Day 21-32

Day 21: St. Louis, MO

We biked into St. Louis and stayed at the Washington University of St. Louis. OMG Tempurpedic beds in the dorms! The first night we stayed in and Mr. Powell (Landis' dad) hooked up with dinner at the University. We then had a fun time team bonding with Elliot's sister Arlyn and her roommates.

The next day on the 22nd we had a rest day. Woke up late around 9am and hit a Crepe place for breakfast and continued to do some touristy stuff all day. Saw the arch and went to the City Museum. I highly recommend it for anyone ever visiting St. Louis. It's like an adult play pen of mazes and a 10 story building of just fun places to crawl around. I almost got stuck a few times but I made it through everything. If I can make it the team could make it and that was their motto. Some great times were had, then a bar for the world cup and back for a great night rest and onto Montgomery City, MO.

Day 23: Montgomery City, MO

HOME STAYS! We biked in about 85 miles and then had to shuttle because we didn't want to ride on a winding truck filled highway. My 4 person group of Tyler, Nat, Lauren and myself stayed with a woman named Ellen and her husband. They were amazed by our trip so far and made us some amazing home cooking. It was nice to get a home cooked meal for a change and a bed. OMG 3 days of sleeping in a bed in a row.

Day 24: Booneville, MO

Biked on the Katy Trail nearly all day. It was a rough day. Spirits were down, got into a YMCA in the small town of Booneville. However, we did stop at Mizzou during the day in Columbia, MO and had a great time checking that college town out. Got a few pics that obviously need to be posted with the Mizzou Tiger. Saw their athletic facility and hot damn the Mizzou women athletes ;). Got lost a few times on the way to the host. Long day about 90 miles.

Day 25: Sweet Springs, MO

Short day! Pick your own groups! We biked about 56 miles into Sweet Springs. It was originally supposed to be about 46 but the gravel roads made us reroute. The Delta 'Four'ce as we called ourselves were flying on the day going about 18mph avg in rolling hills. Damn was it hilly. We got ahead of the water van and ran out of water about 8 miles out. For the first time on the trip we stopped at a farm house to ask to use the hose. The farmer came out and said "nonsense I don't even drink that come inside and get ice and filtered water out of the fridge". We were amazed by the friendliness of the locals in this part. When we got to Sweet Springs we found the local biker pub and got a few drinks with the locals who loved our stories. Then we found a coffee house run by a church missionary group who were a non profit. They had cafe stuff and froyo. I was in love. Cool people and super friendly. It was a lovely stay at the Lutheran church where we were offered some cots and a mattress.

Day 26: Kansas City, MO

I forget what happened but I ended up in the van this day. I believe I broke a spoke. The church was nice and friendly but in the city and very poorly ventilated. It was super hot all night. We went out to the bar down the street and ran into a huge free country concert by a girl who was on THE VOICE. Was so unexpected but there were at least 1000 people there. It was a fun but early night as we had to get up at 5am like every other morning :)

Day 27: Lawrence, KS

Home of the Jayhawks! We had some amazing dinner at Dr. Val's house. A professor at KU. He is family friends with Landis Powell's family. Had those hookups! We rode with Sarah Ring's Uncle Kevin for the 50 mile trip and when we got lost he took over because he was the local GPS. Thank you Uncle Kevin for buying us all lunch at the Brewery.

Oh yeah, and we stayed at the wrong church. So we were supposed to stay at the Baptist church but ended up at the Lutheran church. We just kinda rolled in and took over and no one at the church knew who we were or why we were there. It was awkward. When we found out the mixup later that night we thanked them extra for letting us stay.

Day 28: Manhatten, KS

Home of Kansas State! We rode into Manhatten and met up with Bike and Build. Another charity riding across the country building houses along the way. They partner up with Habitat for Humanity. They were a group of 33 and we all stayed at the same church. Talked to a few of them extensively and became good friends with Alex Chiles. Got soaked at a park with water fountains. Had a great big 2 team dinner. Later that night 4K had an exam made by the men on the team for the women on the team for their draft order for 4K Prom. Their results determined the order of how they picked men from Team Portland for the "It's Colder in Boulder" Prom which will take place on July 9th in Boulder, CO. Hilarity ensued during the test and all results and questions are kept under lock and key.

Day 29-30: Salina, KS

Rode about 90 miles in the flats and wind into Salina, KS. The host was a really nice church with a projector for movies. We had a fun night.
During the 30th day we had a service day at the Tammy Walker Cancer Center. We had a dinner on the 29th at the cancer center with 150 people with live music and a lot of survivors. We all spread out and heard some amazing stories and sang songs. It was really moving to hear the struggles of so many cancer survivors and then some of their loved ones who didn't make it.

