Breakaway to the Beach 2012

It is almost time for the 2012 MS Ride, Breakaway to the Beach.  I am very excited about the ride this year.  Last year we had a very good ride to the despite the rain.  I am praying that we have good weather his year.  This year I am riding in honor of Cheryl Luckey, Lisa White, Edith Lake, and Jerry Fisher.  It is my hope that the money raised during this ride can help to soon find a cure for this disease.  Before the ride last year I had the bandanas below signed by people I knew with MS.  I had these with me during the ride.  I have also kept these bandanas in my saddle bag everytime I have been on my bicycle this year.  Not only did these folks ride with me in spirit on the ride last year, but they have been with me for over 3000 miles since then.

On Friday, we rode a total of 56 miles. We had lots of sunshine
to make up for the lack thereof on Thursday. It was hot and humid, but
much better than thunderstorms. I had not realized how little Micah
had drank on Thursday, and he had gotten a little dehydrated. During
the night he woke up with terrible cramps and he slept very poorly.
Despite that, he rode like a champ on Friday. We did not have any rain
during the ride, but again, we slept poorly due to horrible thunder
storms in Mullins where we spent the night. There was a lot of wind,
rain, and hail.

Today is one of the easiest days as far as terrain goes, but with the
wind in your face, two days of riding behind you, and longer stints
between rest stops, it is not an easy day. Our front pack riders have
been training very hard this year, and they are were rolling today.
The first 53 miles, up to the school where we join the two packs for
the final 3 miles, we averaged 18.4 mph!  Micah was getting very worn
out today as up to lunch we rode two legs that were both with only one
break before lunch. I told him we could stop and drop back to the
slower pack, but he wanted to keep going. About 8 miles to lunch, he
was feeling pretty rough, all  of the riders were encouraging him, but
Mark Coan was a life saver. For 8 miles he kept talking to Micah about
anything and everything.  We moved to the back of the front pack where
with our extra momentum, we could get some speed and coast a little
more to let him raise up out of the saddle more. We made it to lunch,
rested and were good for the rest of the trip.

We had several firsts this year. Of course I am most proud of Micah
being the youngest AB to complete the entire CTTS route. Abigail W.,
another 10 year old rode over 100 miles of the route solo. Megan M.
was the first female to ride with the front pack. We had a great ride,
can't wait until next year.

Thank you all for your support of ASAP and CTTS!

Megan M.

Abigail W.

Brian M, $15,000 fund raiser

At the finish - 180 miles done

Micah said maybe he will ride this next year!

CTTS Day 1

The first day of CTTS was a rough one this year.  We had a total mileage of 54 miles, and we rode about 25 of that in the rain.  It was not just a drizzle either!  We had full blown thunder storms, 15-20 mph winds, and pouring rains at times.  We stopped a couple of times to try to let the storms go by us, but just ended up riding right back into them.  Today Micah and I rode the Beast with the front pack.  Between mechanical issues and flat tires, we finished only about 45 minutes ahead of the back pack.  I was extremely proud of Micah!  He rode like a champ, and never once complained.  When we got to the hotel, he did tell me that this was the worst day he had ever had cycling though.  I think that this is the first time that I have ever seen a wake behind the bike in front of me.  We were soaked from head to toe, but thankfully, everyone handled it very well, and we all arrived safely.  So far, according to the weather, we should have a very good riding day tomorrow.  I expect Micah will do very well as the ride flattens out from here.  Kristy and Caleb have also been working hard.  They are with us volunteering this year and helping out with the food.  Some of the other volunteers have bragged on how big of a help Caleb has been.  It has been nice for all of us to get to participate together on this event this year.  It has been great how encouraging the riders have been of Micah.  I am looking forward to getting back on the road tomorrow. 

Click here to see the News 14 piece on CTTS

Glenn and me before we left

Me and Micah getting ready to head out

Cycle to the Sea Almost Here

It is hard to believe that tomorrow will be our first day riding for CTTS 2012.  This year the ride is bittersweet as we begin this ride with heavy hearts.  In the last two months, we have lost two of our motorcycle support riders.  These riders are an integral part of our ride to the beach and we could not do it without them.  March 11, 2012, we lost Dale Norman.  I had never met Dale, but he had been a part of CTTS for many years.  Dale was an Army veteran with service for our country in Vietnam.  Just yesterday, while making preparations for the ride, Jim Scroggs was killed in an accident.  I did have the opportunity of meeting and getting to know Jim and his wife Katrina on the ride last year.  Jim was an Air Force veteran.

This year we will dedicate our ride to our two fallen heroes.  We ride in honor of your lives, in honor of your service to ASAP, and in honor of your service to our country.  Thank you for all you have done for us.  Our thoughts and prayers are with your families during this time.  Thank you for the sacrifices you have made for the freedoms we have.  May our efforts this year be a token of our gratitude to you.

Fund Raising Goals Met - Training

We are excited to have met our fundraising goal for Cycle to the Sea and for 24 Hours of Booty!  We are still working to raise more money for both of these very worthy causes, but glad to have met the goals that had been set.

