illinois departure, indiana arrival

another day on the bike, another day in the rain. i swear we can't get out of the rain. started another day with gray skies, dark clouds, misty rain and humidity. wasn't actually all that bad because we cruised with a tight paceline for the first 30 or so miles then just relaxed for the next 30 while we stayed soaked. for some reason i had that sheryl crow and kid rock song stuck in my head, possibly because of the weather - i was constantly thinking of the line "since you've been gone my world's been....dark and gray"(which also reminds me of kel and nate's similar version of the song performed in monticello, CO). on the second leg, got my first riding flat tire that i had to replace on the road, guess i probably shouldn't have jinxed myself by saying i haven't had any yet. oh well. near the end of the ride, we crossed the indiana border and finished just a few miles past it in graysville, IN. overall about 93 or so flat miles. arrived to the smell of lasagna in the building as the teachers of rural community academy put together an amazing dinner and dessert combination that was delicious. the kids of the school also made some placemats for us while we ate.

i think i am finally feeling the effects of weeks of biking. i started the day feeling pain from both knees to hips as i tried pedaling quickly, could be just fatigue or could be a lack of proper stretching. either way, i am really excited for a few days off in cbus.



me at the welcome to indiana sign. i know, i know, i look skinny. lost a few pounds on this trip so far but making a conscious effort to eat more. tough when you burn 4-6000 calories a day.

group of us at indiana/illinois border. back: dave, jen, katie, chris, carissa, caitlin, me, bobby, josh, tammy. front: joe, van, kem, jamie, nate.

we turned around and walked to the illinois welcome sign for a group picture since we missed it from missouri. if you compare the two, you will notice some differences between what people are wearing. we were trying to make it look like it was done on two separate days. also funny if you read the phrases for the states. seems like there is an intense battle for claims to abe. top: joe, dave, chris, carissa, tammy, caitlin, jen. bottom: josh, van, me, jamie, katie, kem.

warm welcome at the school. tomorrow we have events for all of the students from k-8. jamie, chris, carissa, jen, me, nate, van, josh, kem, katie.

dessert spread, definitely the best selection we've had.