...where you meet your best friends...where you learn what the word "team" truly means...where you are humbled and inspired...where talking to strangers isn't necessarily a bad thing...where those strangers become friends...where "home" becomes the place where your bike and your teammates are...where you see parts of the U.S. no other tourists actually see...where "the country" becomes the people who inhabit it and give it character...where you learn to see the country through its people's eyes...where you discover those people makeup an incredibly diverse group...where every hill is just a bump in the road...where everyday is a new day
Day 10: No Longer in an Empire State of Mind
Start/End: Westfield, NY/Ashtabula, OHMiles: 75+Weather: Chilly and cloudy but overall niceTo start off, I want to make sure that everyone knows that Illini 4000 is totally all over social media. If you are looking for photos of the trip (lots of group pictures!) can be found at Instagram.com/Illini4000 . So feel free to explore that!Ok. Now to today. This morning we were so spoiled by the First United Methodist Church that provided us with cereal, milk, juice, bagels, cream cheese and bananas. It was amazing. A member from the church also came to check in on us and also to share her story with how cancer has impacted her life. We are so thankful that she was willing to do this.Our ride this morning was dedicated to Javier, an uncle of a rider who passed away from cancer four years ago. Cancer is just so widespread and impactful that it is heartbreaking. So today, this ride was for Javier.It was cold and misty when we started the ride. All of our riders put some oil on the chains and prepped our bikes for the ride. And with that, we were ready to go! Right out of town, we passed a Welch's factory! We eat so much jelly at lunch....good thing to keep in mind. At first I thought this was an odd place for this factory until the next several miles (like 30) were just filled with vineyards. It was a beautiful view to see rows of grapevines in front of Lake Erie. There were also just so many beautiful houses overlooking the lake, many having watchtower/lighthouse fixtures built into the house. They were beautiful.And then we passed our first state line, if you don't include our short hop into New Jersey. We passed through all of Pennsylvania today- feeling rather accomplished. We stopped for lunch midway through the ride at the Lincoln Community Center, the public library. They opened up a room for us to sit in out of the cold and eat our sandwiches. That was so incredibly kind of them. Thank you!Before too long we entered into Ohio! Not long after crossing the state line, my group saw a groundhog in the distance....I am pretty sure that Puxatawnee Phil was on vacation or running away...or secretly a buckeye. But don't tell anyone.It was a very fast day for the group that I was in, and many groups really just knocked out the ride today. Yesterday we got some rest in our muscles that made us all just ready to go. We were thankful that it was not raining.Also, if anyone is riding next year, I challenge you to count the number of ice cream parlors that you pass on the ride. From an economic standpoint, it is remarkable how many ice cream shops exist. Crazy.It is an early evening, but many of us are headed to bed a little early. Tomorrow we will get to Cleveland! But for tonight, we are staying in the generosity of our hosts at the First Presbyterian Church in Ashtabula!-LAH
Improvisation
Assistant Ride Leader's Log. Bike Date 9.15-05-31.21:55After several fairly uneventful days as the team has started to hit a routine, quite the curve ball was thrown today. Ashley, one of the current directors of Illini 4000, sent us out into the world on our own after being kind enough to devote a week of her time to getting our team to adjust to the Illini 4000 lifestyle. Unfortunately, this also coincided with a weather forecast of really cold, very windy, and raining. The Enterprise and the other members of the fleet braved the conditions until mile 25 of 90, where it was deemed unsafe to continue. In spite of being stuck inside as the van is making trips back forth to get everyone to Westfield, today ended up being yet another fun day of Illini 4000. In the end, we did what needed to be done to keep the team safe, which is what I admire about the leadership of Illini 4000. Fingers crossed the rain will hold off tomorrow!
