About My Heroes

This year’s Pan Mass Challenge, my 20th, was quite special. I had the honor and privilege to ride with two first year riders, son and daughter of a riding buddy who lost his battle to cancer ten years ago. Now they’re both old enough to ride the PMC.

In typical PMC form (Commit: You’ll Figure It Out), at the pre-event dinner last year, she made the commitment. "I’d like to ride the PMC." She hadn’t ridden a bike in years, she didn’t even own a bike, she didn’t really know what she was committing to. But she knew that she wanted to do it. So, still a teenager, she committed to riding the Pan Mass Challenge and to raising $4800 for cancer research.

And her commitment drew her older brother along. He committed to riding the PMC as well. No family discounts here…he also committed to raising $4800.

We pulled their father's bikes out of storage and had them refurbished. They trained through the spring and early summer and started their fundraising.

Then Saturday morning rolled around. She hadn’t ridden further than 20 miles on the road; he had some miles under his belt. Just enough to know what he didn’t know…

Saturday morning. 6:15. 85 miles. Unknown.

These two young adults taped photos of themselves with their father on their handlebars, hugged and kissed their mom, and hit the road.

I had not ridden with them before and didn’t really know what to expect.

We started off at a nice easy pace, covering the familiar roads of Needham and Dover. We had started early, so for a while we had the roads to ourselves. Survivors and supporters were just starting to set up their chairs and signs along the route.

Then, the first fast cyclists from Wellesley caught up with us. We lost a chain, stopped to fix it, and continued on.

These two young adults, my heroes for the weekend, just kept pedaling along. They took it all in…the supporters shouting encouragement, the cowbells, the pedal partner posters, the excitement.

The hills, the rain, the wind.

I rode every mile of the first day with them, intent on getting them across the finish line in Bourne safe and sound. And we crossed the finish line together early Saturday afternoon.

The second day was a near mirror of the first…except that we started with sore legs. They had a better understanding of what they needed to do…except that every mile was new to them. No worries...they hugged and kissed their mom and rolled out of the driveway, photos taped to their handlebars, intent on making the finish line.

Day Two of the Pan Mass Challenge always holds a surprise or two. No, the Cape is not flat. Yes, there’s traffic. Sometimes more experienced riders crowd newbies a bit. Occasionally it’s incredibly windy on Route 6.

Route 6, heading into Provincetown

My two heroes just kept turning the pedals, occasionally glancing at the pictures taped to their handlebars for inspiration. We rode through a number of towns on Route 6A, past a summer camp that turns out in force to cheer (Da Hedge!), along the bike path and into the hills of Wellfleet and Truro. No, the Cape is not flat! And sometimes it is very windy.

Did I mention the headwind?

When we crossed the finish line together in Provincetown just before noon on Sunday, it was a magical moment. Their mom was waiting for them, arms outstretched, so proud of what my two heroes accomplished. So much of their father in them. Continuing his legacy. So much inspiration for others.

We would appreciate your support of the PMC, of the Dana Farber Cancer Institute, and the important work being conducted.

Will you make a donation today?

With love,

Lee

To make a donation, please visit http://www2.pmc.org/profile/LL0033 . 100% of your donation goes directly to the Dana Farber. All donations are 100% tax deductible.

Why I Ride

In three weeks I'll embark on my 20th Pan Mass Challenge, riding 192 miles and raising money for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.

Twenty years ago, just a few miles into my first Pan Mass Challenge, in the hills of western Massachusetts at 6 am, I passed an older couple sitting on their lawn in folding chairs. They were holding up signs that read "Thank You for Riding."

It took me a minute to figure out why they were thanking me…then it hit me. It was personal. The money raised by the PMC had a direct impact on their lives. Perhaps one of them, or someone they knew, had been treated at the Dana.

 

Right then, for me the event shifted from a bike ride to a cause.

Since then I’ve ridden almost 3,700 PMC miles, raising more than $120,000 for cancer research. 

Over the years I figure I’ve ridden past 20,000 signs saying "Thank You for Riding." And Amy, Jonathan and Rachel have all joined as volunteers along the way, with Jonathan also riding for a couple of years.

Last month I helped to organize and run the first PMC Sandwich Kids Ride, with more than 60 youngsters riding and raising $20,000. These kids learned the meaning of charity, giving and selflessness. And they had some fun!

In three weeks I’ll ride the PMC…because when I do, I make a difference in the lives of those affected by cancer. And I appreciate knowing that you’re supporting the PMC too!

Thank you for your support!

With love,

Lee

To donate, please visit http://www2.pmc.org/profile/LL0033 . All donations are 100% tax deductible.

Time to Ride!

The 30th annual Pan Mass Challenge starts Saturday morning at 7 am.

And not a moment too soon.

