Alma waved us away as we rolled out from Champaign this morning after our much needed rest day yesterday. We got to say goodbye to our friends and family in the area (again) and headed North to Bourbonnais/Kankakee. Our current president of Illini 4000, Mike Rotter, got to join us for the first 20 or so miles! It was great getting to see and ride with him even for just a little bit.

Of course, wind is as wind does— the one time we have East-West winds, we’re not heading West. Crosswinds aren’t too bad, though; the real culprit was the heat! It was humid and stayed high in the 80’s up to 90 all throughout the ride. We took plenty of breaks for shade, sunscreen, and water refills, and got to speak to a handful of curious on-lookers while having lunch.

85 miles later, we made it to our stayover, which had minigolf (!) and dinner (thank you so much!) We are about one quarter of the way through the entire ride… we’ve logged over 1,200 miles so far! Time is absolutely flying by, and I’m so glad I get to write this blog to serve as a reminder for all the fun we’ve had and everything we’ve accomplished. I didn’t even attend U of I (I’m a University of Iowa alum) and I got emotional biking away from campus this morning. The effort, distance, and impact of this ride so far is surreal… and we’ve got so much more to come. I’m looking forward to arriving in Elmhurst/Chicago tomorrow and having another rest day after that!

— Marielle