Hello Lovlies!
It’s been SUCH a long time since I’ve been able to just BE, let alone write! Sorry for the delay, I will get better at posting regularly I promise.
For the last 4 months I’ve been hard core training for the MS 150 bike rally. The MS 1
50 ride started in Duluth Minnesota. Day one we rode to Hinckley and stayed over night there, day two we rode from Hinckley to White Bear Lake. It was about 75 miles a day and although I had trained hard for months before when the time came it didn’t seem like I had trained enough.
Saturday morning was beautiful, slightly chilly, perfect for biking. My friend Steph and I found our bikes without problems and got ready for the ride. My horse is a Trek road bike, slim tires, super light, perfect for speed and long distances. Steph’s horse is also a Trek but a mountain style bike with a larger seat and you sit upright. We got separated almost instantly. Some other bikers got in-between us and the path they have laid out starts at the top of a hill. Once we started down that hill I felt like I was literally flying! The speed we got from the first hill made going up the second hill effortless and after I flew down the second downhill I knew I wouldn’t see Steph for a while.
Nerves got the better of both of us that morning so we decided skipping breakfast would be the best choice. I still wasn’t feeling 100% at the first rest stop so I pushed on not stopping. By the lunch stop I was ready for a snack! I was surprised to see that they had Subway and Dominos. For a second, I thought getting back on my bike would be difficult after having a break, but it wasn’t!
The second part of day one was much harder than the first, the wind picked up. There were teams of people biking together all over the place. A few times that day I tried to keep pace with some of the teams. During some parts of the trial it was easier than others. The pace some of these people were keeping was just incredible. Miles after miles and they were still going strong. During one of my cat and mouse chases I ended up getting caught in the middle of a team. I was staring a “dragon butt’s” jersey in the face for about a half mile when I decided to try and out run them. It felt more comfortable bring up the tail end of a team rather than smack in the middle. A little more stealthy than obvious. Just as I was about to sneak out the guy behind me yelled at me.
“Stay right where you are, Pink. We’re all in this together and we’ve come a lot miles already. We’re one big team and you just need to relax, take a break, and ride the tail wind for a while.” Literally, a light bulb went off. No WONDER it was so much easier riding as a team. I thought my pacing was better as a team but really I was capitalizing on tail winds! It was at that moment I knew I wouldn’t have a problem finishing the race so long as I found some people to ride with.
Coming into Hinckley was a lot like coming into the Emerald City (at least how I imagined it to be). You can see it miles before you get to it and it is so close but so far away all at the same time. One of the hardest parts about the rest stops and breaks is when you see the sign welcoming you to town you immediately begin to think, “YES! Two more blocks to go!”, except you’re not even close to being right. The casino, home for the night, is WAY across town, up hills, over bridges and you’re coasting on your last bits of energy. Tail winds are hard to catch within the city limits.
When I finally got to corral my bike I just sat for a bit, stretching. I couldn’t believe I had made it day one and ahead of the time I thought it would take me. I had no idea where my friend was and my parents were meeting us there but wouldn’t be there for a few more hours. I walked around for a bit, people watched and relaxed.
After Steph came in, had some water and a shower, we went to dinner with my parents and then turned in for the night. Steph found this AMAZING B&B right outside of Hinckley. It’s tucked in the woods on a beautiful piece of property. The owners had almost given up on us showing up when we arrived. It was beautiful and I would recommend it to anyone that’s in the area. Woodland Trails Bed and Breakfast, click here for their website.
Once we got settled in the aches and pains started creeping in. Lucky for us, we had a whirlpool in the room and wine right outside of our door. I poured a glass of wine and soaked after using the foam roller I packed. I slept so peacefully to the sounds of nature right outside. The owners bid us farewell and a safe journey with some fresh squeezed juice, fruit parfait, warm muffins and banana bread, it was fantastic!
Day two Steph ended her journey. Her knee pain was too much to handle. She caught a ride home with my parents. Day two was rough. The road and trails were so bumpy and rough it was a lot to take. I can’t believe I didn’t get a flat or have tire issues the roads were THAT bad. It didn’t actually get better until we hit Forest Lake, which coincidentally was the HARDEST part of my journey. I would be riding past my house with miles left to conquer. This part my friends played a huge part in. I stopped at the rest stop before my city and posted on Facebook that I appreciated all the cheers I was getting especially since the hardest part was about to come. I couldn’t believe the response I got! People were posting about me on their walls asking for their friends to cheer me on! I was in tears while I passed my house. To EVERYONE that liked a status or commented, THANK YOU it carried me though to the end.
The rest of it was easy, up until the last two blocks. The last two blocks are. straight. up. hill. No joke. I’m proud to say that I made it up without walking, but barely. I was out of breath though the parking lot to the finish line. There were tons of people standing on both sides cheering everyone on it was breathtaking. My men were at the end waiting and cheering for me.
I made a vow to myself that day that I wouldn’t get on a bike for at least a week. I broke the vow the very next day. My oldest learned to bike without training wheels and he asked me out for a ride, I couldn’t say no!
Much love,
Jes xoxo