Monday, June 21
What a day! As if biking was not enough, after a scorching hot day complete with sets of mean rolling hills, we had a night filled of events. Upon arriving at the Grand avenue Church, we had an army of bike issues to tend to. We called almost every bike shop in Kansas City and surrounding areas before we came across The Wheel Cyclery, Heather the owner of the shop was absolutely fantastic in welcoming our team of riders to her store to get re-fitted and to offer advice that could help put an end to problems like knee pain and stiff shoulders. After dropping off about six riders at the bike shop I had to pick up some food that we as a team would later cook for the cancer patients at the Kansas City Hope Lodge. After arriving about 20 minutes late, we just couldn’t say good bye to Heather, the kitchen of the Hope Lodge transformed in to a 5 star restaurant. 4k-ers were chopping up greens and vegetables, simmering sauces and boiling pasta in a manner that would bring tears of joy to any head chef! Once the dinner bell rang, Patients, Family members and riders feasted together in epic fashion, trading stories of lost, and hope, as well as a couple well places jokes and talk of lighter hearted nature. We had all been in this atmosphere before back at the Baltimore Hope Lodge, but the moments we spent in Kansas City were brought us newfound connection to the cause we all are riding for. Seeing how people from all over the country are battling cancer, with an unprecedented determination and fighting spirit gave us new fuel to get us through those 105 mile long days that await us in the coming future. While only spending one night in Kansas City, we took a lifetimes worth of memories with us, that will continue to inspire us long after we arrive in San Francisco!
-Jose Medina
Showing posts with label Missouri. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Missouri. Show all posts
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Friday, June 25, 2010
Day 24: Kansas City, MO to Hiawatha, KS
Tuesday, June 22
4K: Mythbusters
Myth: Kansas is as flat as a pancake
Truth: Kansas more closely resembles a waffle
The 4K entered Kansas today while crossing the Missouri River. We had
a long, hot day (94 miles in the end) but crossing into a new state is
always a good day. Especially when you are leaving hilly Missouri!
Unfortunately for the team, we expected Kansas to be flat - so the
rumor goes - and were greeted instead by long, rolling and significant
hills. Now we've only dabbled in 40 miles of Kansas roads so far, but
the team has conclusively decided that Kansas is in fact, not a flat
state. I don't want to sound like I'm complaining, because they were a
welcome relief after the hills of Missouri.
We started the day on a sad note- two of our riders have gone home.
Several people on the team dedicated their trip to these riders and we
started off. I rode today in Team Cripple, as we named ourselves due
to the number of collective injuries our group had. And indeed, we had
a slow start when I had not 1, not 2, but 3 flat-tubes at mile 1.
That's how many tubes it takes to figure out that my tire had a large
gash in it. However, it did provide Krystina with the opportunity to
time Henrik on how fast he can change a bike tire. Rumor had it that
Lance Armstrong can do it in 2 minutes and Henrik came in with 1
minute and 47 seconds. This is the standing record on the team this
summer - several teammates have vowed to challenge Henrik at the next
opportune flat tire.
We entered Kansas in a town whose name has yet to be determined;
however, it might as well be called Amelia Earhart because this is her
birthplace and they've named everything else after her: the airport,
the highway, the bridge, the earthworks shops, etc. It was about this
time that Abhishek, Charlie and Chorong took a wrong turn and went
about 5 miles in the wrong direction - resulting in a 10-mile detour
on an already long day: ever 4Kers' worst nightmare. They have Kevin,
our not-so-trusty van driver, to blame because he also made the same
wrong turn :)
The day ended as all days should- having a Sonic Blast. Several groups
decided to stop at Sonic before they reached the church to cool down
after a long day and this could be the beginning of a new ritual of
mine, because it was a highlight of my day. That and the strong
tailwind that brought us flying into Hiawatha at 28 miles per hour. On
the 4K, there are many discussions about weather and the pros and cons
of all kinds of temporal varieties that have greeted us, but we
unanimously agree that nothing is better on the 4K than tailwind-
helps you get over the hills that do, in fact, exist in Kansas.
