Crossing the Finish Line

Rolling through Fayetteville; grateful for all these awesome supporters!

Sorry for the lack of blogging last week—Ryan and I were revving up for the BPMS150, a bike ride over two days from Houston to Austin. Since last fall, we have been fundraising and riding toward a cure for multiple sclerosis as a part of Team Amy. There were 18 of us riders on the team this year. We ride in honor of my cousin, Amy, and yesterday we rolled into Austin after 131* miles to greet her at the finish line. (And if you're so inclined, you can still donate here!)

It's been an amazing experience, albeit a wild ride, and we are so very happy to have had the opportunity. Saturday was a brutal ride; 67 miles with gusty headwinds. But yesterday was a gift of a day! It was cool and sunny and just a little bit breezy, which translated to perfect riding weather. 

It was an amazing weekend full of inspirational moments. Being in a sea of 13,000 riders who have all raised hundreds and thousands of dollars (each!) for a wonderful cause... As we came across the finish line in Austin yesterday, I found myself getting misty-eyed. 

What an experience, and what a way to celebrate Earth Day! Riding home on my bicycle 66 miles from LaGrange! And deciding to continue part of my training—commuting by bike to work a few days each week, riding the bus the other days. Sustainable changes all around.

*What happened to those extra 19 miles that would've made it a full MS150? Saturday's winds were so brutal that we started in Waller instead of Katy, trimming off a little more than an hour of riding. To compare routes: Saturday was 67 miles long and took us almost 5 hours of riding time. Sunday's was more up-hill, but even at 66 miles long we only spent 3 hours and 38 minutes riding. What a difference the wind makes!