We had a free day in Rapid City today! Since we did not have to ride, we slept in until 10. We would like to thank the church and community for providing us with such a delicious breakfast this morning!Having no obligations today, many of us went out to explore the city, buy what we need for the following days, and interact with the community. During this time we conducted an interview with Colista Lich at a gift shop that was a two time cancer survivor. Her story was very inspiring as she explained that the cancer taught her to live life to the fullest and that life is all about the path you take and the mistakes you make.Another group of us met a woman at the Alex Johnson Mercantile gift shop that was also a two time cancer survivor. She had breast and colon cancer, followed by a brain tumor. She also had a positive attitude and was very amazed and grateful for our dedication to the cause.Interactions like these are very valuable to us as they really make our ride and our cause more personal. As the ride goes on, we have more and more specific people to think about and to ride for when the heat or hills get particularly exhausting. Thank you to everyone that has been sharing their story and inspiring us this summer! Today's portrait of Colista marked the 2012 team's 50th portrait!! We can't give enough thanks to the people who've been so willing to share their stories with us. It makes a huge difference to the team. Thanks for everything!The Illini 4000
Rapid City!
Today was a short day from Wall to Rapid City, SD. It was our first time biking on the shoulder of the interstate. It was a very hot day and many of us got flat tires throughout the ride, but all in all it was a good ride.At the stayover, we interviewed Leon who saw us biking today and then met us at a dollar store. He was amazed by what we were doing and met us later to learn more about our cause and to share his inspiring story of his cancer, two surgeries and how his grandson got him back on his feet after these challenges.The community of the United Methodist Church, where we are staying, provided us with a wonderful dinner, and we are so grateful for that! After dinner, our ride leader also organized and decorated the room for our Illini 4000 prom. We all dressed up in things we found in thrift stores along the way, took pictures, danced a little and went out to explore Rapid City! Looking forward to the event day in Rapid City tomorrow!Thanks for the support!Illini 4000
Where the heck is wall drug?!
Today was amazing and, for many of us, the best day so far! The morning went fairly smoothly, except for one group that had 3 flats in the first 15 miles. However, they also had a good time as one of the flats resulted in them discovering a ghost town called Okaton. We went through the beautiful badlands, climbing many rocks and taking tons of pictures. Through the badlands we had water stops every ten miles due to the extreme heat, but it was definitely worth it! During the last ten miles we got caught in a storm with very strong winds and painfully large raindrops. We fought through it though and ended the day with a hot cup of coffee and some donuts a the much anticipated Wall Drug store.Along the ride we talked to many cancer survivors and other tourists all of whom were very motivating and inspiring. Thank you to everyone that supported us us during this hot and hilly day! Also great thanks to Wall Drug for donating our breakfast donuts and Roger Dyson for buying the entire team pizza tonight! Thanks also to Charles Staben for doing an incredible portrait. Off to Rapid City!Much love,Illini 4000
Smooth rollin'
Today we had a 89.6 mile ride from Stephen to Murdo,SD. On the way we saw some horses and tried to chase them for some pictures. We also saw ponies and alpacas a few miles later! The ride went smoothly, despite it being above 100 degrees out and grasshoppers hopping all over the street and hitting our bikes. In the end we all made it and a lot of us went out for icecream to celebrate.We'd like to give special thanks to the family that stopped to helped us out this morning, as well as the gas station that kindly gave us ice to cool our water at the lunch stop! We'd also like to thank Murdo Drive-In for providing us with such great ice cream! Thanks also to the Buffalo Bar for providing us with food donations, and the United Methodist Church for letting us sleep there!With love,The Illini 4000