Kristen Schubert
4K: Mythbusters
Myth: Kansas is as flat as a pancake
Truth: Kansas more closely resembles a waffle
The 4K entered Kansas today while crossing the Missouri River. We had
a long, hot day (94 miles in the end) but crossing into a new state is
always a good day. Especially when you are leaving hilly Missouri!
Unfortunately for the team, we expected Kansas to be flat - so the
rumor goes - and were greeted instead by long, rolling and significant
hills. Now we've only dabbled in 40 miles of Kansas roads so far, but
the team has conclusively decided that Kansas is in fact, not a flat
state. I don't want to sound like I'm complaining, because they were a
welcome relief after the hills of Missouri.
We started the day on a sad note- two of our riders have gone home.
Several people on the team dedicated their trip to these riders and we
started off. I rode today in Team Cripple, as we named ourselves due
to the number of collective injuries our group had. And indeed, we had
a slow start when I had not 1, not 2, but 3 flat-tubes at mile 1.
That's how many tubes it takes to figure out that my tire had a large
gash in it. However, it did provide Krystina with the opportunity to
time Henrik on how fast he can change a bike tire. Rumor had it that
Lance Armstrong can do it in 2 minutes and Henrik came in with 1
minute and 47 seconds. This is the standing record on the team this
summer - several teammates have vowed to challenge Henrik at the next
opportune flat tire.
We entered Kansas in a town whose name has yet to be determined;
however, it might as well be called Amelia Earhart because this is her
birthplace and they've named everything else after her: the airport,
the highway, the bridge, the earthworks shops, etc. It was about this
time that Abhishek, Charlie and Chorong took a wrong turn and went
about 5 miles in the wrong direction - resulting in a 10-mile detour
on an already long day: ever 4Kers' worst nightmare. They have Kevin,
our not-so-trusty van driver, to blame because he also made the same
wrong turn :)
The day ended as all days should- having a Sonic Blast. Several groups
decided to stop at Sonic before they reached the church to cool down
after a long day and this could be the beginning of a new ritual of
mine, because it was a highlight of my day. That and the strong
tailwind that brought us flying into Hiawatha at 28 miles per hour. On
the 4K, there are many discussions about weather and the pros and cons
of all kinds of temporal varieties that have greeted us, but we
unanimously agree that nothing is better on the 4K than tailwind-
helps you get over the hills that do, in fact, exist in Kansas.
Kristen Schubert
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Day 17: Jacksonville, IL to St. Louis, MO
Tuesday, June 15th
After riding 120 miles into Jacksonville, IL and 91 miles the day before, our team wanted nothing more than to have an easy ride into St. Louis. Unfortunately, the cycling gods would not let us have our way. To start, our planned route was 89 miles—giving us over 300 miles in 3 days of riding.
Our night in Jacksonville was exceptional. After the grueling ride, we were greeted by the extremely kind church members. We were able to do laundry and were treated to a scrumptious dinner of lasagna and tortellini. The following morning, we were greeted with all different types of egg casserole and cereal. Needless to say, with the generous hospitality, the team started the day upbeat. After our morning circle and ride dedications, Abhishek did an amusing rendition of our team cheer and we set off on our way.
