Today the team rode 83 miles from La Crosse, Wisconsin to Rochester, Minnesota. The day started off easy and we had lunch at Culver’s! Coincidently there was buy one get one shakes so the whole team pretty much got one! After lunch we had lots of slow and steady climbing that stretched about 10 miles. They are longest climbs we have done yet, but surprisingly they were not as bad as we anticipated and the downhills motivated the speedsters to reach new velocities on the downhills. Mid afternoon it’s got extremely warm and the crosswind picked up. So much so that many of us felt like we were going to be blown off our bikes!I would like to thank Zumbro Lutheran Church for hosting us tonight. The ride dedication for the day was for Alex’s baby cousin who passed away from a heart related disease on the first day of the ride.Tomorrow is our rest day where we will be going to the Hope Lodge, exploring Rochester and getting lots of rest!~Tailwinds~MandyFlat count: 1Song of the day: Do you like Pina Coladas?Memorable moments: Culver’s, because a hefty amount of memorable moments on I4K revolve around food
Day 27
Hello world!What. A. Day. Today’s agenda was biking from Reedsburg to La Crosse, WI. A whopping 83 miles.The ride was very enjoyable today. My group had good vibes all around and the best part was we were on trail all day (aka no cars to deal with!!)We were feelin some oldies today so we listened to the playlist I made for my parents called “Here’s to you, mom and dad”. I think it really helped lighten the mood and it was perfect for the trails today.One super cool part about the ride was the tunnels we got to walk through. They were so big and dark and had rain falling from the rock of the tunnel. Very spooky but very artsy views.Riding the Elroy Sparta path brought me back to the bike trip I did with my family and our family friends the Skurski’s. I told a couple funny stories from that trip... such good mems.Today wraps up our last night in Wisco. Tomorrow we will officially be in Rochester, Minnesota andddd we get a rest day!! Wisconsin will be very missed. I can’t wait to be back in this beautiful, underrated state.Side note: my group today realized that Vienna by a Billy Joel should be our team theme song because a lot of people on the team are zoomin way too fast and I’m afraid they aren’t taking in the entire cross country bike experience...Last time I checked, San Fran ain’t movin!! Don’t fret though, we will hopefully get them to pump the breaks !Bye for now :)Marge
Day 27: Laxing in La Crosse
Today the team rode 82 miles from Reedsburg to La Crosse, Wisconsin. It was a wonderful day for a bike ride, with sunny skies and beautiful trails. We started the day on the 400 trail. We had our first test stop in a little town that is essentially built for the trail and for bikers. It was really cool to see such a popular trail that is recognized by the public. We then hopped on the Elroy Sparta trail which included several tunnels from old railroads. This was one of the coolest finds on the trip so far. One tunnel even doubled as a waterfall because the decaying rocks let water seep in on both sides of the tunnel. It was impossible to take photos of because the tunnels were pitch black and we only had our bike lights, but it was a moment I won’t forget! We were also on the La Crosse state trail and the Great river trail.We were lucky enough to be on the trails for 77 of the 82 miles which made for a very talkative and stress free day. The team also got to visit and tour the local Mayo Clinic in La Crosse for a rider event.I would like to thank First Presbyterian Church for hosting us tonight. Today’s ride dedication was for Hitarths grandfathers who both had cancer.Tomorrow we cross into Minnesota as we make our way west!~Tailwinds~MandyFlat count: 1Song of the day: Vienna -Billy JoelMemorable moment: A bee flew into Matt’s jersey while riding. He attempted to grab it and stop it from stinging him but sadly it still successfully stung him. Their group was then named the bad news bees *buzz buzz*
Day 26: Rolling to Reedsburg
Today the team rode 61 miles from Madison to Reedsburg, Wisconsin. The day was shorter but with lots of hills. It was sunny with strong winds in the morning, which made it difficult to go more than 12 mph. With a slow start to the day the team as whole had a more casual and relaxed day. We had our lunch stop at Devils Lake, where some of us took a dip in the lake to cool off. It was so gorgeous and one of my favorite places so far on route. After two hours at the lake we reluctantly got back on our bikes to finish the last 20 miles. We all enjoyed our time at the lake so much we didn’t want to leave! The climbs in and out of Devils Lake were long and winding but we made it out alive!!! We ended the day with Culver’s like a true Wisconsioner and free tacos from Taco Bell! All in all a successful day :)I would like to thank St. John’s Lutheran Church for hosting us for the night and providing us with delicious Lasagna! The ride dedication for today was for Nick’s grandparents who passed away from lung cancer.Tomorrow we head west to La Crosse Wisconsin for more cheese and more fun!~Tailwinds~MandyFlat Count: 4Song of the day: Running with the devil - Van HalenMemorable moment: Our team for the day was feeling the burn the last 5 miles, we saw a Culver’s and knew it was the mooove (one of our teams sayings). We pulled in to see two other groups also stopped there. It was indeed confirmed as the mooove hehe
