The MS150

Chris and I rode our bikes, his a fixed gear and mine a single speed, 125 miles in and around Florence, Arizona for the MS150. It was a great weekend where we had a lot of fun. Plus, Chris and I raised $1050 for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Thanks to all of our sponsors!

This was our first big cycling event and it was a great, great experience. This event was extremely well planned and all the sponsors and volunteers were wonderful! I totally understand why we met so many people who had been participating in this event for 10 - 15 years.

Friday night we had a great spaghetti dinner with our friends Chad and David. Then we all drove down to Florence, which is only about an hour from Phoenix. It was dark by the time we arrived so finding the camping spot where our team was set up took some time. Everyone was camping in the main city park. It was a cold, cold night!

On Saturday morning the entire AZFixed team headed out for a big day of cycling.

Everyone on the team is a much faster rider than I am, but I'm lucky that Chris chose to ride with me all day. We enjoyed all the time together. We started at 7:30am and finished around 3pm. There were rest stops every 10-12 miles where we could use the facilities as well as get water and snacks. It was very nice!

The route was mostly flat and through a lot of farm or ranch land. There was one mountain that required significant climbing, but I surprised myself with a strong performance. The rest stop on top was a welcome sight! The down hill was the fastest I've ever ridden; Chris said his computer showed over 30 miles per hour. However, that was simply gravity doing its work. During most of the day we rode 12-15 miles per hour. (Again, fairly slow but it's what I'm comfortable with.)

We ended up riding 75 miles on Saturday rather than the 100 we had planned for. We simply ran out of time. In order to complete 100 miles, we had to reach a rest stop by 1:30pm. Unfortunately, we reached the rest stop at 1:45pm just barely missing the cutoff. I was disappointed but totally understood. Volunteers couldn't be around all day and the route needed to be closed at some point.

Everything turned out for the best, as it always does. At this rest stop, we were cheered on by our friend Rebecca (aka Socks) who rode her bike all the way from Phoenix.

Then a few minutes later, the majority of our team showed up. We all rested together than rode back into town as a team. Getting to ride the last 12 miles with the team was a special experience for me.

Saturday afternoon and evening was all about relaxing and having fun. We enjoyed dinner, the beer garden, the band, and the awards ceremony. Much to our surprise, the AZFixed team won the Team Spirit award!

Everyone especially enjoyed playing with the four person bike brought by Trailhead Bike Cafe.

After a full night's rest, we were up and ready for more riding on Sunday. We were both definitely a bit sore from the day before, but not in pain.

On Sunday's route, we could choose from 50 or 75 miles. The time frame was shorter but I was confident we could finish all 75 miles. Then the wind started and didn't stop. It was extremely gusty and for me very discouraging. Rather than making myself miserable, I opted for the 50 mile route and finished with a smile on my face.

You can see all the MS150 pictures on Flickr.

Chris and I were definitely sore and tired by the end of the weekend. Monday morning my thighs were quite sore, but to my surprise I felt normal again by Tuesday. All in all, the MS150 was a great experience for me and I'll definitely be doing it again!

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