I climbed multiple mountains today! Very beautiful landscapes as we climbed and descended. Definitely the hardest day yet.
92 miles down, hit the 400 mil...
92 miles down, hit the 400 mile mark today as well. Very cold and very wet, but we made it. Now just waiting for the van to show up.
Gettin hurt
Tonight I write you from the comfort of the apartment of Ben Kuchta and the lovely Sarah Frontino- great North East friends, for those of you who don't know. Our D.C. stayover fell through so we had to scramble to stay anywhere. Me and 6 other guys ended up here. Sarah and Ben were awesome, with tons of food and cold beer waiting when we got in.
Getting here was not so easy. I won't go into details, because I really need to get some sleep, but it was the worst ride in the history of the world. We were on the road for over 9 hours, lost and asking for directions a whole lot, riding through muddy mountain bike trails on our road bikes in the pouring rain, wrecked on multiple occasions (I have some nasty road rash, but nothing like my man Tim does) and didnt get in until 630-7.
The rest day in DC today was great. First we had a tour of the breast cancer clinic at Walter Reid Hospital, which was really nice and interesting. Then we met with a current cancer patient and U of I alumni, who shared her story with us. She has been battling cancer for about 6 years now and still has the most positive attitude- and was super psyched about all of us. After all the craziness the last week, it was nice to really get down to what the purpose of this whole ride really is- fighting cancer.
After that we hit the monuments and the American history museum, followed by a dinner at a restaurant/brewery that was way too nice for us. Kurt BD Conner joined in on the fun too, so obviously it was sweet.
Thats all for now, there are many terrible/hilarious details about yesterdays ride, but I just need to sleep.
85 mile ride tomorrow to boonsboro, md. Its supposed to be pouring rain all day- this should be interesting.
It has been unbelievable how many technical difficulties we have had so far on the trip. To me it just seems impossible that I will be able to make it all summer without a bike problem of some sort- but the Cadex (thats my bike, a lovely gift from David Madden) seems to be holding up ok for the most part.
Wish this ride tomorrow could be rain delayed, but we don't work like that. Bye
90 miles plus rain and cold sc...
90 miles plus rain and cold scheduled for tomorrow. Fun?
For some reason I can't access...
For some reason I can't access my own website. Don't really know what's going on, but I'm guessing I won't get any blog posts made today.
Rest Day in D.C.
Today we had a rest day in D.C. and woke up in 3 separate parts of the city. Some of us were lucky enough to meet Patrick the Preacher who had an impecable sense of direction. Thanks for your help! We all met up at Walter Reed Hospital and received an amazing tour of the facilities and Mr. and Mrs. Mulvaney shared their personal cancer stories with us. They were a pleasure to be around and our trip to the hospital ended on a sweet note with free ice cream. After the visit, the group split up and took advantage of the free admission to the city's museums. It was a pretty great way to take a break from cycling.
The Campaign of Hope
The war against cancer has many fronts, and our commitment to this fight in the past included providing funds for research and fostering hope through our Bike America ride and our Portraits Project. In 2009, we have decided to also commit to another side of this battle.
We will be designating a portion of the proceeds of our ride to the American Cancer Society's Campaign of Hope to be tripled in a match by two charitable foundations. The Campaign of Hope is an initiative that supports the American Cancer Society’s Patient Navigation Services program. Patient Navigation Services is a suite of free, hands-on services that provide cancer patients and caregivers with medical information and resources, helpful day-to-day assistance and emotional support for every step of their cancer journey. All of this is possible because of the generous donors and volunteers of the American Cancer Society.
We did not make this decision lightly, but in the end considered it an opportunity that we could not pass up: A challenge grant from the Coleman Foundation will match half of our contribution. This in turn will be matched dollar-for-dollar by The Duchossois Family Foundation. A minimum contribution of $1,000 will thus be tripled, becoming $3,000. This generous grant matching program only lasts through 2009.
Cancer is not in recession. This economic climate has more cancer patients than ever turning to the ACS for help, and findings suggest that the sooner it connects patients with its services after a cancer diagnosis, the better the outcome. We believe that our participation in the Campaign of Hope will have a significant impact in the lives of cancer patients and that it will not diminish the impact of our contribution to the ACS's research fund and Camp Kesem.
hills hills and more hills
So I'm a little behind on blogging, but I'll catch you up! New York was delightful I was super excited because I hadn't been to the city before! And the ride out from central park wasn't too bad! Although I am amazed at how many dead possums I've seen on the road. But now that we're into the hills the rides are so much more difficult. I definetly had some difficult times, but my awesome teammates helped me through it! I'm already on my third flat, but I still haven't fallen which is pretty amazing considering how clumsy I am!! We also rode on some crazy bike paths. One was going into Philly and the other into DC. Whoever thought putting cobblestone on a bike path was a smart idea didn't know what they were talking about! Today we got into washington DC and I still can't believe it! Tomorrow when I see the Lincoln Memorial there's a 100% chance that I'll be thinking of Jimmy Stewart in Mr. Smith goes to Washington. I'm super pumped and can't wait to see more!!!
