This morning the team left Albert Lea and biked in the rain for the first 60 miles. Our second rest stop took place at a Kwik Trip and we have reason to believe that was our final encounter with such a fine establishment.We ate lunch at a covered pavilion in Fairmont and some riders visited a nearby bike shop and talked to the owner. A bit after lunch the clouds broke and we all enjoyed some sunshine.Our hosts at Our Saviors Lutheran in Jackson have been very welcoming. We got to visit with some of the people from the church and were able to do a Portrait of a woman who works at the church. We were provided a delicious dinner and eagerly await a delicious breakfast.
Jackson, MN 06/21
I knew this day was going to be interesting when I started the morning with an attempt to inflate my tires, only for them to completely go flat. For breakfast, two tables were filled so I started a third one, instead of this third table being filled, tables four and five were, not on purpose but it was just a hilarious coincidence. Then I dropped my bagel on the floor. Taking off, it rained and rained. I had a headache. We then rode through an area that was completely destroyed by the recent tornados. I've decided that there are so many things that I hear about on tv... such as the meat packing industry or destruction of areas from natural disasters. Hearing about these things is NOTHING compared to seeing them with your own eyes. The little things that I complain about in the morning are laughable compared to what these people are being put through. I only wish we didn't have such a long day (84.5 miles) so that we could have stopped to see if there was any way we could help clean up the area.Starting back up in the afternoon rain was a struggle. About 15 miles out of Jackson, an interesting event happened: A bug flew in my mouth to the back of my throat and I swallowed it. Instantaneously, I pulled over and upchucked lunch. It's now 8:15pm and this reoccuring stomach issue is slightly irritating. My bike is also giving me a whirlwind of problems. I can't be bitter, all I can do is laugh... life's funny isn't it?On the flip, we got to swim in a pool today (: the church provided us a yummy dinner and desert including brownies with M&M's (: and I finally showered after well, a very very long time (:
Albert Lea, MN 06/20
I can describe Minnesota in 3 statements: wind, rain and bagged milk. At least that has been my experience thus far.We had an early wake up of 5am to leave Rochester and I was actually quite sad to go. It may have been because the sun wasn't out yet, or that I knew a long day lay ahead, or that I was leaving where I might just work one day... either way, my nomad life must continue. I head out with Megan, Shao and Ana that day but after Megan blew another spoke, a substitution was called on the court and Steve traded in his van driving duties for his bike.This day I came to a conclusion: Shao is hilarious and I love her. She started the morning by giving me a big hug. Later, a few miles after Steve had joined our group, Shao proclaimed, "Steve, I have been riding behind you all this time staring at your calves." I almost peed my shorts. While playing contact, for Shao's turn, she makes up a first letter but never an actual word, also hilarious. Being Father's Day, she also jumped in on a phone call to my father (who verbally adopted her at my house previously). I love Shao and if I come home for Thanksgiving, she is coming to Mazurski Thanksgiving.I was very Nate-like this day. During lunch, we stopped at a small diner in Geneva, MN. The team spent hours playing "Rocks" while I slept inside. Upon arrival, some head out for bagged milk, but I joined the DQ crew. After a blizzard, I napped outside until everyone else was finished with their second servings. We head back to the church for a lovely grilled cheese and tomatoe soup dinner, and about 3 seconds after popping in Finding Nemo, I concluded my night by falling asleep at 8pm.
Thanks!
I wanted to make a quick post thanking everyone who donated to make my trip possible! This has been a wonderful experience so far and I definitely would not be here without everyone's help. As a team, we have raised over $100,000 so far, which I think is incredible. Each donation brought us closer to our goal. So thank you to all my friends and family for being supportive and giving me this opportunity. :DI also wanted to thank George Garner Cyclery in Northbrook for helping me choose the perfect bike for my journey. And oh yes, for tuning it up for me so quickly when I brought it back to Chicago all messed up. (I didn't even know there was that much wrong with my bike ... but now I can switch gears so smoothly and it feels like I'm gliding).I can't say this enough to everyone but maybe once more will help... THANK YOU for being supportive and making this possible! :)
Great lunch on the way to Albert Lea
This morning our team had a 5 a.m. wake up call because we needed to get out of the church in time for morning services. Some of us enjoyed getting out on the empty road, while others did not. The morning started out cool and weather soon turned to rain. Spirits were high and we took no rest until mile 52 when we stopped in Geneva, MN. Some of us stopped in a cute little deli and had lunch. We chatted with the patrons inside and one generous woman gave us a $100 donation. We also did a portrait with a woman we met inside.During what would become a 2.5 hour lunch stop, the team reconnected with their inner child and played "Rocks" on a nearby playground. The game is similar to tag, where one blindfolded person is "it" and must tag other players while they are on the playground equipment. The other players can step on the ground, but if the blindfolded person suspects anyone is on the floor, they can call "rocks!" and that person becomes "it." The I4K created their own rules as the game went on to make it more extreme and a good time was had by all.We got into Albert Lea relatively early and had a great dinner of grilled cheese and tomato soup!