Day 26
Hello world!Today was a wonderful day! For starters, we only had to ride 61 miles today with a few steep climbs but that was it. Second, we pre-planned our lunch rest stop at Devils Lake which was so so pretty. A little lake action, a little beach/nap action, a little exploration action... just what the doctor ordered.When we were about 2 miles out from the stayover, we stumbled upon a Culver’s which was a must needed treat. After we wrapped up there, we biked about a quarter mile and Nick spotted a bi-plane about to take off, so of course we stopped to watch.Just as we were about to head on our merry way, we got a message from our good friend Liz saying that there were free tacos at Taco Bell (which we were right next to at the time). You are crazy if you thought any I4Ker turned down free food, so naturally we ventured to the Taco Bell for a taco.After our mini fast food thanksgiving (thought of you bro @John) we eventually made it to the stayover.One of the last songs we were boppin to on the ride was Save a Horse, Ride a Cowboy. Not entirely sure why, but it inspired my signing off for today.On that note... Save a horse, ride a bike.Marge
Day 25 - update
Hello world!Today was an adventure. Within the first mile, we passed the lakefront area where my cousin Katha had her wedding reception so I was reminiscing and thinking about the good times at Chrystal weddings :)The ride today was unexpectedly hilly, but you know us and we just chug right along! Made it the whole 76 miles. Easy. Breezy. Beautiful. My favorite part of the ride today was when my group went to the skate park! We were going over some cool ramps and feelin like a rebel. Don’t worry though, I kept my wheels glued to the ground so no broken bones !One of the best parts about today was meeting and learning about our host for dinner. Previous ride leader, Zach, started working for ETC (Electronic Theater Control) and they had offered to donate dinner to us. The 20+ of us crammed into the van and headed to the office.Not only was the food club, but the company.... now that’s an office I’d work at! It had a whole plaza painted on the walls, basically looked like a movie set!With a little bit of networking, who knows... I might be moving to Madison after college!Right before leaving, a small group of us did a portrait with Fred Foster, CEO of ETC. He was diagnosed with stage 4 esophogial cancer. He was projected to live a matter of months, but he’s now 3 years out.After listening to Fred’s story and trying to understand how difficult fighting cancer really is, you won’t know what it’s like or what it takes to overcome it until you’re fighting yourself.Whether it’s fighting cancer, biking across the country, or facing your own personal struggles, just know that you can get through it. I suggest we all take the wise theater words to heart that Fred reminded me of today...The show must go on.Marge
Day 25: Mad for Madison!
Today the team rode 77 miles from Lake Geneva to Madison, Wisconsin. The hills were alive and well on the ride today and definitely proved that a flat land is supreme! We started the day riding along Lake Geneva and ended it by riding along the lakefront trail in Madison which is not too shabby by the way. It was muggy and humid most the day but we successfully didn’t encounter rain today (hooray!!) For one of our rest stops we got cheese curds and they hit the spot! The cheese quality in Wisconsin is no joke!! For dinner we got the pleasure of eating at the company that the past ride leader works for now. It was super cool to see and hear about the story of the company (ETC) and get a tour around! Thank you so much for having us!!Today the ride dedication was for my grandma who successfully caught her cancer in time before any serious measures had to take place. I would also like to thank our hosts tonight at the Calvary Lutheran Church in Madison. We are right in the heart of campus so many of us took the evening to explore the city, get ice cream and look at the water on the terrace. It was breathtakingly beautiful to sit up along the water and watch the sunset. Madison, bring some of your beauty to Champaign please.~Tailwinds~MandyFlat Count: 5Song of the day: Drift away -Uncle KrackerMemorable moment: Hitarth jumping into the lake spontaneously at the terrace.
