Today the team rode 105 miles from Kearney to Mccook, Nebraska. This morning we were all treated to french toast made by chef Matt. It was a great way to start the morning and set up good vibes for the day. Similar to our last century ride, it started off cold and rainy and continued to rain on and off all day. We got to ride through the hilly parts of Nebraska which were beautiful and like nothing I had ever seen before. Golden hills that contrasted with green hills and a bright blue sky with puffy clouds, you just can’t beat it! A lot of people said that today was one of the most challenging days. I think the combination of many miles, rain and hills left the team exhausted and ready for bed! My group pushed through by singing songs and telling stories. P.S today is day 38 which means we are halfway through the ride!I would like to thank the YMCA for hosting our team tonight! The ride dedication was for Karen, a women that some teammates met yesterday at Walmart who was a cancer survivor.~Tailwinds~MandyFlat count: 1Song of the day: Unwritten - Natasha BedingfieldMemorable moment: A group stopped at an RV that was decorated like the Scooby Doo van. They met the owner and even got a picture.
Day 37
Hello world!Just another day in Nebraska! When I think ofnor ride today, I think of 2 stops that my group made. First, we stopped to take pictures with pet Alpaca. Second, we took a detour after lunch to a dog park and pet random peoples doggos. It made me miss my own pup Hildy!Sam hooked the team up with donations from B-Dubs (Buffalo Wild wings) and another local place for pulled pork sandwiches!! Life is better with free food :)Tomorrow we have yet another century ride duh duh duhhhhh. Rumor has it we might go through Kansas?? Not really sure about that one... I’ll have to keep an eye out for the Wicked Witch of the West on her bike when we enter her territory.Eek. Wish us luck!Marge
Day 37: Great day in Kearney
Today the team rode 83 miles from York to Kearney, Nebraska! It was a lovely day to ride with clear skies and it was very sunny for the majority of the ride. My ride group passed the time by playing the question game and talking about I4K prom. It was so fun to have full conversations today as the shoulder left enough room for us to ride two by two. Some groups stopped to take pictures with llamas and hay bails that we saw along route! We also had an awesome rest stop at an ice cream shop/ garden center. Day 37 you were a good one!I would like to thank First United Methodist Church for being our hosts today. I would also like to thank Buffalo Wild Wings for donating 100 wings and Skeeter Barnes for donating pulled pork sliders. It was an incredible dinner and we are so thankful. The ride dedication was for a man some girls met yesterday while decorating the van. He was a bladder cancer survivor.~Tailwinds~MandyFlat count: 2Song of the day: Black BirdMemorable moment: Singing call outs in a musical like way. Then calling it I4K the musical! It’s dorky things like these that pass the time and create lasting memories.
Day 36
Hello world!Day 36 has come to a close! Today’s route was pretty scenic for the first 40 miles, but the last 20 were what we thought Nebraska would look like throughout the whole state... flat and ugly.My group today took it nice and slow, stopping at a cool spot called the “Parade of Flags” as well as an antique shop in the small town of Steward, Nebraska. I even got a free Webkinz (those once overpriced stuffed animals that you paid 25+ dollars just to play the video game online) so that was somethin!!PSA - the Tiger Webkinz still remains nameless, so hit my line if ya have any good ideas.We got back around 2:00 so we had a lot of time to relax. There was even a van decorating party! Shoutout to Kathy, Caroline and Alex for making it look rad.83 miles awaits us tomorrow as we head from York to Kearney, NE.Say a prayer that the wind will take a chill pill for days to come.That’s all I got for tonight.Sweet dreams.Marge
Day 36: The new York
Today the team rode 61 miles from Lincoln to York, Nebraska. It was another smooth ride with a small amount of rolling hills in the first 20 miles and flat for the rest of the day. The weather today was PERFECT! Bright blue skies with fluffy clouds and miles upon miles of green corn fields. A few groups stopped in a small town called Seward, where they discovered some thrift shops and small shops with very friendly people. We also saw the parade of flags there. One group even saw a train with 126 cars. Today’s mosher was to switch names with someone for the day, it ended up causing a good amount of confusion.For dinner we got Pizza Hut and Valentino’s! We also got Dairy Queen for a treat which was amazing on such a hot day. Later at night a group of us watched Shrek. Shoutout to Kathy, Alex and Caroline for decorating the van. It looks incredible!(look out for pictures on Facebook) I would like to thank the First United Methodist Church for hosting our team tonight.The ride dedication today was for Mike’s friend Tucker who passed away from leukemia yesterday.~Tailwinds~MandyFlat count:0Song of the day: Allstar -SmashmouthMemorable moment: The team bonding over our love of Shrek and its soundtrack
