190 Rainy Miles - Done!

It was a Pan-Mass Challenge for the record books! The weather forecasts came true, and we had the wettest PMC in its 35-year history. From the ominous sprinkles as we rolled out of Sturbridge to the downpours that occurred during the last 20 miles of Day 1, Saturday was a very wet, very cold day. Sunday wasn't "dry" so much as it was "less wet." But luckily the last 40 miles of Day 2 were rain-free, helping me to ride my fastest Day 2 since 2009.

I'm not going to bore you with the details of the ride (the photo on the left sums it up pretty well!), but I will note some of the highlights of my ride:

• At around mile 50 on Day 1, shortly after riding down the famous Cherry Street (where the entire neighborhood comes out to cheer each of us on), Jacqui (wife of teammate Danno) provides Team Kinetic Karma with our very own water stop. She greets us with huge cheers, an even bigger smile, and most importantly, amazing food! Jacqui, the spread was delicious - thanks so much!
  
• The fourth water stop on Day 1 is designated as the Pedal Partner water stop. For about a quarter-mile leading up to the rest stops, volunteers place huge posters of children for whom PMC teams are riding (these children are undergoing cancer treatment at Dana-Farber. I cried as I rode into the water stop (like I always do) but I replaced the tears with a huge smile when we saw Anna, Team Kinetic Karma's Pedal Partner! She was all smiles as "her cycling team" hung out with her under the tent. She is such a joy, and we are happy to be riding for her.
• For the last few miles of Day 1, I was riding by myself and then came upon my teammate and friend, Susan. We rode the last few (absolutely soaking wet!) miles together. She couldn't contain her joy as we rolled into the Day 1 finish line - she was hooting and hollering! I couldn't blame her. But it was the person by the finish line who, at that emotional moment, looked me in the eye and said "thank you for riding" that got my tears flowing again.
  
• Day 2 is always filled with fun milestones - riding over the Bourne Bridge, watching the sun rise (well, maybe not this year) over the Cape Cod Canal, and the roller coaster ride that is Service Road. But the first really special place that all PMC riders look forward to is Da Hedge. It's a roughly 1,000-foot stretch of Route 6A that is lined (5-6 deep) with children at Cape Cod Sea Camps, screaming and cheering their heads off for us. It's a wonderful 30 seconds of cheers. Luckily, this year there was very little car traffic and many of my teammates were riding with me in formation, so we saluted back in Team Kinetic Karma fashion! It was just the boost we all needed on an otherwise wet day.
  
• The second highlight of Day 2 was finishing the ride strong and (relatively!) dry. I owe my relatively fast speed to my teammates, who helped motivate me up the hills, and to a desire to really show cancer who's boss! The photo to the right is an annual Team Kinetic Karma tradition, but this year we had many more teammates join us for the photo! Toasting (with Gatorate) another successful PMC!

All season I have been posting about my team captain, Dave, and his fight against cancer. See the guy doing the "lay at the beach" pose in the front of the team photo? That's Dave. He led the team up through the dunes of Provincetown to the finish line. It was such an honor to ride with him over these two days! He is an inspiration to all of us.

To those of you who have made donations to my ride this year, THANK YOU. We really are making cancer history, and Dave is literally Living Proof of that! For the others, there is still time to make a tax-deductible donation to support my ride! 100% of your donation will go straight to the Jimmy Fund in support of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's life-saving research and care. Click here to make your donation today.

2014 PMC - done! :)

The Final Countdown

It's the Final Countdown (couldn't resist!) to the Pan-Mass Challenge, one of my favorite times of the year! Here are three countdowns that I am currently a little bit obsessed with. :)

3. There are three days until I arrive in Sturbridge to begin my ride. After checking into the hotel, I'll register for my 11th PMC ride, get my first (of several) free Harpoon Brewery beers, meet my Team Kinetic Karma friends, fill my tummy at the carbo load dinner, and watch the PMC Opening Ceremonies live before retiring to bed very early! The energy and excitement in Sturbridge will be palpable and one thing will be clear - we 5,800 riders, 3,500 volunteers, and hundreds of thousands of donors are making a statement that cancer will be beaten!

