Since Shell does not sponsor a team in the Valero MS-150, we formed our own informal team - Team TriCoastal Mermaids. Merrin likes mermaids, and the Johnson sisters have lived on all 3 coasts - hence the name. Steve was fine with the name if it meant he got to travel with 3 beautiful women!
Ride Weekend began with a journey to Austin to join up with our driver, sister Kristin who lives in Austin. Merrin, another sister of Frances, had flown into Austin from Santa Fe, so we set her up on Frances' road bike. Then, we all headed to San Antonio Friday night, excited by the news that we might have tailwinds and cooler weather for the weekend.
Our plan was to leave our hotel in south San Antonio at about 8:30 and ride the five miles to Rest Stop 2, cutting off about 15 miles of the route and avoiding the nerve-wracking mass start. However, getting everyone up, ready, and fed on Saturday morning proved to be more time-consuming than planned, so we ended up driving to Rest Stop 2 and departing from there about 9:20. Then, we discovered a problem on the tandem - a skipping chain in high gear. This really ticked us off because we had stopped at a bike shop on the way out of Houston on Friday for the MS-150 bike inspection, and they had recommended replacing the drive chain - which had been working fine. The bike mechanics at Rest Stop 3 were unable to correct the problem, so we lost high gear for the duration of the ride.
We made good progress, with a bit of a tail wind, and were feeling good as we rolled into Lunch. The meal was unexceptional, but the break was nice. Then, it got much tougher. The winds turned into a head wind, the road surface turned to rough chip seal, the temperature rose, and that combination made the rolling terrain seem much hillier. At the first rest stop after lunch, Steve looked and felt bad, and we weren't sure we could continue. However, Merrin saved the day with her advice to apply cold water-soaked paper towels behind the knees and elbows. These icy paper towels (available at each rest stop over the two days) proved to be invaluable in relieving the heat.
Revived, we continued the ride, settling into a slow, but steady, pace as we continued to battle the wind, heat, road surface, and hills. There were many riders sagging out on the road and at rest stops, so everyone was feeling the pain. Because of the slow pace, the last 3 rest stops were shut down by the time we got to them, so we created out own rest breaks, stopping to stretch, snack, and drink. Hydration became a critical success factor.
Finally, at about 6:15, we reached the Day One finish in Beeville - tired, but happy that we had persisted. Many people finished after us, which was an indicator of the difficulty of the day's ride. Kristin picked us up and we drove to our hotel in Corpus.
On Sunday morning, we once again got a late start, so Kristin drove us to a spot about 10 miles outside Beeville, where we unloaded the bikes and began about 8:30. Despite the tough ride on Saturday, we all felt pretty good, and were optimistic about the day. And, the ride to lunch was great - fast and fun. We again had a bit of a tailwind, but our energy was also good, so we were flyin'.
After lunch, the winds again shifted and we were once again riding into a head wind. Today, the winds were worse, but we had some cloud cover and a much flatter route, so we just put our heads down and plodded on.
After a long last rest stop to minister to Frances' sunburn, we began the home stretch. After a short ride, we arrived at the causeway over Corpus Christi Bay. With the end in sight, we found new energy reserves and rode faster over the last 9 miles. Riders all around us were whooping and pre-celebrating the finish. Soon we were in Corpus Christi and crossing the finish line. What a rush!
After we finished, my sister-in-law the driver asked us "Why do you do this?" Good question! For sure, the Cause is a big factor. Our interest in the MS-150 rose substantially when a friend of ours was diagnosed with MS. It feels good to raise money - and awareness - for the MS Society. There's also the mental and physical challenge - accomplishing something that seems so daunting. And, the camaraderie with other bicyclists is also a factor.
Thanks to all who provided encouragement for this endeavor, and double thanks to all who gave to the MS Society in our names. For those who have not yet contributed - we have until November 20 to turn in donations, so there's still time. Check out the donation link on the right for the quickest and easiest method of giving.
We're not planning to do a ride next year, but who knows in 2009? Stay tuned!
