Made it!!!!!!!

Wow! That is probably the only way I know to describe my PMC weekend. It was a truly amazing expierence and one I will never forget.
There were some obvious stats. 192 miles. Six hours on the bike on Saturday with an average of 18.1 mph. A high of 39.6 mph (and I was scared to death!). Average heart rate of 145 with a high of 179! And most importantly 4350 calories burned (which I replaced with some nice Harpoon IPA).
On Sunday it was 4:20 on the bike with an average of 17.6 mph. Average heart rate was only 129 with a max of 165, and 2526 calories burned (which I replaced with Ipswich IPA).
Friday

On Friday we met in Acton at 12:00 to head out to Sturbridge. It was an impressive set up. A box truck for our bikes and bags. The Team Lick Cancer bus and a motor home. After some packing and standing around we got on the road around 1:00. All was proceeding smoothly through Acton and out onto 495 when all of a sudden there was a nasty oder in the bus. Could have been someone on the team but it ended up being spilled antifreeze as the serpentine belt blew off the engine. Due to great planning we all just piled into the motor home and were off to Sturbridge to sell shirts and tattoos. As I would find out, the team sells very popular "Lick Cancer" t-shirts and tattoos as another way to raise money for the Jimmy fund. I think we sold over 500 shirts. At about 6:00 we had an appointment with NECN for a little interview. If was tough to get everyone quieted down but the interview was great and Dave and Heidi got a chance to explain why we do what we do. Here is a link to the interview http://www.necn.com/Boston/Arts-Entertainment/Team-Lick-Cancer-ready-to-rock-the-PMC/1217629157.html
As my sister pointed out, I may be getting shorter as I get older. After the interview and some dinner we headed to the New England Motor Inn for some much needed rest.

Saturday

Unfortunately with my nerves and anticipation, I slept very little. The alarm went off at 4:15, a quick shower, and we were off to the start. It was quite a sight with most of us wearing the exact same shirt. We fueled up with bagels, OJ, H2O, and liquid yogurt and headed to our bikes for the start. A few words from Billy Starr (the creator of the PMC), a beautiful rendition of the National Anthem and we were off. It only took 5 minutes of riding and I was already separated from all of my teammates. I was very cautious during the opening of the ride as I had never ridden in this type of pack. The wonderful thing about the PMC is that there are rest/refueling stops approximately every twenty miles. I got to the first stop, visited the porta potty (this would become a familiar theme over the weekend, if you drink enough to stay hydrated, you spend a lot of time in your friendly porta potty!) and regrouped with our team. My first mistake was after the second rest stop. I had grabbed a bite and filled my bottles and one of my teammates called me a said we were leaving. I jumped on my bike and took off with them. Once out on the road I realized that it wasn't the whole team and I was with the fast group. We flew to the next stop. I had no problem keeping up but I am sure I could not have kept it up the whole day. The next stop was lunch and I was already looking forward to seeing Annie and Jordan. They were coming down to the last rest stop. After lunch I got back into the right group and we cruised down by Rhode Island and towards the cape.



The Gaebels at the Wareham rest stop.

This was my greeting in Wareham and I have to say, I had been looking forward to seeing them for at least 30 miles. Notice Annie with her Team Lick Cancer t-shirt on and Jordan with her sleeping giraffe. Not even the PMC could separate her and her giraffe! After the much to quick visit, we headed off to the day 1 finish. The last leg was less than ten miles but for some reason it felt like forever. We finished in Bourne at approximately 1:30. More food and drink, a little massage, a quick little storm that forced an evacuation of the dining tent and we were in bed by 8:30. I slept a little better the second night but it was smoking hot in the dorms and I was restless most of the night.

Sunday
Here is something that I do not want to hear for a while. "Riders, it is 4am, time to get up and get something to eat". That was our wake up call. It was a slow morning. I had a rough time packing my bag back up. Annie had packed me up on Thursday night and somehow after she packs I can never get everything back into the back. It is like she is a "Zen packer". I got everything packed, took a shower and dragged my butt and bag out the field. The entire two days people thanked us for riding but the real people that should be thanked are the volunteers! There was always someone to tell you where to go or to help you. I gave my bag to a volunteer and they made sure it got to your dorm. The next day I gave it to someone and they made sure it got to the finish. It was an impressive display of logistical coordination and hard work.
We were back on our bikes at 5:15 and I have to say I felt pretty good. The nice thing about day two was that we rode as team. We all had our Lick Cancer team jerseys on and at times there was a 30 or 40 yard line of teammates riding up the road. I wanted to get a picture of it but I am not that steady on bike that I was comfortable taking out my camera. The highlight of Sunday was 'the hedges' and meeting Jack. Jack is a young man that comes out to Nickerson State Park every year thanking us for riding. During a weekend of countless touching moments, it may have been the most touching.

We were lucky to get a team picture with Jack and I look forward to seeing him next year.

