This is my first post. It was supposed to be written yesterday. But I was too tired. Excuse! I know, but whatever. One of the founders of our organization came by the day before and talked to us. He said one of his biggest regrets was not journaling his experiences along the trip. Honestly, I haven't been doing much of journaling since the beginning. Should I start doing it now such that I remember some days more clearly than others? I don't want an incomplete memory. Or should I just rely on my brain and risk having a not so vivid memory? What details will I remember and what are the things I will forget 10 years down the road when I look back in life? I have no idea! Dilemma.But here I am writing my first post. It may well be my last! We started our ride yesterday with strong emotions in our hearts. Megan's mosher was indeed impactful and inspirational! She had us say our reasons for joining the ride. We reconnected with our cause. Everyone rides for different people and different purposes. But we are all doing it for a great cause. Some ride for loved ones who have lost their lives to cancer. Some ride for dear ones who are in the midst of their battle against cancer. What Conor said is true. We are riding for hope. When there's hope, there's faith. When there's faith, there's a way! Hope is what makes things happen. I know these are big words and it's easier said than done. I just hope I could remind myself of this whenever I feel despondent.Before yesterday, I rode for family and friends who lost their lives to cancer and also for myself as I see it as a challenge. But since yesterday, I found more purposes for the ride. I ride for my team mates (it's their persistence and optimism that make me realize the greater purpose in the ride). I ride for their loved ones. I ride for hope. As I sit in front of the laptop and reflect on what everyone said yesterday morning, I think I'm glad I realized the true reasons which I'm supposed to be riding for. I also have a fear. I fear for losing my family and friends to cancer, although currently they are fine. I think it's also the fear of loss that makes me wanna ride. But I wish my hope overrides my fear.
Ride Along
Ride Along Day:The night before the ride along my mom dropped Jeff and I off at the UIC dorms so we would have to get up super early the following morning. We woke up around 7 the next morning and packed our stuff, went outside, and said hello to the whole team. Around 9 we started riding over to the Bean and waited around to start the ride. My Mom flew in from San Antonio, Texas to see me and my brother for a few days. We decided she would go on the ride along with me and the team. She was riding on my older brother's old mountain bike that didn't work. We had a great ride along the Lake and saw a different side of Chicago. When we got to Roger Park I said goodbye to my Mom and headed to Highland Park. We were staying at Kyle's church. We got hungry so we went to Chipotle and the nice manager ended up giving us all free burritos! We spent the rest of the night talking to the awsome John Slesinger the founder of our organization and went to bed.
Madison, WI
wow, so i haven't blogged in a long time.i'm gonna go back awhile, to champaign, il. i stayed with my lovely friend annaka, got a nice hot shower and went out to dinner with some i4k friends (delicious mexican food.) we kicked off from the alumni center and stopped in both clifton & homewood, il. then onto chicago! we rolled in around noon - it was tough to navigate up the busy bike path and through the traffic of the blackhawks parade. friends, family and former riders were waiting to greet us. i had a nice and busy rest day. i had an appointment at athletico, a physical therapy firm in andersonville at 730 am. an awesome trainer named amy showed me some stretches for my hips and knees and some exercises to strengthen them - i'm going to pass on these exercises to other riders and hopefully it will help all of us! i watched a movie and hung out with family and friends - very restful! i also ate about a whole bowl of guacamole :)the next day was the ride along from downtown to highland park. my parents and sister came, and our family friend susan and my aunt bridget joined us for parts of it. thanks for coming, guys! i had so much fun and it was really nice to have the them ride with us for a day and get an idea of what a day on the i4k is like.the past couple days have been rainy - today was particularly rough. the first 20 miles were fine (i kinda like riding in the overcast weather as long as the rain holds out) but the sky opened up around mile 30. we rode away from the blue sky and into an area where the sky was dark blue/purple...we noticed this, but obviously had to follow the cues. ana got a flat after it started raining, and then a few miles later gabrielle wiped out on some railroad tracks. her tire got stuck in the track - her knees are scraped up & her back is hurting her. we think it might be bruised where she fell. i hope she feels better soon!! we missed her for the rest of the day.bottom line, we all made it to fitchburg, WI safe. not dry, but safe. and now i'm sitting here writing this is nice, dry clothes and it feels amazing! 