Illinois is flat. So are my tires.

My friend Sam and I have been exploring the Chicagoland region on our bikes. Last week, we checked out a few neighborhoods on the north side of Chicago and in the process found the beautiful (and smooth!) North Branch Trail. Today, we explored the suburbs west of Chicago, including the Illinois Prairie Path and the Grand Western Trail. It would have been a great ride if it weren’t for one thing – well, six things actually…

When I retrieved my bike from the bike room of my apartment building this morning, the rear tire was flat. No worries – I had a spare in my saddle bag. I replaced the tube and was off (if only I had seen this as an omen…). As we rolled through Oak Park, I felt that familiar bouncy feeling. Another flat. I patched it quickly and was on my way.

Five miles later – another rear flat. This time the hole was in a different location on the tube, so it wasn’t caused by a poor patch job or a sharp object embedded in my tire since the previous flat. This is getting frustrating! A few miles later, we entered the Illinois Prairie Path, the country’s first rail-to-trail conversion. While the crushed limestone surface was smoother than I had expected, tiny bits of the rock made their way into the cracks in my three-year-old tires. Boom, another flat!

About forty miles into the ride, Sam and I stopped at a deli for lunch. It was a good thing we saw it, because I got a flat (this time on the front wheel) right before we turned off the trail (that’s the fifth flat for those who haven’t been counting). Rather than deal with the flat immediately, I waited until after eating. By the time I was ready to take care of the flat, I noticed (but was not entirely surprised) that my rear tire was also flat! That’s six!

I used my last patch on my front wheel, so I had to use Sam’s one and only tube to make my bike mobile again. Nearly 20 miles from the end of our ride, we both knew that it was going to happen again if we didn’t address the cause of the flats. Sam called his dad and had him google the nearest bike shop from where we were. Once the bike shop and its location were identified (it is aptly named “The Bike Shop”), we were off. The mechanic replaced the worn out tires and tired tubes. From then on it was smooth sailing back to Chicago.

Our day of biking ended up being longer than we had planned. On the plus side, I can now change a flat tire in under four minutes! Here’s to no more flats!!

Let the Summer Begin!

Hello from Chicago! I've been here for just over two weeks now, and I'm finally getting used to all the changes (people are friendly here, and not just when they want something from you!!). The weather hasn't been great, but I have been exploring none-the-less.
My bike arrived almost undamaged. The skewer in my front wheel came slightly bent, so I went to a nearby bike shop and had it replaced for $14.99 plus tax (which is 10.25% in Illinois!!!). Not bad - it could have been much worse.
Just yesterday I finally got out on my bike for my first ride in the Midwest. I joined up with a group of cyclists from the Chicago Cycling Club. Every Monday they offer a training ride where the leaders teach riders how to efficiently ride in a paceline. They advertise the average speed to be 18-20 mph, just above my comfort level. I have to challenge myself out here, though. They don't have ANY hills!!
The ride went great. I had only ridden in a paceline casually before, so it was great to get some more experience with some coaching. I was able to keep up most of the time, except when the leader yelled "SPRINT!". That's when they lost me. Oh well - I'll surely be among the fastest when I've had time to get a few more miles under my belt.
Sunday is looking like it'll be a nice day, so I'll probably venture out on my own for the first time. More updates to follow!

Chicago or Bust!

I'm heading to Chicago for the summer, and my bike is coming with me. Thats ol' AC/DC in the box in the above photo! Together we'll tackle the flat roads of the Midwest and Chicago's beautiful Lakefront bike path. It's all preparation for the big event in August, which I'll be flying back for.
Here's to hoping my trip to the UPS Store is painless and the trip doesn't take a physical toll on my trusty steed!

Obey the Law!

This morning, on my regular bike commute to school, I was reminded of why it's a good idea that we all obey the rules of the road. While waiting at a red light, I heard a loud screech-boom (yes, it was one sound) and saw a bicyclist flying in the air to my left. The bicyclist appeared shaken and his bike was a bit mangled. The driver was in tears. My heart was pounding (yes, even more than usual).
As my light stayed red, I had the time to reconstruct the crash in my mind and realized that the cyclist had run a red light. It made me feel a little better knowing that - I obey the traffic signals, so that will not happen to me. Still, I felt bad for the cyclist - his day, and possibly his bike, was ruined. I felt even worse for the driver - she didn't cause the accident.
Still, even if cyclists obey the laws, they're still vulnerable. At the very end of my training ride on Sunday, a driver nearly pulled out of a liquor store driveway right in front of me. I yelled "STOP" as loud as I could, and was safe. He probably thinks I'm a jerk. I was just happy to get home in one piece.
Cyclists and drivers - please obey the rules of the road. They are there for your own safety!
PS - the above photo is a dramatic reenactment of the crash I witnessed this morning. No kittens were harmed in the taking of the photo. :)

Start of the Season

Spring has finally sprung in Boston, and as leaves emerge on the trees and tulips emerge from the ground, about 5,000 cyclists are spilling onto the roads of Boston. With a collective goal in early August, we're dusting off our bicycles, stretching our quads, and donning sexy spandex shorts to begin training for the Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC).

2009 marks the 30th ride of the PMC. Since 1980, over 56,000 riders have ridden over 15 MILLION miles to raise nearly $240 MILLION for cancer research. The funds allow Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to develop innovative treatments for cancer in many forms, while providing patient care of the utmost compassion.

