Holy thread revival!
Thanks for the interest! The MS150 ride was about 4 weeks ago and it was fantastic.
The first day had a SERIOUS headwind the entire way.... 83 miles
The last time the Houston to Austin MS ride had wind like that was back in 1996 I'm told. I sure picked a hell of a year to do my first ride
The ride was well organized, stocked with food and drink at all the rest stops, and fun! fun! fun!
Of course it helps that I was riding for team BP, which is the biggest sponsor of that event in the Houston to Austin MS. Their tent at the mid-way point and at the finish line was awesome! Free food, beer, and 20 minute massage ( not the kind with the happy ending
) awaited me at the halfway point.
The riding itself was easy both days... IIRC, there were about 8 rest stops along the 83 miles route, every 10 miles or so. There was another start point that was farther away from my home so I didn't go to that one, but that route was 100 for the first day.
Riding through the small towns, with all the locals cheering and waving and displaying motivational banners was cool. Coming into the La Grange fairgrounds ( at the end of day 1) was unreal. People cheering, yelling good job, thanks, woo-hoo BP (my jersey), and I actually got teary-eyed. For the first time ever, this year's MS used a little device that I attached to my shoe that announced to friends and family, via email or text messages, when I got to the lunch break and finish line on both days. On the first day, I heard my name announced on a loud speaker saying the time was my 'personal best'. Kinda neat hearing my name in front of a thousand or so people.
I was hoping to make my ride on day 1 in 6.5 hours. But, with the headwind and my unusually long lunch and breaks at the rest stops, I wound up right at 8 hours. Started at 8am and got to La Grange, 83 miles later, at 4pm
Day 2 started off around 42 degrees (b*lls a** cold) when you are wearing the skimpy cycling stuff that will be perfect about 2 hours after you start riding and the sun comes up. Also, the 2nd day seemed easier.. probably because the wind had let up some, it was only 75 miles on day 2, and you knew it would be over soon!
Only took 7 hours on day2. And... my wife and 2 sons along with my sis-in-law (with her 2 kids) all cheered my over the finish line! You'd think I had just won the Tour De France
The ride finished in front of the State Capitol, right on the edge of the University of Texas campus. There was so much activity and flag flying, colorful tents, cheering people that it was again,,,, overwhelming.
Overall, I felt good. I saw some pretty serious crashed, but nothing was permanent I'm told. They also did have to briefly stop all riders due to a helicopter evac of a rider. Heard he had a heart attack or something. Who really knows?
Lastly, I have been keeping track of my heart rate with a wireless, Polar hr monitor that also counts calories. Pretty accurate I think 'cause you have to input your age, height, weight, sex, etc... and guess how many calories I burned over the 2 days?
11,100 CALORIES !!!
Now, I do believe that I ATE 10,000 calories, so it was pretty much a wash
Oh, almost forgot... I was about $100 short of the minimum $400 donation a day or so b4 the ride. Actually, all donations are due on May 13 and I have taken care of getting them the $.
But, I decided to put on my helmet, jersey, and cycling shorts and took my bike out to a corner of a large intersection to hustle some money. I stood on the corner, dressed, with my bike in view from 12:15pm to 1:45 pm, that is only 90 minutes and raised............... $104 bucks!! The day before the ride.. April 11th.
Get this, one dude gave me a $20, 3 people gave me a $10 bill each, and about 6 more people threw in $5's !!!
The rest were $1's and change.... it's all good. I could not believe the generosity of all those who got me over the $400 hump by giving at the street corner.