ABOVE: Lynn Smythe, AKA the Bike Diva, and her husband Rob, at the 2009 zMotion Inaugural Ride
On December 27, 2008, I blogged about participating in the 2009 MS150 ride as part of the zMotion cycle team.
Yesterday, January 11, was the 5th Annual zMotion Inaugural Ride. The ride, which started and ended at the Cove Restaurant on Hillsboro Blvd., marked the official start date of training for the 2009 MS150 ride.
Zimmerman Advertising is the event sponsor, and their goal is to be One Thousand Strong. That is, they are hoping to attract 1,000 bike riders to the zMotion cycle team. There were approximately 250 cyclist's in attendance at the zMotion Inaugural Ride, the group was so large that Zimmerman Advertising arranged for a police escort - COOL!
Speedy Gonzales Wanna Be
I've been slowly improving, as a road bike rider, both my endurance and speed. The endurance part I have down pretty good by now, especially with all the training for century rides I do as part of the Leukemia Society's Team in Training program. But speed has still been an issue for me. My average speed has been hovering around 17-18 MPH. My goal, for training with the zMotion team, is to become a faster cyclist. My average riding speed is now between 18-20 MPH.
On yesterday's 35 mile inaugural ride, I averaged 20.2 MPH, with a maximum speed of 26.7 MPH - WOO-HOO!!!!
Thank you zMotion, for kicking my butt. I'm still struggling to stay with the group, for the entire ride, but I am definitely seeing improvement. And the fact that I've beaten my husband back to the parking lot for the past two weeks is just bonus points - SWEET! Nothing like a little family rivalry to keep the biking interesting.
Find a Cure for Multiple Sclerosis
Let's not forget the purpose of the MS150 ride, which is to help raise funds, to find a cure for Multiple Sclerosis. Our guest speaker at the zMotion Inaugural Ride was Alie, who is a 17 year old high school senior. Alie was first diagnosed with multiple sclerosis when she was only 14 years old. Alie's story can be read on the zMotion website.
According to the zMotion website; "Multiple sclerosis (or MS) is a chronic, often disabling disease that attacks the central nervous system (CNS), which is made up of the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. Symptoms may be mild, such as numbness in the limbs, or severe, such as paralysis or loss of vision. The progress, severity, and specific symptoms of MS are unpredictable and vary from one person to another. Today, new treatments and advances in research are giving hope to people affected by the disease."
Donate to the Cause
Alie, and everyone else suffering with MS, is the reason why my husband and I participate in crazy endurance events. We will be riding 150 miles, on May 2 & 3, because we can. Won't you please consider making a donation to help find a cure for MS. Please visit the Bike Diva's MS150 fundraising page, or my husband's fundraising page. Thank you for your support.
ABOVE: Karina Leal, Carmen Marston Feinberg, Pat Patregnani
I just want to give a shout out to Pat Patregnani. Pat is the President of Zimmerman Advertising and the Captain of the zMotion Cycle Team. I also thought Pat was the owner of the Cove Restaurant, but someone just corrected me? I'm confused, a couple of people thought the Cove used to be called Pat's the Cove? But I'm still giving a plug for the restaurant in this post.
The Cove hosts the team breakfasts after the end of each ride - bacon-bacon-bacon! There were bagels and coffee available at the Cove, prior to the start of the Inaugural Ride, and a full buffet breakfast was waiting for us at the conclusion of the ride. My favorite breakfast item is the red skin potato wedges - way better than greasy hashbrowns - TATERS!
It's not too late to sign up for the MS150 ride. Visit the zMotion website for further information.
Take care,
Lynn Smythe AKA the Bike Diva
Just posted an article about buying my first "real" bike at:
http://loveubecause.com/2009/01/14/loveubecause-you-were-my-first-real-bicycle/
Part of the article is about how for some, biking has become about getting from point A to point B as fast as possible and that, again for some (not all), the enjoyment of the actual journey has been lost along the way.
Whether your readers are in agreement or not, I have to say that your Ride for MS is a great idea and I wish you great luck and success with it!
Having known more than one person with the disease, I can only say the sooner a cure is found, the better!
So whether your riders get there fast, or slow the most important thing is the cause, as opposed to any discussion on how you get there!
I hope you raise lots of money!!! I shall put a link to this post through a comment on my blog and who knows, maybe it will attract a few more riders to come your way and participate
Wishing you every success and ... LoveUbecause ...
you are doing something good for others with something you love to do yourself - what a great win, win!
"A"
Posted by: A the O in Love | 01/14/2009 at 12:00 AM