My 19th PMC: HOT HOT HOT!

My 19th Pan-Mass Challenge ride was a return to everything that makes the weekend special: seeing my teammates and the thousands of other riders at the starting line in Sturbridge, thanking and being thanked by cheering supporters along the route, and beer, the ultimate electrolyte replacement beverage after a long day of riding (don't verify that, just trust me!). It was so nice to have a "normal" PMC again.

Hot but happy at the lunch stop!

But man, was it hot.

It was the third hottest PMC in its 43 years of existence. The only two hotter PMC weekends were in the 1980s, so this was definitely my hottest PMC ever. Luckily, the storms that loomed on Friday night and Saturday morning missed us in Sturbridge - otherwise, in addition to being hot, it would have rivaled 2014 and 2018 for wetness as well.

On Saturday, my teammates and I assembled at the starting line before dawn to ready ourselves for the 110-mile ride to Bourne. It was so nice to be starting again from Sturbridge, the most traditional of the PMC routes. It is longer and harder, but something called the Pan-Mass CHALLENGE should be hard! The great benefit of riding from Sturbridge for me is seeing my friend Sheila at mile 4 in Charlton, holding a massive homemade "Go Jared F!" sign. I always stop for a pic with Sheila! Ironically, later that day I saw a fellow rider who was also a Jared F. I didn't talk to him that day, but he saw me right before finishing on Day 2 and we had a good laugh about it. I made it clear that the sign was for ME! :)

The hills in the early part of the Sturbridge route weren't as hard as I had remembered, but clearly they took something out of me, because from miles 49 to 69, I experienced some severe cramping. I think it was mostly a nutrition issue - not being able to eat and drink enough to keep up with the profuse sweating I was experiencing. I pushed through the pain and at the lunch stop at mile 69, I filled up on liquids and salty snacks (like, a whole cup of sandwich pickles and juice). It did the trick! No more cramping for the rest of the day!

Team Kinetic Karma at the end of Day 1

Not that the rest of the day was a walk in the park. The remainder of the Day 1 route is relatively flat compared to the early part of the ride, but it is exposed. And it was windy, feeling like a convection oven when combined with the heat. At the 85 mile mark, we saw Zinnia, our team's pedal partner, and she was as cute and charming as she was when we biked to her house! The rest of the ride that day was exhausting. No cramping on my part, but...did I mention it was hot? It was eerily quiet along the route - usually riders chat throughout the day, but people were pretty quiet and focused on the physical task ahead - and not psyching ourselves out.

Fluffernutters - bicyclist fuel!

Riding into the Massachusetts Maritime Academy (MMA) in Bourne is a highlight that I haven't experienced since 2019 due to Covid. The PMC takes over the campus with a party to celebrate finishing Day 1 - all the food you can eat and beer you can drink, live music, and camaraderie. It was so nice to experience that again. And another first since 2019, I got to see my friend Kim who volunteers at MMA every year! It was so nice to see her again too.

Day 2 starts early. Luckily it was forecast to be a little cooler, plus I typically finish the 80-mile ride before noon, so I naturally avoid the worst of the heat. Still, my body was suffering a little from the day before. But, we ride on! A few of my teammates and I left from MMA before 5:30 AM and rode over the Bourne Bridge - the first of more hills than you'd think on Cape Cod! We met the rest of our teammates on the other side of the bridge and continued the day's ride. 

Day 2 has a series of milestones that make the day fly by: riding over the Bourne Bridge, riding along the Cape Cod Canal bike path as the sun rises before us, climbing and descending through the roller coaster that is Service Road, our team's "Twizzler Stop" in Wellfleet, riding the Truro hills, getting that first glimpse of Provincetown on Route 6, and the icing on the cake for the weekend, the Provincelands hills a mile before the finish line. It's bittersweet that the Day 2 ride flies by, but my legs were ready for a rest!

Another PMC in the books!

My teammates and I crossed the finish line around 11:20 AM, "champagne" glasses in hand as a toast to another successful ride. After a nourishing lunch (and refreshing beer!) I said my goodbyes to my teammates and friends and called my 19th PMC a wrap. 

The ride is a wrap, but my fundraising continues! Thank you to everyone who has supported my ride so far! I am still in pursuit of my $15,706 fundraising goal. Raising that amount (I am only $1,739 away) will put my 19 years of PMC fundraising at $150,000. If you haven't already, please consider making a donation to help in the fight against cancer. 100% of your donation will go directly to the Jimmy Fund to support the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's innovative cancer research and compassionate cancer care. Please donate today. 

Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

T-4 Days Until my 19th Pan-Mass Challenge!

Team Kinetic Karma with Maya, our former pedal partner!

As my 19th Pan-Mass Challenge rapidly approaches (we head to Sturbridge on Friday!), I am grateful.

I am grateful that, despite limited training over the last two weeks, my legs feel strong and my body feels ready to climb every hill and bomb down every descent. Muscle memory and my familiarity with the route will come in handy this weekend!

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 descend on Sturbridge this Friday (the first time since 2019 for me!), the crowds of riders remind us all that we are a part of something much larger than our individual selves. 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.

Team Kinetic Karma with Zinnia, our current pedal partner!

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 19 years, you have helped me raise $146,400 to support Dana-Farber. 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 6,500-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 $15,706 - a strange number, yes, but raising this amount will put my lifetime PMC fundraising total at $150,000. I have $3,600 left to raise to meet this goal. 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!

FINAL Day of the $4,000 in 7 Days Challenge!

Today is the LAST DAY of my annual PMC fundraising challenge! Over the last six days, we raised $2,330 - thanks to those of you who donated! As a reminder, here are the fabulous raffle prizes that you could win:

• A two-night stay at the 8 Dyer Hotel in Provincetown;
• A 60-minute massage at Boston Massage Associates in Boston;
• A $100 REI gift card; and
• A $25 Fandango gift card

As an added incentive to give TODAY, if we reach the $4,000 in 7 Days goal by raising $1,670 today, I will add FOUR new prizes to the pot: four $25 gift certificates to the restaurant of your choice! You can eat well and fight cancer at the same time! If we reach this goal, your chances of winning a prize will have DOUBLED!

Raffle tickets are $25 each, or five for $100. You can purchase raffle tickets through the end of the day today by making a donation online. I will pull four winning tickets; the first winner will have their choice of prize, then the second, and so on, until all prizes are awarded. If we have reached the $4,000 goal by the end of the day today, I will pull four more tickets for the restaurant gift certificates!

Have you already made a donation and feel left out of the raffle? Fear not! If you make an ADDITIONAL donation, I will DOUBLE the number of raffle tickets you get. For example, donate an additional $25, and get TWO raffle tickets; donate an additional $100, and get TEN raffle tickets!

As always, 100% of your donation will go directly to the Jimmy Fund, which supports innovative and life-saving cancer research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. This is one of the BEST ways to make an impact in the fight against cancer. Together, we can make cancer HISTORY (and you can win some fabulous prizes, too!).

The $4,000 in 7 Days Challenge is Back!

It is time, once again, for my annual PMC fundraising challenge! As you know, this year my goal is to raise $15,000 for the fight against cancer. My 2022 PMC ride - 190 miles over two days on August 6 and 7 - is approaching quickly!

Thank you for your support!

Over the next seven days, I hope to raise $4,000 in support of my goal. In order to help make that happen, I have some awesome and generous friends who have donated items for me to raffle off! The raffle prizes are:

• A two-night stay at the 8 Dyer Hotel in Provincetown;
• A 60-minute massage at Boston Massage Associates in Boston;
• A $100 REI gift card; and
• A $25 Fandango gift card

Raffle tickets are $25 each, or five for $100. The raffle runs from now through the end of the day on Tuesday, July 19. You can purchase raffle tickets by making a donation online. I will pull four winning tickets; the first winner will have their choice of prize, then the second, and so on, until all prizes are awarded.

Have you already made a donation and feel left out of the raffle? Fear not! If you make an ADDITIONAL donation, I will DOUBLE the number of raffle tickets you get. For example, donate an additional $25, and get TWO raffle tickets; donate an additional $100, and get TEN raffle tickets!

As always, 100% of your donation will go directly to the Jimmy Fund, which supports innovative and life-saving cancer research at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. This is one of the BEST ways to make an impact in the fight against cancer. Together, we can make cancer HISTORY (and you can win some fabulous prizes, too!).

Best in the Nation!

I ride the Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC) for a lot of reasons every year. It's a great physical challenge, it's more fun than you can imagine, there's unlimited beer and fluffernutters, and it's all for an amazing cause. Not only is it an amazing cause, but I firmly believe that donating to the Pan-Mass Challenge is the BEST way to make a difference in the fight against cancer.

This belief of mine was recently backed up in two ways. U.S. News & World Report has named Dana-Farber/Boston Children's Cancer and Blood Disorders Center #1 in the nation in its 2022-2023 Best Children's Hospitals report. Dana-Farber/Boston Children's has been recognized as one of the top three pediatric cancer centers in the country each year since the ranking's inception, earning more #1 rankings than any other program.