Day 22-24
Hello world!My apologies for being MIA for a bit. Because of the weather on Day 22, the team was unable to bike into the city, so we essentially had 2 full rest days in Chicagoland!My parents put together a little shindig Saturday night so it was awesome to see all my friends and family!!! Thank you so much to those who came, I hope you know I feel the love no matter what state I’m in :)Day 23 brought yet another pleasant surprise... tickets to the cubs game!Day 24 started with a 5:00 am wake up and drive into the city where we left from the bean. We didn’t roll out until about 9:00, so that made for a pretty late arrival to Lake Geneva.No worries though because my group was bookin it! Made it to the stayover over an hour before everyone so I had time to get a cat nap in.Today’s ride had us passing through the burbs, one being lville!! I was so lucky to have some amazing supporters out there along the ride. Cowbells, signs, cookies, and standing out of sunroofs! Wouldn’t have made it the 95 miles without their presence, so thank you Mrs. Orsini and Mrs. Wid!!No idea how many miles tomorrow (technically today) is but I know we’re headed to Madison, WI. I love that city.On Wisconsin baby.Marge
Day 24: Helllloooo Wisconsin
Today the team rode 95 miles from Chicago, Illinois to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin. The day started off a little hectic but it was fun to start in the heart of the city! At Millenium Park, the team took the opportunity to take photos since we weren’t able to the other day. We ended up rolling out a little later than expected but it was really cool to ride up along the lakefront. A thick fog and a light mist made it difficult to see at times but we made it through the busy city and onto smooth trails. It was really strange to ride through some of our hometowns on the way to Lake Geneva. We did enjoy the familiarities along the way as it made the sometimes confusing cues easier. We know this is the last bit of familiarity we will get. We all really enjoyed the trail rides too, which gave us the ability to talk and not have to worry about cars.I would like to thank Lake Geneva Youth Camp for hosting our team today and providing us with good food and beds! It really feels like summer camp because we are all sleeping in bunk beds tonight.The ride dedication today was for Aaron’s mom who had breast cancer. He wanted to dedicate it to her when we rolled into Chicago because it was her birthday but the weather didn’t allow this to happen so he made up for it today!After a long day of riding, the team is excited to rest up and take on Madison, WI tomorrow.~Tailwinds~MandyFlat count: 1Song of the day: Toes - Zac Brown BandMemorable moment: Finding a delicious ice cream stand to stop at just outside Lake Geneva. With only 20 miles left this was exactly what we needed as a pick me up!
Day 22: Sweet Home Chicago
Today the team sadly rode 0 miles due to inclement weather. With thunderstorms in our paths again, we unfortunately had to call off our ride into Millenium Park and the picnic to follow. This was a sad change of events for the team but fear not we will still be taking advantage of picture opportunities on Monday at the bean.I would like to thank Matthew’s parents for allowing the team to stick around this morning as we sorted out plans and had our parents pick us up from Elmhurst.Although the day didn't go as planned we were still able to be greeted by friends and family. We are looking forward to a few days of rest before we hit the state known for cheese!~Tailwinds~MandyFlat count: 0Song of day: Sweet Home ChicagoMemorable moment: Sadly today was Justin’s last day before he begins working in “the real world”. We will all miss him. His quirkiness and positivity was a great asset to the team!
Day 21
Hello world!Day 21... more like day twenty-fun am I right?!?Today was an adventure, mostly not on bikes haha! We started our ride and within 7 miles we saw lightning and heard thunder so we pulled off the road and hung out at the park.Following safety procedures, we played on the playground (lava monster of course), had shoe flinging contests, and made a music video to the six flags theme song (keep an eye out for it becaus it’s a sight).Gotta give a B I G shoutout to Mrs. Powell for hosting us as we waited out the rain. Our deepest apologies for raiding the Powell kitchen. We are eternally grateful for all the food you had for us and the lovely couch. Much needed relaxation and napping :)King Phil made the ultimate decision that we’d bike the rest of the way from Homer Glen to the Niewiara household where we are staying for the night. An easy 25 miles... smooth sailing except a little stressful handling the traffic. Nothing we aren’t trained for though!Another B I G shoutout to the Niewiara fam because they supplied us with an amazing polish dinner and dessert which was delicioso!!Side note: they have a deck on top of their garage and it is goals I tell ya. Definitely taking notes for when I build my dream homeTomorrow is the day!! We will depart Elmhurst and head into Chicago, IL.The toddlin’ town and my family awaits!Gotta blast.Marge
Day 21: Thunder and Lightning stopped us from biking
Today the team was suppose to ride 70 miles from Bourbonnais to Elmhurst, Illinois. However, we only made it a short 8 miles before we saw several strikes of lightning. Upon protocol we pulled over and found the nearest shelter which happened to be a metal pavilion and a metal playground. Seemed to be the best option hehe. We all played on the playground for the standard wait time of 30 minutes, however the lightning was not stopping. The ride leaders made the executive decision to shuttle everyone to Kathy’s house for the time being to wait out the lightning. By the time all the people and bikes were shuttled,a few hours passed. The team occupied the time by watching National Treasure (shout out to Nick Cage). Also a big thanks to Kathy’s Mom for graciously taking us in with very little notice and providing us with food and letting us eat every ounce of food she already had in her house!! Once the weather cleared up we were then good to ride again. We rode from Homer Glen to Elmhurst with no formal cues.It ended up being a long 20ish miles with several reroutes but we made it! In total we ended up riding a solid 30ish miles today. We ended the day by attending a local Relay for lIfe. We talked about Illini 4000, dancing in a flash mob and played lots of games. A nice end to the day!The ride dedication today was for Sam’s aunt, Carolyn Rakowicz, who passed away one year ago from cancer. Tonight we are staying at Matt’s house. His parents are awesome enough to let the whole team crash at their house! Tomorrow we will roll into sweet home Chicago. I’ve got to say I’m so excited to be home and see my family :)~Tailwinds~MandyFlat count: 0Song of the day: Thunder -Imagine DragonsMemorable moment: Making good use of time while waiting for the lightning to pass by making a music video (will appear on facebook)!!!
