Training Ride #2

To catch my blog up to speed (if you are behind- look at the previous 2 posts at least where I introduce our first training ride and then more importantly the post titled Mahalo is dedicated to everyone who has supported me and donated to the Illini 4000)- last Saturday (4/9/11) I had my second training ride with my team.  The team always meets on campus bright and early (only in this case it wasn't bright).  The training route was roughly 50 miles and took us to the small neighboring towns of Seymour and Mahomet and back.  This is what I learned from that ride:

• You ride your bike in rain or shine.  Ron and I left for Champaign from Springfield at 6:15 am with our bikes in the back of the minivan in a thunderstorm.  We then stopped at Walmart to buy cheap rain jackets to hold us over for the day.
• Before we took off on our bikes the team had a tutorial on how to change a flat tire....fyi if you have a flat tire do not come looking for help from me.  It was raining- it was early- and there were lots of technical terms and air pumps and patch kits and tire levers....I could do it but I am just saying I wouldn't be your safest bet.  It is going to take me a couple times  before I am a pro.  (Or in my opinion that is what Ron is for.....right??) lol  

• We were told to expect to get a flat at least 5 times on the entire trip- some people were well on their way considering 2 people in my group got flat tires the same day during our training ride.
• I hate riding in traffic.  It is even worse riding your bike in traffic up a ramp.
• Just because you have cues for directions does not mean you won't get lost.  My group got lost at least 3 times.
• My group decided to have a hygiene conversation (unfortunately for the men) during one of our snack breaks.  Hygiene is one of my most serious concerns for this summer- considering I will be working out the majority of the day, not wearing any underwear (I stated in my earlier posts that it is ill advised to wear underwear under your bike shorts due to chaffing), and not having access to long hot showers like I would at home.  Gross, I know.  But as soon as the topic of bladder and yeast infections came up the guys in my group got queasy.  And one of my favorite quotes from the day was from our ride leader (who rode on the trip last year), Pi.  He said, "Just bring lots of baby wipes."  haha  It was funny coming from him, but sadly it probably is good advice.
• Another one of my favorite quotes of the day was from Connor.  He said, "When in doubt- dip it in peanut butter."  I am going to have to learn to like the stuff sooner or later- I do agree it is good with grapes (not jelly- just grapes)
• I learned that I need to learn how to pull up on my pedal (my shoes are clipped into my pedals) as well as pushing down in order to get full momentum and not put all the strain on just my quads.  This is a lot harder than it sounds.  Because when I pull up, I forget to push- it seems like I can only do one or the other.  It is either pull pull pull pull or push push push push.  I need to master push pull push pull with my legs and feet.
• I learned that you can take a nap anywhere with your helmet as a pillow.  While one of our teammates was changing his flat tire (the second one of the day) we had nothing to do but wait for 15 minutes so we went over off the side of the road right by a farm field of dirt and took a siesta.
• Falling off your bike is not uncommon as you would think.  Myself (third fall and counting) and at least 2 other of my teammates took a spill.
• I learned to expect the unexpected and to add at least 2 hours to the expected time of arrival.  We were supposed to be back around 1:30pm or 2:00 at the absolute latest.  Well we didn't take into account two flat tires and getting lost a few times along the way.  And then you have snack breaks and side of the road siestas.  We didn't get back until 3:30pm.  Which was really unfortunate for me because I had to be at work at 5:00pm in Springfield.  (That is a completely different and incredibly not-so-fun story that I don't like to talk about because I would rather not relive it.  I would rather focus on how much fun the day actually was instead of how awful rushing to work was after riding 50 miles and serving lobster on a unfathomably busy Saturday night.  I was physically and mentally drained and on top of it fried from the sun.  But again- not going to talk about it.  I survived.)

• #1 thing I took away from training ride #2 was: DO NOT FORGET SUN BLOCK!!!!!  uugghh  Since it was so gloomy and stormy out in the morning I wasn't planning on taking off my rain jacket so I didn't put any SPF on.  Zero.  None.  Zip.  Nada.  And when it was 1pm the sun was beating down and it got up to 80 degrees.  So I had to take the jacket off- and I paid dearly.  I don't think I have ever been that burnt on my shoulders (I was wearing a sports bra tank top under my jacket).  Not OK.  