Day 35
Hello world!Today was chill vibes. We arrived safely in Lincoln Nebraska before 3:00 as we only had 63 miles today. It was a nice way to ease back into riding after the rest day.We rode on a trail for most of the day which was nice. Only downfall of it was the mud and density of the trail from all the rain. It felt like we were biking in quicksand and weren’t able to move forward :(Despite that, the trail was very pretty! Nebraska is surprisingly hilly and the greenery out here is on point. Another state reminding me of the rolling hills and farmland of the motherland, Ireland.We had the party bumpin at the stayover tonight! Pool, air hockey, ping pong, fooseball, hacks sack, and my favorite... dancinggggg!10/10 would recommend First Free Church.As the Irish would put it, it’s good craic!Marge
Day 35: Jammin in Lincoln
Today the team rode 63 miles from Omaha to Lincoln, Nebraska. The morning was very cool and overcast but eventually it warmed up and turned out to be a great day for riding. The team rode on bike trails for a good majority of the ride and conquered hills for the other portion of the day. Everyone was very thankful to have a shorter ride after several long days!I would like to thank the First Evangelical Church for being our hosts for this evening. We had a lot of fun playing ping pong, air hockey and pool! Matt also made a delicious stir fry for the team which upped our pasta and lentil game!Today the ride was dedicated to Amy’s and Carrie’s grandmother who was diagnosed with cancer yesterday with pancreatic cancer. Amy and Carrie were our gracious hosts the last few days in Omaha.~Tailwinds~MandyFlat count: 1Song of the day: love on top -BeyonceMemorable moment: Jamming at the church and showing off our dance moves ;)
Day 34
Hello world!Today was a very mellow day which was much needed. Woke up around 10:00 and the group I stayed with made a quality b-fast... eggs, bagels, apples, orange juice, leftover guac... what more could a gal asked for??We had a field trip to Target where I was able to buy replacement shades for mine that were all scratched up... woot.We met some of our other teammates downtown for lunch and walked around, popping into some cute antique and vintage shops. I really dig the Omaha vibe. Not what you’d expect here! I wouldn’t mind coming back again for a visit in the future!The night ended with dinner at one of the host’s houses followed by a very entertaining game of Scategories back at Deb and Jerry’s. I always forget how fun that game is, even though I’m very bad and get VERY creative with my answers... whoops!Tomorrow we’ll be back in the saddle again, cruisin over to Lincoln, NE. Only 60 something miles. Call it a treat!Arrivederci.Marge
Day 34:Omaha is more than just Buffett
Today the team rode 0 miles as it was our rest day. Although, with our group it’s more of an off day than a rest day, as we always enjoy sightseeing. Today was spent exploring downtown Omaha which is very nice with quirky vintage stores and tons of great restaurants. We had a delicious lunch and enjoyed looking at some of the eclectic shops that almost everyone bought souvenirs from. Everything in Omaha seems fairly new and it impressed me! We had a group dinner at Amy’s House (one of the hosts). It was really good to see everyone after the team spent its first day not all together. Amy’s house was only four down from Warren Buffett's, so that was pretty cool! Overall it was a really nice rest day and I enjoyed exploring all Omaha has to offer.A special thanks to Amy for coordinating all our stay overs for Omaha.The hosts have been nothing short of lovely. It has been so wonderful to stay with them and we appreciate all they have done to make our stay great! I can now confirm that “Nebraska kind of nice” is a thing.Tomorrow it is back on the saddle as we make our way to the capital, Lincoln.~ Tailwinds~MandyFlat count: N/ASong of the day: Nebraska - Bruce SpringsteenMemorable Moment: Getting Cone and Flour ice cream! It was seriously some of the best ice cream I have ever had :)
Day 33
