MS150 Bike to Beach, San Antonio to Corpus Christi.
The ride before the ride: Unbeknownst to me (but knownst to my wife) Texas is a place far, far away! I had forgotten how far. 18 hours in a car, no problemo, right! We started on our journey Thursday afternoon around 3:00. Later that same night we stopped in Wichita Kansas for the night, then left Friday morning for San Antonio. We arrived in San Antonio around 10:30 Friday night. We dragged into our hotel room, got something to eat, then I put the bike into the hotel room as well as there were various people just hanging around the hotel at 11:30 at night. I wasn’t going to come all this way to have the bike stolen so I couldn’t do my ride! Note to self: Friday nights the highway between Dallas and San Antonio is packed full of cars, all going the same way as you, and all going 80 miles per hour. I felt like I’d been flying a jet by the time we pulled into the hotel! Don’t do that again!
Saturday October 1, 2005. Some time back (almost a year ago) my younger brother Brad had casually asked if I would be interested in doing a bike ride for MS with him. Not thinking clearly because of the altitude (okay, just not thinking clearly!) I said sure, it would be fun! Of course it came around much quicker than I anticipated, and before I knew it, here I was standing outside the SBC Center in San Antonio on a gray and foggy morning with 3500 other bike riders with one sole purpose in mind: To raise money for MS by riding a bike from San Antonio to Corpus Christi Texas.
I had started ‘training’ by riding my bike 10 miles a day when I could. The training went well, and I felt comfortable. I also checked with my brother beforehand about what necessities I should pick up, being just a regular bike rider and not one of those serious people you pass on the highway all the time.
Padded seat, padded bike shorts, helmet, bike gloves. I picked them all up a couple weeks before the event, although finding bike shorts was a bit tricky since most of the sporting goods stores had put them away for the season. (You see, here in Colorado, as the end of September approaches, we begin to get ready for SNOW sports, whilst down there, far, far away in Texas, they are still having 100+ degree weather!).
Suited up, my bike fitted with number 2507, with family to see us off and follow us on the route, we got on our bikes to ride! They let us go in waves, and we pedaled out into the streets of San Antonio towards Corpus Christi, 150 miles away. I also carried with me a bandana signed from my Partner in Hope, a person with MS who I would be riding for. My partner in hope was Tag Simler, of Schertz, Texas. He wrote on my bandana, ‘Ride your Buns off!’ That I would do, despite not having extra amounts of ‘buns’ to ride off!
Brad and I stayed together for most of the morning. Feeling good, we skipped the first break stop at 8.8 miles and continued on to the second at 19.2. I’d never been so happy to stop, get off my bike and drink Gatorade, eat oranges and bananas. I was feeling good, and it was great to be riding with so many other people, weaving in and out, passing them, them passing you, focusing on the road and getting to the next stop.
I began to talk with my brother about life, about getting older, about how things change and about the things in our world around us. It was about this time that my brother asked if I minded if he went on ahead since it was obvious that I was holding him back. I think in a small way, my desire to talk urged Brad onward at a faster pace. Soon I was by myself (in mind and talking companion, but always passing or being passed by other bicycle riders), with only my squeaky bike to talk to. I felt bad about the squeak (it was a bearing in the pedals), thinking it was bothering the other riders. I could hear them think, here comes that squeak again as I would pass people I’d previously passed, or they would once again pass me.
At some point in the morning the clouds burned off and the sun did what it always does in Texas, it baked down upon us! Sometime after noon another Texas favorite came to visit, the wind. It was about this time that I began to wish that I’d done that one last item on my list before starting this, have a tune-up done on my bike. Certainly if I had done that, I would have been able to do the one thing that many of the other riders were taking for granted. CHANGE GEARS. Having only third gear was not helping. I began to realize this as I came close to the lunch break (lunch being deceiving, as it wasn’t halfway, and it wasn’t at lunchtime, it was 62 miles out and for me about 3:00 in the afternoon).
There are hills between San Antonio and Corpus Christi. There was 110 degree sun, and there was 12 – 14 mile an hour wind blowing directly against you. Sometimes I felt I was standing still, and on a few hills I did get off my bike and walk alongside it, as well as joining others in the shady tree spots for a lie down. At one of the break spots (Karnes City, I think, 57 miles in), I laid down for a moment, only to fall asleep for a short while.
At lunch I realized I was done for the day. I wasn’t hungry, save for some Gatorade, water and fruit. I took my bike to be ferried to the overnight stay in Coastal Bend College and boarded a school bus (along with a number of fellow riders who must have had the same epiphany that I had, trying to do 90 miles in one day is a lot!). The gentleman that I sat next to was feeling the same. I mentioned how I never thought I’d be so glad to get back on a School Bus in my life. He told about how he had done this with a group of about 9 people from his workplace last year, and this year, as the ride got closer and closer, the number of willing participants had dwindled to: him!
Interestingly, at lunch, I thought my family would be waiting and I would just ride with them to the overnight stay. I called Angela (my wife) to see where she was. “We’re just on the other side of meeting area.” She replied. I walked up and down, but couldn’t find them. Physically drained, I called her back and said, “You’ll have to come find me, I have to rest and I can’t find you.” It was then that we discovered they were at the overnight point and I was 30 miles away. It was then I headed for the bus!
