This Foot Injury Won't Slow Me Down!

How is it already July?! It seems like yesterday that we were still wondering if it were going to snow again this spring. I, for one, am glad summer is here. It means warm weather, perfect for some of my favorite activities - sailing, and cycling!

Unfortunately, I experienced a fall about three weeks ago that injured my left foot. I was going out to the car to get our bikes off of the roof rack (after a great ride in the dunes while we were in Provincetown!). I was trying to get the bikes indoors before the rain hit. In my rush, I tripped over myself and fell forward on our front walkway. At first I thought it was just a bunch of scrapes and scratches. Two days later, though, I woke with severe pain in my foot, centered around my left big toe. I went to urgent care and they x-ray showed no fracture, but they gave me a fancy boot and sent me on my way with instructions to elevate, ice, and rest my foot.

I was worried about how the injury would impact my Pan-Mass Challenge (PMC) training. Because, you know, feet are an essential part of bicycling! Once the swelling went down, I was able to fit my foot in my cycling shoe. Because it has a hard sole that prevents foot flexing, it was actually very comfortable to ride my bike - no pain! Still, I didn't want to overdo it and prolong my injury, so I've ridden my bike only twice in the last three weeks.

The PMC approaches, despite the injury (which still hurts, by the way!). I saw a podiatrist this Wednesday (who said I DID fracture it, slightly!) and he said I am okay to ride my bike, so long as it doesn't hurt, I ice my foot after a ride, and that I don't ride for too long at a time. No, I didn't tell him I am riding 190 miles over two days in four weeks! I am hoping the pain is long gone by then. I'll be taking training a little easier than I normally do, but I am determined to be prepared for my 18th PMC in August.

I'm also determined to meet my fundraising goal! I am committed to raising $13,000 this year to help in the fight against cancer. So far, generous donors like yourselves have contributed nearly $4,000 towards my goal - thank you! I hope that my commitment - especially my determination to heal my foot in time for a fantastic PMC weekend - inspire you to virtually jump on my handlebars and join me in the fight against cancer.

100 percent of your donation will go directly to the Jimmy Fund, which funds the innovative cancer research and compassionate cancer care that the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute provides every day. The funds that we raise through the Pan-Mass Challenge are making a real difference in the fight against cancer. New therapies are extending and saving lives. Adults are living to see their grandchildren, and children are living to see their first days of kindergarten. I am honored to be a small part of this fight, and I would love for you to join me.

Please make your cancer-fighting donation today. Together, we are making cancer HISTORY!

All In for my 18th PMC!

First Training Ride of 2021!

It's spring - FINALLY! - and as I have done for the last 18 springs, I am training for the Pan-Mass Challenge. Even just typing "18" makes me feel old! This August will mark my 18th time riding my bike across Massachusetts to raise money to fight cancer. Some years it was on my old hybrid (slow and exhausting!), other years included an extra day to start at the MA/NY border (long and exhausting), and for the last 11 rides, they were alongside my friends on our Team, Kinetic Karma (fun and fun!).

Last year's ride was different - very different - but a few teammates and I "reimagined" our ride to replicate the traditional PMC ride that we love as best we could. For the 2021 ride, the PMC won't be completely back to normal, but there WILL be a ride, and I WILL be riding in it! It will basically be a mix of the traditional PMC and our reimagined PMC (with lots of health and safety protocols to protect us):

• An organized ride with thousands of other riders;
• Volunteers filling our water bottles and bellies;
• People cheering us on along the entire route;
• Beer!;
• An overnight stay at our team captain Dave's house;
• Watching the sun rise over the Cape Cod Canal; and
• A "champagne" toast in the dunes of Provincetown.

The aspect of the PMC that NEVER changes is the commitment to the fight against cancer. The Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is hard a work putting last year's $50 million fundraising total in this fight - over $10 million for pediatric oncology, $3 million for adult oncology, $1.6 million for cancer biology research, and much more. Read the 2020 PMC Progress Report for more details on the impact that the funds raised through the PMC (and donated by people like you!) are having in the fight against cancer.

2020's $50 million donation increased the total amount of funds raised by PMC riders to an astonishing $767 million. I have no doubt that many of the cancer innovations and increases in survival rates that we have seen over the last 41 years, and even in the last 18 years of me riding, are due in part to the monumental charitable movement that is the Pan-Mass Challenge. I am humbled and honored to be a part of this event, and to be a part of making cancer HISTORY.

As I embark on the 2021 PMC, I am asking you to jump on my handlebars and join me in supporting the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute to continue and expand their life-saving work. We all have our personal connections to cancer - a family member, friend, neighbor, or colleague - I ride for them all, in honor of their fight or in memory of their spirit. Please make a cancer-fighting donation today, and help us make cancer HISTORY. Thank you!

My Reimagined Ride is a Wrap!

