My 2011 PMC Wrap-Up

As is tradition for me, I've put off my PMC "wrap-up write-up".   Although this year has to be a record, now that almost 2 months have passed since the ride from Sturbridge to P-Town...   Better late than never, etc -- at least I hope so.   There's a lot I want to say, but I haven't figured out how to say it -- so I'll just stick with the snapshots of the PMC weekend itself and save the other thoughts for later..

Fund-raising status
First off, another round of sincere "thank you's" to all of you who sponsored me, or any other rider, or helped out with this year's PMC for the Jimmy Fund.   As it happened, I was just able to meet my personal fund-raising goal of $7,000 for this year, but it's still lower than last year's by a couple of hundred dollars.  The last email I received from PMC indicated that overall fundraising for this year had approached $28 million. That's a lot of money, but still quite a ways off from the 2011 goal of $34 million.  The cutoff date for PMC 2011 fund-raising was Friday October 1, so all we have to do now is let them sift through the books and we should know soon if we made our 2011 goal.

Map and Ride Stats
For those of you who simply must know, here are my routes and times for the weekend ride.  I'll elaborate a little more below.   

Saturday Aug 6th schedule:
5:37 AM - Depart Sturbridge
6:58 AM - Whitinsville water stop
8:19 AM - Franklin water stop
10:50 AM - Dighton-Rehoboth HS lunch stop
11:19 AM - Apponequet School water stop
1:12 PM - Arrive at Massachusetts Maritime Academy in Bourne.









 

Sunday Aug 7th Schedule
4:32 AM - Depart MMA
6:09 AM - Barnstable water stop
7:18 AM - Brewster water stop
8:23 AM - Stop at Cape Cod National Seashore in Wellfleet
8:32 AM - Wellfleet water stop
10:00 AM - Arrive at Family Finish in Provincetown

You can follow detailed ride maps based on my GPS track logs (times, altitude, speed, etc) online here:
Day 1: http://ridewithgps.com/trips/346198
Day 2: http://ridewithgps.com/trips/346199




Saturday notes.

Wakey wakey, still a little shaky...   I wasn't able to ride my bike out to Sturbridge on Friday like I did last year, so I had to talk our son Kevin into getting up at 3:30 AM and dropping me off in Sturbridge  to register etc in time for the 5:30 AM start.

Early Saturday at the Sturbridge Start

Kevin was a good sport about it, and he was able to snooze most of the way in while I drove.  Once we got there I hurriedly got my bike and gear off the car so he could drive out of there before getting trapped behind the cyclists.   (As it turned out, Kevin made it out and back home without any incident.)  

I was able to get registered, get my Jersey etc and find a place in the starting crowd.   As it got a little closer to sunrise it was clear that it was going to be a "gray" start: overcast, but no rain.  This year, Lance Armstrong, a cancer survivor himself,  rode in the PMC starting at Sturbridge.   I never saw him, though.
In addition to Lance Armstrong's star-power, the Sturbridge start also had both Massachusetts Senators, John Kerry (on the left) and Scott Brown (on the right, wearing the uber-dorky time trial helmet.)

Lance Armstrong trying very hard not to laugh at Senator Brown's choice of helmet...

The ride started uneventfully.   I did notice several other recumbent cyclists on the ride. Most of them were Bacchettas (same manufacturer as mine), but  there were a few others.   (I'll post more about my choice of bike some other time.)

Rain was predicted for Sunday, but Saturday was blessedly rain-free, with enough cloud cover that sunscreen wasn't really a big deal.  (Seems like I almost always get a sunburn on the top of my thighs, no matter how much sunscreen I put on.)  

Here I am cruising by a corn field somewhere out around Attleboro on Saturday.  The Saturday ride was inspiring and uneventful, save for a brief cramp episode after lunch, when I got a little frisky racing with another recumbent rider.  (You'd think I'd know by now...)   Regardless, the big payoff for Saturday was getting to Mass Maritime Academy.

MMA, and the McPhersons await.

My mother, Ann McPherson, was up from Texas visiting us for the week prior to the PMC.  We ended up roping her into working as a volunteer at  Mass Maritime Academy, along with Sandy (my wife) and Ben (our older son), and Ben's friends Brian and Sam.    

Here's the "big top" tent where approximately 3,000 riders and volunteers are fed at Mass Maritime Academy.

