Journals

What's a? Who's a? Where's a Missoula?

Salutations!Our morning started with another unique Mosher. Max instructed us in a guided meditation which proved relaxing and set the tone for the day as unstressed and clear-minded. Sadly we left our friends in Drummond and made our way to our last Montana stayover, Missoula.With only 52 miles to bike today, everyone enjoyed the ride and took it relatively easy. Around mile 20, we stopped at a "hot" spring. While the water wasn't hot, it was refreshing. We jumped off of the cliff into the water, enjoyed the gorgeous waterfall, and some even swam under the rocks into a secret cave. After spending nearly 3 hours and our lunch break at the "hot" spring, we hit the road again.Shortly, we reached Missoula and the beginning of our rest day. The evening concluded with the team sharpening their saltine-eating skills.A special congratulations to Kyle and Eamon who both at 5 crackers each in 60 seconds. Way to go, guys!

Fastest Day, Smallest Town

Greetings!Today was a day of all-around friendliness and love. The day started out with Gabrielle's team-massage Mosher to begin our departure from Butte. Thanks to April Dahlquist for the bagels and muffins! The day continued with high spirits due to monster tailwinds, which let the team cruise at an average of 20 mph for the first 40 miles! After raiding a local Safeway in Deer Lodge, we continued on the remaining 30 which proved a bit more headwindy. But that didn't bothers us much, because we were still buzzing from the tailwinds (even the group that got caught in some hail didn't mind!).Drummond sparkled with generosity from beginning to end, as we rolled into St. Michael's Catholic Church and Drummond United Methodist Church and refueled with chips, salsa, grilled cheese, and lemonade! But the friendliness and support was only beginning. For dinner, we enjoyed the fine company of Drummond's locals, who also cooked us a true feast. Roast beef, fried chicken, salads, fruit, vegetarian chili, creamed corn (Conor's new favorite), peppers, and a special lactic-free dish for the team's lactose-intolerantist. Finally, we enjoyed strawberries and brownies for desert.Tomorrow's ride will be a good one, despite the fact that the team will be 7 lighter (a few riders are leaving early to catch the World Cup final in Missoula (Go Spain!)). Looking forward to a short ride to one of the bike-friendliest cities, with a stop at a hot spring on the way for swimming!Later!

No Butte's about it, Butte is a wonderful town!

The team woke up this morning to a wonderful breakfast provided by our good hosts at Ennis Assembly of God. We all had our fill of muffins, yogurt, bananas, egg casserole, and orange juice before prepping our moustaches and heading for Butte.But Butte would be no easy ride. Only six miles out of Ennis stood a 650 foot climb that got many of us working hard and sweating at 8:30 in the morning. However the effort was well worth it as we flew down the other side and into our first rest stop a few miles later. Jamie was driving once more and decided to treat us to a little surprise and bought the team brownies for the first rest stop. Later on at lunch, we would be treated to a variety of jelly flavors, allowing us to deviate from the traditional grape that we have so often. Lunch was also special because it was right next to the Little Pipestone Creek, halfway up to the Continental Divide. To say the least the water was nearly freezing, however it didn't stop us from dipping out feet in, sitting down in the flowing waters, or for the real adventurous, submerging themselves completely.On our arrival into Butte, many of us made our way over to The Outdoorsman, a bike shop run by Levi Leipheimer's family (for those of you not into the biking world, Levi Leipheimer rides on the same team as Lance Armstrong in the Tour de France). They're a great group of people and helped several of our riders get the supplies and fixes they needed to get back onto the road. So if you're ever in Butte and in need of some bicycle repairs drop by and see if they can't help you.Tomorrow we continue our journey through Montana, arriving in the little town of Drummond, a small town with so much generosity. See you all tomorrow!

Ennis & Butte, MT 07/08-07/09

The ride into Ennis was the most beautiful ride of the trip so far. Hands down, Montana wins the gorgeous award of the U.S. Way to go Montana! Pi easily convinced our group to stop at the Grizzy Restaurant for lunch where we all tried our hand at different burgers. Our waitress, Margo, was awesome. Coincidentally, she was suppose to come to the church we were staying at that night to help out with dinner but was double shifted at work. Riding into Ennis, we were surrounded by more unreal scenery, and pulled up to the beautiful church where we were provided with a delicious dinner as well as hot showers!!

