There’s Been Just Enough Time… for a PMC Send-Off in Rhyme!

Toivo, Lotika, Gregg, Kevin, Erika, Joanne and Ravi receiving instructions from the organizers Eilidh, John and Dana. No cheating.

Thank you for all of your support for the Pan Mass Challenge 2017!  It was the last training weekend for #PanMass2017 and we are ready to go.  The miles are logged and it is time to turn the pedals and have some fun!

Our last training ride was a group scavenger hunt, clues all given the form of a verse.  Please enjoy our “masterpiece”!

Donations can still be made via the links at the bottom.

A Moving Poem….

by Eilidh

As you set off from the house it’s always tempting to wander
You might want to head to the woods for a gander
If you do walk into Great Brook, for a ramble today
Please take one of these or you could well lose your way…. <Lotika finds the maps>

 

 

Fresh dairy ice cream at Great Brook is so fine
At Lowell’s junction please check carefully the sign
Great Brook’s ladies are quite big and hairy
But how much milk is put out by the dairy?
<Gregg finds the sign, Toivo counts the cows; 10 gallons x 70 cows is a lot of ice cream>

 

At this heart shaped pond, boy scouts placed helpful stone seats
Here you might find some beautiful treats
We certainly hope that you will want to wear them
And Selfies will prove the all places you dared them
<leis abound>

 

As we reach towards the end of bike path
I’m sorry to say that Dana insists on some math!
Look in the bin and your brain may start to spin
But good news for geeks as there’s something to win
<sans calculator, Ravi produces the square root of the magic PMC number 48 million! and wins… a new brain cell!>

 

As you ride along pretty Carlisle roads
you should spy a teeny tiny abode
Be very careful though who lives in this house
The sign says more fearsome than a mouse
As you approach beware, beware – but we’d like a creative photo if you dare
<professor Gregg carefully approaches the attack duck>

 

Where the Pope eats his strawberries is where Eilidh takes rest and nutrition
Here you should spot a stone with historic inscription
Look at the dude and note what date he is telling
Write it down, turn, head to Concord, no yelling
<April 19, 1775, now off to Concord!>

 

Feel America’s history swirl all around you
As you admire an old bridge and a minuteman statue
Two straight trees stand guard over National Park benches.
Treasure’s hidden there –
But only for wenches!
<Erika and Joanne sporting their mustaches>

 

Moving from history we’ll do our ecological duty
As Thoreau summons us all to admire Walden’s beauty
We’ve heard Concord locals are a tiny bit weird
So disguise yourselves with fluffy white beard
< ...well nothing else rhymed with beard!>

 

Although Walden’s lovely there’s no time to roam
John’s  burgers are calling and it’s time to go home
You should follow your noses back to Monument street
And say hello to the watery horses you meet
<Joanne the equestrian>

 

There’s just one last stop at a pretty Carlisle beaver lodge
But look about you and do not even think of to dodge
If you do you’ll miss out on our one final prize
Our hat adornments for this year’s PMC ride!
<oh my! helmet hippos!>

And so back to burgers and even a beer
Next week’s the PMC, with good friends we’ll not fear!

We are ready!  Thanks to all of you for your support!

Dana:  http://www.pmc.org/profile/DS0304

Barb:  http://www2.pmc.org/profile/BR0030

Christina: http://www2.pmc.org/profile/CB0191

Kevin:  http://www2.pmc.org/profile/KS0135

Gregg:  http://www2.pmc.org/profile/GS0101

Julie:  http://www2.pmc.org/profile/JM0546

Ravi:  http://www2.pmc.org/profile/RP0074

Lotika: http://profile.pmc.org/LP0090

Eilidh:  http://www2.pmc.org/profile/SB0247

John:  http://www2.pmc.org/profile/JC0474

Craig:  http://profile.pmc.org/CB0203

Snappy dog:  http://profile.pmc.org/TM0229

No Turning Around, We Are On Our Way!

 

A Saturday ride in Hollis was, well, just Ken described it would be:

The “full meal deal” of Southern NH hills, was about 44 miles worth of hills, hills and more hills. Walnut Hill served as the appetizer, leading into an extended main course consisting of Chestnut Hill and Roby Road (very steep; who knew it was possible to travel 3mph and not fall over?).  Greg, Ged, Ravi and Lotika partook in an extra helping of Summit Road to the top of South Uncanoonuc Mountain in Goffstown for some extra burn in the quads and a view at 1,321 ft.  A rolling descent took us to Amherst center at 37 miles in and a refuel at Moulton’s Market (hot dogs always available!). For dessert, a classic climb to Mont Vernon was planned but it proved to be the wafer-thin mint of which none of us could be convinced.