A wonderful ride to Albert Lea,MN
We got up an hour early at 5am because we had to leave the church by 7. This was the first time I craved for coffee, but sadly there was none at breakfast today.I had a great time riding with Disha and Greg. We spent most of the ride giving each other riddles and learning more about each others' lives. As we started off early, the roads were nice, smooth and relatively empty, and we had tailwinds, we arrived at our lunch stop in Genera at around 10.30! Genera is a small town that gives a lot to cancer research too. In fact, the small diner we visited would be having a pancake buffet in July in which half of its proceeds would go towards cancer research. Too bad we won't be around for that. Kyle was talking to a table of people in the diner and one of them gave us a HUGE donation. It was so huge we had to confirm with them that it wasn't a mistake. It is so encouraging to see how generous people are. We had so much fun playing Rocks (its like marco polo), with an added Mochure-passing element, in the playground during our 2.5 hour long lunch break.After arriving at our stay-over, some went to our all-favorite Kwick Stop, some went to Dairy Queen, and some went to Subway. Eamon, Max, Tracy and I ran to Subway for a light snack, and then continued to run around the whole lake (Fountain Lake?). It felt great to be running again. I miss running so much, but my quads were aching a little from the 70 miles ride in the morning. We took a quick dip in the lake, got really lost, almost wanted to hitch a ride back, ran much further than expected (5ish miles?), and thankfully got back in time for a tasty dinner of grilled cheese, or cheese toasty as Jordan calls it (cute :D), and tomato soup.My third day of no proper shower. I think its my new record. :)
I can't think of a title.
So I thought that our ride into La Crosse was one of the best riding days of the trip so far. It was an 86 mile ride and I rode with Jaime, Ana, Bridget, Diana, and a very special guest: Greg. I was the pace leader the whole ride and it was actually really cool. Jaime rode behind me and was our group's navigator. She has a really great sense of direction that is very handy. We all pushed ourselves and kept a pace of around 20-22 MPH consistently, which is really good for us (minus Greg who rides around 54 MPH in a tailwind uphill on fire on a gravel road).We started the morning off right with some bagged milk and doughnuts. Then we got to our second rest stop of the day and were able to complete a portrait (thanks to Max!) of a two-time cancer survivor. At our third rest stop, a lot of us stopped at Piggly Wiggly and Taco Bell for lunch. I bought cheese curds and locally grown strawberries for the team and got quite a few people addicted to cheese curds. I also bought Taco Bell...Once we got into La Crosse, we were welcomed to a very nice church and free showers at the YMCA. Then a few of us went and got ice cream at a local ice cream parlor. The pastor, named Taylor, at this church was so awesome. He has completed several Iron Man triathlons and rode with us during the next morning's ride to Rochester for a few miles. He climbs hills like they are downhills. It was really cool to see someone who is that talented ride. Taylor changed our route in the morning a little bit so that we could catch some great scenery of the Wisconsin/Minnesota border. It was really pretty we took some great pictures at the top of our 1.6 mile climb.The rest of our ride into Rochester wasn't so fun. It was rainy and we had a major headwind pretty much all day long. Lots of hills too. But, once we got into Rochester, we were fortunate enough to tour a Hope Lodge. Hope Lodges, which are funded by the American Cancer Society, provide cancer patients and their families a free and temporary place to stay while one is receiving cancer treatment in a city that is different/far away from their hometown. Our tour was wonderful and we even completed 4 portraits while we were there!Yesterday we had a rest day in Rochester. A few of us woke up early to do some laundry--a special thank you to Ana's dad who drove us to the laundromat! Then we went to the Mayo Clinic for a tour of their Cancer Education Center. This center is a place where several Mayo patients visit to learn more about the cancer they are facing and the treatments they may receive. The best part of this visit, for me especially, was reading a journal where individuals can openly write about their fight against cancer or their loved one's fight against cancer. There were two entries that really impacted me and that made me cry because I related to them so easily. The following quote is one I read from the journal and I think it is really true: "One day. One life. Enjoy each moment. Waste no time, it is so precious."After our tour, I went with a few teammates to a Dutch restaurant. I have no idea how to spell the name of it but they made these really great Dutch pancake things. So good. Afterwards, I felt like a soccer mom because I dropped all the kids off to Toy Story 3. Then I drove to Target with Bridget and Jaime and hung out there for a good 2 hours. It was an interesting experience to say the least because A LOT of food was involved. Then I picked the kids up and headed back to our stayover. Later that night, Michell, Ana, and I visited Rochester's Barnes and Noble. This Barnes and Noble came highly recommended by Conor and I am so glad we went. It was seriously the coolest and most magical Barnes and Noble I have ever been in. So awesome. There was literally a castle inside.Today we rode out of Rochester and into Albert Lea. Today may also be one of the best riding days of the trip so far. I rode with Bridget, Conor, Jillian, Michell, and Tracey. The ride was so relaxing and a lot of fun. We had a great tailwind and the hills made the ride much better because it wasn't boring at all. We completed 52 miles by 10:30 AM so a lot of us stopped at this local breakfast spot and enjoyed each other's company. Then we all played at a park that was across the street. This was a ton of fun because we played this awesome game called Rocks for at least an hour and a half. Then we finished our ride and were all at our stayover by 3! Bridget and I went on a short run to BP to buy some gatorade (we were having major withdrawals) and now we are all off to eat dinner.Adios for now.
