Today the team was met with some climbs once again, a normal occurrence in Pennsylvania. Despite them, the team persevered and made it to our stayover for the night. The day was met with changing weather and meeting many new people, whether that was on the side of the road or at our stayover.
Quote of the Day
“Are anyone else’s arms fly traps?”
RIDE OVERVIEW
Mileage: 63.3 miles
Elevation: 4,610 ft
Points of Interest: Altoona, Loretto
Tales of the Trail
The day started off gloomy, with drizzles of rain starting and stopping throughout the first couple of miles of the ride. As the team pedaled through Pennsylvania, the occasional rain was able to cool us off as we made our way to Ebensburg, PA. The first miles were met with beautiful scenery, mountains on either side of the road, and lush forests. The team was able to take in the views and enjoy the road.
At one of our rest stops for the day, we chose a McDonald's. Once again, some opted out of PB&Js for a classic Happy Meal to refuel for the last couple of miles ahead. The team took shade and ate in the parking lot when a kind man saw our van, and decided to come back with Mallo Cups - a treat similar to a Reese's Pieces cup. They are made by the Boyer Candy Company, in Altoona, PA, which is where we had the rest stop!
After the rest stop, the team tackled the last of the challenging hills of the day, passing through historic places near Ebensburg. Once we got to our stayover at the Ebensburg Presbyterian Church, our hosts provided us with dinner and an opportunity to shower and do laundry at the Central Cambria High School nearby. Afterwards, we were able to talk to some locals, the mayor, and the commissioner! Others also had the opportunity to hear a local’s story with their experience with cancer, which will be shared in the future via the Portraits Project!
Thank you to the Ebensburg Presbyterian Church for being so willing to host the Illini 4000, and thank you to all the community members who were willing to donate food and their time to support the team. You guys have very well convinced us to visit Ebensburg once again in the future, and we will have you in mind! Thank you for your hospitality and the heads-up about potentially encountering wildlife tomorrow as we venture onwards by taking The Ghost Town Trail tomorrow morning!
Cyclist’s Corner
Today’s Rider: Alex Ziminski
How are you feeling today?
Today? Well, I'm feeling really exhausted, but feel really appreciated and encouraged by stay over hosts for providing us such a nice meal and place to stay, and also just taking the time out of their day to talk to every one of us and kind of get to know us.
What was your favorite part of today’s ride?
I definitely liked the beginning, because it was very downhill and very fast.
What motivated you to join Illini 4000?
I was an avid hobby cyclist before joining all throughout high school, and I heard about the organization through my advisor, and as I learned more about it, I found out that it's also a great way to support the cancer research community, since cancer has impacted my family and others across the country. It's also such a cool thing to do, and not something that everyone can say they've done before.
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?
Yeah, so definitely the hobby cycling. But other than that, I just did weightlifting a lot and honestly, my cardio was terrible, even throughout the training rides. So this ride has definitely been a bit of a shock.
What is your bike's name? Model?
I have not named it yet, but it's a giant contend SL 2.
What are you most nervous/excited about?
I'd say I'm kind of nervous for the century rides coming up in the near and distant future, and I am also a bit nervous as to how I'm gonna be feeling in the future, just like, energy wise, but I’m excited. I'm so pumped to go to the national parks and camp overnight and also just pass through small towns, like the ones we've been i’ve been in today. And it's such a cool thing because this is absolutely not something you'd be able to see, like if you drove past here, you know