Pan Mass Challenge 2016

It started with pain. I expected to have pain in my legs. Ahead lay almost 300 miles to pedal over three days, to get from the New York border to Provincetown.

But I didn’t expect this kind of pain.

I had barely turned my pedals once when a bee (or maybe it was a wasp) flew right into my face. Wedged itself under my sunglasses. And punched a big stinger right into my eyebrow.

Fortunately, I’m not allergic to bee stings. At least I didn’t think I was allergic. It had been decades since I’ve been the victim of a bee sting. I was stopped by this point, sunglasses thrown on the ground and yelling at the tiny insect that had moved on.

Teammate C1, came along side and checked to make sure my face was not swelling into the shape of watermelon. Okay. Not allergic.

Day Zero – Friday
Hillsdale NY to Sturbridge MA

That was the start of Day Zero, our Friday ride from the New York border to Sturbridge on the day before the Pan-Mass Challenge begins.

Day Zero was largely a tribute to Danno. The Team Kinetic Karma riders were wearing Danno’s Sheldonville Bike Repair jerseys. We were joined by a few dozen other riders for the 90+ miles.

The morning is a grinding climb up and over the Berkshires. There are no spectators. No road signs. Just a ride that stretches the Pan-Mass Challenge all the way across the Commonwealth.

After the climb, we were rewarded with a long descent. For me, that was a screaming downhill losing 1000 feet of elevation to the Westfield River. At one point I almost got up to a speed of 50 mph.

After we were off the mountain we met up with a series of police escorts that would take us through Westfield, West Springfield and Springfield.

Thanks to TP Daley Insurance in West Springfield for hosting us for lunch.

One of the challenges with cycling from the Berkshires is getting across the Connecticut River. There are only a few places to cross. In Springfield, you need to take a highway to get over the waterway. That’s no problem with a police escort.

Yes. It is really strange to be riding a bike on a highway.  I’m sure the drivers in the left-hand lane thought it was even stranger.

The strangest part of the ride is the final rest stop of the day at the Magic Lantern.

That air conditioning felt great on our over-heated bodies. The proprietors put on a great spread to refresh us for the last leg into Sturbridge. No dancers were on the scene. The Champagne Room was full of sweaty cyclists looking for the energy to get those last few dozen miles out of our legs.

We pulled into Sturbridge with a full day in our legs, while most of the other 6,000 riders of the PMC were just getting ready. Yeah, that feels good.

Day One – Saturday
Sturbridge MA to Bourne MA

The Pan Mass Challenge starts at dawn, My muscles were aching from the previous day’s miles. My heart was aching from the loss of Jeff earlier this year.

I was on the road with 6,000 other rider; 22% of them were first time riders.

It’s hard to describe the emotional roller coaster of the Pan Mass Challenge. Physically, your body is pushing you up the road. Emotionally, the road is populated with supporters, cheering you on. Many are cancer survivors or family members of those who have battled this disease. Even a hard guy like me has trouble keeping back the tears when you see a kid holding a sign that reads Thanks to you I’m 15 .

One of the many highlights is the Pedal Partner rest stop. Team Kinetic Karma connects with a kid fighting cancer through the PMC’s Pedal Partner program. Anna has been the Team’s pedal partner for the last few years. Anna just completed her cancer treatment. <Fingers crossed that she has beaten back this disease.>

Stopping for the day at the Mass. Maritime Academy means it’s time for some beverages and good meal to fuel up for another long day on the bike.

Day Two – Sunday
Bourne MA to Provincetown MA

Day Two starts with the slow roll out of the Mass. Maritime Academy to the Bourne Bridge. The crowd of riders is dense and there are only two lines of cyclists. You can only ride as fast as the slowest climber at the top of the bridge. You get a beautiful sunrise as you touch wheels on Cape Cod, then there’s a series of hard fast turns onto the Cape Cod Canal Trail into the blinding sun just rising over the horizon.

One highlight of the last day is the cruise past the hedges at the Cape Cod Sea Camp. They bring a raucous crowd. All that energy went straight to my legs. We gave them a champagne toast, thanking them for coming out.

At the end it was the celebration of those fighting cancer that kept the power in my legs to keep me going over the Provincelands Dunes. My focus was on finishing and bringing as many of my teammates along with me as I could.

The End of the Ride

I print a list of my sponsors and any words of encouragement just before the PMC ride and tuck it into my jersey pocket to power me through the three days. Thank you to everyone who sponsored my ride.

Timeline for Day One and Day Two

This is largely for my reference so I can remember next year when I ended up at the various rest stops. You will note the excessive amount of time spent in most of the rest stops. It’s not a race to get to the finish. We ride fast and rest luxuriously.