The I4K leaves home
Long time no post...Since leaving the Appalachians, we've gone through the flat plains of Ohio, Indiana, and Illinois. Homecoming in Champaign and Chicago was surreal, it was great seeing friends and family in both places. We had a very generous reception at the Alumni Center on campus, and got to interact with alumni and past riders. In Chicago, our arrival coincided with the Blackhawks celebration parade, making our Millennium Park arrival super busy.The trip has taken on a new dimension since our departure from Chicago. On the morning of our Highland Park departure, we shared our reasons for riding and what we would pledge to do on the ride. It was an incredibly moving experience and we definitely bonded over that experience. We also had a chance to meet with one of our founding fathers, Jon Schlesinger. It was nice to see his perspective on the growth of the organization, and I think we all became a bit more in tune with our cause. We are starting to focus more on the Portraits project, and we've all been trying to stop more along the way in search of portraits.Wisconsin was a surprising state, we were faced with rainy weather and lots of hills. The scenery on the routes to Madison and LaCrosse were absolutely beautiful, and some of the hills we faced were quite steep and a great challenge. I got a chance to visit an awesome co-op in LaCrosse and enjoyed some delicious mango, "squeaky" cheese curds, and other local goodies.Wisconsin was also the start of a delicious new treat for the I4K: bag milk. For those that haven't experienced it, bag milk is basically a half-gallon of milk that comes in a bag and costs only 99 cents. The regular milk is delicious, the 1.89chocolate milk is incredibly rich, and bag milk alone has taken over our rest stops and caused them to become twice as long.We arrived in Rochester, MN the other day, and we're staying at a church across the street from the Mayo Clinic. On Friday, we got a chance to tour the Hope Lodge, which is a place for cancer patients to live if they are receiving treatment and are from out of state or need to be closer to the clinic. It was a beautiful facility and is a completely free service offered by the ACS. We had a chance to interact with lots of cancer patients and their caregivers, and shared lots of great stories.My rest day was quite productive. In the morning, I did a full load of laundry and enjoyed some breakfast. Afterwards, we toured the Cancer Library and Education Center in the Mayo Clinic. A group of us went to an Indian buffet for late lunch, and then some of us went to see Toy Story 3 (excellent movie, I highly recommend it!). Finally, I settled in for the evening to clean my bike, drivetrain, and put on new bartape. I'm excited to ride tomorrow, even though we have an early wakeup and I should already be sleeping. Also, we've got a pretty high chance of thunderstorms tomorrow, but hopefully with an early departure we can outrun the storms :P
Western WI and Eastern MN: Home of Bag Milk
From Reedsburg, we headed out for La Crosse. The trend of rolling hills in this part of the state continued, much to my enjoyment. That type of terrain is my favorite because it provides us riders with some challenge while allowing the ride to still be very enjoyable. And, we were lucky enough to have great weather this day as well.But, what was most important on this ride day was our introduction the most glorious beverage this country has ever seen: BAG MILK. For those who are unaware, at most Kwik Trip gas stations in WI and MN, one is able to purchase a half gallon bag of milk for $0.99. Not only is the milk inexpensive, but it is delicious and comes in a package that makes it very entertaining to consume. We as a team are so fascinated that we have continued to buy bags at every single rest stop since then. I personally am dreading the day where this milk is no longer a part of my life.We rolled into La Crosse, a pretty college town right on the Mississippi river. The church we were staying at had a nice big room for everyone to sleep in, and arranged for us to use the showers at the YMCA down the street. The pastor Taylor was really cool as well! He himself runs triathlons, and was able to take me to a really nice bike shop to get a new cable for my rear derailleur. I would have explored the town a lot more, but I fell asleep at 8 pm that day haha.We woke up the next day and crossed the river into Minnesota. We had about a 2 mile bike climb up the bluff, but once on top we were afforded some great views! The rest of the day was plagued by head winds, but we managed to make it into to Rochester by 5 pm. Rochester, in case you are unaware, is the home of the famous Mayo Clinic, a place where many cancer patients go to receive treatment. Once we rolled in, we went to the local Hope Lodge, a home sponsored by ACS where patients are allowed to live during their treatment. There, we got a tour, and met some great people, including a man named Rudy Butteri. Rudy is an elderly man receiving treatment for Lymphoma. Rudy was amazing to talk to because he was so upbeat and so positive about his situation. And, he was a packers fan! I got to participate in my first portrait with him, and it was great. He will definitely be an inspiration to all of us who met him when we get to the hard times on the rest of our ride.Tomorrow, Albert Lea MN, then Jackson, MN, and then we head into the South Dakota. It's exciting to finally start getting to some more western states.So long for now.-Kyle
Bagged milk. Lacrosse, WI to Rochester, MN 6/18,19/2010
