Another PMC Weekend in the Books!

I'm back home from yet another amazing PMC weekend! Even though I extended the weekend by riding from the New York border to Sturbridge (making it a full Pan-MASS Challenge), the weekend went by too fast! Here's a day-by-day recap of the event.
Day 0 - Hillsdale, NY to Sturbridge

My teammates (Dave, Lance, Kevin, and Chris) and I awoke at 5:45 AM (that's sleeping in on PMC weekend) on Friday to prepare for our trek through the Berkshires. We met up with 23 other riders at the New York/Massachusetts border at 7:00 AM and we hit the road at 7:30. If you look at the trip profile, you can see that the first 35 miles or so are incredibly hilly - we went from an elevation of 700 to 1,600 over 25 miles before descending from 1,400 feet of elevation to 200 feet over five miles. Boy was that descent a rush!
Once we entered the Pioneer Valley, we were given a police escort to enhance our safety as we traveled through the Springfield area. We whizzed through Westfield, West Springfield, Springfield, East Longmeadow, Wilbraham, and Palmer thanks to the police in each of those towns. What great support!
The ride leaders organized several rest stops stocked with water and snacks. In East Longmeadow, just over 60 miles into the day, the lunch stop was filled with supporters of Brielle's Brigade, one of the teams we rode with. It was a great preview of the PMC!
We finished the day around 4 PM as we rode together to the Sturbridge Host Hotel, where the PMC officially begins. I grabbed my luggage, checked into my hotel room, registered for my 7th PMC, and met up with my teammates for the traditional carbo-load dinner provided for us. Following dinner, I attended the PMC Opening Ceremonies - check out some of the highlights on NECN!
Day 1 - Sturbridge to Bourne

Day 1 is an early one - I awoke at 3:45 AM in order to be dressed, fed, and in line to start the ride at 5:30 AM sharp. Though the sky was dark when I arrived at the start line, everyone was beaming with excitement to begin the ride. Our brightly colored jerseys seemed to light up the place. As the national anthem was sung, my heart raced in anticipation. We're off!
For the first few miles, we rode on Route 20, which at this location is a multi-lane divided highway. It gives us plenty of space to go at our own speed and to spin our legs to warm up for the impending hills. After turning onto Route 31 we hit our first hill - a doozie! They don't call it the Pan-Mass CHALLENGE for nothing! I met up with my friend Kim (see photo), who was volunteering at the first rest stop. Thanks for volunteering, Kim!
There are many special moments on Day 1 - riding through the party atmosphere of Cherry Street in Wrentham, arriving at the lunch stop at mile 69 to see ALL the riders (this is where the riders that started in Wellesley join the traditional route), seeing the smiling faces of all the pedal partners in Lakeville, and seeing the Bourne Bridge, indicating that the day is almost done! This year's most special moment occurred at the finish line of Day 1. With 15 miles left to go on Day 1, a fellow rider, Joanna, joined our paceline and rode with us to Bourne. She told us that she was riding with her two sisters in honor of their father, who battled cancer for seven months before passing away this past June. As we crossed the Day 1 finish line, she burst into tears, completely overwhelmed by emotion. We hugged her and told her that her father was proud of her. These emotional scenes are very common on PMC weekend.
At 109.4 miles, Day 1 is certainly a challenge for any rider. It was especially challenging for me this year because of my Day 0 ride, but also because I tried to keep up with the fastest members of my team. Though I lagged behind on some hills, I finished the day strong, averaging 18.1 mph, a personal record. We arrived at the Mass Maritime Academy (the overnight stop) at 1:50 PM, another personal record. I parked my bike, signed up for a massage, showered, and grabbed a beer - time to relax!
After six years of suffering in the heat of the dorms, I chose to bunk on the MMA's air conditioned training ship this year. Doing so required a trade-off, however - to gain air conditioning, I had to give up all my personal space! I was assigned a bunk (one of three in a stack) in a room of 60 bunks! However, when it was time to sleep (8:15 PM!) I was comfortable. Those earplugs sure did come in handy! I needed all the rest I could get for Day 2.
Day 2 - Bourne to Provincetown

Day 2 is another early day - I was up at 4:15 AM to get ready and meet my team for breakfast. On Day 1, all riders wear the official PMC jersey for that year, but on Day 2, riders are encouraged to wear jerseys that identify their team or who they ride for. My team, Team Kinetic Karma, wore our bright yellow and blue jerseys and shorts. This makes it a lot easier to identify each other on the road!
We took off from the MMA at 5:45 AM and climbed up and over the Bourne Bridge. Despite the early hour, there are always spectators there to cheer us on! We watched the sun rise over the Bourne and Sagamore Bridges as we traveled along the Cape Cod Canal Bike Path - beautiful!
Day 2 is filled with milestones that make the day go by so quickly - flying up and down the rolling hills on Service Road, traveling past the quaint inns and restaurants along 6A, and riding by Da Hedge, a quarter mile of hundreds of pre-teen campers shortly before the second rest stop. Cape Codders love the PMC, and we love them back!
The second water stop on Day 2 is always a special one. The volunteers always give the stop a tropical theme, the tunes blast from the sound system, and riders smile, knowing they're halfway to P-town. Jack makes it special too - every year he stands with his sign "I'm (age) thanks to you!". He's become the most famous PMC supporter in his 12 years of posing with his sign - he's 14 now! Next year, when he turns 15, he'll be riding the PMC among the rest of us! I hope he still brings his sign.

The toughest stretch of Day 2's ride occurs in the last leg of the day - Wellfleet to P-town. Besides being tired from already having ridden 170 miles (or 260 in my case!), the hills in Truro and the Provincelands do an number on your quads and your mind. You feel so close, yet gravity holds you back on those hill climbs. Finally, the Pilgrim Monument comes into view and you know you're close. Just before the finish line, my team stopped to take a photo. We packed plastic champagne glasses in our pockets and toasted to yet another fantastic PMC ride! And no, that's not actually champagne in our glasses - it's Gatorade! We crossed the finish line at 12 noon - another successful PMC weekend completed! Oh, and that's Joanna from Day 1 kneeling next to me - I think we have a new teammate!
This year's PMC went so well - the weather was near-perfect (it could have been a little warmer on Saturday morning, and the winds were a bit much on the Outer Cape, but who's complaining?). My teammates made the ride challenging and fun. The volunteers made everything easier thanks to fluffernutters, peanut butter bananas, and their positive attitudes! The supporters along the route inspired us all to push a little harder, reminding us of why we ride. I already can't wait for next year!
Billy Starr, founder of the PMC, announced that, as of Friday, riders had raised $21 million toward our $31 million goal. There is still plenty of time to make your donation. I am only $450 away from achieving my fundraising goal of $6,300. 100% of your donation will go directly to the Jimmy Fund in support of innovative cancer research that will one day eradicate the disease.

Let this photo of my favorite sign from PMC weekend inspire you to make your donation today. Click here to become part of the solution and part of that "U"!