Playing Catch Up - Tour de Cure and MS 150 Rides

It's been over two months since my last post and I am ashamed to say that the time just got away from me. Wish I had a better excuse, but I don't. Although I am a fairly disciplined runner, I am not a very disciplined blogger. I try to do updates and I prepare for and complete races and rides, but that does not always happen in a timely fashion.

So much for excuses. Since April, I have participated in two charitable rides and enjoyed both of them. The first was the American Diabetes Association Tour de Cure. I had wanted to do this ride last year, but could not work it out on my schedule. The nice thing about the Tour de Cure is that it is right in my back yard in Suffolk. I was able to ride with Team Kerneos and we had a great time.

Team Kerneos at the American Diabetes Association Tour de Cure in Suffolk

The ride started at Kings Fork High School and took us through the back roads of Suffolk and Isle of Wight County. The weather was nice, although a bit warm. The Tour provided us with well-stocked rest stops along the ride. Our team had opted for the century ride, but heavy rains the night before had flooded part of the course and so the organizers had to cut out about four miles and detour us around the high water. All and all, I really enjoyed this ride and plan to do it again next year. My understanding is that the event raised over $300,000 for the Diabetes Association.

Team Kerneos at one of the rest stops.

The Tour de Cure served as a good warm up for my other chartiable ride, the MS 150. The MS 150 was held May 31-June 1 on the Eastern Shore of Virginia. This was my third MS 150 and, perhaps, the most enjoyable. 

The MS 150 begins in Cape Charles and winds its way toward the Ocean side of the Eastern Shore and then back across to the Bay side before finishing the first day at Camp Silver Beach in Exmore. We fielded about 19 riders for our Kicking Asphalt team and a smaller group of us decided to do a century the first day followed by 75 miles on Sunday. The second day started at Camp Silver Beach and retraced the route back to Cape Charles.

The Kicking Asphalt Team at the MS 150

The MS 150 ride is also a well-run event with good support and plenty of stops along the route. The Eastern Shore is a beautiful place to ride, although, at times, you have to deal with some pretty significant headwinds. We had great weather both days, although Sunday was the better of the two. For those who are not up to riding 75 miles, the MS offers shorter distances as well. If you are looking for a great ride that benefits a good charity, I would recommend either the Tour de Cure or the MS 150.