Across Borders
Today was a short 35 mile ride into Stephan from Mitchell. After the first few miles of the ride, the team began to notice a very prominent change in the landscape as we rolled into the true American west. The scenery was very inspiring and for many riders marked the beginning of what may be the most memorable part of the ride. About half way through the ride the team stopped at a hotel in a town called Fort Thompson to meet with many Native American residents who had experiences with cancer to conduct portraits. We learned a great deal about the ways cancer has impacted the lives of these members of the Sioux Nation. We continued our ride into the Native American reservation into Stephan, South Dakota. We were given a great dinner of spaghetti, vegitables and garlic bread! We were also visited by Jeff Swansen, a local Souix resident who showed the team his traditional native American regalia and talked about his culture and the state of modern Native American reservations. Tomorrow the team will roll out to Murdo, South Dakota. Until then, thanks for reading!Thanks for the support!Illini 4000
A Quick Ride to Chamberlain
Hey all,A few weeks ago the team decided unanimously to split our crazy 110 mile ride to Stefan, SD into two days with an added stay-over in Chamberlain. With most of the team rolling in at about 2, the free afternoon was full of thrift shopping and strolling along Chamberlain’s one street business center. The team was greeted with an amazing amount of kindness from the Chamberlain community including the Zion Lutheran Church allowing us to stay on such short notice, and Maria’s delicious and much appreciated dinner. We also got to meet with Mike Tyrell, the father of Izzy Tyrell, who the 2010 team met to do a portrait! With a place to sleep and our bellies full, the team will spend the night relaxing and recovering from the early wake up and the headwinds we endured today.Tomorrow we are off to Stefan (with a 6:30 wake up!!!) to learn more about this country’s Native American history, but we would like to thank the Chamberlain community once last time for their hospitality! Day 34 here we come!Much Love,The Illini 4000P.S. The team received their first rattlesnake tutorial after dinner, and are fully prepared (also slightly scared) for the western wildlife!
The 13th State
Today is our third night in South Dakota, the 13th state we've gone through on this trip. The past three days of riding were made much easier by very strong tailwinds, but today the winds shifted and we had to deal with some headwinds and crosswinds. We had a wonderful time on our day off in Rochester, Minnesota. Rochester Fest was going on while we were in the city, so we were able to enjoy some live country music and great street food. We also were given a wonderful tour of the Mayo Clinic's cancer center. South Dakota has been good to us so far, and I'm really looking forward to getting to Stephan tomorrow and staying on a Native American reservation. It should be a great experience, and I'm sure we will meet some fascinating people.
Making Our Way to Mitchell
Greetings to all our loyal readers,Today saw the team make a 73 mile ride from the city of Sioux Falls, South Dakota to Mitchell, South Dakota. The day was made fairly relaxed by a helpful tail wind. We rode through many interesting towns on our way to the Mitchell Christian School.The team had a very interesting visit to Avera Queen of Peace cancer center, where we learned a great deal about the treatment of different types of cancer through chemotherapy and radiation. The town of Mitchell is also home to the Corn Palace, which is a one of a kind tourist attraction that some of the riders visited. Over one ton of nails, staples, and wire are used to fasten the corn and grasses to the walls!The team also received generous food donations from Culver's, Corona Village and the cancer center. We enjoyed a great meal and also experienced downtown Mitchell. Tomorrow we head to Chamberlain, South Dakota, including a 5 AM wake up to beat the heat!Until then, thanks for everything!The Illini 4000
South Dakota!