2 more days in WI and then onto MN - rest day in Rochester and a visit to the Mayo Clinic. i am very interested to learn about their oncology unit and more about the treatment cancer patients receive there.another thing i forgot to mention is the awesome portrait that my group got to do in greencastle, IN. we went into a florist shop to use the bathroom and ended up talking to the owner, a breast cancer survivor, about her experience with cancer. it was a wonderful opportunity -- the i4k is about raising money for the american cancer society and camp kesem, raising awareness and also largely about the portraits project. with portraits, we talk to those who have been affected by cancer throughout the US and record their experience so that later we can make some sort of chronicle to show how cancer impacts everyone around the country. talking to this woman really brought us all back to the reason we're doing the ride. remembering why we are all here and why this cause is so important makes the long, hilly days much easier and more rewarding. i'm so happy to be part of the i4k this summeR!p.s. i apologize for my poor grammar, there is a computer line, so i did not thoroughly spell check. i'm also lazy.more to come soon!
Rain Rain Go Away
Rain rain go away, come again another day! Everyone was yet caught again in the rain today! We got drenched from top to toe! But other than that and some baby hills, it was a good ride. We are going to Reedsburg tomorrow and will be having a long-awaited rest day on the coming Saturday in Rochester,MN. Hooray! All the way I4K!
goodbye IL, hello Wisconsin!
No more miles of endless cornfields! We were on dirt bike trails for most of today's ride though. They weren't fun at all. Rain + sand/gravel = resistance and danger. I unexpectedly veered to the side of the gravel path and ended up splat on the ground. Not another fall... I was surprised by how much blood was flowing from my knee, but it was not painful at all. Although it was only a 63 mile ride, it felt like it took us forever to get to our stay-over.The morning started off good. We were chatting and having a relaxing bike ride. The last 20 miles after lunch were especially hard for me. My knee started acting up again and every pedal was painful. I hope this knee problem isn't permanent. I cannot imagine not being able to run anymore because of a bad knee. So many girls in I4k are having knee problems. I wonder if there is anything we can do to prevent this.
To Wisconsin!
After a fantastic breakfast this morning the team set off from Deerfield with a special guest, Jon Schlesinger, one of our founding members of the Illini 4000! The weather held out during our ride today until about noon when scattered showers tried to sour our ride. Our route into Lake Geneva took us through many small bike paths with beautiful scenery, and with our arrival the sun is starting to shine again. The team is currently staying at the Topol residence where we have already been given a fantastic welcome. Tomorrow we head deeper into Wisconsin!
Ride-Along Day!
Today was the day of our anticipated ride-along day out of Chicago. After one of our few rest days, it was nice to hop back on the saddle with family and friends as we rode out to Deerfield, IL.It was certainly an interesting experience starting out as a huge pack of more than 40 people. We definitely had lots of fun interacting and chatting with families about our endeavors. Knowing that there are so many people supporting us, both in action (ride-along) and in spirit is what keeps us peddling. Going beyond merely riding our bikes across the country, we are truly touched by the tremendous support given to us in our fight against cancer. Let us once again express our most heartfelt gratitude to those of you out there who have not only helped us but also the lives of those we are helping. Thank you!We arrived at our stayover which Kyle, one of our riders, arranged for us. We were welcomed with a delicious I4K meal with fantastic desserts and excellent hospitality!
1st time apart!