Day 9: Slowing Down and Shuttling
Start/End: Niagara Falls/Westfield, NYMiles: 25-92Weather: We'll get to that...Today we woke up at the First Presbyterian Church in Niagara Falls ready to start a great day. This was a great location for us that was really welcoming to us, and in a great location in proximity to the Falls! We had a great route planned that would follow the Canadian-US border! Our ride today was dedicated to a organization's friend from U of I whose mom passed away from brain cancer about 2 years ago.The ride started off at a temperature of about 45 degrees. So...a little chilly. Additionally there was light rain, but definitely nothing too challenging. Some of our training rides this spring were pretty cold, wet and windy. But as the ride went on, the the rain increased and our hands got colder, our clothes even wetter. Around mile 20, my group pulled off the route into a McDonald's in Buffalo, NY. It was cold and some folks were just not feeling awesome. Our group thought we had filled behind, but most groups had already pulled off and was across the street at a Tim Hortons warming up. Others were at a Burger King not too far up. We are so thankful for these restaurants for being welcoming to such cold, wet cyclists. We eventually had to make it at least to the same location at mile 25, so eventually we had to go back in the cold for just a little longer.We stopped at the gift shop in Buffalo, NY for the Naval & Military Museum, attached to a restaurant called 716. They were really accommodating and let us hang out in a corner for several hours. At this point, the decision was made to shuttle the team and the bicycles to our final destination so that we were safe and healthy. This was definitely a hard decision to make that the team doesn't take lightly but was the best decision in this situation. It took several trips to get all bikes and all riders safely to the final destination. Everyone is now dry and warm...a much better state than we were a few hours ago.We are incredibly thankful for the generous pizza donations that we got to feed the team from CJ' Pizza & Subs in Westfield as well as Pizza Village in Dunkirk, NY. These were absolutely amazing after a pretty tough day.Tonight we are staying at the First United Methodist Church in Westfield, NY which has been amazing. It is a great facility with so many different rooms that we can stay in and spread out and keep warm. They have a fireplace which has been so useful for warming our selfs and drying out some of our clothes. Additionally, they have given us some coupons for some yummy treats at the McDonald's across the street! Many of the group is headed out now. Very excited to eat the wonderful breakfast tomorrow that they have left for us.Now that everyone is back, we have to do some slight reassembly of the bicycles so that we can be ready to ride again tomorrow. Looks like it is going to be cold, but hopefully not rainy! And, we will be leaving New York and hoping for a more smooth ride.-LAH
day 8: Fighting the Wind to get to the Falls
Start/End: Rochester/Niagara Falls, NYMileage: 86+Weather: Rather warm. Very windy, great clouds!Today was our 7th day riding. One week in the saddle. This has been quite a ride and I am so glad to say that we have all made it and are in good shape. Some of our bikes are in much rougher shape, but hopefully they will be fixed in no time with everyone back on their bikes.Today we were so excited to make it to our destination that we woke up at 4:55, leaving the church at 6 AM, one hour earlier than normal. This was good for a few reasons, but one meant that we dealt with less traffic and less wind earlier in the day. Our ride was dedicated to a rider's family friend who recently passed away from cancer earlier this week.The ride was probably the most flat route that we have had all summer and it was refreshing and relaxing to our muscles which were not strained to climb big hills. At the very beginning of the ride, we passed by Rochester's airport and a plane passed directly over my riding group- it was so loud and big.Other highlights from the day include lunch. We stopped in a town called Medina,Monica is a cute, historic looking town. There was a small courtyard with old time music playing across from a historic opera house. Many of the riders indulged in a small ice cream cone from Meggie Moo's. Let me tell you. This was the biggest cone I have ever eaten and the price was ridiculously amazing ($1.75). I am slightly surprised that I had no after effects from the ice cream when we had 45 miles left to ride.We passed through towns like Gasport where the population was "Just about right" and later came upon Lockport, the location of our final rest stop for the day. Riding into town, a cookout fundraiser was going on and this man was holding a huge rack of ribs out with him by the street to attract more customers. Smelled amazing, but we kept going. While at our rest stop, we were able to see one of the Erie Canal locks drain and fill back up. They are huge.Riding into Niagara Falls, we followed the Historic Niagara Trail. Once everyone was in, we went to the falls and took a team picture. Next we ate an amazing dinner that was generously provided by the Church of Faith Love Center, whom we stayed with yesterday. We had pasta and bread, with our additional lentils. Yum!Afterwards, many of us got to do some fun activities and explore the area. It's been a fun day, despite the huge headwinds, but it has certainly been a fun,successful journey. Tomorrow is another long day of riding and more sleep is never a bad thing, so I am going to hit the hay.-LAH
Blog Location Note
Hi Friends,For some of you, you may be wondering, what happened to Lauraleigh's blogging, but I want to let you know that it is still happening just in a slightly different location. I am blogging through the front page of the website (illini4000.org) and my blogs can be found under the news and events. I try to sign my blog posts with my initials, but will be retaining my format for posts, with the day, title, start/end, mileage etc. let me know if you have any questions through the comments below and thanks for reaching out! I do apologize for any confusion.Happy trails!