*I have also officially started to get my biker short tan :)  Super sexy!

Training Ride #1

Here is what I know:

• There is only 39 days left until the ride
• Our team has collected $95,467 so far
• I need to go work out
• The team is required to ride at least 500 miles before the trip starts
• I have completed 2 team training rides the past 2 Saturdays (the first one was 37 miles and last week was 50 miles)  and have 3 more to go.

During my first training ride I learned a lot.  Our first ride- Saturday April 2nd- took us to and around Homer Lake Forest Preserve which made a grand total of our first 37 miles.  It was also alumni weekend for past riders of the Illini 4000 and riders from all of the past 4 years came out to ride with us!  (Even one of the founders of the organization was there!)  I got lots of great tips and learned a lot from past riders.  

One former rider who rode in my group was Steve and I asked him why he chose to do the ride last year and I was shocked to hear that he did it because he is actually a caner survivor himself...he was diagnosed with testicular cancer when he was only 17 years old!  This amazes me- this guy who is practically the same age as me not only has already rode his bike across America, but also has fought cancer- all in only 21 years.  It crazy to think because he is just like me- going to school, outgoing, and part of the Illini 4000- I would never have guessed he had cancer before.  Sometimes I think that cancer is only for older people or for people who aren't in shape but that is not true at all.  I was reminded that day that anyone can suffer from it.

I also learned that riding a bike is not as easy as it looks- especially in a group.  The most important thing that we focused on during our first ride together was communication.  It is very vital to be able to communicate directions and upcoming hazards to the rest of your group.  The person in the front of the line has to be the eyes for the person behind him and everyone up to the very back of the line. And the person at the back has to be the eyes for everyone in front of him and the person in the very front.  Everyone has to be alert, communicate and signal the entire ride.  It is kind of like a never ending game of telephone.  Common sayings are:

• "Slowing"
• "Stopping"
• "Rolling"  (aka moving)
• "Left turn"
• "Right turn"
• "Car up"  (aka car coming)
• "Car back"
• "Passing"  (Car or other motor vehicle passing)
• "Grate left/right"
• "Stick left/right"
• "Hole left/right"
• "Gravel"
• "Bump"
• "Tracks" (Railroad Tracks)
• "Clear"  (Road is clear for cars at the moment)
• "Gap"  (When there is too big of a gap between bikers in your group)
• And you can't forget any mics. items such as "Bud Light can left" or "Road kill right"

This can get very tedious and at times sound like a really annoying  parrot especially in urban streets where there is something to yell every second and everything gets repeated as it goes down the line up to 8 times (since there is a maximum number of 8 people in a group.)

I learned that I hate the wind.  The wind was extremely strong the day of our first ride and at times I am positive I could have been walking faster than I was riding my bike.  I was told by previous riders that the wind was the worst element to battle- they would rather climb mountains that go into the wind.

I learned that your legs are not the parts to get sore first during the ride- and its not your butt either.  It is your neck and shoulders.  They killed me during that ride.

I learned from a past rider that if you get lost along the ride you can assume that any direction uphill or into the wind is the right way to go.

I learned that snacks are important to have- because there are a lot of snack breaks.

I learned from previous riders that the I4K was the best thing that they have ever done (it is unanimous from everyone I have talked to)

I learned how to play "Chicken on the Roof" which is a ridiculous ice-breaker game you play with a partner.  Ron and David won hahahahahaha  (You had to be there)

I also learned that 37 miles into the wind was no cake walk.

Mahalo

I have great news!!!!  Yesterday I officially reached my $3,000 personal fundraising goal!!!!!!!!!  I actually am well over $3,000!  Overall, our team so far is at $91,775!  That is a TON of money!  And all of it gets to go to the American Cancer Society to further cancer research and also help with much needed patient services (such as wigs, transportation or overnight stays for patients who have to travel far for treatment and may not be able to afford it).  Another portion of the donations go to Camp Kesem to send kids whose parents have (or has had) cancer to camp for a week for free.

