Live Blog: Take the Train with your Bike for Soldier Field Walk & Roll

8:00 am

Good morning all! Cait and Anna here, and we're live on the South Shore Line heading westbound to Chicago to get in on the annual Walk & Roll event for the American Cancer Society.

The Walk & Roll has been around for the last 45 years, and each year it grows as more and more people join the fight against this awful disease. Thousands of people are said to be there this year, taking part on two wheels for the bike race or two feet for the 5K walk or the newly added 5k run.

I opted to ride my bike and fight cancer with two wheels and a helmet. It’s really great that I can bring my bike on the South Shore Line because otherwise I would have had to strap my bike to the back of my car and brave the Chicago traffic, THEN pay a fortune to park in the city. No thanks. I'll save my money with NICTD.

So Anna and I are chilling on the train, and my bike is snug and safe in its perch as we travel to the Windy City.

Click here to see more photos of our trip on the South Shore Line!

Be sure to keep an eye on this blog as Anna and I will be updating throughout the day. Follow along on our adventure using the hash tag #BikeSouthShore.

Update: 8:30 am
We're officially on our way up to Chicago! Kinda nippy out, but we're going for it.

Update: 9:00 am
"Cait, my trusty partner this morning, is taking it easy. There's some time to spare before we really go hard today."--Anna

Update: 9:30 am
We made it! Finally off on 11th street and we'll be making the trek to Solider Field.

Update: 10:30 am
We're now at Solider Field. Walked right up on the start of the 5k and the energy is infectious! Beautiful day for a ride too!

Update: 11 am
Walkers at the Walk and Roll are starting to finish now but the party's just getting started! Cait and I are soaking it all in, one moment at a time.

Update: 11:18 am
Just finished up the bike race and we’re back in the thick of the festivities by Soldier Field. There's people laughing, hugging and having a great time dancing to the live music of N.E.D. This band is really interesting because it made up of oncologists from all over the country who come together to play at events like this one. N.E.D. is an acronym that stands for No Evidence Disease which is great news for anyone who has had cancer.

Para Olympian Hailey Danisewicz was at today's event representing BP who is a sponsor of the Para Olympics. She is a cancer survivor who took back her life and athleticism and she shared her story so that she might be an example for others.

"This is my first time to the Walk & Roll and I am having a great time. It's great to see so many people coming together for a great cause," Danisewicz said. "I have been able to overcome cancer and turn it into something positive... I believe that anyone who has had a cancer diagnosis is able to do the same thing. You can find the good in any bad situation.”

Well said, Hailey. Well said.

Update: 1 pm
We decided to go for a ride along the lakeshore. The bike paths were filled with runners and cyclists enjoying the sunny day. I don't get out to Chicago much, so I played tourist and took selfies with tall and recognizable buildings.

Update: 3:08 pm
Anna and I just got off the train and we are taking a breather in the South Shore Line's Dune Park Station. We had a great day in Chicago and I really liked being able to take my bike on the train because I was able to explore places in Chicago that I had never been, we got to support a good cause, meet new people, and spend time in one of my favorite cities.

We will travel with the South Shore Line again, and I will probably take my bike again now that I know what I am able to do with it. It's much more economical, way less stress, and we just like riding the train.