Hey I4K friends, family, and fans!Today the team rode a long day (93 miles!) out of Jackson, Minnesota to Sioux Falls, South Dakota. South Dakota marks the 14th state border I4K has crossed since our journey began 31 days ago. Minnesota had some memorable moments since we climbed out of the Mississippi Valley and made our way across the state. We can attest to the state motto “10,000 Lakes” as every day at least one team found a lake to jump into for an afternoon swim to escape the heat. Minnesota proved to be a great experience for the team as we make our way out of the Midwest.And now we find ourselves in South Dakota (“Great Faces, Great Places”)! We were treated to an amazing dinner by our generous host at Zion Lutheran Church. Much of the team made it out to the infamous Sioux Falls for a spectacular waterfall view and some much needed relaxation. The team is more than ready for what this new state has to offer. We would like to thank the Zion Lutheran Church again for the wonderful meal, the local YWCA of Sioux Falls for allowing us some much needed showers, and everyone we talked to on the road for your kindness. Looking forward to continued tailwinds tomorrow!Much Love,I4K
Magical Moments in Minnesota: Where Dreams Come True
We woke up today in Albert Lea, MN (pronounced Lee as in Fee, like Casey. Not like Princess Leia from Star Wars. You're welcome for clearing it up.) At our usual morning preride huddle, we were encouraged to partake in a scavenger hunt of sorts, and as a result we had one of our most I4Komplished days so far, collecting over $150 dollars and 3 portraits all on the road! First we talked with Mike Holland, whose grandson underwent chemotherapy for a rare blood disease. After a sucessful bone marrow transplant, he is now fully recovered. Later, we talked with Jeri Morris, a stomach cancer survivor that was treated at the Mayo Clinic that we visited at the same time as her brother fought colon cancer. She is now interested in cancer research and advocacy. Lastly, we talked with Sammy Jo Helmers, whose grandmother is fighting cancer and whose mother survived ovarian cancer, but has recently had a relapse.BIG thanks to Larry, owner of the Bike Shoppe in Fairmont, MD. He provided us ice cold water, great cycling advice, wonderful conversation & encouragement for our journey (and in return we bought ALL of his cycling caps!). Another thanks to El Agave for feeding lunch to some of our riders. Finally, we are extremely grateful to First Baptist Church in Jackson for housing us for the night. We couldn't do this trip without the generosity of our stay over hosts!Tomorrow we hit up the eternal South Dakota. We'll keep you updated the whole way!You stay classy, friends and family,The Illini 4000
Catching Up
Just a heads up this blog might be a bunch of random, tangent thoughts because I've been meaning to write for days but the internet is far and in between. FIRST, I want to acknowledge how great my family is. Riding into Chicago was so great. Seeing Lake Michigan, riding along Lake Shore Drive and seeing the skyline, which I have all done before, was ten times more exciting because we had made it there from NYC on bike. ON BIKE! Even though all of those things were amazing, seeing my Mom waiting at the Bean made me feel like I was home. She even brought me a Take 5 bar =DBeing home was kind of a tease though. My comfy couch and my own bed! Seeing my dad and brother. Playing wizard! All my friends coming over to see me for 2 hours being heading out on the road again. At least I know I have something great to come home to =) But what I really want to emphasize is how much the small things mean and how much my family being there for me keeps me going on this ride. My little brother even rode my old purple mountain bike on the ride along for 25 miles! I feel like this blog isn't capturing what I want it to about how grateful I am and how much everything and everybody meant to me in Chicago. So thank you!!!On another note, I cannot believe we are going to be in South Dakota tomorrow! This ride is already flying by way too fast. It is remarkable how many people we have met along the way. Random store owners that have been touched by cancer and tell us their story, friends of pastors who let us swim in their pools and share their stories about being touched by cancer, and even the church janitor who brought me to tears telling his story of being a caretaker for both his parents. It is no secret that too many people have stories but hearing them on a day to day basis in the most ordinary of places really reminds me of how badly this disease needs to be beaten.And random side note: For the first time, a few us ran 1.5 ish miles to a DQ (needed a motivating destination) after our 85 mile day. Guess which one was harder? Chicago half here I come!OH also, ate pasta and lentils for dinner for the first time tonight! Just goes to show how generous communities and individuals have been for the past 30 days and how spoiled we have been. A sincere thank you for reminding me how much good is out there.
