Liftoff in 10... 9... 8...

The Pan-Mass Challenge, the two-day, 190-mile bicycle ride that I have been training for all summer, begins on Saturday*. The ride is always the highlight of my summer, and I'm eager to join 5,500 other riders in this amazing event.

In order to best prepare my body for the hours it will be forced onto a slender bicycle seat and trudging up hill after hill, this past week I've kept off the bike. What?!? you may ask? Like preparation for any other athletic event, you need to reduce the intensity of your training in the week or two before the event to allow your body to heal itself. My bike is in the shop right now getting a much-deserved tune up, and when I pick it up on Wednesday, it and I will be ready for the challenge ahead of us.

*If you haven't yet made a donation to the PMC, which supports life-saving cancer research and world-class patient care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, please click on the "make a donation" link to the right to support this excellent cause. 100% of your donation will go to the Jimmy Fund, Dana-Farber's fundraising arm.