Orny's Cycling Journal

Follow this link for my full 2014 Pan-Mass Challenge ride report, including writeup, photos, and GPS logs.

Follow this link for my full 2009 Pan-Mass Challenge ride report, including writeup, photos, and GPS logs.

Follow this link for my full 2007 Pan-Mass Challenge ride report, including writeup, photos, and maps.

I know some folks are anxious for an update, so here’s a little debrief on how this weekend’s Pan-Mass Challenge went.

I think the defining feature of this year’s ride was my friends.

In my previous four PMCs, I always rode alone; I didn’t know any of the other riders at all. But for some reason, this year I ran into all the people I’d met at my weekly training rides at Quad Cycles in Arlington. So instead of riding by myself, over the course of the weekend I ran into no less than eleven people I already knew well: Charlie, Jeff, Tony, Steve, Julie, Caitlin, Elena, Maria, Joe, Ed, and Stephanie! It made the ride feel like more of a celebration, and it was awesome to be able to share it with people I know, many of whom were riding in their very first Pan-Mass.

And now you can go see several of the Quad Cycles crew enjoying their rides, because for the first time ever I took some photos during this year’s PMC. You can check those out at the URL:

http://users.rcn.com/ornoth/bicycling/pmcphoto05.html

The other big thing to observe about this year is the dramatic contrast between all the crises I’ve had to deal with in the past two months versus how amazingly well the ride went.

In June and July I took a new job, had a close friend hospitalized for over a month with life-threatening medical issues, had a gushing water leak in my ceiling from my air conditioner for about a week, had to get the ceiling repaired, took an incomplete in a class due to all that, and had a big dispute with a bike shop that had done incompetent repairs. On top of that, just a week before the ride I was having significant “seat issues” with my bike, and then capped it all off when I threw my back out helping a friend move. The eight weeks leading up to the PMC were just one implausibly long string of emergencies and problems.

However, all that bad luck nicely reversed itself for the PMC weekend—so much so that I’d say it was my most pleasant ride of them all.

I had absolutely no physical problems. My “seat issues” didn’t return, and my back pain went away completely except for when I was sitting up in the car. My wrists, which bothered me in previous years, were fine, and my neck also was much better than in previous years. My legs were great, and I finished strong, with very little of the usual fatigue. I could have easily gone much further on Sunday than we did.

And there were no mechanical problems this year, either: not even a broken spoke or a puncture! Not bad, for an aging cheap hybrid bike with 15,000 miles on it!

Unlike previous years, I was supported this year by my friend Sheeri, and her presence was both helpful and very welcome. She put herself and her vehicle at my disposal, and made a big contribution to seeing that everything went well for me, so no problems there, either!

And the weather was just incomparable for riding. It was sunny and warm without being hot, and even the wind cooperated. I understand that it was only the second time in the PMC’s 26-year history that there wasn’t a strength-sapping headwind blowing down the long, exposed section of Cape Cod as we approached Provincetown.

And, of course, after finishing I indulged in my regular post-ride ritual of spending the afternoon at Race Point Beach, which really helped me relax and put all those lingering crises behind me. So not only was this year’s ride a wonderful experience, but it also gave me a great opportunity to step back and recharge my batteries a little, which I desperately needed after so much turmoil.

Of course, the real reason for the ride is to raise money for cancer research, treatment, and prevention, and even there I have good news. Over the weekend, a number of large donations came in, and I’m happy to report that if all the employer matches come through properly, I will not only meet my minimum, but quite possibly set a new personal fundraising record this year! While the ride’s fun, the cause has a great deal of personal meaning to me, and having a successful year raising money is a real cause for celebration.

So let me take this opportunity to once again thank you for helping make all of that possible: both my own ride as well as the important contribution we make together to eradicating cancer. This was an exceptionally good ride, and I very heartily appreciate the support you’ve given me.

A travelogue full of anecdotes will follow in a week or two, hopefully including some additional photos taken by the PMC organization (this year I’m very hopeful that I’ll be in a couple). And you can also look forward to a final email from me after the PMC presents its annual check to the Jimmy Fund in November.

Thanks again, and I hope you had as great a weekend as I did!

Today was one of the sporadic BRC bike rides, which wound up being only three people, averaging all of 9 mph over 38 miles. Still, it was up around Cape Ann, which was really quite beautiful, once the sun came out. Still, I didn’t want to overdo it, because I’ve been having some pain in my right knee, and am keeping an eye on it.

As I did last time, instead of getting a ride home from Manchester (where the ride starts), I biked the additional 30 miles home. I made much better speed, but I also am having just a hint of knee pain. I really hope that doesn’t become an issue, because I have some important long rides in the next six weeks.

I lied about taking it easy. Today I did a leisurely tour around Gloucester and the circumference of Cape Ann with my sponsor Sheeri and some folks from the BRC. The trip was about 40 miles, but instead of taking the train back to Boston with everyone else, I rode all the way home from Gloucester, bringing my day's ride up over 70 miles -- the second time I've rode that far in the past two weeks! So much for "a few easy spins"! But I will be taking it easy the rest of the week. Unfortunately, it was also Klutz Day as I managed to scrape up my thigh, bend both thumbs back, and drive my chainring teeth into the back of my heel. Ever try digging chain grease out of a deep puncture wound? Owww!