2002 - I
DID IT!!!!!!!!!!!!
In Support of the Ride..
My
e-Gift - JT0098
https://www.pmc.org/egifts/MakeADonation.asp?eGiftID=JT0098&FromSelection=Yes
I would like to thank everyone who supported my
Pan-Mass ride financially and with good wishes. I completed
the ride from Sturbridge to Provincetown -192 miles. While I
wasn't the speediest rider, I wasn't the last either!!!! On
my shirt, I wore the names of those who I was riding in
honor of, or in memory of. I was very proud to wear those
names and to have the sponsorships of so many people who are
my friends.
Friday night we attended the opening ceremonies which
lasted until 9:00 PM, then we went to the hotels and got up
at 3:15 AM to be ready to board the 4:00 AM bus to the Host
Hotel for breakfast. At 6:00 AM we rode from the Sturbridge
area in groups according to our average speed. We were
treated to a bagpiper at the hardest hill!. A traffic
accident backed us up at one of the rest stops and created
some tie up of riders leaving that rest stop but other than
that, the first day went off without a hitch. We did around
104 miles that Sat and it was fun!
We spent the night at Mass Maritime Academy in Bourne.
The dorms were HOT (which is where I stayed), the ship was
air-conditioned but didn't have enough water - those in the
tents on the fields got an unexpected shower from the
sprinkler system at around 3:00 AM - so that night was
*interesting* for all of us. We got up around 4:00 AM Sun
for breakfast and to prepare for the second day of
riding.
The second day while not as many hills or as long, was
much harder. Two days of little sleep plus the effects of
the heat made every rest stop seem SO far away. The food was
great, the sagging (trucks along the route with
water/roadhelp) was super. I was so impressed with those
fantastic folks who sat out in the heat for hours to cheer
us along the route -. If you have ever clapped at a race and
wondered if it makes any difference - it DOES! We especially
appreciate those folks who hosed us down - I would ride
across the road to get hosed down! I was also amazed by the
volunteers who made the lives of the riders easier - lugging
our bags, serving us food, etc. For me, cleaning up would
have been much harder than riding :-)
The final miles into P'town were definitely the hardest.
There was no shade, and it was later in the day and the
pavement *enhanced* the heat. When I rode into P'town I was
greeted by a crowd of folks who were clapping all of the
riders. Wow, were those folks appreciated. I was very spent
emotionally and dehydrated by the end of the ride. I didn't
expect to feel such a huge emotional surge at the end. I was
riding again by Wed after the Sunday ride so the
conditioning I had done was good - thanks to those of you
who biked with me!!
I am planning on doing the ride again next year. I
learned a good deal about how I can do better. If anyone is
interested in doing the event and would like someone to
train with, let me know. It was the greatest physical
accomplishment of my life and I feel very fortunate that I
can do something I love which benefits cancer research. Very
few of us haven't been touched by the effects of cancer and
it's my fervent hope that the sponsorship of my ride will
lead towards a cure for cancer.
If you intended on sponsoring the ride... or would like
to, we are still able to take donations.
Thanks for all of the good wishes..... I felt like SO
many people were with me on the ride, and because of that
support, I am pleased that I can tell you that I
DID IT!
janet
...... IN BEGINNING
I will ride my bike 192 miles in the Pan-Mass Challenge
on August 3 and 4. I will leave Sturbridge at 6am on August
third, stop in Bourne to spend the night in the Mass
Maritime dormitories, and arrive in Provincetown on the
fourth. The PMC is the single largest contributor to the
Jimmy Fund at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Most of us give
money to many charities. Cancer doesn't discriminate. It
hasn't skipped over the people we care about. Cancer took my
mother , my father, my mother inlaw and brother inlaw. You
probably have someone's struggle weighing on your heart
too.
In order to participate, I must raise at least two
thousand dollars by August 1. As long as I have your pledge
by then, I can accept your check as late as mid-September. I
hope that you will help. I've been training and will do the
hard work. All I need from you is a check. If you can
dedicate twenty-five or fifty dollars to helping find a
cure, you will be in good company. Any donation will be
appreciated.
I will wear the names of cancer patients and survivors on
my shirt for all 192 miles. If you would like to dedicate
your donation to someone dear, please include his or her
name in an email to me.
My eGift ID is JT0086.
Donate online by going to the PanMass website or copying the
URL below.
https://www.pmc.org/egifts/makeadonation.asp?egiftID=JT0086&FromSelection=Yes
Thank you for your help,
Janet Tortora
|
2002
Ride