Day 7: Mix of Riding and Interaction
Start/End: Palmyra/Rochester, NYMileage: 25Weather: pleasantToday was a very busy day. We combined 20 miles of riding with a bunch of great events. We have a very early start to the day so I may keep this a little bit brief and then return to add details later, as I took many notes throughout the day so that I could remember things!The ride this morning was dedicated to Mike, a local newscaster (in Palmyra) who had passed away from a type of colon cancer a few years ago. He was very well known throughout the community and well remembered.Many of the team members who qualify must, at a time, rotate through the responsibility of van driving. Today was my chance to drive the van! Part of this task is to follow the cues for biking to make sure that the route is available for the riders and correct. Sometimes construction can block a route or make it unsafe, so a re-route is required. Today, part of the ride was on a bike trail, so obviously the van could not check that path very well. Despite some construction on the path with being closed, all the riders made it safely to our stay over. During the ride, our riders encountered another cyclist from Wisconsin who was riding from there to New York with all of their belongings on their bike. This young woman was a friend and future roommate of one of our cyclists, so that was super cool to run into her and have someone know about our organization.After rolling into our stay over, the Church of Love Faith Center we enjoyed our lunch, which was the Chipotle burritos that were generously donated to us. This was a very wonderful donation appreciated by all and we are so thankful for the generosity of restaurants and businesses.Afterwards, our group split up on two very different journeys. One group travelled to the Gilda Club while the other went to the American Cancer Society Hope Lodge. I want to stress that both of these organizations were incredibly generous with their time in showing us about their organization and facility in addition to organizing portraits for us to collect on our trip. Additionally, they both we so generous in providing us with some great snacks for our afternoon to prepare us for our walk to the University of Rochester where we met a current Principle Investigator (PI), or a professor who runs a research lab and one of her current post-doctoral students. Both were fortunate to have been/currently be a Damon Runyon fellow. They spoke about their research work and answered questions that we had.I will be adding more about the Gilda Club and Hope Lodge once I speak with more riders about their experiences, since I do not posses the power of time travel, so watch for an updated version (see below).For dinner, we enjoyed some wonderful dishes prepared by Pastabilities in Rochester that were generously provided. There were quite a few great types of pasta, and again we just cannot thank these businesses enough.All in all, still doing great. We are so excited be biking to Ankara Falls tomorrow that we are waking up an hour early so that everyone can hopefully get to spend some time at the falls. Tomorrow's update should be fun, may be slightly delayed because it is a very long day....-LAHGilda's Club and Hope LodgeSo this part of the post was added later, but I really wanted to make sure that I spoke about our visit to the American Cancer Society's Hope Lodge and Gilda's Club in Rochester, NY.The American Cancer Society has Hope Lodges across the country near cancer treatment centers in order to provide housing for patients and caregivers who must travel a large distance to receive treatments. They are similar in concept to Ronald McDonald houses, if you are familiar with those. But they are set up like a hotel, in a way, where each patient can have a room with their own bathroom, all designed around the comfort of a patient receiving cancer treatments. There are also many community areas so that visitors can interact with each other. The facility had a library and a kitchen for the guests to eat in- many of the meals during the week are prepared for by volunteer groups, though the option exists for guests to prepare and keep their own food. All of the appliances in the kitchen and laundry room are provided by Whirlpool across each of the locations and refreshed every few years so that things do not break with their extensive use. ACS also has a "Look Good, Feel Better" program, which allows patients to pick out a wig free of charge if they are going through a treatment where they experience hair loss. This can be very tough for a patient, so this is just a great service. Many of the wigs are donated through Pantene Beautiful Lengths program, which is where some of the members of Illlini 4000 have made hair donations to in the past! The Hope Lodge was just amazing, though, and made getting the proper treatments easier and hassle-free for patients.Part of our group visited Gilda's Club, a clubhouse of sorts which is named for Gilda Radner, the late comedian who passed away from cancer. It is a cozy house setting, as opposed to a sterile environment where patients ages 3 and beyond can come for various types of programming free of charge. There are support groups, but their are also different classes for hobbies offered, such as art or cooking. There are rooms that are geared towards different age groups so that folks of all walks of life can be welcomed. I did not personally go to Gilda's Club, but the group that went really enjoyed their tour and experience of the facility and even got some great t-shirts to commemorate their visit!Both of our hosts for this day's activities were incredibly generous with their time and in providing us refreshments throughout the day. We really did learn a lot about part of the cancer community that many of us had not experienced before, so we are glad to have made such wonderful connections in Rochester and look forward to possibly seeing them again on future trips with Illini 4000!
