PMC Report

[Bruce K]

Well, this year's PMC is in the books.

Good weather, lot's of fun, and it appears we are headed for a $25Million contribution to The Dana Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund.

Almost 4500 riders rode between 85 (1 day) and 192 (2 days) miles in support of this effort to find a cure for cancer.

Leftyfreak and I had the honor of escorting Uta Pippig, the 3 time Boston Marathon winner and world class distance runner, for about 40 miles Saturday morning. She is an incredible lady and was a real treat to ride with.

I never saw our other VIPS, Olympic Speedskater Johan Koss, or Senator John Kerry on the road, but I hear they both rode well. Greg LeMond rode with some frewinds of mine and even out of training can still turn and burn.

2 excellent riding days with leftyfreak and a variety of freinds and PMC freinds made for short work of our approx. 160 miles route.

The ferry ride home was great. A cool band and plenty to drink (of all types).

I am a bit too tired to fill this all out now. More tomorrow.

In the meantime, quattro, leftyfreak, wwtsui, Clutch Cargo, and abnyone else feel free to chime in.

[Sandy]

$25 million is really both wonderful and impressive. How was that much money generated from 4500 cyclists? Non-cycling related participation?

Great job!!



Sandy

[quattro]

It was a wonderful weekend for the PMC, we couldn't have asked for better riding weather. I enjoyed spending time with Bruke K, clutch cargo and leftyfreak at the MMA, we took a few pictures wearing our Serotta Forum jerseys, I'll try to post a few pictures in the next few days. I ran into 92 degrees at the bike corral but I'm sorry we didn't get to see him or wwtsui at the flag pole for pictures. I hope everyone had a good ride to P-Town yesterday. After arriving at the Provincetown Inn finish, and getting showered and changed I headed up to the food tent for some nurishment. One of the first people I saw was Greg Lemond sitting at a table talking to a few riders. After I ate I walked over with a few friends and he was just getting up to leave, we approahed him and introduced ourselves, he spent the next 15 minutes hanging out very graciously talking with us, I know it's been discussed on this forum before, IMHO Greg is a good guy, I'll leave it at that. All in all it was another very well run PMC, I was proud to sport the Serotta Forum jersey on the second day of the ride, maybe next year we can have greater Serotta Forum participation, mark your calendar for next August. Helping to find a cure for cancer, we are getting closer by the mile!

[Bruce K]

I am still a little fried from the weekend. The "party boat" back to Boston is both a blessing and a curse. :rolleyes: :beer: ;)

To answer your question Sandy, the PMC raises this kind of money for several reasons.

1. It is one of the oldest (27 years) and most efficient (99% of every rider dollar) fund raising events of it's type in the country.

2. Riders are VERY committed to the cause. The average rider participates at least 3 years. Some have been at it for over 20.

3. The fund raising committments are very high. For a 2 day rider who finishes in Provincetown, MA, the fund raising minimum was $3300.00 this year.

4. Approximately 50% of the riders attain "Heavy Hitter" status, meaning they raise at least $6000.00 and a surprising number of riders raise 5 figures, with a few even raising 6 figure amounts.

5. It is an event with lots of teams involved. Teams avaerage $6000 per rider. There were teams there from the Boston Red Sox, Boston Bruins Alumni, and several financial, legal, and other businesses whose employees get involved.

There are also lots of teams like mine, Team Daisy. Team Daisy and teams like us, are a group of folks that get together to ride in memory or honor of someone lost to cancer or a survivor. They do it in the hope that one day our children will ask the question, "What was cancer?" and we will be able to say that it was an awful, pervasive disease that no one has to worry about any more.

I told you all about my freind Sue, when she lost her battle with breast cancer.

I now want to tell you about Daisy. Daisy is 12 years old. She has been cancer free since she was 3 after being diagnosed with brain cancer at age 1. She is a beautiful child despite the fact that she has only a few wisps of blonde hair. It is hard not to notice the scars down the back of her head and neck from her surgery but they don't really seem to matter. She is around an 8 year old's level in many developmental areas due to the chemo and radiation at such a young age. But she is the sweetest, gentlest, most engaging child you will ever meet.

