Captain's Log

Well, the MS ride finished is finally over.  The season started in late April/early May when we started planning our first fundraiser and jersey design.  It ended last weekend with the successful ride of the 2012 MS150: Pedal los Pueblos.  All told our team did great.  From the 2010 ride with 5 riders, we grew to 18 last year, and to 38 this year!  Our fundraising efforts went really well as well, having pulled of a successful trivia night and two paired scotch dinners, with our team raising over $23,000 to fight MS.  

Over the next little while, I will be posting my ride write ups at the team blog here, but in the mean time here are some things I learned this year:

• Organizing rides, blogging the team events, keeping the team Facebook page up to date, coordinating fundraising and jersey purchases, took up a lot of free time.  Worth it, but lots of time investment.
• Having both sets of grandparents in town and at the ride to watch after Connor was awesome.  It allowed Ali and I to just go and participate in the ride - which was fantastic.  We got to ride with each other too, something that is pretty difficult to do now days.
• As the pool of athletes on a team increases, the realization of where you fit in the grand scheme of cycling becomes clearer.  When it was five of us, I didn't really mind being the slowest on the team.  On a team of 38, I am still close to the end.  Looks like the Tour de France is not in my future.
• I completed my first century ride on Saturday.  They added a 12 mile spur to make the first day an even 100 miles. I think our team had the highest percentage of riders that completed the 100 mile ride too (21 out of 31 riders).  I attribute that to excellent captaining.
• I did the whole 150 mile ride wearing a kilt.  It was great.  My favorite moment was when a cyclist who was passing me remarked that he had been "chasing a skirt" for the last 4 miles and was disappointed to see it was not a lady.  I have to question his eye sight - I do not have a very lady like figure even from 1 mile away.  I think my nickname should now be the "Flying Scotsman", but that only applies on the downhill.
• I hit my fastest speed on a bike so far, topping out at 49 mph on the downhill from Truches.  Simultaneously fun and terrifying.  At the next rest stop ~10 miles later, while I was eating a banana, my back tire spontaneously exploded with a tremendous pop.  Thank goodness those two events did not overlap.
• Near the end of the training season, when you haven't had a free weekend in 2 months and you are getting tired of the long grueling training rides it is hard to remember why I do this.  But the first day of ride reminds why.  From all the volunteers who have been touched by MS, to the other riders and the sense of camaraderie, to my teammates, right through to the emotional and very touching banquet at the end of the day it reminds me why I do this.  I love this ride, and all that it does for the MS community.  I will do this as long as I am physically able.
• Extreme physical exhaustion combined with prolonged sun exposure with a hint of dehydration,  all before a very moving banquet leads to a very emotional captain. I have not been able to make it through the banquet without blubbering, and this years was no exception.

At the top of the climb to Truches drinking a cycle-tini!