“Being recognized as the top pediatric cancer program in the nation by U.S. News & World Report is an honor,” said Scott A. Armstrong, MD, PhD, President of Dana-Farber/Boston Children’s. “This recognition is testament to our outstanding doctors, nurses and staff who work tirelessly providing exceptional clinical care while also conducting world-class research,  on behalf of patients and their families.”

Not only does the PMC support one of the nation's top cancer hospitals, but the PMC itself has its own superlatives. The PMC was one of the first (if not THE first) -athon fundraiser. Today, the PMC is America's largest athletic fundraiser, raising more money for charity than any other single athletic fundraising event in the world. The WORLD! Additionally, the PMC donates 100 percent of every rider-raised dollar directly to Dana-Farber and is the Institute's largest single contributor, accounting for more than 55 percent of the annual revenue at The Jimmy Fund. In 2011, the PMC raised a record-breaking $64 million, bringing its 42-year contribution to Dana-Farber to $831 million. 

I am so proud to be a part of such an amazing event that supports an incredible institution that is a pioneer in the fight against cancer. The 2021 PMC Impact Report shows where last year's funds went - millions and millions of dollars helping Dana-Farber combat cancer. 

In 2022, the PMC has a fundraising goal of $66 million - if we are successful, it will be another record-breaking year. I'm aiming to break a record of my own - my goal is to raise $15,000 this year, my highest total yet. Please join me in the fight against cancer by making a donation today. Together, we are making cancer HISTORY!

Gearing Up for My 19th PMC!

It has been a beautiful spring in New England, even if it did come a little late this year. The trees are almost fully leafed out, the early blooms are gone and we are welcoming summer flowers and pollinators. And another sure sign of spring has also arrived - cycling season. While I've been quite busy lately, I've been able to carve out time some rides in my area. It's spring, it's warm, and it's Pan-Mass Challenge training season.

For the 19th consecutive year, I am getting in gear (and trying to get back into shape!) to ride the Pan-Mass Challenge, a two-day, 190-mile ride across Massachusetts to raise money for cancer research. It will be the first time in three years that I ride the full Sturbridge to Provincetown route. While I very much enjoyed my "reimagined" PMC rides in 2020 and 2021, I am excited to revisit some of the PMC traditions that I look forward to every year.

I am not kidding when I say that PMC is my favorite weekend of the year. Sure, two full days is a lot of time to sit on a tiny bike seat, and no, the Cape is NOT flat. It's the camaraderie among the riders, the support provided by the awesome volunteers, and the cheers of the people that line all 190 miles of the route that make it the best weekend of the year. It is the best of humanity on display, and who couldn't use more humanity these days?

Did I mention beer? There is beer. No, not while we ride, but after at all of the main hub sites of the ride. And NOTHING tastes better than an ice-cold beer after riding 110 miles in a day! Fluffernutters are a close second.

The real motivation to ride year after year isn't the physical challenge, or the camaraderie, or the volunteer support, or the cheers. It is the pursuit of a world where families aren't torn apart by cancer. I've made it my mission for 19 years to raise as much money as I can to support the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in its fight against cancer. Every year I am reminded of the amazing advancements that result from our fundraising dollars, and sadly, every year I am reminded of cancer's toll on the families of friends and loved ones. Hearing the stories of those who have fought cancer motivates me to clip in and ride again. Until we make cancer HISTORY.

This year, my Team Kinetic Karma teammates are riding for our pedal partner, Zinnia. She is an adorable four-year-old that was diagnosed with bilateral nephroblastomatosis. Zinnia has been through a lot in her young life, but I am thrilled to say that she recently had an MRI that showed no tumor growth - fantastic news for Zinnia and her family! Zinnia wants to be a doctor someday, I am sure in part because of the excellent care she receives at Dana-Farber. We look forward to meeting her on a training ride this summer!

Camaraderie. Ride support. Cheers. Zinnia. There is one more motivation to do this ride year after year. It's you. You have supported my pursuit of a cancer-free world, and for that I am forever grateful. I ask for your support again this year. As you consider donating, think of your loved ones who have fought cancer, whether they are still with us or not. Think of four-year-old Zinnia, who bravely fights her cancer. And think, if you can, of a cancer-free world, and how great it will feel to have been a part of it.

My goal is to raise $15,000 this year. 100% of your donation will go directly to the Jimmy Fund in support of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's innovative research, applied science, and compassionate care. I strongly believe that there is no better way to join the fight against cancer than to jump on my handlebars and make a donation today.