To all the Raw Hinies, what an incredible weekend it was, and how great to be a part of this event for the 4th year. Although Lee and I didn't have the experience of riding the 150 miles, we did have the pleasure to meet and greet most of you when you completed Day 1 and some of you on Day 2. Our admiration for your commitment, dedication and sense of accomplishment to this cause cannot be expressed in words. We are so proud of all of you and thank you so very much.
The stories from the Day 2 ride are incredible! But the absolute best experience was seeing the final group of riders approach and cross the finish line on Sunday, hand in hand, with the "sea of red shirts" waiting to greet them. For our 15 year old grandson, Nolan, who met the group about 5 miles out and rode to the finish, you have inspired him to want to train and ride with the Raw Hinies next year. Thank you all for that!
Barbara, Peggy, Molly, Joanne, Stacy, Heather, Alisa, Kim, Jeri - I cannot adequately express how much I appreciate your helping at the MS 150 Raw Hinies Tent site.
This, the fourth year of being part of this team, was absolutely the best for me! I hope you had a great experience also.
Jeri, the food you furnished was perfect. Thank you. Thank you.
Jennifer and Amy, great leaders! Thanks.
It cannot be disputed that we had the best JERSEY, TEAM SPIRIT, (and best TENT)!
Until next year,
Becky and Lee Blong
Friday, July 20, 2007
Wednesday, July 18, 2007
Connecticut Division - RawHinies
From Julie and Kristin's Niece and Nephews - they have a lemonade stand to raise pledge money every year - SO SWEET!
Yee-haw!
Congratulations to all of you (Matthew, Paul, Jonathan and Abby, too!) on jobs well done at the MS 150! We are so proud of everyone for their very hard work and contribution to the team. As you know, we wish we could join you along the ride, but instead we manned our RawHinies Lemonade Stand. We took a neighbor's advice and asked for donations instead of attaching a dollar amount to each item. It worked! Last Friday and Saturday we went out and raised $341. Along with Hank's $5 contribution from his 13th birthday money, we will send MS a check for $346. Once again, the kids had a great time and were joined by friends and neighbors at different times over the weekend.
I asked Hank, Jack and Anna what they enjoyed about the lemonade stand and what they learned from doing it. One thing that they all said was that it wasn't always the person who looked like they had the most money who gave the most. Another great thing that Jack said he learned was that even something as small as a lemonade stand could make a big difference. Of course, they love doing their part to help raise money to find a cure for MS. I think the kids get so much more than money for a great cause by setting up their little stand.
Love,
Mark, Shelly, Hank, Jack and Anna
P.S. We got our new shirts just in time!
Congratulations to all of you (Matthew, Paul, Jonathan and Abby, too!) on jobs well done at the MS 150! We are so proud of everyone for their very hard work and contribution to the team. As you know, we wish we could join you along the ride, but instead we manned our RawHinies Lemonade Stand. We took a neighbor's advice and asked for donations instead of attaching a dollar amount to each item. It worked! Last Friday and Saturday we went out and raised $341. Along with Hank's $5 contribution from his 13th birthday money, we will send MS a check for $346. Once again, the kids had a great time and were joined by friends and neighbors at different times over the weekend.
I asked Hank, Jack and Anna what they enjoyed about the lemonade stand and what they learned from doing it. One thing that they all said was that it wasn't always the person who looked like they had the most money who gave the most. Another great thing that Jack said he learned was that even something as small as a lemonade stand could make a big difference. Of course, they love doing their part to help raise money to find a cure for MS. I think the kids get so much more than money for a great cause by setting up their little stand.
Love,
Mark, Shelly, Hank, Jack and Anna
P.S. We got our new shirts just in time!
Monday, July 16, 2007
Texas Hinies Are Back Home
All of the Texas Raw Hinies are back at home on flat, near sea-level ground. We had a great time in Colorado, and I know Camellia and I can't wait to come back.
The next time I come back, I plan to be leaner and meaner. The long grinding hills y'all ride on are killers to us. We are used to short and steep hills that you can power over using mostly momentum.
I don't know where to begin with to let you guys know how impressed we were with the team and the Colorado tour in general.Us Texans know how to throw a BBQ / team party, but Prime Rib - Wow!
The general fitness level of all of the tour riders impressed me, but to have so many riders with MS finish the tour was amazing!
To put the course difficulty into perspective, there is more total elevation gain in one day of your tour than the whole weekend of the Texas tours. Our hills are steeper and shorter, but your grinding switchbacks and extended 3-6% grades are brutal.The "Bonus Century" options were the icing on the cake. After the heat and the hills of this tour, y'all could ace the Hotter 'n Hell Hundred .
I'd like to thank everyone for making us welcome!Jennifer helped with the logistics to get us there at the right time with the right gear.
The volunteers did an amazing job setting up the best tent at the overnight and were a welcome sight out on the road (Team SAG vehicles aren't allowed on the Texas tours - due to traffic).
As a Captain, I know how important all of the Committee Chairs/Members are to a smoothly operating tour. Last, but not least, all of the team members working to raise funds to support the cause - To Stomp Out MS!