On July 30 and 31, I completed my 17th Pan-Mass Challenge. It was not the PMC I am used to - no Harpoon beer on PMC eve, no singing of the national anthem at the starting line, no throngs of supporters cheering us on, no ice couches, no massages, and no party ferry. What replaced all of those things, though, was camaraderie, gazpacho, and a drive to stay committed to the fight against cancer.

I left my house at 5:30 AM on Thursday - the typical starting time of Day 1 of the traditional PMC. I rode solo to my teammate Stephen's house in Medfield, where I met the rest of my teammates. After some final bike checks, snacks, and loading the truck, we were off! Our first stop was Cherry Street, a street where, during a typical PMC, the entire neighborhood comes out and turns the half-mile stretch into a raging party! It was quiet this year, except for a few walkers that clapped us on. At the end of the street, we stopped near our fallen teammate Danno's house, to toast to him.

On we went with our ride, 8 riders strong. The weather was pretty great throughout the day! Our wonderful friends and sag truck drivers kept us fed and hydrated. The lunch we had was better than any lunch I've ever had on the PMC! Most of our route was on the traditional Day 1 route, so it was nice to be riding on familiar roads and to pass by the typical milestones. When we got to Bourne, where we typically spend the night, we crossed the Bourne Bridge and continued on to Falmouth, where we spent our evening. After 106 miles, we ended our ride with a splash - a jump off a bridge! Well, some of my teammates did - I was not interested in getting wet. :) Here is a link to my Strava for Day 1.

After a relaxing evening, which featured an outdoor shower, beer, and (lots of) pizza, we prepared for Day 2 of our ride - Falmouth to Provincetown. I was watching the weather radar, and an ominous green blob of rain was heading our way. Rain hasn't stopped us before (see 2014 and 2018)! We set out and had a steady (but warm) rain for the first 30 miles or so. At mile 27, we had the honor of meeting our new Pedal Partner, Abel, who lives in Mashpee. Abel didn't take long to warm up to us! In no time, he was smiling, laughing (you have to hear this kid's adorable laugh!) and telling jokes! For someone who is in the middle of a chemotherapy regimen, he is taking it all in stride, with a smile! We all could learn a thing or two from him.

On we rode. While the rain eventually let up, the roads were still wet, so it was a soggy ride until Brewster. On Day 2, we modified our route from the traditional PMC Day 2 route slightly, for safety reasons and to meet up with Abel. In Brewster, we deviated from the route again to pick up another teammate, who hosted us for a rest stop, complete with my absolute favorite PMC snack - fluffernutters! They are the perfect combo of carbs to get us all the way to Provincetown! I had 3. :)

Our last official stop of the day was the "Twizzlers" stop. Every year during the PMC, my teammate Lance's family hands out Twizzlers to riders as the crest one of the steepest hills of Day 2. They were there again this year, too! It was nice to hold on to some of the typical PMC traditions.

Speaking of PMC traditions, we kept up one of Team Kinetic Karma's annual traditions - a champagne toast at Herring Cove Beach in Provincetown. This year, our friends Leslie and Dave bought us the real stuff (well, technically it was sparkling wine, not champagne)! We toasted to each other for a ride well ridden, for all of the hard work each of us had put in to make the reimagined ride a reality, and to our wonderful sag truck friends! Our 2020 PMC is in the books! Here is a link to my Strava for Day 2.

Thank you so much to everyone who contributed to my Pan-Mass Challenge fundraising this year! There is still time, however, to make a donation to help me reach my new goal of raising $12,000 this year. I am just over $1,200 away from reaching that goal. As always, even during a pandemic, 100% of your donation will go directly to the Jimmy Fund in support of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's life-saving and ground-breaking work in the fight against cancer. Together, we are making cancer HISTORY. Thank you all!

3 Days Until Re-Imagined Becomes Reality

How is it late July already?! Oh yeah, because Covid screwed up the time-space continuum. Somehow, I've been able to log over 1,000 miles on my bike since April - the most I have trained for the Pan-Mass Challenge since 2010! I've really taken advantage of my flexible work schedule (now that I don't have a commute) to be able to go out on rides on weekday mornings. My legs are feeling strong!

One of my recent training rides was my team's annual ride to visit our former pedal partner, Maya. In order to be safe and socially distant, we had a small group of teammates on this ride. Maya is now 8 and remains cancer-free! In this picture, my teammates and I are sporting our new team jerseys - we got one for Maya, too! She'll be out there kicking cancer to the curb on her bike with us someday soon, for sure!

And it's good that they are, because I have an epic re-imagined PMC later this week! On Thursday, I will ride from my house in Milton to my teammate Stephen's house in Medfield, then ride down to pick up the standard Sturbridge-Provincetown route in Wrentham. After that, we will follow the PMC route all the way to Bourne. We will continue riding by crossing the Bourne Bridge (a typical PMC Day 2 element), then turn south to ride to my team captain's house in Falmouth. My re-imagined Day 1 will be 106.3 miles.

