Tomorrow, We Ride.

This is the part of the summer where the butterflies start settling into my stomach (anticipation has always been a palpable feeling for me). Knowing that my favorite weekend of the year, the Pan-Mass Challenge, is approaching always makes my stomach churn in the best way. As the years of me riding the PMC went on, uncertainty about what the ride would be like turned into certainty that it would be hard, but also so, so amazing. The butterflies in my stomach have changed color over time, but they still appear as PMC weekend approaches.

This year, the butterflies feel a little more intense, like those from 2004 (my first PMC), from 2006 (my first PMC starting in Sturbridge), from 2014 (the cold downpour PMC), and from 2020 (my "reimagined" Covid PMC). They are uncertainty butterflies, but hopeful butterflies. Things will be different this year:

• I've signed up for an extra 60 miles of riding on the day before the PMC - Have I trained enough? 
• The new starting location is Worcester - What will it be like? Will it live up to the traditional Sturbridge start? Will I know where to go?
• The start of the Day 1 route will be different - Will it be easier or harder? Will people still come to cheer us on?

But some of the most important things will be the same. I am still riding to Provincetown, as I have done every single year since 2004. Most of the route will be on familiar roads. We will visit with our new Pedal Partner, Maggie, at the Pedal Partner water stop on Saturday. We will cross the Bourne Bridge. We will ride the dunes. We will eat fluffernutters. We will laugh, cry, and experience all of the same emotions we feel during every PMC. This year's PMC will be a display of humanity at its finest, as it always is.

Thank you to the many of you who have already virtually jumped on my handlebars and contributed toward my fundraising goal. If you haven't donated yet, there is still plenty of time! I’m only $2,700 away from my $20,000 goal. I would love for you to join in this ride, join this fight. Now, more than ever, it is important to support the fight against cancer. 100% of your donation will go directly to the Jimmy Fund in support of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's ground-breaking cancer research. Please make your cancer-fighting donation now!

Follow me on Facebook and Instagram tomorrow through Sunday as I ride 240 miles across Massachusetts. You will be the wind at my back, the virtual cheers on the sidelines, and I will think of you all as we literally say cheers to a ride well ridden in Provincetown on Friday. 

I really, really appreciate your support.

Readying to Ride

We're deep into summer now, as evidenced by the hot, humid days and afternoon thunderstorms over the last week. Amid everything Mother Nature has to offer here in New England, I and thousands of other Pan-Mass Challenge riders are putting their butts on very small bike seats to train for the ride - less than two weeks away!

So far in July alone, I've ridden almost 200 miles to train for my 23rd PMC. My weekends have been pretty busy, so I've been putting in as many miles as possible in the quiet mornings before heading to work. In addition to adding time in the saddle, the early morning starts are the perfect preparation for the early starts on PMC weekend.

This past Sunday, I met my teammates in Westport, MA for our annual Pedal Partner ride. The PMC Pedal Partner program pairs PMC cycling teams with children undergoing cancer treatment at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. This year, we are paired with Maggie, a vibrant six-year-old who is kicking butt in her fight against cancer! She lives in Rhode Island, so my team captain organized a beautiful 60-mile ride to see her. While the wind was intense, the views of the ocean and quaint villages we visited were reminiscent of the Day 2 PMC route. All of these rides have been great training for my three-day PMC.

I can hear some of you now - "Three days? I thought you said it was two!" In case you missed it, I've decided to tack on some extra miles for my 23rd PMC. On Friday, July 31 (a day referred to by my teammates as "Day 0,") I'll ride 60 miles from Amherst, Massachusetts to the new PMC starting location in Worcester. That, plus the 100 miles on Day 1 and 80 miles on Day 2, totals 240 miles over three days.

That means I've increased my riding commitment by 33%. Perhaps that inspires you to increase your support of my ride? Remember, as it has been for the last 20 years, 100% of your donation will go directly to the Jimmy Fund in support of the innovative cancer research and compassionate cancer care that the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute delivers every single day. Especially in this time of uncertainty of federal grants for anything science-related, your donations are more critical than ever to continue to pursuit of a cancer-free world.

Please give, give generously, and give what you can. Together, we are getting closer by the mile. Make your cancer-fighting donation today. 

$5,000 in 7 Days Challenge!

It is time, once again, for my annual PMC fundraising challenge! As you know, for my 23rd PMC, this year my goal is to raise $20,000 for the fight against cancer. My 2026 PMC ride - 180 miles over two days on August 1 and 2 - is approaching quickly!

Over the next seven days, I hope to raise $5,000 in support of my goal. In order to help make that happen, I have some awesome and generous friends who have donated items for me to raffle off! The raffle prizes are:

• A two-night stay at the 8 Dyer Hotel in Provincetown;
  
• A 60-minute massage at Boston Massage Associates in Boston;
• A $100 REI gift card;
• A $50 gift card to Yolqueria or Mezzeterranean in Provincetown, and
• A custom bottle of your favorite cocktail, hand-crafted by yours truly (local to Boston only)!

Raffle tickets are $25 each, or five for $100. The raffle runs from now through the end of the day on Tuesday, July 14. You can purchase raffle tickets by making a donation online. I will pull five winning tickets; the first winner will have their choice of prize, then the second, and so on, until all prizes are awarded.

Have you already made a donation and feel left out of the raffle? Fear not! If you make an ADDITIONAL donation, I will DOUBLE the number of raffle tickets you get. For example, donate an additional $25, and get TWO raffle tickets; donate an additional $100, and get TEN raffle tickets!

As always, 100% of your donation will go directly to the Jimmy Fund, which supports innovative and life-saving cancer research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. This is one of the BEST ways to make an impact in the fight against cancer. Together, we can make cancer HISTORY (and you can win some fabulous prizes, too!).