Sunday was an interesting day as far as the actual riding goes. I expected to be really sore but the day was surprisingly comfortable. Once we got about 15 miles from the finish we stopped to regroup.



Team Lick Cancer getting ready for the last push!

There are two finish areas at the PMC and unfortunately I had signed up for the wrong one. While the majority of the team finished together at the Provincetown Inn. I rode in alone to the family finish. It was very disappointing, after spending 10+ hours on bikes together it would have been nice to finish with everyone. Well I will learn from that and not make the same mistake next year.
I took a quick shower and headed over to the P-town Inn to reunite with the team. We got on the 3:00 ferry to get back to Boston and as you can see from the pic below, faced some interesting weather.



The band was named Pi Alley and they rocked. There were two separate storm fronts that came through and forced them to run for cover. Both times the fronts moved through and Pi Alley was back out to rock some more. The ferry ride was amazing. A wonderful celebration for work that had occurred, not only during that weekend, but also all year. It was a tearful docking in Boston. I found my bike and bag (again, because of the amazing volunteer staff) and we headed back to Acton. We arrived in Acton about 9:00, a tired but happy group.

First I apologize for any typos. I am scrambling to get this all down. Secondly I would like to thank everyone for their support. See you on the road, training for the PMC 2009.

Living Proof
Well now on a summer night in a dusky room
Come a little piece of the Lord's undying light
Crying like he swallowed the fiery moon
In his mother's arms it was all the beauty I could take
Like the missing words to some prayer that I could never make
In a world so hard and dirty so fouled and confused
Searching for a little bit of God's mercy
I found living proof
-Springsteen

Time to ride

The time to ride has come. Last night Team Lick Cancer had a kickoff pasta party. It was a great time and nice to see people off of their bikes. I am new to this team so I did not know most of the people prior to training for the PMC. Kudos go out to the Christmas family for opening up their house to us. Especially Mrs Christmas who found some toys to entertain little Jordan.
Today we leave Acton at 1:00 sharp. I have to say that I am excited, nervous, and already emotional about the coming two days. Luckily I think the team will walk me through the logistics of the weekend and I just have to pedal.
Speaking of pedaling, I am pretty satisfied with my training up to this point. I will always feel that I could have done more, gone for more rides, ridden further, but I think I am prepared for the weekend.
I would like to thank everyone for their support. This is not something that can be done alone and I have been touched by the donations and more importantly the kind words I have received. Most importantly I would like to thank Annie. I know she doesn't read this but she has been extremely supportive of this endeavor. From suggesting that I sign up, to paying for a new bike, to watching me go out for 3-4 hour rides each weekend, she has been awesome. I am already looking forward to seeing her and Jordan at the Wareham water stop on Saturday.
I will try to update this as soon as I get back on Monday.

Steve

Camping!!

Last weekend we decided to take Jordan on her first camping trip. We went to Crawford Notch, NH. The plan was to leave on Thursday at noon, but we got off to a rough start when I had to pack the car in between down pours. We were on the road by 12:30 and arrived around 4:00 As you can see by the photo above it was pouring when we arrived in New Hampshire but Jordan didn't seem to mind much. We decided to hold off on setting up our tent and instead went out looking for dinner for Jordan. We found a nice dry pizza joint where we were able to get Jordan some cheese pizza (her favorite) and more importantly, Annie a Bud Light. Halfway through dinner we noticed the skies clearing a bit. We finished up quickly and scurried off to the campground to set up our gear. We found the perfect window and were able to set up our tent during relatively dry conditions. It was an early night for us so we headed to sleep by 9:30.



Friday was a beautiful morning. My bike was being tuned up for the PMC so I brought Annie's bike to get in an easy ride. It was strange riding a different bike but it got more comfortable as I rode. As you can see from the sign there was no chance of an easy ride. I got 25-30 miles in on a single road (302) in front of the campground. The 13% climb almost killed me and coming down the backside was pretty intense. I would guess it was the fastest I had ever been on a bike. The views were amazing. Just huge cliffs all around me. In the afternoon we hiked up to Ripley's Falls. A great waterfall. It was a nice 60 minute round trip hike. Buddy loved it and Jordan enjoyed it so much that she fell asleep on Annie's back on the hike out.

Saturday morning I awoke with a little soreness in my left hip flexor. I wasn't sure if it was from the ride the day before or sleeping on the ground, but I decided not to aggravate it and bailed on my planned ride. Instead we ended up driving up Mount Washington. There is a sign at the bottom of the mountain that tells you not to drive up if you are afraid of heights and I should have heeded that warning. I drove the whole way up with two hands firmly on the wheel at ten and two. Halfway up we saw a van that got stuck in a ditch. Not something that helped my confidence. We made it up and Jordan got to see the highest point in New England. Unfortunately we hadn't planned on the trip so we didn't have our camera. On the way back to the campgroud we saw a moose grazing on the side of the road. Absolutely amazing.