There's just so many people milling around and stuff going on at MMA that I just assumed once I arrived I'd give Sandy a call on the cell to locate them.  You can imagine my surprise when I practically ran over Sandy and Mom after I crossed the Day 1 finish.  

I gave Sandy and Mom a sweaty hug and kiss, then posed for a picture with Mom.     

Mom & Me.   (Look closely and you can see my Third Eye.)

Once I made arrangements for reconvening with Sandy, Mom and the rest I rushed off to reserve a time slot for a massage and get a shower.

A brief word about PMC overnight accommodations at Mass Maritime Academy:  Those PMC riders who elect to stay on the MMA campus -- and most 2-day riders do -- have options for staying overnight in a tent, in the non-air-conditioned dormitories, or  (as the song goes) ON A BOAT.  The first several years I rode the PMC, I opted for the dorms, until I found out that the MMA training ship, the USTS Kennedy, is fully air-conditioned.   I was sold.  Now, every year I always make sure to sign up early and request a room aboard the USTS Kennedy.

I'm on a BOAT!  (This is where I slept at MMA)

The only down-side to sleeping on the USTS Kennedy is that the shower/bath areas always seem to flood -- not something you like to see on a ship... However,  it doesn't seem to be a sea-worthiness issue.  Yet.   As long as you pack ear-plugs (you're bunking in an area with about 30 others),  get a massage and re-hydrate, a bunk on the ship gives some of the most restful sleep I've had -- at least on the PMC.





After I showered and got my massage, I was able to get some food and hang out with Sandy, Mom,  Ben and his friends.

Volunteers support a rider... (Left to Right: Me, Ben, Brian and Sam_

I had some dinner and chatted (as much as possible -- the band was a little loud) but between the ride, the sun and the beer (balancing my electrolytes)  I was pretty well pooped.and in my bunk by 7PM.  I.didn't wake up until about 3:15 AM on Sunday.

True dat. (This sign from MMA pretty much sums it up.)  

Day 2: Sunday, Muddy Sunday...


"It was a dark and stormy morning..."   I woke up at 3:15 AM Sunday morning, packed my stuff quietly and started to get off the ship for some coffee.   Reveille for day 2 isn't until 4:30, but I always seem to get an early start on Sunday.  The rain that was promised for Sunday arrived with a vengeance overnight.  It was a soaking rain as I walked in the dark from the boat across the field to the "big-top" food tent.  I think I was about the 2nd cyclist, but there had been volunteers actively working overnight to clean up from Saturday and get the food ready for the bikers who were still sleeping. I dropped my bag and gear on a table and shuffled over to the Dunkin' Donuts truck for caffeine.

Bladder issues.  After I had a couple cups of coffee and some breakfast, I grabbed a few bottles of water and emptied them into the "CamelBak" resevoir that I keep in my bike's "trunk" for hydration along the ride. (The hydration tubes are easier to get at than bottles while you're riding.)  That done, I zipped up my trunk bag and set off in the rain to get my luggage loaded onto the truck for PTown.

Sunday AM: Loading luggage on the trucks in the rain.

After dumping my luggage I went back to the table to get my trunk bag and noticed that water was dripping out of it onto the table.  I initially thought it was just dripping wet from the rain that got on it that morning (it was still raining).  But it immediately hit me what had really happened:  my CamelBak bladder had sprung a leak.  I opened up my bag to find all the things I'd carefully packed away from the rain were now sitting in an inch of water.  The bladder had completely failed with a gash on the seam and emptied all 1.7 liters of water into my trunk bag.  Fortunately, I still had 2 usable water bottles on my bike, so I dumped the water out, re-sorted all my formerly-dry items, filled my bottles and headed out into the dark and wet to find my bike.

Riding with the F.O.G.  By the time I located my bike and was ready to mount up, it was about 4:30 AM. The rain had subsided to an intermittent drizzle, but it was still pitch dark, so I fired up my "blinkies" and headlamp and headed out.   It was a good thing that I'd ridden the route 7 times before, since it's hard to see the route markers in the dark (even with a good light).  But I found my way to the Bourne bridge with no problem and only had to loiter there for about 5-10 minutes to wait for them to finish opening up the "bike only" lane that they set up on the bridge until 8AM on PMC Sunday. I was soon over the bridge and cruising down alongside the canal in the dark.

