H-TOWN IRONMAN
Meet the Houston road warrior who biked the BP MS150 completely by hand
May 1, 2019, 3:01 pm
Dillard says riding 80 miles a day and climbing hills on a handcycle is equal to doing 1,000 pushups an hour for eight hours. Photo courtesy of Douglas Dillard
This article originally appeared on CultureMap.
Under crystal blue skies and puffy clouds, with a soft wind that whooshed bicyclists along, about 9,300 pedal pushers raised $10 million (and counting) in the 35th BP MS150 charity bike ride from Houston to Austin last weekend. The BP MS150 is annually the National Multiple Sclerosis Society's biggest fundraising event of the year and the most profitable two-day charity ride in the world.
Officials say the ride will reach its 2019 goal of $13.5 million by July 31 when all the loose change is counted and soda deposit bottles are returned. Each rider must pledge at least $400 in donations to join the two-wheel posse. The ride has raised more than $277 million since its inaugural event in 1985. BP took over as the sponsor in 2001. There were riders from 249 cities in Texas and 43 states and 11 countries this year.
The BP MS150 attracts experienced, serious riders, who go on 100-mile weekend rides for fun. (That's them in Spandex shorts and tight colorful shirts and bikes that cost more than their first car.) There are casual bike riders, like me, who pedal to the supermarket on Pee-Wee Herman bikes. We rally once a year for the BP MS150, live to tell about it, and walk like drunks because of chafing for about a week.
A hands-on road warrior
Then there is Douglas Dillard, chief financial officer for DC Partners, a company that builds large scale real estate projects in Texas. Dillard was born with spastic diplegia, a form of cerebral palsy that affects his lower extremities.
He uses his arms to propel a handcycle every inch of the way from Houston to Austin, up and over steep hills that reduce many riders to tears and profanity.
Dillard, 40, cannot use his legs to pedal a regular bicycle. So he has a special bike with pedals in front of his belly that he cranks with his arms and core muscles. He is strong. He gets up everyday at 4 am to work out with weights and core intensive activity.
"This was my third BP MS150," he says. "It's very emotional for me. It may take me 35 minutes to climb a big hill that makes a lot of riders get off their bikes and walk up the hill. But I power through it. I will keep doing the ride as long as my arms and shoulders hold out."
Dillard rode Day 1 of the BP MS150 with two other handcyclists: Rick Weisbrod, an Army vet who lost a leg in service, and Adessa Ellis, who was injured in a car accident and entered her first BP MS150 on a handcycle this year. Before her accident, Ellis, a former triathlete, had completed four BP MS150 on a regular bicycle.
Continue reading on CultureMap to find out if Dillard, Weisbrod, and Ellis finished the MS150.
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After dropping a frustrating series to the Chicago White Sox, the Houston Astros find themselves in a familiar position—searching for answers, but still within striking distance. Despite their inconsistency, Houston sits just three games behind the AL West-leading Mariners, who are currently 7 games over .500 and riding an 8-2 stretch. For as up-and-down as the Astros have been, the division remains tantalizingly close.
That inconsistency was on full display throughout the White Sox series. Jake Meyers and Zach Dezenzo each played the roles of both hero and heartbreaker. Dezenzo launched a massive home run in Game 3, a moment that energized the dugout and briefly shifted momentum. But his costly defensive error later in the game flipped the script. Meyers was a spark plug in Houston’s lone win, delivering a clutch performance at the plate, only to run the team out of a rally in the finale when he was picked off second—right before Jeremy Peña ripped what would have been an RBI single.
Jose Altuve’s struggles are quietly becoming more worrisome. He’s recorded just one multi-hit game since April 19 and has only one homer since April 8. On Sunday, he swung at the first pitch after Lance McCullers had grinded through a 33-pitch inning—a decision that raised questions about his awareness in a veteran moment. Should manager Joe Espada have reminded Altuve of the situation? Or is this on Altuve, who should have known what to do as one of the team leaders?
Signs of life
There are flickers of life from the bats. Last week, Houston's team OPS was an underwhelming .667 (23rd in MLB), with a slugging percentage of .357 (25th). They've nudged those numbers up to .684 (19th) and .370 (21st), respectively. It’s modest progress, but enough to suggest this offense might be trending in the right direction. Still, their 5-5 record over the last 10 games feels emblematic of who they are right now—a .500 team with both talent and flaws.
Looking ahead
The upcoming schedule could be a turning point. Three of the next five opponents have losing records, and none of them are elite. This stretch offers a prime opportunity for Houston to finally build momentum and close the gap in the division—assuming the Mariners cool off from their current tear, which seems inevitable given their unsustainable 8-2 pace.
McCullers is officially back!
Lance McCullers returned for the first time since 2022 and, despite being limited to 3.2 innings due to command issues (three walks and a hit batter), there were encouraging signs. His velocity was there, and the stuff looked sharp. It’s a start, and perhaps a step toward stabilizing a rotation that still needs length.
Steering the ship
Manager Joe Espada, however, continues to draw scrutiny. His decision-making in the finale raised eyebrows again. Giving Isaac Paredes a day off when Yordan Alvarez was already sitting left the lineup depleted. Rather than using promising young infielder/outfielder Cam Smith, he opted for Mauricio Dubón and Brendan Rodgers—a defensive combo that didn't inspire confidence. It feels at times like Espada isn’t prioritizing winning the final game of a series, a pattern that could haunt the team down the stretch.
The plot thickens
Meanwhile, Christian Walker’s slump is dragging on. He went 0-for-5 twice in the last two series and looks out of sync at the plate. The Astros need more from their power hitters if they hope to make a real run. And with Alvarez now heading to the IL with hand inflammation, runs will be even harder to come by.
All told, this team still feels like one hovering just above or below .500. But in a division that remains wide open, the path forward is clear: play better, hope the Mariners come back to earth, and capitalize on a soft schedule. The race is far from over—but it’s time for Houston to start acting like contenders.
We have so much more to discuss. Don't miss the video below as we examine the topics above and much, much more!
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