Sunday was an early morning and we packed up to head home. I wanted to pick up my bike and get in another good ride. I was able to get out around 2:00 and rode 40 miles. I would have liked to go a little further but I could see thunder clouds heading in. I made it home with about 15 minutes to spare before the skies opened up. It was a nice ride and I averaged 17.3 mph without much effort.

There will be one more tune up ride and then rest for the big weekend.

Tuesday night

Last night I went out for a quick ride after work. Riding after work is always a little hard because I get home, see Jordan for 15 minutes and then out the door. When I get back she is already sleeping. Well, only a couple more 'night rides'. I rode with Tom again. I headed over to his house via the long route to grab a couple extra miles. We headed out to Stow and up more hills in Harvard. It was the same loop as last week. Nice climbing and also a lot of places where you can cruise along at a nice pace. We had two separate deer sightings. The first was a solo deer standing on the side of the road in someones yard. It was kinda funny, the deer just looked at us, never moved, as if to say, what are those fools doing. Then about 7 miles later we saw two deer bound across the road in front of us and across a field. Amazing!
As we got to the great descent of Oak Hill the rain started. At first it was just a few drops, a few miles later it was a full storm. Annie actually called my cell phone to see if we needed to be picked up. I made it home a little wet but with no problems. The ride ended up being 31 miles and we averaged over 16mph. Based on my schedule it looks as though I have 3 more rides left before the big weekend. I am getting itchy and ready to go.

Here is my brand new Team Lick Cancer shirt. We will be wearing these on Sunday so if you see us out on the cape, please give us a wave and a word of encourgement.



Sunday was supposed to be the Big Climb to the Clouds but I was talked out of it. Instead I opted for a team ride. We met at 7:00 and there was a photographer from the Globe there. He took a couple of pictures and we were off. We rode a bunch of loops around Bolton, Stow, and Boxborough. Once we got back, Tom and I decided to add on another 20 miles. We rode through Carlisle and Concord. While on 225 in Carlisle, some ass in a Jaguar tried to squeeze us off the road. It is a pretty wide road and no one was coming in the other direction. I can understand people getting mad when bikes are across the road but when there are only two of us and we are on the shoulder maybe he could have calmed down. We ended up with 64 for the day. Alot better then the 40 we would have had if we stopped with the group. Sunday night was a birthday party for my college roommate. He joined me in the 40. We had a great time and enjoyed steak and lobster. Not a bad way to kick off the week.

Picking it up

It has been a good week of training. I got out for two runs during the week. Let me say that biking does not translate to running and I felt horrible both days. On Thursday night I got out for a ride with a Team Lick Cancer member. We ended up going a nice 35 miles. It was great to ride with someone else and I definitely put in a much better effort. We rode through Acton Stow and Harvard. It seems that I put most of my riding time in in Harvard. Hopefully those hill will prepare me well for August 2nd.

Today I went for a flat 40. It was a nice leisurely ride but I was still able to average 17.3 mph. Then we headed to the lake for a cool off. Jordan loved it but Buddy enjoyed it more. Tomorrow I has cancelled the Climb to the Clouds and opted for a team ride instead. Hopefully the weather will hold off.

Back to Kimball's

Jordan and Buddy waiting for Mom to bring back french fries.



Sunday I decided to try the ride to Kimball's again. I had tried this in early June with horrible results and barely made it. The ride is only 42 miles but the last 15 is uphill. In the morning we went to a road race in Somerville. Annie ran another great race. The course was tough with a huge hill during the first mile. Jordan and I went out to the hill to cheer Mom along. Jordan loves to see her mom run by. We got home from the race at noon and I headed out to Jaffery. The ride was much easier this time. One problem was that they are paving a rode in Shirley and I had to ride a couple of miles on a dirt road. I think that because I knew what to expect, the hills were not as bad. The ride took about 2:45 and we enjoyed a cheeseburger and Chicken Fingers. Jordan and Buddy loved their fries. Next weekend is the climb to the clouds. Hopefully this ride has prepared me for the ride up to the summit of Wachusett.

NASC Soccer reunion

Saturday was a North Adams State soccer reunion for Annie. We had to leave at 10:00 so I had to get up early to ride. I was out the door by 5:45 to put in an hour before meeting up with Team Lick Cancer. I rode through Harvard and over Oak Hill again. It has become my favorite route and the hill gets easier each time. I met up with the team at 7:00. We headed out to Stow and Bolton. I was able to ride with them for 20 miles and then had to break off and head home. Back through Harvard and over the hills. The ride was 49 miles and I averaged 16.5 mph. The afternoon was spent in Hanover at the soccer party. Jordan and I spent a good amount of time in the pool. She is becoming a little water rat.