So today was our rest day in Chicago, and most of the riders are spread out at their respective houses/stayovers. There has been much talk of how much we all miss each other! I think this is the first time we have all been apart for this long. It feels quite strange to not be sleeping on a floor surrounded by 27 of your best friends (although we are enjoying beds!).But we have all been having a great time with family and friends - and getting much needed rest im sure. It feels slightly surreal to have taken a train to NYC, then rode our bikes through fields/mountains for 17 days, and magically be back home where we started. But the trip is far from over and we are all looking forward to the next 3/4ths of the summer!Cant wait to be reunited with the team tomorrow for the ride along day! Should be a great easy ride from Millenium Park to Highland Park, and a fantastic day spent with the adventurous people who have decided to join us!
Chitown...back in the saddle again (tomorrow!)
Since leaving the hills of PA our team has really come together. The flatlands of Illinois have given us room to destress and focus our attention on something bigger than simply making it to our next stayover. When we were in Homewood we had a great team meeting. Stephen and Jordan were elected as our new ride leaders and I have such faith in their patience and vision.At the meeting we talked about goals of the organization that we can implement this summer and ones for the future. One of the main goals is for all of the riders to get out in the community more and Lauren assigned us all a town along the way so that we can look up cancer centers and try to plan hospital visits ahead of time. We all agreed that making a 28 person hospital visit happen isn't as feasible as a 3 person visit because of privacy laws, etc. so we are going to do these things in shifts. Gabrielle is in charge of our portraits project and she mentioned that we should make an effort to find more diverse portraits, so we're going to use our flip cam and try to get some of those on the road along the way. I'm so excited about all of our ideas and hopefully the team will collectively take initiative and make it happen.Yesterday around noon we rolled (actually walked) our bikes into Millennium Park after a fun ride getting lost on the way. We were greeted by friends, family, and tons of Blackhawks fans. Even though the city was so hectic it was great to take in the energy of all the people around us. I was greeted by my parents, my sister Carolyn and my neighbors the Juarez family (Janet, Miranda, and Conor). The team got a kick out of Conor and his refreshing water bottle fan. Some I4K alumni riders also made us a sweet cake shaped like the United States, complete with crumbled brownies to represent the mountains. We all took pictures near the bean and then headed home.I've had fun chilling at home so far even though I spent a while last night waiting to be seen at urgent care. Turns out the cut on my leg from my chainring got infected so I'll have to pop some antibiotics the next few days so that the infection doesn't get into my blood. Fun! My dad is currently tuning up the family bikes to prepare for the ride-along tomorrow. Should be a fun time.
Rest day in Chicago
My first blog post! I know that my family and friends back home will be excited, and I’m glad I can finally find the time and energy to share my journey with them.The past two and a half weeks have been amazing. I can’t say everything went wonderfully well, but I have learned a lot so far: sleeping anywhere anytime, gobbling up my food in seconds, being comfortable licking food off chain-greased hands, biking no-hands, fixing flats, living together with a team of 28 interesting and unique characters, etc.During my bike rides, I am constantly reminded of God's power as I take in the stunning beauty of his creation. I kind of miss the mountains, now that we are riding through cornfields and cornfields of flat Illinois. The scenery is way nicer when we are on the mountains, but I guess the trade off is an easier ride. I also thank God for his protection over me and the team so far. There has not been any serious accidents, and injuries have been healing. I fell twice on our 107 mile day due to riding too close to the person in front of me, but other than a few holes in my jersey, very tiny scraps on my legs, and a sore wrist, I'm still alive and kicking. Two days ago I started feeling pain in my left knee while riding. Hopefully these next few days of short rides will give it sufficient rest.I'm at Lauren's house right now. Spent the night here. Lauren's family has been wonderfully nice, and I love it here. Thank you Mr and Mrs Mazurski for everything! You guys are a funny bunch of people. :) We had a yummy steak dinner and watched 'The Messengers' (which was a pretty good movie but we all fell asleep to) last night. I hope the rain will stop for the party Lauren is having later on today.
Shorewood, Illinois, 60404. Or: Signs, Smiles, and a Nation-Shaped Cake.