I love bagged milk. Its official. Maybe its the plastic of the bag, maybe its the price of one dollar and maybe it is the insane fat content, but whatever it is, someone somewhere blessed those bagged milk cows to make something wonderful. Maybe there is a bagged milk species of cow. If that is so, I plan on owning one in the future.Our arrival into Lacrosse was an easy one. So much so that I grabbed my running shoes and ran around town with Max, Tracy and Eamon. Little did I know that Max and Tracy were in for a long haul. Eamon and I wanted more or a two mile blow off run through a pretty town. We parted with Max and Tracy about 20 minutes into the run to use a bathroom. In the place that we went to the bathroom, I scavanged for a kitchen for some food. I found a fridge and in the bottom drawer was a drawer full of oranges. Heaven. Me and Eamon enjoyed a walk home with two oranges and gorgeous houses to admire.Lauren lined up a new Brooks saddle today with a local shop owner. Brooks are probably the most comfortable saddles on the market for bikes. It's like a pillow made out of cows. It is kind of funny that Lauren got a Brooks saddle after witnessing cow carcass being hurled in the air out of a meat packing plant that day.The man who sold Lauren the saddle was named Scott. News around the block says he is the best bike mechanic around. So I brought my bike to him to test his skills. My bike has a habit of always being the special case. He did a fine job and taught me a lot about how to maintain my bike as well as fix it. The day before I hit 52.6 miles an hour on a downhill. I did this without getting into my highest gear. If I had been able to shift in the highest gear, I may have had a good shot at breaking the Illini 4000 speed record of 54 miles an hour. Currently, with 52.6, I hold this years record. Let's see what the bighorns bring.The pastor of the church we stayed at invited the riders of age out to drinks to talk about the ride and to relax. He was so cool. I am not of age but talked to him a little bit beforehand. He does triathlons. Sick. A priest doing triathlons. I wonder how he finds the time to train for that. He looked at our route for the next day and offered to ride along with us and show us the Mississippi valley from a nearby bluff.I was really excited to cross the Mississippi river! The pastor of the church, decked out in his triathlon gear, kicked off the ride with an awesome 1.5 mile uphill to the top of the bluff. At the top of the bluff, I half joked that I wanted to do the hill again. Soon enough, I found myself on a descent with Conor and Greg ready to climb again. Yes, we are crazy. As we arrived at the top a second time, we met Jordan in the van who told us, "The race isn't over. Catch the next group ahead." Our group initially reacted in a lethargic way. Not for long. I was determined. I hopped to the front of the group and began to pace at 23 miles an hour. Conor and Greg were curious to where that energy came from because I was last to finish the hill.We chugged up hills, down hills and into a headwind at a bruising pace. We never caught up to the front. I had no idea why. At mile thirty, I called the van to see what was going on. Apparently, the team stopped at mile 15 for a rest stop that our group failed to see. Now we were in front with a large gap between us and the team. We continued on to the point on the route that the pastor was to part ways with the team.When we got to mile 40, Jordan (who drove the van) told us the pastor left at mile 30. Bummer! There was still a very large gap between us and the team. This was becoming a problem. We decided to continue forth to St. Charles where we planned our lunch stop for the whole team.The headwind and roads that we faced towards St. Charles was the worst combination of conditions. Oh, don't forget the rain. The 15 miles to St. Charles were painful! It made me angry. That anger translated into my taking the lead again on a bad shoulder in a headwind at 20 miles an hour. We were exhausted and hungry. We finally arrived at a Kwik Stop in St. Charles waiting for the rest of the team for lunch.Remember how much I love bagged milk? At this rest stop, we gorged on food. My menu included two fried chicken sandwiches, a chocolate chip and a double chocolate chip muffin (because I am indecisive), a bag of Lays from a friendly passerby and two bags of milk- one chocolate and one 1%. I was doing fine until I hit the chocolate milk. The chocolate milk brought me in a sleepy haze that was interrupted by a couple of rude Minnesota residents.I woke up surrounded by people in Illini 4000 jerseys. Conor, Greg and I had been asleep on bags of salt for an hour. We didn't even notice the arrival of the team. I didn't even wake up when the team took embarrassing pictures of me while I was asleep. It took us another hour to even agree to get back onto the bike from the amount of food that we inhaled. Not a bad sleep coma for $3.77 (no tax in MN!). Needless to say, Conor, Greg and I had to split our group up to avoid a fast pace for the last 23 miles of the ride and to keep our sanity.The last 23 miles were spent with Eamon and Mary on a route that was totally edited on the fly because of gravel roads. The way to Rochester was decorated with a strong headwind, a stampede of horses and a man playing guitar on the side of the road on his lawnmower. The stampede of horses was brought on by our screams and insults to the horses as we passed by. I couldn't help but laugh when their graceful trot was interrupted by a huge puddle that they all trampled into.Little did I know that our stayover was literally right across from the Mayo Clinic. Sick.Before dinner, the team headed to a Hope Lodge. A Hope Lodge is a place for cancer patients and caregivers to live in to make their treatment less hectic in terms of travel, preparing food, and personal care. Hope Lodges are funded by the American Cancer Society.At the Hope Lodge, I had the privilege and honor to meet Rudy and Victoria Butteri, an 81 year old man with leukemia and his wife. It just so happened that on the day that we visited the Hope Lodge, Rudy's daughter visited him from Texas. Eamon, Pi, Lauren, Kyle and myself got caught in a fantastic conversation with Rudy and his family. His relationship with his wife was