Today I rode into work again. I decided to go a bit of a different route to try to avoid some bad roads. I avoided the roads but the ride was a bit longer. It was 28.6 to get to the gym. I rode through Acton and Concord on my way to the Minuteman RailTrail. The roads were awesome, and no traffic.
The ride home was pretty uneventful. I picked another new route and this one worked out pretty well. I went through Belmont over to Lexington and then onto the railtrail. The ride was 26.5 miles and I averaged 16.5 mph. We went out for a quick bite to eat and were in bed by 9:00.

4th of July

I expected to get in a couple of rides over the 4th weekend but unfortunately only got in one. On Friday the 4th we went to Mattapoisett for the Mattapoisett Road Race. Annie ran while Jordan and I cheered her on. Each time she came by us Jordan would light up and start laughing. I am sure that gave Annie a little extra motivation. After the race we headed for the beach. It wasn't a perfect beach day but a great time with great friends. Jordan loved the water. During low tide there is a large area that she could crawl around in and splash. I finally had to take the little shiverer out (kicking and screaming) and get her into some warm dry clothes. We ended up staying through dinner so when we got home it was dark.

Sunday I was able to get out for a ride. I wanted to try to duplicate the first day of the PMC so I headed to Harvard for some hills and then circled around Stow Sudbury Wayland etc. The ride was uneventful but it was a perfect day. I ended up going 60 miles and averaging 16.5mph. Hopefully this weekend I can get a ride in with some other people. It is kinda boring riding for 4 hours alone.

A Good Week

Tuesday night I was able to get out for a quick ride. I only had about 1:45 of daylight left so I rode out through Westford and into Carlisle. Beautiful roads and pretty quiet. It is amazing how many bikes I see on each ride. I don't know if they were always there and I only notice now because I am on a bike as well. After Carlisle, I rode down Monument Street into Concord. It may be the nicest road in Corcord. Big farms and nice woods. From Monument, I rode by the Old North Bridge and headed home. I didn't bring my camera so of course I rode over the apple orchard on Nagog Hill and saw an amazing sunset. At the same time, the sky started spitting on me. I was a bit afraid of another thunder shower so I hustled straight home. The loop was 25 miles and I averaged 16.5 MPH.

Thursday I finally tried riding into work. I figured it would be a quiet day on the roads so I thought this would be my best chance. The ride in was great. I left home at 5:50 and worked my way to the Minuteman Rail Trail via Westford, Carlisle, and Concord. Once on the MRT I rode into the Alewife T Station. The trail is excellent but there are many many road crossings that you have to stop for. I got to the gym in Watertown around 7:30. The ride was about 26 miles. It was great to have that mileage covered before work. Since it was the day before the 4th we got out a little early. I was back on my bike at 3:30. I decided to go home via Belmont, and Lincoln. The roads out there are not very 'rider friendly'. The shoulders are almost non existent and there was a lot of traffic. There were also a lot more hills. The highlight of the ride was in Lincoln. I was cutting through a side road when a deer popped up. He was only 10 yards off the road. He took off across a field and disappeared into the woods. Watching a deer run like that is truly an amazing sight. I pulled into the driveway at about 5:15. It was a little longer and much hillier going home. It was 28.5 miles and I averaged 16.3 mph. A total of 53.5 for the day.

Jordan is getting into the spirit. After a few laps of Suffolk getting used to her helmet she officially started her training for the PMC 2028.

Saturday was a big day for me on the bike. There is a 105 mile ride coming up in late July named the Climb to the Clouds. It runs from Concord to Mt Wachusett and back. I want to try it so I thought it would be a good idea to go on a 'recon' mission from my house. I figured the loop to be about 78 miles with a lot of climbing. I was able to recruit Jon a co-worker of Annie's to make this attempt. We were on the road at 6:20 and headed west. Well, actually we were headed south, one thing I have learned about bike routes are that they never head directly to your goal. We headed through Littleton to Harvard. We went up and over Oak Hill which on this day I knew would be one of the smaller climbs we tackled. There was a long run to 117 and then we headed out to unchartered territory. Riding along we stumbled upon Davis Framland.

I mention this because the day before Annie, Jordan, and my neighbors went out and saw all the animals. We stopped for a quick picture and a drink. Then off to Wachusett. We basically spent the next 15 miles climbing. Sometimes easy and sometimes steep but always climbing. Around 30 miles we hit the entrance to the ski area. The road starts off with a mile climb at 9% grade. That doesn't sound steep but I was hurting. Jon dropped me immediately and I dropped into my lowest gear and trudged along. After that mile there is a park building that we stopped at. We stopped for a few minutes and then headed for the summit. It was a brutal climb for me. It would be much easier if I wasn't carrying an extra 30 lbs but we made it.

Jon at the Summit.