On the 30th we went back to the cancer center and had a tour of the Oncology and Radiation wards. We got to talk to patients all day and interact.

Day 31: July 1st. Wichita, KS

We stayed at Friends University in Wichita and got in just in time to hit the local bar to watch the USA World Cup game. Too bad they lost 2-1 however the locals bought us shots and had some stories to tell and we all shared ours. I had a bad day with a tire blow out and had to van it in after mile 60. I would later find I left my helmet in someone's front yard in the middle of Kansas.

Day 32: Pratt, KS

We just arrived today, July 2nd and getting antsy for July 4th just 2 days away. We are staying at the Pratt high school here. Big gym but no wifi. At a McDonalds.

Today was a 80ish mile day with an 8 mile dirt road that I didn't get to participate in. I had left my helmet and didn't find out until this morning and had to ride the van all day. I bought a new helmet at a bike store so i'm good to go tomorrow. The dirt road served the team tricky as both vans got stuck today at one point or another. The water van had to get chain pulled out of a ditch #sorrystephen.
Bikers fell but everyone is okay. There was no getting around this dirt road. 2 Teams ended up hitch hiking in a pickup until the end of the dirt/sand road. Anyways, leadership meeting tonight and I need to go. I will try and post pictures soon on facebook. Happy 4th of July everyone if I don't talk to you.

Day 13-20 4K for Cancer

Day 13:  We had a service day in Knoxville at the Ronald McDonald house. I learned a lot about what they do as an organization and how they get no funding from McDonalds. It’s interesting because I always saw it as a McDonald’s thing (currently typing this blog from the McDonalds) and now I’ll throw a buck or 2 in there if I ever go just because it was real, the charity has a face to me now and so do the families who stay at them.

Jamie Roberts: As most of you have now heard a sister was taken from the 4k family on June 13^th. Jamie Roberts who was and still is part of the Portland ride was struck by a truck while changing a flat on the side of the road outside of Lexington, KY. She was pronounced dead on scene. I barely knew Jamie, however when I met her she seemed like a generous and joy filled person. I remember her smile the most. It hit me kind of hard knowing it could have been any one of us and that what we are doing out here is dangerous. It took me a few days a grieving to realize I had actually met her before the 4K had even begun. She was an assistant coach at CUA in DC and I remember buying her and some girls from the team drinks one night at a bar in College Park. It’s the little things you remember that make you remember just how small this world really is. My love goes out to her amazing family, team Portland, and all of the 4K family who are forever changed by June 13^th 2014.

Day 14-15:

We shuttled to Jamestown and then onto Smithville and didn’t ride in respect to Jamie and her family.

Both were pretty small towns with nothing to do. Brian Satolo (aka 4K Dad) came out with the team to offer support. He bought us a german steak dinner and also some DQ ice cream the next day. Thanks Dad!

 

Day 16:

First day back on the bike after the tragedy was an experience. I just bought a Brooks saddle and starting to enjoy the best investment to my ass I have ever made. We rode only 30 miles and stopped at mile 20 to take a picture for Jamie because she is the 20^th member of team Portland. At mile 30 we stopped and shuttled the rest into Nashville to just kind of break the nerves. Before we shuttled we were treated by this local community of Carthage, TN. The local owners of a public pool gave us pool access and food and drinks. It was truly such a fantastic simple donation from a small town that made our day better and we all went from saddened spirits to one of the best days of the trip. We swam and played beach volleyball and just random shenanigans for about 5 hours which really helped get our mind off anything but just being in the moment. We felt like celebrities because the local kids asked us for autographs.

We ended the day with an out in Nashville for night life. I have never loved a city so much. The country music coming out on the streets from every bar and just singing along. The atmosphere was amazing. The team had one of it’s best bonding days so far.

Day 17: NASHVILLE:

We had a service day at the Hope Lodge in Nashville. We learned about patients who stay there while getting cancer treatments and made Lumineer bags for them. Met a ton of volunteers who really ran the place. After service we explored the town. Ate at Puckett’s which had amazing BBQ and got more stickers and things for my bike.

 

Day 18: Nashville to Princeton, KY

120 mile ride.