Oh me, oh my!The past few days have been quite eventful. Arriving in Champaign-Urbana proved terrific, riding in through Urbana, seeing last year's stomping grounds and ending at the Alice Campbell Alumni Center. Two I4K alums joined us for the ride from Homer Lake to Urbana (Dana and Connie). After meeting with a few of the UI-affiliates that help make our dream a reality, the team split up for the first time. I met up with a few friends, ate a few foods, and told a few stories. I'm thankful for the friends I have and stopping in Champaign helped me to remember how great they are (special thanks to Zak M. and Kevin K.) The next morning, we rode out to Clifton--a ride on which I encountered my first flat. C'est la vie.Clifton was a terrific stayover. Largely due to the combination of amazing food provided by Tracey's parents and padded pews. I fell asleep around 7:30p and slept until 5:30a. Too awesome. That morning I proved to the world that 4 years of mastering Tetris during high school math classes were actually practical when Diana and I began our first day as van-packers. Flawless victory.The ride to Homewood was a blast. Random Assignment Ride Day: pt II was yet another success. Great friends. It became surreal riding on streets like Harlem. Homewood has become etched in my memory as one of my favorite stayovers, and please. Let me tell you why:-Super successful team meeting (sorry '07, '08, and '09, but this year's team is hands down the best)-So much great food for dinner-So much great food for breakfast-Reading "Horton Hears a Who" and "Goodnight, Moon" (with Max, Mary, & Tracey)-11 minute song about zombies (with Lauren & Steve)-Being super excited to ride to Chicago.The Homewood-Chicago ride was too great for words (but I'll try). The euphoria of city riding and the natural high of coming into the city powered the team through the most humid day of riding thus far in our epic. As we neared the city, masses of people wearing red, black, and white for the Blackhawks parade enveloped our paths, but we didn't mind. As we cycled around the John G. Shedd Aquarium, the city timidly peeked herself from behind the museum campus, only to greet us with open arms and feelings of great accomplishment. As we dismounted from our steeds, I heard outsiders speaking ("They're riding from New York to San Francisco! Yeah! On their BIKES!") as they read our jerseys. Signs, smiles, and a nation-shaped cake signaled the end of the ride. Millennium Park was hectic with patrons of the park, blues fest gatherers, and Blackhawk parade spectators, but this was our moment. Family and friends cheered and hoorayed as we walked down the path. After a bout of pictures and laughs, we made our way over to the UIC dorms to get our key and coincidentally, meet the 4K for Cancer--another cross-country-cancer-fighting-cycling organization. Not only are our jerseys very strikingly similar, but they all ride the same bike as me! The director of 4k (Jose) even has the same handlebar tape as me (which confused many people. Conor even stopped Jose when he tried taking his bike elsewhere, thinking Jose was stealing mine). It was great to meet people who have the exact same mindset as we do. There's much to learn from them, and I'm excited to share stories when we meet up in San Francisco.Alas. Now I'm at home, in my parents' living room, typing on my computer. Quite bizarre to think I'll be back on the road in 24 hours. It feels like the past two and a half weeks have been a dream. I'm ready for the rest of the trip, and after looking at the map my parents have in their kitchen to track my cross-country progress, am excited to say, without doubt, that I know I can do the rest of this trip, but surely not without the help from my teammates who I miss already.San Francisco or bust!