We headed off the mountain. Unfortunately the going down did not last very long. We wound south and headed home. The last 20 miles were very tough. My handlebars came loose with about 30 miles to go and it was very a very unnerving ride. The ride ended up being 83.5 miles and we averaged 15.4 mph. Not a bad day for me. I finished feeling like I can make the 110 mile first day of the PMC.

Sunday I had planned to ride after a graduation party but the thunder showers came through and washed those plans away!

A nice evening

Last night I decided to get in a quick ride before dark. I got on the road at 7 hoping to get in a loop through Harvard with a couple of long hills. The first 5 miles were slow and I just felt sluggish. Once I got onto Oak Hill things started to come together. Oak Hill is an approximately 3 mile climb and it loosened me up well. I decided to take the back road down to Rte 117 and come back on 110. 110 is a long climb with varying grades. I felt great riding it. There were no cars out so it was peaceful and I could see to my left Mt Wachusett. On Saturday we are going to try a ride out there. I continued home and made it just before dark. It was a 28.5 mile ride and I averaged 16.6 mph. Not bad for a loop with so many hills. Now it is time to rest up for Saturday. The loop to Wachusett is almost 80 miles and includes at least 15 miles of hills. I am keeping my fingers crossed for good weather.

19???? Years at Mattapoisett

No pictures this week. Last weekend was a full one. It started on Friday night with the set up of Flerra Meadow for Fifer's Day. Fifer's Day is Boxborough's annual town fair. There are bands, kids games, a hot air balloon, and plenty of food and drink. Buddy and I got to the field around 6 and have to admit I did not do much work at all. Fifer's Day has become such a fine oiled machine that most everything was accomplished by the time I got there. I just helped out by eating a few slices of pizza and having a couple of "Country Ale's". Buddy enjoyed running around the fields and playing with his new friend Jack.

Saturday was a busy day. I got up and was on my bike by 6. I needed to be at the field by 8:30 to help with the road race so I only had time for a quick 35. It was a very flat course through Chelmsford, Carlisle, Concord and finished in Boxborough. I was able to average 17.6 mph. This is definately the quickest ride I have had. Nothing like the motivation of having someplace to be, to keep the pace up. Annie and Jordan met me at the field and we directed traffic for the road race. The race went well, it was close to a perfect day for it. At 11:00, Annie, Jordan, and I jumped into the Pilot and headed to Mattapoisett. My college roommate Jim has been having a summer party there for 19 years. It is very hard to believe it has been 19! I don't think I went to the first one but I haven't missed many. There are many stories but most are unfit to print. We went to the beach and brought Jordan to the water. She LOVES the water. It is pretty funny to see her laughing and kicking her feet. We stayed in Mattapoisett until 6 and headed back to Fifer's Day to help with clean up. We got back at 7:20, I hung out and Annie and Jordan went home and to bed. I found out that Alan Rohwer won the Golden Fife award for his support of the town. A perfect choice.

Sunday I decided to meet some people in Arlington for a group ride. I have only ridden in a group once so I think I need some work in that area. It was a 20 mile ride out to Arlington and we went for a 30 mile ride through Concord, Carlisle, B'ricca, etc. I split off after 30 and headed home. It ended up being 62 for the day. A pretty good effort for me. It was great to ride in the group. I learned alot about hand signals and how to ride with people around me. I look forward to riding with this group again. The rest of Sunday was spent food shopping, and getting Annie's bike ready for Jordan the passenger. We put a seat for Jordan on the back of Annie's bike. Jordan seems to like to ride but hates her helmet. She rode up and down the road and even did a loop around the block. She will be natural but, just like her mother, doesn't like to have her hair messed up. Hopefully we can have a family ride soon.

What was he saying???

Life’s rich demand creates supply in the hand
Of the powers, the only vote that matters
Silence means security silence means approval
On Zenith, on the TV, tiger run around the tree
Follow the leader, run and turn into butter

OK, I have no idea what this means but it was sung on Friday night at an REM concert at "Great Woods". Our weekend started by going to see REM with the boys on Friday night. First of all you can hardly understand what Michael Stipe is singing half the time. Secondly, the other half of the time his lyrics make very little sense to me. It was a great show and a great night out. The only downside is that I got home at 12:30 and had planned on meeting up for a 7am ride. Up at 5:30 with Buddy and time to get ready for the ride. A quick check to my e-mail and I realized that my ride plans had fallen through. I decided to go it alone and was on the road at 6:40. I followed an route painted on the road. It was in the shape of a clothes hanger. I went through Littleton, Boxborough, Stow, Sudbury, Wayland, Lincoln, Concord, Acton and probably a few more. The picture above is from a farm that I road by. I think it is in Sudbury. The ride ended up being 61 miles and I was able to average 16.7 mph. I felt great the whole way. I got back to this greeting. Apparently, Jordan was working hard while I was gone.