And the Minnesota lakehopping continues
Today, the team endeavored 71 miles from Rochester, MN to Albert Lea, MN. The temperature was a little cooler and we experienced rain for the first time in weeks! Although normally this weather might be viewed as a burden, the team viewed it as a refreshing change from the hot days in Wisconsin. We really enjoyed seeing a few of Minnesota's 10,000 lakes. About 55 miles in, at Shaw Automotive in Geneva, MN, two of the ride groups met Tracy Shaw, who lost her four-year-old son to cancer. Another ride group connected with motorcyclists who were also riding across the country to help fight cancer. All in all, the team collected a total of $195 in donations on the road today, our most lucrative day of the ride so far!A big thanks to Shaw Automotive for letting us chill in their shop for so long, for sharing their story, and for allowing us to play with their dog Sam. Another thanks to the Geneva Foods and Deli across the street for their kind conversation and great coffee. We'd also like to give a shoutout to the Illinois alumni we met at the Dairy Queen in Albert Lea. And of course, a huge thank you to First Lutheran Church on Clark Street in Albert Lea for generously providing us with a pizza dinner and for hosting us for the night, as well as to all of the community members who came out to the church to say hello and talk about the cause with us.Peace, love, and tailwinds!~The Illini 4000 Bike TeamFun fact: Minnesota has more shoreline than California, Florida, and Hawaii combined! The more you know, I4K style.
Reaping the Riches of Rochester
Well...today was a very good day in sunny sunny Rochester. Let's start at the beginning. We slept in until 8:30am today! (it was a welcome break from our normal 6am wake up) By 9:30 we headed over to the American Cancer Society HopeLodge located in the heart of the city. After a couple of hours of getting to know some of the ACS visitors and collecting an incredible portait, we all dispersed to explore the city and do personal chores as needed. In the evening, several riders headed over to country night, an exciting evening of entertainment provided by the festivities of Rochesterfest (Iron Horse played and NAILED IT!) All in all, a day off of riding has proved very very very beneficial for our legs.Thanks and love to the ACS HopeLodge. It was wonderful to see a thriving outlet of hope that we enthusiastically support.Also thank you to Calvary Episcopal Church for opening their doors and hosting us for two nights!Iron Horse, you rock.<3 I4K
When the going gets tough...
We've gone west! Today was the first day that I've looked at the map from the website in a very long time, and it blew my mind that we've already gone through so many blue dots. Go team! It hit me even harder to realize how many blue dots we have left: so many more days of hills, wind, cows, rest stops, bikes, portraits, and all of the other things we go travel through every day. Yesterday was the first truly mentally challenging day I've had since Philadelphia. The pure amount of headwinds, hills, sun, and just overall torture of 77 miles really got to me for the first time in a long time. Never before have I asked myself what I'm doing here. I've never wondered if I would've been better off spending my summer at home, working or researching or spending the time with my farm, my family, and my friends. I've never contemplated why on Earth I'm spending 6-10 hours a day on my bicycle, with the same 27 people, every single day. Yesterday I did. I spent more than a few miles feeling incredibly sorry for myself: my knee hurt, my back hurt, breathing hurt, not breathing hurt, pedaling hurt, not pedaling hurt. I was sunburned, hungry, bleeding (only a little), dizzy, sick, and more exhausted than when we rolled through the Appalachians. The motivation to roll on, to keep pedaling, just wasn't there. I couldn't dig deep enough to make the day be as beautiful as every other day has been. Something snapped yesterday that made me wonder why everyone thinks that what we were doing is so amazing. Yesterday certainly didn't feel amazing. It basically only felt like hell.Since we rolled into Rochester last night, I've questioned how I could feel so awful all day yesterday. I realized that I was right about one thing:What I'm doing, Illini 4000, isn't that amazing.If you compare the trials that we go through each day, it doesn't even begin to compare to what the people I've met so far on this trip have gone through. Every member of the team has been affected by cancer in some way, but so has almost every person I've met across the country. Just a few days ago, I was standing in a gas station and met Russ Wooten, whose grandson was diagnosed with cancer at age 10. He said that it was worse than being punched in the face; it brought him to his knees. I also met Chris Schubert, who was kind enough to allow us to swim in his pool and do laundry at his house, whose daughter was diagnosed with cancer at age 16. Even today, I met with Robin, my roommate/best friend's mom, to talk about Robin's sister, Lisa, who is currently being treated at Mayo Clinic. I also met Bill Brown, who was recently diagnosed with an extremely rare form of cancer, and is currently at the Hope Lodge in Rochester, while his two kids are at home while he goes through treatment.Compared to what these families, and SO many others, went through and still go through on a daily basis, biking 77 miles uphill into the wind just doesn't seem that bad. We're here by choice. I signed up to bike 77 miles, uphill, into the wind everyday if that's what the route and weather say to do. Cancer patients don't have any choice. The fight they have every day is MUCH more than the fight I go through. I can see the tops of hills, I can stop pedaling, I can take a break and eat a snack. People battling cancer don't have the choice to stop working. So, when you look at the battles that are fought every day, by people who by no means chose to fight it, biking every day just isn't something that's amazing. It's hard work, certainly, but it's nothing in comparison.
