Well, its official, we have completed another year of the MS150...successfully, I might add!
It was a record year on many accounts - Over 3,300 riders (plus hundreds of volunteers) raised over $2.5 million dollars.
I raised over $1,700 and am feeling pretty good today. (Thanks to Wendy and my other riding buddies for looking out for me:))
Day 1 was a race against dark clouds. We spent a cold night in our tent in Proctor and got on our bikes early and anxious to warm up. We rode the Munger Trail the whole day and raced towards the black clouds that were heading north. We did well and escaped riding in the rain. We met with some new friends, George & Cathy, and had an easy 1st day. (Small world, George is from Rochester and knows our friends Heather & Brian - our neighbors in India!!)
Tom, Annemiek and the kids joined us for a picnic in Hinckley in the afternoon. Annemiek rode her bike up from the cities and Tom kept us hydrated and fed with beer, wine, salmon deviled eggs, beef jerky, humus, crackers and cheese. Cynthia also stopped by and gave us some killer massages. Thanks to our support group for your efforts, its great to know we'll end the day seeing smiling faces:)!
After our support group packed up and headed back to MPLS, it started to rain (and rain, and lightening, and rain) Needless to say this put a damper on our partying and we all retreated to our tents and fell asleep for the night. (not that a bunch of 40+ yr old people who just biked 75 miles are a whole lot of fun to begin with.....)
The morning in Hinckley was a gorgeous cloudless day. They changed the ride route on the 2nd day and I have to admit, it was pretty damn boring. 4 county roads, 4 turns and miles and miles of farmland. The way was easy until the post lunch heat hit (lunch being 9:30am since we are up at 5:00am both mornings with a 6:30am start on our bikes). Word to the wise, a balmy 80 when you are not on your bike feels a lot more like 90+ when you are on your bike, have 35 miles of a 150 mile trip left and are on hot black top. The good news.... my friends kept me motivated and kept me going. Thanks to Ned, Wendy, Dick and George for "waiting up" for me when the hills looked a little too long and the cars were moving by a little too fast:)
We ended in Nowthen (really, thats the name of a town in MN, google it...), ate a bit, got a massage and signed up for next year:)
Overall a fun, relaxing, stressfree, injury free weekend. (Another personal accomplishment... I managed to read the latest copy of People, US Weekly and In Touch. Nice.)
Cant wait to do it again:) ...only 363 days until the next ride....
Thanks to all of you for your support of friendship, well wishes, good vibes and of course...the money:)
LOVE!
Tracy
(I'll post photos soon!)
It was a record year on many accounts - Over 3,300 riders (plus hundreds of volunteers) raised over $2.5 million dollars.
I raised over $1,700 and am feeling pretty good today. (Thanks to Wendy and my other riding buddies for looking out for me:))
Day 1 was a race against dark clouds. We spent a cold night in our tent in Proctor and got on our bikes early and anxious to warm up. We rode the Munger Trail the whole day and raced towards the black clouds that were heading north. We did well and escaped riding in the rain. We met with some new friends, George & Cathy, and had an easy 1st day. (Small world, George is from Rochester and knows our friends Heather & Brian - our neighbors in India!!)
Tom, Annemiek and the kids joined us for a picnic in Hinckley in the afternoon. Annemiek rode her bike up from the cities and Tom kept us hydrated and fed with beer, wine, salmon deviled eggs, beef jerky, humus, crackers and cheese. Cynthia also stopped by and gave us some killer massages. Thanks to our support group for your efforts, its great to know we'll end the day seeing smiling faces:)!
After our support group packed up and headed back to MPLS, it started to rain (and rain, and lightening, and rain) Needless to say this put a damper on our partying and we all retreated to our tents and fell asleep for the night. (not that a bunch of 40+ yr old people who just biked 75 miles are a whole lot of fun to begin with.....)
The morning in Hinckley was a gorgeous cloudless day. They changed the ride route on the 2nd day and I have to admit, it was pretty damn boring. 4 county roads, 4 turns and miles and miles of farmland. The way was easy until the post lunch heat hit (lunch being 9:30am since we are up at 5:00am both mornings with a 6:30am start on our bikes). Word to the wise, a balmy 80 when you are not on your bike feels a lot more like 90+ when you are on your bike, have 35 miles of a 150 mile trip left and are on hot black top. The good news.... my friends kept me motivated and kept me going. Thanks to Ned, Wendy, Dick and George for "waiting up" for me when the hills looked a little too long and the cars were moving by a little too fast:)
We ended in Nowthen (really, thats the name of a town in MN, google it...), ate a bit, got a massage and signed up for next year:)
Overall a fun, relaxing, stressfree, injury free weekend. (Another personal accomplishment... I managed to read the latest copy of People, US Weekly and In Touch. Nice.)
Cant wait to do it again:) ...only 363 days until the next ride....
Thanks to all of you for your support of friendship, well wishes, good vibes and of course...the money:)
LOVE!
Tracy
(I'll post photos soon!)