Building for Days to Come
Assistant Ride Leader's Log. Bike Date 5.15-05-28.22:20Yesterday and today were days that demonstrated exactly how much the team has learned already in terms of what needs to be done in terms of logisitics as well as how to improve as a cyclist. On day 1, even the slightest incline would seem huge. Now I know I can get up them so long as I just keep breathing, pedaling, and using my full range of gears.Tomorrow we are going to do a super short ride of about 25 miles so we can visit a hope lodge and meet with some Daymun Runyon researchers. I'm not quite sure what to expect as I've never seen anyone as they are undergoing cancer treatment. I hope that I am able to find a way to make my visit pleasant and give off good vibes without annoying or exhausting who I'm talking to. Fingers crossed!
Day 6: A Nice Path Forward
Start/End: Syracuse/Palmyra, NYMileage: 65 milesWeather: overcast & cool, with warming later in the dayYesterday at dinner, our team was told that today we would be riding 65 miles, which was met with cheers and sighs of relief. This is funny because if you had told me a year ago that I would find riding 65 miles in a single day easy, I would have told you that we likely were not understanding each other. But nonetheless, we started the day at the usual time and we're delighted to find that members of St. Paul's Episcopal church had prepared a bountiful breakfast with muffins and pastries, fruit, yoghurt and a wide selection of juices, which were very appreciated. They showed us so much kindness during our stay.Today our ride was dedicated to a rider's friend's step-mother who passed away peacefully in her sleep 2 nights ago. She had battled cancer and had been in remission when the disease returned. She left behind a wonderful family, who were definitely in our thoughts today as we rode.We started our "short" ride in Syracuse, which was a little chaotic because of street construction, road closures and some traffic. It was totally manageable for our team of pros, though. After getting out of town, we realized that we had a really solid headwind (I.e. We were biking into the wind). This was challenging, but a part of our journey since our route goes east to west. It was also rather chilly, which was definitely new for us on this trip. During our first rest stop about 20 miles in, many of us grabbed jackets for the remainder of the ride. At the rest stop, we got a chance to speak with many local community members who were visiting a local shop and tell them about our organization. One cashier who I spoke to actually had a friend who was a cancer survivor who ran across the country with a relay team to fight cancer. And we thought biking was hard....The ride was a good mix of rolling hills and countryside, with a few larger hills interspersed. There are so many farms in this region- it almost reminds me of home, except there are way more trees and hills.We did continue near the Erie Canal Trailway, though most groups stuck to riding on the road, where it was nicely paved. The only small downfall was the occasional roadkill. This is not uncommon, but today we saw many frogs who had met their end...which really led some in my riding group to wonder if frogs were falling from the sky....At lunchtime, we at in a town square near Clyde's Famous Mineral Spring, or so it was labelled; however, it sadly did not work....and we filled up our water bottles the conventional way.Unfortunately at that point, I needed to take a break due to knee trouble from a pre-existing injury and rode in the van and got to see what the role of the van driver is, especially when arriving at the stay over location. Riders who qualify will rotate through this position throughout the trip.Tonight we are staying at Cross Creek Free Methodist Church which prepared some awesome camping showers, fluffy towels, great snacks and a delicious, warm dinner of pasta and meatballs. Additionally we do have wifi, which is always a nice perk when people can reconnect. I know some riders were using Skype and other methods to get ahold of family and friends. We continue to be so thankful to everyone who has helped us along this journey.Tomorrow we have a very short ride but lots of events planned for Rochester, so I am very excited! But in leui of this, I must get some sleep in preparation. Good night and thanks for reading :)-LAH
Five Days In
