Did it and Survived

(warning Large post ahead)
Well Brad and I survived our first MS150!
Actually, We had a great time. I have had hours of time driving back deciding what and how to describe what the experience of riding along side of 13,000 other riders 180 miles in two days, and I just find myself rambling on and on. It was an incredible experience!
First Thank you for your prayers. There were moments that I don't know how to explain, besides saying: I felt your prayers. So thank you. Also Thank you for being apart of the fundraising. We are up to $1075 that I will have turned in. It was a wonderful experience riding for Mary Jane Finley, I hope she felt your prayers also. If you see any of the pictures of me with a red bandanna, that bandanna was my constant reminder of who I was doing this for. (I am going to wash it before I give it to her... I got a little sweaty)
On Saturday morning Brad and I get up around 4:30am to make sure we get to the start and meet with Team Mission Control on time. Instead of waiting for the big countdown and being piled up with thousands of other riders, we leave as a separate team start and just take off around 6:30am. It was amazing, light was really just breaking and in Houston the roads are just flat, and soon I am on the road pedaling with thousands of riders. All of my training was by myself on the hilly back roads of Lincoln and Union Parish, so flat roads were a treat.
One of the many things I don't think I will forget was when we were cruising along as a team early on. Morning mist was still in the air and the sun had really just begun sharing its light. There is about 30 of us in a tight little group and the road stretched out straight and flat and no one was talking. There were cyclist as far as I could see, and I will never forget that sound of the wind rushing past me and the sound of hundreds of bike pedals just cranking.
God could not have provided better weather! Praise God! Cool and overcast in the morning, sunny but not hot in the afternoon of the first day. 2nd day was just cool and overcast pretty much all day. The first day is the longest and the flattest. We went about 100 miles. Here is the map if you want to see what we did. Brad and I did get tired toward the end of the first day. We should have eaten more at the last break point, because we could feel our bodies running out of energy. I don't think we were going to "Bonk" as some riders call it, but we could feel our energy tank was low. We got in around 3:30 that afternoon.
The second day was my favorite. We left around 7:15am I think I was a little better prepared for hills, because I got to train here in Ruston, while the only Hills Brad could find in Houston were bridges. But Brad was much better at navigating in the crowded situations. He got to ride in another ride before and I think he is also used to driving in Houston traffic. I get so timid in those situations. So on the second day I was getting more used to riding with all the people. The second day also has "the park." Everyone we would talk to was asking if on the second day we would do the park or not. there is a point where you can choose to go into the park for tough hills and turns or go around (I think it is longer around, but flatter). We kept hearing about how challenging the park is, and we decided to go for it. If you know me, I get sick like crazy on roller coaster rides, but this was as close to that feeling as I am going to get. You would climb hard up a steep hill and then ZOOM down the backside. Sometimes hitting speeds in the low to mid 30s twisting through the woods. To only climb the next hill. It was a complete rush for me. Sometimes you would get enough momentum to carry you up and over the next hill and then zoom down again. There was one hill that you would just have to crank down to your lowest gear and slowly work your way up then just when you think you got to the top, it banks to the right and it keeps going up. There were a number of guys walking that one! But the backside of it was worth it if you rode or walked it. I will never forget the park, it was closer to the feeling that you get mountain biking (more turns, climbs, faster and intense). We got in to the finish at 3pm after doing those last 80 miles.
I hope to have some more pictures soon.