The ride out of Ennis was equally as gorgeous, yet a little more hectic. Hot and humid, I made sure the team stayed hydrated, even though Eamon claims he was going to be over-hydrated (nonsense). It was a tough ride for the team... my knee copped out early... but a cold creek felt refreshing to all in the afternoon (check out those tan lines). Pi, Steve, and Max detoured to see the Lois and Clark caves... I saw pictures, looked awesome... so Jamie and I hid some gatorade for them along the route to insure their hydration as well. I4K LOVES HYDRATION (: (:

Cody & Yellowstone, WY 07/04-07/06

Ah the 4th of July! I rode out in the I4Khoir with Jill, Mary and Steve, combining the 4 best voices on the team for an American style ride out of Greybull. About halfway to Cody is when it began, I got a little dizzy and wobbly on the bike... but was ok when we pulled into Cody for ice cream... until later...A generous man on the ride into Greybull donated to the team tickets to the Cody Rodeo. What a better way to spend the 4th than at the Rodeo capital of the country!! The team headed over for an experience none of us were familiar with... it was... interesting. I had no idea what was going on... luckily the man next to me did, and by the end I felt like a rodeo regular. Favorite part of the rodeo was when a man came out trying to ride a bull who "was too crazy to have a name for" and then the bull completely lived up to this and knocked over the poor rodeo clown who was hiding in a barrel. Crazy. We head back to the stayover and fireworks went off at 10pm. A bit of home sickness came over me from not taking part in my regular 4th of July activities, but it really was cool to experience the 4th out west.Prepping for our next days ride late at night, "it" took over. Sickness. Yuck. Team vomiting began. TMI? Sorry. Mine didn't hit me until 2am... and it hit hard. By 8am I was ready for a little trip to the doctor to help fix these digestion issues and monster stomach pains. With so many people sick, we forfeited our rest day in Yellowstone and traded it in for another day in Cody!! wooo. With some fluid and drugs in me, I was brought back to the stayover to sleep it off. The rest of the sickies were in the same boat... sick.The following day, between all the injuries and sickies, 8 couldn't ride, and the team took off to Yellowstone to come back for us later in the day. I pretty much just slept and picked up some cold weather gear in preparation for the evening. Eamon grabbed us later and we head into Yellowstone to camp out that night in 25 degree weather. The ride up was so pretty. We took a sick people picture (see left). We saw 2 bears, some antelope and deer. Neato. Camping was also fun. Our tent broke some rules and kept our toiletries in our bags in the tent. Luckily, the bears didn't come and eat us... That would have been a mess!

Ranchester & Greybull 07/02-07/03

 

Hmm long time since I've blogged. So let me jolt my memory.

The ride into Ranchester... knee pain around mile 20. Lame, way to go knee. Typically, Ana was sick that day too, so we took over the van together after the first rest stop. About 300 feet after we took over there was an awesome downhill. Sad. Hmm, oh yes Ranchester was nice, we stayed at a middle school... with SHOWERS!!! I did some serious bike maintenance that day and put on some new brake pads. The few days before this, we've been approaching the Big Horns. This day, they stood right in front of us... so finally putting on these brakes seemed like a good idea. What else... Greg and I were on dishes this day... we power washed those dinner dishes with a hose until they were sparking. It was a cold and wet sacrifice that we made for the team. But we're such good people, we knew it was the right thing to do.

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Ah now this next day was crazy. 5 mile warm up. 18 mile climb. In preparation for this, the team geared up with face grease and roaring music. The knee made it until mile 17ish, having no phone service, I jumped in a truck with Larry and Rachel to the rest. They were good people. They have 8 horses and are from Minnesota and were roadtripping with their motorcycle (in the back of the truck). They were married in 1976 and have a few kids. Like I said, good people. I get to the rest and drive the next 8 miles to the 18 mile downhill. Erik so graciously volunteer to drive the van down the hill so I could ride it (: (: I hit a new high speed, 43.8. Riding down with Conor, Greg, and Steve, I was kind of nervous, but they kept up pretty good. We stopped at a pretty waterfall mid-downhill... it was gorgeous, and the ride through the canyon out of the mountain was incredible.

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We pulled into Dirty Annie's, a little restaurant shop at the bottom and waited for the team. Poor Pi pulls up in a pickup truck all banged up slightly after and he headed for some stitches.

I finished the ride with the speed demons and we caught up with 3 13-14 year old cyclists biking around the west... Pulling into the stayover was my favorite part of the dayy. Jordan appeared in the door wearing roller skates.

Upon entering this rec center... my eyes were blessed with visions of grace... Nathanael skated around and around the gym, twirling and twisting and beautifully skating his 6'4'' figure in circles. Once the whole team arrived, a 1970s skating party naturally erupted and after the owner stopped by... word got out of a bloww up obstacle course and you can only imagine the fun that took off from there! Favorite stayover thus far. Hands down.

