It Doesn't Get Any Better Than This!

The start of the Pan-Mass Challenge is days away (five, but who's counting?), and the preliminary weather forecasts are starting to roll in. In early August, you generally expect to deal with oppressive heat and humidity until late afternoon, when dark clouds roll in and pour their contents on an overheated world (Mesdames and Messieurs, it appears the cloud goddess is ripe with rain babies! - where is this quote from?).
Well, not this year, apparently. The image above is from the 10-day Weather.com forecast for Bourne, the midpoint of the Pan-Mass Challenge. This is excellent news! While it won't be cool at, say, 2 PM, it will be a comfortable temperature for most of our riding time (which, I remind all of you, includes the 5:00 AM hour on Saturday and Sunday!). And those "0% symbols next to the temperatures - those are the chance of rain on each day! I couldn't ask for anything more. Well....
There is still plenty of time for you to make a donation to support my Pan-Mass Challenge ride. While I have reached the minimum fundraising commitment (thanks, friends!), who is satisfied with the bare minimum? I'm not, so my goal is to raise $6,300, and I need donations totaling $1,600 to make it happen. Make your donation today! Click here to visit my fundraising page. Thank you!

Pan-Mass Challenge - Now 50% Longer!

Though the event is called the "Pan-Massachusetts" Challenge, the traditional Sturbridge to Provincetown route does not span the entire state. While Provincetown is indeed the "end of the road," Sturbridge is in Central Massachusetts. A few years ago, a group of riders from Western Massachusetts (my homeland) decided to start their PMC weekend a little early in order to tackle the Berkshire Mountains in the western portion of the state, in order to make it a true Pan-MASS Challenge.
This year I'll be joining them, along with a few of my Team Kinetic Karma teammates. The ride on Friday, which begins at the New York border in Hillsdale, spans about 87 miles. We'll encounter multiple long climbs, including a 10-mile climb of over 1,000 feet in elevation. We'll then descend into the Pioneer Valley, cross the Connecticut River, and ride on to Sturbridge.
I've decided to add to the already challenging PMC route for a few reasons. First, I've increased my fundraising goal by 50% this year, so it only makes sense to raise my riding commitment in the same way. Second, I have a great group of teammates I'll be riding with, who will motivate me up those hills. And finally, I have the time and the energy, so why the heck not?
I hope that this demonstrates to you my commitment to the cause. If I ride longer and harder, perhaps it'll inspire you to dig a little deeper, all in the name of a cancer-free future. Do it for yourself and your loved ones. Do it for those who have inspired you by their strength in fighting cancer. Do it for Charlotte. Click here to make your donation today. Thank you!

The Spirit of the Pan-Mass Challenge

The annual Pan-Mass Challenge ride has become a Massachusetts tradition, like the fireworks on the Charles on the 4th and the Boston Marathon. Now in its 31st year, the PMC has made a huge impact not only on cancer research and care (through the $270 million that the event has raised for the Jimmy Fund), but also through restoring the faith in humanity of everyone involved in the event. The PMC is a weekend filled with good spirit and camaraderie, and that's what makes it my favorite weekend of the year. I've written ride reports for the last two years - they contain a full review of each year's ride. Here I'll touch on the highlights of the weekend, so for a full recap, click here for 2008 and here for 2009.
On Friday evening, riders assemble at the two starting locations (Sturbridge and Wellesley) to register for the ride, eat one last carbo-loading dinner, and watch the opening ceremonies, which are telecast on NECN. We're all reminded of why we ride - a nurse who is riding the PMC in memory of a favorite patient (and past PMC rider); a child who has bravely battled cancer (not once but twice); the families of loved ones who lost their battles with cancer but ride to preserve their memory. Friday prepares you emotionally for what is to come along the route over the next two days.
Saturday morning. Up early after only a few hours of sleep (who could sleep with so much excitement!). This is when you get a sense of the magnitude of this event. The photo at the top of this post gives you an idea of what it's like to be in Sturbridge at 5:30 AM. It's a moving sea of spandex. You feel like you're really part of something. When we roll out of the starting line and make those first pedal strokes, you realize you have a long way to go but have the best company in the world - 5,500 other riders, 3,000 volunteers, and countless supporters lining the route cheering you on and saying "thank you."
The next two days are filled with steep hills, long descents, Gatorade, peanut butter bananas, sore quad muscles, sweat, and smiles. The hills and sore muscles evoke the suffering of those fighting cancer. While not even close to the pain that cancer fighters endure, it is humbling to put my body through stress in recognition of their fight. The smiles and high-fives from children along the route remind me of how strong children undergoing cancer treatment must be. They remind me that cancer doesn't care who you are - it is a merciless disease.
When approaching the finish line in Provincetown on the second day, all the feelings that I've had over the past two days well up and overwhelm me. I'm excited to have achieved the goal of completing this physical challenge, but I wish somehow the good will and PMC spirit would continue on. That's why it's so easy to come back each and every year - this is truly the best weekend of the year.
I encourage you all to be a part of this event at some level. Consider riding or volunteering next year. Join us along the route to experience the PMC spirit first-hand (let me know if you need directions). Or do something RIGHT NOW. Make a donation to support this amazing event. It's an event so well-supported that 100% of your donation will go directly to the Jimmy Fund in support of cancer research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Your support means the world to me and everyone at the PMC, the Jimmy Fund, and Dana-Farber. Together, we will make cancer HISTORY!
To make your donation, visit my fundraising page. Thank you!