Hope Lodge in Rochester
I was grateful again today that I could meet people who has beautiful mind through I4k.Today we met this beautiful lady Carol who has spent 8 months at Hope Lodge. She was about to get her treatment and we could talked to her for a while before her treatment. We were looking at the map which shows where their patients are from. She pointed Florida where she is from. She came up to Rochester to get treatment according to her physician's recommendation. She was spending time here with her husband who is her caretaker. She said how beautiful her hometown in Florida is. She thanked what we are doing and was close to tears and so was I.Every time I meet this people, they thank us and I think that how lucky we are to meet these wonderful people. All we can do for them is to do what we have been preparing for a year and keep rolling. They don't know how much they inspire us and we appreciate them telling us their stories. I would love to thank all people that told us their stories.
Riding through the headwinds
Finally, we are in Rochester, Minnesota. We climbed up the Mississippi Valley yesterday and I would say that it was totally worth it. The view from the top was awesomee!! Now, the hills are coming back and it's getting harder, but I will always keep in mind why I am riding. This will get me through many mental and physical challenges.
100 Miles. Uphill. Into the wind.
Throughout this summer we have had a few days that have been especially tough. The long days when the wind is gusting at 30 mph, it is an average of 93 degrees, and the hills never seem to end. We usually describe these as stated above.There is no denying these days are hard. There are times when you are pushing as hard as you can go and you are still climbing at a pace of 6 mph. When times like this hit, we rely on each other as a team. The tough days would be so much tougher without the support of our teammates. We usually end up throwing together remixes of ‘Call Me Maybe’ pertaining to each state we are in, or having in depth conversations about our hometown differences, and sometimes we end up yelling ’My Cows!’ at each farm we go by. It never really matters what we are doing, we are ultimately together as a team helping each other through the tough days.Many of my teammates have been on teams before, and I believe that helped us to start functioning as a unit starting with the train ride to NYC. And whenever we have those few quite miles I often think about our team dynamic. Every person on our team has something very unique they contribute, but we are all here for the same reasons.Usually when I sit back and think about my i4k team and my experiences I have had throughout the summer, I go back to my high school basketball team and think about how grateful I am to my coaches and team. My basketball team was very successful all throughout my high school career, and although I was not the star player by any means, that did not deter me from enjoying every minute of it. I had the same coaches and played with the same girls from 5th grade until I graduated. They became my second family. I4k reminds me a lot of that, except in fast forward, but being together every minute of every day pushes you pretty close pretty fast. I4k has undoubtedly become my third family.I love having my I4k family, and I ultimately have my basketball family to thank for that. My coaches, Dave and Missy, taught me everything I know about hard work and determination. These are the people that molded me into the person that applies to ride her bike across the country to fight for cancer research. They are the ones that put us on the line and made us run those sprints over and over again, but only to strengthen us for when it mattered. They showed us that we can still have a blast while working hard. They are also the ones who cared for us like a family, who reminded us to be home at a reasonable time because we had practice early the next morning, who made sure we got home when the weather was bad, who was not afraid to talk to us when they thought we could be making better choice, and who lead by example.Every day I am riding to raise money for cancer research and patient support services, to document the American cancer experience, and to spread hope across the nation. Everyone is affected in some way and I have the ability to contribute to lowering that number. That is why I ride.Dave, Missy, and my team taught me to push myself. They showed me the rewards in putting your heart into what you care about and giving it your all. They proved to me that a determined group of kids can accomplish something big when everyone is looking out for everyone else and functioning as a team. This is why I have the mental capability to ride.We are just over a third of the way into the journey, every day has been incredible, and I cannot wait to see what the rest of the summer has in store for us as we head west. I am so thankful to all my families. I could not be doing this without the support of my parents, the lessons learned from my coaches, or the support from the team.You are the people that have made me who I am.Thank you.-Ashley Young
