MS 150 Bike Tour 2004

And we thought climbing "Devil's Gulch" was difficult! Yes, it had been a full year since my first ms 150 in Colorado. Heather, my trusty cycling pal, decided to ride with me again this year. She also recruited Mindy, a good friend of hers from Steamboat. Mindy's sister was recently diagnosed with MS. Zoe couldn't ride on account of having just given birth (which I decided was no good excuse! J )

We met at Jo and Brian's house the Friday before. Mindy drove us out to Conifer Saturday morning. The quaint town had minimal parking, but volunteers choreographed themselves perfectly; providing direction, shuttles, and large vehicles to get us safely to the start. The ride began with an impressive down hill (a tiny hint of the ride to come!) and a confusing loop around town that I had to wrap around twice before I went the right way. The day started out beautifully, but got warm quick. Heather and I rode our hardy mountain bikes. Mindy trained on a mountain bike, but borrowed a nice road bike from a friend. The day started out nice, with long down hills on tree-canopied roads. Then we hit several miles of packed dirt (finally a good use for my knobby tires!). The rest stops were as wonderful as ever, complete with cute themes and happy volunteers. The rest of the ride is a bit of a blur. I remember riding only in my most extreme gears because of the steep hill. We rode on a very busy, fast-moving highway for some time. The highway resembled a freeway, and to be honest I was surprised bikes were allowed on it. I can't repeat the things we saw: bicycle crashes, collisions, blood dripping skulls, bodies flattened on pavement. The society did apologize for the difficulty of the ride. They tried a new route this year, over the Rampart Mountains. Although I would not have chosen the route, I have to commemorate them for how they handled event. I fully believe no other group, even a for-profit organizer could have done a better job with support, medics, and keeping up the mood.

Thankfully, the three of us arrived to Colorado Springs safely. We set up camp, showered, ate and relaxed our tired bodies. Then the fear began to set in. Because this ride was an out-and-back, I knew what I had to look forward to. Today's ride, mostly downhill, presented a challenge for the next day. The forecast indicated more heat as well. I went to bed very early.

I awoke the next morning before dawn and was ready to ride by 5 AM. I wanted very much to ride with Heather and Mindy. Mindy seemed like such a cool gal and I wanted to get to know her better. And Heather is always so positive and upbeat. But I was scared. I didn't want to overheat. I let them know I was leaving early and planned to see them at the finish. Once again the morning started out beautifully, with cool air and an amazing sunrise over the older cathedrals and lush plant life. But it was a struggle; an incredible challenge. The heat did get fierce. Somehow I finished, but my memory of it is only of determination. I cried for hours along the ride, exhaustion getting the better of me as I think, once again, why I am riding. I reached the finish line alone and in tears. I hugged some people at the finish, grabbed some food, several cold drinks, and waited for the rest of the riders to pass.

150 miles

14000 feet (yes, I climbed the equivalent of a whole Colorado mountain!)

2 days

11 emergency room visits

All for people with MS. And I'd do it again in

I would also like to make note of Mindy's inspiring financial contribution. In her first year of riding, Mindy raised several thousand dollars for people with MS. She was one of the top 100 highest donators, and made our team one of the top fundraising teams. She did this all by collecting pledges from friends and family.