You know what really sucks?

This weekend I participated in the MS 150 Best Dam Bike Ride, to raise awareness and money to find a cure for multiple sclerosis (MS).  The event is a fun and unique experience, riding 75 miles each day for two days with around 2,000 other people who have all sorts of stories.

There were a number of difficult, beautiful hills on the second day.  My muscles felt like rubber as I was puffing away up a hill yesterday when a rookie rider (shout out to the Power of the Patch team) passed me on the left and turned back to sputter out, “This kinda sucks.”   About a quarter-mile later, there was an even more challenging hill.  I puffed up that one and found “Power of the Patch” at the top resting and yelled out, “No, that kinda sucked.”  As I churned out the next few miles I reflected on the previous night’s speaker, Dan Erschen.

Dan has MS.  There are a few types of MS, his type is characterized by ”attacks.”  One of his attacks took away his ability to walk for a year and a half.  He says, “Believe it or not…I’ve had more good come out of having MS than I’ve had bad even though it hit me as hard as it did.”  Even though he is 50 years old and battling MS, he completed the 2010 WI Ironman in 14 hours and 41 minutes.  And you know what he has to say about it?  “It’s not a big deal.”  He went on to talk about some of the challenges he and others face who are battling MS stating after each one “That’s a big deal.” ….. building up enough endurance to walk to the mailbox for the first time, feeding himself without anyone’s help, buttoning his shirt, lasting 5 minutes on the elliptical machine.  These are usually the goals physical therapists help people with MS achieve.

As I kept puffing up the hills reflecting on his words as well as the courage and spirit of the patients I have worked with who have MS, I decided no matter what, I was doing the 150 miles.  I refused to walk my bike to get up a hill (even if that meant cruising at a mean 3 miles an hour at some points), because you know what REALLY sucks?  There’s no cure for this disease.

Please help Dan achieve his goal by donating to his cause- the MS Society.  If you really want to be inspired visit his page and read his own words.  Visit the Active MSers page for more info on staying active through MS.

Here’s Dan finishing the Ironman.