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Eeek, I have to be honest, I didn’t sign up the first day which I normally do. I am nervous each year, but this year is feeling scary. I had a pulled calf muscle in the fall which has caused me to not cycle some through the winter. I am now working to get myself back into better shape!

Got up early Saturday morning and headed to Wellesley for the start of my 10th PMC. I was very excited that I have been able to do the ride for 10 years and recovered enough to do the ride after our cycling accident on May 10th. I just barely recovered with the help of some really good friends who rode the weekend before at my pace and helped me to gain back some confidence. Thanks to Ray, Tim, Andi, Ed, and Lori who gave up some of their time and alot of their speed to help me get ready to ride!

I met some of my Westford Wheeler friends and rode with them in honor of our good friend Greg Dana who was riding his first PMC as a cancer survivor. The first leg of the ride was very emotional as he worked so hard to complete the ride. He did an amazing job.

After we left Greg at the first rest stop I continued on by myself. It was very strange to be at the tailend of the riders, and maybe a little daunting as well since normally there are so many people cycling you don’t have to think about which way you’re going because there is always someone in front of you. I worked hard to get up further in the pack of riders and felt more comfortable with many cycling around me. Interesting test of my perseverance, making me think of all of those with cancer who feel so alone at times in a crowd of people.

Once I reached Bourne, I was delighted that my friend Eric once again got my tent placed for me. He has no idea how much I appreciate that help. As I am getting older, these gestures make such a big difference. I had a good night sleep despite the pouring rain! It was quite wet and at times I was afraid that the tent would blow away. I was very worried about cycling to P’town in the pouring rain.

Got up early, and headed out. It wasn’t raining for the rest of the ride but it certainly was ominous. As I was cycling along people on the side of the road warned me not to ride on the white painted lines. I didn’t really get why but heard later that because the paint on those lines got slippery with the rain, and cyclists were crashing. For some reason, I avoided the rain that hit some of the other cyclists. Maybe this was a case of not being so fast helped me!

At the end in P’town was my favorite person to see – from Westford as she checked me in! I was so happy that my family was there to congratulate me. They all thought that I weathered the ride quite well. I was glad to have gotten to the end without incident! and was so pleased that all my sponsors and those whose ribbons I wear could be proud that despite feeling like giving up, I kept on going!

Am I ready? Not so sure about it, but as with many things in life, we go forward with trust and hope that all will go well. It’s important to remember that the ride isn’t about me, it’s about all of those affected by cancer, those going through treatments and those who have passed. While I have personally been affected by cancer too many times, the PMC is about the greater community of concern about finding a solution for the disease. The good news is that in the 10 years that I’ve done the PMC many folks have been conquering cancer that may not have lived through it previously. The research is integral, supporting what Dana Farber does, matters. I’ve always said that other than having my own kids and raising them to adulthood, my proudest moments are when I reach Provincetown and conquered my own weaknesses to fulfill a need that I have to make a difference!
Thanks to all who have support my ride with sponsorship with kind words and with kudos!

John and I rode down Lowell Rd from Carlisle MA to Concord MA along a beautiful fairly flat Lowell Rd. We noticed road construction along the road and there were barrels in the patches of asphalt on the road. As we entered Concord, there continued to be long asphalt patches with barrels on the sidewalk but not in the patches. We came to a patch that was leveled to the road, but the exit was raised. John was riding along the patch, I was cycling on the street to avoid the patches. John hit the upward part of the patch and his tire flatted and he spun out on the road, he hit his head on the pavement and was knocked out. I hit his body, flew over the handlebars and landed on him. He was lifeless, I was in shock with my chin dripping blood. I held his hand and called his name. Two cyclists happened by and they called 911 and John started to wake up so I extracated myself from the bike heap. Two ambulances, both of us boarded and sent to the local hospital for neck CTs and John had a head CT because he had a concussion. I had facial abrasions, and a bump on my head and my arm looked broken but wasn’t. John ultimately was diagnosed with a couple of broken ribs and a separated shoulder in addition to his concussion.
We’ve been healing … but it will take time. Quite a testament to the importance of cycling helmets.

John and I had a terrific cycling tour with the Bicycle Adventure Club. We drove to Delmarva – Delaware, Maryland, and Virginia! I had never heard of Delmarva. It was glorious flat cycling BUT windy. John did close to 200 miles of riding and I did about 260 miles. The people on the tour were awesome, and we had so much fun!