We got some great ideas from your group, and plan to use them to make our teams more effective. The BP MS150 tour is huge with 13,000 riders (aerial picture of the Texas overnight included for scale), but the Colorado Tour was huge fun!
My team has the little 40 x 40 tent in the corner. The largest team (BP) has 3 large tents with 800+ riders.
Don't forget CC's training series. I sure wish I had been here for some of the hill practice.
2 Hinies making it up a hill.
As a Captain, I know how important all of the Committee Chairs/Members are to a smoothly operating tour. Last, but not least, all of the team members working to raise funds to support the cause - To Stomp Out MS!
We got some great ideas from your group, and plan to use them to make our teams more effective. The BP MS150 tour is huge with 13,000 riders (aerial picture of the Texas overnight included for scale), but the Colorado Tour was huge fun!
My team has the little 40 x 40 tent in the corner. The largest team (BP) has 3 large tents with 800+ riders.
Don't forget CC's training series. I sure wish I had been here for some of the hill practice.
2 Hinies making it up a hill.
The CHAMPS placards were cool. I saved mine for the Texas tours.
Best Jersey
Best Team
Most Spirit
Live Band at the Rest Stop!
Cool!
Best Stalker Stories!
Another Great Finish!
Thanks for a Great Ride for a Great Cause!
Cici Chases the Guv
Disclaimer – at this date, no restraining order has been issued by the Governor’s office. Cici hopes to remain under the radar of the long arm of the law by being a model citizen in the next few weeks!
NOTE - I voted for the Guv - but editing and review privileges were given to my cousin Paul (GOP) for a full and balanced report about Gov. Ritter. :)
NOTE - I voted for the Guv - but editing and review privileges were given to my cousin Paul (GOP) for a full and balanced report about Gov. Ritter. :)
It all started at mile 32 with a short pause, waiting for the girls to catch up to me. One of our guys stops to say ‘Hi’ and asks if I had just seen the Guv go by – he’s wearing a Colorado flag jersey.
A split second decision is made to take off, wait for the girls at lunch, and try to catch the Guv to ride next to him, give him a RawHinie tattoo, and tell him about our team. I pedal as fast and hard as I can for the next 10 miles, slightly uphill and headwinds foiling my effort. Plus he can ride pretty fast for a 50 yr-old.
Not to be dissuaded from my quest, I go to plan B. Rolling into lunch I hope to find him there. A very helpful volunteer says he is just got in and is sitting under some trees nearby. I grab my camera, RawHinie tattoo, and helmet with my horns to pose with him. But I don’t spot him right away.
Instead I come across some of my team members having lunch. I announce excitedly (and loudly) I have been “stalking the Guv” for 10 miles – anyone seen him? Clueless team members say no. I start searching in the immediate area for him.
Meanwhile, the group of riders sitting next to the team are laughing quite a bit, having a great time. They finally tell one of us he is right next to me. Roxy calls out to me to look to my right, 'Hey – there’s the Guv!!' (I never thought of looking for our new governor on the right of anything - that one is for my cousin Paul!). All of the other MS riders in the vicinity are very amused at the show going on as well. 
As nice as he can be, he politely lets me put a RawHinie tattoo on his left shin and tell him all about our team, the money we have raised, and that I left my cousin (who has MS) to catch up to him. Only half of the tattoo successfully transfers so I inform he is just a half a Hinie. Catcalls erupt from his posse!
No doubt the more political savvy friends in his group were beginning to get a little nervous to say nothing of the Colorado State Patrol wondering about this crazy lady with horns on her head.
He graciously interrupts his lunch to pose with some of the team members – note that is my helmet with the daisies and horns on his head – so now he is a full-fledged honorary Hinie although it’s unlikely that he’ll use that in a future campaign ad.
After lunch he gets ready to go and we all say goodbye, do a few more shout outs, etc. We tell him to check out our website, rawhinies.com. He jokes back, that may not go over well with any of the watchdogs checking out his internet activity – who knew?? When low and behold, here comes my sister, which means Julie has made it to lunch too. So I boldly ask the Guv if he can wait and I’ll go get Julie so she can meet him. And his posse is really laughing at me now, this tornado of a person asking the Guv to hang out for few more minutes as I dash off without even waiting for his response.
I go running over to find Julie, can’t even talk, just motion for her to move it. She has no clue, but not very happy with me making her run after riding almost 50 miles. The story ends with him meeting Julie and chatting with her and her family for few minutes.
Taking pictures with her family (my uncle, a Republican, even posed “Left” of the Guv).
And then one with us 4 girls riding together for the weekend. (aka "the Committie to Re-elect Bill Ritter)
I was only infamous on my team to begin with, now a legend on the entire MS ride -- interrupting the Guv’s lunch to ‘Tatt’ him up for photo ops while many MS the riders looked on at the crazy sight of Cici and the Guv!!
Thursday, July 12, 2007
Julie and the GUV
Julie said...Hey Hinies! Hope everyone is recovering from the ride. I just wanted to send a quick email to thank each of you for riding this past weekend and raising awareness and funds for Multiple Sclerosis. I know that it is an enormous commitment from you, your friends and your families and from the bottom of my heart, I thank you!