Someday, perhaps I'll take PMC Day 2 a little slower. You know: sleep in until actual Reveille and go over the Bourne bridge in daylight, watching the sun come up on the canal.   But today was not one of those times.  It's quiet and peaceful riding along the canal. And very dark.  Fortunately my headlamp is a 900-lumen LED lamp and it is fiercely bright.   I have to take care when I'm on the roads with it, not to point my head directly at cars, as I will blind oncoming traffic.  I call my headlamp the "Fist of God".   As I was overtaking a cyclist on the canal path (I wasn't the first rider over the bridge) he told me as I passed,  "Jeez man, I thought you were a CAR with one headlight coming up on me!"   Yes, the F.O.G. is that bright.   If there were a car riding down that narrow bike trail along the canal, I'd be pretty darn freaked out, too.  By the time I was off the canal and through Sandwich, the sun had started to come up enough that I was able to shut the F.O.G. The drizzle had completely stopped by the time I got to the first water stop in Barnstable.

Service Road: always a treat.  One of the highlights of Day 2 is hitting "Service Road" at around the 12-mile mark.  Service Road travels alongside route 6A and starts off with a nasty little up-hill climb, hidden behind a turn (I call them "snake bite" hills.).  Anyway, if you don't know the hill is behind the turn, it can catch you by surprise.  Commonly riders end up panic-shifting, getting their chain wedged and have to stop. However, once you grind past that first hill on Service Road, you're rewarded with a 6-mile stretch of well-paved road with a series of beautifully-spaced "rollers".  On those hills, you can parlay your downhill speed into the energy needed to ascend the next one, and so on.  The effect is greatly-magnified with a recumbent bike, since you are always in an "aero" position and gain a lot more speed on the downhill than an upright bike could ever.  Top speeds for PMC day 2 are always on this stretch of road.   This day didn't disappoint.

One missed appointment; one kept.   By the time I started to get close to Wellfleet, it had started to spit rain again.  I had made arrangements to briefly split off the PMC trail to stop by someone's house and say "Hi", but I missed my turn-off and was "committed" to the Cape Cod rail trail, with no exits.  With that missed turn and the threat of more rain, I decided I'd have to ask forgiveness later for missing the coffee break and just try to hustle on to PTown before the rain started to come hard.

By around mile 53, just past South Wellfleet, the route turned onto Ocean View Drive. Ocean View Drive is bit of a hill, but it's aptly named.  There's a beautiful view of the ocean off to the right and down the dunes.  I pulled off the road at White Crest Beach for just a minute to watch the waves.  I turned my bike around so my "passenger pictures" faced the ocean, so Bob Rowell could get a good look.  Then, saying goodbye, I got back on the bike and headed on toward last water stop before PTown.

Sandy to the rescue. Again.   The remainder of the ride to PTown pretty much went by in a blur.  I was in such a hurry to beat the rain, I don't really recall that much of that stretch of the ride, aside from the last stretch of hills and the dunes at Race Point and Province Lands Road.  I arrived at the "Family Finish" in the shadow of the Provincetown Monument and within 10 minutes, I'd met up with my luggage and was headed to the showers. (No rain yet.)    After I was clean and dry, I headed down to get some lunch and relax for a few minutes.  Then I grabbed my bike and bag and strolled down the hill to the pier to get on the "fast ferry" to Boston.   On the ferry ride from PTown to Boston, the rain finally started to come down.  The timing was pretty close to perfect: I was inside the boat and dry, taking a nap.   When we docked at Boston,  Mom and Sandy were there waiting for me.   The rain was coming down pretty steady, but at least I didn't have to ride in it.   All I had to do now was get home and clean off my poor muddy bike.

Sandy (red umbrella) and Mom picking me (yellow t-shirt) up in the rain at Black Falcon.

The Wrap-up Wrap-up.
"Commit. You'll figure it out."    Thus endeth my 8th PMC weekend, and here endeth my 8th PMC trip report.  This is the longest that I've procrastinated writing one, and I'm pretty embarrassed about that.  I'm sure I've forgotten something remarkable -- there's just so much.     There is one more thing about this year's ride that sticks in my mind: this year the PMC had shirts printed up with the slogan "PMC:  Commit.  You'll figure it out."    and I think that pretty much sums up how I got here, and why I'm still here.   Riding in the PMC is a big commitment; it's a commitment for fund-raising as well as a certain level of physical commitment.  But once committed, people invariably find a way to work things out.