So far so good. I think everyone is starting to feel the 350+ miles we have pedaled so far. Although we are sore, we are constantly reminded of the reason for our journey between the hospitality we receive and the stories we hear. One woman we met just outside of Albany lost her nine year old son to cancer three years ago. Despite the tragedy, she created an organization dedicated to helping the community and families struggling with cancer in order to continue her son`s legacy. It was a truly inspiring story and one I though of constantly the next few days.Not only have we meet incredible people, but the team also sees some pretty amazing views. Riding through the foothills of mountains is breathtaking and the hard treck up the hills is often rewarded with a luscious view.Continuing to have a fun time with the team and getting to know all of the riders better. I could never do this without them, nor the support of friends and family. For example yesterday I had three flat tires and even though changing each flat was time consuming and difficult, it was fun with my riding buddies!Hope to write soon! Pray for wifi at more stayovers!
Day 5: A Day for Historical Perspectives
Start/End: Little Falls/Syracuse, NYMileage: 80+Weather: Partly cloudy/Isolated t-storms/Warm, kinda windyToday we started out in Little Falls with a ride dedication to Dave Benton, a local newscaster from Champaign, IL (where are group is based). A few months ago he had come out on the air that he had been diagnosed with brain cancer. Yesterday he had passed away so we thought this was a great way to remember him.Today's ride was relatively wonderful. The path continued along the Eerie Canal Trailway, though we didn't necessarily follow it the entire route. It wasn't nearly as hilly as some of the past days, though the end of the route was pretty tough in terms of hill climbing (and traffic). There was a slight concern about the weather but we only experienced a few sprinkles, while more intense rain formed behind us.Something that I have found particularly interesting is the amount of castle-like structures here. Some of the, are even labelled as castles. Yesterday we saw some beautiful mansions, or at least their driveways... This must have been a very prosperous region in the early development of e country. Today we passed the birthplace of Grover Cleveland, the 22nd and 24th president of the U.S. Yesterday we passed the home of Franklin Roosevelt, so clearly some high power in this region! Additionally, we passed a battlefield from the War of 1812. There was a nice field with a memorial obelisk to those who had fought in the battle. Can you tell that I love history?In addition to presidents, we passed through the town of Chittanango, NY, the birthplace of Frank Baum who authored the Wizard of Oz. the town had some pretty cool signs in tribute to their famous connection to such a timeless movie.Let's see.... We passed some beautiful fields of purple and yellow flowers and my group, who went slightly off-path, crossed over the Erie Canal Lock 21. It was smaller and had a bike path over it, so I don't think it was a major lock, but still pretty cool!We had a rest stop at the Erie Canal Village, which has a new owner that is working to re-do and re-establish this awesome historical park. They were super accommodating in allowing us to fill up out water coolers and use their facilities. They hope to be able to work with us in the future, either through hosting an event (potentially for portraits) or even as a place to stay. Regardless,mid you are in the area,mc heck them out! They are still looking for some funding for re-establishing the park.Today we experienced an abundance of kindness and generosity. The YMCA in Little Falls was fantastic in hosting us. Today we received very generous food donations from Chipotle and Pastabilities which we are very excited to eat. Again, we cannot stress how much we cannot do this ride without the generosity of others. Tonight we are in Syracuse at St. Paul's Episcopal Church, which has been awesome. We were able to use a neighboring YMCA to shower and the church members treated us as we rode in! Additionally, when we arrived, there were cookies and chips and all sorts of wonderful ness. We have great dishes to eat for dinner, including salad, chicken salad sandwiches, a quinoa dish and watermelon!We are so grateful to be eating well, and staying places comfortably. Thank you so much to everyone who has been so amazing. A few team members experienced an abundance of flat tires, but they are changing their tires, which will help prevent this in the future. Other than that, it was a smooth, fast day. I even took a nap before dinner, which was pretty nice. Some group members collected a portrait along the route, which is great to continue the purpose of the organization. We are all really starting to get the feel of how this summer will work out and *knock on wood*, things are going smoothly. So until tomorrow....may the winds be at your back!-LAH
