Bike MS Kick-Off Party

Tonight was the kick-off party for the Bike MS ride I'm working toward. It was a great evening! A fun opportunity to hear about some of the logistics of the ride in October. A chance to see some cycling friends in street clothes. A chance to connect with some of the people in the area who struggle with MS. A chance to talk to riders on other teams who you don't see very often and share stories of recent training rides, swap stories, and learn potential new routes.

The turn out was amazing! They planned on 500 people and apparently there were quite a few more as they actually ran out of food. We heard from Chris from S.A.P.D. about why they ride. The story is a moving one about one of the local police dispatchers being diagnosed with MS. She is a neat woman and I fully understand why so many people ride for her.

Then our team captain, Chris Shaw, spoke about how MS has changed his life. Chris is quite the hammerhead and rode his first MS 150 (now Bike MS) for totally selfish reasons - to get fit, improve his cycling, and lose some weight. He told us how although he doesn't have MS, no one in his family has MS, and none of his close friends have MS, yet MS has changed his life. He has learned what it means for those who suffer with MS and how they struggle every day. He has learned to limit his whining and complaining while he rides as he has it easy on a daily basis. At least he is capable of riding in the Bike MS each year.

As usual, Pete and I were there armed with cameras capturing the evening. Tony accepted a challenge to ride the event in memory of his sister who died three weeks ago after suffering from MS for twenty plus years, and being diagnosed with breast cancer, lung cancer, and finally brain cancer which she was not able to beat. Everyone who rides has a story and a reason for riding. Some are stronger than others, but sharing the stories sure helps to remind you why you ride and at least for me allows me to reconnect with my reason for riding. There are so many people to ride for and that is a grim thought to me. I ride for my friend who prefers to silently struggle. I'm glad I can be an ear when things are rough and eyes when he's struggling, but not complaining about it. I give him grief at work when my legs are sore and I don't want to keep running around the office. I need to remember that he is in pain every day and struggles to walk some days. Talk about a wake-up call to check my whining at the door! It's also motivation to continue my training and I feel more driven to complete this challenge for both of us.

Goals
Today's Miles: 0
Total Miles Achieved: 497.9
Financial Investment: $1781.14
Total Weight Loss: +1.2