I'm committed to the fight against cancer.  Cancer is not a single disease, however, and I am under no illusion that there will be a "single cure".  We're figuring it out, though.   Thanks to improvements in research and treatment survival rates for many forms of cancer are up, and gene-targeted therapies are promising much more humane treatments for many types of cancer.   So: we commit, we figure it out and in the end things get done.

As I'm committed, I will be riding in the 2012 PMC next year.   So, plan on hearing from me again in 2012. (As always, if you'd prefer not to get my PMC emails, just jot me a quick 'please stop' email and I'll promptly remove you from my email list.)

Thanks one last time to each of you for your support, comments and encouragement.
/doug

PMC 2011 is Over. Here are some quick notes.

Well, the 32nd Pan Mass Challenge is done and on the books.   I'll have a more complete trip report later, but here are a couple of thumbnail/highlights...

The ride was great, as always.  Saturday started humid.   Sunday started with a monsoon at Bourne, but gradually cleared up.  By the end of the day, however, the rain set back in at Provincetown.

We had a weekend total of 21 hospital visits:

Saturday: 9 riders and 2 volunteers - all released on Saturday

- 7 bike collision
- 1 heart evaluation
- 1 dehydration

Sunday: 10 riders:

- 1 transfer to Boston for hip fracture
- 7 bike falls - all released
- 2 concussions - both released

On the whole this isn't so bad, considering that the Sunday ride started in the rain and the roads were wet all day...

You can see my GPS track logs/stats from the ride here: 

 - Saturday (Sturbridge to Bourne)

 - Sunday (Bourne to Provincetown)

I'm happy with my pace on the stats.  I'll take an 18.5 mpg average speed over 110 miles any time.  And 16.3 mph average on Day 2 in the rain is not too bad.

Finally, we had a superstar rider this year for the Saturday ride: Lance Armstrong. 

He had some really nice words about the PMC, and here's the video: http://www.nesn.com/2011/08/lance-armstrong-among-cyclists-in-pan-mass-challenge-to-raise-money-for-cancer-research.html

More later.
/doug

Watch and Stalk the 2011 PMC!

The bike is all prepped...
My bag is packed...
3:30 AM tomorrow is gonna come early.

So just a couple of last minute items:

First, WCVB (Channel 5 ABC affiliate in Boston) will be covering the PMC  opening ceremonies tonight.  Those of you in the area can watch it on  TV, starting at 7PM EDT.  Actually, anyone anywhere with an internet connection can *also* watch the festivities ONLINE at http://www.thebostonchannel.com/ .  Again, it's at 7PM EDT so remember to adjust for your timezone.

Secondlly, you can be a "PMC Stalker" (again) this year!  Just like last year, you'll be able to watch my whereabouts for the entire PMC weekend online.  Just point your browser to http://ixen.com/where-is-doug and follow my 'Trogdor' avatar as I burninate my way across Massachusetts to Provincetown!

Talk to you later!
/doug

Last-minute details...

Back from NH and clearing away last-minute details for the ride.

My bike is a muddy mess from the wet roads in the White Mountains, so I need to show it some love before the ride on Saturday.

Here is the picture I'll be taking along on the back of my bike, with all my "passengers":

Mom, Sandy and Ben will be working at MMA in Bourne so I'll see them on Saturday afternoon, and Kevin will be getting me out to Sturbridge *early* Saturday.

All we can do at this point is hope for good weather.  (Speaking of which: I hope my friends and family and Texas get a break from this godawful heat soon.)  

Talk to you all soon.

/doug

My Big (Wet) Ride Day in the White Mountains - 77.5 miles.

Well, today was the day for the "big ride" -- it's just taper from now until Saturday.

According to my GPS, total mileage was 77.5 mi.   (Bike computer said 78. Meh.)

Anyway, you can see the route and detailed stats online here.

The day started off great, but clouds rolled in.   By the time I'd made it back to route 112, it was pretty clear I wasn't going to out-ride the rain. It came down hard, moving to the east.  I was able to ditch out to a picnic shelter in the Wildwood Camping area and waited out the rain for about 20 minutes.   After the rain passed, the sun came out and the roads were steaming.   I gutted it back up the long climb to Beaver Pond where I stopped again, just before that long 3-4 mile 10% grade leading down to N. Woodstock.  I cleaned all the wet road gunk off my brakes and rims before starting off on that last exhilarating downhill to lunch.