She is one of the huge number of reasons that we ride each year and fund raise like crazy for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute and the Jimmy Fund Clinic.

And so next year Team Daisy will ride again in the PMC.

Hopefully more of you will join us.

BK

[RABikes2]

To all of you that participated...you are the best! Bruce, with how busy your life is, you are amazing with all that you do for others. ;)
RA

[92degrees]

Hey, it was great meeting you quattro (however briefly!). You were the only person I ran into all weekend with the exception of ONE person on my "team" on Saturday. What an incredible weekend (my first PMC). Unbelievably emotional and rewarding, great weather and route, and for such an outstanding cause. Some great bike watching too!

[Bruce K]

We missed you at the 5:30 gathering.

You must have been at the Harpoon tent. ;) :beer:

Glad you had such a great trip. It is hard to explain to a first year rider just what a roller coaster of emotions the weekend usually is.

I would be curious to hear your reactions to things like the bagpipers, the sisters (both in costume on Saturday and as the "Over the Hill Cheerleading Squad" on Sunday), and how about "da Hedge"? Are those kids amazing or what?

I am sure your arrivals at Bourne and P'town were emotional and satisfying. And I will bet, despite the congestion and insanity of the crowd, that climbing the Bourne Bridge at dawn and riding along the Cape Cod Canal Bikeway in the morning mist was pretty emotional as well.

Good job.

BK

[92degrees]

We missed you at the 5:30 gathering.

You must have been at the Harpoon tent. ;) :beer:

Glad you had such a great trip. It is hard to explain to a first year rider just what a roller coaster of emotions the weekend usually is.

I would be curious to hear your reactions to things like the bagpipers, the sisters (both in costume on Saturday and as the "Over the Hill Cheerleading Squad" on Sunday), and how about "da Hedge"? Are those kids amazing or what?

I am sure your arrivals at Bourne and P'town were emotional and satisfying. And I will bet, despite the congestion and insanity of the crowd, that climbing the Bourne Bridge at dawn and riding along the Cape Cod Canal Bikeway in the morning mist was pretty emotional as well.

Good job.

BK

Thanks Bruce! I arrived in Bourne pretty early :cool: pulled along by a guy on a red and white Legend (anyone?) with some serious legs :beer:

I had hoped to hang out for the team photo, but my wife was picking me up (stayed off campus) and she hit a huge traffic jam on the connector between the bridges, so I rode out to meet her. Do I get style points for that?

I was most looking forward to three things during the months leading up to the ride -- the bridge at sunrise and high-fives from my son at Brewster and the finish line.

I welled-up so many times over the weekend. I don't think you can be prepared for some of the sights (and I've done other rides like K-Ride out here in WMA). The bagpipers and the sisters were fabulous, and for some reason seeing all the kids out at Cape Cod Sea Camp really got to me too.

[OldDog]

Congradulations guys and thank you. A job well done.
:beer:

[leftyfreak]

The PMC was a grand experience again this year! As Bruce said, it was great fun for us to ride with Uta Sat. morning--she has a wonderful spirit. What Bruce didn't mention was the gigantic bear hug she gave him at one of the rest stops! Go Bruce!

I, too, got to speak with Greg Lemond. I ran into him as we were leaving the bike corral Sunday morning at about 5:30--he did a good job of blending in as a typical middle-aged PMC rider, except for the fancy new red and white carbon bike that happened to bear his name. I asked him if he was enjoying himself, and his response was "Uh, it's kind of early!" He also insisted that he was taking full advantage of the 27 rear cog on his bike.

I was particularly pleased on Sat. when Bruce and I met up with our pal Jen, whom we had met last year, when she was riding just 6 weeks out of radiation. It was wonderful to see her doing so well, and that she was one year clean of cancer!

From a riding standpoint, the highlight for me was climbing into and riding through the Provincelands just a few miles before the finish line on Sunday. The landscape was just so beautiful and desolate, unlike anything I'd seen before.

Many thanks to Bruce for being a great riding buddy (and for encouraging me to get involved last year!), and to quattro and all the others who participate and make the PMC the wonderful event that it is. Everyone should consider supporting a rider or getting involved in some way!

