This weekend, and again today I rode one of my favorite training routes -- north from Needham through Wellesley, Weston, Lincoln, past the Air Force base and airport in Bedford and into Concord.
The history contained on this route is amazing. 200 years ago we fought for the independence of our country on this ground, and many of the battlefields are now protected as national park land. It's amazing to ride through these areas, past houses that were built in the 1700s, along roads that may originally have been horse paths, and think that some of our nation's most important history happened in these very places.
This legacy is much of what keeps me in New England...the richness of our heritage is so evident here.
I took a break at the Concord Rotary and watched the tourists flock. Those of us that live here sometimes take this heritage for granted...we speed past the battlefields without a second thought, ignore the houses and taverns in which our nation's history was written. The tourists, from Alabama, or Missouri, or California, or New York, or even western Massachusetts, stare wide-eyed at these same historical sites. They read every word on the signs and plaques. They remind us of how lucky we are to live here.
Riding through these historical lands is a real treat. I am reminded of what happened here 200 years ago, and think of how difficult life then must have been.
By the way, I crossed paths with a fellow PMCer today...a guy that lost his right leg to cancer 30 years ago. He's out training for the PMC as well...doing his part to raise money for the cause. Or perhaps he's training for another triathlon. Either way, he makes a marvelous model for living after cancer. And for those who say riding 200 miles in 2 days, or raising $3,000 is too hard, well...all I can say is that anyone who puts their mind to it can accomplish this and much more.
The training is going well. I put in 100+ miles this weekend and another 55 today. I'm feeling old and slow and fat...at least the bike is losing weight. Between the two of us I think we'll do okay.
The fundraising has picked up some. I've raised almost $4,000 to date, which means that if I don't raise any more, *I* will be writing a check to the Jimmy Fund for $2,600 to meet the commitment I made.
My goal remains to raise $10,000 this year, and I'm confident that I will reach this goal. I've got so many people are with me on this mission of wiping out cancer, I know we'll do it!
To donate, please visit:
https://www.pmc.org/egifts/MakeADonation.asp?eGiftID=LL0033
Thanks!
Lee
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