On Saturday and Sunday, August 6 and 7, I'll be joining more than 800 cyclists to ride in the Oregon MS 150 Bike Tour. I'll be riding my bicycle for 170 miles over those two days in the hopes of raising $500 to help end the devastating effects of multiple sclerosis, and I'm inviting you to join me in my efforts. Okay, I know it's not likely that you'll ride along side me, but I'd like you to help by making a small pledge of support. A $25 pledge would be wonderful, but of course, any amount will help me towards my goal and will be greatly appreciated.
I originally found out about the MS 150 in a magazine and thought it sounded like a fun ride, but it wasn't until I met a man in my church who has MS that I decided to actually commit to riding in it. Years ago, when Ted was my age, he was a strong cyclist and long-distance runner and hiker, and had many adventures that most of us only dream about. That all ended with his diagnosis of MS. Now, Ted's beautiful voice joins me in the choir when he has the strength, but he often has to sit through the services due to the fatiguing and numbing effects of his MS. Although I'm sure I'll enjoy this challenging ride, the reason I'm riding is to help Ted and many others like him.
Every hour, someone in the United States is diagnosed with MS – a debilitating disease that can cause imbalance, extreme fatigue, numbness, paralysis and blindness. It typically strikes at the prime of life, just as people are starting careers and families. In fact, MS is the number one cause of paralysis in young people, and more than half of those with MS are unable to keep regular employment. The Pacific Northwest has the highest prevalence of MS in the country, but thanks to fundraising efforts like this one, five drug therapies have been developed for MS since 1992, when there were none. Your support of me as I ride gives immeasurable hope to the over 400,000 Americans living with MS.
I hope you'll choose to help the National MS Society in their mission to end the devastating effects of MS. You can donate online by visiting
http://www.ms150oregon.com and clicking "Pledge a Rider," and entering my name to go to my personal donation page. If you would rather send a check made out to the National MS Society, you may print the donation form and mail it with your check. All donations are tax-deductible, and don't forget that many companies offer matching gift programs!
Your support means so much to me and especially to everyone living with MS. Thank you!
The most notable of the riders in this year's Oregon MS 150 will be
George Hincapie, an accomplished pro on the Discovery Channel team, and also the only rider to have ridden with Lance Armstrong throughout Lance's whole career. I hope to at least say hi while we're riding, and maybe get him to autograph my MS 150 t-shirt.
The MS 150 tour will be in Forest Grove, west of Portland, going through wine country and woodlands. On the first day, riders can choose between distances of 32, 80, or 100 miles. On the second day, riders will choose between 25- and 70-mile options. The routes are described as having rolling hills, but the elevation profiles look relatively flat, at least compared to the routes that I'm used to riding around here. I've chosen to ride the longest distances on each day, for a total of 170 miles. This will be the first time I've ridden 100 miles in one day and the first time I've done 2 long rides in a row, but I expect that it'll be easier than some of the longer club rides I've been doing recently, due to the lack of hills, the many rest stops stocked with food and water, and the many other riders that I'll be able to draft behind sometimes. I'm sure there will be some there who will treat it like a race, but I'm expecting to ride a moderate pace, probably about 15-16mph average. This means that I expect to ride the 100 mile route on the first day in about 6.5 hours and the 70 mile route on the second day in about 4.5 hours, not including time spent at rest stops.
I'll be camping at the provided campgrounds Friday and Saturday night instead of paying for a dorm room at Pacific University or a hotel room. I've had dreams of doing a self-contained bicycle tour, and have recently been setting up my bicycle as a touring bike with a kickstand, rear rack and panniers, and handlebar bag. While the MS 150 is more like 2 big supported club rides in a row and less like a bike tour, it'll still have some of the feel of a bike tour, since I'll be away from home, sleeping in my tent each night and riding my bike each day. The difference will be that meals and rest stops will be provided and there will be 800 other riders, and we'll return to the same place each night.