Cactus & Crude MS150

It rained pretty hard the night before the event and we had to ride though some water while leaving Midland. I managed to get water on the camera lens and I did not clean it off for most of the ride. I was still getting my stuff ready when I heard the official start. There where people everywhere helping riders and handing out water and fruit. I got in behind someone that acted like they knew what they were doing and followed them out of Midland. After that I got by myself and stayed that way most of the ride. I started off with my music playing but by the time I got off HWY 158 I could hear the birds chirping and the frogs making whatever sound they make. I turned the music off and never turned it back on. For the entire ride it was just me, noises from my bike, and nature. After rest stop #4 the ride got much harder. Leaving rest stop 4 we had a nice downhill followed by a climb that led to another climb, and another, and another. By the time I was getting into Big Spring I was pretty tired and my back and shoulders hurt. On the last good downhill a support truck stopped in front of me and I had to stop. So much for coasting to the finish. I started around 7:10am and finished around 12:15pm. I raised $690 for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Lunch, stretching and a lift back to Midland for a shower finished my event just in time to drive to Dallas. Riding 75.6 miles followed by a 5.5 hour drive was not good for my legs.

Sunrise on Loop 250 Leaving Midland
			Rest Stop 1
Sprayberry Turn
	Rest Stop 2	Rest Stop 2
Rest Stop 3
			Rest Stop 4
Approaching Rest Stop 5			Rest Stop 6
After Rest Stop #4 we turned toward Big Spring in Garden City. I was following a gentleman from the Carney Men Team. Here is a short video of that intersection. Video 1
		Turn in to Big Springs
Here are two other videos. The first is me being cut-off by a support truck near the finish line and the other is the Day One finish line. Cut-Off Video - Day One Finish Line Video