Pan-Mass Challenge 2009: A Rider’s Eye View

Well, I did it. We did it.

The Pan-Mass Challenge is over, and this, my second time riding in the event, was a fantastic time.

First of all, a huge thank you to all of you who supported me- not just the financial sponsors, though that is the big part without which we cannot fight cancer (by the way, fundraising remains open until October 1- go to http://pmc.org/DH0159 to sponsor). I also thank those who supported me with words of encouragement, with invitations to spin classes, with your blog comments, Facebook posts, and Twitter greetings. Not to mention, the 5:37 club (Mitch, Eddie, Steve, Keith and Kent), who made training a lot more fun this year. Every little bit helped me go a little further and a little faster.

The 5:37 Club, Ready to Roll in Wellesley

On to the ride: the weather was fantastic. Day One was sunny, and even got a little hot, but my group rode swiftly (though there was a small mishap with one of my crew) and we got in to Bourne feeling great. Here is some video I took with the Flip Camera mounted on my handlebars:

That evening in Bourne, I ran into several people I knew, which made the day a lot more lively- and familiar- than last year. Among them was Tom, the cancer survivor (“Living Proof”) who rode a few miles with our training club. He makes a cameo in the Day Two video, riding in front of me for a few seconds with his funky helmet (designed by his wife) in view.

Day Two was an even faster ride- a pleasant surprise for me, as last year I really hit a wall and thought I might not make it. The skies were overcast, which made for very nice, cooler weather, though there was enough of a sunrise by the Cape Cod Canal to note (this also appears for a little in the Day Two video).

Arriving in Provincetown was a triumph. While the trip is only ten miles longer than the Wellesley return I did last year, it means a lot to go to the traditional finish (I actually went to the Family Finish rather than the Provincetown Inn, something I may change in the future. Anyway, here’s a “Rider’s Eye” view of Day Two:

I did not take as many photos this year, but here is the set from what I did take. Again, thank you to everyone- and while I still hope to collect more donations for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute before October 1, I am already thinking about next year!