Q. How much over the years has the Illini 4000 donated to the American Cancer Society and Camp Kesem?
A. In total, the Illini 4000 has donated $280,000 to our two beneficiaries.

Year	American Cancer Society Contribution	Camp Kesem Contribution
2007	$50,000 – Cancer Research	$5,000
2008	$50,000 – Cancer Research	$5,000
2009	$35,000 – Cancer Research $17,500 – Patient Services (Tripled through matching grants)	$7,500
2010	$80,000 – Cancer Research $20,000 – Patient Services (Increased 50% by matching grants)	$10,000
Total	$252,500	$27,500

And after this year- we will hopefully add well over $100,000 to the contributions.  I am so excited by this!!!!!!!  I remember barely being able to raise $100 dollars for elementary school fundraisers going door to door selling candles or cookies or chocolate or whatever.  Now I have done that times 30.  And I didn't even sell cookies.  People- from family to complete strangers- just gave- and I am writing to say:


THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!


Thank you thank you thank you.  Thank you for not only just supporting me- because without raising a minimum of $3,000, I wouldn't be able to go on the trip- but for supporting the Illini 4000 and the fight against cancer.  Every dollar counted- no matter if it was $5 or $500.  It all adds up.  And hopefully over the years all the money donated towards the fight against cancer it will all add up to a cure.  But it takes everyone and no matter if your contribution is writing a check or riding a bike or spreading the word- it all makes a difference.  


So thank you (so far) to:
Cara & Steve Waters
Michael and Angie O'Brien
Barb & Bob Reed
Donny & Stephanie Carr
Carole & Galen Bertram
Gerry Regez
Pam Hughes
Carole Richter
Don & Linda Le
Grandma & Grandpa Winters
Jackie Steward
Kaylyn Davis & Family
Eric & Cynthia Helm
John & Amy Hart
Bob & Elaine Plager
Becky and Scott Wiley
Pat & Jill McKenna
Joe & Joyce Turpin
Cynthia Vanderwoude
Jan Martin
Sally Urban
Alec & Laurie Ruble & family
Beverly Rempfer
Sandy Toerber
Kim Marchini 
Susan Walt
Sharon & Gary Koch
Roxie Gronewold
Judy Dees & Elacta Trei
Joyce Becke
Rick & Mary Schneider
Grandma June
Pam & Michael Merry
Kayla & Don Fosler
Paul Gonnerman
The Truckenmiller-Krum Family
Gary & Bernice Gilbert
Graig Otte
Shirley Defano
Shirley Lutz
Barbara Twombly
Terence & Linda Steenrod
Mary Meier
Beverly Fransen
Bob & Bev Carr
Midwest Community Bank, Freeport IL
Louise Maupin
Elaine Kleindl
Jennifer Castle
Julie Beach
Tyler & Chris Soukup (Baumgartner Cheese Store)
Amanda Bauer
Collegues of my Dad's at the Information Systems Dept. at Monroe Clinic:  Julie Scheider, 
Lynne Thompson, Linda McLimans, JoAnn Czajka, Jane Smith, Maria Nagel, and others
George Rinehart Jr. and the Village Hair Salon
Ranee Cory
Steve & Laurie Jurs
Jerry & Connie Hartman
Don & Donna Penticoff
Craig R. Knaack


And a special thanks to my Mom & Dad and Grandma Bev & Grandma Diane for not only supporting me but helping me in so many ways with this fundraiser- especially when it comes to spreading the word of the Illini 4000 and its cause.  Many of these people who have donated are friends of my grandparents or even friends of friends.  It is so amazing to see all the people behind you- people you didn't even know.  Who would have thought that my dad's barber would help me out???!!  And then one of my favorite stories is Amanda Bauer- who was a complete stranger to me the day she donated.   When I told her what I was doing- she asked me if she could donate!   I am pretty sure I asked for her name after she gave me the money. 


So it was literally everyone who got me to where I am right now.  They did their part and I guess I get to do mine in 46 days!
And we still have all those days to raise money!!!!!!  (I should say we only have that many more days! lol)  So if you are reading this and are interesting in joining the cause and would like to donate please go to www.illini4000.org and click "Support Us."  And again, gracias, to everyone who already has!