The rest of Saturday was spent quietly.
Sunday was my Father's Day with Jordan. I was going to celebrate by going for an early ride but I awoke to a nasty day. Luckily the weather broke and I was able to get on the road at 1:00. I promised Annie that I would be home by 3:00 so I only had time for 32 miles. I decided to go through Harvard and work the hills. I had another great ride, I wish it could have been longer. I averaged 16.1 mph on this loop. It is amazing how the hills effect your average pace. Sunday night was a nice Father's Day dinner at my parents house and a quick Minuteman Meeting to get ready for Fifer's Day. If you are around Boxborough Saturday the 21st, stop by Flerra Field in the afternoon for a great time of food (prepared by the Minutemen) games for the kids, and music. I promise you will not be disappointed. Happy Father's Day to everyone.

Tough Day

I learned some lessons this weekend. The first is that the heat is not my friend! Saturday I decided to ride to Kimball's in Jaffrey NH for lunch with Annie and Jordan. The day started off well with Annie getting in a 9 mile run in the early morning. She looked great. At 10:00 I was off to Kimball's with an ETA of 12:30. I was going on a route to try to avoid 119 as much as possible and guessed it was around 40 miles but I should have mapped it first to know where the important landmarks were. I headed out over Oak Hill in Littleton. So far in my training this has been the hardest hill I have been on. Oak Hill is a 2.25 mile climb that rises 310 feet. Pretty good climb but nothing like what I had in front of me. I felt great on that climb and headed over to Ayer. I wound through Ayer, Shirley, and Townsend on relatively flat roads and was averaging 16.5 mph. I felt pretty good. Then I turned off on 119 and headed to Jaffrey. As soon as I turned I started to feel the combination of heat and the effort I was putting out. At 25 miles the hills started. I climbed 1000 feet over the next 10 miles with only a slight break at 7 miles. The heat was really getting to me and I wasn't sure how far it was to Kimball's. I actually stopped at one point and tried to call Annie to come pick me up. Fortunately and unfortunately, I had no cell reception so I had to soldier on. I phrase it that way because at the time I really needed a ride but once it was over I was glad to have made it the whole way. I rolled (slowly) into Kimball's about 20 minutes late. I was only able to eat have a hot dot (had to share it Jordan) but I did have an excellent Kimball's Mint Chocolate Chip Frappe. They do make the best Frappes. Annie enjoyed the first Fried Clams of the season. The rest of the day was spent driving home and doing a little shopping.

Lesson number 2 was learned on Sunday, and that was the old Boy Scout motto of be prepared. Annie grabbed another run early, this time with Buddy and I headed out for a ride around 7:30. I really wanted to get in two hours and had to hurry as we were going to a graduation party. My legs felt surprisingly good after Saturday and I was cruising over towards Carlisle when I hit a huge pothole. I knew right away that something was not right so I pulled over and sure enough I had a flat back tire. I took off the tire, got out my spare tube and realized that the spare (that was 10 years old!!) was flat as well. I was not prepared!! Luckily I had my phone and Annie came out to pick me up. While waiting for Annie I checked out my bike and realized that I had a front flat as well. I ended up going to the bike store, getting a patch kit and three new tubes. Hopefully I will be all set for the next flat. I guess it was a good thing this happened now and not sometime when I couldn't call someone.
We went to the graduation party and had a great time. Jordan took her first dip in the pool and she loved it. Next weekend I will be going for back to back 50 milers.

Buddy's Bash

Buddy getting ready for his big party.


Saturday was our fourth annual Buddy's Bash. The weather was iffy during the day but we got lucky and had no rain during the party. Annie did an amazing job organizing and setting everything up. This year we had a raffle to raise money for the PMC. We were able to raise $385 on the raffle. Thank you to everyone who donated a raffle prize or prizes. Special thanks to Kara for being our poster girl. It was a great party, Buddy seems to have more and more friends each year.

On Sunday I had my first ride with Team Lick Cancer. We met in Acton at 7:00. It was a little early for me after celebrating at Buddy's Bash. We headed out to Harvard and rode up Oak Hill. It was a great initiation to the group. I felt surprisingly well. We ended up riding for 44 miles and averaged 16.5 mph. We could have gone faster but it seemed that we were climbing most of the time. The climbing is still the place I feel best. It was different riding in a group. A lot more fun but you have to pay attention. I definitely have not spent anywhere near as much time on a bike as these guys. We rode through Littleton, Harvard, Bolton, Berlin, Lancaster and back. It is amazing how many towns you can cover on a ride. It was a great group to ride with. I am looking forward to the next group ride.

The rest of the day was spent with Jordan and Annie doing a little clean up from the party. We also attended a cookout for the Long Lake Neighborhood Association. Free hot dogs (which Jordan enjoyed immensely). It was a nice end to a great weekend.

