Day 25: Blue Grass, IA to Marengo, IA

Mileage: 82.82 miles We had a slow start on Day 25, which was a bit concerning since we had over 80 miles to ride. Our host was at YMCA Camp Abe Lincoln in Blue Grass, IA. There were a lot of campers there, and we got to eat breakfast with them. Since breakfast was at 8 am, we got to sleep in until...

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Day 23-24: Chicago, IL to Blue Grass, IA

Sorry about the lack of blog posts lately. I am trying hard to keep it up, but sometimes it's just near impossible to write with the lack of wifi and cell phone service. I've also been having longer days, so when I have to choose between blogging and getting enough sleep, sleep usually wins. Oh well....

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Day 21-22: Bradley, IL to Chicago, IL

I haven't been cycling for the past two days. Instead, I've been eating a lot of delicious food. On Day 21, I had van duty and was driving the food van, which meant that I went around to beg for food donations. It was my second time in the food van. Although I was a bit bummed that I didn't get to ride...

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Day 20: Champaign, IL to Bradley, IL

Mileage: 91.9 miles Day 20 was our longest day so far. The morning started with a downpour as we were leaving the host at University of Illinois. I wasn't too happy riding in the rain, but at least it wasn't scorching hot like the past couple of days. Fortunately, the rain stopped soon and the sky...

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Day 13-18: Lexington, KY to Effingham, IL

I honestly don't know where to begin to describe what has happened in the past week. The days have been filled with a lot of heartbreak and tears, but also a lot of love, laughs, hope, and inspiration. It has been a tough time, but I am glad to say that my team, Team Portland, is going to be okay. Or...

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Day 19: Effingham, IL to Champaign, IL

Scenes from Day 19: Effingham, IL to Champaign, IL Mileage: 83 miles Cows to greet us at our first water stop Hot and sunny day, but beautiful low-traffic roads through the countryside I rode with Ki Young, Emily, and Chris today. Our team name was "Creamy Hydration" The miles flew...

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Day 12: Oakwood, OH to Cincinnati, OH

I wrote a draft of this post for Day 11 a few days ago, but haven't posted it yet, so I might as well today. Today is Day 14 of our trip, and we are currently in Lexington, KY. The past 36 hours has been a crazy whirlwind of chaos that has rocked my team. I just can not bring myself to write about...

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Day 11: Columbia, OH to Oakwood, OH

Mileage: 83 milesDay 11 went by really quickly, despite the higher mileage. The route we took was really flat, and quite a large portion was on the extensive bike trails of Ohio. It was so nice to ride on traffic-free trails for a change. It is much less stressful. A highlight of the day was stopping...

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Day 10: Service Day in Columbus, OH

Day 10 was our first service day in Columbus, OH. We went to the Ronald McDonald House to help out. The house is a place for children with life-threatening illnesses and their families. It is designed to be a home away from home, and is run by mostly volunteers. When we arrived at the house, we...

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