Day 4: Loose Gravel
Start/End: Delmar, NY/Little Falls, NYMileage: ~75 milesWeather: Warm, humid, light showers, slightly windier than profferedI do greatly apologize but I forgot to speak about yesterday's ride dedication! Yesterday's ride was dedicated to a friend of a rider who lost his battle to stage four colon cancer this past winter. Yesterday would have been his 23rd birthday.Today. I am not sure how to start today's article because it was just great. We woke up and did all of our morning tasks, and then got a (much needed) yoga class at the Bethlehem YMCA that we stayed at. They provided us with so much wonderful food and excellent facilities, including laundry, that we are just so thankful for their support and generosity. Illini 4000 is just so grateful for people/organizations like this.Today's ride was dedicated to a rider's friend's mom who lost her battle with cancer many years ago when her son was in 8th grade. This was tough on the rider's friend to go through high school and college, and probably the rest of his life, without his Mom.After being a little bit more stretched out, we got on our bikes to start the journey. Before too long, we had a cue that instructed us to turn on a path...it was gravel...large rock gravel...but many groups powered through it deciding to do it, despite potential risks to flat tires, and remarkably, no injuries or flats! Great success. As we continued westward, we came across Albany, a rather cute town that perhaps one day would come back to visit. Grabbed our first snack break and headed off on the Erie Canal trail. This paved beautiful road was extraordinary, and we actually got to see the canal locks(where boats go through). It was a great trail until we got quite a ways away from Albany where the path is not yet paved. It had a much finer gravel which was much easier to bike across.At lunch, we got a chance to meet Sandy, a past rider/ride leader from the first and second year of the ride respectively. She was gracious enough to bring us some amazing Popsicles to help cool us down on this hot day. After lunch, Sandy joined our group and showed us how riding was really supposed to be done in a group :) She rocked at cues and it was a lot of fun to hear stories from about the first pioneering days.The end of the ride was modified on account of a mudslide, which as we were told blocked the bike trail significantly. We re-routed in different ways, but all ways were much hillier than the bike path but we all fought through until the end. Some riders have said that on e downhills they have reached 40 mph on their bikes. That is way too fast for me, and many other riders to feel comfortable, so don't worry. We are making good use of our brakes, for the most part. We are now comfortably nestled in a gym of the YMCA that is here. It is a great facility that is close to our route. We got to interact with a lot of community members and tell them about our organization, which is awesome.Illini 4000 would like to give a huge shoutout to Freeman Bridge Sports InC (www.freemanbridgesports.com and at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Freemans-Bridge-Sports/658688384178498) for repairing bikes that had needed some more intricate repairs on such short notice and for being incredibly generous with their labor. As I know I have already said before, we could not do this ride without people like you. Thank you for everything!No new injuries today that I am aware of and everyone who was injured is healing quite nicely. Great day today. Time to get some sleep!
Blast From the Past
Assistant Ride Leader's Log. Bike Date 3.15-05-26.19:40Today Tony, Lauraleigh, and I had the amazing opportunity to ride with one of the riders that rode both the first and second year of Illini 4000. Sandy was kind enough to drive an hour and a half to bring Popsicles for the entire team and they were a perfect way to cool down a bit in the 80 degree weather. I really enjoyed getting to hear about how she got involved with Illini 4000 and how she was connected to the cause. It's really amazing how a brand new organization can have a post on a cycling website that happens to be seen by a girl from New York that had been looking to do something similar for a loved one who had cancer. I hope that we get a chance to meet more and more Illini 4000 alumni over the course of the summer because you get to learn about them as a person and why they decided to dedicate their time and energy to Illini 4000. That reminder that you are doing this ride for so many more people than just yourself is what makes the difference in tackling the next big hill.
