Why I Ride the MS-150 to Support Finding a Multiple Schlerosis Cure
2 min read
I’ve ridden the MS-150 Houston 3 times in the past. But I haven’t ridden it for 6 years now. Now I’m going to ride it again. For some reason I really do miss the cramping legs, the aching shoulders, the numb hands, the numb… well never mind… , the saddle-soreness that lasts 2 weeks afterward, the sunburn, the training, the thirst, the bugs flying into your mouth, the flat tires, the headwinds, the road-rash from the collisions and falls, the sleeping-bag-on-the-ground at the La Grange fairgrounds the first night.
Not to mention the joyous waving and cheering crowds throughout the entire 180 miles, the endless jokes and laughter-filled camaraderie during the ride, the bands and music and smiling faces at the rest stops, the women who flash you to help keep you going, the stunning beauty of Bastrop State Park (moreso before the Big Fire there), riding into the finish line in Austin to thousands upon thousands of fanatically cheering people including those suffering from MS standing right in the front, the comradeship and encouragement of the fellow riders on your team when you get to the point when you’re pretty sure you can’t ride even another mile, and course the millions of dollars raised to help those poor folks with MS.
The BP MS 150 is a two-day fundraising cycling ride organized by the National MS Society: Lone Star. This ride is the largest event of its kind in North America. In 2013, the event raised more than $18.1 million for MS.
Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, unpredictable disease of the central nervous system (the brain, optic nerves, and spinal cord). It is thought to be an autoimmune disorder. This means the immune system incorrectly attacks the person’s healthy tissue.
MS can cause blurred vision, loss of balance, poor coordination, slurred speech, tremors, numbness, extreme fatigue, problems with memory and concentration, paralysis, and blindness and more. These problems may be permanent or may come and go.
The Houston MS-150 ride is a 180-mile journey for MS from Houston to Austin. The ride begins in Houston on a Saturday morning during the spring, and finishes on Sunday afternoon at the Texas state capitol in Austin. There are typically 13,000 riders in the Houston to Austin ride, and it raises about $18 million dollars, just in Houston. Plus there are another 100 rides that take place around the country each year.
Sounds like a do-again to me!
Hello Bike, long time no see. Let’s go have a little chat and get re-acquainted. I have an adventure I want to take with you.