On our re-imagined Day 2 (on Friday), we will ride from Falmouth to Provincetown, largely following the standard PMC Day 2 route, but making some deviations for safety (we won't have the luxury of police slowing down traffic or managing traffic at intersections like the PMC typically has). We also have another deviation to our route – we are visiting our new pedal partner, Abel, at his house in Mashpee! He is 3 and is fighting a rare form of cancer. We can’t wait to see him (from a safe distance, of course!). We will finish in traditional PMC fashion - with a ride through the dunes in Provincetown and my team's "champagne" toast at Herring Cove Beach! Our re-imagined Day 2 will be another century - 102.3 miles.

In all, I will ride 208.6 miles over two days. That is about 18 miles longer than the traditional PMC route! I tacked on the extra miles, in part, to demonstrate my continued commitment to this ride and this cause. Cancer isn't staying socially distant during the pandemic. And the work to discover new cancer treatments and provide world-class care for cancer patients at Dana-Farber hasn't stopped. They need us more than ever to allow them to continue the life-saving work that they do every day. 

I hope that my commitment to this ride and to raise $10,000 inspires you to commit to making a donation for a cancer-free world. 100% of your donation will go straight to the Jimmy Fund in support of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's life-saving research and cancer treatment. Now more than ever, this amazing institution needs our contributions to continue to make cancer HISTORY. Thank you for your support!

LAST DAY of the $4,000 in 7 Days Challenge!

Today is the LAST DAY of my annual PMC fundraising challenge! In the first six days, we raised $2,250 - thanks to those of you who donated! As a reminder, here are the fabulous raffle prizes that you could win:

• A one-night stay at the 8 Dyer Hotel in Provincetown;
• A 60-minute massage at Boston Massage Associates in Boston;
• A $100 Amazon gift card
• Brunch for two at Yolqueria in Provincetown.

As an added incentive to give TODAY, if we reach the $4,000 in 7 Days goal by raising $1,750 today, I will add FOUR new prizes to the pot: four $25 gift certificates to the restaurant of your choice! You can help your community 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!).

$4,000 in 7 Days Challenge!

Maya is happy and healthy because of your support!

It is time, once again, for my annual PMC fundraising challenge! As you know, this year my goal is to raise $10,000 for the fight against cancer. My re-imagined PMC - 207 miles over two days on July 30-31 - is approaching quickly!

In 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 one-night stay at the 8 Dyer Hotel in Provincetown;
• A 60-minute massage at Boston Massage Associates in Boston;
• A $100 Amazon gift card
• Brunch for two at Yolqueria in Provincetown.

Raffle tickets are $25 each, or five for $100. The raffle runs from now through the end of the day on Tuesday, July 14. 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!).

COMMITTED to a Re-Imagined PMC

I am COMMITTED!

Yesterday, I crossed the 600-mile threshold for bike training rides this season. I've been riding a lot, but I haven't had a clear picture of what I was training for. Typically, I know exactly what to expect each Pan-Mass Challenge weekend, though there are always surprises! I remained committed to riding and fundraising, I just didn't know exactly what form my ride would take.

A few teammates and I have decided to re-imagine our PMC together! On Thursday, July 30, I will ride from my house in Milton to my teammate Stephen's house in Medfield, then ride down to pick up the standard Sturbridge-Provincetown route in Wrentham. After that, we will follow the PMC route all the way to Bourne. We will continue riding by crossing the Bourne Bridge (a typical PMC Day 2 element), then turn south to ride to my team captain's house in Falmouth. My re-imagined Day 1 will be 106.5 miles.

On our re-imagined Day 2 (on Friday, July 31), we will ride from Falmouth to Provincetown, largely following the standard PMC Day 2 route, but making some deviations for safety (we won't have the luxury of police slowing down traffic or managing traffic at intersections like the PMC typically has). We also have another deviation to our route, but I will talk more about that in the coming weeks. We will finish in traditional PMC fashion - with a ride through the dunes in Provincetown and my team's "champagne" toast at Herring Cove Beach! Our re-imagined Day 2 will be another century - 100.5 miles.

That brings my re-imagined PMC to two days and 207 miles - longer than the typical PMC, which is 192 miles! This will be the first time since 2001 that I will ride two centuries (100+ miles in a day) on consecutive days. With my increased level of training this year, I should be able to complete these rides with minimal pain! Of course, we will ride safe, socially distanced, wearing masks, and in small groups.

I hope that my commitment to this ride and to raise $10,000 inspires you to commit to making a donation for a cancer-free world. 100% of your donation will go straight to the Jimmy Fund in support of the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute's life-saving research and cancer treatment. Now more than ever, this amazing institution needs our contributions to continue to make cancer HISTORY. Thank you for your support!