unmatched. Their love for each other is completely selfless. That is very hard to do. He would choke up only when he talked about the love shared between he and his wife, not when he talked about his cancer.We did a portrait interview with him. From his interview, I found myself laughing throughout remembering experiences that I had that were similar. He talked about being positive. A quote that I won't forget from him is "That it doesn't matter what you did yesterday. It is what you did today." This guy handled his chemo just like me, a jokester. He always joked about it and continues to do so. Midway through the conversation about cancer, his daughter mentioned a very moving quote that he stated at the beginning of his treatment (which I don't remember but its on tape). It was one of those statements that you would see in quotes for others to draw inspiration from; he replied to his daughter, "God. I must have been drunk when I said that! Did you check the liquor cabinet afterwards?!" I will never forget meeting Rudy and will continue to pray for him on his ongoing fight with cancer.We ended the night with a rider concerns meeting. Today's frustrating spread brought out some emotions but we pushed past them recognizing that this day's spread was a little unique. I introduced the idea of setting out early some days to go to cancer clinics for more portraits. I hope that I will be able to execute it.I am excited to see the Mayo Clinic tomorrow. Goodnight!
Rain, rain, go away. Fitchburg and Lake Geneva, WI
I got up early this morning to warn the team that there was going to be rain and that they could throw their rain jackets in the lost and found to pick up mid ride. After running around all morning and making sure the team got out at a reasonable time, I do not realize that I forgot to take out my rain jacket. Bad choice.This morning's mosher was very touching. Megan had each member of the team explain why they are doing the ride and a pledge to make the for the rest of the ride. The experience was breathtaking and emotional. It certainly brought us all together.These rides were very similar weatherwise and distancewise. These days also included a few hills, something that Illinois failed to offer. The team faced the hills with more confidence and composure than that of Pennsylvania.Rain on a bike in my opinion is the worst rain that one can face. I don't enjoy wearing a rain jacket in light rain because I would get more sweaty and sticky and would rather be a little wet in just arm warmers than uncomfortable. Lucky me, the rain brought its "A" game and succeeded in getting me soaked and freezing from head to toe. I never felt so relieve to arrive at a stayover to warm up. The rain made me forget the majority of the day's events.Lake Geneva brought us to the Topol summer home of Brad Topol , a former rider. The Topol's were extremely inviting and cooked us a fantastic dinner and provided us a wonderful breakfast. Oh... and showers. Little did I know that this would be my last shower for a while....
Family ride-along to Rochester rest day
It's been a while since my last post so I have many updates!I had a great two days in Chicago and was able to see family, friends and neighbors at a BBQ at my house. It was fun to catch up with everyone, share pictures, and show off my pretty tan lines. Uncle Don was especially fond of the glove tan lines. Jane even spent the night and was able to help me pack and gave me some excellent braids.On family ride-along day I was greeted at Millenium park by a good family friend Judy Weingarz. It was such a nice surprise to see her and catch up. Since my family was late getting to the park, Mrs. Weingarz was there for me during the appreciation Mosher. I had a great time biking with my dad, Johnny and Carolyn and in Highland Park I was able to meet up with my mom and Aunt Patty.We had a great stay at Kyle's church and were able to meet with Jon Schlesinger, one of the founders of I4K. It was great to hear him talk about his original vision for the organization and I hope we're able to keep connection to the cause alive.In Fitchburg my mom, my sister (and her friend Annie) came and brought us dinner. They also brought us lunch along the way the next day. It was fun to try and coordinate the lunch stop with my mom because she had no cues and none of us had cell reception. Apparently she was channeling Sean Laude on the way and got the SUV caught in a ditch. It worked out in the end and we all layed a grassy knoll eating while Sadie begged for treats.The hills of Wisconsin weren't too bad but they led us to the headwinds of Minnesota. We're now in Rochester, MN. We arrived just after a bad storm and have seen some of the aftermath of its destruction around town.Last night we visited a ACS Hope Lodge center where cancer patients can live while they are undergoing treatment at the Mayo Clinic. We walked in and were greeted by a cute welcome sign. Donna was the woman working the front desk and she gave us a tour of the place and told us some amazing stories. Afterward, we ate fruit (!!), bagels and juice and got to visit with some of the residents and do some portraits. I helped interview a mother who was a breast cancer survivor and then her son who is currently being treated at Mayo for leukemia.Today we got a tour of the Cancer library in Mayo Clinic from Sara. She told us about the center and we were all able to read some material and take some home. The room had some artwork in it and one of my favorites was a paper mache sculpture entitled "Annie." It was of a woman with one breast kneeling on the ground with a butterfly in her hand. Strewn on the ground behind her was an appointment book containing various to-dos and meetings. The description of the piece said that these appointments represent banalities of a former existence. It seems like the people we have spoken to all say that having cancer has reoriented their perspective in some way.