Thanks for all the support!!!!!!!!
Sarah :)
My Legs Hate Me
After our first five days of riding my legs are really letting me know that I am not used to riding this far every day. Tomorrow is a well needed rest day in D.C. So far the trip has been awesome. Maryland was very hilly, which was really tough riding, but also scenic. At this point I am ready to get off of the east coast and start heading west. I have had about all of the city traffic/riding I can take.
On this trip it is easy to just enjoy the ride and take in all the sights, but on the past couple days I have really been moved by the generosity that has been shown not only to myself, but the entire group. It is really nice to see that people really appreciate what we are doing, and it also reminds us of why we are doing this. Since leaving New York City I have received donations from people I have never met, food from people who just want to help us out, and kind words from everyone we meet along the way. In every nearly every place we stop along the route somebody tells me thank you, good luck, or God Bless. I just can't say enough about the generosity that people have showed us. In a time when it can be hard to find the good in people, it has been easy on this trip. So if anyone that I have met along the way is reading this, I just wanted to say thank you. I am so happy to be a part of something like this.
I've biked between two major U...
I've biked between two major US cities (New York and Washington DC) in 5 days. Crazy.
Hills Shmills
Man, if anyone ever told you that there aren't hills on the east coast...they were slightly off. The past couple of days have been pretty hilly and tough and hot but every so often there are some great sights of rolling meadows and flowers. And let me tell you, after hours of riding up and down hills in the sun, PB&J never tasted so good, especially stacked four pieces of bread high. Honestly, d-el-i-c-i-o-u-s.
Today, it took a while to get out of Baltimore with flats and potential chain breaks. But once we got out, I got pretty excited to head to D.C. It's crazy that we're already this far in such a short period of time. And it's also really awesome.
Tomorrow we're getting a tour of the Walter Reed Hospital which should be really great. After that I'm gonna check out the Holocaust museum, the Vietnam Memorial, and whatever else the city has to offer. I'm ready for our first rest day, it will be really nice to have a break adn check out a city I've never been too, so I'm stoked!
First flat coming out of balti...
First flat coming out of baltimore. Small piece of wire did me in.
Day 4 & 5 into Baltimore and Washington D.C.
We'd like to start by saying when Brad says it is going to be a hard day, he is not kidding around. Yesterday was a hilly 75 mile ride from Delaware to Baltimore. The first half of the ride was gorgeous, but exhausting. We were happy to have a warm welcome at alumni rider Ben's ghetto. Dinner was some what of a fiasco, so thank you Jay's for the pizza! We also received $42 in donations.
Today was a 60 mile ride into Washington D.C. The ride was hilly, but definitely easier than the previous ride. A cool Maryland rider, Mike, rode with us for 10 miles, and donated $100 to our cause. We also received a donation of food from Convenience Catering, thanks Doug Henley! U of I alum Alyssa in Washington D.C. treated us to Lebanese food and tomorrow's Portrait participant Jan made us some amazing brownies : ). Tonight the group is split, and each place is having an event of their own. One group had to bike an extra 20 miles in the rain, but they were warmly welcomed with (meaty and veggie) burgers, corn, and potato salad. The rest of the boys are spending the evening in style at Brad's generous friend Brian's place.The girls are having a night on the town, and staying at alum rider, Andrea's, house. Their evening may entail almond butter, chile spiced mangos, dark chocolate raspberry trail mix, snuggling, but absolutely no gluten.
We are all looking forward to our team reunion at Walter Reed Hospital where we are lucky to receive a tour. More to come tomorrow...
A quick update on the donut eating competition: Caroline is beating Matt Cady 7-6 (he only has 60 days to catch up).
yay for logistical nightmares
yay for logistical nightmares
4000 Miles Down, 4000 Miles to Go
Hello Illini 4000 Supporters,
Once again I find myself on the road with the Illini 4000. Having completed the ride in 2008 I have returned as a ride leader for this summer. I must say that I am very impressed with this year's team. They bring their own uniqueness and style to the table. Even though the first week has brought its share of logistical nightmares they have been very understanding and incredibly resourceful. Today the team divided up and brought in several food donations from local pizzarias after we had problems preparing a meal. I look forward to the days and weeks ahead with the 2009 Illini 4000 Team. I can't wait to see the country all over again with them.
