No PMC For Me This Year

After seven years of riding in the Pan-Mass Challenge, a 2-day charity bike ride across Massachusetts, I’m going to have to bail out of this year’s event. The ride is a big deal for me each year because it supports a truly meaningful cause – cancer research – and the supporters of it, most [...]

Knee Surgery . . . Finally

After whining about a deteriorating knee that has slowly eroded my capability to ride my bike over the last few years, I finally found a sports medicine physician who diagnosed my problem and performed surgery to fix it. I had the surgery yesterday and start my too long recovery period today. Officially, the diagnoses [...]

PMC 2010 Wrap-Up

It’s hard to explain why the people who participate in the Pan-Mass Challenge as riders and volunteers make such a big deal of it. For my part, I make it the center of my summer activities and the almost singular goal of my cycling training efforts for the seven months before the event. Like [...]

Big Trouble in PMC Training City

Because of a nasty knee problem, I haven’t cycled much this year. Even so, I committed to ride in this year’s Pan-Mass Challenge, the largest charitable sporting event in the world and the primary fundraising activity for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. For the last month, my training has been slow, but steady. Lots [...]

The 2010 Pan-Mass Challenge

The Pan-Massachusetts Challenge (Pan-Mass Challenge or just PMC) is a charitable, 180 mile, 2-day bike ride across the state of Massachusetts that raises money for cancer research and treatment at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute through its Jimmy Fund.  The ride was the first fundraising bike-a-thon in the country, starting in 1980.  Since then, [...]

Sucking Wind

Today I did my first ride since last October when my knee went out on me. I’ve seen three doctors about my knee problem and all three say “surgery,” although none can tell me exactly what’s wrong with it. So, eschewing Western medicine, I sought out Eastern help through acupuncture, tensiology and whatever other [...]

122nd Place And Proud Of It

Yesterday, I raced in the Univest Cyclosportif 100K in Souderton, PA.  While I ride in many events each year, most of them with some competitive component, this is the first true timed, competitive event that I’ve participated in.  It rained – no, actually poured, during the entire race.  Additionally, there had been a [...]

Using RunKeeper for Cycling

Early this summer, I promised Jason Jacobs, the founder of FitnessKeeper (the creators of RunKeeper), that I would try RunKeeper for cycling.  Well, it’s been a crazy summer and I just got around to it (sorry, Jason).  When we spoke, Jason told me that the company’s focus today is on running, although they plan [...]

Riding Across Italy to Cure Cancer

On Sunday, I completed a 342 mile, 7-day bike ride across Italy.  I had two simple goals: to raise money for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute’s Jimmy Fund and to survive.  Thanks to the help of many caring donors, I raised $6,400 for cancer research and care this year (so far).  Since you’re [...]

Apparently, You’re Not Responsible for Driving Responsibly

Last week, my daughter’s 31 year old high school math teacher, Carolyn Girod, was struck and killed by a car while cycling in Washington.  At the time, Girod was riding with her boyfriend on what is reported to be a fairly rural and straight stretch of road.  According to the Washington State Patrol, the [...]