Biking for Multiple Sclerosis in Texas

I was a cheerleader with my stepdaughter and granddaughter.

Husband on the left Photo property of author

We have a close relative with multiple sclerosis. The MS 150 has been raising money with a goal to wipe out MS for many years. It is a two-day ride from Houston, Texas, to College Station.

My husband had never biked for two days before, and began training, afraid that he would not be able to keep up with his cousins. He ended up leading the way.

My stepdaughter, granddaughter, and I went along to cheer for them. We could not follow along in the car for safety reasons. We met them in LaGrange, Texas, at the end of the first day.

By car, we arrived four hours earlier, so we had time to see the sights in LaGrange. We went to the visitor center, where a very kind woman told us about the sites in LaGrange. We decided to visit the Farmer’s Market and a Dairy Farm. With all the things to do I wondered why so many people want to be tourists in New York City instead of LaGrange, Texas.

We toured the Farmer’s Market quickly, and then we drove to the dairy farm. It was charming. My granddaughter got to feed calves from a baby bottle and feed dry pellets to goats and sheep.

Feeding a calf Photo by author

Child feeding goats. Photo by author

It would not be Texas without a Longhorn.

Longhorn cattle Photo by author

When it was time for the riders to come through, we drove to a grass lot that the owners had turned into a parking lot. We crawled through barbed wire covered with pool noodles to get to the bicycle finish line for Day One.

My husband and his cousins camped under a tent. There were plenty of freebies, beer, water, and Gatorade sponsored by different companies.

Author’s husband finishing day one. Photo by author

They camped, and we left for the motel in College Station. We have a Tesla with Full Self-Drive. I don’t like to drive, so I was proud of myself and our Tesla(her name is Bluey). She took us on a scenic drive through backroads, and I relaxed enough to chat with my stepdaughter while my granddaughter watched Octonauts in the backseat.

Times have changed since I was six and rode in the back seat of a 1962 Plymouth with the windows rolled down.

In those days, the entertainment was wind noise and changing scenery. On a lucky day, maybe a rainbow was part of the entertainment.

We drove through Round Top, Texas. Round Top is known for antiques. It has one of the largest antique shows in the country. I am at the age where antiques look like stuff in my closet and my kitchen. I am not tempted to buy them.

At College Station, we noticed our car had acquired a lovely odor of cow manure. We must have driven through manure in the parking lot when we watched them ride off on the first day. It was proof we were in the country, away from city life!

We relaxed over breakfast and watched the fancy pancake machine make pancakes for us. It helps to be with a six-year-old to appreciate the miracle of pancake machines.

By contrast, I was wondering why there was no waffle maker shaped like the state of Texas. That must be a different motel chain.

We made signs to welcome my husband at the finish line!

Finish line of race. Photo by author

There are rides to raise money for MS all over the country. It is extremely inspiring to see the amount of money people raise for good causes while at the same time improving their own physical health.

Fifteen years ago, my son participated in a ride called the Texas 4000 to raise money for cancer research. He rode to Alaska with a group of students from UT-Austin. I rode the first seventy miles with him from Austin to Lampassas, Texas.

That was an unforgettable experience, and I have begun riding my bicycle again. I am a bit more afraid of falling, since I fell a decade ago and it took several weeks for my arm to heal. Here is a link to my story about past biking and running! I am glad I wrote about it, because age has a way of catching up with all of us!

[embed]5Ks, Half Marathons, and Biking 70 Miles in My 50s Divorce brings out new strengthsmedium.com

Cheerleading is a great role, too. I have not yet stopped walking for exercise.

Thanks for reading my story!