Eilidh decided to have a lighter meal of the rolling hills and gravel roads around Hollis village, which were filled with farm stands, fruit farms and even a winery. In contrast to the main group, progress here was made difficult not due to slopes but rather tempting donuts and roadside BBQ. A non hilly ride in New Hampshire was still over 2000 feet – nobody could call New Hampshire flat!

The following weekend, Craig hosted a fun ride out of Framingham with a fantastic turn out of PMC friends! Thanks Craig! (check out the photo at the bottom of the post).

Little Wee Science Corner:  Precision Medicine – Right Treatment, Right Patient

Precision medicine (formerly called personalized medicine) takes into account what is known about an individual patient’s genetic profile and tries to match this with targeted therapies. The aim is to treat a patient with the best agent or combo of agents for the most successful outcome.  The Dana Farber is a leader in this research and has an excellent site dedicated to precision medicine along with short helpful videos right here.  Worth checking out.

Thank you for supporting our PMC ride and the Dana Farber Cancer Institute!

Dana:  http://www.pmc.org/profile/DS0304

Barb:  http://www2.pmc.org/profile/BR0030

Christina: http://www2.pmc.org/profile/CB0191

Kevin:  http://www2.pmc.org/profile/KS0135

Gregg:  http://www2.pmc.org/profile/GS0101

Julie:  http://www2.pmc.org/profile/JM0546

Ravi:  http://www2.pmc.org/profile/RP0074

Lotika: http://profile.pmc.org/LP0090

Ged:  http://profile.pmc.org/GO0025

Eilidh:  http://www2.pmc.org/profile/SB0247

John:  http://www2.pmc.org/profile/JC0474

Craig:  http://profile.pmc.org/CB0203

Snappy dog:  http://profile.pmc.org/TM0229

Ravi, Dana, Joanne, Gregg, Kevin, Julie, Craig, Snappy Dog, Lotika

Time for Maple Pi and #PMC2017

Pan Mass Challenge training started a number of weeks ago, but the blog lagged behind like a dropped cyclist. Let’s get this #PMC2017 blog season back on the road!  This year, to spice things up we are trying out a different feature at the end of each blog, our new “Little Wee Science Corner”.  But first, an account of some miles:

An abbreviated version of the Apple Pi ride was held on Canada Day starting from Gregg and Julie’s Apiary in Carlisle.  It was a very hot day and a perfect opportunity to try some new electrolytes:  Skratch Labs and Perpetuem both get high marks for not being too sweet.  Move over Gatorade!  Along with hydration and a bit of chocolate, Old Littleton Road was conquered by one and all with a reward refuel stop at Harvard General Store and a flying descent down Oak Hill Road.  We arrived back with time to jump through the sprinkler, get a tour of the garden and marvel at the 25ft hops!  (I’m coming back for brewing season).  Delicious burgers and salads were served to the ravenous riders drinking Molson Canadian and the others were fed too!

Canada Day comes to Carlisle!

• Miles:  49.5 (50 for Ravi because he rode around in Gregg’s driveway)
• Riders: eight
• Flat tires: one (we were glad for the rest stop)
• Wildlife:  one fox, one rabbit, bazillion chipmunks, and a giant snapper but that was before the ride

So we are back again reaching out for support for our PMC ride (fundraiser links at the bottom of the blog)!  100% of funds raised go to the Dana Farber Cancer Institute (DFCI), a comprehensive cancer center and a world leader in adult and pediatric cancer treatment and research right here in Beantown.  Curious how the PMC donations are used at the DCFI?  Click right here.

 

Our New feature:  A Little Wee Science Corner (…because you can never have too much science!)

Clinical Trials:  a short lesson, an excellent podcast and a searchable link

New cancer treatments are developed over many years of research and testing, and a critical component is conducting clinical trials with patients.  The DFCI is one of many centers where patients can access clinical trials of new cancer therapies and information can be found here.  An exceptional blog post and quick podcast can be accessed via Cancer Mythbusters, Episode#5: Cancer Clinical Trials, where a DFCI physician answers common questions about clinical trials and busts some commonly held myths at the same time.  Check it out!

Many other centers conduct clinical trials on all kinds of conditions.  An extensive listing can be found at http://www.clinicaltrials.gov

Thanks for your support!

Dana:  http://www.pmc.org/profile/DS0304

Barb:  http://www2.pmc.org/profile/BR0030

Christina: http://www2.pmc.org/profile/CB0191

Kevin:  http://www2.pmc.org/profile/KS0135

Gregg:  http://www2.pmc.org/profile/GS0101

Julie:  http://www2.pmc.org/profile/JM0546

Ravi:  http://www2.pmc.org/profile/RP0074

Lotika: http://profile.pmc.org/LP0090

Ged:  http://profile.pmc.org/GO0025

Eilidh:  http://www2.pmc.org/profile/SB0247

John:  http://www2.pmc.org/profile/JC0474

 

Wheels Up! #PMC2016 Here We Go!