WHAT A SCORCHER. 100 degrees all day. Flat and nothing for miles. It was literally all farm lands. A lot of people broke spokes this day including myself. I broke one on the front and because of van complications I rode on it and opened the brake up for about 60 miles. I bent the spoke around some others so it was ride able. Around mile 109 I broke a spoke on my rear wheel which astonished me. I couldn’t finish the ride so I had to shuttle in from there. Century was completed though and I was happy to be first in the shower when we got there. The poverty I saw on this day was kind of astonishing. Just to imagine living out in the places we rode through just baffled me. I don’t know if I could. The whole day was chaotic with vans with one girl going home (Down to 30)

 

Day 19: Princeton, KY to Marion IL

I drove this day in the water van. It was a 105 mile day or so. Hotter than the day before. Temperatures over 100. We were making water stops left and right like ever 10 miles for people. It was just flat and open for miles and some hills in between and then flat and open for another like 40 miles. No trees, no shade, nothing. Some people were really hurting after. Some had to shuttle. Most made it. This was back to back century rides so it was rough on a lot of people.

 

Day 20: Marion, IL to Farmington, MO

102 Mile ride (Yes that’s 3 days and 327 miles with 75 tomorrow making it 400 miles in 4 days)

We crossed the Mississippi river and ate lunch right on it. Not much to say besides flat in IL and very hot again and once we got to Missouri it was hilly as hell and still just as hot as the previous days. Today I learned that Missouri is not flat. Around mile 90 we rode on a gravel road for 2.5 miles with no other way but to just beat most through it. There was no other way around. I biked most of it and walked other parts. People were generally careful. After the gravel we had a water break and lightning and thunder started to ring out on top of us at mile 92. We decided it was best to leave the bikes and try to get cover down the road. I stayed behind to watch the bikes and was picked up by the van just as the rain was pouring down. There was 10 that stayed who had to wait for the other van with me so we were huddling together. The rain was kind of nice because it cooled everything off. We decided it being so hot and because of a re-route with 26 miles to go still we shuttled in after the rain storm. We probably wouldn’t have made it safely in time after the rain had drenched the mountain. Everyone got in tonight round 9pm exhausted and really happy for such a gracious host staying up late and feeding us. Today is 70+ miles into St. Louis, MO and then a well deserved rest day with a team birthday for Rachel Wasserman.

 

We are really excited about the upcoming month. We have a coordinated with Team Portland and when we meet up with them in Boulder, CO we will be having a 4K Prom. The girls as the guys from the other team and because of both teams having 2:1 Women to Men I am potentially looking at 2 dates for 4K prom haha. I can’t wait as I never went to my HS prom and have never been to one so it should be tons of fun and I’M SO EXCITED. The theme from what I’ve heard will be thrift shop clothing hahahahaha.

 

Goodnight world. I’ll keep everyone as posted as I can and since this McDonalds is about to close, pictures tomorrow in St. Louis.

Days 8-12

I’m just going to start with the notable days on the trip. Wifi hasn’t been the best and when it has I’ve had late nights fixing bikes and too tired to actually blog to everyone at home.

Blacksburg to Chillhowie, VA Day 8

-          This day was our group’s first century ride (100 miles or more). The route took us 109 miles through the mountains and over 3 huge climbs. I was looking forward to it but was on van duty that day so I was on the food support for the day. We had a couple major incidents go down. Rachel fell over early in the day while not moving and was taken to the hospital for what seemed was a dislocated shoulder. She turned out fine after the hospital. The other one was Landis who took a spill while riding too close to the person in front and ended up bruising her knees bad but luckily only a sprain and she’ll be out for a week. The last rider got in at the host around 8:45 at night and left that morning at 7:15. Yeah…. Do the math on that one. It was probably the hardest 100+ mile ride I have ever seen and I’m very proud of my teammates for pushing through it. A lot of people had pain/soreness/injury after that one.

So far we are living quite well on this trip. A shower almost every day with the other days using a sink to wash yourself and/or clothes. Dr. Bronner’s is working out wonderfully.

 

Chillhowie to Kingsport, TN Day 9

This was only about a 60 mile ride. Some hills to climb but I was on some fresh legs so I felt great all day. My teammates were struggling after the century but we all pulled through.

Kingsport, TN to Asheville, NC Day 10

THE HARDEST CYCLING DAY I HAVE EVER DONE.

