I’m home. I’m tired and I’m sore, but it was once again a tremendous experience.
This year’s 180-mile bicycle ride from Houston to Austin can be described in a single word: windy.
As in 25-30 mile an hour sustained head winds all day Saturday (from the moment we rolled out of Houston at 6:45 a.m. ’till the moment I rolled into La Grange around 3:00 p.m.).
The wind was comparatively mild on Sunday (calm until about 10:30 a.m., then increasing winds up to 15-20 mph when I rolled into Austin at 2:55 p.m). Saturday’s wind was especially brutal, and really took a huge physical toll on most riders (me included).
(click on the images for larger versions)
It was a mental kick in the balls to be rolling down a big hill, but not gaining any speed because the headwind was so strong.
Much more below the fold. I found this great and perfectly appropriate spot to park my bike on Day 1:
The size of the pit stops is amazing — the volunteer effort is simply astounding:
I officially rode with Team Cameron, a Houston-based oil-industry (drilling systems) manufacturer.
The support Cameron provides to its MS 150 cycling team is amazing. A very generous riding package (backpack, jersey, socks, water bottles, and much more), plus our own meal tents for lunch and dinner (instead of having to stand in line at the race food stops).
Also, at our Team Tent in La Grange, there was plenty of cold beverages, free massages, a free bicycle mechanic to fix anything that might have broke in the first 80 miles, and plenty of good food. Unofficially I rode with Team Slacker:
Much thanks to our good friend Tres who wasn’t able to ride this year, but he still made the drive from Houston to get there early enough to find all of our bags and set up our tents and sleeping bags for us before we arrived in La Grange.
After a tough, tough, tough day of battling the wind, it was an amazing relief to have our stuff already set up.
After a quick and hot shower at the shower trailer and a great hot meal (fajitas) back at the Cameron Tent (followed by an amazing 30 minute massage), I started to feel like shit — feverish, dehydrated, and sore. So I went and found the ice cream vendor and tried to make myself feel better with a double scoop of Blue Bell Mint Chocolate Chip.
It helped a little bit.
We were all wiped out, and were in our racks for the night be 6:30:
The flash woke Dana up, at which point she started posing for the camera:
Saturday night was cold. Down to about 40 degrees. But I think most of us were too tired to care.
Day 2
After the traditional pan cake breakfast, we rolled out of La Grange around 7:10 a.m. I rode with Kemo to the first check point (about 10 miles), but didn’t see him again until lunch, and then not again until the finish line (he finished about an hour ahead of the rest of us).
I ended up riding with Billy (his first ever MS 150) for most of the day — we would pass each other back and forth between check points, and then regroup at each stop and leave together.
In typical Austin style, there was live music at Check Point 6, just outside of Manor (Stephanie Miller):
Notice how all of these riders treat their $2000–$4000 bikes — just throw them down. You’re much too tired to try to find a place to stand up your bike. So you just lay it down where you can.
With about 2.5 miles to go to the finish line, Team Slacker re-grouped (minus Kemo, who was way too far ahead of us) so that we could ride in together. Here’s Dana and Corrina pulling into our meet-up spot:
Once again, it was a tremendous experience — riding with 13000 other riders for such an important cause (raising money for the 400,000 American’s living with multiple sclerosis). I can’t wait to do it again next year (April 18-19, 2009).
Cool. Glad you made it. Great cause. One of my oldest and dearest friends has MS and has more guts and determination than most people who have never even pushed a wheelchair, much less been dependent on one.
Left by dianne on April 15th, 2008 at 6:53 am