Sixteen days and 1000 miles later, we have crossed into our sixth state of Illinois, the Land of Lincoln. In addition to these milestones, we have arrived at the home of I4K: Champaign-Urbana, Illinois.
It was here sixteen years ago where Illini 4000 was founded by Jon Schlesinger and Anish Thakkar while they lived in Allen Hall. The first ride had eighteen members, the same as our team prior to leaving Champaign. An idea spawned to provide a unique means of combining fundraising, outreach, cancer awareness, and athletics, Illini 4000 has only grown. It has produced hundreds of alumni, funded millions of dollars toward valuable cancer research and patient support services, and created countless connections between teams and the people they meet prior to and during the ride. Riding into Champaign is a treasured tradition, as well as a vitally important reminder of the past.
Ride Overview
Mileage: 77.2
Elevation: +1315’/-1290’
General Direction: Ride northwest on winding country roads and meet westbound U.S. 36 at Montezuma, cross the border into Illinois at mile 17.9, stay on until mile 32.3, turn north on 900 N and proceed north, moving west to 600 N through the town of Sidell, turn west, then north at mile 52.7, pass through Homer and by Homer Lake, follow Homer Lake Rd. and turn onto Windsor Road past Salt Fork, stop at Meadowbrook Park at mile 73.5, and ride with fellow riders north on Race Street, with zig zags to Green Street, follow the Bardeen and North Quad to the Beckman Institute.
Points of Interest: Wabash River, Homer Lake, Meadowbrook Park, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Tales of the Trail
The day began with a wonderful breakfast made by our hosts and an early morning departure from Rockville. Ten miles of hilly roads riddled with potholes put us into our riding mindset as our callouts rang out through the chilly air. After merging onto U.S. 36, we passed a pretty, mint green bridge over the Wabash River, saw bald eagles less than 50 feet overhead, and crossed into Illinois on its eastern border. Of course, the photo op with the state sign was completely necessary.
The flat Illinois cornfields brought with them a sturdy wind from the northwest, which meant headwinds or crosswinds for all of the ride. The miles continued to pass until we reached our final rest stop at Homer Lake. We ate our PB&Js and finished our journey into Champaign from the east. The sights began to look more and more familiar: the same Homer Lake Road that we had ridden on during training, Windsor Road and its intersection at High Cross where the first two groups merged into one large group, and finally Meadowbrook Park. The surreality of being here after setting tires down in New York City is absolutely unmatched.
For the final four miles, we rode with a few family members and I4K alumni through Urbana toward the Beckman Institute: home to the Cancer Center at Illinois. This facility houses cutting-edge cancer research and educational programs and is one of our four beneficiaries for this year. We were provided a round of applause as we rolled in as an entire team to the steps of Beckman. A generous outdoor reception gave riders a chance to meet CCIL staff and family, and thus began our rest day in Champaign.
The Rest Day
The team spent the day at their own leisure with laundry, showers, and sleep galore. Many met with friends and loved ones on campus, and a few riders brought their bikes to Neutral Cycle for repairs (thank you Ruchen for all you did today!). Tomorrow we turn north toward the Chicago area, which we will reach in two days of riding, and this refreshing stay in Champaign has restored our energy as we continue.
Cyclist’s Corner
Today’s Rider: Kathryn Choate
How are you today? I am doing great! I’m really excited to be back in Champaign and we got to see Randy this morning and yesterday, so it started out good too! There were plenty of headwinds but I definitely tried to keep a positive mindset throughout. It feels so surreal to be back here after these two weeks of cycling. We’ve had a lot of growth and have come back different people. Combined with having just ridden 1000 miles, it was a powerful moment for everything we’ve been riding for.
What make and model of bicycle are you riding? Jaylen and I have twin bikes, mine is just slightly smaller. It is a navy blue Trek Domane AL2 and it is also from the gear program.
What is your favorite aspect about the ride so far? Why is it your favorite? The team. The people on this trip are incredible. Every day we get to ride with different people and there’s always an aspect of that day’s ride that’s challenging. Being there with each other and encouraging each other helps us accomplish these challenges. I feel that we are bonding very well and these are people I can be vulnerable with as well as have fun with.
How much cycling did you do before training for I4K specifically? Not a lot! I’d say more than some but a lot less than others. I came onto the team knowing how to ride a bike but hadn’t ridden a road bike. During the pandemic, I took many rides into the cornfields to clear my mind, and at that point I thought that riding twenty miles was a long distance for a ride. It has really changed my perception of distance as well as my own personal capabilities.
Is there anyone you are riding for today and would like to share a few words for? We dedicate the ride to someone every day. I kept the person we dedicated the ride to, someone who meant a lot to one of my teammates, in my thoughts today. I also have many friends and family friends who have dealt with cancer; I am riding for them for the duration of the ride. One memorable person I am riding for is my family friend Scott. His impact on my life is hard to put into words, and I think of him especially on the hard days.
Where on today’s route (generally or specific mile marker) was the most memorable for you? What happened? We were biking down Windsor Street after being in cornfields all day with headwinds and crosswinds, and suddenly it felt like we were in Champaign-Urbana. When this happened, another group behind us caught up to us and we rode as a mega-group. It felt so surreal to be back and we’ve all come back as different people. It is amazing to be here biking together for this cause on these streets, and that was just beautiful.
Anything you’d like to say to those cheering you on? Thank you for all of the support. It’s definitely meant a lot to me to be able to reach out to people who make me smile and that has really helped to get me through the hardest days.
Please visit the rider profiles page on the website to learn more about this year’s riders! :)
~Dictionary of I4K~
Callouts: Verbal cues spoken and repeated by all riders in a group. Describe hazards, passing vehicles, directional cues, and more.
Headwind: Wind from the direction facing the front of the rider. Hardest wind condition to ride in.
Crosswind: Wind from the direction facing the sides of the rider. Can be anywhere between negligible and difficult to ride in.