Friday I did it! I rode my first 1/2 century. I actually ended up going 55 miles and averaged 15.7 mph. The fence you see here was at a farm in either Concord or Carlisle. I am taking a photograpy class so I decided to bring my camera on the ride. I am sure there were better pictures to take but I was hurting by the end of the ride. I was very happy to make the 50 miles and it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. But it also showed me that 110 miles on the first day is going to be a big challenge and I have to step up my training. Friday my sister also came into town. I only get to see her a few times a year so it was nice to hang out, even if it was only for a short period of time. Saturday was a busy day and I did not have time for a ride.
Sunday was tough ride. I got in 35 miles and averaged 15.3 mph but it was a painful ride. It appears that my butt may need the most training. It was very uncomfortable sitting down. I did a nice ride through Boxborough, Stow, Lancaster and Harvard. There was some great climbing. At this time I think that the uphills will be my strong suit. Only time will tell. Monday I wanted to get another ride in but chores took over my day. This Saturday is Buddy's Bash so there will be no time for riding but on Sunday I am hoping to get a long ride in on Sunday with a group of people. It will be my first group ride so it should be interesting.

So last weekend was a big one for my riding. I got in back to back days of 37 and 39 miles. They were actually on the same course but I got lost on the second day! I have learned that there are all sorts of routes mapped out around Littleton and the surrounding towns. There are little symbols painted on the road. I saw a Pi symbol at the end of my road so I decided to follow it. The route took me through Westford, Chelmsford, Carlisle, Bedford, Concord and Acton. The first day was pretty fun. I rode a bit slower while looking for the little Pi signs on the road to see where to go. At one point I saw West Billerica Liquors and I couldn't believe I was that far from home. I was a great ride. The next day I decided to do the same route. Now that I had a vague idea of where I was going, I picked up the pace a bit. But I was a little careless and missed a turn that added two extra miles. On Sunday, Annie, Jordan and I went to a road race in Stow. Jordan got to stay with Grampy Gaebel while Annie and I ran. It was a 5K and we wanted to run 8:30 pace. I told Annie not to worry and just follow me. I would hit 8:30 at mile one. So much for my pacing prowess, we got to mile one and I checked my watch. Right on!! Not really, it was 7:57. I don't think Annie was happy but she soldiered on. Mile two was faster at 7:53 and we dropped off to 8:30 on mile three. We averaged 8:10 pace so I was very happy for Annie. I think she can break 8 minute pace by the end of the summer. Congratulations to fellow AB grad, Mark Mayall who won the race pretty easily.
Tomorrow I am hoping for my first half century (50 milier). Wish me luck.

It's been a while

Well at least someone was glad to see me return from my ride on Sunday.








First I would like to thank everyone that has donated so far. I have reached the $1500 mark in donations and promises. It has been inspiring to read peoples notes on their donations. THANKS!!!
It has been a great last week of training. Seven days and seven workouts. Four runs and three rides. The runs have just been an easy four miles before work. Just putting in some time.
The rides have been much better. On Thursday the 8th I went out after work to try to get in a thirty mile ride. Unfortunately, the daylight was not cooperating so I cut it short to 23 miles. I rode through the hills of Harvard Ma. It was great to get in an evening ride. On my way back to Littleton, I was on a back road and came upon three deer in the middle of the road. They did not know what to make of me and just stood there for a minute. Finally, they had had enough and darted off into the woods. I will have to start riding with a little camera so I can capture these moments.
On Saturday I went to the Cape with Annie so she could run the Irish Village Road Race. As you can see it was a nasty morning.

Annie ran awesome. Although the race results screwed her, she ran 44:55 and broke 9 minute miles. Not bad for a day where the wind could have blown over a small SUV. Jordan and I were a great support team. Once Annie got out on the course, we headed to the Pilot for a little "Finding Nemo" and a nap. Road races are so much fun!
After the race we headed to see Baby Donaldson. Very cute baby and Mom and Dad are doing a great job. I rode home from Lincoln via some back roads through Sudbury, Stow, and Boxborough. It was a nice ride, about 26 miles and not as many hills as riding through Harvard.
Sunday's ride was going to be a long one, but with Mother's Day and many chores ahead, I decided to go a little shorter but try to ride a lot of hills. I rode into Harvard again and over to Lancaster. It was a 30 mile day but the hills were killer. I had no problems on the hills but about 10 miles from home my body just quit. I was just riding to get home from there. I have to respect the hill work and take it a little easier on the days that tackle so many of them. Once home it was a nice Mothers Day celebrated with three generations of Mothers.
Congratulations to anyone who celebrated their first Mother's Day.