I am honored to be riding once again in the PMC, 190 miles from Sturbridge to Provincetown, over two days this August. This year brings several new challenges. First, the recession will play a role in gift-giving this year. I'm optimistic - in difficult economic times, Americans open up and give to what they feel is good. Over the next few months I'll be sharing with you why I think donating to the PMC is the best use of your philanthropic dollar.

The second challenge is that I'll be living in Chicago starting June 1. I'll be doing a summer internship at the Chicago Transit Authority for my graduate program. I'll still be able to get my training in, as I'll be bringing my trusty steed with me. Chicago is flat, though, so preparing for the hilly terrain of the PMC route will be more difficult than ever. Plus, I won't have my biking buddies Rich and Michelle to ride with. 

I'm looking forward to a great training season and an even greater PMC 2009! Stay tuned for more updates!

$35,000,000 - AMAZING

Last week, the Pan-Mass Challenge made a record-breaking $35 million donation the the Jimmy Fund, the largest gift in its history. In 2008, 100% of every rider-raised dollar went directly to the beneficiary, which is very rare in the fundraising industry.

These numbers underscore the determination of thousands of riders and volunteers, tens of thousands cheering supporters, and hundreds of thousands of generous donors. Thank you for all of your support - you are a major part of this effort, and I appreciate your commitment to making cancer HISTORY.

Click here to read the full press release about the donation.

190 Miles. Done.

I had a fantastic weekend riding in the Pan-Mass Challenge! This being my fifth year of riding, I knew what to expect in some ways, but I am always overwhelmed by the incredible support bestowed upon us by the thousands of volunteers and cheering supporters along the route. The 190 miles from Sturbridge to Provincetown would be grueling without them!

The weekend started on Friday in Sturbridge, where we registered, ate at the carbo-load dinner, and watched the opening ceremonies. If you didn't catch the show on NECN, visit their website for some of the highlights. It is always a motivational and inspirational program, and this year was no different. Following the show, my riding partner and weekend roommate Michelle and I retired to our hotel room at 9:30 to try to catch some ZZZ before the big day ahead. Five hours of sleep was all I got, but the anticipation of the ride got me going in the morning. We lined up at the start at 5:30 and were off at 6 AM.

The first 40 miles are very challenging - we ascend several steep hills before descending into the Blackstone Valley. From there on out it's mostly rolling hills with a few doozies just before the lunch stop in Dighton at mile 69. After a lunch of a turkey sandwich, cookies, SmartFood, cookies, pretzels, cookies, pickles, cookies, and cookies, Rich and I set off to conquer the remaining 40 miles to Bourne, our overnight stop. Luckily for us, the weather stayed mild throughout the mid-afternoon - we must have stayed just ahead of the storm.

Mile 85 is around where your body realizes how much you're planning on punishing it that day. The feeling in your "saddle region" becomes more pain than sore and your neck and shoulders begin to tense up from riding in the same position for hours. Again, the volunteers and supporters (and the Gatorade) kept me pedaling to the day's finish line, 109 miles from where the day began.

After parking my bike for the night, I headed straight for the massage registration tent to sign up for a much-desired 15-minute massage. They tend to run out of appointments before I arrive each year, so I was determined to ride fast enough to get one. Nope. All gone. They told me about waiting in the standby line, so I planned to do that later. First - shower!

They skies turned ominous around dinner time and a big thunderstorm rolled through. Thankfully I was done riding for the day, but a few weren't so lucky. Don't worry though - everyone got in safely (albeit drenched).

My half hour of waiting in the massage standby line was well worth it. Elena, a volunteer massage therapist, melted the tension from my neck and shoulders and soothed my aching quads. I left the 15-minute massage feeling ready to take on another 77 miles in the morning.

After loading our luggage on the truck and grabbing a quick breakfast, Michelle, Rich, and I were on the road at 5:40 AM, headed for the Bourne Bridge and Provincetown. The first 20 miles are scenic and fun - we ride over and along the Cape Cod Canal at dawn, a beautiful way to start the day. Then we ride on Service Road, the closest you come to a roller coaster ride on a bike (so long as you have enough momentum to get up the next hill!).

Even though the ride starts and ends earlier on the second day, there are even more people out along the route cheering. Some famous spectators include the "Over the Hill Cheerleaders" with their pom poms and encouraging words at the top of a hill in Truro. Also, shortly before the second rest stop of the day, the Cape Cod Sea Camp gathers hundreds of teenagers, that together form " Da Hedge," a virtual wall of cheers. It's so great to have such great people to look forward to seeing at specific points along the route.

After a long two days of cycling, I completed the 2008 Pan-Mass Challenge at 11:12 AM in Provincetown. Hundreds more cheering supporters were at the finish line. The sense of accomplishment was overwhelming. All that was left to do was shower (of course), eat, and ride the ferry back to Boston. My fifth Pan-Mass Challenge was one of the best yet!

I reached my goal of safely and swiftly biking 190 miles across Massachusetts, but I still need your help to reach my goal of raising $4,000 for cancer research and treatment at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Click on the "Make a Donation" link at right to support this excellent cause. 100% of your donation will go directly to the Jimmy Fund in support of Dana-Farber, so please give generously! Thanks to all that have made donations - you are amazing!