Bring on the Moustaches!

Montana brings on a strange transformation for the team, many members find themselves shedding the layers of hair that they've built up on their face, leaving only a thin sliver on their upper lip. Yes, Moustache Montana has begun!Sporting their new looks, the team headed out for Ennis, with magnificent views of mountains, lakes, and the Madison River which we have been following for portions of the last two days. Today's ride was fairly short, allowing us to have some time to relax once we reached Ennis. The pastor at the church we were staying at arranged showers for us at a local RV park, which was refreshing since we hadn't had the opportunity to shower for the last couple days.Afterwards, for dinner, the pastor and the community stepped in and provided a taco bar for dinner. There was more than enough food for everybody, and we were all stuffed before we learned that it was followed by root beer floats. Dinner could not have been better!Tomorrow we look forward to crossing the Continental Divide for the third and final time as we head in to Butte.

My life as a drop of water in yellowstone

Sometimes, I wish I was a drop of water.I would start off as snow on top of the mountain, over-looking the beautiful trees, valleys, and the winding road where I4k bikers would later climb up and then cruise down on. When the sun comes out, I would melt into a drop of water and flow down into one of the many waterfalls that a little I4k rider thought she would definitely have stopped to jump in if not for the long climb she still had to do. I would have the time of my life sliding down those rocks and falling into the river below.Flowing along the river, I would see a group of I4k riders skipping stones (or trying to) and dipping their feet in the cool water while munching on some nuts and an apple. I would end up in a lake, where a huge clumsy bison stops to get a drink. A fox comes along and they begin to complain about a group of people on bicycles gawking at them as if they were aliens and getting all excited about being that up close. A chipmunk overhears their conversation and adds that he too heard a bunch of cyclists approaching and hid underground. He was annoyed at how they kept yelling out at him as if he was a horse. A swan nearby bashfully admitted that a group of people on bikes peeked at her through the trees while she was taking a shower.  I would then seep into a crack in the rocks and flow deep underground, where the volcanic heat would energize all my little water-friends. Some of them turn into steam, and when it gets a little too crowded, dear Old Faithful would shoot us out of his hole. Flying up in the air, I would see those I4K riders munching on their pb&js while admiring my acrobatic show.Next, I would end up in a geyser crater, maybe the one called Turquoise Pool. Together with my water-friends, particles, and the sun, we would make a beautiful turquoise color, so that my I4K friends can walk along the boardwalks and admire our artpiece. The thermophiles add a splash of orange around our turquoise water.The heat would then turn me into water vapor, and I would fly up into the air to form a part of a cloud. I would then look down and see my I4K friends discussing about ice, water, density and temperature. Then I would laugh at the little I4K girl who thought to herself that one day, these two I4K science geniuses would win the Nobel Prize for their ingenious insight into how ice is hotter than water. (trust me, you won't want to listen to their logic)

My I4k Trip so far

Wow. Ok, shame on me for taking so long to blog. Where do I begin?! This trip has been one of the most amazing and challenging things I have ever done (I'm sure all other I4kers feel the same). It is crazy to see how far we have all come. I remember being in New York City the day before the trip thinking, "Wow, is this really happening?!" And sure enough, it did. 28 excited and anxious cyclists began an unforgettable journey May 25th, 2010.Each and every day has been a day to remember. There have been physical challenges; not only just the fact that we bike an average of 80 miles a day, but also things such as crossing the Appalachian Mountains, getting through hilly PA, biking over 100 miles in one day, biking through different weather conditions, and biking through the Badlands, the Black Hills, Mt Rushmore, and the Big Horn Mountain. There have been emotional challenges, such as being away from home, family and friends for a whole summer, sleeping on the floor every night, sleeping in a different place every night, and sometimes feeling like you cannot go on (more in the beginning of the trip). AND, most importantly, there have been many countless amazing moments of each and every day, which totally outweigh the challenges and make this trip the most wonderful time of our lives.Throughout this trip, I have had the opportunity to not only get to know 27 strangers, but I have also had the opportunity to meet many generous individuals across the United States, listen to many people share their stories about their cancer journey, tour several cancer centers, and see this country's beauty. Every Portraits interview I've been able to sit in on has been absolutely touching. I admire the courage of those who share their stories with us, as I can only imagine it can be very emotional and scary to relive the experience. Listening to the stories of those who have been affected by cancer has been one of my favorite and most memorable parts of this trip. Between the things that have been said and the emotions that have been displayed during these interviews, I will forever be touched.Just the same with the cancer centers. Touring the cancer centers has been another favorite part of mine. They were very educational in the sense that I learned so much about different cancer treatments. It's nice to have a better understanding of what chemotherapy is and does versus radiology and tomotherapy. I can now have a picture in my mind when someone speaks of their treatment experience, which makes me feel like I can connect better and be closer to the individual that is sharing his or her cancer experience.I am so thankful for all of the generous people we have encountered on this trip; from churches and schools and rec centers letting us stay in their buildings and using their showers, to people cooking us delicious meals, to businesses/people donating food to us, to individuals willing to tell us their cancer story, and to individuals donating money to our cause. These places/people have helped us tremendously to fight against cancer. No matter where we are, there is always someone asking who we are and what we are doing. The expressions and support we get when we respond is unforgettable.Now there is a little over 3 weeks left until we reach San Francisco. I don't call it "the end" because frankly, the Illini 4000 and the individuals involved will never experience an "end" to doing what we do best; fighting cancer.  I am so unbelievably proud of everyone and their hard work to raise money, awareness, and continue biking each and every day. I am extremely thankful for all of our supporters, because without them, we would not have been able to get as far as we have come. So thank you everyone! And pray that we find a cure soon!

