitsma, Kim Swanson, James Boyter, Douglas & Jean Rillstone, Nancy & Thomas Lehman, Mary & Brian Lundberg, Carrie Prosek, Anne Blanco, Tom & Greta Lesniak, David & Martine Pullara, Leah McDonald, Tory Greiner, Minooka Junior High Newspaper Club, The Bielec Family, Gary & Amelia Pedersen, and Susan Smith.Lastly, I want to give a very special thank you to my mom, Kathy. When I told my mom that I wanted to ride my bike across the country for cancer research, I did not get a response that most kids would expect to get. My mom said, “That’s a great idea and I think you should do it.” Since then, my mom has supported me throughout the school year—she came with me to every bike shop, constantly searched websites for the best deals, and played a key role in my fundraising efforts. She would even text (yes, text!) me every Saturday morning to see how our training rides went. Her support surprises me everyday because no one has ever believed in me as much as she does. I am so so so so so grateful for my mom.Just this evening, my mom and I were talking about the ride. She said something to me that left me speechless for a while: “You are your own limit.” I never realized how true those words are until tonight. If you doubt yourself, then you will fail in your attempts to accomplish something. If you hesitate to do something, you will never do it. This summer, and in the years to come, I will not limit myself. Living life is all about actually living—which means doing those things you have always wanted to do or doing those things that you think are impossible. If riding your bike across the country is possible, then finding a cure for cancer is also possible.Basically, my point is that my mom always supports my crazy ideas and that her support inspires me over and over again to accomplish the things that seem impossible. As my anxiety kicks in about the beginning of the trip, I know I can always fall back on my mom’s words. So mom, this ride is also for you. I love you. :)LET'S GET THIS 4,520.1 MILE BIKE RIDE STARTED!!!P.S. - I will try to make all future posts shorter.
I will pack all my pretty dresses.
It's time to leave the diva clothing behind because NYC is SO close and it's time to rough it.This past year with Illini 4000 has been so amazing. I remember some of our first meetings in 131 EB and the team potluck. I didn't know a soul. We've since became well acquainted during our training rides, and social/fundraising events. It's funny how my impressions of my teammates have morphed since those first meetings. I'm pumped to learn how weird everyone really is. And in case you were wondering, I love weird quirks. A few include Pi's love of Star Trek, Gabrielle Gaga, Max Mustache, Shea and Jill's obsession with small donkeys, Justin's fab dance skills, Lauren and Steve the choreographers, and Eamon's love of the UGL(y).Some highlights from this past year include our first ever 24 Hours of Cycling Fundraiser on the Quad, Relay for Life (where we did our second Portrait of the year), and our 90 mile ride/camping trip to Kickapoo. Oh, and our skivvies mile fundraiser was fun too.Next step, fit my whole life into one teeny bag! Wish me luck.
Thank You to Everyone!!!
I cannot thank my friends and family enough for all of their support!! Thank you to everyone who has donated to the cause and helped me throughout the year in various ways.I want to thank my parents, John and Carol Russell, who have been so supportive of this endeavor. I think they are just as excited as I am, and I could ask for nothing more.Special thanks to W.E. O'Neil Construction Company, Bill and Janet O'Neil, Pat and Tracey Russell, Stacy O'Malley, Jeffrey and Donna Widdman, The Mikuzis Family, Ann and Cameron Russell, Joe and Judi Weingarz, Genevieve Russell(Aunt Gen), The Dalton Family, Mary Dalton (Nana), Bruce and Karen Bethards, Phil Cerney, Carolyn and Gerry Murphy, Phillip and Jill Maxwell, John and Carolyn Healy, Bill and Maureen Bolotin, Brian and Kathleen Chaps, Doug and Cindy Evak, David and Lisa Hanneman, Colin and Marie Sumida, Pat and Brian Egan, Tim and Kathy Russell, Georgean Wegrzyn, Andrew and Stephanie Hofner, John and Janet Juarez, Jane Powers, Cindy Poletto, Michael and Mary Jo Hosman, Donald and Anne Knibbs, Patty Dalton, and all of my friends on campus who have purchased wristbands, raffle tickets, and given words of encouragement!
a)Thanks! b)Hello!
Dear Generous Contributors,Thank you thank you thanks to everyone who has donated, helped, or otherwise contributed. I couldn't have imagined the amount of support I've received since joining the Illini4000. A hundred thousand thank you's! You will be in my thoughts and thanks this summer, as I am reminded daily that this trip would be an impossibility without your help.Love And Thanks In Bold and Italic,Max--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Dear Team,As I'm a student at UIC, my only face-to-face meetings with you have been through two visits to U of I this past year--one in the winter-time and one in the spring. Both were exciting! Everyone I met was an awesome dude or lady with wise words to offer and/or stories to tell. And your bicycles are all so pretty!You know something? I'm really, really excited to get to know all of you. I've found something to admire in everyone I've spoken to, and I already feel a sense of kinship with all a'you, despite having such limited contact.Excitement, that's at the heart of it. To partake in such a worthwhile cause! To ride our bikes for a long-ass time! To pedal westward of our own determination and belief and volition! This will be a summer to remember.Excelsior!-Max
Departure Times
Come see the Illini 4000 depart on their 4th journey across the country, raising awareness for cancer and being touched by the stories of countless individuals. The team will be gathering in the Great Hall of Chicago's Union Station at 5:30pm on May 22nd before departing for New York City. Of course, you may also come visit the team as they depart New York City's Central Park on May 25th. Look for them near Central Park West and W 108th St around 7:00am.