Our journey into St. Louis was eventful to say the least. I rode in a group with Adam, Jose, Terence, Kieran, Chorong—all terrific riders and it was a challenge to keep up. Within the first couple miles leaving Jacksonville, we missed a turn onto Main Street. This type of misfortune foreshadowed the rest of our day. At about mile 20, the rain began to come down. Our first water stop was at mile 25 where the van drivers, Pooja and Sara were able to find a beautiful church where we were able to get shelter from the rain and use the bathroom facilities. Within 30 minutes, the rain cleared and we were back on the road. Even though the roads were wet, the sun had started to beam down on us. At the second water stop at mile 50, we were able to stop at an ice cream parlor. The employees had heard we would be coming through on the radio. Even though we didn’t get any perks from our radio stardom, the ice cream was delicious. At mile 60, rain started to come down extremely hard and our group was forced to pull over at a Jack in the Box restaurant. We tried to wait out the storm, but it became apparent that the weather was too poor to bike through. The van drivers had to drive all the way to St. Louis and then come back to shuttle all the riders from various locations in Alton, IL. The groups at the Jack in the Box passed time through discussing gender roles in society until the vans were able to make it back from the city. Finally, three riding groups able to be shuttled. All the bikes were packed into the minivan and the 15-passenger van was stuffed with riders.
The three groups were immediately taken to the St. Louis Hope Lodge, were we shared stories with patients undergoing treatment in the city. Each patient was inspirational added even more meaning to our rides.
Meanwhile, one of our valiant directors, Jose, had to drive a van back to pick up the last group stranded in Alton. By the end of the day, everyone was excited to get some rest, but the work was not yet done. A group of 4 injured riders still needed to be picked up from Jacksonville. That meant another 90 mile drive back and forth. By 2 am, everyone was safely in St. Louis and ready for a well deserved day-off and an opportunity to explore the city the following day.
-Andrew Lai
After riding 120 miles into Jacksonville, IL and 91 miles the day before, our team wanted nothing more than to have an easy ride into St. Louis. Unfortunately, the cycling gods would not let us have our way. To start, our planned route was 89 miles—giving us over 300 miles in 3 days of riding.
Our night in Jacksonville was exceptional. After the grueling ride, we were greeted by the extremely kind church members. We were able to do laundry and were treated to a scrumptious dinner of lasagna and tortellini. The following morning, we were greeted with all different types of egg casserole and cereal. Needless to say, with the generous hospitality, the team started the day upbeat. After our morning circle and ride dedications, Abhishek did an amusing rendition of our team cheer and we set off on our way.
Our journey into St. Louis was eventful to say the least. I rode in a group with Adam, Jose, Terence, Kieran, Chorong—all terrific riders and it was a challenge to keep up. Within the first couple miles leaving Jacksonville, we missed a turn onto Main Street. This type of misfortune foreshadowed the rest of our day. At about mile 20, the rain began to come down. Our first water stop was at mile 25 where the van drivers, Pooja and Sara were able to find a beautiful church where we were able to get shelter from the rain and use the bathroom facilities. Within 30 minutes, the rain cleared and we were back on the road. Even though the roads were wet, the sun had started to beam down on us. At the second water stop at mile 50, we were able to stop at an ice cream parlor. The employees had heard we would be coming through on the radio. Even though we didn’t get any perks from our radio stardom, the ice cream was delicious. At mile 60, rain started to come down extremely hard and our group was forced to pull over at a Jack in the Box restaurant. We tried to wait out the storm, but it became apparent that the weather was too poor to bike through. The van drivers had to drive all the way to St. Louis and then come back to shuttle all the riders from various locations in Alton, IL. The groups at the Jack in the Box passed time through discussing gender roles in society until the vans were able to make it back from the city. Finally, three riding groups able to be shuttled. All the bikes were packed into the minivan and the 15-passenger van was stuffed with riders.
The three groups were immediately taken to the St. Louis Hope Lodge, were we shared stories with patients undergoing treatment in the city. Each patient was inspirational added even more meaning to our rides.
Meanwhile, one of our valiant directors, Jose, had to drive a van back to pick up the last group stranded in Alton. By the end of the day, everyone was excited to get some rest, but the work was not yet done. A group of 4 injured riders still needed to be picked up from Jacksonville. That meant another 90 mile drive back and forth. By 2 am, everyone was safely in St. Louis and ready for a well deserved day-off and an opportunity to explore the city the following day.
-Andrew Lai
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