Chicagoo!!! 06/11-06/12
Soo after my short trip back to Chicago to see the doctor Thursday and then back to Homewood for the night, I am again back in my home for the weekend (: Knee update: the doctor's appointment went pretty well, I took a painful shot of cortisone like a champ and "didn't even cry," my mother was so impressed. Stocking up on some more vicodin and anti-inflammatorys that I'm NOT allergic too (wooo - I can't do ibuprofin or anything of the sort), I think I'm ready for the next leg of this trip.The short 33 mile ride into Chicago ended up being closer to 40something for Mary, Steve, and I. We wanted to get the full Chicago experience: off-roading through gravel and bumps, bypassing a few creeks, walking down some train tracks, ending up in Indiana, all to return back to this one lovely pizza place for a second time... and it was closed, typical. We stopped at South Shore beach for our rest stop, bringing back the lovely memories of my high school job with the Chicago Park District... 20 6 year old boys running rampant through the water... oh how it haunts me. We took off and after finally getting through the chaos that was left over from the Hawks parade, we walked our bikes into Millennium Park to a very warm greeting from family, friends, and left over Hawks fans who had no idea why they were cheering. So much fun.Ma and Pa picked up Priscilla, Shao, and myself and we headed toward the south side, stopping at Tony's along the way (best Italian beef ever!!). For dinner, as I have been requesting since I decided to do this trip, my mother cooked us up steak and potatoes, and it was glorious, Moms are the best.With Priscilla and Shao taking the place of two of my brother's, we rented The Messenger, popped some corn, and had a family movie night. I'm not sure if the movie was good or not, because as expected, we all fell asleep on the couches before it ended.Today is my rest day in Chicago so of course my mother and Ms. McCormick are planning a bash in the backyard. From what I'm being told, food was being prepared until 2am, and my mother is about to get started on some more in the kitchen... plus there's a monster of a tent in the backyard to shield out the rain. I'm all about the "all out" or nothing mentality, so I'm not complaining. The only other thing I should do I suppose is draft a presentation of my trip so far with a question and answer session... I mean, this will be the main topic of discussion anyways... kidding, I could talk about this trip on repeat all day, and I'm sure I will (:
Home: A Brief Interlude
This trip is an incredible experience. Already, I am amazed by so many things that I will have a hard time describing; but all the same, I will try my best.First of all, I'd like to thank everyone who has donated to this cause. Cancer is a clear and present danger, and whether or not you donated in my name, I feel touched by the generosity that people have shown, and still continue to do so, for this cause. In particular, I'd like to mention the special support of the fraternity brothers of my father. While I have met only a few of them, their support for the ride and for me has been tremendously encouraging. While cancer took my father away from me before my second birthday, I know what a great guy he must have been to inspire such warmth in his name from his brothers. I have no idea how to respond to you guys, but it seems like this small offer of doing what I love to do and riding my bicycle is not nearly enough.I think it's important that everyone be made clear as to how this whole trip began. While the purpose of the organization, raising awareness and money for cancer research, seemed like a good idea at the time, I really just wanted to bike across the country when I started. I figured that a good cause was a good excuse, and there was none better than to ride for such a relevant disease. I've come to realize that that is no longer why I ride. While my passion for cycling has far from diminished, I've been touched by the responses I've gotten from people when I told them we were riding for cancer. After getting money from people we pass on the street, getting food donations from people who want to support us (they're supporting us because we're supporting the cause) and just listening to people as they talk about how cancer has affected their lives, I've seen that the reason to ride is much larger than myself. And while I do get bragging rights (I can't wait to say to my grandchildren, "When I was your age, I rode my bicycle across the country. Do you even know what a bicycle is?") that fact that this money can make a tangible difference in the lives of so many others is simply incredible. I've heard about some of the progress that is being made in terms of creating vaccines that may prevent certain types of cancer. That is just unbelievable to think that I could be helping anyone-at-some-point-ever be spared this tragedy, and them not being any the wiser that they were even at risk. I could go on and on about specific stories about how individuals have shaped this inclination, but that wouldn't fit in one blog post.And on so many other levels has this trip been eye-opening. To name just one thing, I'm going to talk about one particular story that I don't know what all you know about, but one that has made quite an impact on me. Jeff Reardon broke his bike on the second day; I'm sure you probably already knew that. But what I'm not sure if you know about is how he responded to that. He took that heartbreaking incident in stride. His bike was rendered unridable, and that same day he was helping out in the van, and keeping his cool. I know that I would have exploded in frustration if this had happened to me, and we should all be glad that it hasn't. Because then, we'd have a problem. Instead, we have Jeff. He kept his anger at bay and not once did I see him snap or appear anything less than positive. I barely knew him at the time, but all I can say is that I wished I had the strength that he had to get back on the road. And even after having more unique bike issues that would push anyone else past the tipping point, I don't know of anyone else who could have done what he did. So, Jeff, way to go. You get the frustrations, but you also inspire others to live like you do. I've heard more complaints about big hills than I've heard from you, and that is incredible.There has been just so much going on here that I can't tell about. It's about a team, a goal, and a journey that exists within the riders. And from there, we try to share what we can, to repay what is shared with us.