Last year, I was able to get the bike to 60+ mph on the descent from Beaver Pond to N. Woodstock --  but that was definitely NOT in the cards for today, with the wet brakes, wet roads and the scary cross-winds that blow in off Lost River Gorge from the left.  It was plenty scary keeping it around 50mph (I happened to glance down at my legs on the way down, and every hair was standing straight up.  Made me laugh at myself.)  At any rate, I did a respectable speed down to N. Woodstock, and re-fueled at the Woodstock Inn.

On the way back up, I got caught in yet another rain storm and had to duck in at the Indian Head Lodge off route 3.   The storm only lasted 10 minutes or so, and I was on my way again.   The ride back up from N. Woodstock to Mittersill was slow but shady, and I could just about do it in my sleep by now.    When I arrived, Sandy my mom and Sandy's mom were sitting out by the duck pond and greeted me.   A wonderful end to a successful (but wet) ride in the White Mountains!

Training update from Franconia Notch, NH...

Here's my ride for the day today.  Just a 34 mile ride.  Here's my ride map and stats.  It was just a "down and back" from Mittersill (behind Cannon Mountain) down to Woodstock/Lincoln today.   

The ride down was really pleasant, although overcast most of the way.  Riding down the trail toward Woodstock the scent of balsam hit me like a Christmas Tree sale.  It was really nice.  The sun peeked out by the time I got to LaFayette campground, hung around for about 5 minutes but then ducked behind the clouds till lunch.  

Got the bike up to 45 *coasting* down the the hiway from the Flume into Lincoln.  That was nice. 

Met up with Sandy, my mom, Ben and Kevin in Woodstock where we had lunch and played in the river for an hour or two.   Had an ice cream, then back on the bike.  The ride back up the notch was pretty much nothing but a 15-mile uphill grind.   Great scenery, though.

Jumping in the pool at the end of the ride was the best.   

More rides to come this week, prepping for the PMC on Saturday!

/douig

PMC 2011 Passenger Profile: Charleen Hinkler

My fourth passenger for this year's PMC is Charleen Hinkler.  Cindy Scanland, a long-time friend from Spring, TX, sent Charleen's story and pictures.

Charleen, Cindy's friend and co-worker at HP,  was diagnosed with stage 4 lung cancer in 2009.  By the time they had diagnosed the cancer it had already spread to her bones.   However, rather than traditional radiation and chemo, Charleen was able to undergo treatment with a new targeted biotherapy (in her case, Tarceva).  Her cancer responded to the treatment and  Charleen did really well for about a year: her bone and lung cancer went into remission and she continued about her life.


After about a year, however, a small tumor was discovered on Charleen's liver. Radiation and chemo treatments for the liver cancer were very hard on Charleen, but again, she continued to be positive, outgoing and active, going on bike rides on her recumbent trike.

In early October 2010, Charleen felt ill enough to be hospitalized.  Her condition degenerated rapidly and she passed away soon after admission from multiple organ failure (likely precipitated from liver damage).

I'm honored and happy to carry Charleen's pictures and story along with me on the PMC and ride in her memory.

PMC 2011 Passenger Profile: Judy Grande

The lovely woman in this picture is our friend and neighbor Judy Grande.  

Judy and her husband Ray are two of the nicest, most outgoing and genuinely caring people that you could ever meet.   Sandy and I met Judy and Ray years ago and we cross paths with them regularly through the work they do for the Devens area Loaves and Fishes Food Pantry.  

Judy was diagnosed earlier this year with throat cancer and has gone through surgery and radiation treatments.  Judy's CAT and PET scans haven't shown any reappearance of the cancer, so she stays cautiously optimistic, getting on with life -- but with follow-up tests every few months...     I'm glad that the world has people in it like Judy and Ray.   I'm especially glad we can count them as our neighbors and friends.  And I'm certainly proud to take Judy along as a passenger for this year's PMC ride.

You go, Judy!

/doug

PMC 2011 Passenger Profile: Ann McPherson

The woman to the right here is my Mom, Ann McPherson.  This will be the 3rd year that Mom has gone along with me on the PMC, and I'm glad to have her.   Mom is a breast cancer survivor, and has been cancer-free for at least 10 years. (I'm sorry, but I've lost count.)    You can read my previous passenger profile for Mom from PMC 2010 here.

