9 days - MS 150 = 150 miles? NOT!

This week was a good recovery ride week, nice weather all the time. Spent four days riding in the neighborhood. Friday is a rest day.

Well, I picked up my "packet" for the MS 150, so it's real! The "packet" consists of my rider number, T-shirt, numbers for the bike, wrist band identifying me etc. I am number 5407. And I signed off on the waiver and fund raising commitment of at least $300. I've already hit $500, so I am going to save the rest of my fund raising for the Tour de Cure.

So here's a shocker. I checked the MS 150 route maps, because I could not believe what other riders were telling me about the actual distance. I heard it was 100 miles the first day, 80 the second day. So how does that add up to 150 miles?

Well, the other riders were right, mostly. It's 99.1 miles the first day, 80.2 the second (and that does NOT add up to 150). I guess the sponsors kept the number nice and small so people wouldn't freak out at the distance. Well, I'm not quite freaking out, but this is definitely time for PLAN B. As soon as I figure out what PLAN B is.

So really, it's two 50 mile rides the first day with a nice lunch in Belleville, TX. On the second day 43.8 miles to lunch in Bastrop and then 36.4 to the finish. But the second day apparently has all the tough hills in it. No worries (I hope), as we in Austin have been training in the hills. It's the Houston crowd that will be facing the unfamiliar challenge of climbing while tired. I've heard this is where a lot of riders drop out. We'll see.

My friend Bob who runs track & field tells me to do a century (100 miles) this weekend in a single day and get my body used to it. Hoo boy, we'll see. This weekend the two rides are the Creedmore Cruise and Long Lake Loops - see them on the Austin Cycling Association web site. The Creedmore Cruise goes as far as 69 miles, the Long Lake Loops goes 50, but has some tough hills.

This pair of rides pretty much simulates the MS 150, as long as I stop for lunch during the 69 miler. Yup, that's what I think will do, a slightly shortened version of the MS 150. This way I will learn how my body handles a full lunch and rest stop day 1, and how well I recover for day 2 and tough hills.

I can foresee lots of leg massages and hot tubs during the following week though. So here comes the final training push, beginning this weekend. More to come!

Cheers boys!