Day 20: Bourbonnais for days
Everyone spent day 19 getting some much needed rest and relax time with family and friends in Champaign. Some of us were lucky enough to have family or friends ride along with us today for the first 20 miles to get a taste of I4K. The team then rode almost 88 miles (originally supposed to be 83) due to construction and rerouting..It was a relatively short day nonetheless. Other than the obstacle of the heat most groups found today to be an easy day. It was a hot one though, with very little breeze (which we all were happy about because headwinds are NOT THE MOVE!!) Some of us suffered from feeling dehydrated or sluggish today because it was one of those days where no amount of water kept you feeling hydrated for long! We all made it through and rolled into the stayover in good time. Seems that the rest day paid off after all!Today the ride was dedicated to chancellor Jones’ mother who passed away from cancer. We were unable to dedicate the ride to her earlier as he just revealed the other day that Day 18 would have been her birthday. I would also like to thank our amazing stayover in Bourbonnais, Adventure Christian Church for hosting us! This has been one of the coolest stayovers, with arcade games and an indoor soccer field.I would like to also thank Jim Moore from the University of Illinois foundation for giving us goodie bags packed with electrolytes and protein bars. This was exactly what was needed on a day like today!~Tailwinds~MandyFlat count: 0Song of the day: It’s getting hot in hereMemorable moment: Stopping at a rootbeer place that was bomb.com in Bourbonnais. It was just the pick me up we needed to finish the day
Day 20
Hello world!Back on the saddle again, huh.Today we knocked out 84 miles (which turned into 87 ish because of detours and getting lost per usual). It was a scorcher today... biking in 92 degree weather, but with lots of agua and high spirits we made it through.Alex hooked it up with the local YMCA so we got to shower again! Thanks girlfrienddddddAlso wanna give a quick shoutout to my friends Jess and Katie for hosting A-Aron and I when in Champaign!! Love you guys and shmanks for being grand hosts!Tomorrow we will go from Kankakee to Elmhurst, IL. We’re looking at about 70 miles. Also rumor has it that the route is on a lot of bike paths, so I’m stoked.Only 1 day until chi city!!! Can’t wait to be with fam and friends :)Marge
Day 19
Hello world!Brb - rest day #2, please come againMarge
Day 18: Home away from Home
Today the team rode 77.8 miles from Rockville, Indiana to Champaign, Illinois. The day started out great with a wonderful pancake breakfast from Randy and Aunt Martha (our hosts). We then set out on the country roads that would take us home. Approximately 10 miles in we crossed the state line to Illinois and I felt a rush that we were finally home. We had completed our first major milestone, we made it from New York to Illinois!! The ride today was a bit difficult with 16 mph winds alternating between headwinds and crosswinds. Everyone was avidly watching their bike computers the majority of the ride because we all wanted to reach our destination. Each mile felt long with the rushing wind, but the thought of being in our home away from home was an excellent motivation to push through.Today we had the privilege of riding with three prestigious guests: chancellor Robert Jones, vice chancellor of advancement Barry Benson, and president of University of Illinois foundation Jim Moore. The chancellor even deemed himself a new nickname (sir chancelot). These three were a blast to ride with and Barry and Jim definitely proved they could keep up with the team! The chancellor having only done 20 mile rides prior to today realized that 77 miles was a bit of stretch, but he was still able to complete 50 miles! He and the group he rode with today even bonded over the team's love of Waffle House. Needless to say the Chancellor is a cool dude!Once we arrived in Urbana, we were escorted by two police bikes and a police car the 3 miles to Beckman Institute. We all felt like celebrities riding through campus with cars stopping to take our picture. Upon arriving to Beckman we saw a large crowd filled with parents, faculty, friends, other Illini 4000 alum, and many more all cheering for us. It was a surreal experience and a little emotional to return back to where it all started and to realize that we had just biked the 1000+ miles home. The support, and love felt upon arriving at Beckman puts into perspective how important our cause is!At the ceremony inside Beckman we met David Krantz who represented the Cancer Center at University of Illinois. He graciously spoke about Illini 4000 and the positive impact it brings to ending cancer. He also shared his own experience watching his family pass from cancer and explained that he wanted to make a contribution to our organization. On behalf of David Krantz and his wife 10,000 dollars was donated to Illini 4000. This generous gift made the team extremely emotional. With this large donation we now have the ability to make a greater impact on the cancer groups we donate to. We cannot thank the Krantz family enough for their generosity. The mayors of Champaign and Urbana also dubbed June 5th Illini 4000 day!!!Overall a very emotional and proud day for the team. Days like today make the hard journey worth it.