Homecoming
Today is going to be a good day. That is what was going through the riders head's this morning as they filled up on pancakes, french toast, doughnuts, orange juice, milk and I can't remember the rest. A great breakfast equals a great day, that's what I always say. On top of that wake up time was later than usual today as well as take off time. Wait for it, it only gets better today's ride was a 33 mile cake walk into Chicago. The route was slightly confusing today but everyone made it through.One of the more exciting moments of the day was when a a bat was found. It was unable to fly for some reason and seemed very mellow. We put it in a basket, stared at it for a while and then called animal control. Animal control came by and said that bats in that area had been having a disease lately. No one touched the bat so everyone was safe from getting bat flu.The team arrived in Millennium Park shortly after 12:00 pm to be greeted by an uproar of people, 90 percent of which weren't there for us at all but that's besides the point. Even though a lot of the people were there for other reasons such as the Hawks Parade we still had a lot of family and friend supporters and random people cheered for us. It was great experience and definitely made arriving in Chicago amazing. Many pictures were taken, hugs were shared, cake was eaten, you know how it goes. Got a little I4Krazy and everyone went there separate ways for the rest day tomorrow. It is going to be strange not being around 28 riders for a day or so because we've been spending every waking minute with each other for the past couple weeks. The Illini 4000 will reunite and ride out of Chicago on Sunday around 10 am.
Sweet Home, Oak Park
Hello world!!Can you dig it that we actually made it to Chicago? On our bikes? From New York City? 1200 miles across mountains, hills, state lines, time zones, etc?! Its surreal but still so real.The last few days have been most special to us, I believe. We've made it out of the mountains and into the flat corn and soybean desert that we're most accustomed to. Rolling into Urbana was especially emotional. Just outside the town of Allerton, we approached an intersection that I remember asking drivers for directions during one of our first training rides. The ride after that was on familiar turf with a stop at Homer Lake, the site of our first training ride (in which 2 flats within 2 miles kept me put in Urbana and unable to finish the training ride). Riding with friends and I4k alums, Dana and Connie, was quite the trip but totally awesome.Rolling out of Urbana was sad and joyous. Having just graduated from U of I with no concrete plans for my life, that trip to Urbana may have been my last. Leaving a place I called home for the last 4 years was tough but it is time to move on and learn more about the world without the filter presented by a university. Peace out, UC.I am now in my childhood room in my house in Oak Park. Already did a load of laundry and in the process of washing my sleeping bag. Did you know that washing a down sleeping bag is a PAIN?! Those things weigh at least 80 pounds when they're wet and they probably never dry. We'll see what the dryer can do.Time to enjoy the rest day featuring some of my mom's cookin' and some good company! Salaam!