Climbs on climbs on climbs. 85 miles of hell. Literally the worst and most painful but beautiful roads I have ever been on. We had stretches of steep 3 mile climbs and one 6 mile climb to the border of North Carolina. Holden, Katie, and I were in a group for the day and we all did well. We all seemed to climb at about the same pace. Holden was keeping me alive shouting up the mountains. The feral dogs were loose like some of the previous days and we had to fight them off with water bottle sprays (yes this is a real thing). Max speed on the day hit a whopping 49.6 mph. We all thought we were going to die on those mountains. It really taught me that teamwork is everything on this trip and without these other amazing people side by side with me I would have never made it off those hills. I thought of a lot of people on this day. My buddy Mike Empey shouting “can’t stop won’t stop” up those hills in that marathon we did. I also just thought about all the people who donated to my ride across the country and helped me on this journey across the country. When even the locals we talked to said we weren’t going to make it. “Awww son you kids ain’t making it to Asheville today” (Heavy southern accent hahaha) I found that extra strength to keep going on the mountains and kicked some Tennessee ass.

 

Asheville, NC to Newport, TN Day 11

The legs were sore today but we made it. Only about 67 miles. Yea “ONLY”. We had a few hills but nothing huge and crazy like going to Asheville. A lot of nice down hills descending out of the Smoky Mountains and I hit a top speed of 51.9mph. Almost a new record for me but I had to brake for the Impala in front of me. We rolled into the Hot Springs in NC and had some snacks and bought a ton of stickers for the bikes at the Appalachian trail store nearby. We had a fun time after lunch with a nice 20 mile downhill/flat ride for the first time since the trip started.

FOOD: We are eating like kings on this trip. No one had home be worried. Peanut Butter is becoming like currency around here. It’s used on everything and cherished more than most items. People have been so generous. A woman in Blacksburg in VT area saw 5 of us chilling at a bar drinking and offered to pick up our tab of $85. It is amazing to me how many people we talk to are affected by cancer and really love what we are doing. The generosity so far from random strangers for food and donations has been amazing.

 

Mechanic Duties: So far so good. I am getting really good at adjusting derailleurs and fixing spokes. A couple people have actually bought new wheels because they have bent the frame of their wheels. I’m trying to be proactive on the bikes but with 31 of us I can’t do it all. People are starting to get better at cleaning their bikes which definitely helps me out because I have to fix things less. A clean bike is a happy bike.

 

Hosts: The hosts have all been churches so far and all been really amazing. We are sleeping wherever there is floor space and they have fed us huge amounts for dinner and breakfast every night. A lot of the hosts have hosted teams in the past and know a about us and love sharing their own stories with cancer. It’s been great getting to know all of them.

The Team: They are like family. That is all :)

We ride into Knoxville, TN tomorrow and stay for an extra service day. I am really excited and I can’t wait for some Southern BBQ.

 

MAIL DROP:

The next mail drop we have is July 1st. If you would like to send me anything or just a note of love please feel free. It really is nice hearing from people from home. 

1841 North Rock Rd/CT Suite 100.

Wichita, KS 67206

Here is my 4k For Cancer page: 4kforcancer.org/profiles/adam-wedekind

Day 5: To Lynchburg (75 Miles)

 

We split up into groups by Anchorman characters. Naturally I got Team Ron Burgundy, which most of the day was “Ron Burgundy??” Haha. Due to some rerouting the trip turned into about 84 miles. The Alumni claimed this was one of the hardest days but the hills didn’t seem to be that bad. We ate like kings with bananas and chicken donated from various locations along with smoothies and powerade. Early in our day Erica’s wheel broke and she was in the van the rest of the day. We were down to 3 but trucking hard. We averaged probably a good 15mph between Tyler, Steph Kos, and myself. The hills were tough, especially the one after lunch with just a little bit of chicken coming back up on it. There is a lot of work to be done tonight as the mechanic but hopefully we get a chance to grab a beer.

Best part of the day: We beat the chalking van to the host today. With about 17 miles left we booked it and used technology to find our way. I chalked for the rest of the team from my bike.

Today should be titled “Damn I wish I had my GoPro”. It didn’t charge last night and I didn’t get any footage today. However we saw 3 great things happen.

1.    Steph went off the road into a ravine and somehow recovered enough not to die. I watched it in slow motion and thought I would be calling 911. We were going roughly 30mph

2.    Saw a squirrel tragically lose it’s life. He ran out in front of me and across a 2 lane road and looked like he was going to make it when “CRUNCH” a car came cruising by and hit the poor guy.

3.    The descent into Lynchburg came out of nowhere and was so beautiful. One moment you are in the trees and the next you are descending a huge open mountain with a view going about 45mph and seeing that the whole entire day was leading to that moment.

What a fantastic day of cycling.

Day 1-4

DC to Warrenton, VA to using a Nature Valley bar wrapper to fix my flats. So far so good with the rides.