A Round of Successes

I've had a lot of successes on the PMC front as of late. Since it's been a while since I posted a training/fundraising update, I have lots of news to share. Grab a cocktail, sit back, and relax (and read on!).
1. Flatbread Company Benefit Night was a huge success! For those of you who didn't know, I held a fundraising event at the brand new Flatbread Company restaurant in Davis Square last Tuesday. A ton of people (including over 50 friends and friends-of-friends) came out to support my PMC ride. By the end of the night, we had raised $350 in raffle ticket sales (congrats to the winners!), $72 in homemade cupcake sales (thanks Wendy!) and a whopping $494.75 in proceeds from pizza sales! That's well over $900, all of which goes directly to the Jimmy Fund. Not bad for an evening's work.  
Fundraising event: SUCCESS!
2. Team Kinetic Karma rode to visit Charlotte, our pedal partner, who is currently undergoing treatment for Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Not everyone on the team was able to join us, but we made a strong presence at the Casgar household. Shy at first (who wouldn't be with a dozen men and women in head-to-toe spandex outfits in her driveway), Charlotte opened up and showed us her caterpillar toy. It really moves! :) We're all looking forward to seeing Charlotte and her family having fun at the "Pedal Partner" water stop in Lakeville on the first day of the PMC.
Making a child with cancer smile: SUCCESS!
3. Climb to the Clouds is an annual cycling event organized by Charles River Wheelmen, the local bike club. The ride includes a monumental climb up aptly-named Mile Hill Road to the Visitor's Center atop Mount Wachusett, just north of Worcester. My teammates and I started in Bolton and conquered the mountain together. In order to tack on some more miles, I continued my ride past the parking lot where we started the day to my house in Arlington. I finished the day strong with 92 miles and 3,658 feet of climbing under my belt. Click here for a map of the route and my stats for the day.
Being physically prepared for the PMC: SUCCESS!
So you can tell I've had a pretty successful couple of weeks. But real success will have happened when I've completed the 192-mile journey from Sturbridge to Provincetown and when I've achieved my goal of raising $6,300 for the Jimmy Fund in support of cancer research and care at Boston's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. I'm hoping to ride this momentum for the next 18 days before the start of the PMC. Please make a donation today. Click here to support the cause and to be a part of a cancer-free future. Thank you for your support!

Fundraising Event - Benefit Night at Flatbread Company in Somerville

Come dine at the BRAND NEW Flatbread Company pizza restaurant in Davis Square in Somerville on Tuesday, July 13th between 5 and 11 PM. They specialize in organic, locally-sourced, and absolutely delicious flatbread pizzas! A portion of the sales will go toward my fundraising efforts for the Pan-Mass Challenge. There will also be a raffle at the door. Invite your friends - this will be a fun night at an amazing restaurant for a great cause! 

Flatbread Company 
45 Day Street
Somerville, MA

"and boy are my legs tired!"

Remember that "500 miles in June" goal that I set for myself? Consider it done.
Today I rode my first century ride (100+ miles) of the season to end the month with 512 cycling miles under my figurative belt. I'm proud of myself for having achieved such an ambitious goal. I am also satisfied with other elements of my training - I rode two days back-to-back twice (an important training strategy to prepare for the 2-day PMC) and tackled some particularly steep and long climbs throughout the month. My legs feel stronger than they ever have - bring on the PMC!
I hope that achieving this goal helps you understand my level of commitment to the Pan-Mass Challenge and all that it does for the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Every time I sit on that saddle I think of the families that benefit from the advancements in cancer therapies and passionate care provided by Dana-Farber and how it is made possible by your donations. I am honored to know that the work that I am doing is playing a part in forming a cancer-free future. In future posts I'll tell you more about exactly how your donations are crucial in the fight against cancer.
Please make your donation today. Thank you for your support!

I will ride 500 miles (and I will raise $500 more!)

Ah, that song takes me back to my college years...
Anyway, Here's an update of my training progress. Since my time at the beginning of the month was taken up by graduation (yay!) and vacation (yay yay!!), I had to fit this month's training for the Pan-Mass Challenge in the last two weeks of June. I set an ambitious goal of riding 500 miles, which is an average of just over 30 miles per day of potential riding. As of today, I've ridden 284 miles over five riding days. I have seven days left in the month to achieve my goal. Can I do it? I think so, but it'll take a lot of motivation. That's where you come in.
To date I've raised $1,390, just over 20% of my total goal of raising $6,300. I would like to finish the month having raised $2,000 to motivate me to climb those hills. Like my training goal, this too is ambitious. However, my supporters have come through for me in the past, and I am confident that - with your help - we can achieve this goal too.
Remember, 100% of your donation will go directly to the Jimmy Fund in its support of cancer research and care at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute, one of the world's leading cancer research facilities. I feel very strongly that a donation to the Pan-Mass Challenge is an investment in a cancer-free future. Please join the fight by supporting my ride. Click here to make an online donation. Thank you!