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Thanks to everyone for your generosity in contributing to our ride to raise funds for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.  This event is not possible without you!  Alongside 6000+ other riders, we are going to pedal our way across Massachusetts this weekend.  We are ready to do this 192 mile trek!

Buckle your helmet…here we go!

It’s not too late to contribute!  100% of rider-raised funds go to supporting the important work of the Dana Farber Cancer Institute!  Thank you!

Dana:  http://www.pmc.org/profile/DS0304

Kevin:  http://www2.pmc.org/profile/KS0135

Joanne: http://www2.pmc.org/profile/JW0323

Erika:  http://www2.pmc.org/profile/EF0060

Jean:  http://www2.pmc.org/profile/JA0203

Jean Rene:  http://profile.pmc.org/JG0427

Eilidh:  http://www2.pmc.org/profile/SB0247

John:  http://www2.pmc.org/profile/JC0474

Barb:  http://www2.pmc.org/profile/BR0030

Christina: http://www2.pmc.org/profile/CB0191

Craig:  http://www2.pmc.org/profile/CB0203

Gregg:  http://www2.pmc.org/profile/GS0101

Julie:  http://www2.pmc.org/profile/JM0546

Ravi:  http://www2.pmc.org/profile/RP0074

Lotika:  http://profile.pmc.org/LP0090

Snappy Dog: http://www2.pmc.org/profile/TM0229

19 Slices of Apple Pi

John, Eilidh, Craig, Barb, Michael, Queen of the Mountain, MC, Joanne, JR, Heather, Snappy Dog, Matt, Jean, Kevin, Lotika, Julie, Dana, Ravi, Gregg

The biggest group ride yet was held on Saturday with 19 folks in attendance.  As Gregg explained, there was to be a short ride (35mi) and a long ride (55mi) following the pi symbols on the road.  Easy enough.  Some of added lib, others improvised, but at the end of the day there were 19 routes and 19 tired and hungry souls with racing stripes made of pollen.

As recounted by Kevin:

19 cyclists set out from Carlisle, a day that was sunny and hot
Most of the cyclists had been training a while, a few not so much or just not.
The path was well marked and traveled by most, what in the world could go wrong?
A distraction, a moment, a mind stuck on a song
Wafting along the enjoying the breeze,
And many a missed turn along the PI path and travelers scattered with ease.
18 cyclists returned on two wheels, one came back via four.
It was day to be noted in lore.
New friends were met, new roads were explored, nothing went quite as was planned.
There were racers and sloggers, and skiers, and rowers getting miles, getting sweaty, getting tanned
On the day when the gods of Garmin and EyePhone oft were called on for aid
But the gods were gone cycling or off to the beach no matter how much we all prayed

Roads called pinnacle, summit, depot and hill all had appropriate names
Strawberry, Woodchuck, and Oak brought some pain but all gave up their gains
As uphills became downhills
and luckily no spills
As the circles were closed and the wheels all returned to the Carlisle home end of day
The burgers were good, and the beer was well earned, and the miles the price we all paid
To have friends on the path, a PMC life and a laugh, a pause about hospice to cry
for a sister, a mother, a friend or a brother. All we can do is just try.

Thanks for tagging along and supporting us!

Dana:  http://www.pmc.org/profile/DS0304

Kevin:  http://www2.pmc.org/profile/KS0135

 

How to host a group ride from the house of an unsuspecting friend*

Well, here we are.  Every year, we all take a turn at hosting a group ride and this weekend was our weekend.  This is tricky for us as we live “in the city” as those in surrounding towns say, and “in the burbs” as the city folks say.  Nonetheless hosting for us means a treacherous commute out and back on the bike path to get to and from the free-wheeling ride.  The bike path is narrow with lots of kids, dogs, skateboards, elliptical-whatever-they-are, unicycles, strollers, and yes even a giant turtle.  Harrowing, indeed.

So, if you find yourself in this type of situation, do the following:

1. invite a friend from a surrounding town on a weekday morning ride, preferably a nice friend with a nice house and a nice outdoor space
2. tell him you need help planning the 50 mi route while lamenting about the perils of the bike path
3. and wait.

Your friend will do one of three things:  quickly plan to be away for the weekend ride, pretend he didn’t hear anything you said or….tada!  Offer his nice house and nice outdoor space as our launching station and lunch stop.  He may even chill the beer and write the blog!  Big thank you to Kevin for co-hosting on Saturday.  Here’s his take on the ride:

So, Dana says, “if only”, and “we have this slight problem”, and “do you know of any place”, and is about as transparent as your average penthouse window with no need for curtains. Whether MC was part of the Machiavellian Maneuverings of Mindful Mischief or Dana was the Conspirator-in-Chief matters not in the least, because like them, I am not just willing, but eager to gather with friends on the cool (too early) mornings, bike, zoom, explore, laugh, socialize, and train for the Challenge at hand.