Hello world!Another day, another century ride, another border crossed! The team has finally made it to Omaha, Nebraska.Looking at the weather radar yesterday morning, everyone kind of had the mentality that we were going to shuttle the 104.5 miles. Luckily (or not so luckily) the bad storms held off and we were able to bike the entire way, even though the rain was harsh at some points. We faced a lot of hills and 4800 feet of climbing but it was well worth it. I even beat my record speed by 1 mph, so now we’re at 38.7 :)Today marks our 5th rest day of the trip. No big plans for the day but I’m excited to not sit on a bike seat!!The stayover sitch is a little different this time ‘round. The team is split up between 7 different houses. Each house has 2-6 riders.Deb and Jerry are hosting me, Aaron, Caroline, and Liz. They are awesome! We had nice home cooked meal with beef, pasta salad, awesome dessert, and... GUAC!!! Mi favorito :)I’ll be posting tonight after the festivities of today, so check back later tonight!L8er G8er.Marge
Day 32
Hello world!This is Liz, in for Maggie today! She's letting me guest blog for Day 32 since it was a good one for me today!Today we were going a nice 61 miles from Fort Dodge into Carroll, Iowa. We started the day off a little late today because of the weather, so we took a long breakfast this morning at our stayover. Once the rain let up a little, we were able to start off right around 8:30 AM. Unfortunately, I had a little bit of a stomach bug at first in the morning so I spent the first half in the van. We got some good tunes going though so it ended up being a pretty good time! I rode the last bit into Carroll through some headwinds but with some nice views of the countryside. This ride was important for me because my dad is from a small town about 15 miles outside of Carroll, so it was great to come through here. I dedicated the ride today to a family member who has battled with breast cancer twice in the past. I went with a few friends out to my dad's old town (Westside, Iowa- population 305!) and got to look around a bit. It was pretty neat getting to talk to some people who knew my grandparents even though they haven't lived there for almost 20 years! Might be a little biased, but Iowa has definitely been one of my favorites so far. People have been so nice to us here! Sad to be leaving tomorrow. Signing off!Liz
Day 33: Singing in the rain to Omaha
Today the team completed our longest ride yet, 105 miles from Carroll, Iowa to Omaha, Nebraska!!!! The day started out with many doubts of us even completing the ride. With thunderstorm predictions all day, our odds were slim for having a smooth ride. Thankfully only scattered showers made an appearance for our ride. Today’s views were beautiful, but whoever said Iowa doesn’t have hills could not be more wrong. Rolling hills for miles and miles were seen on our ride today. The majority of the first half consisted of climbing and then descending on the rolling hills. Of course we also had to end our day the I4K way by climbing a steep hill into the stayover tonight, hehe.I would like to thank all of our hosts tonight for opening up their homes to us. A relative of a past rider (Alia) arranged for us to all stay at different homes of people that she knows so that everyone of us is able to sleep in a bed! I will get a good night's sleep for sure tonight!The ride dedication today was for Kathy’s friends mom who had ovarian cancer.Tomorrow will be another rest day for the team! I’m excited to relax and recuperate after all the miles we put on the road this week!~Tailwinds~MandyFlat count: 0Song of the day: Singing in the RainMemorable moment: Sofie putting on her rain jacket just in time for the rain to abruptly stop. This happened a total of three times, with each one getting more and more suspicious and Sofie getting more and more annoyed hehe
Day 32: Anti rain dancing to Carroll
Today the team rode 62 miles from Ft. Dodge to Carroll, Iowa. The day started out a little shaky with thunderstorms which delayed our start time. Thankfully we only had a 60 mile day ahead of us because we didn’t end up rolling out until 9am when the storm cleared up. Rain jackets and a hopeful attitude for a storm free day proved to be just what was needed to get through it. The miles were smooth and peaceful country roads again with a lighter amount of headwind than usual.Iowa is shaping up to be the state with some of the greatest stayovers. I would like to thank St. Paul Lutheran Church for hosting us tonight and providing us with pulled pork and the most delicious desserts to date!! The local news crew even came by to talk to us. We really have been treated like royalty so far and it’s been so restorative to be treated so well after many days of long miles.Today the ride dedication was for Liz’s aunt who has battled breast cancer multiple times.~Tailwinds~MandyFlat count: 0Song of the day: Complicated -Avril LavigneMemorable moment: The team performing an anti rain dance that surprisingly did the trick for the mosher activity.
