Bill's Cycling Adventures

(the short report)

The Pan Mass Challenge took place on August 4 & 5. This was my 19th time riding. It was one of the most fun and one of the toughest physically. The weather was extremely hot on Saturday and perfect on Sunday. I felt strong the most of the way. It was not one of my fastest rides on record but this year it was all about just being able to finish it.

The ride was one of the toughest because I broke my shoulder in a bicycle accident 12 weeks before the ride. The break kept me out of the gym and off of my bicycle for 7 weeks. Considering I was told that I might not be able to ride at all this season I’m very happy with how it all turned out.

To make a long story short (remember, this is the short version) I did do the ride. In fact I rode the long route from Sturbridge to Provincetown and did very well.

Now I know it seems like I’m always injured when I ride this event. I’m not. OK, so I have had a few years where I rode with bad injuries.

 
• 1994 – broken wrist and elbow in a bicycle crash training 2 weeks before the PMC.
• 2006 – Strained ligaments and chipped bone in my foot when I slipped off a step the day before the ride.
• 2007 – Well, you all know what happened this year.

So yes, 3 years out of the 19 I had injuries. I’m hoping this is all behind me. However, even if it’s not I’ll still continue to ride. Why? Because I love the event and believe in the cause we’re riding for. The event is about overcoming adversity. This is a challenge and not a race. Cancer patients face a challenge each and every day with their battle to beat the disease. Their battle is mental and physical. Their treatment knocks a lot out of them yet they continue on. If I could ride the event and it meant that I’d have two days of challenge and a little suffering I figured it was worth it. My accomplishment was nothing compared to their fight. If anything it helps me to appreciate why I was out there.

Once again I would like to thank you for sponsoring me in this very worthy cause and for letting me ride on your behalf.

Highlights and some statistics (as of 9-17-2007)

 
• Current fundraising: $26m
• Fundraising goal: $27m
• Kids rides have raised: $330,000 with 5 rides still to come.
• Current heavy hitters: 602
• Registered Riders: 5458 (up 18.6 % over 2006)
• Off the line: 4,969 (up 20% over 2006)
• 2-day riders: 3,610
• 1-day riders: 1029
• Male/Female: 65/35
• Average Age: 43 (I’m over by 4 years…)
• Avg. Yrs in event: 4.8 (I still got this one beat by a mile)
• Sturbridge start: 2,685
• Wellesley start: 1,853
• States participating: 36
• Foreign countries: 10

Ride Day	Dist.	Avg Speed	Riding Time	Start Time	Finish Time
Saturday	112	17.5 mph	6 hr, 24 min	6:00 am	1:45 pm
Sunday	78	18.1 mph	4 hr, 30 min	5:15 am	10:45 am

Thank you once again. It’s been an honor, a privilege, and a pleasure riding on your behalf.

Best Regards,

– Bill

This entry was posted on Tuesday, September 18th, 2007 at 5:45 pm and is filed under Uncategorized. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.