"Supported" Cycling; Or Lots of Free Food

 As any of you who read my last post know, this weekend I rode Bike MS, a cycling fundraising event for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society. Many of you contributed, and with your help, I raised more than half again my goal of $500 -- thanks to you all.

One of the best parts about actually RIDING Bike Ms, though, is how well "supported" the ride is. That means that there were frequent SAG (support-and-gear) vehicle drive-byes and well-stocked rest stops every 12 miles or so. Well-stocked here means apples, oranges, bananas, grapes, Cliff bars, granola bars, trail mix, PB&Js, gatorade, and water.

Obviously, I enjoyed this immensely. I "refueled" (i.e. stuffed) myself at most of the stops, not just because I was quite hungry, but also because the food was good (and I love PB&J). Now, from a cycling perspective, this is a good thing, as long as I was doing a good job of balancing quick energy (sugars) with protein and a little fat for recovery.

All around, though, it adds up to a LOT of food. I probably consumed about 2500 calories just during the ride, which on another day would be a problem. Not, however, on a day in which I burned well over 3500.

Awesome.