MS150 2016 (Michelle's viewpoint)

Another year has come and gone.  This was my 12th MS150.  Yep.  The big 1-2.  This year's theme was Throwback 30.  Apparently this is the 30th anniversary of the ride.  All those memories got me thinking about the first time I rode in the MS150.  Back then we only had to raise $200.  And they had a masseuse at lunch. Yep. Free. Wishing they still had that :-) They also had really awesome rest stops with valet parking for the bikes and spritzers to cool you off. We still have great rest stops.  They are just different somehow. I only had my two girls back then.  Annalisa was less than a year old.  I didn't have a bike.  I borrowed one from Mike's Bike Barn in Lehi.  I didn't have a decent bike until my third year riding (see the Cadillac essay under Why We Ride).  I still ride that bike.  Although I think next year Annalisa is going to take that one from me.  Yep.  My little infant will be 12 next year and able to ride in the MS150!  Crazy, eh?

Each year has been just a little bit different.  Let me tell you about this year.

So we missed the send off at the Village in the morning.  I love to be there at the beginning and see all the riders ready to ride.  It just gets harder and harder to make it there on time each year.  This year we had one rookie rider.  Kathryn.  We had a 12 year old, a 13 year old, a 14 year old, a 15 year old and a 17 year old.  So half our team was 12 - 18 years old.  Wow!

This year we discovered that we need to work on speed.  We (the younger part of the team) are a fairly slow bunch.  We decided that if we want to do 40+ miles we need to get started earlier and ride faster.  As it was we went 31 miles (yahoo!).  A big thank you to Uncle Reid and Cousin Em for picking us up at rest stop 3.  So glad we got to bike the hills between rest stops 2 and 3.  I honestly think that is the best stretch of the whole thing.  Of course it has been several years since we have done much on the last half of the ride :-) That will change next year!  Next year we will be early and we will be fast! God willing.

And, as always, once again a BIG THANK YOU to everyone who supported the team, either in cash or other ways.  Thank you for your love and support.

Love,
Michelle

And now for the best part of the article -- the pictures! :-)

The 2016 riders!



The siblings that rode this year.  Michelle, Reid and Marianne.



Photo bomb!



Our rookie.  12-year-old Kathryn.



Throwback 30!  Has it really been 30 years since Star Wars first came out?



Sarah said she only recognized two of the cutouts -- Han Solo and JFK :-)  So they took their picture by "JFK." Easy mistake.  Two good-looking charismatic presidents who lived a long, long time ago!



Sexy ladies :-) Making that extra 50 look good!



Made it to Idaho!  Yahoo!



And back to Utah :-)



Isaac letting me touch his lucky toe.  He forgot his current shoes and had to wear an old pair, complete with holes with which to touch lucky toes :-) I love riding with this boy! He never fails to entertain :-)



Need to work on my selfie skills with this one.



We actually had the whole team at the same time at Gossners this year.  Woohoo!  At least all of the riders.  Next year we need to get the support crew there too.  Kathryn's father is a professor at USU.  When we told her we were getting ice cream at Gossner's she said, "Gossner's has ice cream?"  Way to go Lisa and Scott! You are raising a true Aggie.



The riders and the support crew.



Marianne wrote the names of all her sponsors on her leg.  I just wrote them on my bib :-)  THANK YOU again to all who supported us!

MS150 2016 (Michelle's viewpoint)

Another year has come and gone.  This was my 12th MS150.  Yep.  The big 1-2.  This year's theme was Throwback 30.  Apparently this is the 30th anniversary of the ride.  All those memories got me thinking about the first time I rode in the MS150.  Back then we only had to raise $200.  And they had a masseuse at lunch. Yep. Free. Wishing they still had that :-) They also had really awesome rest stops with valet parking for the bikes and spritzers to cool you off. We still have great rest stops.  They are just different somehow. I only had my two girls back then.  Annalisa was less than a year old.  I didn't have a bike.  I borrowed one from Mike's Bike Barn in Lehi.  I didn't have a decent bike until my third year riding (see the Cadillac essay under Why We Ride).  I still ride that bike.  Although I think next year Annalisa is going to take that one from me.  Yep.  My little infant will be 12 next year and able to ride in the MS150!  Crazy, eh?

Each year has been just a little bit different.  Let me tell you about this year.

So we missed the send off at the Village in the morning.  I love to be there at the beginning and see all the riders ready to ride.  It just gets harder and harder to make it there on time each year.  This year we had one rookie rider.  Kathryn.  We had a 12 year old, a 13 year old, a 14 year old, a 15 year old and a 17 year old.  So half our team was 12 - 18 years old.  Wow!

This year we discovered that we need to work on speed.  We (the younger part of the team) are a fairly slow bunch.  We decided that if we want to do 40+ miles we need to get started earlier and ride faster.  As it was we went 31 miles (yahoo!).  A big thank you to Uncle Reid and Cousin Em for picking us up at rest stop 3.  So glad we got to bike the hills between rest stops 2 and 3.  I honestly think that is the best stretch of the whole thing.  Of course it has been several years since we have done much on the last half of the ride :-) That will change next year!  Next year we will be early and we will be fast! God willing.

And, as always, once again a BIG THANK YOU to everyone who supported the team, either in cash or other ways.  Thank you for your love and support.

Love,
Michelle

And now for the best part of the article -- the pictures! :-)

The 2016 riders!



The siblings that rode this year.  Michelle, Reid and Marianne.



Photo bomb!



Our rookie.  12-year-old Kathryn.



Throwback 30!  Has it really been 30 years since Star Wars first came out?



Sarah said she only recognized two of the cutouts -- Han Solo and JFK :-)  So they took their picture by "JFK." Easy mistake.  Two good-looking charismatic presidents who lived a long, long time ago!



Sexy ladies :-) Making that extra 50 look good!



Made it to Idaho!  Yahoo!



And back to Utah :-)



Isaac letting me touch his lucky toe.  He forgot his current shoes and had to wear an old pair, complete with holes with which to touch lucky toes :-) I love riding with this boy! He never fails to entertain :-)



Need to work on my selfie skills with this one.



We actually had the whole team at the same time at Gossners this year.  Woohoo!  At least all of the riders.  Next year we need to get the support crew there too.  Kathryn's father is a professor at USU.  When we told her we were getting ice cream at Gossner's she said, "Gossner's has ice cream?"  Way to go Lisa and Scott! You are raising a true Aggie.



The riders and the support crew.



Marianne wrote the names of all her sponsors on her leg.  I just wrote them on my bib :-)  THANK YOU again to all who supported us!