South Dakota & Wyoming

And now I will attempt to cover the highlights of my journey through two states :) - South Dakota and Wyoming.South Dakota was amazing and there was so much great scenery to look at while we were riding. I got to ride my bike through the Badlands, which was something I had been excited for a while about. The Badlands were very memorable. We definitely did our fair share of climbing on rocks and exploring. I had my camera out all day and took about a billion pictures because I couldn't control myself. We encountered a lot of wind during the end of our century ride (100 miles) out of the Badlands, which made it seem a lot tougher than before. We passed through the Black Hills and got to see Mt. Rushmore a few days later. I had never been to Mt. Rushmore before so I was excited to see it for the first time. I was really happy with our ride and the amazing scenery we had through South Dakota.... but Wyoming out did South Dakota.Everything from the beginning to the end of Wyoming was awesome. Going through the Big Horns was a long day, but totally worth it. We had an 18 mile uphill to get to the top, which took a pretty long time to climb ... but we also had an 18 mile downhill :)  a little while after that. We stopped a lot during the downhill to enjoy the scenery and take pictures. I was expecting the ride through the Big Horns to be slightly dreadful, but it was the complete opposite. I had so much fun and I saw some amazing stuff! Another highlight was Yellowstone, obviously  :) Even though I missed the ride into Yellowstone because me and a few others had come down with a virus/food poisoning/we still dont know what happened, I still got to camp out that night with the team and do the second part of the the ride through Yellowstone. Thankfully, most of us are recovering from it and some of us are doing a lot better. I'm sure we'll all be in tip-top shape in no time.And now ... were in Montana! Our ride has been beautiful so far. We rode along the Madison River for most of our ride today, and it was amazing! :D I can't wait to see more of Montana!

Rolling out of Yellowstone

Our brief stay in Yellowstone brought about a chilly morning as we woke up to frost on our tents at 7am. Reports said that the temperatures was supposed to fall to 29 degrees that night, making it the chilliest night we had yet to encounter. Camping and the slowness brought about by the cold, led us to a slower than usual departure in the morning, however we had a short day ahead of us as we were traveling just beyond the park boundaries to West Yellowstone, MT. As we departed our campsite, we said good-bye to Max, a touring cyclist we've met up with several times throughout Wyoming. Max planned on staying another day in the park before heading south and eventually out to the Redwoods along the California coast.With a breakfast of cereal, fruit, and Gatorade, graciously provided by Gabrielle's parents and transported by her relatives, we headed out to see the sights in Yellowstone's geyser basin. The day was by no means fast as we crossed the Continental Divide twice, watched Old Faithful erupt, and saw countless other geysers, paint pots, and the occasional bison on the side of the road, but we all were in by evening to enjoy a wonderful dinner of leftover chili, lo mein, and hot dogs. Tonight we gear up and prepare ourselves for crossing Montana...

The Big Horns don't scare me!