"Come on Dad! Keep up!" Highland Park, IL 6/13/2010
Group ride day! This is my first day assuming the duties of being a ride leader. Oh no! Responsibility.At Millennium Park, I met my Aunt Therese, Uncle Tom and cousin Mary Kate before our launch. Their presence was very special to me. Also in attendance was two of my neighbors who also participated in the ride along, Sandy and Jessica Miller. I was happily surprised that they came along for the ride! Fortunately, I didn't get lost (which I have a habit of doing on this trip) in leading a group of family and friends to Highland Park, IL.Family included my brother (decked out in my Livestrong kit and a borrowed bike), my Dad (who had no confidence in finishing 30 miles of biking) and my mom (who had all the confidence in the world in driving 30 miles behind my brother and father.) Dad wasn't a happy camper when I decided to try and burn my brother down an open street. Now he has reason to ride his bike more... keep up Dad!The stayover provided us a very nice spaghetti dinner. Although I wasn't hungry, I naturally ate as much as I could. We were greeted by one of the three founders of the I4k, Jon Schleshinger. It was exciting to hear the intentions of the the formation of the Illini 4000 and the portraits project. One idea he threw out to us was a ride around Illinois. Because we are the Illini 4000, we should have a greater connection with the people and cancer throughout Illinois. I really hope to see this idea through.Gabrielle mention doing a portrait on me. Of course I accepted. She suggested that we do the portrait in the near future and I am honestly kind of nervous to talk about it with the whole team. This is odd because I am normally not phased by telling of my experiences with cancer.This night, Jordan and I had a briefing on the ride leader duty. There is so much that you haev to think of at one point in time. I am also not Mr. Decisive. I guess we will see how my leadership will pan out amongst the rest of my teammates.We also talked about a similar organization, 4k for Cancer that runs out of Baltimore to San Fransisco. Hearing how their organization is run and comparing it to our growing organization lets me know that the Illini 4000 is in for a bright future. Our team is decorated with devoted, caring individuals who all bring something unique to the table. Let's see what we can serve up.
Chicago, IL 6/10-12/2010
Sweet home Chicago. It is weird to think of how I got here- 1200 miles. When I walk around, this thought doesn't come to me. I didn't think riding in would be emotional to me, however, the experience and breathtaking skyline views of Chicago was enough for me to choke up while riding. Never mind the bug that flew into my mouth.We arrived in mellenium Park during a Cub-Sox game, blues fest and the Blackhwaks championship rally. Needless to say, it was entertaining to believe that the crowd was there for us. I met some family and friends who were in the city to greet my arrival. A special thanks goes to Chris Laughlin, Stefanie Miller and Jeane Young- some neighbors who trekked through the city to find the Illini 4000. After some pictures, eating cake and talked to some ACS representatives, I was ready to go home.On our drive home, we stopped at my grandma's to say hello and to show her that I am still alive. I know she is moved by my dedication to this ride and cause. Her reaction to my arrival was unbelievable, or maybe it was to my beard...My house was still the same. We ordered Gino's East and while we were eating I saw a best friend Elizabeth riding her bike down the street past my house. I hopped out of my seat in just my bike shorts to flag her down. I missed her! I had more people to see on top of finishing some nursing school paperwork and laundry.I went to my best friend tom's house to see his family. Again, I missed this kid. It has only been two weeks. Weird. We hung out later that night and I managed to fall asleep on a sidewalk mid conversation. I guess this ride has taken some of me with it.The next day was spent buying things I needed for the trip and hanging out with my brother. A couple of bike shops and a trip to Jewel later, I was out of the house to two graduation parties for two different Laurens. One was going to Georgia for grad school and one, Lauren Mazurski (on the ride) is going to Arizona after the the ride to grad school.More noteable was Laurn Mazurski's party where her family and friends already recognized me from stories from Lauren, my blog and her mom. It was a nice reminder that more than just your immediate family is looking out for you. This would be Lauren's last time being home until December. Maybe.After Lauren's, we hit the road, arrived at the UIC dorms and crashed. Before bed, I revcieved a call from a friend that had studied abroad in Rome, and now is on the road with Catholic Heart Workcamp out west. It was good to talk to someone who feels like they don't have a home for the summer. I guess that not fair to say.Eamon put the ride into a different perspective for me week ago. Instead of feeling detatched and removed from society, we are actually totally immersed in society, moved by a cause that hits a chord across the country, stopping in each town spreading stories of not only our journey, but the journey of others and their struggle with cancer.My trip home was not what I expected it to be. I wanted to be home as if it as just another day in summer. Instead, I was running around trying to see people that I miss, getting last minute errands done. It was frantic. Part of me wishes I had just been home without anyone knowing I was home.I miss "me" time. I guess that's what I skipped on my visit home. And... my room was still dirty. That never feels good. I am excited to ride out of Chicago and head west.