Connecticut senator Chris Dodd announced this week that he has prostate cancer. I just found out that a good friend and neighbor is battling lymphoma. The head of my PMC riding team starts radiation therapy in a couple of weeks for a brain tumor. A loved one is waiting for the results of a biopsy.

While I can't make their cancers go away, I can ride my bike 190 miles to raise money for the Jimmy Fund and cancer research.

In the first five miles of my ride on Saturday, I will stop to hug the widow of a riding buddy lost to cancer. I don't know how I will be able to get back on my bike and leave her. I also know that it is the only thing for me to do.

With your help, we will raise $30 million this year and donate 100% to the Jimmy Fund.

My bike is ready. My saddle bag is packed. My riding gear is laid out, a uniform to be worn into battle with 5,000 other cyclists, all riding to help cure cancer.

More than a few of the people on my mailing list have lost loved ones to cancer. More than a few have had a brush with cancer themselves. I ride for you and I ride for those who are battling cancer now.

If you have already donated, thank you for your support. Every dollar is appreciated. I'm just over 20% of the way to my goal of raising $10,000 this year and with your help I may just make it.

If you have not yet donated to the Pan Mass Challenge this year, please do so now. We're all fighting this battle together, one way or another.

To donate please visit http://www.pmc.org/profile/LL0033

Time to ride,

Lee

Only 100 degrees...

Last week I accompanied my wife to the annual Silpada Designs sales conference. This is our second time to the conference, and again, it was a wonderful experience. Amy attended the conference, learned a lot, hung out with her team, and networked with many other independent Silpada reps.

I continued my training for the upcoming PMC, only a few days away now. I shipped my bike out early via Fedex Ground and it was waiting for me when we arrived on Wednesday.

Thursday I started a ride just north of Kansas City in a small town aptly named Paradise. 80 degrees, sunny, a cool breeze, virtually empty roads, and curteous drivers. Yep, Paradise!

I rode a loop through Trimble, up north and east to Plattsburgh, and then back south to Paradise. About 50 miles. Just a gorgeous day to be out on the bike.

Friday I headed south. Starting in a town about 15 miles south of KC, my intention was to complete a loop down to Peculiar. Peculiar is an interesting town, nothing overly peculiar about it, just another one of many small towns in rural Missouri. Peculiar is on a major north/south roadway, so it gets a fair amount of drivethrough traffic, and I believe it's also a starting point for a popular KCBC ride.

Well, I didn't make it to Peculiar...it was a hot day...a very hot day...at one point my cyclometer read 100 degrees. IIRC, last year I saw 102, so 100 wasn't so bad. :)

At about 20 miles, I stopped at a large industrial supply retailer, a shop that sells architectural stone and other goodies for landscaping. The retailer had a couple of wooden rockers on their large stone front porch, nicely shaded from the sun, and music playing through a set of outdoor speakers. This was an ideal place to stop and just relax for a while.

I then continued south towards Peculiar, but I never found my way there. I ended up getting somewhat lost, which interestingly, is not a real problem in rural Missouri. The roads are essentially laid out in a big grid, with numbered roads generally running east-west and lettered roads running north-south. I wandered for a while, made a few wrong turns and eventually found my way back to a familiar road.

Not far from my starting point, at about 5 pm, I saw another cyclist...the first and only other serious cyclist over the several days. When I commented on this to a bike shop owner the next day, he said "we don't ride in the heat...we get out early and finish by 10 am." I was starting way too late to see any other cyclists.

That Friday evening, as I was having dinner, the KC Critical Mass group went by...a collection of riders on really interesting bikes, everything from old Schwinn banana seat bikes, to fixxies, to tandems, and everything else you can imagine. They were having fun...

Saturday I took my last ride in KC...a beautiful 35 mile loop north of the city. Another hot day, but this year I brought my Camelbak and had plenty of water.

Sunday Amy and her team and I visited the Silpada corporate headquarters, and then headed home. American Airlines was kind to us, upgrading us on both segments from KC through Chicago and then home. I guess I was one of the few Platinums on the route...

Five days to the PMC. I'm ready, the bike is ready, I've raised $3,200 to date, about a third of the way to my goal this year of $10,000. I expect to make it...most of my donations come in just before and after the event.

I remind myself that the PMC is not about the ride. It's not about the bike. It's about raising the money for cancer research, and for me specifically, it's about enrolling people and getting them involved in the event -- as sponsors, as volunteers, as riders. If you are interested in being part of this ever-growing team, drop me a note and we'll find an opportunity for you to contribute.

And of course I'd appreciate your financial support. Fully 100% of all donations go directly to fund cancer research. This year I expect the PMC will raise somewhere between $35M and $40M in total, and your $10, $50, $100, or $500 donation is critical to our success.

http://www.pmc.org/mypmc/profiles.asp?Section=story&eGiftID=LL0033

Thanks!

Lee