On the Road

It's been a busy June for work travel. New Jersey, Sacramento, San Francisco, and currently Minneapolis. While I'm not getting in as many local miles as I would otherwise, I'm trying my best get get some time in the saddle on the road.

This past weekend, Ian joined me in San Francisco for a long weekend. We rented bikes and rode through the City, across the Golden Gate Bridge to Sausalito. If you're ever in the area, I highly recommend it. The headwinds made it a challenge but the views made it all worthwhile. That's us above on the iconic bridge!

This week, I'm in Minneapolis for work. Usually I travel for meetings, but this time I'm working with a National Park in Minnesota doing bicycle and pedestrian infrastructure assessments. The pic below is of me and my colleague/friend Ben on one of our site visits. The Twin Cities' Nice Ride bikeshare system is getting us around the area.

I'm back in Beantown on Friday, and I fully intend on rampin up my training in preparation for my ride in 5 weeks. Have you made your cancer-fighting donation yet? You still have time, but it's getting close! Click here to give. Thank you!

Training

Since my first training ride of the season in mid-April, I've logged 230 miles in the saddle(s).* I'm 88 miles ahead of my training from last year at this date, but I still have a ways to go to be ready for the PMC in less than 8 weeks. The 51-mile ride I did this past weekend was great training, but I need to get stronger to be able to get to Provincetown without cramping up in Brewster!

Summer isn't just training season for me - it's my busy travel season at work. I've already been to South Dakota and New Jersey since late May, and I have trips planned for California, Minnesota, and Georgia all before the PMC. These are weekday-only trips (except for California, where I'll spend the weekend in San Francisco!), but they still limit my availability for training rides. I'm also going on vacation in Provincetown (home of the PMC's finish line!) in mid-July, but I'll be bringing my bike for training rides. Where better to train than on the actual route?!

The weather forecast for this weekend looks great. See you on the road! And please consider making your donation today.


*I bought a new bike (no, that's not mine in the photo above, but it's nice too)! I'll still be riding my trusty Specialized bike, which has been my PMC companion since 2007, in August. I sold my hybrid (which got me to Provincetown in 2004-2006...slowly) and purchased a Salsa Vaya 3, a touring bike. It's a slick, solid bike that will someday carry me across the United States (ending with the two days of the PMC, of course!). I don't know when I'll be doing it, but  I WILL do it! :)

The Heat is On!

After a very seasonable and pleasant early Spring, it appears that the summer heat has finally arrived. The weather folks are predicting 90+ degree temperatures for today, Saturday, and Sunday. Where was this weather last weekend?!

Some cyclists might look at this forecast and groan - "Ugh, I hate riding in the heat!" I actually enjoy it. It forces me to get up and get an early start - 6 am isn't out of the question. I can finish a 50-mile ride in just over three hours, so I'm back home around 9 am - plenty of time to do whatever else I want to do that day (did someone say BEACH?!). Also, on these really hot days, I tend to choose routes that hug the coastline, like my Cape Ann tour or the South Shore Coastal Loop. Sea breezes are just what the doctor ordered on these sweltering New England days.

I especially like riding in the heat because it reminds me of PMC weekend. Probably 6 out my 9 PMCs to date have had at least one day with temperatures over 80 degrees. The heat makes me that much more grateful for the volunteers, who supply us with ice-cold water and gatorate, freeze pops, and ice sofas (yes, sofas made out of ice). Bring on the heat!

Tomorrow, I'll start my ride at 7 am with my fellow PMCer Rich. Looking forward to getting my sweat on!

Now is a fantastic time to make your donation to the Pan-Mass Challenge. 100 percent of your donation will go directly to the Jimmy Fund, the fundraising arm of Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Join me in saving lives! Thank you.

$37 Million to Fight Cancer

Last November, I had the pleasure of attending the 2012 PMC Check Presentation Event (with my pal Christine!). Every year the food gets better (Legal Seafood!) and the checks get bigger. In 2012, the Pan-Mass Challenge raised $37 million dollars, exceeding its goal by a cool million. Woohoo!

But 37 million is just one of several impressive numbers associated with last year's gift. There's 375 million - since 1980, the Pan-Mass Challenge has raised a whopping $375 million to fight cancer. This is in numbers not adjusted for inflation - the $10,200 donation made after the inaugural ride would be worth $28,000 today. Not bad for 36 riders doing something no one had ever heard of before!

In my mind, the most impressive number is the one I'm most proud of. 100. 100 percent of all of the funds that I and all of my fellow riders raise goes directly to Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's Jimmy Fund, which has been working to find cures for countless cancers while giving every patient world-class care. Every dollar you generously give is going as far as possible to end cancer. I hope you're as impressed as I am.

The 2013 PMC fundraising goal is $38 million. My personal goal is $6,700. Together, with 100 percent of your donations, we will change the face of cancer care as we know it. Please make your 100 percent tax-deductible donation today.

Ten

For the last nine years, the first weekend of August has been blocked off in my calendar. To me, the Pan-Mass Challenge isn't just a ride. It's not just a really slow way to get to Provincetown. It's not just a fun weekend with my friends. It's not just free Harpoon beer for three days (though that's a big part of it). The Pan-Mass Challenge is my life - it is a part of me.

2013 marks my tenth Pan-Mass Challenge ride. It's hard to believe that I've been doing it for so long. I think back to my first year - I was fresh out of college and thought that riding the PMC, something I had been thinking about doing for a few years, would be a good challenge. After not training very much, I hopped on my hybrid (slow) bike and struggled all the way to Provincetown. I ended the 2004 PMC swearing I'd never do it again -  it was just too hard.

