After a relaxing rest day in Champaign, we rolled out of Allen Hall (our training ride starting point) and set out to Kankakee. During our ride, we saw many familiar places and enjoyed the flatlands of the Midwest. Unfortunately, our team couldn't escape the rain, and we were forced to seek shelter during a powerful thunderstorm. The team still finished out the day and remained unfazed by the rain – we’ve really gotten used to it!
quote of the day
Micah: “Did you order duck?... because you have a bill!”
Dev: “??... I ordered french toast”
ride overview
Mileage: 83.4 Miles
Elevation: 864 ft
Points of Interest: Ott’s Drive In, Cindy’s Roadside Cafe, Dairy Queen
Tales of the Trail
The team had one objective today - to beat the thunderstorm. Most of our training rides during the spring were met with rain and surprise surprise, the moment we bike into our home state, it treats us the same, whether it's the spring or summer. Our team was prepared to combat the rain later in the day in case we couldn’t make it to our stayover in time before the rain hit. Kev, an alumni from I4K also joined us for today’s ride! We rolled out of our beloved Allen Hall in the morning and made our first rest stop at Ott’s Drive In in Rantoul. Despite our mission to beat the gloomy clouds, the team was hungry and couldn’t resist the diners menu. Many teams opted in for a classic breakfast with eggs, bacon, and toast, while others got something more sweet with a french toast or pancakes.
As we biked further into the day, it became eminent that our biking power may not be enough to beat the dreary clouds hovering above us. The clouds followed us as we biked along our path. The goal was to make it to the third rest stop of the day at a Dairy Queen, where we could enjoy some ice cream and wait out the thunderstorm that was scheduled. Two out of the three teams were able to make it to the Dairy Queen in time for shelter. Not to worry though, the last group saw lightning around the time they were near a gas station, and were able to take shelter there while the storm began to rage outside. As the storm settled, Hanxi, one of our riders, took the brave decision to drive from the Dairy Queen to the last team at the gas station four miles away to deliver them lunch! Some classic Costco hotdogs and pizza definitely hit the spot while waiting out the storm. Once the storm passed, the third team caught up with the others at the Diary Queen, where we then all headed out for our last stretch of the day to our stayover. We got hit with some rain along the way, but nothing too terrible that we weren’t used to.
Once we got to our stayover, the team shuttled to a nearby Planet Fitness to get clean. Afterwards, our stayover, Adventure Christian Church, treated the team with some tacos for dinner! They were delicious and were followed up by some brownies and ice cream. Subsequently, the team was able to speak with Levi and Robert (Bob) about their cancer experiences. Hearing people’s stories and their experiences with cancer is a huge part of I4k and being able to spread awareness; We loved hearing both of their stories and appreciate their willingness to open up about their experiences (Their stories will eventually be shared in the future via the Portraits Project so stay tuned!) The team then relaxed for the night by playing air hockey, Ping-Pong, pool, or just by hanging out in the main area. Thank you so much to the Adventure Christian Church for hosting us and providing us with dinner and breakfast the next morning. Thank you for everything you provided for us during our stay.
cyclist’s corner
Today’s Rider: Nicole Tchorz
How are you feeling today?
I’m feeling pretty good. Definitely wet, but I like the rain so it was fun.
What was your favorite part of today’s ride?
I had multiple favorite parts of today's ride. One of them was eating at Ott’s Drive In because I got some well needed food at the rest stop. The other part is probably listening to Bob’s story because I value listening to other people's experiences with cancer. Their stories are very meaningful to me and I learn a lot from others when I listen to their stories and their perspectives, so I enjoyed doing that as well.
What motivated you to join Illini 4000?
I joined Illini 4000 for two reasons, one of them being the physical aspect of it and being able to bike across the country because I get to challenge myself physically while exploring the U.S. The other aspect was for the cancer portion because I’ve had family members and friends who have had experiences with cancer, so knowing that I can do something to help combat cancer also made me wanna join the organization by raising funds and awareness about cancer .
Before joining Illini 4000, how much bike training had you done, and did you have any other athletic background that you feel prepared you for this ride?
I didn’t have much bike training before I4K. The most I’ve ever biked beforehand was 26.2 miles, and that was just to make a pretty map of my neighborhood for when I recorded the bike ride on my phone. I played soccer for a good chunk of my life so I think that somewhat helped me with my endurance and the strength needed in my legs to bike.
What is your bike's name? Model?
I have a Trek Domane. Its name is Sisu. Sisu is a Finnish concept, I’m not Finnish in any way but stumbled across the word a while ago. It stands for something like resilience and strength, which is definitely needed on this ride. My bike is also black, blue, and white, and the Finland flag is blue and white. I like the colors and felt like it sort of matched.
What are you most nervous/excited about?
I am most nervous about the mountains out west and how the roads will look there if the shoulders are narrower on the roads and what that would look like if the streets are more busy. At the same time I am also very excited to head out west to the mountains because it should be beautiful to bike through there and visit some national parks.
Anything else you want to talk about?
I just want to shout out to the whole team for working together throughout this ride, as well as the van drivers who have spent good time finding good rest stops for the team and setting everything up each day.