I would also like to take some time to thank some of our stayovers. In NYC the Chou's and Tim O'Conner's cousin, Chris really pulled through offering us a place to stay last minute. In Hillsborough, the Thakkars, who are the parents of Illini 4000 Co-Founder Anish Thakkar, once again welcomed us into their home and showered us with food. They have offered us a safe haven over the last two years that has been extremely helpful. The day the team rides out of NYC is stressful and very tiring. As we finally break out of the urban sprawl on that day's ride the Thakkar household has always been a shinning beacon for the team. And lastly I would also like to give a shoutout to the Salem Methodist Church in Newark. We have always felt extremely welcomed there both years. They have also fed us until we were bursting and sent us on our way.
Thanks to everyone who has been supporting the team and all of those people who have provided us with a place to stay. Without you this ride would not be possible.
Brad Topol
Illini 4000 Ride Leader
Rollin' Down the East Coast
Bike, eat, sleep, bathroom!
My thoughts...
pedal pedal, hill, grunt, ah the pain, gah, whooo at the top, weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee 10, 20, 30, 35 mph down hilllllll!!!!!*
*repeat
Ah, the life of biking across the country. So, much has happened in so little time, each day seems like 5 because absolutely everything that we pass, see,smell and place we stay is new and an experience that will only happen once. While I have had a rocky start first time being sick in 2 years, a small crash and experiencing what an actual hill is like (fyi it is nothing like a highway overpass) I still look forward to the next day. The generous people that we meet each day who are interested in what we are doing (stopping and asking us wherever we go)and are willing to donate (even handing out money from their car window and going to donut shop I saw 7 years ago on the food network to only get free donuts and a donation!) puts a lot of hope in me about people in general and that what we are doing means a lot more than I know.
Furthermore, we did our first portrait project yesterday with Becky Vanderslice and her husband Warren, nicknamed slice, about her experience with cancer. They were very humorous and loving people who have turned their experience into a way to make a positive imapct. They made a great point about choosing how to look at a situation, and how with humor and not accepting defeat you can find strength to fight anything. I will try to remember this and the things that I find everyday inspiration in throughout the ride.
Well, tomorrow is another day and I can not wait to meet more eccentric people and see more of United States, we've already done 5 states in 4 days!
Love all of you,
Caroline
gettin flat tires
The ride into Baltimore today was alright- super hot and super hilly. today our group expanded as the "fast group" decided to roll with us since they realized that we were having way more fun than them, they loved us, and they're not actually faster- so we were rolling about 9 deep. I felt super strong and was rolling up the hills, which I was surprised by.
The group had a bunch of technical errors-four flat tires, 2 of which were mine, and a broken front derailur. I got my second flat about 5 miles from the finish- which was frustrating, but fortunately it happened right next to a McDonalds- we didn't think twice about ice cream cones. I had two- super refreshing.
A woman we meant from the American Cancer Society in Baltimore that we meant last night let a bunch of people here know about us so we had a bunch of people cheering and honking for us. When people seewhat we're doing, theyjust get so excited andvery generous. Today when our group stopped for lunch and the support van was way back/lost, the pizza hut we were camped out by just gave us two pizzas. Another woman just gave us 40 dollars at a stop light.
Got another run in when I got in, which was cool... Baltimore seems just ok- seems unlikely that I'll go downtown, just too tired. We are currently trying to figure out the dinner situation- I'm gonna need a lot. seriously.
riding into D.C. tomorrow, about the same length as tomorrow, 80 miles or so. Then we have a rest day the next day- I think beer will be in order.
First
I do not even know where to begin. The first day riding out of NYC was really awesome. The ride was really fun even with me hitting a dead possum. Then when we were riding in PA it was beautiful, however not even close to as beautiful as VT. Then yesterday we were riding in DE and that was really great since the ride was only 40 miles. We had our first portrait project and that was so awesome to hear this woman\'s story about her fight with breast cancer. I found myself thinking about her constantly today during our 80 mile ride. Today\'s ride was hard but fun. It was hilly and super hot- I got pretty burned. The ride was really pretty but the hills got tiresome after a while- but I have many reasons to keep pedling. Tomorrow we leave for DC and I am really excited not only to be in DC but I will get to meet up with my grandmother, sister, and dad for a bit. That\'s it. Keep sending emails they really make my day!
In baltimore. I'm pretty sure ...
In baltimore. I'm pretty sure i've done more climbing in the last week than i have all semester. Legs are so tired.
One to Get Me started
With the first few turns of my pedals, I've learned more about biking than I had in my whole life. The first three days of this journey have been an experience to say the least. I can't believe that I have already seen so many great things and met such wonderful people. To date, New York is B-E-AUTIFUL and lively and fun. New Jersey is splendid, rolling meadows I never knew existed. Pennsylvania is so gorgeous and bike happy, it's inspiring. Delaware is home to some truly amazing people.
Each day of this ride brings something new into my life and I can only thank the people who made it possible: my family, friends, all the people who have given me support to help me start this adventure. I cannot thank you enough and I can't wait to share more of it with you.
While the rides can be long and tough, each turn of the pedals is one closer to understanding something bigger and grander than I can begin to describe.