First Encounter
Assistant Ride Leader's Log. Bike Date 2.15-05-25.22:26Today the Enterprise got its first flat tire. It's an everyday thing in the cycling world and was like a 20 minute fix. I'd say it marks a milestone in me actually becoming a cyclist. The fancy shoes, padded shorts, and cool bike do not make a cyclist. If getting the gear is level 1, I'd say learning to ride while clipped in is level 2, being able to cycle as a team probably brings you up to level 3. I would like to think this brought me to a level 4. While I still have hundreds of levels to go, its learning to deal with these things that counts.Today we did our first 3 portraits of the ride. I didn't get to help interview today, but I look forward to it in the future. There are some very amazing people out there who face cancer and I'll be lucky to talk to even a few of them. After all, that is the mission of Illini 4000 and the bike Enterprise.
Day 3: A Different Kind of Memorial Day
Start/Stop: Beacon/Albany, NYCWeather: A little more bit warmer than preferredDistance: 91+ milesHappy Memorial Day! And thank you for those who have served our country and given the ultimate sacrifice.Today was an ok start to the day. We ran a tiny bit behind, but not significantly, leaving our stay over at 7:20 AM after packing up the van, eating oatmeal, and putting on lots of sunscreen.It was such a much less stressful ride today due to the difference in the road setup. We followed a state highway most of the trip which was mostly cycling friendly, and so were most of the drivers, which is always a good thing. Today came equipped with 2 major challenges: the long distance and the many hills. Some were long with a not as steep grade while others did have a steep climb. It sure tested those of us from the MidWest, not accustomed to this, but will prepare us for whatever comes.It was kind of a lot of fun today because we rode through at own just before their parade started. Some people clapped and waved at us while some kids wondered why we had no candy :) The second town with a parade had already started the parade so we had to be re-routed.mthis is always a little confusing as we are not familiar with the area- so sometimes we have to pull over and check our smartphones for mapping purposes (thanks Mom and Dad!).All in all, though, it was a good day. We had to stay very hydrated because of the heat, but that was ok.Arriving at our stay over at the Bethlehem YMCA, we found amazing food prepared for us, burgers, hotdogs, pasta, fruit, cookies and truly anything else I could've wanted. The team was fed incredibly well, then had a chance to collect some portraits for the Portraits Project, use the pool/hottub, shower and sleep on the hockey rink (not frozen/wet).Today we had a few mishaps, including a rider getting in a decent fight with the road; however, she is all patched up! There was also a bike that is needing some more involved repairs which will likely be done in a bike shop tomorrow. There were a few flats, a bee sting, and maybe other minor things, but again, happy to report that we are all doing well, settling down to bed now!Oh! And something I did think of, if you have a child/friend/etc. on this trip who hasn't reached out to you during this trip, it may be because there are not a ton of updates. My text history looks like: "Up and out for more riding", "45 miles: tired", "done. Eating a lot". Soooo don't hesitate to start the conversation! It may end up being more interesting than my text messages :)That's all for tonight! Off to another cozy night of sleep.
Day 2: Looking for Beacon (of hope)
Start/Stop Location: NYC/Beacon, NYMileage: 70 milesWeather: BeautifulToday was extraordinary. And I am quite fatigued so I do so apologize for the potential short or ramble-y.We started off very early so that we could make it to Manhattan (we were staying in Brooklyn) to pick up our bikes so that we could start out our ride....And this is where I stopped my blog last night because I totally fell asleep...so let's pick up from there!We picked up our bikes at the Damon Runyon Foundation and walked them to Battery Park. Several of us took pictures near the Bull of Wall Street which was pretty cool. At the park, we pumped up our tires and did lots of pictures (which I am sure can be found on the team Facebook page, or Instagram). Then we did a ride dedication, which is done everyday. Today was dedicated to a rider's grandmother, who lost her fight to 4 different types of cancers. She was a math and physics teacher and really had a huge impact on this rider, and likely many others. From there, we rolled out.I found biking in NYC rather stressful, even though there was not much traffic. There were a lot of very athletic cyclists training at the time, so they zoomed right past. Once we got into New Jersey, though, we followed the Hudson River Bike Path. It was shared between cyclists and pedestrians and at some points vehicles, but this was beautiful. We did quite a few miles,mad our first rest stop to fill up water and eat a banana before heading back into New York State. By the time we had returned we were in a beautiful part of the state that was a little busy but quite bike friendly. It was like everyone was riding a bike! It was great.After lunch and a third snack break (oh and lots of cycling) we were about 15 miles out. This did not seem like a big deal, until several members of my group got flat tires- oops! So we worked together as a team pretty well to get everyone to know how to do this and get them changed. This set us back, but we kept rolling. When we made