190. When we pull out of Sturbridge EARLY on Saturday morning, 190 miles will stand before us and the finish line in Provincetown. The first 40 miles are very hilly, transitioning into longer flats and more rolling hills for much of the rest of the first day. And do you think the Cape is flat? Think again! There is a surprising amount of vertical on Day 2. Some people may assume that I count down the miles to the finish so that I can be done sooner, but in reality, I'm counting down how many miles I have left to hang with my cycling friends and constantly exchange "thank yous" with fellow riders, volunteers, and the supporters that line the route.

785. I am $785 away from meeting my $7,000 fundraising goal. Thank you to the 77 donors this year who have joined the fight against cancer by making generous donations to support my ride.

If you haven't made your donation, now is the time! In 3 days I will ride 190 miles, and I need to raise $785 in order to do it! Help us make cancer HISTORY! Visit https://www2.pmc.org/egifts/jf0128 to make your donation today. Thank you!

My Bike, New and Improved!

My "new" bike!

So the last time I checked in on here, my bike was in the shop with a cracked frame (due to years of hitting Boston potholes!). I cracked my bike frame midway through a ride from my team captain's house just about two months ago. Getting it replaced took longer than I would have liked, but I got the call about a month ago that my bike, with its new frame, was ready. Specialized, the manufacturer of the bike, warranties the frame, but I had to pay for my local bike shop to disassemble and reassemble it (though I did negotiate a hefty discount because I had JUST had the same shop tune it up - and they probably should have caught the hairline crack that led to the frame being totaled!). 

When I saw the clerk bring my bike up from downstairs, I first noticed the color - matte red with glossy red lettering and glossy black stripes on the top tube (see the photo above). Huge difference from my black and white frame! Then I looked closer - it's a Specialized Roubaix SL4 Pro (2014 model year I think). That's quite an upgrade from my 2007 Roubaix Comp frame (which was my second frame, as I cracked my first in 2008!)! The shop accidentally left the price of the frame on the receipt - $2,950. I paid about half of that 8 years ago for my first frame!

So it's quite an upgrade. A damn sexy upgrade if you ask me! Only problem is, now I feel like I need to upgrade the cages (already purchased!), seat, etc.... I'm becoming one of THOSE cyclists that treats his bike like a brand new BMW - but I'm not complaining!

I rode the bike recently, and it was pretty amazing. It's so light an nimble - just what I need to get up the hills along the PMC route! My bike turned a few heads too - I didn't mind the attention! :)

The bike is only half the battle, though. In order to earn the privilege of riding this beautiful bike across the state, I must raise money to fund cancer research. Research that continues to advance the science that is putting an end to cancer. The science that is saving lives, including the life of my team captain, Dave. Please join the fight! The ride is in just over two weeks - make your donation today!

Update on Captain Dave

Many of you read my previous post about my team captain, Dave, who in October was diagnosed with Stage 3 oropharyngeal (throat) cancer. In that post, I told you about his history riding the Pan-Mass Challenge, his diagnosis, his robotic and manual surgeries, and his radiation treatments. I also told you how inspired I was when he joined the team on a 30-mile training ride back in April.

Earlier this month, Dave returned to Dana-Farber to undergo a scan to detect any remaining cancer cells in his body. The scan came back clean - no cancer! This isn't the end of the road for Dave - he will have to return to Dana-Farber for similar scans every six weeks for the foreseeable future to be confident that he has beat his cancer once and for all. But it was the news that he, and all of us who know him, were hoping for.

Despite the great news, Dave is still recovering from the intense radiation treatments. He has been on his bike, though, and has impressed me with his strength. There was never really a doubt in my mind that Dave would be joining us in six weeks (yes, only six weeks!) for the PMC, but now I am confident that our team captain will be leading us all the way to Provincetown!

I have never been as sure as I am today that the funds that we raise through the Pan-Mass Challenge are advancing the field of cancer research and are saving lives. Dave's experimental robotic surgery may not have occurred if Dana-Farber relied only on federal and foundation grants, which often come with strings attached. 10 years ago when I started riding the PMC, Dave's robotic surgery was not available. I can't help but think that the nearly $50,000 that you have helped me raise over that time has contributed to the advances we see today. 100% of your donation goes directly to Dana-Farber for them to spend where the need is greatest. Please make a generous donation to support my ride, in honor of Captain Dave. Thank you!