If you’ve never done a ride like this, the organizers do take great strides to look after you. At each break point there is plenty of fluid and fruit and energy snacks to keep you going. Sunscreen, sunscreen, sunscreen, and numerous medical supplies, such as painkiller, joint lotion and band-aids and wraps. In the kit we were given we had sunscreen, after sun lotion, and of course, the world’s best ‘bum’ lotion. They also have vans that police the course, and if you can’t go on or your bike breaks down, etc, they take care of you. The important thing is that this is not a race, it’s just a ride. You do what you can, you do your best. That is more than enough!
My brother beat the bus to the overnight stay. Fortunately for us, Angela and Laura (Brad’s wife) had found a campsite and set up the tents so we were good for the night. That was especially good for me, because at that point my skills consisted of being able sit quietly and not move or being able to lie down quietly and not move. We sidled over to the college gym for a shower, then headed to Beeville for a dinner at Pizza Hut. Both Brad and I were exhausted, I was probably more so. I’d never been so content to just sit around, lay around, and go to bed early. 90 Miles Brad, what an accomplishment, with the wind, the hills and the heat! I don’t think I’ve ever been more physically exhausted in my life, but it feels good, I feel I’ve accomplished something.
Sunday October 2, 2005. Awake again at sunrise, we pack what we can into the cars, then collect our bikes and head out for day 2. Brad and I stay together until Sinton and lunch, when he again is able to break away and head towards the finish. I keep riding along, realizing that I must have one of the mechanics look at my bike. Third gear will make it impossible for me to finish. I believe it was Taft that I decided to have the bike checked. The mechanic scolded me for ‘winging’ it, was unable to repair the cables, but gratefully put the bike into another gear, a gear he said would let me finish the race! He was right about that. A quick note about lunch at Sinton. It was the best Ham sandwich ever! I also had two helpings of Jello and a peanut butter and honey sandwich, as well as liquid, liquid, liquid! But that ham sandwich, mmmmmm!
After Taft I only have about 20 miles to go. The scenery is pleasant, the course takes some nice detours off the main highways down country roads and into towns. The last rest stop is at Gregory Portland High School, where students and cheerleaders greet us. Unfortunately, the high school has almost no shade, and the sun is beating down mercilessly. The few shady spots are quickly filled with riders. I rest about a half hour, fill up my pack with water (those CamelBak packs are amazing!) and head to the finish.
A quick note to Texas hills. In the future, you will be required to follow the rules of hills in other states, meaning, you have both an UP and a DOWN side, NOT an upside that leads to a small flat side which then leads to the up side of the next hill. Please begin changing immediately. Thank you.
Corpus Christi and the ocean are in site. I head down a freeway to a long bridge over the water. Nearing the finish and it feels great. The finish is marked by many turns onto different streets, which is nice if you are out for a casual ride, but when you keep thinking the finish is now, no it’s now, it’s now, wait, now! But then it arrives, the finish line, cheering people, cheering family! I ride through the finish, find my family and rest for awhile. Brad is there, and we go to collect our medals! The sun is still beating down, and I find myself needing to keep out of it’s rays.
I’ve ridden a bike 120 miles in two days, and Brad has done 150 miles. It’s a wonderful feeling, and to know we did it to help people with MS makes it even sweeter.
You can still sponsor me in the ride by going here and putting in JAG Computer Service for the team! Your donations are greatly appreciated!
The original plan had been to start back that night, but instead we opt to stay another day, get a hotel in Corpus Christi, and spend that evening and next morning with my brother and his family. We had a great time, and Monday afternoon around 2:00 we head back to Colorado.
The ride after the ride. Funny thing, when you drive 1100 miles in one direction, to get back home, you have to drive it again! Not to mention that we’ve now added another 150 miles onto the trip. As Angela said, next time do the Dallas to Oklahoma ride, at least it’s going in the right direction! We stop about 2:00 in the morning in Oklahoma City to get some rest, wake the next morning, have breakfast at The Waffle House near the hotel, then head to Denver. (I wish we’d had time to visit the Oklahoma City National Memorial. It was 10 years ago that the terrible tragedy struck. Often we wonder how memorials will be, but just as the Vietnam Veterans Memorial is the right monument, so the Oklahoma City monument is a fitting tribute). We arrive home about 7:30 Tuesday night, unpack and head to bed, glad to be away from 100+ degree heat to come to a very fall like 50 degrees and raining!
You can view pictures of the ride here:
It was a great time and I wouldn’t trade it for the world, I feel I’ve personally accomplished a great feat, and to have done it for those afflicted with MS, I am honored and humbled. If you’ve ever wanted to do something like this, find out what’s available in your area and sign up. Even if you help in other ways, food and water, traffic control, driving the motorcycles or vans to check up on the riders, it all matters and it all makes a difference!
I want to thank our families for supporting us on the ride, Angela, Jessica, Molly, Laura, Nick and “Crash” (Nathaniel). Also thanks to Jay Burgess of ComputerWorxs and Gary Moore of Bona-Fide Networks for holding down the fort the 3 ½ days I was out town. Thanks to all the volunteers that helped along the route, you did a great job! Thanks to everyone who makes a donation!
Thanks for asking me Brad.
Map of the Bike to the Beach route
back to JAG Computer Service