"All great things are only a number of small things that have carefully been collected together." -Anonymous 

-Lauren

Why Not?

On Saturday, April 2 at 9:45am the 2011 team had our first team training ride.  We rode our first 37 miles together and practiced riding and communicating as a group.  And I am not going to lie- it was definitely NOT the easiest thing I have ever done.  It was just plain hard riding directly against strong headwinds.  I learned quite a few things including why it is not recommended to wear underwear under your bike shorts (chaffing) and how much your shoulders and neck can get sore from riding in that position for so long.  When I tell everyone this, and that I will be doing that ride (37 miles) times two almost every day people usually have one thing to ask: "Why?"

I have been writing a lot about falling off my bike and aches and pains and my loathing of PB&J.  I could write a very long list of fears that I have about this trip (which I will later).  But this past weekend during our first training ride I learned something that outweighs all of my worries- that it is all going to be completely worth it and I was reminded why I wanted to do this trip in the first place.  So to answer the question everyone has been dying to know...

I want to do this because:

1.  I get to tour the United States and see dozens of cities and towns and communities that I probably wouldn't otherwise.
2.  I get to ride with 29 other GREAT people.  There is no other way to describe our team- we are all so, so different in every way possible- our year in school, our studies, our families, our ethnicities, our biking abilities, athletic abilities, personalities, you name it- but for all of them to give up their summer, raise money for a cause, and to commit to doing something of this magnitude says a lot about their character.  I already know that I am going to have so many new great friends after this trip that I would never have met otherwise.
3.  I actually get to make a difference in the fight against cancer.  I am not a scientist or a doctor or even a nurse that gets to fight cancer every day.  I haven't even volunteered for the ACS before.  But now I get to donate over $3,000 to them.  I can't even remember being able to raise over $75 for elementary school fundraisers.
4.  I have gotten to see first hand how many people support me and the cause.  I never imagined I would get all this support.  I have received donations and encouragement from friends of friends and my grandparents friends, and my dad's barber, and my old teachers, and even complete strangers.  It is truly amazing to see.  THANK YOU if you are reading this.
5.  My major was in health communication and I get to practice it first hand on the trip.  One of the goals of the Illini 4000 is to meet people across the nation and hear and pass on their stories of cancer and how they were effected.
6.  It is my last summer without having to work.  I am probably going to work for many years once I get a job and when I look back on the summer of 2011- the summer after college, the summer I turned 22- I don't want to remember just another summer of work that blends in with all the rest.  Once I get a job and have a family I cannot just take a extended leave of absence for 72 days to ride a bike across the country.
7.  It gives me a great reason to work out and hopefully my body is going to be in the best shape of my life once I hit the beaches in California.
8.  I get to have a potential hobby.  At least for this summer (I am hoping it lasts longer than that).  Ron has a hundred hobbies such as fishing and hunting and golf and I just have a few little spurts such as running to prepare for my half marathon and tennis in high school but I never truly had a life hobby.
9.  I get to take a once in a lifetime 72 day trip with my future husband!  We get see the country together, overcome obstacles together, share memories together, push each other, support each other, learn biking together and hopefully grow stronger together.
10.  I get to meet so many people along the way.
11.  I have such high expectations for that moment when we ride that last stretch across the Golden Gate Bridge- that moment alone might be worth it.
12.  Just think about all the photo opportunities!
13.  I am going to grow so much out of this experience.  I never would have imagined I was capable of actually going through with this- I am going to be outside my comfort zone on so many levels (literally).  I am going to physically bike around 80 miles a day for 72 days, live out of one incredibly tiny bag that will hold everything from a pillow, to 3 pairs of underwear, and 3 T-shirts, eat limited food (like PB&J), sleep on hard floors with a sleeping bag every night, and I doubt I will get to take my usual long hot showers.  I am also going to learn so much about cancer itself and healthcare and see it in so many different points of view.
14.  I get to say, "I did it," at the end.  "I rode a bike 4500 miles across the country."