Back Home
Today was one of our shorter ride days, only ~35 miles, but it has definitely felt like a long day. We left Homewood, IL a little bit later than usual this morning full of good food and excitement. Our stay over in Homewood graciously cooked us dinner last night and a fantastic breakfast in the morning to send of us off to Chicago. Also, last night I was able to meet up with some family and friends which was amazing. Even though it's only been a little over two weeks, I feel like I have missed so much back home and last night was a great stress free evening to catch up.Our ride into Chicago was eventful to say the least. Our routes can be misleading at times, which today caused some groups to ride in to Indiana more than once. With the Blackhawks parade, the Cubs-Sox game, and the Blues Fest all going on in Chicago today we were riding into a busy area, and that really means something considering we're talking about downtown Chicago. After meeting up on the lake front our team dodged our way into Millenium Park and into a large group of people awaiting our arrival. It was awesome to see so many people this year, from family and friends to alumni riders to the folks from ACS, everyone was so supportive. It was really nice to see and talk to parents knowing how relieved they were to see their sons and daughters safe and sound for the first time in weeks. At one point we squeezed in near the Bean for some team photos before riding over to the dorms at UIC where we have arrangements to stay. Once everyone secured their bikes and bags, riders began to head out with their families/ friends to enjoy the rest of their day. The UIC dorms are actually really nice and have tons of room, beds to sleep on and showers in every room. These are all luxuries after getting used to our life on the road.Once all the riders were taken care of I was able to take a quick shower before meeting with some riders from 4k for Cancer, a similar organization that puts on cross country bike rides raising money for cancer research. The 4k just happens to be staying at the UIC dorms as well tonight before they head out to Kankakee tomorrow. Our two organizations haven't crossed paths since our inaugural year back in 2007, so I was very excited to meet with them to talk about how their ride is going. We shared similar stories about the rides, food, and generous people, but also shared tips for how both of our groups can improve. Even though the 4k for Cancer has been around longer, I felt that both of our groups came out of the discussion with new ideas. I think what I enjoyed best with meeting with the 4k for Cancer is to see other young college students from an entirely different side of the country also working to make a difference. It's so easy to just give up on a cause, but there are groups like us still working hard and fighting for a cause they believe in. I certainly hope our two groups can stay in contact in the future, beyond when I and the students I spoke with are around.So now I have a few other I4k chores to attend to before enjoying a little free time tomorrow. When we return after our rest day our two new ride leaders, Jordan and Steve, will be taking over some responsibilities and I can't wait to see what they are capable of. Both gentlemen are perfect for the role and I think only great things lie ahead of us!
Chicago
Oh man what a ride so far. Today was surreal.Around mile twenty we picked up the route I took to school every day last semester, and the change of context was jarring for me at first--probably similar to how it felt for the rest of the team to ride into Chambana. Tingly, kind of!The ride itself was nice--Lake Michigan and all--and I found a pretty sweet goose-feather to put on Debra, and at one point we passed the beach on which my profile picture for the I4K website was taken. The humidity was oppressive but it was a gas, us sliding into the Blues Fest/Blackhawks fanfare as a team, and showing off our gorgeous tan-lines and deep-V's (much love to Sean Laude) and taking categorized pictures based on gender or chore partners or etc or etc! The Bean was as reflective as ever but we could not lay under it because it was cordoned off, so no excitin' upward stares from beneath.But we didn't care! We had wonderful representatives from the American Cancer Society with us, and wonderful alumni riders (much love to Centurions) who made us a cake shaped like America with bikes going across it and everything! There were even brownie mountains. So now we can think, the next time we are challenged by arduous climbs "I already ate you, mountain, and you were delicious."From there the team rode to UIC's Marie Robinson Hall (which I never lived in; I was in Courtyard my freshman year) for the assignment of rooms and the distribution of teams, and the crossing of paths with the 4K for Cancer team (MRH is the dorm of choice for cancer-fighting-country-crossing-cyclists).Next, a mass exodus and more things to do in the next 36 hours than we can collectively shake two, even three sticks at. Spectacular first thousand or so miles. Good to be home.
Chicago!!!
