MS 150 - Dallas to Fort Worth

Each time I complete the MS 150 I'm surprised that I actually finished it. The "150" stands for 150 miles in a two day ride. I think my mind plays games by having me forget, each year, how challenging it was the last time. But, I was blessed to be able to complete it again.

The route, this year was new and really really different. The web maps showed Days One and Two to be 78.5 miles and 82.3 miles, respectively. My bike's computer showed them to be 81.5 miles and 87.6 miles. So, we got more mileage than we expected. That's OK. Day One was wonderful. The roads were good, the hills were flat and the wind was not a factor. Also, there was a cloud cover the whole day. It was the nearest thing I've ever had to a perfect ride. After leaving Plano at 7:00a, I arrived at the Texas Motor Speedway about 1:00p. I had averaged 17.6 mph - the fastest I've ridden on an extended route. I was pumped. Day Two turned out a bit different. I had been excited by the plan to start the day with a lap around the track at the Speedway. But, I found lap to be a bit under-whelming. It was too crowded to really feel like it was special. There were 3,000 riders on the track at once. My top speed was 20 mph. Then, the route, though a good challenging route was more challenging than I expected - especially after Day One. All-in-all I like the new route and believe it will become a very popular. This year's ride was already grown the participation from 1,900 last year to over 3,000 this year. The TMS overnight really gives it room to grow.

The finish line, in downtown Fort Worth, was probably the most fun of all. They had a big Finish Line canopy set up - barricades on both sides with lots of people watching and cheering. I felt like I was finishing the Tour de France. My wife, Marilyn, was there and got my picture. This was the first time she has seen me finish one of these things.

Exciting Uniqueness: There was another aspect of this year's MS 150 that made it unique. A couple of weeks before the ride, we were having dinner with my brother, Mark, and his wife, Carla. The subject of the upcoming ride came up and I suggested to Mark that he ride Marilyn's recumbent and join me. To my surprise, he gave it some serious thought. Mark is a trekker, but hasn't ever been a bikker. A couple of days later he told he he'd decided to ride - next year. So, I'm already excited about next year's MS 150. Also, Mark and Carla live in Allen, which is near the Start Line in Plano. So, Marilyn and I went to their house on Friday night before the ride and spent the night there. Mark took me to the Start Line early Saturday morning. Then, Saturday afternoon he drove to the Speedway and stayed overnight with me in my tent. We had a great visit. A brother/brother bonding time like we haven't had in many many years. It was good to spend time with Mark. It was also good to have someone with whom to share the MS 150 experience. Next year we may even got some enroute pictures to share.