Another Fantastic PMC Weekend!

Team Kinetic Karma readies for the ride with beer!

My 16th Pan-Mass Challenge ride is in the books, and I'm excited to tell you about it! You may think that after 16 years, the PMC has become routine for me and the others who ride every year. But every year's ride is different, as was this year's ride. Here are some of the highlights!

On Friday, the day before the ride, thousands of riders and volunteers descended upon Sturbridge to prepare for the weekend's ride. I took a PMC-chartered bus from Boston, which was easy-breezy! My seatmate was a first-year rider with a lot of questions. I was happy to fill him in on some of the details while holding back so as not to ruin any surprises. My #1 advice: go straight to the massage tent to get an appointment on Saturday!

Once I got to Sturbridge, I registered, checked into my hotel, and said hello to my teammates, some of whom had biked in from Sudbury and the Massachusetts/New York border. Next, of course, is beer, followed by the carbo-load dinner. It was nice to have perfectly pleasant weather, which made relaxing before the busy weekend that much easier. After watching the opening ceremonies, I retired to my hotel room and prepped myself and my bike for the early-morning departure.

It was so great to see Maya in Franklin!

4:15 AM - wake up! In case you've never been up at that hour, it's dark. You can imagine then how surreal it must be to see thousands and thousands of spandex-clad people shuffling around under flood lights - getting breakfast, putting their luggage on trucks, pumping their tires, and saying hello to friends. As departure time approaches, the sun comes up. Luckily, we were treated to a beautiful sunrise as we headed east on our journey.

The first few miles are on a wide stretch of Route 20. Its gradual and rolling hills are perfect for warming up your legs for the 110-mile day ahead. However, my legs weren't firing like I had expected them to. Could it have been the limited training I did? Maybe! Luckily they warmed up after the first rest stop and I was able to conquer the hills with confidence!

Goodnight, bikes!

Team Kinetic Karma had lots of visitors on Day 1! I saw my friend Sheila at the first turn of the day in Charlton, and we saw our former Pedal Partner, Maya, and her family at the Franklin rest stop, along with my teammates Doug's and Stephen's families. At the lunch stop, we saw former teammate Jo (wife to teammate Tyler!) and their family. And, of course, I saw my friend Kim who volunteers every year in Bourne!

After having the last 40 miles of Day 1 (plus all afternoon and evening in Bourne) be a torrential downpour, it was such a delight to finish Day 1 this year with sunny skies! It made recovering from the long day (and the requisite Harpoon beer) that much better! After dinner, a team photo, and a much-needed massage, I headed to bed early.

Early to bed? Why it's because it's another 4:15 AM wake-up call on Day 2! My teammates and I assembled and were off around 5:15 AM on our way to the Cape. After a slow but uneventful slog over the Bourne Bridge, we met up with some of our teammates who spent the night in Falmouth and continued along the familiar route to Provincetown. My body felt surprisingly stronger on Day 2, possibly due to Day 1 "warming up" my muscles, and partially due to my massage!

Our traditional "champagne" toast photo in Provincetown!

We saw more friends and family along the Day 2 route as well! Doug's parents and brother in Barnstable, Chris's family in Brewster, and Lance's family in Wellfleet, at their unofficial Twizzlers and Red Bull stop! As always, enthusiastic and thankful supporters lined the route, which gave us the fuel to continue our ride. Ok, the Red Bull helped a little bit, too.

After our traditional Team Photo in the dunes by Herring Cove Beach, we crossed the finish line in Provincetown, "champagne" toast in-hand! It's always a wonderful feeling, partially because I know I won't have to sit on my saddle for much longer, and partially because it is an emotional moment that is the culmination of the PMC. It's a wonderful moment to share with my teammates,

My 16th PMC is complete!

While the ride is over, the fight isn't. I am still seeking donations to meet my new, higher fundraising goal. I am $1,000 of raising $13,000 this year, and I hope that, if you have not yet made a donation, that you will consider making one today. The PMC is the largest fundraiser for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, and with its 100% pass-through rate, it is one of the BEST ways that you can join the fight against cancer. Make your donation today!

Thank you to all of you who contributed this year! I am grateful for your support, and am inspired by your commitment to the fight against cancer. Together, we are making cancer HISTORY!

Tomorrow, we ride.

As the sun rises on the day before my 16th Pan-Mass Challenge, I am grateful.

I am grateful that, despite only getting three long training rides in this summer (plus lots of shorter rides), my legs feel strong, and my body feels ready to climb every hill and bomb down every descent.

I am grateful for the volunteers who will nourish us for the long ride ahead. Fluffernutter sandwiches always taste better when made by a volunteer! I guarantee the first tears of the weekend will come when a child volunteer pours water into my bottle and thanks me for riding. No, thank YOU, kid!

I am grateful for my fellow riders. As we descent on Sturbridge this afternoon, the crowds of riders remind us all that we are a part of something much larger than ourselves. We all have our reasons for riding and fundraising, and together, we are making a difference in the trajectory of cancer. It is an awe-inspiring sight to see as we all depart from Sturbridge in the same jersey - the same team.

I am grateful for my Kinetic Karma teammates. My team Captain, Dave, pulled together a rag-tag group of misfits into one of the biggest fundraising teams in the entire PMC. I am looking forward to the rolling party that we create as we roll through town after town. My teammates helped me understand that cycling is a team sport.

I am grateful for the doctors, researchers, nurses, and staff at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute for taking the infusion of cash raised by the PMC and innovating solutions to cancer treatment that no one has thought of before, or that no agency was willing to fund because it wasn't a likely success. Dana-Farber is changing the way cancer is treated, and in doing so, is saving and extending lives - the lives of our friends and family, including several of my teammates. 

Finally, and this is a big one, I am grateful for my donors. Over the last 16 years, you have helped me raise $105,000 to support Dana-Farber (yes, we crushed that goal!). You are the reason I get to enjoy my favorite weekend of the year. You are the reason that all of this happens - the cancer research, the pacelines, the 6,700 rider event, and the fluffernutters. Thank you. Thank you. Thank you!

I've increased my fundraising goal because I know I can do more, so why stop now? My new goal is $13,000, of which I have about $2,000 left to raise. If you haven't donated yet, now is the time! Make a donation today in honor of or in memory of a loved one who battled cancer. Together, we will make cancer HISTORY!