My Hero
As I sit here in the lap of luxury in a coffee shop with a drink, wi-fi, and chamois-less shorts; today has left me with a lot to think about. (If you know me, you know thinking is a favorite hobby of mine.) Today we rode through beautiful Minnesota. It was a different Minnesota than the one I had previously known; there were no dense forests, an abundance of lakes, or rock faces. Instead, there were rolling hills dotted with cattle (My cow!) and farmland framed by wispy clouds gently pardoning their way through the early morning air. It was a beautiful and comparatively cool day completed by my first experience with bagged milk and none other than That Store in Utica, where we found a plethora of colorful purchases that totaled to no more than ten dollars for our entire group of five. As we completed our ride with our newly purchased gold, leather, and hot pink fanny packs strapped onto our hips, we prepared for the next activity of the day; a visit to the Mayo Clinic Cancer Center.In particular, as we toured the radiation treatment area of the clinic, my thoughts went straight to my sister. Even though over the years, they have been able to employ newer technologies and comforting touches, it was still breaking my heart that children in particular had to go through this; had to lie in a room alone, barely able to move, as these massive machines moved around trying to cure them of this thing, this cancer. My sister at one point was receiving two radiation treatments a day and was determined to continue going to school the whole time. It blows my mind that such a young person was able to display such determination, faith, strength, and hope. Even though she eventually lost her battle with cancer just before her twelfth birthday, she is a hero and role model in my life. I can only hope to be a fraction of the person she was.I’m riding a bike across America, which admittedly is really rad, but all the credit should go to every fighter and survivor out there because that’s what you are; you are warriors.
Kwik Trip, We'll Miss You: AKA Goodbye WI, Hello MN!
Today we rode 77 miles from La Crosse, WI over the border to Rochester, MN! We met up with Pastor Taylor at the top of a very large hill, and he wished us well for the rest of our ride. The view of the Mississippi valley was amazing! Our first rest stop was at a Kwik Trip (I4K has become huge fans of KT!!). From there we met many hills and strong winds, until we rolled into beautiful Rochester. Shortly after all of the groups arrived, we were given a tour of the Mayo Clinic by Tammy, Tammy, and Sarah (thanks guys!). From perusing the library and hearing about art therapy to beholding complex medical machinery, we learned SO much about cancer treatments and the extensive work accomplished by the dedicated professionals at Mayo.A big thanks to Kwik Trip! We loved devouring your bagged milk :)That Place In Utica was AMAZING. Now we all have sweet duds for I4K Prom. And last but certainly not least, thanks to the Mayo Clinic for showing us around the beautiful new facilities. Seeing the clinic and all the programs for cancer patients really helped reconnect us to the cause! Thanks for all the continued support,Illini 4000
The West Awaits
We are now in La Crosse Wisconsin, and tomorrow we will be crossing the border into the 12th state of this trip, Minnesota. The first 1/3 of the trip has really flow by, and it's hard to believe that it was four weeks ago that we all set off on a train fr New York City and began this amazing journey. The eastern part of the U.S. has been very good to us. We've been spoiled by amazing food and hospitality at our stay overs, and by our recent stops in both Champaign and Chicago. Being back on the U of I campus was a wonderful homecoming for us all. It was so strange riding in on the same roads that we had ridden so many times before during training rides. I got to spend a wonderful day and a half at home with my family, and I enjoyed a nice long shower and great food. But now we are on to the second leg of our journey, and I am extremely excited for what lies ahead. We may lose some of the comforts that we've enjoyed in the east, but the west promises to be magnificently beautiful. Tommorow we will cross the Mississppi river, an I'm sure we will find some amazing things on the other side.