MS150 – 2010
This year I am once again participating in the BP Houston to Austin MS150 Bicycle Ride. Last year I raised about $1700. It was good to raise that money to help the organization. If there is one thing that I’ve learned from last years experience, it’s that this event – isn’t about me. It is really easy to get caught up in training for ME to complete the ride. Caught up in MY experience of the 2 day ride. While the ride is challenging (and no just physically…) the whole event is NOT about me. I am simply part of a bigger cause to raise money for research to help find a cure for Multiple Sclerosis.
As I’m sure you had heard, last year’s ride was a mess. Sudden massive thunderstorms flooded the entire area along the 1st days route. The half way camp spot was completely washed away! After some last minute announcements and television broadcasts, the MS Society announced that the first day of the ride was cancelled and that if you wanted, you could drive out to the camp spot the second day and start your ride from there. At that point it was a mad scramble to get yourself to the halfway point! Luckily Bayou City Outdoors came through for me once again! They let me stay with them, last minute at their bed and breakfast. I brought a tent and slept outside. Just like I had the year before. Funny how these traditions develop!
Once I finally got riding, I was off! I set my pace and was ready to go. Thing was is that I got a call from a friend who wanted me to wait for them. I knew that they were a good rider and said I’d see them at the first stop. The thing was they took 45 mins to meet up with me! Once we got going again, my muscles were quite cold and we still had the hill part ahead of us. That was the hardest part of the ride, not because of the steep hills, but because of people’s lack of training on how to use their gears and when to switch them. It was a mess. I actually fell because of it all! At one point I finally got going again and seperated from my friend. We were to later meet up at the lunch rest stop.
I tell you this because something began to become clear to me about the ride. Much like what I have said in last years posts, this ride is not about how fast, how you ride, who you ride with or any of that. It is about raising money for finding a cure to MS. After lunch, while I did continue to cruize along at a fairly quick clip, I took in more of the scenery. Looked at the people. Trying to enjoy myself. I had pretty much already done my part. Yeah, I raised $1700 dollars.
So my part to the MS really is NOW. It is getting you, the reader, my friends, strangers, people who I send to this site, etc, to donate money to my pledge to raise money for MS. Help me out now. You can donate any amount you want. Just click the link below, safely use your credit card/debit card online.
So riding in the MS150, it is a personal challenge. It IS a physical endurance test. It IS a commitment to training for 3 months. It IS a commitment to asking people for money – which can be tough. But like I’ve said here now a couple of times, it all really boils down to: How much money did I raise?
Yeah I’ll be posting up photos and blogging about my training ride experiences here. It’s all good fun. But this really depends on YOU. I need you to click the link below, go to that site and donate money with your credit card. Donate as much or as little as you want. It’s easy peasy. You do the contribution part and I’ll do the biking part. Deal? Awesome.
Come here to see updates on my training and what with everything related to my journey. I will tag all my posts related to the MS150 with the MS150 tag.
Thank you so much for your donation!
Eric Henao