Rides Getting Longer

First I would like to apologize for the last post. It appears that the picture I posted only showed up using certain web browsers. If you were not able to see it, it was a picture of Annie, Jordan, and Buddy.
Yesterday was a beautiful day. Annie was going to a baby shower so I had to get my ride in early. Well early is relative, I was on my bike at the Ayer/Nashua Rail Trail at 8:30. That was after a trip to the dump and a trip around my lawn to fertilize and put down grubb treatment. I decided that I would do the rail trail like Wednesday but add on the ride home. I guessed it to be about 35 miles. Pretty good guess as it was exactly 36. It nicely broke up into three 12 mile segments. On the first 12 I concentrated on keeping my heart rate under 120bpm. This was pretty easy and I was still going at an OK pace. I am very concerned about going too fast too early at the PMC. I then picked it up a bit during the 2nd 12 miles, but still kept under 130bpm. The last 12 was on the hills of Harvard so the heart rate was all over the place. I felt great though. I haven't ridden that far since high school and was only a little tired after the ride. That may have been more due to not eating enough before I went out. Now I know why people wear those goofy bike shirts. If you are out for 2.5 or 3 hours you need to pack a lunch. Sunday was a day off the bike. Just a nice walk with the family, but hopefully the weather will break so I can try a ride home from work this week.

Thanks for reading.

Last week someone questioned why do people ride in the PMC. They said it was only for the 'party'. Having never done this, I am not sure what the party is. I know that I am doing it for the the family in the picture above. You never know when this disease will strike and I hope if it ever does strike, we have worked as hard as possible to keep the damage to a minimum. Anyways....
It has been a while since my last post. Riding has been going well. It is sometimes tough getting in the time with a new baby but luckily I have a pretty understanding wife. I was able to get in a 20 miler on Saturday, 16.5 on Monday night and a 24 miler this morning. Saturday and Monday were both very hilly and both included Pinnicle Hill. I feel better each time I go up it. On Monday, once I got to the top I turned around went back down and did it again. I keep hearing how tough the hills are so I will keep working on them till they are no effort. Today I had the day off from work. It was a day for Jordan and I to hang out. I decided to try out the Ayer to Nashua rail trail. It is a 12 mile trail that is free of traffic. No hills at all. It was nice to ride with out worrying about traffic. I averaged 16.5 mph for the 24 miles. I am pretty happy that my pace seems to be improving, even as I slowly raise the mileage of each ride. I am looking forward to going for 30 this weekend.

Back To Back

What a great week of training. I had my first back to back days of riding. Ran 3 mornings on the river. Just 3 miles each time but feeling better as each day goes by. Noticed by the end of the week more and more people were out. That is the signal that spring has arrived. I am sure if I made it over to Comm Ave, everyone would be out Marathon training. I will miss my yearly Marathon Morning run with Brad.
I got to ride twice this weekend. On Saturday I went 15 and on Sunday it was almost 18. Saturday's ride was cut in half for a stop at my parents house to adjust my seat and then ride out a 20 minute rain shower that included some thunder and lightning. The rest of the ride was wet but fun. It was a pretty warm day so I enjoyed myself and didn't mind getting wet.
Sunday morning I got up and mounted my new computer on my bike. Very easy installation and I was looking forward to trying it out. I got a ride in around 3:30. We first went to the Doyle's Road Race so Annie could participate in her first Pub Series race. She did the Gaebel family well and ran around 46 minutes for a hilly five mile course. She looked great finishing so I know she can run faster in the next Pub Series race. Jordan enjoyed the trip to Franklin Park. She even got to see a Canada Goose up close!
The ride was great. A little cold to start but my legs felt good. Pinnicle hill is a killer. I am curious how long the hills are going to be at the PMC. Some research is going to be needed.

Here is the Pinnacle Hill course.

Sigh of Relief

Finally... my letter went out. I must thank the few people who helped proof my drafts. Somehow I still managed to send it out with a typo. I guess that is life.... never perfect. I also must thank Annie for kicking me in the butt to make sure I finally got the letter done and mailed. Anyone who received a copy in the mail will be able to tell that Annie addressed all the envelopes. No bike riding this weekend. Another cold and rainy one. I did get a chance to get in a run with the entire family. Pushing Jordan up the slightest incline proves to be a challenge. It was fun for all of us to be out, even if it was at 6:30 am. Another run today and I am feeling much better.

First weekend of Training

The weather finally cooperated to get on my bike. Yesterday was too wet to take out my new baby but today was good. Yesterday I decided to go for a run. I don't think I have run in over a month and my body did not respond well. Buddy was practically dragging me along. It was only three miles but it was a brutal three miles. Last night we celebrated my grandmother's and father's birthdays. My grandmother turned 96 on Thursday. Pretty impressive. Back to the ride. I went out for an hour this morning. The bike was great, although it needs an adjustment to the rear gears. It kept slipping. I am sure it is easily adjusted. I rode around Boxborough and had the expected struggles. Felt pretty good though. It is exciting to be begining such an important quest.

Day 1

Finally had a chance and the creative energy to write my PMC letter. This may have been one of the harder things I have had to write. Never having asked for money before, I was not sure of how to go about it. Now that this is done, I am hoping for a weather break to get out on the roads.



Show a little faith, there is magic in the night.

-Springsteen