Just over a month ago, I attended my third BP MS 150 ride, where I set out to ride a bicycle from Houston to Austin along with a few thousand other clinically insane people. And let me tell you, guys, it was hard. Like, really, really hard.
And did I mention that it was hard?
This was quite literally the most physically strenuous thing I have ever done. Granted, a programmer’s life isn’t all that strenuous to begin with, so this isn’t saying much, but holy crap was it hard.
I thought that because I had done this a couple of times before, that I had this in the bag. And I had done quite a lot more actual training this time than I had in the past. Spin classes twice a week for several months leading up to the event. The weather was great, I was in good spirits, and I started out with a bang. I even got cocky and skipped the first break point. Hey, I don’t need to stop like those other peasants, I’ll keep going! Well, that was a mistake, because I ended up dehydrated and way too tired before I stopped.
I got back on on the bike and things were nice and hot by now. I made some more progress, stopped at the next break point, and by this time I was shaking from fatigue. Mistakes were made. This was not going to work out well. By this point the heat was starting to take its toll on a lot of other bikers as well, as people started SAGging left and right.
Cut to 6 hours later. I was at the last break point with 11 miles to go, and I had literally nothing left to give. But quitting now would be the same as quitting at the beginning, and I wanted to finish. I really needed to finish. Here’s the face of a stubborn jackass that really needed to quit. Standing in a field with no shade.
So I got back on the bike and started moving again, one mile at a time, because that’s how distance works. At one point I was moving slower than I would have had I walked.
But I did it. I finished. I got to the end of the first day. And it was done. Halfway to completion. I knew I could do it. There was never a doubt. I made a plan, and I stuck to the plan, and I delivered.
But then I quit. I did not continue the next day. When faced with an almost insurmountable goal, I did what so many great leaders before me have done: I moved the goalpost closer. I took a good hard look inward to decide what kind of person I was, and I reached the conclusion that I was the kind of person that was not going to spend another minute on that bike saddle.
Some may see me as a quitter, but I see myself as a pioneer. Anyone can make a plan and stick to it. It takes a true maverick to say, you know that plan is too hard, I am going to make a new plan, and then execute that. Not all heroes wear capes, though I did have spandex on.
I had started out with an ambitious goal of raising $5000 for the National MS Society, with a pledge to match every dollar I raised. I am so proud to say that together we reached within a stone’s throw of the goal, raising $2,470. Okay, so you’d have to throw that stone pretty hard, but this is going to have a big impact on a lot of people’s lives.
I want to thank you all from the bottom of my heart for supporting a charity that is near and dear to my heart. I have been involved with the National MS Society in one way or another for two decades now, and they are a truly worthy charity.
Most of all, I want to thank you for supporting me and for giving so generously. If you haven’t already, you can donate here. The fundraising window will still be open for a few more days, and I will still stand by my pledge to match it.