As all of you know on May 5th and 6th I rode in the MS 150 bike ride from Frisco to Fort Worth to aid in fighting the disease called Multiple Sclerosis. All the money that those who graciously donated to this cause not only allowed my to ride in this ride?.however we were all part of a very moving and unique event.
There were approximately 3500 riders that participated in this event. We each had to raise a minimum of $300 before we could ride. Thanks to you I was able to reach my goal and do my part to help fund the MS movement. (you do the math on the 3500 riders that had to raise $300 a piece?that?s a lot of money and it makes me very excited to know that there are enough people in the world to both to the physical part of this event as well as those who just wanted to sponsor monetarily.) Here is a break down of how the money raised is used.
33% goes to research, 29% to direct services, 13% fundraising, 9% MS Education, 4% administration and 3% for Professional Education & Training.
Day 1: The course originated in Frisco at the Dr.Pepper center and after a pretty significant detour through Pilot Point, Sanger, Krum and Justin, we ended at the Texas Motor Speedway!
Day 2: The course originated from the Texas Motor Speedway and again after another detour through Decatur, Boyd, and Eagle Mountain Lake we ended in Sundance Square in the middle of Downtown Fort Worth.
Day 1 ? Frisco Dr. Pepper Center.
We started out pretty nice! All riders gathered around the starting line. I was fortunate enough to get up to the second bike team to be released from the starting gate so I had the majority of the riders behind me starting out. All accept the 200 Sam?s club riders. One of the guys I ride with at the Richardson Bike Mart and I started out as soon as they called our group. We had a nice tailwind and we started gobbling up the riders in front of us. We shortly got separated and I kept on cranking up past other riders?.
The tailwind, motivation, and adrenaline started to kick in and you would have thought I was racing for the yellow Tour De France jersey if you saw how fast I was riding (approx 24mph). I soon passed the rider in the front?it was now ME and the 3499 riders behind me and I was feeling it. I could envision the finish line and me breaking the tape! Thoughts like that made me pedal harder and faster?.just as fast as my legs would allow me. (Against some good advice from a close friend about not starting out killing myself on the first day) after about the first 25 miles I was approached by a vehicle that was flagging me down. I stopped and the driver informed me that I was off course and should have turned about 2.5 miles back. A little in disbelief and now having the day dream of breaking the tape shattered, I turned around and started riding into the wind to get back on course. Either I had reached the second rest stop where we were supposed to turn before they had a chance to get set up, or my tape breaking day dreams didn?t allow me to see that I needed to turn. (I vote for the first scenario?as when I went back and hooked back up the other riders there was someone standing on the side of the road flagging people to turn.) ANYWHOO?.I liked my wounds and kept on riding. I passed as many riders as I could to try and get my spot back.
There was a Lunch stop at mile 50, I pulled over refilled my bottles and enjoyed a Peanut Butter and Jelly Sandwich and pressed on. It was starting to sprinkle a little at this point?.OH YEAH…almost forgot, by this time our route had turned and we were all now facing the wind?IN THE RAIN! I started cranking out the final 30 miles of Day one with one eye opened trying to shield myself from the rain. It seemed that every time I looked back there was someone on my wheel just enjoying my being out front. Eventually a very kind spirited man by the name of Dieter jumped up in front to give me a rest. I was so very thankful for that. Dieter and I ended up taking turns cutting the wind and we paced in together. We finished day one within the top 250 riders clocking a time of 4hours and 22 minutes. (That includes rest stops and lunch by the way).
Day 2 ? The Texas Motor Speedway
The ride started VERY early! LOL…we started out on the infield of the Texas Motor Speedway. Once they let us go, we all got to do a lap around TMS and THAT was amazing! We then bunched up at another starting line where SEVERAL people had already started lining up that didn?t want to ride the speedway. They released us in groups of approximately 500. I hooked back up with Dieter (the rider from Day 1 who helped me out in the rain!) We decided we would just take it easy and pace a little slower today than we did yesterday. We were at the back of the second group. When we hit the street we noticed we, again, were being pushed by a tailwind and it felt good.
Dieter and I uncontrollably started riding fast letting the tailwind push us along at about 22mph. We started weaving in and out of groups and riders setting our own pace picking up any rider that wanted to fall to the back of our wheels so we could all take turns cutting the wind for the group. Many fell back after a half mile or so, except a guy by the name of Austin. He latched on and the three of us prepared to ride the second day just as hard as we could! We were quickly reminded a tailwind would soon mean a headwind right around the time we realized that our backsides were ALREADY screaming at us for sitting on those cycling seats again. With sore saddles and what seemed like a 50mph head wind. (Gross exaggeration on the MPH of the headwind by the way) we noticed that the streets we were riding on were pretty much rolling hills?. Reluctantly we as a group decided to start rolling them as efficiently as possible by gaining momentum and continuing to pedal while going downhill so that we wouldn?t have to strain so much on the upside of the next hill.
After about 30 miles of this headwind and rolling streets we pulled over for lunch. Again, with the Peanut Butter and Jelly, we rested for about 30 minutes and discussed taking it easy the rest of the way. To this point we were pacing still at approx 20 mph. We got back on our bikes and we both started feeling it again. We realized that lunch had energized us very well and we didn?t want to slow down much. So, we continued on?riding as if we were racing everyone else. It seemed as if the wind was getting stronger and the hills were getting taller as the day progressed. We finally had the big hills behind us, Austin said (Austin rode the MS150 last year and took good note of the big hills on Day 2) all except 1 more big hill. The anticipation was killing me to get this one last hill behind us so that we could combat the wind without fighting gravity and BIG hills! The last hill just about did us all in?.We climbed that hill for over 4 minutes in the absolute highest gear we had?we were standing up throwing the bike from side to side as we cranked as hard as we could. My leg muscles were exhausting so fast that my legs felt like Jell-O. I looked at the speedometer on my bike and it said I was riding about 6 mph?
I think I remember an older gentlemen walking on the side walk with a cane pass me as I struggled up the hill. The rest of the day was relatively flat and we hooked up with a couple of large groups of riders (about 25 to 45 cyclist) and paced with them until Downtown Fort Worth was in sight. Never before had Downtown Fort Worth looked so beautiful, so appealing, so much like the END OF THE PAIN!! LOL.
The three of us, Dieter, Austin, and me, broke out on our own once we saw the brick roads of Downtown. There was one thing that we all saw but didn?t speak of out loud. The path we were on to get to Sundance Square, the finish line, was directly behind a HUGE hill on Main Street. We silently approached it and on our way up we were moaning and groaning with pain?ALL of us were thinking about how NICE of the ride tour makers it was to put a HUGE hill at the END of 150 miles!!! We conquered it though?.and all feelings of pain and exhaustion were replaced by self pride, excitement, and an OVERWHELMING feeling of accomplishment as we could hear the crowd at the finish line cheering and waving hands as the announcer called out our names!!!
It was very emotional and exciting! The most exciting part of it all wasn?t just the accomplishment and me being able to pat my self on the back because I just rode 150 miles?.but the fact that the bandana I rode with was signed by a girl by the name of Amber Morgan from Plano, TX. Amber is a person who lives with MS every day of her life. That is what this weekend was about! I am so glad to have been a part of this event and to donate my time and money (and be a source of the additional money that you all donated) to help Amber and others like her to deal with the challenges of MS and possibly find a cure for MS in the future.
Amber, it was truly an honor to ride in your honor during the MS 150!
Thank you all for your support in this ride. The attached picture is of Day 2 at the finish line. I am on the left, Austin is in the middle and Dieter is on the right.
Thomas Berry