*15.  Why not???  I am pretty positive there isn't going to be another chance in my life to do this.


"As you grow older, you'll find the only things you regret are the things you didn't do."  ~Zachary Scott

My Bike

I think it is long past due to talk about my bike- my brand new, shiny, and expensive graduation gift that my parents gave me.  We purchased my set of wheels from the local Freeport Bicycle Company.  And to be honest it was the first and only bike I looked at.  It wasn't that it was love at first sight- it was simply that I didn't know a whole lot about bikes-  actually I didn't know about bikes at all except that thick tires are mountain bikes and thin tires are road bikes.  But the owner of the store insisted that this was the bike i needed for the distance I would be going.  So my decision was based on his word and the pretty color of the bike :) 

It is a beautiful Trek :

2.3 WSD™

FRAMESET
Sizes	Women's 43, 47, 50, 52, 54, 56cm
Frame	Alpha Black Aluminum w/TCT Carbon stays
Fork	Bontrager Race, carbon; SpeedTrap compatible
WHEELS
Wheels	Bontrager Race
Tires	Bontrager Race Lite, 700x23c
DRIVETRAIN
Shifters	Shimano 105 STI, 10 speed w/Bontrager FIT reach adjust
Front Derailleur	Shimano 105
Rear Derailleur	Shimano Ultegra
Crank	Shimano 105 50/34 or 50/39/30
Cassette	Shimano 105 11-25 or 12-27 (triple), 10 speed
Pedals	Nylon body w/alloy cage; clips and straps
COMPONENTS
Saddle	Bontrager Select FIT CRZ+ Basic
Seat Post	Bontrager Carbon
Handlebars	Bontrager FIT VR, 31.8mm
Stem	Bontrager Select, 7 degree, 31.8mm
Headset	Aheadset w/semi-cartridge bearings, integrated, sealed, alloy
Brakeset	Alloy dual pivot w/Shimano 105 STI levers

RIDE

• 3D frame design provides the best of both worlds: the excellent stiffness-to-weight properties of Trek's Alpha Black aluminum with the vibration damping qualities of TCT carbon.

FIT

• Performance fit and ProTour proven geometry combine to stable bike that fits naturally

TECHNOLOGY

• Speed Trap integrated computer sensor pocket equipped

............................................I honestly may as well be writing about a rocket ship design.


Let me tell you what I do know- in Lehman's terms:


WSD stands for Women's Specific Design.  Which means that my bike is pretty much made for smaller and shorter framed people- like me.  The bike has a shorter top tube which means there is a less distance to reach the handle bars for shorter arm lengths.  The handlebars are also more narrow for women who don't have a big arm span which keeps the hands in a more natural position for greater control and less shoulder pain.  The saddle (or seat)  are made specifically for women's hips and other anatomy for optimized comfort and support.  The grips on the bike have a smaller diameter to fit smaller hands.  And finally there are shorter crank arms (circumference it takes for your pedals to go around) that improve leverage for a more efficient pedal stroke.


It has compact gearing which is according to Wikipedia, 

"In the context of road cycling, compact drivetrain typically refers to double cranksets with a smaller (usually 110mm) bolt circle diameter than the standard 130mm or Campagnolo's 135mm. As of 2006, all of the major component manufacturers such as Shimano and Campagnolo offer compact cranks in their midrange and high-end product lines. The compact crankset provides a compromise between the standard road double crankset (with 39/52 or 39/53 tooth chainrings) and the road triple (with 30/42/52 or 30/39/53 tooth chainrings). The compact crankset has two chainrings and typical ratios are 34/48, 34/50 and 36/50. This provides nearly the same lower gear ratios as a triple but without the need for a third chainring, a triple front derailleur and a long cage rear derailleur."


I have no idea what that means...if anyone knows let me know.  I understand that it is a compromise between a double and a triple and it is ideal for everyday riding.


I do know that the colors are teal and white which just so happens to match my helmet perfectly.  :)


The frame is aluminum with some smaller parts which are carbon fiber which means that my bike is barely heavier than a paperweight.