This year Mom will be a passenger AND an active participant in the Pan Mass Challenge.  She'll be visiting us here in MA during the PMC and is volunteering at the Mass Maritime Academy stop in Bourne, along with Sandy and Ben.   I can't tell you how excited I am to have her helping out and getting to experience it first-hand  (I hope the weather is nice for her.)  

So there you are.  Love you Mom.  See you soon.

Your favorite son,

/doug

PMC 2011 Passenger Profile: Wehlan McPherson, my dad.

I started this "passenger" thing a few years ago for a couple of reasons: 

• it allows me a sort of symbolic way to share that special weekend in August with people who can't be there.
• it helps me stay focused on the fact that even though it's a 2-day bike ride, it's really not about a bike ride at all.  And finally, 
• it gives you (yes, I am talking to you) an opportunity to share your story, too.  

That said, my first "official" passenger for my 2011 PMC ride this year is my dad, Wehlan McPherson.   Daddy died in January of this year.  He struggled with chronic pain from Lupus for years, and was only diagnosed with lung cancer in January after it had already metastasized to his bones.  He died soon after.

Daddy was always "prone to action" -- which may just be a nice way of saying "impulsive".  When Daddy saw something he thought needed doing,  it chafed him if it remained undone... so he would just *do it* -- sometimes with more planning than others.  Results may not have always been perfect, but in the final analysis, things got done.  

There are countless other reasons why I want to remember Daddy and take him as a passenger on this year's PMC.  However, in the interest of brevity  [you're welcome],  I believe the main reason is this: his memory reminds me how vitally important it is for each of us to actually act, as opposed to just wishing that we or someone else would.   I don't know who said it originally, but I've heard that "...the world is changed by those who show up".   Daddy reminds me to keep showing up.  So, thanks for that, Dad.  And welcome aboard.

Call for passengers for this year's PMC...

Listen up!   I'm reprising my call for "passengers" to take along on this year's PMC.    (See my original post from 2009 for background.)    If there's someone you know or love that's a cancer survivor, is currently fighting cancer or that you've lost to cancer, I'd like to help you honor them by taking their picture along with me on this year's ride.

So, please don't be shy.  Send me a picture and a word or two about your special person.   Over the next 3 months I'll be posting "passenger profiles" here on this blog and will also carry them along with me on the bike on PMC weekend as my "passengers". That way, they can enjoy the Big Ride, too.

If you like, you can see my 2010 passengers online here, and my 2009 passengers here.

Hope to hear from you soon!

/doug

First *real* ride of the season! Come on Spring!!

Just back from a FULL out-n-back up the Nashua River Rail Trail.  What a day for a ride!

Believe it or not, north of Groton, there's still patches of snow and ice across the trail.   I actually saw someone wipe out on one of the packed-snow patches... not pretty, but they were OK.

All the fallen trees from the winter have been cleared from the trail, and the peepers (little frogs) were out in fine form (and LOUD) as I rode through the swamp near Groton.   There was still a lot of winter detritus, twigs and junk on most of the trail from Groton up to Pepperell.  In spite of that,  there were an awful lot of roller bladers out on the trail.  That couldn't be very much fun rollerblading with all that junk on the (otherwise smooth) trail.  

Most memorable event from today's ride was the girl's roller derby team I passed (both ways).  There was about a half dozen of them out, in full pads & helmets apparently on a group skate.  They were impressive.  I'll assume the one with the most tattoos was the team captain.  ;-)    They looked like they were having a good time.

So, a nice 36mi ride today; the Red Sox won their season opener at Fenway yesterday.  So things are starting to pick up around here.  Come on, Spring!

/doug

First ride of 2011: Knocking the rust off...

"Nothing compares to the simple pleasure of a bike ride." -- John F. Kennedy

I got on the bike this afternoon and took a short shake-down ride out to the Nashua River Rail Trail today. It's been 3 months (just about to the day) since I was last out on the bike, and I have to say it felt really good to be out on the road.   The R40 was in pretty good shape for being neglected for 3 months: just sticky shifter and brake cables.  I was the only thing that was "rusty".