Sat AM up at 4AM John drove me to Wellesley for 7am start. had the fastest PMC ever. I left Wellesley with a guy on the same team, and because of him, I got off to my fastest start ever, and I wasn’t even drafting him! averaged low 16 for the first 20 miles…. he kind of kicked me into a faster mode. We’d talk some and then ride. The ride from Wellesley is a great ride, not flat, but less hilly than Sturbridge so knees held up well. I finished the 83.3 miles (which is my longest ride this year) at 15.5 which is pretty amazing for me. 4816 ft ascent, 4948 descent, 3145 cal

I was really, really spent tho, set my tent up, drank some beer, slept ok outside, it was a great weather weekend and the night was good too.

Sun AM up at 3:15am got my tent down and went for breakfast. Off at 5AM which is a perfect time for me, Rode up the Bourne Bridge, hit the canal bike trail and saw the sun rising up and it didn’t glare too much then, but was beautiful. Conveniently at the end of the Sagamore Bridge there is a rest stop perfect time to put on sun glasses.. Wasn’t sure when I got up if I could do another day because I was SO spent from day one because I pushed myself more than normal. Well, you know how it goes, once you get cycling, no matter how tired you are, something kicks in. I was feeling ready good until the Nickerson Park rest area, which is around 40 miles.. starting to get tired after that, but there is so many of people on the side of the roads, lifting your spirits. I don’t imagine these people realize how much this helps when your body is starting to get tired, and you wonder how you can keep on going…. but it really helps! As I approached the Welfleet rest stop I was really pooped going up this hill, and this rider came beside me and encouraged me and rode up the hill with me and reminded me that I could do it! – such great supportive people on the ride. So many people would offer encouragement. Then I saw Brendan McGrath, a teacher who I had worked with, so I pulled over and talked to him – so nice to see him, and to take a break.

At the last rest stop – where you have the hardest 24 miles left! I bumped into an angel, Denise. Denise is from Wrentham and I met her at Bike Virginia my first year! How amazing is that. I didn’t really remember her all that well, but she found me at that PMC, then at BikeVA we connected again so through the last several years we’ve gotten to see each other and talk more. She’s a nurse at Newton Wellesley Hospital. At the last rest stop she said to me that we were going to ride the last 24 miles together. I really felt blessed because I was so tired, and there she was wanting to ride with me. Her spirit and drafting her really kept me going, I think those last miles would have dragged on forever if it hadn’t been for her. The section into Ptown is hilly, then flat stretches of no shade, sun glaring down at you and is really difficult after so many hours of cycling. But we did it… another 80 miles and I actually averaged 15 on the second day which is the best that I’ve ever done…. 3152ft ascent, 3142 ft descent 2621 calories burned.

I was met at the finish by the checkin woman who has checked me in for 8 of the 9 years that I’ve done the ride. She’s from Westford, and it’s the only time that we’ve seen each other! but it’s so nice to have her at the end.

She says she looks for me every year. And I am trying not to cry as I am riding in, the emotion really overtakes me, some of it from what you see on the ride, photos of people who have passed or who are surviving thanks to Dana Farber research. Some of the emotion is the angst I feel each year doing this ride, worried that I won’t be able to do it. Some of it is so many wonderful people encouraging me along the road. And some of it is that my folks won’t be at the end, not matter how hard I ride and how much I train and how fast I ride. At the end was my family! I am blessed.

Each year my son, , Rick takes great joy in asking me if I am doing the ride next year…. each year I am less than enthused with that thought! Next year will be my 10th year, and I will have raised $50,000 so I think I am in for the 2 day ride next year.

My knee survived much better this year – all the strength training has really helped (too bad that I hate it) I spent the last several weeks doing training rides with my friend, Val, from work. I know that if she hadn’t been there to help me things would not have gone as well as they had. Her strength is consistency of ride which really helped my training.
Life is good…. I am lucky, age 62 everything is still OK that I can do this ride. I feel very lucky about that!

PMC riders are supported by volunteers, donors, kids’ rides and other riders. A John Deputy video from the 2005 PMC opening ceremonies.

Pan Mass Challenge (PMC) Bedford Kids Ride – kids making a difference in the fight against cancer. Kids of all ages come with their bikes and donations to the PMC Bedford, MA Kids Ride.