2014: Beach or Bust?

As I’ve mentioned numerous times before, I’m the type of guy that needs a carrot dangling in front of me on order to stay motivated towards a goal. The past several years, these have been some huge carrots. This year, with surgery right around the corner (officially scheduled for 1/31), I am going to set my sights lower. I need a tough enough challenge to get myself going, while it needs to be something pleasant, something that I would enjoy doing.

The beach would make for an awfully tasty carrot. I’ve decided that this year, my goal is to complete a two-day ride from North Carolina to the Beach.

Jeff Viscount of WeeklyRides.com, sometimes also called the Mayor of Biketown, has been an avid supporter of the MS Ride: Breakaway to the Beach for many years now. He was responsible for much of the planning, route research, and a ton of fundraising.

This year Bike MS decided to go in a different direction. Rather than have riders start in one location and ride to the destination, they are going to have all rides start and finish in Sunset Beach, NC. While that might be a lot of fun if I lived closer, it doesn’t have the same allure as the Beach Ride that I participated in a few years ago.

For 2014, Jeff has put together an alternate event that keeps the spirit of the prior Breakaway ride, but it is a new adventure called Beach or Bust. It will take place on September 20th-21st. Registration will open in just a few days, and will be capped at 150 riders. I expect it to sell out rather quickly. You can follow either at the Beach or Bust website or Facebook for updates.

While this is NOT a National MS Society sanctioned ride, all of the proceeds will go towards the charity.

A double century at this stage is ambitious, but pales compared to what I’ve aspired in the last couple years. Given my physical struggles, I need to set my sights lower, keep the tiger in check, and make sure that I can ride with moderation until I’m sure these injuries are behind me. The fact that this event is going to held over two days and will be mostly flat is a major bonus. Assuming I can get back on the bike by late spring or early summer, I should be able to gradually increase my fitness toward a double century.

Who knows? My muscle memory could help get my fitness back well before then. This could either be a walk in the park or one of the toughest things I’ve ever done. It all depends on how my body responds over the next few months. If for whatever reason I cannot go, then I’ll gladly volunteer to help Jeff with his inaugural event. I’m just thrilled that he’s taken the initiative to put this together, and I’ll gladly support him in some capacity.