Swarms of bicyclists whisked through an unwelcomingly strong wind in Columbia, MO on Sept. 12-13 with a goal of biking anywhere from 80-200 miles in two days. The cyclists were all participating in the Bike MS event in support of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.  CHS math teachers John Crane and Kurt Kleinberg, in addition to CHS librarians Mary Stamborski and Lauran DeRigne, were among those participating.

According to the National MS Society website, Multiple Sclerosis is a chronic and often disabling disease that attacks the central nervous system. Although a big part of participating in the ride for Kleinberg was the challenge, he was also motivated to do something to further the cause of the National Multiple Sclerosis Society.

“A friend of mine’s father from high school has MS,” Kleinberg said. “And then I realized a good friend of my parents has MS, so it became something like a joint effort to prove something to myself, but also for a good cause.”

Despite previously having no personal experiences with Multiple Sclerosis, Crane found that his experiences at the Bike MS event, also referred to as the MS 150, gave him a new perspective on the disease.

“Since I decided to do the ride, Mr. Kleinberg told me about someone he knew that had [MS],” Crane said. “At the ride, we met a woman who was the sponsor of the team we’re going to ride for next year who has MS.  Also, when I was trying to raise money, I talked to a number of friends who knew people who had MS and were willing to donate.”

As a result of their fundraising for the ride, they were able to raise about $750 combined. Next year, however, they will join the Whole Foods-sponsored team, which has a collective fundraising goal of $80,000.

The training, in addition to the fundraising, for the 175-mile route was in no way an easy task. Kleinberg, in particular, devoted hours of time to biking before the Bike MS event. Cycling and other types of racing events have become a passion for Kleinberg. He first purchased his bicycle while training for a biathlon and now participates in about five races per year and trains three days each week. Before the race, Kleinberg estimates that he and Crane biked six to 12 hours per week before the race.

Both Kleinberg and Crane, however, were up for the challenge and faced both external and internal obstacles during the course of the ride. As a result, both had to push themselves to their limits to succeed.

“It was very, very windy,” Kleinberg said. “So there was like 10-mile stretches of just riding straight into the wind and you’d think your energy was gone and then you’d find a pocket of energy somewhere.”

Crane was proud of his achievements at the ride and was pleased with the results of his hard work.

“The first day, finishing the hundred, just coming across the finish line was a great feeling,” Crane said. “Seeing the support and the amount of people that were involved and how much people give of their time and their money was very nice to see and was a great thing to experience.”

Kleinberg was also proud of the personal record that he set for himself during the ride.

“After having ridden all-day Saturday, during the last 15 miles, my average was faster than in just a 15-mile race,” Kleinberg said. “After racing 50 miles, I was biking faster than I had before so it was actually a personal record in terms of pace. That was surprising, especially in terms of the last day after you think you’d be most tired, and it was the fastest part of the race. That was exciting as someone who’s progressing in the sport.”

The event is welcoming to a variety of different people, and both Crane and Kleinberg encourage students to also participate in the coming years.

“It’s a great activity and a fun thing to do,” Crane said.  “There are lots of people at a variety of different ages and I think students could get involved if they wanted to.”

Kleinberg also hopes that students will make an effort to increase their physical activity through biking and become involved in the cause:

“I would encourage other people to be aware of the cause and to also be active,” Kleinberg said. “So, you know, get on a bike, go running, do something active, and you’d be surprised you know, how much it might not hurt and how much you might like it.”

However, he also wouldn’t mind if biking became a passion for someone else as it has become for him.

“It could be the start of just a hobby, great, it’s still doing something good for your body,” Kleinberg said. “But, if you do end up liking it, then it could be something really worthwhile.”