Day 1 Baltimore --> DC --> Alexandria

- Rode about 60 miles to Alexandria, VA but spent a few miles going around D.C. Saw the monuments and the Vietnam Memorial and stuff I normally see just because I live locally.
My UMD triathlon teammate Kevin was our alumni rider and led us the whole way there.
We ran into a guy in DC who knew kinda who we were and handed us our first sticker of the journey.
First day fun day. Stayed at a church in Alexandria with some great food and a nice place to sleep at night. We came to realize what the 4K nightly routine would be of floor and a blanket and a sink to bathe in.

Day 2:To Warrenton, VA

Leaving Alexandria was rough but once we got out of the traffic of the overpass highways and such we had a great scenic route. I realized along the ride where we were and we started hitting the mountainous areas around Skyline. When we hit Warrenton I actually realized we were in an area I had been before with the Maryland Triathlon team. In the town there was a fantastic bike shop and they really came through when 2 wheels on our bikes became completely trash and bent completely (one due to human error on keeping the bike rack on the van) Stayed in a Church again in Warrenton, great cold room to sleep in and a kitchen. We hit up an aquatic center for showers which was the first shower in 2 days of riding. Guys reading at home you don't appreciate a shower until you ride nasty for 2 days in scorching sun and sweat and grime from the bike grease.

Day 3: To Charlottesville, VA

The toughest day so far in the journey about 71 miles of riding and LOTS of climbing. 3000 feet elevation gain. People were hurting and but people were fighting. I'm so proud of my team. I honestly had a few doubts but everyone fought through and overcame the hills. I was used to the skyline scenic area and hills and knew what we were in for but some didn't. Once again proud of my 30 other teammates. We ended up riding about 85 miles in my small group of 4 because we got off track and lost. I taught the small group how to cycle in a pace line and work some speed to catch up. It was fun and I do enjoy being the cycling mentor when it comes to learning the sport and learning what helps, like drafting a 6'6" big dude.

Day 4: Service at Emily Couric Clinical Cancer Center

We made it on the news! We spent 5 hours in a cancer hospital delivering treatment bags and small hospitality gifts to patients and also doing some behind the scenes volunteer work with the cancer pamphlets and booklets and things.

The 4K team is really starting to bond and get a little weird. We are becoming a family rather quickly. Everyone gets along with everyone which is great. We are all here for a great cause and all are just in general good people.

Bike Mechanic

So far good on being the bike mechanic. 2 Wheels have broken and been thrown out. The bike shop in Warrenton gave us 2 "garbage" wheels they had lying in the garage and I was able to true them for about 3-4 hours one night and get them working for the 2 ladies to ride the next day. So far they are holding up well. Been fixing minor problems with all the bikes. We have found out the wheels may not hold up well so we are taking extra care of those. I'm being real adamant every day about telling me what needs to be fixed and showing people how to clean and do their own minor stuff so I don't have to do it all. When we stopped into Bike Stop in Warrenton to have them look at wheels that were bent beyond my expertise they took a quick look at my bike and the stem so I can ride in proper position. It was really great to hear that my bike was "not bad" as the mechanic had his hands full with the others in the group :)))

There have definitely been some late nights and I've lost some blogging time because of it but I have not forgotten about my family, friends, and loved ones at home.

 

Tomorrow: 75 Miles to Lynchburg, VA

It's 4000 feet of climbing and supposed to be one of the hardest days in the trip let alone the beginning of the trip. Really steep climbs. Wish us luck we'll need it after still being a bit sore.

Pictures:

A lot of pictures are being put up on imgur and will be posted on this blog in a tab. Stay tuned, a lot of pictures have also been flooding facebook from my friends.

 

Back to Old Habits

So my new habits weren't working.... too many late caffeine filled nights throwing drunks out of bars and heading straight for bed. Somewhere along the way after completing my Ironman I got lazy and felt on top of the world. With a vow to myself to never go above 300lb again I hopped back on it tonight for a late night workout. 3am gym time is the best time.

Everyone makes a compromise and another compromise and sooner or later you wonder where 10lb went. Less than 6 months to go before the 4K and it's time to revamp to 2 a days once again. Nationals in 3 months and Chesapeake Man in 10 months. Back to this blog, back to the salads, back to the gym rat life, and back to the good decisions.

9 mile run

Did 2 loops of lake artemisia near campus and then down route 1 through the woods around campus to cole and down towards frat row. All in all a 9:30 pace. Beautiful day for a run and just what I needed.