The BP MS 150 is a two-day fundraising bike ride organized by the National MS Society. The ride is the largest event of its kind in North America, with 13,000 cyclists, 3,500 volunteers, and countless spectators along the route and at the finish line in Austin.
Bruce drove me to the team start to drop off my bags before taking me to Waller for my official start. The team was starting from Dairy Ashford and then riding 2.5 miles to the MS150 official starting location at Addicks Park-n-Ride. Since this was my first MS150 and I wanted this to be as positive as I could make it, I decided to cut 20 miles off the first day and start from the official start in Waller which is only 75 miles instead of 95 miles.
I have to nervous pee before any big race. I wanted to stop at Buc-cee's because I would rather use their clean bathrooms than a port-o-potty at the official race start.
However, I ended up starting my MS150 from Buc-cee's!
I love this man. Look at him helping me get ready.
I met Vicky right before I started riding. She came over to me in her scooter to tell me that she has MS and to thank me for all that I was doing to help people like her. And, I totally started crying. She went around to all of the cyclists to tell them the same thing.
While I was fundraising, some of my friends told me about thier friend or family that they lost or who are suffering from MS. So, I wrote their names on my bib and dedicated my ride to them.
Getting started!
I heard someone calling my name in Belleville and there was my friend from high school waiting for her husband.
There are definitely some creative drinks on the MS150 course.
Lunch in the SCC tent
Quick team photo at lunch
YAY! I ran into mom volunteering with the communications team :)
Update from one of the rest stops
Lisa and I in the rest stop
And, here is where everything fell apart:
About 5-ish miles outside of Fayetteville, it felt like there was a voodoo doll of me somewhere that someone was stabbing in the shoulder. I was in crippling pain. I was yelling out while riding the bike because it hurt so bad. A few people riding near me were asking if I was okay it was that bad. I didn't want to stop on the side of the road and wait for a SAG because there were too many people waiting already. I knew that I was approaching Fayetteville where there was a break point and a medical tent. I just had to get there.
I came into the break point, and using my bike as a crutch, I walked into the medical tent and said, "help!" and I guess I looked bad enough that the doctor came rushing over. I was in so much pain that I couldn't breathe through it. It was horrible. Even my skin was in pain. He said there wasn't much they could do for me there other than biofreeze me and give me Tylenol. He told me he was pretty sure it was a pinched nerve, but wanted me to get checked out at the medical facility in La Grange.
Lisa and Jane saw me in the medical tent and came over to see if I was okay. I told them what was going on. Later, Lisa told me that I was writhing in pain and she has been on enough long rides with me to know the difference between seeing me sore after a long ride and in severe pain like this.
So, I loaded my bike on the bike truck and took the SAG back to La Grange.
I thought I had a pinched nerve in my back.
My bike being loaded onto a truck to be taken to La Grange
So, this is what my ride looked like. Waller to Fayetteville
SAG dropped me off a mile from the end of Day 1, so I rode it in
Riding in to La Grange
Racking my bike in the SCC tent
After getting my finish line photo, I headed over to the medical tent. (I was seriously impressed. It was a mobile hospital with individual rooms, all kinds of medical equipment, and all of it was air conditioned) The doctor ran some tests on me and determined that I did not have a pinched nerve and told me to get a massage and see how I felt after that.
After a massage and a glass of wine just before bed on Day 1
Morning of Day 2
More tears
SCC team photo morning of Day 2
Chilling with some of the SCC volunteers after loading my bags on the van back to Houston
Some guy rode a penny farthing for the MS150! Not only that, I heard that he went through the State Parks on Day 2!
I watched all of the riders line up to roll out for Day 2. Next year, I'm leaving from DeAnna's house!
Tandem built for 3
My honey came and picked me up in La Grange and drove me home. As soon as I saw him I buried my head in his chest he just let me cry. Then we loaded my bike on the car, went and got some kolaches, and headed home.
Here is what I posted in the SCC FB group for the team:
Congrats to everyone in SCC that finished the MS150 yesterday. Whoop! Things didn't go as planned for me, but I'm super happy that I went out there and gave it all that I could.
On day 1, I came into the break point in Fayetteville after cycling for several miles with crippling pain under my right shoulder. The medical guy there thought I had a pinched nerve in my back. I really wanted to finish, but I couldn't breathe through the pain, so I knew taking the SAG wagon into LaGrange was the smart choice. The SAG wagon dropped us off about a mile out from the finish line, so at least I got to ride into La Grange.
Once I got into La Grange, I found the medical tent and the doctor there had me do some tests where I pushed against things and said it was not a pinched nerve. He told me to get a massage and see if that helped. So I did. The massage therapist said that all of the pain in my back was originating in my scalene muscles in the side of my neck.
After a massage, some pain killers, and sleep (in a real bed thanks to my friend!) I fully intended to ride day 2 and see how it went. Unfortunately, the pain was still there. I was at breakfast with some teammates and I started getting more spasming and the pain would not go away. So, I made the very hard decision (after a lot of tears) to end my ride in La Grange.
My bf came and picked me up in La Grange and drove me back to Houston. So, I never made it to Austin this weekend. I've experienced all sorts of emotions this weekend and had a couple of good cries.
But, a lot of good came from this. I raised over $2300 for MS! I also met a lot of new people through all of this and made some new friends. Also, all of that training wasn't for nothing and I can tell that my body is a lot stronger. I really enjoyed all of our training rides. I hope that we have more rides soon so that I can get back out there with you guys.
Thank you for your support through all of this. I plan to do it again next year and get to Austin and get my finisher photo with my bike raised up over my head. I've already received a ton of love today from you guys that knew what happened.
After all of this, a big thanks goes out to:
Schlumberger Cycling Club
Coach Joe Glass
Coach Kellee Webb
Vee Miguel and Mackenzie Haley and CycleBar Vintage Park
Bruce Barnes
All of the people who donated to my fundraising
I couldn't have done this without your help!