There Might Not be a Title to this Post
In exactly 11 days, or 264 hours, or 15,840 minutes, or 950,400 seconds (depending on your preferred method of timekeeping), 28 bodies* with 1 bicycle each, or 56 feet* with 2 wheels each, or 224 fingers* (thumbs aren't fingers) with 1 vision (depending on your preferred method of humankeeping) will have just stepped onto to Train 48 to depart for New York City, having just said our goodbyes and feeling the most butterflies we'll have felt since the first day of kindergarten.Tears are a must, apprehension is a must, forgetting something minuscule is a must, but without momentary loss, there is no permanent gain.My belief in the greater good and untapped potential for humanity to work together for a common goal will keep me pedaling. How about you?eamon*These numbers are not accurate, because some team members will drive the support vehicle to New York, but their bodies, feet, fingers, bikes, & wheels will leave the station with us in spirit.
Message to our Donors
The Illini 4000 has undergone many changes in the past year, most visibly our website. Unlike 2008, we made our 2009 contributions to the American Cancer Society (ACS) and Camp Kesem with very little fanfare or announcement to our faithful donors. With this in mind, it is appropriate we look back at the past year before we continue forward with this one.In 2009, we contributed $52,500 to the ACS and $7,500 to Camp Kesem. One-third of the amount contributed to the ACS was designated for Patient Services and tripled through a matching grant by the Coleman and Duchossois Foundations. We committed to this matching program because we believed that it would be the most effective use of our fundraised dollars in order to support crucial programs that help cancer patients and survivors in Illinois.You may notice on our homepage the photo of our President, Conor Canaday, presenting a check to Steven Derks, the Illinois CEO of the ACS. This check, in the amount of $20,000 represents our commitment to contribute once again to a matching program benefiting Patient Services. Fifty percent of this amount will be matched by the Coleman Foundation. Our decision to participate is motivated for the same reasons as in 2009. This opportunity, however, had a time limit, as it expires in June. For this reason, we made this contribution before the 2010 ride rather than after it - and this is only a part of the total contributions we will make this year.Our total fundraisng now exceeds $96,000, far surpassing our previous fundraising marks. This is outstanding because it means we will contribute more to ACS and Camp Kesem than we ever have before. And we will continue to raise more over the summer.We thank you for your support and for continuing the fight against cancer. We look forward to sharing with you our coming summer, stories from the ride, and overall successes in 2010.
Eighteen Days
Hey all,This is my first post and I am using it primarily as a test post. Excitement for this trip is growing; each day passes with a change in dynamic from somewhere on the team- from the 24 Hours of Cycling event, Relay for Life and the Underwear Mile. Receiving our jerseys three days ago was another event that made this trip more real. And with each of these milestones in our preparation for this journey, the prevalence of cancer becomes real. Everyone knows someone who has cancer or has had cancer themselves. My experience on this trip will truly be affected by those who I have met in passing who have had cancer, those who are caretakers and those who are supporters. Together we can make a difference.In my first entry, I would like to give a very special thanks to Alex Hodge and his family who headed up a raffle in my name in support of The Illini 4000. Without his help, I would have been broke and probably would have not been able to participate on the trip.Another special thanks to all my supporters of whom will be mentioned later in the blog. I look forward to sharing my experiences on this trip and to continue fighting a battle with all those who are affected by cancer.
Get your jackets ready!
