MS150

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!

The anxiety is kicking in

Can we just start already?!?!?!

ARGH!

aksdlj;a;ksldfamd;slcx.,v vc,x.mijerw

Last CycleBar Endurance Class before the MS150

Lisa came with me because she got a free class

Vee did not go easy on us. My lungs were definitely screaming at the end of that class.

Wallis Ride (Last training ride!)

This is it! The last ride before the MS150 next weekend. Also, my birthday!

I've done 3 60+ miles in the last 4 weekends.

I'm about as trained as I'm going to be. This week is all about easy maintenance rides to keep my legs loose, proper nutrition, packing, and not freaking myself out.

Our first rest stop of the day was a historical marker at San Felipe de Austin.

We rode past our club's Adopt a Highway sign

The rest stop was full of gravel, so I walked across the street to some pavement and started stretching. We were 45 miles in at this point and my back and shoulders were sore. Lisa got a photo of me from across the street. 

Heading back out for the final 18 miles.

The club trailer past me on the way home

I stopped at the chiropractor on the way home to get my back adjusted after all of that riding. Always a good idea.

It just got real

I'm in Club K because I've raised over $1000 for MS.

10 days to go!

Strength Training

In addition to all of the cycling, I have been trying to keep up with strength training. When I injured myself during the IM70.3TX back in 2015, the knee doctor told me that I had a muscle imbalance between my legs and my hips/glutes and that contributed to hurting my knee. Then, when I busted my hip a few months ago, the doctor told me that I need to strengthen my hips and abs. It's a reoccuring theme in my life. Every time I'm injured I hear that I need to strengthen my hips and and/or abs. 

So, I've been going to CrossFit Equality and meeting with Kellee to work on my strength and mobility. 

CycleBar Silliness

I forgot to bring shoes to wear home after class, so I had to put my work shoes back on. Vee thought this was hilarious and told me to "pose like one of your dress photos"

Also, this was my first time to come in #1. I get that it was only a 4 person class, but #1!

Fort Bend Education Experience and Cancelled Gran Fondo

Saturday was the Fort Bend Education Experience ride. Although this was my longest ride yet, it was all flat and felt a lot easier than a ride with hills - I rode 75 miles this week faster than I rode 60 miles last weekend. It also didn't hurt that the last 30 or so miles had a nice tailwind. 

I had to get to mile 24 by 9:30 or they were going to push me onto the 50-mile course. Although that would have still been a nice long ride, I really wanted to do 75 before the MS150. I got started in one of the later waves of riders since I was standing in a very long line for the port-a-potty. I blew past the first rest stop and only stopped at the second rest stop long enough to refill my water bottle and grab some orange slices. But, I made it to the cutoff on time and got to do the long course. I heard later that several riders got stuck behind a train and ended up missing the cutoff and were mad.

My bib number. It's my birthday! Several people found this humorous for other reasons and one guy wanted to take a photo of it in the rest stop. 

JoAnna and I in the rest stop.

Nice. (I feel like I should caption this photo "A rose by any other name" but the Bonnie Plant company doesn't grow roses)

Around rest stop 4 (45 miles in) everything was starting to hurt. I was sitting on the ground doing some stretches and thinking "I still have 30 miles to go" and getting kind-of discouraged. I really did not want to get back on my bike and keep pedaling, but I did. 

Mack, me, Dina, JoAnna, Mark, and Elizabeth in the last rest stop. Unlike the last rest stop, we knew we were getting close to the end and we had a nice tail wind. 

I got back to my car and felt really great about that ride. Also, I'm so glad I gave my bike some TLC. It was a much smoother ride this week. I went home, showered, and stretched and recovered in the leg compression sleeves. 

Next day:

It's a good thing my ride got cancelled. It was ugly out there.  I was really hoping to do the Gran Fondo. I was registered for 45 miles and it was up in Montgomery and I would have had some good hills to ride on. I was also hoping to get that experience of riding two days in a row. But, it wasn't meant to be. I was sad when it got cancelled, but a little happy that I was going to get to sleep in. 

I took it inside and did a double class at the CycleBar. I started tired and sore and was losing steam by the end of the second class. I messaged Mackenzie when the Gran Fondo got cancelled and told her to give me some hills, and she delivered! Also, her class as 100% Lady Gaga songs, which was really fun. I got in another 26 miles of saddle time and overall I rode 100 miles this weekend. 

I went and got a pedicure after class. Mostly, I just wanted to sit in the massing chair. That felt great. But, I painted my toes blue to match my cycling jersey.