Gotta have it. Homewood, IL 6/9/2010
This ride was the slowest yet. The day was lazy in anticipation for Chicago. Too many country roads and missed cues later, we hit suburbia. This was such a new feeling for me. It is weird to ride through over 60 miles of country and then all of the sudden hit a city with angry drivers, smelly garbage and Cold Stone.I stopped at a Cold Stone with a few riders before pulling into our destination. I got a "Gotta have it" of Germanchocolatecake. This marked the first day of my 10 day streak of eating ice cream. I can't get enough of it.Today we had a concerns meeting regarding the past weeks of riding. After a really long, boring and extensive meeting, we finally voted for our new ride leaders. The team elected Jordan and myself to lead the ride into San Francisco. The job includes planning what the team eats, planning the rest stops and making sure the ride chores get done. I am pretty happy the the team finds a leader in me not because I boss around people, but because I like to be a good example.The night ended with Lauren, Eamon and I singing away on the piano for about forty five minutes straight about complete nonsense. The song comprised of lyrics reflecting on Conor's shaved beard, Eamon slaying dragons and Tracy dancing. Anticipation for Chicago couldn't be higher.
Sidewalks and corn. Clifton, IL 6/8/2010
I have not updated my blog for quite some time and I apologize. The blogs through Highland Park, IL and Lacrosse, WI will be a little lacking in detail. I will do my best to recall the event of those days.
The ride to Homewood,IL was our first experience with headwinds. In my opinion, any headwind is worse than a mountain or a very, very long ride. The headwind belittles the rider and has no light at the end of the tunnel. When climbing a hill, there is something to look forward to- the top. Riding against the wind only frustrates a rider. There were times during this ride that I just closed my eyes and pedaled, looking for strength.
Illinois is not a great biking state. The roads are subpar. Some are just sidewalks. There are no gas stations to rest in the shade and go to the bathroom. Just corn, smelly cows and sun. Sometimes my cleats would melt in the tar on the road. Rocks would stick to my tires. Heat exhaustion and a lack of sleep conquered my mind making what should have been an easy 67 miles into a mind game.
Arriving in Homewood, IL was a relief. The pastor there was really receptive. He was aware the the Blackhawks had their final playoff game that night and offered to record the periods as the game was going on to run over to the church. He also greeted incoming groups with leftover graduation food from a party he held recently. Amazing.
The highlight of my day came when Diana came over to me as I was playing piano and asked me to teach her the words and melody to "Take Me Out To The Ball Game." I remember when we went to the Pirates v. Cubs game in Pittsburgh and during the 7th inning stretch, the ballpark sang the song. I looked at Diana, and because she is not from the United States, she did not know the words! Bam. Now she knows it. I make her sing it all the time now.
Rochester, MN 06/18-06/19
Pastor Taylor from our stayover in LaCrosse rode with us in the am. Taking the "scenic route" we started the day with some big old hills... and they never really stopped... they actually got worse, thanks to added head wind. With the knee, this becomes quite a challenging day and we had a 5pm arrival deadline so I had to jump in the van around mile 55 in order to insure making time. Being shoved in the backseat with bags and bikes, I instantly fell asleep, and was woken up by the van door being opened and my body falling out, ha. But when I exited, it was my dream come true. I stepped out of the van and there it was, Mayo Clinic. My future standing in front of me (I hope).The Hope Lodge is a building in Rochester, in connection with Mayo Clinic and ACS, providing a home for those undergoing cancer treatment and for their care takers. Our group was fortunate enough to get a tour of the building and speak with some residents. Myself, Pi, Steve, and Eamon dropped off in the middle of the tour after meeting Rudy Butteri and his family. I was drawn into a game of "BananaGrams" and the boys were drawn in by Rudy's stories of working out and push-ups. Kyle and Greg joined us and we went outside and did a Portraits interview with him... it was amazing to say the least. This 81 year old man was hands down the most inspiring person I have met on the trip thus far. From the way he praised his wife, to the way he spoke of his fight when handling his treatment, we were all extremely touched. Sue, his daughter, brought out left over pizza for us as well as fruit and juice and being savages, we devoured it. After talking with him for hours and taking pictures, Sue generously handed over her BananaGrams game and some of us picked up purple Hope bracelets from the lodge. I've collected 3 of these bracelets over the trip to keep on my wrist as a constant reminder of why I'm doing this and who I'm fighting for. When we hit the Rockies and I'm looking down struggling, I'll know that my purple Hope bracelet is for Rudy, and his amazing family.Saturday was as rest day for the team, and a number of us woke up early and headed to the laundromat. Once our clothes were so fresh and so clean clean, we headed over to Mayo Clinic for a tour of the Cancer Center library. Sarah Christensen was the woman generous enough to come in on her day off and provide us with this tour. Mayo is beautiful... from the people who work there, to the to the actual building, I only hope that one day, I'll be fortunate enough to be a part of the Mayo Foundation (There is one in Scottsdale, I'm working on it!!)Let's see, what else can I update you all on... Well, my butt feels better today, Priscilla's too... and, I think that's all I have for now. I hope you are all enjoying my blog as much as I enjoy sharing the stories. (: (: This trip is awesome, I wish everyone was lucky enough to have this opportunity.
