Pre-Season Prep

Getting ready for cycling season and determined to be stronger this year. There's not much more I can do about the anemia other than work thorough it, so I've decided to focus on getting my muscles stronger. I signed up for a conditioning class 2 days a week that started tonight. I've been home for an hour now and I'm already SORE!! Geez, it's not going to be easy.

The winter seems to have returned for a little while, with cold temps keeping us off the roads. I need to spend some time with Will to help him figure out the gearing on his new bike, so I'm hoping it warms up soon! Last weekend, 25 Cyclopaths gathered for a pre-season breakfast -- it was great to see everyone and catch up. Everyone is anxious to start riding again.

New Road Bike

Will and I have just returned from Marblehead Cycle. He is now the proud owner of a new Trek road bike! The weather has been great -- there is no snow on the ground (middle of February!) -- and we're hoping to get our training started this week. The Tour de Cure, our first summer event, is just 90 days away!

Registered!

The easy winter has me thinking of Spring and getting a jump start on this year's cycling season. Will is now officially registered for his first Pan Mass Challenge! (His fundraising page can be found here). We both have two charity events lined up for this year -- the Tour de Cure in May (16-32 miles) and the PMC in August (the 50 mile Wellesley loop). As we get our training underway, I hope to update the blog more often. It will be an interesting year...

Will's First PMC Kids Ride, 2004. (Time to move up to the big time, kid!)

Cycling Season Over. Are we ready for some football? See you next year!

Sam's Bench at Waikiki Beach, Winter Island

Double Lost Route, Great Pumpkin Ride

We had a fantastic ride on Saturday -- a gorgeous September morning. The end of summer brings crisper air and great cycling. We had 13 riders on Saturday, including Maureen, John and Alanna O'Grady, (Alanna back from her x-country trip for Habitat for Humanity. Way to go, Alanna!) Ducky met us in Beverly (with the O'Grady's), joining Arlene, Gail, Donna, The Queen, Sheldon, Ethan, Tam, Jack, Margie, and guest rider Spence as they crossed the Salem-Beverly bridge. We rode together (and throughout the morning) regrouping at several stops along the way. After Topsfield center, a few ventured off down the lost route in Boxford, rejoining the others at the Boxford General Store. (Sheldon was the first to arrive to breakfast by bike -- while Drew arrived by car!) We welcomed new friend Spence to the group, visiting the North Shore from New Jersey, and all had a great breakfast. (We love the Boxford General Store!) It was a traditional Cyclopath ride -- No one was dropped, lost, or fell too far behind. Passing cyclists on the road were in good spirits, and the sight of giant pumpkins reminded us that fall is definitely around the corner. A great day and a great ride!

Pics posted on Shutterfly!

Post-PMC Ride

We had a terrific post-PMC ride to Manchester on Saturday, with a dozen riders heading out of town, including Margie, Jack, Sheldon, Lucy, Drew, Gail, Donna, Laurie and Av on the tandem, Arlene, Tam and Ducky! With warm temperatures, plenty of sunshine, and lots of laughs, it doesn't get any better.

Breakfast at the Beach Street Cafe was c-c-c-cold, (their AC was unnecessary), but the breakfast and hospitality is always great so we forgive them. After breakfast, Arlene and Jack headed off for longer rides while the rest of the pack headed up to Singing Beach. After some off-key singing by the group, Margie tried as hard as she could to get the sand to sing... to no avail. Heading back, we largely stuck together as we made our way down the rough back roads of Beverly. As we approached the Salem-Beverly Bridge, Arlene rejoined the group! Wahoo! Eleven riders headed out of Salem together with ten returning. A great day!

Pan Mass Challenge 2011

Congratulations to all riders and volunteers participating in this year's Pan Mass Challenge! It was a memorable PMC for many reasons -- the celebrations, the celebrity (Lance Armstrong & David Ortiz!), the camaraderie among the riders and volunteers, and of course THE RAIN. (Wow!) Our PMC weekend will also be remembered for the emotions we all shared. We all missed Sam's commanding presence at this year's PMC -- and seeing his photo hanging at Babson College was very touching. (Thank you, Donna!) Photos from the ride can be posted to our online album at Shutterfly. Send me an email if you have trouble. Congrats to all!

Soaked at the Sharon Waterstop

Absolutely soaking wet -- the rain never let up. PMC 2011 will be remembered for the walls of water, enormous puddles, and cold rain. We were soaked to the bone.

It took my shoes three days to dry out and I'm STILL cleaning the dirt our of my chain and gears. Poor bike.

PMC 2011 is in the books!

Computer issues have prevented me from posting pictures from last weekend's PMC online. Hopefully, I will resolve that shortly. To briefly recap the weekend; On Saturday, August 6th, I spent my birthday at the PMC start and finish in Wellesley and Bourne, cheering on my Cyclopath teammates as they took part in the ride. Most of the Cyclopaths (including myself) were riding on Sunday -- but a few were finishing in Bourne on Saturday. Donna was taking part in her 20th ride! It was nice to be in Bourne to support her. Others finishing in Bourne on Saturday were Brian, Ben, Brenda and Jeff, with Ethan, Lynda, Michael and Ed volunteering. It was a great day for a ride!

Unfortunately, Sunday wasn't a great day for riding. Sheldon and I drove to the Wellesley start together in the rain, reassuring each other that the "rain would pass". Such optimists we are! We met our teammates at the start, gathering under the tent as the rain continued. It was Bill Cantor's 28th ride at 88 years old! Amazing! At 7:30 am, we hit the road, the rain falling steadily and never abating. The riding was difficult and the rain at times torrential -- but we forged on, determined not to let the weather get to us. It was a memorable ride! Regrouping at the end of the ride, we watched walls of water pour off the tent. It was quite comical. Definitely a bonding moment for all of us who rode on Sunday -- Arlene, Gail, Av, Bill, Arthur, Sheldon, and me -- with Donna, Drew, and Laurie as support. (Ethan and Arthur F. rode up from Bourne, but we never connected.) PMC 2011 was one for the ages. Photos to come!

YES! I rode in the rain!

It was horrible! Who rides in the rain? CRAZY PEOPLE!! (I guess we're called the Cyclopaths for a reason.) I'll post more from PMC 2011 shortly.

THANK YOU FOR ALL OF YOUR SUPPORT!

Time to ride!

Crossing my fingers it doesn't rain on Sunday!

Many, many thanks to everyone who contributed to my PMC ride this year. I didn't send out any fundraising letters or ask for donations this year -- but many of you contributed anyway. Thank you!! Will is planning to ride with me next year, and I knew our fundraising minimums would be higher with the two of us riding, so I decided to stay low key this year. Still, you sought me out and made a donation anyway. I'm so grateful! Thank you! for helping me surpass my fundraising minimum -- now I'm ready to ride! Just hoping the weather holds out on Sunday morning...

Less than a week left!

Hard to believe the PMC is just a few days away. I enjoy riding this new Sunday route -- there's less pressure to train! I never would have been able to take a week off for a vacation with a 191 mile challenge hanging over me. We've had a nice summer this year... very low key.

This week, Sheldon and I plan to ride on Tuesday and Thursday (with Joan and Paul) as usual. No change in our routine. I'm just a few dollars shy of my fundraising goal. Not too bad for a stealth campaign! Next year I'll have to kick it up a notch as Will joins us on the ride. That will be interesting.