After a fantastic rest day in Lincoln, the rain paused its falling just as we were about to begin our ride on the first day of Summer. Today was a short ride relative to our usual mileage and we had all the conditions working together to make this one of the more enjoyable rides in some time. The weather was cool and overcast, the wind was at our back, we were all rested, and our bikes were cleaned.
Ride Overview
Mileage: 54.8 miles
Elevation: +1,059 ft. / -866 ft.
Points of Interest: Historic Haymarket, Pinnacle Bank Arena, Highway 34, Parade of Flags, Seward (not in Alaska), Runza
Tales of the Trail
Some of the bagels were left over from yesterday morning and supplemented by yogurt, kalachis, some of our usual oatmeal, and orange juice to cap off a complete meal for breakfast. No one exited Saint Paul Church with an empty stomach and we can be sure that is exactly how they intended it to be after thinking back to our dinner with them just a couple days ago. At the morning circle before our ride, we talked about the accomplishment of making it through the last 8-day stretch of riding which will be our longest continuous set of riding days throughout the entire Summer. We talked about the upcoming mission which will include its own fair share of long and flat days moving towards Boulder where our next rest day will be. Soon enough, it was time to roll out and on our way take in our last sights of Lincoln.
The route out of town included rolling through the Historic Haymarket district where some of us had gone to walk around and get food on our night of arrival and for the I4K Valentine’s dates yesterday. We then passed the modern looking Pinnacle Bank Arena where the Cornhuskers play their basketball games. After this, the day was not less enjoyable, but certainly had less active scenery.
From mile 5 to mile 50, we all rode along Highway 34 and had plenty of time to talk with each other before Tada (driving) and the van appeared in the distance. Before the first rest stop, there was a scary looking bump in the road that everyone remembered because it ended up being more like a jump. Some of us even thought about going back to go off it again now knowing the reality. Vedang and Nishk said they had a chance to look each other in the eyes midair. At a barn on the side of the road, each team recounted their encounter with the bump turned jump.
The next span of road was about as you might imagine for a Midwest state: wide, flat roads, corn on either side, a train in the distance, and small towns scattered between. One of those small towns, Seward, was home to the Parade of Flags memorial which was a neat place to get a picture and sign our team into the visitor log. They also had a fun sign that told how far it was to Seward, Alaska, 3,446 miles if you’re wondering! Since we had tailwinds pushing us faster than usual, we were soon enough at a gas station eating peanut butter sandwiches again. We had some combined peanut butter and honey that was meant for the morning bagels but never used and that made for a fantastic lunchtime treat.
The three teams on the road had different vibes for the last stretch. There were Aadit, Vedang, Nishk, and Parker putting the pedal to the metal and flying through the last 15 miles, Cole, Max, Ehsan, and Anthony enjoying time talking with each other and without a worry in their minds, and Ren, Maaike, Sam, and Lauren listening to music and absolutely all smiles. We decided to meet at restaurants upon arriving in York. Half went to the Nebraska fast food chain Runza which we rated as “quite good” and loved the $1 ice cream cones. The other half went to a Mexican restaurant to fill up on what is possibly the favorite cuisine for refueling after a ride.
Eventually, we rolled over to Emmanuel Lutheran Church where we would be spending the night and set up camp. Mind you, this was at 1 or 2 pm and so we had some time to explore. Many went to the community center to swim and enjoy some resting hours and then it was time to head back for dinner which was so graciously offered by the church. Tomorrow marks the first in a set of 5 days where none of the rides are under 80 miles and where 3 are over 90. We are going to bring back the mentality we had before the 134-mile day and work as a team!
Cyclists’ Corner
Rider: Lauren Faber
How are you feeling today? How was today’s ride?
I'm actually feeling really good today! It was a nice and flat day, and a shorter day, and those always feel good. When you get to the stayover, you still have so much of the day left to do whatever you want. I just got my new pedals and I would clip into them, so riding has been very enjoyable today. We also got music privileges and that's been very enjoyable!
Note from Cole: Lauren’s bike got a lot of care in Lincoln and now it’s in pretty stellar condition which is making life on the road much nicer.
Is there anything that you, personally, think, or hope, you will gain from the ride?
I think we actually spoke about this one, maybe the 130-day or so. One of the things I remember saying was, I hope to feel like I've made a significant impact on the world and on the cause. When we’re riding you kind of just get in the zone. We're just biking, but by the end I hope I feel a stronger connection to the cause and how what I'm doing is very important for people.
How have you surprised yourself since New York City?
I don't know if this is necessarily a surprise, but I'm pretty proud of the fact that I've been able to get along well with people who have such different backgrounds and such different ways of life. We were all kind of strangers in the beginning, and we're all more like a family now.
I also definitely think being able to ride full days [is a good surprise]. I could never imagine riding this many days back to back. I've definitely gotten stronger and that's been pretty fun to see.
Where is your hometown? If there was food from there you could have with you at every town during the ride, what would it be?
Well, this is an easy question… Hawthorne Woods, Illinois.
Hawthorne doesn't really have anything, but if you travel a little bit farther, 15 minutes or something to Libertyville, Sushi Thai. It's a family favorite. They have the best crab rangoons I've ever had in my life! I've tried looking at so many different restaurants and ordering crab rangoons at every single one, giving them a chance, but they have never been as good as the Sushi Thai crab rangoons. I wish they were at every stayover.
How is the ride progressing for you?
It's definitely been getting better. I think having that difficult start and route at the beginning was weighing on my mental, but it's been getting flatter and I've been getting better. I think the terrain changing has definitely helped. I think it has gotten easier, so I feel better. I've been having fun! I think I've been getting a better mentality recently. I think I was very stressed and overwhelmed at the beginning with the weather, and the hills, and new places, and new people, but I've been getting the hang of things.
What do you think your role for the team has become (regardless of what it started as or what chore you do)?
The only thing I can think of is I can bring some comedic relief to the team and I think I'm kind of fun. I feel like I enjoy looking for things to do when we get to the stayovers even when most of the time it doesn't actually follow through. I like suggesting places to go and trying to make a plan to explore the city that we're in.
What has your favorite snack in the van been so far?
Well, I was a fan of Cheddar Jack Chees-Itz. And... Costco little chocolate chip cookies that are chewy. I can just eat those like chips, so those are the best!