Inspiration for My 13th PMC

This year marks my 13th consecutive Pan-Mass Challenge. I've been doing this ride for a while, but by no means has it become routine or ordinary. Every year's ride is different. My first PMC in 2004, which I rode on a hybrid bike, was more difficult than I had imagined. My ride in 2010, my first as a member of Team Kinetic Karma, was where I realized I had tapped into an amazing group of people who would become my friends. The torrential downpours in 2014 made that soaking wet ride one for the record books.

So what will make the 2016 stand out for me? It's who I'll ride for: Danno, Jeff, and Anna.

Danno is the one with the giant glasses and the huge grin.

Danno joined Team Kinetic Karma in 2011 and was a strong presence on our team ever since. A bicycle mechanic with his own shop in his garage, he was always at the ready to fix a flat, true a wheel, or, in my case, tell me that my frame was cracked. Danno also served as our team's athletic trainer, offering cycling workshops and giving advice during our long rides. He was also one of the spirited members of our team. Every time he saw a dog, he'd yell "puppy!" and it always made me smile. He and his wife, who lived just off of the PMC route, opened their home to our team and provided us with our own private rest stop, complete with fresh fruit, baked goods, and, of course, a bike shop for repairs. Danno passed away last fall doing what he loved most - cycling with his friends. This year, I dedicate my ride in Danno's memory. 

Dave, my team captain (left), and Jeff (right) in 2014.

Jeff was a childhood friend of my team captain, Dave. He had since relocated to California and was beginning an acting career when Dave was diagnosed with Stage 3 throat cancer. Inspired by Dave's fight, Jeff joined Team Kinetic Karma in 2014 (yes, the torrential rain year) to ride for his friend. Jeff was far from being a seasoned cyclist, but he crossed that finish line like we all did that year - soaking wet, and smiling. Sadly, Jeff was diagnosed with Stage 4 melanoma in November, shortly after Danno passed away. The cancer had grown too strong for modern medicine, Jeff's determination, and the thoughts and prayers of his loved ones to defeat. He passed away in January. This year, I dedicate my ride in Jeff's memory.

Anna and her father at last week's Pedal Partner Party!

Anna, Team Kinetic Karma's "pedal partner," is a sweet, strong, and charismatic nine-year old who, in October 2013, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia. Anna's doctors at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute put her on a chemotherapy regimen to rid her of her cancer. 32 days of induction (intense chemotherapy immediately after the diagnosis). Three rounds of three-week-long consolidation (more chemotherapy). Cranial radiation. 32 weeks of chemotherapy shots. Lumbar punctures. Pneumonia. Blood transfusions. This girl endured so much. Her treatments ended this past December, and I am thrilled to report that Anna is thriving! We saw her at the Pedal Partner Party earlier this month - she was thrilled to see "her bike team" and meet Wally, the Green Monster! Anna has many decades of smiles ahead of her. This year, I dedicate my ride in Anna's honor.

Inspired by Danno, Jeff, and Anna, I will expand my 2016 Pan-Mass Challenge by riding "Day 0," 90 miles from the MA/NY border to Sturbridge one the day before the PMC. That turns my ride into a 3-day, 275-mile Pan-Mass Challenge. I'm also raising my fundraising goal to $8,000 to match my increased physical commitment. Please join me in honoring Danno, Jeff, and Anna by making your cancer-fighting donation today. 100% of your donation will go straight to Dana-Farber's innovative cancer research and compassionate and life-saving care. 

Please visit http://profile.pmc.org/JF0128 to make your donation. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

Tomorrow, we ride.

A PMC Timeline:

• In January, I registered for my 12th Pan-Mass Challenge.
• In April, I started fundraising to raise critical cancer research dollars.
• In May, I started commuting to work by bike to get stronger.
• In June, I traveled - a lot - and missed my bike - a lot.
• In July, I collected donations totaling $4,500 and rode my bike up a mountain to get stronger.
• Today, I head to Sturbridge, the PMC starting line.
• Tomorrow, we ride.

To the 88 of you who have contributed in support of my 12th Pan-Mass Challenge, THANK YOU. You are a huge part of the fight against cancer, and I am honored to ride with your support. Thanks to your generosity, I am only $1,265 from meeting my $8,000 fundraising goal.

To those who have yet to donate, today would be a fantastic time to jump on my virtual handlebars and join me in the quest for a cancer-free world! 100% of your donation will directly support the programs and research that are saving lives, including the lives of your friends and family. Visit my fundraising page to make your secure donation.

Finally, it's become an annual tradition to carry the names of people who have battled cancer to honor their lives and/or memories. I have my own list of people "We Ride For..." but I also carry the names that my donors wish to honor. Please email me or submit a comment below if you'd like me to write anyone's name on the "We Ride For..." banners tomorrow night. After they are covered in names, the banners fly high over the finish line in Provincetown. Knowing the names of my grandmother, our pedal partner Anna, and my team captain, Dave, are on there bring me to tears every year. I'd be happy to write down your names as well.

Tomorrow, we ride. Thank you all, from the bottom of my heart.

Climb to the Clouds

This past Sunday, I did my annual "PMC litmus test" ride, which is called "Climb to the Clouds." There are various routes, but I chose the 60-mile route that goes up Mount (yes, as in MOUNTAIN) Wachusett. It was a hot, muggy day, as it always seems to be. As much as I would have loved 70-degree weather, it's a great test for the Pan-Mass Challenge - if you can handle this ride in that heat, you are ready for the PMC.

