A good day overall for many reasons. Shoutout to Hanna for helping to write this one and interviewing me! :)

Ride Overview

Mileage: 28.0

Elevation: +862’/-308’

General Direction: Navigate onto westbound U.S. 34 and remain on this road for 25 miles until reaching Yuma, then turn right onto S Detroit St. until the stayover.

Points of Interest: Five Rivers Cattle Feeding - Yuma Feedlot (one of the largest in Colorado! – very smelly)

Tales of the Trail

The team enjoyed the second shortest ride of the summer besides rolling into San Francisco. With a shorter day and a later rollout, a few riders got breakfast at nearby LaLa’s Bakery & Espresso Bar. At 28 miles, this quick route through mostly open plains took us into Yuma, CO. While there, we enjoyed lunch as a team at Main Event Bar & Grill, home of the Big Yuma, a hefty burger that puts the Big Mac to shame. We are staying at the Yuma First Church of the Nazarene, and prior to a taco dinner with homemade barbacoa provided by our hosts Dave and Jamie Martelle, we went for ice cream at Farm House Market. It was some of the best ice cream we’ve had thus far, which is definitely saying a lot. In the evening, we enjoyed some time outdoors and a fireworks show at our stayover’s 4th of July gathering. Tomorrow will take us just over 60 miles to the town of Fort Morgan as we continue to approach Boulder and the Rockies.

Cyclist’s Corner

Today’s Rider: Jonathan Boudreaux

How are you today? I’m doing great! It was a nice, short day and we got to spend a lot of time in Yuma as a team. I had the best ice cream I’ve had on the trip thus far, barely beating out Logansport.

You’ve fundraised thousands of dollars for our cause. What has been the most impactful fundraising experience you’ve had? It’s really hard to choose because the fundraising we do is so multifaceted. I have fundraised through concessions at games, my own fundraiser on the quad, canning on Green St., and even working at Maya Korol’s dad’s warehouse. The most impactful experience for me was during winter break. I used to work as a server at a senior living community and a few of the residents heard about Illini 4000 and asked me to do a program for them. So, I made a presentation and talked all about I4K and what we we do and I received an overwhelming amount of support as well as fundraised over half of my $4000 goal. Shoutout and huge thank you to the staff and residents of Luther Oaks!

What keeps you going when it gets difficult to put in all of those miles or even to get on the bike? What keeps me going is thinking about where I am, where I’m going, and why I’m here. In moments where there is a lot of fatigue and pain, I try to focus on my breathing and cadence. I also look at the passing scenery and take in the music that’s being played. I think about our cause and who I am doing this for, and do the best I can to keep pushing forward, whether at mile 15 or 55. Chamois butter helps too.

Do you have a favorite accessory to wear with your ride uniform? I like to wear my dad’s sun bandana as well as my constellation bandana. I originally started wearing these to protect my head from the sun after I shaved it, but I’ve grown used to them and I really like the way they look.

What’s your rest stop routine? I don’t have a set routine, but I make a checklist in my head which includes filling water bottles, sunscreen, nutrition, bathroom, and queuing songs. If there is a gas station, I may venture in for a snack.

In the remaining portion of the ride, where are you looking forward to visiting the most? I am looking forward to the national parks that we are going to visit and camp in, including Grand Tetons, Yellowstone, Crater Lake, and Redwoods. I think the beauty is going to be incomparable and cycling through them will be its own form of special.

Please visit the rider profiles page on the website to learn more about this year’s riders! :)