The ride was just a quick 16 mile "out-n-back" to the rail trail.  I'd hoped to ride up the trail a little ways, but I was overly optimistic: there were still large stretches of the rail trail that were covered in snow -- unridable (at least for me).   So, I noodled around the backroads from Ayer back to Littleton, soaking up the afternoon sun and trying to stretch out my legs a little.   Not my biggest ride. Not my fastest ride.  But it was a such a great feeling to be out on the bike with the wind in my face again, I'll count it as a superlative start as my first ride of 2011.

Hopefully I'll be back to biking to work again this next week.

When wishing is not enough...

Round about New Year's Day of this year I decided that 2011 was going to be a great year.   At the time, it was mostly just a sort of "decision" I'd made, based on some sort of inward exuberance... as if I could just will my decision into reality.  Right.  Wishing always works, doesn't it?

As it turns out, this year didn't start off as well as I'd wished:  my grandmother passed away in early January, followed by my dad just a few weeks later.  Dad had been diagnosed with Lupus several years ago, but apparently had also had (for want of a better word) latent lung cancer.  It seems that his cancer symptoms had been masked by conditions attributable to his Lupus, or potential side-effects of the many medications he was on for it.  By the time they detected and diagnosed Dad's lung cancer, it had already metastasized to his bones.  Dad died within a week of the cancer diagnosis.  I don't know if it was the cancer that killed him.   I don't guess it makes much difference.  Nobody could wish it away.

At one time or another, we've all said words to the effect of how we "...wish we'd [done something or other]..." or  "wished that [something or other]  hadn't happened."  It's really just a way we humans have of expressing regret or sympathy.  Inside, we all know that wishing will never change what's past.  And here's the thing: not only does wishing not change the past, wishing alone can never, ever shape our future.  To be clear: for our wishes and dreams to be made real, they also require our action.  So while I wish that my dad was still alive, he's not and there's nothing I can do to change that. However, what I will do is always remember what was best in him and use my actions to carry those things forward into the world.

So I will continue to wish for a world where people don't have to needlessly suffer cancer,  and I will act to make that world real. I will do that just as I have done for the last 8 years: by relentlessly cajoling everyone I know to sponsor me on the Pan Mass Challenge: a 2-day, 192-mile bike ride to raise money for cancer research and treatment.  I will continue to ride in support of cancer survivors, in memory of its victims and to help the researchers and doctors searching for a cure and more effective treatments.

Please join me in making 2011 a truly great year: take action on your wishes.

/doug

Happy Thanksgiving Day

Today is January 1, 2011 and it’s Thanksgiving Day.


At around 11 AM today I was standing in the front doorway of my house, still in my pajama pants, unshaven and maybe just a teensy bit hung-over.  It was sunny and mild with about 8 inches of snow on the ground. I was holding Zack, our orange cat, and reaching for my coffee when it hit me:  I was really happy.   More than just happy, though: I was glad to be where I was -- right here, right now.   No wait.  It was more than that. I felt thankful -- almost literally “full of thanks,” with no room for anything else right then.  That was it: thankful.  It came at me from out of nowhere.


It’s a little weird -- and it may be due to my faulty memory -- but I really don’t recall experiencing that feeling quite so strongly... not even on the last Thursday in November, when we set aside a full day for that express purpose.   Standing there in my PJs and looking out at my neighborhood, I was really and truly glad to be right here, right now.  I know I was “full of thanks” right then because at 48 years old, I decided that I was also thankful for each and every one of the “bad” things I've seen or lived through up to now.  Standing here in my doorway on New Year’s Day, even those things that once seemed so horrible or painful looked a little different with 1, 5 or 25 years behind them...  I was standing here now, feeling happy and healthy, either because of or in spite of all of them.


So, today was really my personal Thanksgiving Day.  Like I said, I can’t recall feeling this way too many times in my life and I didn't want to forget this, so decided I would make myself write this down and put it somewhere so I can remind myself from time to time.  (If you’re reading this, then apparently I actually did.)  I first started to write down the things I was thankful for, but that started to get a little silly so I deleted that and started over.  The one thing I wanted to remember most was how I felt today.   So, hopefully when I read this later, it won’t seem silly or vain and I’ll get to remember and relive that thankful feeling again.  And to anyone else who might read this: it is my sincere New Year's wish that you might also get to have a few extra, unexpected "personal Thanksgiving Days" this year.


Thanks (really).
Me.