~ Tailwinds~MandyFlat count: 0Song of the day: I'm coming homeMemorable moment: Barry Benson falling off his bike and Rachel getting photo evidence of it :)
Day 18
Hello world!Day 18, Champaaaaign here we are! It feels good to be back on the ol’ stomping grounds.I went into the day hoping to go slow as molasses but then was notified as we were rolling out that the Vice Chancellor would be in our group for the day. That meant we were goin fast, so today was nothing close to recovery after yesterday’s speedy day. The ride was very enjoyable, especially because we supergrouped for most of the ride, biking with 9 people as a group (safely don’t worry).Anyway, we survived and hammered it out!! The last 3 miles were completed with a police escort to Beckman Insititute where the team was given a warm welcome to campus.Tomorrow marks our second rest day of the ride and I am way too excited to do nothing except rest. Maybe go to the pool!It’s been nice to see familiar faces from school and catch up with good friends that I haven’t seen for a while now.Life is good y’all.Marge
Day 17 : Rockville really ROCKS!!
Today the team road 66 miles from Indianapolis to Rockville, Indiana. It was a less windy day as apposed to yesterday but the ride was not as conversational as hoped. Instead of the backroads that we have primarily been riding on, we were on a fairly busy roads with many semi trucks (honk, honk). The weather was beautiful and sunny as well which made for a pleasant day for riding!Today our ride was dedicated to Matt’s grandfather who passed away from brain cancer. I would like to thank Randy from the First United Methodist church for hosting our team for the 11th year! They have been the warmest welcome yet! We gota delicious meal provided by the sweetest women from the church. We even got to meet Dorothy, the singing and dancing 90 year old who is famous from past teams! Our team even got to go swimming, which was a refreshing change from biking and helped to work out our sore muscles! The hosts went above and beyond to make our free time amazing and we are so thankful! Also a special shoutout to Rebecca (2017 rider) for driving the van for us today and tomorrow and for providing delicious snacks!Tomorrow we arrive in Champaign and I know it will be surreal riding back through campus!~Tailwinds~MandyFlat count: 1Song of the day: just keep swimming -DoriMemorable moment: Having a blast at the pool! Relaxing, playing basketball and chicken fights made for a fun time
Day 17
Hello world!Day 17 was something else.My group had the honor of riding with Jim, the President of U of I Foundation. We thought we had an easy day ahead of us by having him in our group but oh gosh we’re we wrong!!That man is unbelievable. An absolute tank. We averaged about 18 mph the entire 67 miles. My legs were screaming but hey it’s all good. Jim is a very cool dude and I’m grateful to have ridden with a celebrity at U of I! Our speedy group, arrived first to the stayover and ohhhh dang, this place is top of the line!!!Big special shoutout to Rockville because this stayover is straight fire!! We were able to go relax and swim at a parishioners pool, were given an amazing feat at dinner(and breakfast tomorrow morning), andddd given “lovebags” with a bunch of treats, my fav being trail mixThe night ended with a nice episode of none other than Veggie Tales!! Brought back some good memories.Tomorrow we will bike 78 miles, officially making it to Champaign, IL!!!Let’s groove.Marge
Day 16
Hello world!Day 16... el fin.Today was a straight up battle between wind and I4K. I4K came out with the W by the skin of our teeth.You don’t appreciate the rolling hills of New York (and Ohio I guess) until you’re in Indiana fighting wind like no other. It’s okay though because we made it to Indianapolis in one piece, so all is well.Today I played the most intense game of fooseball ever. The dynamic duo of Justin and Maggie came through and won the championship!Ya gotta take pride in the little things my friends!Tomorrow we will be biking from Indianapolis to Rockville, IN. Also, Chancellor and Vice Chancellor of U of I will be biking with us, so that’s pretty neato!!That’s all I’ve got for ya today.Toodles.Marge