Yesterday was the first day of MS-150 (2nd day was canceled due to rain). Got up at 5 in the morning and was pretty tensed because I wasn't sure how good my stamina was and I didn't want to make a spectacle out there. We proceeded to the starting point and were with the Team Bike Mart by 6.30 am. The entire area around the Frisco Roughriders Stadium was full of bicyclists, all of them attired in professional gear, colorful jerseys, cycling shorts, gloves, helmets etc. There were very few people like me who were not in bicycling gear but in normal sporting attire. 
Looking like the odd man in sporting clothes:), that's meeee.
After some customary speeches by the National MS Society officials, sponsors and government officials the rally was flagged off. I was in the second team to be flagged off and we set off on a steady clip, moving at 20 miles per hour. I was surprised with myself that I could maintain this high a speed, maybe it was the crowd and maybe it was the road. But my average speed to the first rest point 9 miles away was 17.6 miles per hour. This was the fastest average of the day.
The real countryside roads began after the first break point and we passed through vast open spaces of back country Texas. Vast ranches, occasional homes and open space with a few horses running around characterized most of the route. At the second break point my average speed had dropped to 15 mph, which I maintained for the rest of the ride. It was a humbling experience to see people around double my age passing me on the road. I lost count of how many people passed me rushing speedily onwards towards the finish line. Just after the third rest point the route took us along the banks of the 30,000 acre Lake Ray Roberts, this humongous water body looked more like an ocean, than a dam/ lake/ reservoir. The 2.5 miles water front ride was one of the most beautiful in my opinion.
Half way through we stopped at Sanger, Tx a small town of 4,500 people and I was shocked to see an ultra-modern soccar and tennis stadium in this back of the boon docks place. Sprawling parking lots were enough to house over 3,000 cyclists, volunteers and service personnel.
Post lunch the ride took us through the hilly part of the DFW metroplex. This was perhaps the toughest section of the ride as we meandered up and down hills, dales and added to that the roads were pathetic, loose gravel, potholes and what not. Cars and trucks whizzed past us. It was a common to hear the rider at back shouting "Car Back" and "On your left". The latter uttered when someone wanted to overtake another rider. I picked up the rhythm and started yelling "On your left" as I passed couple of riders.
Frankly I expected to take lot more time, perhaps the full 8 hours to complete 87 miles of bicycling. I am glad I was able to finish it in just about 5 hours time including the last 5 miles through a thunderstorm. I was drenched to the bone by the time I rode across the finish line in the Texas Motor Speedway. Every millimeter of my skin was soaked, I was cold, hungry and my butt was sore. As I crossed the finish line, official photographers flashed, one of the officials congratulated me that I was among the first 500 to finish. Boy! I was glad it was all over. Then after couple of hours of socializing with riders and strutting around the Texas Motor Speedway, I loaded the bike onto the car and returned home for a hot shower and dinner.
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