Waaaaaaaaaah. So the summer is creeping up and I could not be more excited, only 21 days!! Since this is my first blog, I'll give a quick update on what's kickin' (forewarning to the adorable Sean Laude, my grammar is meh):The past month has been fantastic. Pi threw together a 24 hours of cycling event and a bunch of us attended Relay for Life a few weeks ago. This past weekend, we went I4Kamping at Kickapoo which is about 30 miles east of Champaign. Before the thunderstorms crashed in, Eamon and I did a fantastic job setting up our group's tent... and while we all stayed nice and dry though out the night, I can't say that for the rest of the team.. hm, I guess we all weren't cut out to be girl scouts. We rode back bright and early and met up later in the evening for a movie screening of What People Do. Other than those events, I've just been training and trying to finish up these last few weeks of school. As crazy as it is, the only thing standing between now and NYC are two finals and graduation (yikes).Hm what else... OHHH our jerseys are "dope" as Kevin would say. We received them yesterday and once I got home, I geared up and paraded around in my uniform for my roommates... and then walked over to my friends to fish out more compliments. Long story short, it's unanimous that they're awesome and I wouldn't want to wear anything else for 72 days straight, except maybe a jacket.Also, I would like to thank everyone who has made this experience possible: Jimmy Mazurski, Aunt Mel and Uncle Ted, Michelle and Matt, Uncle Mike and Aunt Eileen, Grandma and Grandpa, Nanna and Nannu, Claire and Alex Mendez, Martha and Marion, Aunt Clare and Uncle Joe, The Love's, The Greco's, The Jefferies', Terry Tomisak, Ben Nixdorf, Dane Whaley, Ed Leracz, Magdelana Garrison, Jermeka Jackson, The Rooney's, The Cooney's, Rick Gutierrez, Janet Moss, Deborah O'Conner, Dawn Souliotis, Tammy Ryan, Karen Shoemaker, Lauri Ognar, The Friese's on behalf of Linda Peterson, State Farm Insurance, Notes-n-Quotes, C & R Tire and Automotive, Petty, Bielik, & Burke Orthodontics, Guardi's Pizza, Westpoint Insurance, members of the Chicago Police Department, and Chicago Trading Company. Most importantly, Mom and Dad, thank you.Finally, as promised, I've set up a number of things to stay connected this summer:I'll be blogging here. So bookmark it! http://illini4000.org/riders/lmazurski/Tweeeeter (If I can figure it out) http://twitter.com/laurmazgmail: laurmaz@gmail.comAND I'm going to set something up for photos, so I'll get that out later.Until next time, deuces.
One month to go
With only one month to go before we kick things off from New York City, it is important to see where we stand as a team. We're now down to 28 riders, however that has not prevented us from having record breaking fundraising. We're less than $14,000 from reaching our goal of $100,000 dollars, so if you haven't contributed yet, please help us make this goal a reality this year.A little over a week ago we also held our first, "24 hours of cycling event" on the UIUC quad. We had over 25 riders and alumni come out to spend an hour or more on a bicycle from noon Thursday to noon Friday. Pictures from this event can be found on our website in the photo gallery. In the process we raised $1,252 through donations and the sale of Illini 4000 t-shirts and wristbands. If you didn't make it out to see us, we'll have our online store up and running in the next couple weeks.Last weekend also brought about the our first ever, Alumni Weekend, where alumni from every previous ride were out riding in support of this years team. After a windy ride through Sidney and Philo, riders and alumni met up again for a tasty meal at Mas Amigos and indoctrinated the future riders in the culture of "Great Friends".Finally, next weekend riders will undergo our longest training ride to date, riding 90 miles and culminating in a night camping under the stars at Kickapoo State Park. Stay tuned next week to see how it went!
Get on your trainers and ride!
Last Thursday, I4K hosted a 24-hour bike vigil on the Quad. From noon on Thursday to noon on Friday, at least two members of our 28-person team were fixed on trainers, peddling away in the hopes of raising money to meet our $100,000 fundraising goal. I had the privilege of biking during the 1 a.m. to 4 a.m. shift, during which I serenaded my fellow riders and a few Quad lingerers to the entirety of Queen’s Greatest Hits Volume II. It was a magical three hours for them, I’m sure.The event was quite a success, and more fun than I ever expected. It was a great chance to bond with my new teammates, whom I’m beginning to love just a little bit more each day. We raised about $1,100 dollars, which, given the marginal success quad booths usually garner, is quite an accomplishment. To everyone who bought T-shirts at 2:30 in the morning to help support our cause, don’t worry, you look fly. And if you don’t, well, you’re money is going to a good cause, so all is not lost.The success of our event can only be attributed to the commitment and determination of this year’s team. First off, I’ve got to give credit to my teammate Pi, who organized the event. Without his hard work, I4K 24 Hours of Cycling wouldn’t have been nearly as successful. He was there the entire 24 hours, making sure everything was running smoothly and efficiently. Still, his hard work would have been for naught without the dedicated members of our team. I’ve never been surrounded by a group of people so motivated by a single cause. It’s inspiring. It pushes me to work harder, pedal faster and complain less (which is saying something). I feel so lucky to be a part of this team, I can’t even put it into words.But I think more important (for me at least) than the money we earned was the support and encouragement we received from friends and random passersby throughout the day. Given that I was the 1 a.m. to 4 a.m. shift, I wasn’t expecting many people to stop by. Yet I was surprised and touched by the number of friends who showed up to support my teammates and I. Visiting was such a small gesture, but it meant the world to me and reminded me how blessed I am to have some of these people in my life. On top of that, having random strangers approach just to tell us how how inspired they were by our dedication and to encourage us to “keep pedaling” or give us a high five was so moving. I’ll never forget it.So really, what I’m trying to say is, thank you so much to everyone who came out to support us last Thursday. It’s comforting to know that you’re behind us for each and every one of those 4500 miles.