Today we got a late wake up...0630!!! The extra sleep and the amazing breakfast provided by the church which included pancakes, french toast, fruit, and hot coffee prepared us for our long 30 mile ride today. We also listened to Kanye West's Homecoming, Chicago's anthem, to get us pumped for the ride into Chicago. Soon after Eamon read the Little Engine That Could to us for his Mosher which was great motivation for the ride. We began the ride into Chicago which took us through some pretty shady neighborhoods and got really lost. Our 30 mile ride soon turned into a 40 mile ride. We finally arrived to Millennium Park in a very anti-climatic entrance...we walked our bikes into the park. The park was filled with Blackhawk fans and Illini 4000 supporters who made us feel like Lance Armstrong. After taking approximately a million pictures we ate cake and rode to the UIC dorms to pick up our gear and drop off our bikes. Jeff and I ate lunch with my brother Johnny and my Mom while watching the World Cup match with France vs. Uruguay. Afterwards. we drove to my big brother Kevin's house and took showers, washed clothes, and relaxed while watching Toy Story and Hercules. A great day!
Team Ride Surpise
Rise and shine, it's Random Ride Group day. Every so often the Illini 4000 participates in a random drawing of who will ride with who. This is an idea that was thought of to help merge the team together and give people a chance to talk to more teammates. Today was the second time the random groups were picked.The team was roughin it this morning when breakfast was called and cold spaghetti was the main course with a side of corn bread and some fruit. Breakfast of champions. It fueled us well for the day to come which was a rather short 60 miles into Homewood. We were provided lunch and dinner, nothing short of a feast. Thanks to Faith Evangelical Lutheran Church!Other than that, the next biggest event that occurred was the close to 3 hour long team meeting. It was very productive and many topics/concerns of the riders were discussed. The most exciting part of the meeting was that two new ride leaders were chosen! Congratulations to Steve Oden and Jordan Whicker! Tomorrow is the long awaited homecoming to Chicago where the 4K for Cancer will also be. Riders are very excited about seeing family, friends, and home for most. Meet ya at da Bean.
Ride Along Details
As mentioned before, this year's Ride Along from Chicago will be departing from Millennium Park at 10am on Sunday June 12th. The Ride Along has two distance options, either 15 miles to Evanston, or the full 28 miles to Highland Park. Food and beverages will be provided to all participants and there is a suggested donation of $10 to participate in the ride along. A helmet is required for all participants. While we will be riding in groups for the entire ride, the route for the Ride Along is posted below in case you would like to have a set of directions.
| Distance | Turn | Town |
| 0 | START AT Millenium Park in front of the Bean | Chicago |
| RIGHT on Randolph St. This is the Upper level of Randolph | ||
| 0.4 | RIGHT on sidewalk near Cancer Survivors Memorial, Upper Randolph terminates. | |
| LEFT towards bike path paralleling Lake Shore Drive. | ||
| 0.6 | RIDE UNDERNEATH Lake Shore Drive on E. Randolph | |
| 0.7 | LEFT onto Chicago Lakefront Trail until it terminates at Ardmore Ave. | |
| 8.7 | CONTINUE west on W. Ardmore Ave. for two blocks Westbound bike lane is counter-traffic and on the right side of the street. |
|
| 8.8 | RIGHT on N. Kenmore | |
| 9.3 | LEFT on W. Granville Ave. | |
| 10.2 | RIGHT on Ravenswood (before the Metra viaduct) | |
| 12.3 | RIGHT on Estes for one block | |
| 12.3 | LEFT on Clark | |
| 12.9 | CONTINUE on Chicago Ave. | Evanston |
| 14.7 | STOP at Raymond Park. This concludes the first part of the ride-along |
|
| CONTINUE north on Chicago Ave. to go to Highland Park | ||
| 15 | LEFT at Clark St. (BECOMES Elgin Rd.) | |
| 15.2 | RIGHT at Sherman Ave. | |
| 16 | LEFT at Lincoln St. | |
| 16.4 | RIGHT at Asbury Ave. | |
| 16.9 | LEFT at Isabella St. | |
| 17.6 | RIGHT at Poplar | |
| 18.1 | CONTINUE on Green Bay Trail after crossing Wilmette Ave. The trail parallels the railroad tracks for its entire length |
|
| 28.1 | ARRIVE in Highland Park Highland Park |