La Crosse, WI 06/17
Hm, quite the eye-opening ride I must say... here's why.Jill, Disha, and I started the day out just lovely, riding around having a blast. As we rode down a hill at mile 35, I hit my top speed of the trip (43mph!!) and Disha hit a rock and got a flat. We pulled to the side to change it, stuck in a new tube, pumped it up and low and behold, it went flat again. After searching for the hole and making sure this wouldn't become another issue, I gave Disha my spare and as we pumped it up we heard, pshhhhhhhhhhhh. Hm, another flat. Jill has fatty tires and her tube wouldn't fit, so we decided that my tube would be the best option and Disha rode on this "slow leak" 5 miles to the next rest stop, averaging about 24mph. At mile 43.3 (I'll never forget), we came upon a town and there was a HUGE building on the right side that just smelled awful. As we rode past, a conveyorbelt stuck out of the side of the building with a dumpster underneath it. As Jill and I stared a very large, blood covered rib cage, rolled along this conveyor belt and dropped into the dumpster. We screamed for a solid 53 seconds at the top of our lungs, Disha realized what was going on as more rib cages rolled past, and we rode the next 14 miles in DEAD SILENCE... heads down, avoiding looking at all the animals around us, and trying not to vomit.Our lunch stop was awesome as well... we started by hitting an ice cream place for 50cent slushies, perfect for a hot day. We then had to ride up to a Taco Bell where the van was... this was very traumatic for us after our earlier experience. Lunch was fun, I made friends with some 14 year old boys who had sweet "dyno"esc bikes so that they would let me ride them. Steve of course stole some of my new friends, and they drag raced in the parking lot... Steve lost... EVERY TIME... hahaha.Arriving in La Crosse was amazing, at this point I was with Shea and Steve and we were slightly lost and stopped and asked a random woman with a bike for directions. She proceeded to tell us that her husband recently passed away from cancer, today was his birthday, the bike was his, and she was going to get it tuned up since it had just been sitting in her garage. Amazing. Another example of why we ride, another example of how cancer affects people across America.Coming into the stayover, I headed to a bike shop with Kyle to pick up some new brake pads and check out some new seats (to help with the issue). I ended up getting both, and a new black Brooks now sits beautifully on my bike, gorgeous as ever, begging to be broken in.
Reedsburg, WI 06/16
Ah yes, another fantastic day in the life of an I4Ker. I took off riding with Mary, Jeff and Stephe (pronounced Steee, PHHH) and we instantly jumped into some hills. Wisconsin has been so close in distance to me for 22 years, and yet just now I am discovering these mini mountains. It was a long day, but it was fantastic. Mrs. Russell found us on the road and provided a delicious lunch (thank you soo much!!). Riding this past week, I've discovered that the scenery is becoming increasingly gorgeous... either that or I'm just taking the time to actually enjoy it and take it all in.Upon our arrival, the team headed over to the local pool for some swimming and showers, HILARIOUS. Picture this... 28 college kids in spandex reaching from belly button to knee with tan lines looking like a permanent white tee-shirts, attempting to jump off a diving board while tons of 9-13 years olds stare. I think it's safe to say, a number of my teammates haven't been on diving boards in a while... either that or the boards weren't designed for full grown adults...While some of the team went out to dinner for the Chinese holiday, 11 of us stayed back at the church and prepped a lovely dinner of pasta, garlic bread, and other such things. With some Italian music playing in the background (provided by me obviously), it felt like a real family dinner, something which you start to miss when on the road. We all sat around one table, laughing and eating, and it was really nice to spend some time in a group smaller than 28... not that I don't love everyone, sometimes it's just nice (: Everyone pitched in on cleaning and dishes... a small water fight when down in the kitchen and then the 11 of us gathered in a tv room and threw in The Prince of Egypt. Hands down one of my favorite days of the trip thus far... until... well here comes another topic people often ask about...Common question, "Don't your butts hurt?" I'm going to keep this simple... Priscilla and my shorts got mixed up one and we wore each others on this particular day... and it didn't fair well. Coming into Reedsburg, I can tell you that, YES, my butt hurts. Enough said.
A day of rest and visit to the Cancer Education Center at the Mayo Clinic
A quick update from a rest day.We slept in this morning until the late hours of 8-9am this morning. Laundry and breakfast were of the most common activities.In the early afternoon, we were able to visit the Cancer Education Center at the Mayo Clinic across the street from the Calvary Episcopal Church. Despite it being a weekend, the center's coordinator, Sarah Christensen, came in and told us about the many programs and services. We were given time to explore the library consisting of books, magazines and pamphlets for cancer patients about treatments, nutrition, self-help and everything else. Thanks For more info, the website for the center can be found at http://www.mayoclinic.org/cancer-education-rst/.Afterward, some of us split for lunch at either a Dutch or Indian restaurant and a trip to Target and Toy Story 3 in 3D! And don't worry, we'll be back on the bikes tomorrow around 6:30am, we don't rest for too long!