Training Update

It's early June - how did that happen?? I think I know why. I haven't stopped traveling! Since the advent of nice weather in Boston, I've been to Washington State, Kentucky, Iowa, Washington DC, Pennsylvania, and Texas. And next week I go to Montana (hello Yellowstone!). You may be asking, Jared, how are you fitting your Pan-Mass Challenge training into your busy schedule?

Poorly. Since early April, I've only gotten four real training rides in, totaling 118 miles. This is just not going to cut it! I do ride Hubway around a lot (including my 5 mile commute home today), but my time on a heavy, 3-speed bike does not replace saddle time on my road bike.

Which brings me to two weeks ago. I met several of my teammates in Falmouth for a 62-mile ride around the Upper Cape. It was a beautiful day for a great ride, but about 23 miles in, I felt some rubbing on my tire. My bike mechanic teammate diagnosed the problem: cracked frame. AKA, totaled.

You can see the damage in the photo to the left (white vertical line by the cassette). After a cab ride back to Falmouth, I brought my bike to the shop and they took my bike to have the frame replaced. Luckily, the manufacturer (Specialized) warranties its carbon frame for life, so I just have to pay for disassembly and reassembly. So about a week from now, I should get back what looks like a brand new bike (though it will still have my same components).

I do have a second bike that is suitable for training, so I used that two weekends ago on my team's annual South Shore Coastal Loop ride - 50 miles of beautiful scenery! I'll ride it again this weekend on a 62-mile loop on the North Shore. I should have my other bike back in time for my big cycling adventure in June - a one-day, 125-mile ride from Boston to Provincetown! I should get several rides in between now and then, so hopefully they get me up to speed (figuratively and literally).

Training is the easy part. I ride to raise money to end cancer. Join the fight by making a donation today. Thank you!

Heavy Hitter

Besides Pan-Mass Challenge weekend itself, my other favorite PMC event is the Heavy Hitter Evening, which occurs every spring. A “Heavy Hitter” is a rider who reaches a certain fundraising threshold above the minimum amount. Last year, the minimum to raise was $4,300, but to be a Heavy Hitter, you had to raise $6,700. Collectively, Heavy Hitters represent one third of riders, but we raise two thirds of the funds. I am honored to be included in this group of elite fundraisers.

There are two aspects of the Heavy Hitter Dinner that keep me coming back every year. The first is the speaking program. Billy Starr, the founder of the PMC, always welcomes the crowd and goes over last year’s fundraising stats. He showed an infographic that was published in The Atlantic showing the top athletic fundraisers in the country. The PMC is high atop this list in terms of total funds raised for a single event. The fact that 100 percent of rider-raised funds go to the Jimmy Fund makes this statistic even sweeter.

Every year, the speaking program includes an inspirational story from someone in the PMC community. This year, it was Loie Williams, a nine-year rider who experienced her own battle with cancer a few years ago. She shared her cancer story and her PMC story – the two were interwoven wonderfully. Her story has a happy ending – she kept her promise to her son that she would not let cancer kill her. She is still riding, now as a Living Proof rider, of which there are hundreds. They are the most inspirational riders out on the road – they are living proof that our efforts are saving lives.

The other aspect of the event that I look forward to is spending time with my Team Kinetic Karma teammates – not in spandex. Who knew we cleaned up nicely?! It’s always great to spend time with this fun, crazy, supportive group of nut jobs. The camaraderie that we have on the road is still there when we have cocktails in hand.

I don’t fundraise above the minimum just to be able to attend this event (which we all purchase tickets for, by the way!). I do it to make that much more of a difference in the fight against cancer. If you’ve supported my ride in the last four years, you’ve been a part of that. Join me in going beyond the minimum to make cancer history. Please make yourtax-deductible, cancer-fighting, life-saving donation today. Thank you!

Riding for Captain Dave

2014 marks my 11^th Pan-Mass Challenge ride. As I have done for the last 11 years, I will ride across Massachusetts this August to raise money for the Jimmy Fund in support of life-saving cancer research and care at Boston’s renowned Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. As I have done for the last five years, I will wear my blue and yellow team jersey on the second day of the ride with my Team Kinetic Karma teammates. Each year, we ride for all of those affected by cancer, as well as our young pedal partners. But this year, we ride for Captain Dave.