Sunday, April 15, 2012, we had a great training ride with the CTTS crew at the business park in Huntersville.  We had at least 20 riders with some of our support staff as well.  With any standard cycle, we can fly on the down hills with the Beast.  Yesterday, we really had to work with the front pack on the down hills.  They were flying!  I am excited to see how Micah does on the ride.  We rode about 22 miles yesterday, and we only stopped after the first two laps. That was the longest he has been on the bike without a break.  I am excited about riding with him this year.

Tonight at our soccer practice, our virtue was determination.  I could not help but think of the hand cyclist friends that I have made over the last year with that virtue.  Last year on CTTS I got to know a lot of the riders, for most of them, one event in their lives, forever changed the way they would live.  It may have been a motorcycle accident, a bicycle crash, ATV accident, gunshot wound, or an innocent push into a swimming pool.  One day that changed their life, and left them with a decision of whether they would live that life to the fullest, or let life pass them by.  Determination is defined as the quality of being resolute; firmness of purpose.  There are challenges that must be faced daily that I could not even begin to understand, I will not pretend to, but I can see the determination that they possess and have the utmost respect for these athletes.  I consider myself very fortunate to get the opportunity to ride with the ASAP crew again this year.  I know this is an honor, and am looking forward to another great ride this year.  It will be a great experience to do this ride with Micah this year also.  With Micah riding and Caleb helping out with Kristy with equipment and our food, I think that both of the boys will gain a respect for someone who may do things a little differently than they do.  Thanks to organizations like ASAP, it is not a question of if someone can do something, but how they will do it.  Determination.

Pictures from the training ride 4/15/12

First Tandem Ride for Micah

We finally got a chance to get Micah in the stokers saddle for the tandem.  Between weather, sickness, and hours in the day, we had not yet been able to get it all together, until this Sunday, April 1, 2012.  We had a very good ride.  There were some challenges for Micah, but he really stepped up to them and did well.  This was the first time that he had been on the bike with "real" shoes that clipped into the pedals.  I think that the tandem is an excellent place to teach him how to use them since he can stay clipped in except when we get off the bike.  There was also the challenge of giving up control, but he did really well.  After we had been riding for about a half a mile, he said, "Daddy, does it matter if I can't see in front of us?"  I told him not to worry about it, he could look anywhere else he wanted to, just not in front of us.  We left church and rode to the end of Kelly Rd.  Things were feeling good, so we took off and rode from there back by the church, up Old 27, then home.  We rode a total of 15.5 miles today with an average around 15.7, and on one of the down hills, we hit 39mph.  He is going to do great on it. 

We have less than a month to get the rest of our money raised before we leave for Cycle to the Sea.  Through today, we have raised $1595 of the $2000 required.Online donations are still open and can be made at:

http://events.carolinashealthcarefoundation.org/goto/malcolmandmicah

We are really looking forward to the whole family being involved in this event this year.  Last year, I rode and Kristy and the boys met us at the beach when we finished.  This year, Kristy and Caleb will serve on our volunteer staff that will help prepare our lunches and snacks at the rest stops along the way.  I think that this will be a very good opportunity for both of the boys to see and understand some of the challenges for our friends that need their chairs for mobility.  This group will also help them to grow an earnest respect for people who step up to the challenges, don't give up, and live life to the fullest.  I am glad to be able to ride with this amazing group of riders and help support such a worthy cause!

 Micah, Malcolm, and The Beast

Micah's first tandem ride

As it is also getting into prime riding weather, we are also looking forward to getting the whole Mize family back on the road.  Kristy and I have been riding the tandem as weather and time permits.  Kristy loves riding with the guys from work now, given a flat or any down hill, they can't keep up with us on the beast.  Last, we are in the process of replacing my bike for the trail-a-bike tandem for Caleb.  A couple of weeks ago, someone stole my bike that I used to pull him.  We did get the bike back, but it had been vandalized beyond repair.  They also removed my hitch for Caleb's bike, so we are working now to get it all replaced. 

Almost time for Cycle to the Sea

It it almost time for Cycle to the Sea.  I am getting really excited for Micah to ride with me this year.  He has been doing his riding on the trainer this year since it has been cold and raining most weekends.  This coming weekend we finally get to spring forward and start getting a little more daylight after I get off work.  I think it is going to be really interesting to see how he does on the tandem.  He has done such a good job on his bike by himself, I think it is going to be great to have his extra motor on the back.  This will be a big year for him.  We just got him a pair of cycling shoes so he will be clipped in now.  I am ready for him to get a little more experience so I can put my real pedals on the captains spot on the tandem.  I am still using some flat pedals with cages so I can have a little more grip when we stop.  We have a couple of rides scheduled for this year.

April 26-28 - Cycle to the Sea - http://events.carolinashealthcarefoundation.org/goto/malcolmandmicah

July 27-28 - 24 Hours of Booty - http://www.24hoursofbooty.org/goto/malcolmmize

September 22-23 - MS Breakaway to the Beach - http://main.nationalmssociety.org/goto/malcolmmize