And as for the pedals...I am using clipless pedals which are pedals more commonly used on road bikes, which allow the rider to clip his or her cleated shoes to the pedals, providing the ability to drive the pedals through the full rotation of the circle.  I am able to pull up on the pedals during the  upstroke as well as push them down.  Which means my shoes are literally locked into the bike which is the one component of my bike that is causing me problems.......


And now for over a month I have been building a relationship with my bike and my new clip- in shoes.  And it has been a rocky start.  I have officially fell off of my bike not once but twice now.  Literally fell over like a sack of potatoes.  Un"clicking" my shoes from the pedals simply doesn't come naturally to me.  The first bikes I rode you had to pedal backwards to break.  And even when I did get gears where the breaks were by the handles, I was still able to effortlessly take my feet off the pedal and place it on the ground to hold me up.  Now that my feet are clipped in it takes me a minute to think about what I have to do in order to unclip my feet- and when I have to stop fast that minute is all it takes for me to fall over.

Don't worry- nothing was hurt or bruised but my ego- both times falling over in front of Ron.  I mean the last time I fell off a bike was when I was five or six years old in the ally by my old house with my dad running right beside me.  I am now 21 years old and still falling off!!!  Humiliating.


But like all relationships- a good one takes patience and good humor.

ShiitAKE Mushrooms

74 more days and counting until I do what my mom says, "Will be the hardest thing you ever do."  In every sense of the word she is probably right.

And what am I doing to prepare for it?  Well for starters I went to Naples, Florida for a little over a week with my grandma and her friends to scope out possible wedding locations for my destination wedding.  I called it a "business" trip but most people would see it as a margarita sipping, sun bathing, shopping vacation.  Those people would probably be right.  It was a vacation that crossed between Breakfast at Tiffanys and the Divine Secrets of the YaYa sisterhood with margaritas, vodka gimlets, and a beach.  It was nothing short of amazing.  And it was successful in the fact that I fell in love with a couple resorts where I could definitely see myself having my wedding.

But the wedding is in June of 2012.  My bike trip is in May of 2011.  In 74 days as I mentioned before.  And I completely dropped the ball on vacation.  I didn't work out- not once (I did pack tennis shoes though so you got to give me credit for effort-or intention atleast)  I ate whatever I wanted.  And I surely didn't ride a bike anywhere.  The only sweat that I may have had was because I was overcooking in the sun by the pool.  I spent all my money-well most of my money.  I didn't blog (if you could tell) nor did I fundraise.  I did a bunch of nothing.  It was glorious-

and now I am back in southern Illinois where it can't be above forty degrees and its rainy.  Reality sucks.

And the reality is I am the biggest procrasintaor in the world.  I have this amazing ability to believe that everything will work out and I have an incredibly lucky record of that being true.  So I usually slide right by with flying colors- no matter what it is- whether it was my half marathon, applying to study abroad in Ecuador, my school projects and papers, getting an internship etc.  So here I am again finding myself doing everything but riding that bike.  Something always comes up when I plan on running.  Ron actually got mad at me last night and told me, "I am going to die [on the trip].  And that I better not say a word when it takes me 12 hours to finish on the first day."  And you know what?  He's probably right too.  (Even though he thinks he is always right)

Why the heck am I doing my worst at preparing for the biggest undertaking of my life????!  Maybe because I feel like 74 days is a loonnggg time away.  I have a hard time looking a month ahead.  But 74 days isn't far at all.   Or maybe I can blame the weather-its not exactly inviting to ride in the rain or icy winds.  Or maybe because I honestly think that I can just do this no problem without too much preperation like most things.  Or maybe I would just rather watch Law and Order sitting on a comfy couch instead of pedaling on a banana seat.  Or maybe its because no one is making me do this- and my will power SUCKS.  It really does.  I am going to quote Ron again because one of his favorite quotes is, "Excuses are just like a**holes- everyone has one." 

Bottom line is- I need to get the ball rolling again- ASAP.  And in the words of everyone who has ever failed at smoking, or keeping up with the new fad diet, or failed at keeping up with a workout regimine or in that fact any regimine: TODAY IS A NEW DAY.