Day 31: Day cut short in Ft. Dodge
Today the team was suppose to ride 91 miles but due to lightning the day was cut short at 70 miles. The day started out much easier than yesterday cooler temps, cloudy skies and the best.. NO wind! The day was smooth with very little hills. Country roads that went on for miles and miles felt peaceful and serene. Around mile 65 we could see dark clouds surrounding the area, who knew a monsoon like thunderstorm was taking place only 10 miles away. We quickly pedaled to the nearest shelter and then shuttled to the church. What a day for I4K!I would like to thank the hosts at Christ Lutheran for having us tonight and making us an out of this world dinner complete with mac and cheese, burgers and a plethora of desserts!Today’s ride dedication was for a man Mike and I met at the Hope lodge in Rochester, Woody. He also did a portrait with us. Woody is currently battling prostate cancer yet he still had such a great attitude and outlook on life and didn’t let the lows of cancer stop him from golfing everyday. His contagious energy has fueled me the last few days and I was happy to dedicate the ride to him today even though he may never know it.~Tailwinds~MandyFlat count: 0Song of the day: Fire and Rain - James TaylorMemorable moment: Watching 13 going on 30 as a team at the church tonight. Who knew such a corny movie could elicit such strong emotions from the team haha -several nail biting moments were had
Day 31
Hello world!Today was easy peasy lemon squeezey!We had the wind on our side for majority of the day so that was a nice change of pace (literally and figuratively). By mile 70/91, storms were a brewin... 60 mile per hour winds and heavy rain meant the team was shuttling the rest of the way to Fort Dodge, IA.After lunch, one of the riders realized that they left something at the lunch rest stop in Kanawha, IA. Luckily a kind citizen from the town Facebook messaged I4K and notified us that the Police Chief would hold onto it. After dinner, four of us went on an hour long field trip to Kanawha to pick it up we were successful!BIG shoutout to Police Chief Tony for being a homie and being patient as we scurried our way to Kanawha in the pouring rain!! We are very very grateful. You were a lot of help to some Illini bikers passing through.PS - We may or may not have killed a bird that flew into the Silver Bullet’s windshield on our adventure back to the town of Kanawha.Rest In Peace birdy, Rest In Peace.Marge
Day 30: Light at the end of the ~country~ road
Day 30 did us dirty!!! Today the team road 101 miles in one of the hottest and most windy days yet! The day started out warm as we road to Austin, Minnesota to have lunch at Alison’s (2016 rider) house. She made us a lovely spread of Mexican food which was a much appreciated replacement for PB&J. A group of us then biked over to the SPAM museum where we learned that SPAM is more than just meat in a can hahah. Then it was back on the saddle, this was when the wind really started to pick up! It was insanely windy, 20 mph winds for the rest of the day. I was appreciative of the wind because it cooled us down in the heat. It also prevented us from going faster than 10 mph, which made for a very very long day. All the groups didn’t get in until almost 8 o’clock,and we still needed to shower and eat dinner. Our hosts were incredible and stayed until almost 11 to accommodate us!I would like to thank all of the amazing people at Our Savior’s Lutheran for being the kindest people and making our stay after a long day great! The ride dedication was for all of our fathers on Father’s Day and Ryan also dedicated it to his grandfather who had cancer.~Tailwinds~MandyFlat count: 0Song of the day: Hard day’s night -BeatlesMemorable moment: Learning the art and crafting of SPAM.Also seeing a rainbow after it decided to rain on us the last 15 miles just to throw another curveball in the day :)
Day 30
Hello world!Today was something else... my group was riding the struggle bus, but that’s just the way the ball rolls sometimes and we got through it.You can probably imagine facing the heat and humidity, combined with upwards of 20 mph crosswinds and headwinds... not a pretty site.Unfortunately my group wasn’t able to finish the ride today because of weather/timing, but hey, we tried our best. We also had a few hiccups along the way and had to call the van which set us back a wee bit.All good in the hood though. We’re fine. It’s fine. Everything’s fine !!After being shuttled with one other group, rushing to showers, and unpacking the van, we finally sat down to eat by 10:00... feeling more like my normal meal time at home with the European dinner (I miss the late dinner time).A previous rider from the 2016 team was generous enough to make us lunch, so we took a pit stop in Austin, MN. We later visited the SPAM Museum... Idk about y’all but I get disgusted by that “stuff”. Anyway, it was funny to see.Also wanted to give a quick shoutout to all the dads out there today, especially mine :) Dad, you do so much for our fam and ILY. You are one incredible role model and I couldn't ask for a better dad. Wish I could’ve been playin a round of 18 with ya on this mighty fine day. Maybe in Cali though, ayyyy!Happy Fathers Day to all and to all a good night!Marge
