The ride recap

Yes, I am home early from the MS150. I am having knee issues from lack of not enough gears, not enough miles and a nasty headwind yesterday. Pretty sure it is not my seat height causing the problems.

So the recap...

Friday night was the fueling. It was good to meet a few fellow bloggers and head to Monks for some tasteeee beverages, Mr and Mrs BikingBrady, Ridevermillion and of course the usual suspects Mr Mayor and Cycle SD and myself. Left there and come home to get things finalized for the morning.

Saturday morning the ride. Everyone was talking going as fast as you can to get as many miles in before the wind picked up. Not sure but I think this body only came with one speed...slow so there would be none of that riding fast for me. I went at my own pace which was good. As we traveled out of town in a big pack I got to talk with Pastor Dave, from First Lutheran Church here in Sioux Falls, he was just chatty and then he headed off ahead of me. Yup, I think he is in his 70s, and he passed me. He was kicking butt and taking names in a Godly sort of way. Very Cool guy that completed his journey to Vermillion, 75 miles, by a little after 2:00pm. Anyway, I headed down the road and things were going well. Made it to Lennox in good time pretty much riding on my own, passing a few people and a few people passing be. I looked in my mirror and saw the SAG wagon with flashers a few bikers in back of me. I am thinking, I am at the very end of the line and those poor people in that van are going to have to look at my butt for another 50 miles! Well, I was wrong there was a lot of people behind me also so no need to worry about the people in the van watching my butt. We headed out of Lennox and all of a sudden a guy rolls up along side me and says, "What time did the MS start today?" I told him it had started at 7:00am. He said, "ok", and he went zipping by me. As he rode away I looked and he only had one leg, he did have a prosthetic leg also! Yup I got passed by a late 60-early 70 year old guy with one leg. He rode another three miles up the road and turned around and headed back to town FLYING! He was very fast! I left the church rest stop and headed into the teeth of the monster. The wind had really started to pick up and I was out there on my own. I could have waited for a group to form and head out but I do have to say that some of the people I am not so sure I would have ridden with as their bike skills were a bit scary and with wind gusting I would rather brave it on my own so I kept rolling along. The wind was bad. It was to be 2omph winds that we were heading into with gust higher. With all that I ran out of gears again on my 14 speed and the knees got sore. I made it to Beresford and decided my day was done after 48.39 miles, 4h 31m 17 sec ride time, average speed 11mph, max speed 24.1 mph. not real bad numbers given the wind issue. I had in my head that my goal was to maintain 10 mph which I achieved. I forgot to say I met Sieversma and her husband. He was a real trooper on the ride. You go Nick!


After the Saturday ride I hit the shower and then chatted with the Team Fab group and another blogger Cycling Cathy. The banquet was at 7:00pm and then I hit the bed. I was tired and I heard rumor this morning that a few of the FABers hit Dairy Queen after the Banquet for their second wind so to speak. We never made our Bunyons bombers run as everyone was very tired.


My knees were still sore on Saturday night and I decided I would try Sunday to see how it all went. I got up and went down for breakfast and then back up to the 2nd floor dorm room at USD and then back down to take my linens to the front desk them back up and the right knee was done so I decided to SAG. So I guess technically I beat all you back to Sioux Falls this time!
Distance 75 miles, 1 hour 15 mins, max speed 75...beat those numbers kids...hahaha


All in all the ride is about the cause and at every corner it seemed there was someone encouraging you to push your self a little more like a lady and a fellow biker that I went back and forth with a few times. They would pass me and I would pass them. Once when they passed me I read on her name/number that she had written that she has MS. There is also Pat Lynch who was out there braving the wind on his hand bike and then the people you see at the rest stops, finish line and some were helping with the SAG wagons that have MS. They encourage you to do more! It really brings it back home and what this ride is really about. It is not about the miles you ride or how fast you ride it. It is about raising money for a cause.


Break out your money and donate, volunteer or ride next year. It is a great time. I have already signed up to ride in 2009...Have you or will you?


Some odd factoids....


Farm animals seen:
Lennox seems to have a lot of people into donkeys and or mules. I saw lots of them.

The usuals were out there also cows, horses and chickens. I have a thing for talking to the animals that I ride by so it gets quite comical the looks these creatures give me.


Wildlife:
Geese
Team Fab
Team Road Kill



Real Road kill:
Raccoons seem to be the most prevalently smashed animal
Skunks
Opossum
Cats
Snakes (YEAH!)
Birds
Deer (SAG back to Sx Falls along the indy)


Food consumed on the ride:
Let me just say that I am not a fruit eater and I do not like bananas except for in bread or banana cake so given that I have now hit my lifetime quota of bananas...3. Yes, you read it correctly I had three bananas in one day!

Of course a lot of Gu packets and I tried the Sport Beans. They are ok but to me they tasted salty. 2-fig newtons and a half an orange.

Lunch was a pork sandwich, cheetos, one whole banana and gatoraide.

2-cookies at the finish line and then supper was salad, pasta and white cake with jello in it.

Oh ya, and about 10oz of a 16oz can of Miller Lite.