[Steve D]

I've been doing the PMC since my mom was first diagnosed with cancer. She is now a 3 time cancer survivor. And every year since I started riding my wife, 4 sons and parents have met me at the lunch stop to cheer me on and participate in the camaradarie of PMC weekend.

This year, however, my oldest son turned 15 and was now old enough to join me in the ride from Sturbridge. It is something I'll never forget. He raised $3,400 all from his own efforts by writing to his friends and their parents. He put in about 1000 miles in preparation and it all paid off. He rode fast and finished strong. What a treat it was to ride across the finish line in Provincetown grasping each other's hands and holding them high above our heads.

On the ferry back to Boston, my son wanted to meet Greg Lemond so we walked around the boat looking for him. Finally, on the bottom deck of the boat we saw him lying on a bench fast asleep. We let him sleep as it looked like the weekend wiped him out ;-)

[Bruce K]

Steve;

Having done the Father-Son thing at the finish in P'town with my son Jesse 3 years ago I know exactly how you felt.

It is amazing to me that kids can go out and raise that kind of money.

Your son deserves major kudos for a job well done.

When they start posting pictures, we'll have to see who turns up and list them for all to see.

I am not sure about riding photos, but I am pretty sure there are a couple from the ferry back to Boston (that's Diet Coke in my hand and that's the story I'm sticking with ;) ).

BK

[wwtsui]

Sorry I missed you guys at the MMA -- would have really enjoyed meeting some more fellow forumites. Bruce, we did ride for a little bit with Uta Pippig somewhere around Dover, so it sounds like we were probably in the same pack for at least a little while -- I rode with Team Hannah's Bandannas (red jerseys this year).


It is hard to explain to a first year rider just what a roller coaster of emotions the weekend usually is.
BK
As a first year rider, these words certainly rang true for me. It was an incredibly emotional and uplifting weekend for me -- really hard to put into words, but a truly unforgettable weekend. As someone who had never ridden in any kind of group before this year, just lining up and setting off with 1200 riders at the start in Wellesley was quite an experience. The other things that stick in my mind:

All the touching and heartwarming stories told on riders' jerseys, on signs by the road, etc. (Anyone else notice the sign somewhere near Wellfleet about someone having had 14 operations?)
Everyone standing alongside the road cheering the riders on, especially "da Hedge" (I had no idea what it was when I saw the first sign 10 miles out) -- they certainly gave me a lift at a point where it was much appreciated
The stunning scenery, especially sunrise as we were going over the Bourne bridge, and the beautiful views of the dunes and ocean (after a long hill, iirc) in Wellfleet/Truro
Riding to the finish line together with the team

As you can guess, I'm hooked, and definitely planning to ride again next year. Thanks to all for the encouragement and support!

[Bruce K]

Walter you SOB !!!!

I clearly remember 3 or 4 guys in the red Hannah's Bandana's jerseys and wondering what that was all about. The story behind the team name would be nice to know.

With me on the Ottrott and leftyfreak on his IF, we didn't even get a how d'ya do? I guess Uta was way more important than us lowly domestiques !!<sniffle, sniffle>

Boy, are we gonna have to have a little chat when we finally meet! :rolleyes:

Again, it is almost impossible to describe this event to anyone who has not seen it or done it. As you say, most people get hooked pretty quickly.

I can only hope that more of our freinds here at the forum either ride, volunteer, or support one of us in next years ride.

We know they are making progress at Dana Farber as survival rates continue to climb. The cure is coming..."Closer by the Mile".

BK

[wwtsui]

Actually, my recollection is that we couldn't quite keep up with you guys, so we got spit out the back the minute the road started going uphill. The only thing I managed to notice between gasps of oxygen was that the fact that Uta was riding in running shoes, and that the lack of stiff carbon fiber soles didn't seem to be slowing her down too much... ;)

More seriously, Hannah's Bandanas is a team of about 20 riders from the Western Boston suburbs and Barrington (RI) that was formed three years ago. Hannah is a delightful 7 year old that was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia in September 2002 and finished her weekly treatments in November 2004. She's been doing very well since then, and it's been wonderful to see her greet us at the end of our training rides, and to have her see us off at the start in Wellesley.