The Journey Starts
We did it! Officially pedaled away from Lady Liberty in NYC and am now in Albany, NY. Although the rides can be long and challenging, my teammates keep me moving as well as all of those I know affected by cancer. When departing from Union station, I met a woman who was just diagnosed with cancer two weeks prior, and although she was still processing the news, she was deeply touched by our fundraising and ride goals. When arriving to the station, I was nervous about the trip, but after talking to her I realized how much our actions mean to people and became confident in the journey. I thought of her often while scaling the hills in New York and New Jersey the first day. Feel free to follow me on instagram for pictures of the ride! @halko.takes.usa
Maiden Voyage
Assistant Ride Leaders Log. Bike Date 1.15-05-24.21:30Today the Enterprise and I successfully navigated the bike paths of New York City, visited New Jersey, and rode up long inclines that challenge the Illinois Residents' idea of a "hill". Despite the rest of the fleet experiencing everything from flat tires - 3 total involving 5 different replacement tubes - to dropped chains and more, we all made it safely to our stay over. I've definitely learned that the most critical thing of cycling in a group is being able to adapt to each other's needs and wants. Whether it's changing your pace or how you spend your stops, getting everyone to the destination in a good shape is what's important.Tomorrow we are about to tackle 90 miles and while it's a bit daunting, I'm excited to see more gorgeous scenery like that I saw today.
Day 1: Meeting Damon Runyon and New York City
It has been a busy day. We got into New York last night around 11:20 PM...By the time that we got some food, unpacked our bikes and got to where we were staying, it was certainly passed 1 AM. There was a slight change in our stay over location due to security concerns, but we are so thankful for the generosity of others in letting us stay in hotel rooms with lots of people and bikes. It was crazy, but I think we all slept pretty well in general.The morning was a later than usual start with an 8:45 AM wake up. We got our bikes adjusted and then made our way to the Damon Runyon Cancer Research Foundation. This was just a fantastic visit. This organization that we donate to annually is just incredible. The organization has been around since the 1920's/1930's and has always had a similar mission, which is incredible because cancer was not a term thrown around that often. Anyways, this organization is funded through an endowment which covers the overhead costs, like office space, lights, etc. Other than that, 100% of the donations go to research. They have different fellowship options for funding researchers, including new post-doc students who have great, innovative ideas. We were fortunate to meet two of those fellows today. One specialized in the chemistry aspect of treating cancer from a drug-resistant standpoint, while the other approached cancer from a background in immunology in treating skin cancers by learning about immune system environments. Fascinating. These researchers were so excited to tell us about their work. It was clear that they were incredibly passionate about their work, not to mention, brilliant. We would like to thank the foundation so much for allowing us to keep our bikes at their office and for providing a wonderful breakfast. I greatly encourage you to check out the foundation more about their work.After the foundation, we had free time to explore. Hearing from the team, many of us saw the 9/11 memorial, but other places visited included: the Statue of Liberty, Ellis Island, Times Square, the Brooklyn Bridge, the Empire State Building, SoHo and probably many more places. We came to our stay over and are very excited to start our ride tomorrow! Some are sleeping now, others journaling, some learning how to more tightly pack their backpacks.Tomorrow will be a much earlier start. For anyone in the area who did not catch the memo, we will be starting from Battery Park in Manhattan, instead of Central Park, so hopefully we will see some folks bright and early as we start off on the first leg of the route. Wish us well and happy trails! And a peaceful night's sleep.
New York City Send-Off, It's That Time Again
The 2015 Team has finally made its way into New York City and they're excited to start their journey! If you'd like to see them off, the send-off location has changed from Central Park to The The Castle Clinton National Monument, at Battery Park. They're expected to arrive between 7:30 AM and 8:00 AM.