Day 29
Hello world!Not too much on the agenda today... we visited the Hope Lodge in Rochester and saw Incredibles 2.We also grabbed lunch at this delish place called The Half Barrel. If you’re ever in the area, I’d definitely recommend :)Also, took a hike to Flapdoodles ice cream which was v tasty as well.Last time I was in Rochester was when my dad was being treated at Mayo, so it felt funny to be back (not in a bad way though). We went to the same movie theater and same ice cream joint today that we went to when we were originally here for him. Kind of nice to be in an area you are somewhat familiar with (not sure if that’s weird or not considering the circumstances).We have a big day ahead of us tomorrow... another century. That’ll put us across yet another state line, entering Iowa.That’s all I’ve got for tonight.¡Buenos noches!Marge
Day 29: An incredibly restful day
Today was a rest day in Rochester, Minnesota for the team! We started off the day with a tour of the Hope Lodge in Rochester. There we got to meet and collect some portraits of people who are currently battling cancer. I really enjoyed meeting the people and hearing their stories. They were all so incredibly thankful to us for what we are doing. To see their gratitude for groups like ours was really touching. It is so important to know that people with cancer appreciate the efforts we are taking to help battle the illness that has taken a toll on their life.After the Hope Lodge, the team went to lunch and then to see The Incredibles 2 movie. It was nice to give our legs a break for the day and kick back in the A/C.Tomorrow we are back on the bike for another century ride to Mason City.~Tailwinds~MandyRider Spotlight: Sofie SchwinkWhat's been the best part of I4k so far?Talking to people along the road and seeing their reactions. Seeing how appreciative they are of what we are doing and how they can relate to it.What motivates you to do push ups at rest stops?I remember the first day it just keeps myFavorite rest stop snack?:Chocolate bars (heath bars or snickers ice cream bars are my go to)What's your favorite type of music?Classical and classic rockWhat do you do when you are struggling on the bike?I try to think of things that start with the first letter A-Z( finding stuff that starts with X is hard)If you could change one thing about yourself what would it be?Have more patience for other people. Sometimes I get frustrated with small things. Being able to roll with the punches too!What's your dream place to live?Anything in the Pacific NorthwestWhat place are you most looking forward to on the ride?All of Utah. I’ve been to Utah one other time and am excited to bike through it this time. Also San Francisco because I am excited to see familyWhat has been your favorite day on I4K so far?Day 4: It was pouring rain and my group passed the lunch stop by three miles and Matthew got a flat and when we stopped to change the flat we saw there was Burger King and then we all had lunch there.Team Knife or spoon?Knife for peanut butter and spoon for jellyIf you could have any superpower what would it be?Ability to make anyone fall asleep at any moment and in any place.What's been the most challenging part of I4K?Being away from home and being away from family. Being from Champaign I am used to seeing my family often, so having Champaign as a rest day was a very restorative day for me. I try to call often but that is definitely the hardest part for me.New edition to a crayon box what would you be?Morrow Plots Yellow- because I’m loyal to my roots and the corn. It’s the color of yellow that evokes feelings of a full bellyFavorite pair of socks:Unicorn and rainbow pairSong of the day: The Incredits (theme song of incredibles
Day 28
Hello world!“Life is like a box of chocolates, ya never know what you’re gunna get”Forrest Gump’s momma was right. And today’s “chocolate” was no bueno.Today did me in... The heat. The wind. The mileage. The climbing... ya girl was struggling hardcore and almost had to sit in the van.We made it though and I’m glad I was able to finish! Having semi trucks fly past us give us a nice push forward. Only bad part was the trucks coming from the opposite direction, making you whip around like the inflatable tube dudes outside of car dealerships.Regardless, Minnesota is a very pretty state to bike through. Although the farm fields aren’t very special, the bluffs that surrounded us were gorgeous!I wouldn’t mind living in the state of 10,000 lakes. Still salty that we haven’t seen one lake yet though... I think Minnesotans might be lying to us. Whatevs.Tomorrow is rest day #4 for the squad. You know what that means???Bowling and Incredibles 2.You know what’s up.Happy Friday to all, and to all a good night.Marge