It has been fun getting to know all of you and hope that you will be back riding with the RawHinies again next year… you all are an amazing group of people. And we all know the Hinies are by far the best team in the MS 150!!
Special thanks to Kristin, Amy and Cici for riding the entire 150 miles right with me and encouraging me especially when I doubted myself! And of course, sweet Glenn who so nonchalantly passed me on the final hill in the lightening, rain and horrific headwind only to slow to a snails pace (my pace) to block the wind for me as I struggled up that last hill! I couldn't have done without you guys!Hope to see everyone soon!
Go Hinies!
Again, thank you!
Julie
Wednesday, July 11, 2007
Cathy Iarusso said...
It is truly a pleasure and an honor to ride with this team! My 3rd year, and for sure the best so far!! Any and all sacrifices are all worth it in my book!! Julie - Huge congrats on your finish!! Thanks for being such an inspiration! Your entire family is amazing in their support, encouragement and committment! Your Mom & Dad were so proud - you could just see it on their faces!! (although, I admit it was a bit tough to see anything through the tears of joy on my face!!)
Jennifer & Amy - thank you so much for your leadership, organization and everything that you do! There is so much that goes on behind the scenes that you guys take care of that makes the experience that much better for all of us. You guys ROCK!
Becky - I'm sure I'm speaking for all of us Hinies when I say that we all appreciate every ounce of energy that you and your tent committee put into our team tent! And there isn't a doubt in anyone's mind that we had the best tent hands down! I can't tell you how wonderful it was to be done with day one and be so proud to be a part of the RawHinies when I walked into that tent! The most creative, the most fun, and the most welcoming! Thank You! Thank You! Thank You!
To all the Hinies - Everyone was so much fun, so supportive! What a great experience!! What a great Team!! THANKS TO ALL!Can't wait for next year!!
Go Hinies!!
Cathy
July 10, 2007 12:52 PM
July 10, 2007 12:52 PM
Ride Official Rick - From Amy Hives
Amy Hives said...
The story of "Ride Official Rick". At about mile 55 or so our group was struggling--it was getting hot the legs were burning and along comes a Ride Official named Rick. Just checking in on the girls, he wanted to make sure we were OK. He soon found out Julie had MS and how close we were to finishing. Her 4th ride and so close to completing every mile of this year's tour. He told Julie if he had to push her those last 10 miles he would. We thanked him for his kind words and he went about his way.
The story of "Ride Official Rick". At about mile 55 or so our group was struggling--it was getting hot the legs were burning and along comes a Ride Official named Rick. Just checking in on the girls, he wanted to make sure we were OK. He soon found out Julie had MS and how close we were to finishing. Her 4th ride and so close to completing every mile of this year's tour. He told Julie if he had to push her those last 10 miles he would. We thanked him for his kind words and he went about his way.
An hour and half later our group cruises into the last rest stop. As we were re-grouping I noticed a quiet man sitting patiently on his bike, it dawned on me with his helmet and sunglasses off he was our ride official! We were overwhelmed, there he was waiting for God knows how long to ride Julie in -- I couldn't believe it. Julie pedaled every mile without a stop those 10 miles and Rick quietly encouraged her along the way! Wow what a moment. It is a pleasure and honor to be a part of such a special experience and team!
This ride for me has evolved over the years -- crossing the finish line with Julie, Kristin, Cici, and my sweet husband Glenn was my "be all end all". A huge heartfelt smile and thanks goes out the Hinies who waited for our group to come in so we could ride over the line together! Dimitri, Kristen, Roxy, Josh you were great to do that! Susan and Katie great job as well! See Rick in the blue in the middle of the pack.
To all the new Hinies and old Hinies I look forward to next year already!
Jennifer -- words can't say! :) Amy
Tuesday, July 10, 2007
FROM Cici -- Best moment of the tour - regrouping with last of the RawHinies about 1/2 mile from the finish (just after passing through the cheering Wild Bunch riders). Riding into the finish line with Amy on my left, Kristin on my right and Julie next to her, and Glenn just behind us. Plus all of the other straggling Hines with us.
Our pedal time was 6.5 hours; total time 9.5 hours - and we earned the RawHinie that day. Hills, heat, headwinds, day 2 fatigue, and of course the last 10 miles with some rain and way too much lightening around us to contend with.
For me, I just had to train, was never a question if I would finish. For Julie, she had to overcome her physical challenges, push through the extreme fatigue and pain, conquer serious self-doubt, and keep on going. Seeing the look of pure joy mixed with tears on Julie's face finishing her first MS 150 in its entirety is one of the best moments of my life.
Seeing all of our friends and family, plus the MS 150 staff and volunteers, cheering wildly(knowing Julie was rolling in as a rider with MS rider), was incredible. We had Ride Official Rick along with us, who met us at the last rest stop and rode along the last 10 miles to make sure Julie finished. He was amazing and heartfelt thanks goes out to him.
"Stalking the Guv" story to come in another posting soon!!
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