I must say, day 41 has been the best day of the trip yet. The 18 mile climb up the Big Horns was rewarded by an 18 mile downhill soon after. Woohoo! I love the mountains. Climbing up the hills is a challenge I enjoy taking on. Feeling your heart beat faster and faster, your breathing get heavier and louder, your legs straining to continue pedaling despite the build up of lactic acid in your already tired muscles - it is a challenge to see hard I can push myself. Of course there are days when I want to take it easy and ride at a relaxing pace. But there are also days when I want to get my heart pumping and experience the adrenaline rush I used to get from running. Mountain climbing gives you that, and much much more. The sense of accomplishment you get when you look down the edge of the mountain and see the long windy road where you started out from half an hour ago way below you, the view of valleys below and snow-spotted mountain tops, feeling like you are at top of the world when you finally reached the highest point, and knowing that an 18 mile downhill awaits.  All these make climbing up the mountain all the more worth it.What was even more exciting was the long hike up to the snow and pile of rocks during our lunch break. Who knew I could play with snow in the summer! It wasn't an easy hike, but it was so much fun. We finally reached the rock structures at the very top of the mountain, and enjoyed the scenery for a while before the cold and hunger chased us back down. The whole round trip took us about 2 hours!Arriving at our stay-over was the next best part. We stayed at a recreational center, and they said we could do anything we wanted. To our delight, they had a skating ring and three huge inflatable bouncy ring/obstacle course/slide! So we blasted some music and skated to our hearts content. We also had bouncy obstacle course/slide races.That was such a energy-draining day I had to fight to keep myself awake on my bike the next day.

Cody, Wyoming: Rodeo Capital of the Nation!

Yesterday we arrived in Cody, WY - it was a lovely 4th of July and a short 53 mile ride in! A generous person was adamant that the I4k attend the world famous Cody Stampede and donated tickets for the entire team. Most of us had never been to a rodeo before so it was a new experience. . . celebrating the 4th in the true Wyoming style.Unfortunately, last night some riders became sick -  several people are under the weather so the decision was made to stay in Cody, WY for our rest day instead of continuing on to Yellowstone today.  In Yellowstone we will be sleeping in tents and the forecast for tonight involved snow, therefore we thought staying in this nice, warm church in Cody would help aid in a speedy recovery for those who are sick. Thanks so much to Christ Episcopal Church for letting us extend out stay.Some riders set up a breakfast at a diner this morning, so many of us went over and were treated to a tasty breakfast of hashbrowns, eggs, and toast.  Otherwise, today is all about resting up for the climb into Yellowstone tomorrow.  Everyone is catching up on sleep and staying hydrated - some speedy recoveries have already been made, so here's hoping to everyone feeling better tomorrow and enjoying the beautiful sights of Yellowstone!

The Bighorns Loom

The team made its way to Ranchester, Wyoming today, and was able to take in some gorgeous scenery along the way. We biked alongside creeks, open fields and quaint little towns during the 58-mile trek. All the while, the snow-capped Bighorn Mountains lay to the left of us, a constant reminder of the impending days and challenges to come.

Given that today's ride was on the shorter side, the team had some time to relax along the way and after arriving at the stayover. The predominantly down hill route made for fast biking in the morning, and helped the team make it to Sheridan just in time to take advantage of both the breakfast and lunch menus at McDonalds. After arriving at Tongue River Middle School (our stayover for the night), some I4Kers took a quick dip in a nearby creek in hopes of escaping the 96 degree weather.In order to prepare for the 18-mile battle up the Bighorns tomorrow, the team loaded up on pasta, lentils, and other healthy foods. We're prepping our bikes, taking it easy, and heading to bed a little early. Wish us luck!

Space Redefined

Space isn't the same as it used to be. It took me a while to realize this subtle difference even though it isn't entirely new to me.There has been a great change in landscape now that we've reached the West. Now, as I ride I can see for miles and miles, but not too long ago my vision was limited by trees or hill sides. I never felt cramped in the East, it was just as beautiful and awe inspiring, but now everything feels so much more open and free. Instead of town after town always surrounded by businesses and people, the landscape now takes center stage interrupted only once in a while by a small settlement. I feel so insignificant as I ride next to mountain ranges with incredibly large clouds overhead. If I stepped into a city right now it would take me quite some time to acclimate to the great change at hand.Space has changed in a more personal way as well. A life on the road with only a back pack and 27 teammates gives new perspective to what space I constitute as myself. It's no longer "my room" or "my apartment" but just my small pile of things. As I unpack each day I create my own personal space made up of t-shirts, bike parts and a sleeping bag. Every morning I take down my space and pack it in a bag, piled in the van with everyone else's lives. During the day the only items I really own are carried on me with my bike. It's no longer "my car stereo" or even "my car" but just me and my bike. Sometimes as I pack in the morning I find unnecessary things I carry around with me. If something doesn't have a practical use, it doesn't last long in my space. I like that.** Big Horn mountains tomorrow morning, get psyched! **

2024 Team Fundraising Total: $60,000

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