Dave registered for his first Pan-Mass Challenge in 2002 upon learning of his mother’s fourth cancer diagnosis. She had beaten cancer three times before, and Dave was confident that she would beat it again. Dave and his family pursued numerous treatment options, some brand new and untested, in the hope that she would conquer cancer a fourth time. Despite Dave’s valiant efforts to find a treatment to save his mother, she passed away on the first Friday in August that year. Dave somberly began his first Pan-Mass Challenge the very next day.

In 2003, Dave formed Team Kinetic Karma, the team that I now am on. He has grown the group over the years to become an eclectic second family for its members. He celebrated with several teammates as the 2013 PMC check was presented to Dana-Farber last November. Days later, he received a terrifying diagnosis of his own. Stage 3 oropharyngeal (throat) cancer.

Dave’s doctors at Dana-Farber – the very hospital he had raised over $140,000 for by riding the PMC – prepared a course of treatment to destroy his cancer. The treatments consisted of robotic surgery to cut out his tonsils and parts of his throat, soft palate, and tongue to remove the cancer, followed by  traditional surgery to remove 18 lymph nodes in his neck. He then underwent six weeks of radiation therapy. Near the beginning of his daily radiation treatments, Dave came over for dinner and we caught up on things cancer-related and not. At the time, he had been jogging to and from his appointments in an effort to stay healthy – and to retain a sense of normalcy. By the end of his treatments, the cumulative effects of radiation had him relegated to his bed and unable to eat much on his own.

Over a month has passed since his last radiation treatment. Messages from Dave were mostly about his lethargy and his frustration about losing weight and energy, and waiting for that elusive light at the end of the tunnel, signaling a turning point in his recovery.

Meanwhile, Team Kinetic Karma started gearing up for the 2014 PMC – we held our first official training ride of the season a few weeks ago. I went fully expecting to take a group photo to send to Dave to cheer him up. As I pulled in, I noticed Dave’s car. I first thought of how nice it was that he came to see us off. Then I saw him dressed in his Team Kinetic Karma jersey. And bike shorts. And I thought, maybe he will ride the first five miles or so (we had planned a 28-mile loop).

Dave rode the entire 28-mile ride with us! And he looked strong! If Dave hadn’t seen that light yet, he definitely pedaled toward it, and I think he may have found it that day. I’m not a doctor (I don’t even play one on TV), but I can say that on that day, I saw a man who had conquered cancer. Dave’s journey has been inspirational throughout, from diagnosis in November to surgery in December to radiation in January and February to a 28-mile bike ride in April. I’ve never been more inspired to ride the PMC.

At 41 riders, Team Kinetic Karma will field its largest contingent ever for the 2014 PMC. I will be among them. So will Dave. I can’t wait to approach the finish line in Provincetown, “champagne” toast in hand, with my friend.

Please support my Pan-Mass Challenge ride in honor of Dave and all the other brave cancer fighters, and in memory of those that we have lost to cancer. 100% of your donation will go straight to the Jimmy Fund in support of the research and care that helped save Dave’s life and the lives of thousands of others. Dave is making his cancer history. Will you help make cancer, as we know it, history? Please make your donation today.

Back in the Saddle

It's been a long time since my last post in August. Since then, I completed the one-day, 125-mile Harbor to the Bay ride from Boston to Provincetown. It was a great day and a challenging ride, but I crossed the finish line strong and proud. Thanks to my generous donors, I raised over $1,400 for Fenway Health, one of the world's leading health centers for the LGBT community. I'm planning on signing up again for the ride this September, so stay tuned!

In November, the Pan-Mass Challenge announced that the 2013 ride raised a record $39 million for the Jimmy Fund, bringing the all-time total raised to $414 million! I am so proud to be a part of this efficient, large, and incredibly successful organization. The funds that we raise are saving lives, and there is nothing more important than that,

2014 marks my 11th Pan-Mass Challenge ride. For my fifth year, I am joining Team Kinetic Karma for the two-day, 190-mile ride from Sturbridge to Provincetown. In August, we will join 5,500 riders for the annual trek, raising over $40 million along the way. Please join me in my journey along the way. From now until August, I will be posting about my training and fundraising activities. I hope to inspire you to donate to this excellent cause. 100 percent of your donation will go to the Jimmy Fund in support of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's innovative research and compassionate, life-saving cancer care. Click here to make your secure, online donation today.