Sore feet are much better than a sore butt!

Thank you all for your financial support, prayers, and great sense of humor. I completed the task, the job is done, and I survived! STILL I am a runner and sore feet feel much better than a sore butt.

Chronicle story:MS150 Camping in La Grange

The Houston Chronicle has a great story about the overnight scene in La Grange. Check it out!

We're done!

Yes, we finished. No injuries, no accidents, still able to walk. These were the words Dora and I heard over and over again during our bus ride from Austin back to Houston on Sunday afternoon. Seems like everyone who rode had a spouse, relative, or friend who wanted those basic stats, and the bus ride provided the opportunity for these folks to make their cell phone calls to spread the word.

To me, though, that sounds like a lot of focus on the wrong things. The ride was phenomenally successful. It was very enjoyable for this four-timer, better organized than ever, wonderful temperatures, and a lot of money was raised to aid in finding a cure for MS. It was just shy of $10,000,000 as of this writing per the MS150 website, but that's sure to go up.

To me, though, the bottom line is that a large number of people got together and did something huge to help others around them. The MS-150 is a gift - financially from the sponsors, and of time and energy from the thousands of riders and volunteers. The hope and prayer of every person involved is that somehow, the exertion of so much energy can lead to breakthroughs in research that can slow down or cure the effects of this disease. Per the National Multiple Sclerosis Society website, there are now FDA approved medications that can slow down the effects, and research for a cure is "promising."

It seems a novel premise to me, or at least it used to, that by riding a bike to Austin funds could be raised to fight a disease. But over the years, I've come to see that everyone has friends and neighbors who are willing to back your cause - if you're involved. I doubt that the NMSS would get the funds that they do were they to go door-to-door, or rely on television commercials. But if your best friend is riding for it, and he's willing to spend the time and energy to train, prepare, and ride 171 miles to raise money, then you'll probably help him out a little bit. Those "little bits" add up to a whole lot in this case.

So if you are one of our many sponsors, we sincerely thank you for your time and support in this crazy endeavor. It was very reassuring to know both that you had faith in our ability to complete the task, but also that you had faith that the contribution would go to something bigger. For that, we are very grateful, and we know that those folks with MS will be positively impacted in the future.

Pictures at last!

Here are Dora and I, looking "ready to go" for the Space Race. It was a beautiful day, and the Gulf Greyhound park was a decent place to start. What you don't see are the many seagulls.

This was Dora's number for the Space Race. I'd say her attitude after the race was pretty evident... :)

The Space Race

Dora and I did 62 miles today in our last MS-150 prep ride, at the Space Race. I have to say that this was the best ride we have done so far in our training, at least in terms of speed and a feeling of accomplishment. We averaged 15 mph over the entire ride, including our break stops. Still wind and being slightly more prepared than previous times were contributing factors, but we also skipped a couple of rest stops along the way, which made us feel like we were getting there faster.

But the best thing about this ride was the fact that Dora was smiling at the end of it. This was the first ride which didn't completely steal our lunch money. She used her "clippy thingies" - meaning that she used the special SPD pedals that lock your feet into the pedals. They really align your feet well, and allow you to push down on the pedal as well as to pull up. They let your legs balance the load pretty well.

Only one more week to the MS-150, and we are excited. It will be nice to see how well our training has paid off, and to go on the adventure again with Dad. We'll keep you up to date on the developments as we go.

Big Thanks!

Just wanted to say thanks to Frank Schnitzer and Bob Barry for giving me one more reason not to take the SAG wagon to the finish. They've each signed up to sponsor me for $1 per mile! I've got the best brother-in-laws ever.

Never again - again!

Excerpt from a recent conversation between Dora and Myself:

From Dora: "My husband says I have to do the Space Race. I don't wanna! Wah wah wah. "

From Jon: "She made me write this... "

From Dora: "Yeah, I did because he FORCED me to ride!"

From Jon: "Perhaps we should educate our readers on what "force" means. "

From Dora: "It means that on April 12th and 13th, may THE FORCE be with us."

From Jon: "Well, what I meant to do was exonerate myself from any blame about forcing my wife to do something. I've never actually forced her to do anything for this ride. She really means that I wake up to go to spinning classes or sign up for a ride and she knows she should do it too, so she feels obligated to go too."

From Dora: "OK OK so it was my big mouth that obligated me. Just let me tell you - I'd rather be running. "

From Jon: "Well, that probably goes without saying. I think at least once during every training ride you told someone 'I'm really a runner.' "

From Dora: "Well, I am!"

So, dear reader, that's how it goes. We'll keep you informed.

Doing it for the oranges

So Dora and I met my Dad at Prairie View A&M for the Bluebonnet Express. It's a very well-organized ride, with plenty of rest stops and some decent routes. We intended to do 80 miles, but the officials made a decision to close the route early due to forecasted bad weather, so we only did about 69 miles. Oh, and the combination of wind and hills (which we hadn't trained much for previously) kicked our heinies. They had excellent fruit to eat - oranges were especially tasty and abundant - and they had fig newtons, which really seems to satisfy. Another benefit of this ride was the great rest stops put on by Boy Scout Troop 202. They were prepared - first aid kits were always available - and they had some excellent "fruitcraft." Some of the stops the boys had carved some display fruit, such as a banana carved with "welcome" and an orange carved like a jack-o-lantern.

It was a pretty ride - lots of bluebonnets to be sure, and probably 2500 riders. I had a nice conversation along the way with some various folks, including Mike - a lawyer who had recently returned from Brussels, and another gentleman originally from Birmingham, England. Reminds you just how many international businesses are located in the Houston area.

Just two more weeks of prep time for the MS, and then we're off. Really hoping to get a good medium ride in this next weekend, such as the Space Race, but we'll have to see how it goes.

Never again!

"Never again!" said Dora after the strong headwinds we ran into during the Great Escape a few weekends ago. Of course, she ran off and left me once we went with the wind, topping 24 mph in some instances - on flat road. At the end her legs weren't tired - she was just bored. Oh well, it's what happens when a marathoner starts to ride a bicycle...

Of course, those winds were nothing compared to what we ran into in Monterrey, Mexico during our drive to San Luis Potosi during Spring Break. Gusting winds tearing down billboards and smashing cars, fences falling, you name it. With 4 kids in the car, we were thankful to make it to hotel - and very, very blessed. Dora and I are convinced that there is NO WAY that we could have navigated to our hotel - the Monterrey Valley Comfort Inn - without God's help. Not only did he keep us safe, but he guided our path. There were multiple roads closed into the center of town, but he showed us how to get there. Don't tell me it was coincidence - there's no way.

This week, we are back to spinning at the YMCA and heading to Prairie View A&M for the Bluebonnet Express. We're deciding between 62 and 83 miles. We'll let you know how that goes...

The MS-150!

In a moment last October which now seems like sheer insanity, my beautiful wife Dora, Mia and I signed up to do the MS-150 bike ride between Houston and Austin with my Dad. I've done it three times previously, once with Dad. We hope you'll stay tuned into this blog. I promise to keep it well stocked with pictures from our trips.