Once again on this glorious day, the biking is the easy part, (just keep pedaling, just keep pedaling…) the logistics a bit more of a stretch, (How do you design a three stage ride with a 20 mile loop, a 40 mile loop, and a 50 mile loop, and by the way, could we go on some new and interesting roads please (Dana again), and get everyone back not too late for the BBQ and beer?). You do your best, and don’t count on:  meeting a true Tasmanian Devil (he was really from New Zealand, and yes, he had been a professional cyclist, and no, he was not breathing at all hard at the top of the wicked hill in Sudbury); killer pot-hole craters that eat rear tires (one in Concord got both Dana’s and Christina’s back wheels within 2 seconds of each other); my total inability to see Dana, Craig, and Christina fixing tires by the side of the road and them to see me, causing a 2 mile hunt for them, (check out the bicycle awareness test, and you’ll see how it can happen…), and Craig’s local knowledge that there is a bike pump strapped to a public bench in the ONLY alley in Concord Center. Proving once again, the ‘every time you leave your house is an adventure’.

Once again, the challenge is none of that, it’s having the courage to step outside (not your house) but your comfort zone, and ask anyone you dare, to face the dark pain of cancer that takes our friends and family too soon, too soon. Dana asks them with flair and fun, MC asks them with style and panache, and I ask my friends with heartfelt sincerity, and the knowledge that time is oh so short. Luckily we have these days, these friends, this training, and a vision how we and you and the Dana Farber can help fight cancer. Enjoy, and hope to see you soon. (Just keep pedaling….)

-Kevin

Hope to see you at our wine taste-off and second fundraiser on Friday, June 21 at the Boston Wine School in Allston where we aim to raise more funds for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and The Jimmy Fund.  If you are unable to join us for the event, you are welcome to contribute online by accessing our fundraising pages here:

Kevin: today’s guest blogger & route-mapper extraordinaire: http://www.pmc.org/profile/KS0135

Dana: http://www.pmc.org/profile/DS0304

MC: http://www.pmc.org/profile/ML0203

*some of the events in this blog post were not as pre-meditated as they have been described.

Four Training Weekends to Go!

Well, there are only four training weekends to go before the PMC 200 mile ride and we can hardly believe it!  We are working adding distance until we get to that secret mileage goal each of us has… which really means you better get your front wheel on right and align that sensor to be able to log every single centimeter. We are also in our final stretch of fundraising for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute & The Jimmy Fund and all contributions are welcome!

Dana:  Most of the last week was spent with family near Edmonton where it is very FLAT and where the canola is just starting to bloom.  I swear, with my road bike on those flat roads, I am sure I could have hit 50km/h through those yellow blossoms.  Ha!  Instead, a 10km run was logged, with a short stop to visit the famous Fort Saskatchewan living lawnmowers.  Later along with my brother, a 20km ride was done through the North Saskatchewan River Valley logging a few hills and a gigantic flight of stairs up to the Legislature – where the Union Jack was flying high to commemorate the Jubilee.  I was back to Massachusetts in time (to fix two flat bicycle tires and) for the hot weather and the 48 mile Ride to the Stars hosted by Eilidh & John out of Carlisle!  Here the gang including Kevin, Gregg, Julie, Christina, Lisa, John and Eilidh rode not quite to the stars but up to the MIT MISA Antenna and the MIT Haystack Observatory.  Oh, and just a word of caution – at 90F the Promax Double Fudge Brownie energy bar will melt in your back pocket!

MC: While Dana was logging some miles on the road, I logged some miles on the Kennebec River, enjoying White Water rafting at its best, and some running in the rolling hill of rural Maine.

On the way back, we caught up with some of the Best of Maine, rewarding ourselves to some great views and delicious treats of New England! 

 

 

 

Hmmm, with 4 weeks to go, am I spreading myself too thin, enjoying too many other activities than cycling? I will have to get those miles in next few week for sure. Until then, I’ll keep giving it my best on my commute to work (what’s not to love about this view of my commute?),  and hope all this cross-training thing pays off on the big weekend!

 

For those of you who may be on the Cape the weekend of Aug 4-5 and want to come by to cheer, or simply avoid the roads we will be riding, you can click on the links to get the map right here:

August 4, Day 1 – Sturbridge to Bourne

August 5, Day 2 – Bourne to Provincetown

There are only four weekends to go!  Which means we are training hard and which also means there are five blog posts to come!

Thanks to our supporters, we have currently raised 50% of our fundraising goal for this very important cause.  For those who haven’t yet contributed, you still can… by clicking right here:

MC: http://www.pmc.org/profile/ML0203

Dana: http://www.pmc.org/profile/DS0304

Until next week….watch for the stars!

MC and Dana