The 2013 Pan Mass Challenge was again powerful and inspiring. During the course of the
two day event, there were alternating moments of difficultly and exhilaration;
overall it was another wonderful experience!
The weather was perfect and the thousands of supporters that lined the
route made the ride all the more enjoyable.
This year I
left from Sturbridge. The day before the event I drove down to Sturbridge to
register and pick up my riding jersey. While there, I saw former U.S. Senator
Scott Brown going through the registration process and posing for photographs. (There
was no sign of John Kerry this year.) Later that evening Tina and I checked
into a motel in Sturbridge. We had decided to spend the night in Sturbridge so
that I could be at the starting gate bright and very early the next morning.
Saturday
morning came a little too quickly – the alarm went off at 3:00 AM. Like last
year, I didn’t get much more than 3 hours sleep, but I was so excited about the
ride I did not think too much about it. By 4:00 we were eating breakfast at the
motel, and within an hour we were at the starting area. At about 5:25 they sang
the National Anthem, and then, in the early morning darkness, we were off!
The ride out
of Sturbridge is known for its hills, which had concerned me, as I was
anticipating long, very steep climbs. However, I discovered that they were
mostly lower, rolling hills. The terrain was like this for most of the first 70
miles. I found this stretch to be tiring yet manageable.
As we rode
through town after town it was uplifting to see all the enthusiastic supporters
along the side of the road. It seemed at times that one neighborhood would
compete with the next to assemble the most enthusiastic gathering. I think it
was in Wrentham where there was a neighborhood that had the atmosphere of a Caribbean
carnival – a full steel drum band, balloons festooned in an arc over the street
and people dancing along the side of the road. This was immediately followed by
a kilted drum corp at the next block.
The weather
for most of the two days was absolutely beautiful, with temperatures in the
60’s, low humidity and high, puffy white clouds. I overheard the conversation
of two young women as they passed me on their bikes – the words of one of them
nicely summed up the conditions: “this weather is, like, spectacular!” It was a big difference from last year when we had
temperatures in the mid-90’s and high humidity.
One phrase I
heard often throughout the two days was: “this is a ride, not a race”. The
longer into the ride, the more often it was said - perhaps by cyclists trying
to justify their slower pace as the miles wore on. I said it myself many times.
While there were some that were treating the event as a competition, there were
others that were obviously taking the cycling challenge less seriously. Some
cyclists wore rather interesting garb: a group of men were dressed like
banditos, a group of women had angel wings on their backs and halos over their
helmets, a few men were wearing tutus, and many riders had various novelty
items attached to the tops of their helmets - from martini glasses to Kermit
the Frog dolls.
Of course,
the most meaningful aspects of the event were the messages, in various forms, of
what it is all about. There were reminders of the huge challenges in fighting
cancer and finding a cure, coupled with messages of hope. The Lakeville
water-stop was again a highly emotional moment, despite the fact that I was
prepared for it this year: the scores of posters in quick succession depicting
photos of young cancer patients, immediately followed by an especially
boisterous crowd of supporters (including, I believe, some of the very kids
whose photos we had just seen) cheering the riders as if we were some kind of
heroes. Another image that tugged at my heartstrings was in the Town of Dennis.
A boy – perhaps 9 or 10 years old - was standing in a crowd along the side of
the road holding a large sign that boldly said: “Adios Leukemia”. I imagine
that either he or a loved one had been battling the disease; but he looked like
a brave kid and the boldness of his sign exuded courage and confidence of
victory. I chatted with a 67 year old man who said he has been riding in the
Pan Mass Challenge for the past seven years, ever since he was diagnosed with
cancer. He said how much he loves participating in the ride, which gives him confidence
to continue fighting.
I completed
the course at about 12:30 on Sunday afternoon when I pedaled into the finish
area at the Provincetown Inn. I was not
much the worse for wear. Except for a few minor aches and pains, I had no
problems to speak of. Overall it was a very positive experience and it was
especially heartening to see all the people that have benefited from advances
in fighting the disease. Our fundraising total for this year’s ride is
currently at $6,384 and still rising! I am amazed and extremely grateful at the
outpouring of support. Your financial contributions, prayers and well-wishes
are greatly appreciated. I would like to give special thanks for my wife, Tina.
Through the training, fund-raising and the two days of the actual event, she
was there with encouragement, love, advice and tactical support. Her help throughout the entire process was
instrumental in my participation in the event.
I
would like to thank everyone for their support. It is an honor to have it and was
very motivating. The money raised is going to a great cause - the PMC is
leading a charge to beat cancer and 100% of the rider-raised funds go to the
Dana Farber Cancer Institute's efforts to finding a cure. Thanks again to all!