January 2005 rolled around, and with it came the registration period for the 2005 PMC. I somehow forgot the challenges I faced in 2004 and signed up. I've never looked back ever since. I found ways to make the ride better for myself - I invited friends to join me on the ride, bought a new, faster bike, and became better at fundraising. There's only one thing that will keep me from riding the PMC - an end to cancer.

That's where you come in (and where you've been coming in for the last ten years). Since 2004, you've helped me raise over $40,000 for cancer research at Boston's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. In the last ten years, we've seen incredible advancements in cancer treatment and care, including human genome mapping for cancer patients and new treatments going to clinical trial in order to save lives. We've come far, but we still have a ways to go.

I have committed to raising $6,700 in 2013 for the Pan-Mass Challenge. 100 percent of the funds that you donate will go directly to the Jimmy Fund, Dana-Farber's fundraising arm. A donation to the PMC is the most efficient way to fund the fight against cancer. Won't you join me? Together, we're getting closer by the MILE.

Make your donation today.

PMC 2012 - Crazy Good!

Day 0 group assembles at the border.

For the last nine years, the first weekend in August has always been a unique one. This year proved to be one of the most exciting yet. My 2012 Pan-Mass Challenge ride began at the New York border on Friday, where 40 or so other riders and I ascended the Berkshires, rolled through the Pioneer Valley, and pedaled on to Sturbridge amid hot and humid conditions - a total of 91.6 miles. While it was a blast, the heat did take its toll, slowing the entire group, including myself, down.

This would normally not be a problem - it's a ride, not a race. However, that day I was racing against the clock in order to arrive in Sturbridge, register for the full PMC ride, shower, and high-tail it to Amesbury, where my brother and sister-in-law were holding their wedding rehearsal. My plans had me arriving in Sturbridge at 2:30, but it wasn't until 3:50 when I rolled my sweaty and sore body across the Day 0 finish line. I took the quickest shower known to man and beast and met my ride to go to Amesbury (and only 30 minutes late! :/ ).

As you all know by now, I missed the Day 1 ride (Sturbridge to Bourne) on Saturday to be best man in my brother's wedding. I was virtually cheering on my Team Kinetic Karma teammates during the day! The wedding was a huge success and the reception was a lot of fun. I paced myself in the alcohol department so that by midnight when I left I was ready for a good night's sleep and would wake refreshed.

I awoke at 3:30 am (after only 2 hours of sleep!) on Sunday to get ready to travel down to Bourne for the start of Day 2. I met my teammates at the starting line and we began the 77-mile trek to Provincetown. We passed the major milestones - crossing the Bourne Bridge, pedaling along the Cape Cod Canal, riding the roller coaster that is Service Road, passing the throngs of screaming children at da Hedge, the Team Kinetic Karma "Twizzler" stop in Wellfleet, and finally the dunes of Provincetown. It did rain, no, pour on us for about 15 minutes straight, but the cooling raindrops washed away (some of) the sweat. The sun came out later and dried us off before we rolled across the finish line.

Another successful year!

In typical Team Kinetic Karma fashion, we stopped just before the finish line for our traditional "champagne" toast photo (I'm sixth from the left in the back). This year more than others, I felt a strong bond to my teammates throughout the riding season. From training together to sharing fundraising ideas to that motivational "you can do it!" on a tough hill, my teammates came through like no other group of people could. Thanks, friends!

If you'd like to get a taste of what it's like to ride with my awesome teammates, check out this video that our team captain made of our Day 2 ride. See if you can spot me!

So, the epic PMC/Wedding/PMC weekend was a success. I'm still catching up on my sleep, but it was a success nonetheless! I'm REALLY close to calling my fundraising a success too! To date this year, my friends and family have donated $6,342 to support cancer research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute! That puts me only $263 short of my goal. Remember, just $263 more will put my lifetime (since 2004) fundraising amount to $40,000! I'm so close!

If you haven't made a donation yet this year, or if you want to supplement your prior donation, visit my fundraising page and make your secure donation today.We really are making a difference in the fight against cancer - join us and help make cancer HISTORY!

PS: All of my donors who have given $100 or more this year will receive a small gift from me - a packet of spices from Hubba Hubba Foods! In June, Hubba Hubba donated over $400 that they raised through a farmers market fundraiser - I'm happy to spread the spice to my biggest supporters!

$2,000 in 7 Days Challenge is On!

With a mere 17 days to go until the Pan-Mass Challenge, my legs are feeling strong to ride across the state, and I am ready to flex my fundraising muscles to raise $6,500 for the Jimmy Fund, Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's fundraising arm. Please join me over the next seven days and make a donation to support innovative cancer research and life-saving cancer care at Dana-Farber. Your contribution will help me exceed my fundraising commitment ($4,300) and will help me on my way to having raised $40,000 over the last nine years.

Over the next seven days I'll share stories about my training, why I ride, and the people that I ride in honor and in memory of. I encourage you to share your story here in the comments or with me via email at j_fijalkowski@yahoo.com. Every year I carry the names of people that my donors give in honor and in memory of, so please do share your story.

We really are making strides in the fight against cancer, thanks to your donations. 100 percent of the money you donate will go directly to the Jimmy Fund - your money is going as far as possible to make a difference in the fight against cancer!

Please give today and be a part of the $2,000 in 7 days challenge!