Pan-Mass Challenge Travelogue
This is the short version of my PMC Travelogue. Click here for the
long version.
Preparation
On August 4-5 I participated in the Pan-Massachusetts Challenge, a
charity bicycle ride to benefit Boston's Dana-Farber Cancer Institute,
through their fundraising arm, the Jimmy Fund. Although the PMC ride has
several routes, my two-day ride went from Babson College in Wellesley to
Mass Maritime Academy in Bourne, and then back.
I began training for the ride back in October, when I bought a new
bike. I trained throughout the winter months, riding an average 50 miles
per week, and ramping up to 130 miles per week in June and July, and one
record week of over 200 miles. By the time of the ride I'd done two
70-mile trips and had put 2750 miles on my bike. I'd also also taken a
five-session bicycle repair class.
Aside from cycling, I also contacted a lot of friends, family
members, and coworkers to solicit donations to fight cancer. Getting in
touch with people I hadn't talked to in years was one of the ride's side
benefits, and I also heard several moving stories from friends whose
families had struggled with cancer. I was very happy to meet my
fundraising minimum about a week before the ride.
Friday, the day before the ride, I had to borrow a friend's car to
go out to Wellesley and sign in. However, on the way home, the skies
opened up in a massive thunderstorm, and the resultant flooding made it
difficult for me to get back home, even in the car. Because of that, my
plans to eat a hearty supper and get lots of sleep were shot. Getting
home late, I ate what I could while packing, and got to bed around 11pm.
Saturday
When I got up at 3:30am Saturday morning, just four hours later,
the first thing I did was check the weather. Although the rain had
stopped, there was a threatening overcast, and the front that was
supposed to have gone by had stalled directly above us; the outlook for
the weekend had gone from "scattered showers but clearing" to "overcast
with pockets of heavy rain".
At 5am I left to meet my friend Jeanie and her sister Becky, who
gave me a ride to Wellesley. It was ironic that 26 year-old Becky would
be there, because although she was in town only to visit Jeanie, who was
recovering from abdominal surgery, Becky had been diagnosed with breast
cancer in October and was one of the reasons why I originally chose to
do the PMC ride.
After being dropped off and making final preparations, I lined up
with the other 1100 Wellesley riders, listened to a brief opening
ceremony, and hit the road. The first two hours were overcast and damp
but pleasant, and the crowd gradually thinned out before we merged with
riders from another route coming from Sturbridge just before lunch. Just
as I got to the lunch stop, the heavens opened up in a heavy rain. I
bolted a very soggy ham sandwich and hit the road again. For the next
hour it just poured, and I got soaked to the bone. Fortunately, it
wasn't a cold rain, so once I got used to the idea of feeling like I was
taking a cold shower fully clothed, it wasn't too bad, and by the end of
the third segment it looked like the rain was going to let up. The last
segment was a little difficult, mostly because my neck and shoulder
muscles had stiffened up, but eventually I pulled into Mass Maritime to
an enthusiastic cheer from the crowd. I had biked from 8am to 2pm (5
hours) and covered 88 miles through 17 towns, averaging 18 MPH.
After signing in, I found my dorm room and took a cold shower. I
enjoyed a 15-minute massage, then discovered two important food tents:
one selling roasted corn, and the other selling cups of ice cream. I
grabbed two of each, and laid back on the grass to relax. Thinking about
the people who had supported my ride brought home something PMC founder
Billy Starr had said at my new rider orientation. The ride isn't the
point of the event; the ride is just your reward for being a successful
fundraiser. Although I hadn't really got that feeling during the ride
itself, I certainly felt that way after my corn, ice cream, and massage!
And after I rested and thought about that a little more, I decided to
reinforce it with two more ears of corn and two more cups of ice cream!
Remembering that I was only operating on four hours' sleep, I went
to bed at 7pm, but slept very fitfully, listening to the rain which
returned during the night.
Sunday
Sunday morning we were up at 4am. The rain had stopped, but
everything was still sopping wet. I packed up and had some breakfast,
and made some last-minute preparations before setting out again before
6am.
There were only a few hundred people riding back to Wellesley; of
those who had started there, most had only rode one-way to Bourne, and
still more were going to continue on to Provincetown. What that meant
was that there would be fewer groups to ride with on Sunday, and by then
I'd learned how significant the benefit is of riding behind someone
else.
The ride back was pretty uneventful, save for the last 15 miles;
they were torturous. To begin with, I was already worn out from so much
cycling. Second, I was all alone because everyone was spread out, and
there was no one to ride behind. Third, at 25 miles, it was also the
longest segment without a rest stop. And as if that wasn't enough, it
was also the only segment with noteworthy hills, featuring a long series
of rolling hills that trended upward. Those last dozen miles were a test
of stamina and will, but I wasn't about to falter almost within sight of
the finish. I rode onto the Babson campus and gunned my way up the hill
to the official finish line, receiving loud cheers that I knew were just
for me, since there was no one anywhere near me when I finished. I'd
ridden from another 5 hours from 6am to 11am, covering another 72 miles
through 14 towns at an average speed of 17 MPH.
For the entire ride, I biked 160 miles through 21 towns in 9 hours,
averaging 17.4 MPH.
Conclusions
In the end, I was very satisfied with my performance. I rode a
record distance at a speed well above my usual average, and the only
time I stopped other than at traffic lights or rest stops was once to
remove a rain jacket. I had no mechanical problems with my bike, nor any
no issues with cars along the roads, which remained open. Surprisingly,
I had plenty of strength left over and no aches to speak of; I left the
ride feeling better than I did after many of my training rides!
I had a few things go right, but even more lessons learned. On the
positive side, I stood out in the crowd because I wore sandals on the
ride. Many people were surprised to learn that they were special cycling
sandals that clipped into my pedals just like professional cycling
shoes, and they worked great, especially in the rain. A few other people
noticed the portable GPS unit mounted on my handlebars. It used
satellite signals to tell me where I was, and because I'd entered the
coordinates of our route, at all times the GPS displayed the distance
and bearing to my next turn.
On the other side of the equation, I made a couple rookie mistakes.
I wore shorts and a tee shirt rather than cycling shorts and a cycling
jersey, and the difference was a degree of discomfort. But by far my
most aggregious error was in carrying a shoulder bag with way too much
stuff inside. That, plus the added weight as the bag got soaked in
Saturday's rain, contributed to the problem I had with my neck and
shoulder muscles on the first day.
As for the details of the ride itself, it's something of a blur.
When training, I always rode alone and had to pay close attention to a
map, but because the ride's route was well marked, I just kept riding,
and didn't get much of a sense of place while doing so. In addition,
you'd think cycling would give one the opportunity to think and enjoy
the scenery, but I found myself completely focused on the riders around
me, any immediate obstacles in the road, and where my upcoming turns
were. Like a driver on a busy and unfamiliar interstate, I often didn't
have the opportunity to enjoy the ride.
I'm somewhat glad the ride is over, because now I can take back the
immense time and energy I put into training for it. But in the grand
scheme of things, I enjoyed the ride immensely. I'm proud of the $2400 I
raised for the battle against cancer, and am very glad I did it. As
someone who donated to the cause, I have to say thanks for your
sponsorship that enabled me to enjoy this great event.
On November 11th, the Pan-Mass Challenge will formally present the
check from the fundraising for this year's ride to the Jimmy Fund. Our
goal is to have raised a record $13 million. Your contribution will help
us reach that goal, and by funding the research of one of the most
prestigious cancer institutes in the world, it will also bring us closer
to the ultimate goal: a cure for cancer.
Thank you.
Orny's Biking Page