The first 20 miles of the ride are rather hilly (almost every street we ride on has "Hill" in the name), and then we start our ascent up Wachusett (on aptly named Mile Hill Road). It's a mile of a constant, relatively steep grade - the road winds slightly so you don't see the top until you get there. Then it's a looping road that goes up to the summit of the mountain. The steepness varies on this road, so you get a few breaks, but it is also steeper than Mile Hill Road in parts. Making it to the top feels like a huge accomplishment - can't you see the joy on my face?!

The remaining 35 miles are always hillier than I remember them to be. I was thirsty, hot, crampy, hot, and hot most of the way. Based on my performance, I am BARELY ready for the PMC. Boy was I tired. But I DID IT. By the way, I just looked at how much elevation I gained on the ride - 3,500 feet. That's almost 5 Prudential Center towers!

Speaking of the PMC, it starts in 9 days! Where did the summer go?! If you haven't yet made your cancer-fighting donation, do it today! It could save a life. Thank you! Click here to make your donation.

$2,500 in 7 Days Challenge!

It's early July (How did that happen? I feel like I was shoveling snow just yesterday!) and it's full-on summer, which means it's PMC training season. I've been traveling like crazy (9 trips in 9 weeks!) and I've struggled to get miles in on the bike. I am on vacation this week in Provincetown, however, and I got out for a short ride where I did repeats of the notorious Provincetown Dunes. I didn't feel as strong as I'd like, but it was good training. Despite my busy schedule, I'm confident I'll be able to conquer those hills in three weeks!

My fundraising continues as well. Today I launch my $2,500 in 7 Days Challenge! This is THE WEEK for you to make your donation! Every day I will be posting stories on Facebook of why I ride and what the event is like to give you a glimpse of why I do this year in and year out. I hope that it inspires you to make a generous donation to support the innovative cancer research that the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute is conducting.

Why not make your cancer-fighting donation today? It'll make you fee soooo good, I promise! Visit my fundraising page to contribute. Thank you!

Warm, Busy, PMC-focused Weekend!

This past weekend was a busy one, and every day from Friday through Sunday had a PMC-based activity:

Friday was the PMC Heavy Hitter Dinner, an annual gathering of the PMC's biggest fundraisers. Several of my teammates, friends, and I are lucky enough to be able to participate in what is one of the best PMC events besides the ride itself! This year Billy Starr, the founder of the PMC, introduced two prominent new riders: Mayor Marty Walsh (my neighbor!) and Governor Charlie Baker! It sounds like they are opting for the 25-mile Sunday loop, but I'd prefer to cheer them across the finish line in Provincetown! Maybe next year.

Saturday was the Pedal Partner Party, where teams who are participating in the Pedal Partner program meet the child that they are riding in honor of for the year. Team Kinetic Karma is thrilled to be riding for Anna for the second year in a row. While her cancer treatments continue, she remains the sweet, strong girl that we met last year. We are honored to be "Anna's bike team." You can see in the photo above that it was a fun event (we at Team Kinetic Karma never pass up an opportunity to laugh!).

And finally, on Sunday I got out for my first real training ride of the season. Ian and I rode a 29-mile loop on familiar roads in the western suburbs of Boston. I was hoping that the personal training I've been doing over the winter was going to pay off in the form of strong legs on this ride. At first, that wasn't the case. I felt sluggish and winded for the first 9 miles or so. I took a short break, refocused, and then found myself powering up hills and maintaining high speeds on flats. My mojo was back! I finished the ride with an average speed of 17.5 mph, which is very fast for me, especially for my first ride of the season. I guess all that time, energy and $$$ spent at the gym was worth it after all!

Mid-May begins my busy travel season, but I do expect to keep my training up as much as possible. I've also started biking to work on nice days - an easy way to get the miles in during the week. I'm also continuing my fundraising efforts in pursuit of my $8,000 goal. I'm just a couple dollars shy of $1,000 - join the fight against cancer today and push me over the edge! Please make your tax-deductible donation today. Thank you!

So Long, Winter. Hello, Cycling Season!

Well, Boston's snowiest winter ever is finally over. The snow is finally gone, the allium bulbs we planted last fall have sprouted, and our front porch furniture is out of the basement and in its rightful place in the sun. Most importantly, I have (finally!) ridden by bike OUTSIDE! What a great feeling to be back in the saddle after an over six-month break. Besides being fun and a great workout, my training rides are preparing me for my 12th Pan-Mass Challenge.

The PMC is on August 1st and 2nd, just under four months away. My goals are two-fold - to train hard enough to ride the two-day, 190-mile ride with minimal pain, and to raise $8,000 for the Jimmy Fund in support of cancer research and treatment at Boston's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. I don't expect your help in the training - that's all on me! But I do ask for your assistance in meeting my fundraising goal.

100 percent of your donation will go directly to the Jimmy Fund to finance cancer research and care that is saving lives, including those of my Team Captain, Dave, and our Pedal Partner, Anna. I'll write more about both of their stories in the coming months.

Please join me in the fight against cancer. Click here to make your secure donation today. Thank you!

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! :)