As I understand it, the name of the team came about because a friend of Hannah's parents started making/selling bandanas as head coverings for kids undergoing chemo -- I believe they're sold at the Jimmy Fund clinic or at the Friends' boutique at Dana Farber. (We wear the team jerseys on both days of the ride so that we can find each other more easily and regroup at each water stop -- i.e., the rest of the team waits for the couple of slow pokes like me.)

Finally, I'd just note that, while Hannah is the most visible person we're riding for, pretty much everyone on the team has other close personal reasons to train, ride and raise money as well...

[Bruce K]

Ian and I remarked more than once that it was amazing that Uta could average 18.5 to the lunch stop riding in running shoes with toe clips, on a borrowed bike with a saddle that appeared to be slightly low.

She is still world class.

We had a light moment when as we got close to the lunch stop she commented that she wasn't sure if she could really do the 85+/- miles to Bourne.

I looked over at her and said, "You could always take a page from the Rosie Ruiz Handbook".

She thought that was kind of cute.

Somehow, when I saw her about 5 miles outside of Bourne she didn't look like she was having any problems at all. And I wasn't surprised.

She asked alot of the folks she chatted with about their stories. Ian finally explained to her that EVERYONE on the PMC has a story to tell about why we ride. Stories about those we still have (Hannah and Daisy) and those we have lost (my feind Sue and my Mom).

And we will keep on pedaling and raising money until hopefully the ride will be a celebration of the fact that cancer is 100% survivable if it is not gone completely.

We really should try and get a Boston area ride together one of these days. Maybe after the Finger Lakes Ramble and before GLoucester Cross weekend.

BK

[ShortRider]

Thank you so much for what you do. I only just found out about the PMC last week, and I think I'd love to do it next year. But if I don't, you can count on me for sponsorship next year.

[leftyfreak]

Thanks for your response and your support! You should definitely consider riding next year, and there are many options in terms of distance and fundraising minimums. I don't mean to be presumptuous, but if you're interested (and we/Jimmy Fund can always use the support), you're welcome to still make contributions until October 13th! You can pm any one of us if you wanted to support us directly, but you can also go to www.pmc.org to make an unspecified contribution.

Thanks, and we hope to see you next year!

Ian

[Bruce K]

Fresh from a PMC e-mail, here are some interesting facts about this year's PMC:

Fundraising Goal (as previously stated): $25 Million

Number of riders to take the start: 4,273

Number of miles pedaled: 750,000

Injuries:

3 - collarbone injuries
6 - dehydrations
1 - internal bleeding

ALL released from hospital

1 - bicycle/motorcycle collision (long story - freak accident - bike rider's "fault") resulting in internal injuries - rider to be released by the end of the week.

All in all an amazing weekend.

Number of hang-overs on Monday AM from the party boat - Lord only knows.

There were also a few scrapes and bruises not officially reported.

BK

[Bruce K]

Here is a picture of me at the Babson College start area.

The "flagpole" on my helmet has the Smiley face of the North Shore Cyclopaths, a heart for our lost freind Barry Carver, and a picture of Sue de Vries who we lost this past spring.

BK

[quattro]

I can't add much more to what has been said by Bruce k, lefty freak and wwtsui, the PMC weekend is very special and while it has special meaning to each rider it also brings all 4000+ riders together in one large family. When ever I have a second thought about the effort to raise the minimum contribution of $3300 all I have to do is think about those that are not able to participate in this ride because they have cancer, the thought quickly vanishes and I realize how lucky I am. If you ride the PMC once you will find yourself coming back every year, it is just that kind of experience.

I'm attaching a few pictures from the weekend.

The first is of is of sun set over the Saturday nights tent village on the first base line of the MMA baseball field.

Second picture is of a few of us styling our Serotta Forum jersey's (l-r) quattro, david w, Bruce k, and lefty freak.

Third picture is of, well, my custom custom Serotta Jersey.