Your support wanted: Teece rides the Pan-Mass Challenge
Jul 1, 2011, 7:00 am
#1
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Your support wanted: Teece rides the Pan-Mass Challenge
Dear all,
The weekend of 6th-7th August I will be participating in my sixth Pan-Massachusetts Challenge (www.pmc.org) – a 190 mile sponsored cycle ride from Western Massachusetts to Provicetown, at the tip of Cape Cod, and I’m asking for your support and sponsorship. Thanks to in no small part to the generosity of FT members, my previous five rides have raised a total in excess of $31,000 for the Jimmy Fund (www.jimmyfund.org) at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Due to the way the PMC is organised, 100% of sponsorship donations from the 2008, 2009 and 2010 PMC events went directly to the cause, which helps to make the Jimmy Fund Clinic one of the world’s best centres for paediatric cancer research, and has kept Dana-Farber at the forefront in the battle against all forms of cancer.
As mentioned, I will be riding the hardest of the available routes, from Sturbridge to Provincetown, totalling nearly 190 miles, over the two days. For the geeky/curious, the routes are mapped out here:
Saturday: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/75550
Sunday: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/75558
I will be riding with over seventy friends and colleagues on Team Dassault, one of the largest teams year-on-year at the event.
With a little over a month to go, my training has started in earnest, but will be meaningless without your support. Should you wish to donate to my ride this year, please follow the link below. Donations are in US DOLLARS.
http://www.pmc.org/profile/CB0178
Any donation, large or small, will be gratefully received.
Many thanks!
Smallprint: The PMC is a TalkBoad approved charity.
The weekend of 6th-7th August I will be participating in my sixth Pan-Massachusetts Challenge (www.pmc.org) – a 190 mile sponsored cycle ride from Western Massachusetts to Provicetown, at the tip of Cape Cod, and I’m asking for your support and sponsorship. Thanks to in no small part to the generosity of FT members, my previous five rides have raised a total in excess of $31,000 for the Jimmy Fund (www.jimmyfund.org) at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute. Due to the way the PMC is organised, 100% of sponsorship donations from the 2008, 2009 and 2010 PMC events went directly to the cause, which helps to make the Jimmy Fund Clinic one of the world’s best centres for paediatric cancer research, and has kept Dana-Farber at the forefront in the battle against all forms of cancer.
As mentioned, I will be riding the hardest of the available routes, from Sturbridge to Provincetown, totalling nearly 190 miles, over the two days. For the geeky/curious, the routes are mapped out here:
Saturday: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/75550
Sunday: http://ridewithgps.com/routes/75558
I will be riding with over seventy friends and colleagues on Team Dassault, one of the largest teams year-on-year at the event.
With a little over a month to go, my training has started in earnest, but will be meaningless without your support. Should you wish to donate to my ride this year, please follow the link below. Donations are in US DOLLARS.
http://www.pmc.org/profile/CB0178
Any donation, large or small, will be gratefully received.
Many thanks!
Smallprint: The PMC is a TalkBoad approved charity.
Jul 1, 2011, 7:01 am
#2
Original Poster
Join Date: Jan 2006
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Posts: 5,140
Donors
Fundraising to date: $2,426
Thanks to the following FT members for their donations:
CT-UK
HilFly
BA or bust
jhm
HAM76
Petrus
BA1A
Globaliser
LTN Phobia
Halo
flying_fozzy
Smirnoff
Earthman
alex0683de
G-BOAC
halfcape
Yahillwe
HilFly AGAIN!
Thanks to the following FT members for their donations:
CT-UK
HilFly
BA or bust
jhm
HAM76
Petrus
BA1A
Globaliser
LTN Phobia
Halo
flying_fozzy
Smirnoff
Earthman
alex0683de
G-BOAC
halfcape
Yahillwe
HilFly AGAIN!
Last edited by Teece; Sep 15, 2011 at 2:19 am Reason: Update
Jul 4, 2011, 5:28 am
#5
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Thanks for the early donations, everyone, it's great to see the repeat offenders 
A special nod to jhm, who's donated every year for the past six. ^^
Sore legs today from a decent 48 mile bash around the fens yesterday!
A special nod to jhm, who's donated every year for the past six. ^^Sore legs today from a decent 48 mile bash around the fens yesterday!
Jul 11, 2011, 2:59 am
#6
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Bumping this to thank HAM71 for his donation! Not too far from the first fundraising milestone of $1,000!
Four weeks (just under) to go - looking for a hard week of training this week, to make up for being stuck in a hotel for half of last week. Hotel gym bikes do not have comfortable saddles.
Four weeks (just under) to go - looking for a hard week of training this week, to make up for being stuck in a hotel for half of last week. Hotel gym bikes do not have comfortable saddles.
Jul 13, 2011, 4:54 am
#8
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Wow, a flurry of donations yesterday! Big thanks to Petrus, BA1A, Globaliser, LTN Phobia, Halo, flying_fozzy, Smirnoff, Earthman and alex0683de, in no particular order!
Aug 1, 2011, 1:01 pm
#9
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A quick bump for this - off to BOS tomorrow on the 215, as it's the PMC this weekend! Thanks to G-BOAC for his donation.
Some exciting news - Lance Armstrong will be riding on Saturday. Whatever you think of the allegations against him, the link between him and cancer, from both his suffering and his philanthropic work, is strong, so it's pretty exciting.
Donations still welcome!
http://www.pmc.org/profile/CB0178
(USD)
Some exciting news - Lance Armstrong will be riding on Saturday. Whatever you think of the allegations against him, the link between him and cancer, from both his suffering and his philanthropic work, is strong, so it's pretty exciting.
Donations still welcome!
http://www.pmc.org/profile/CB0178
(USD)
Aug 5, 2011, 4:07 pm
#10
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: BOS
Programs: BA Silver, Mucci
Posts: 5,289
Teece: Good luck for your ride this weekend, and thank you again for participating.
Although some of you may have benefited indirectly from the wonderful research done at Dana Farber I would imagine that it does not mean very much to many of you, especially those who are not US based.
For me, as well as being a center for cancer research, it is also a local hospital. We have supported Dana Farber for many years but this year it took on a greater significance in our lives. Since Teece rode the PMC last year, Mr H has received treatment from a Dana Farber physician and now has a good prognosis.
My heartfelt thanks to Teece, his fellow participants and to all who have sponsored Teece. Your support enables Dana Farber to continue its excellent work.
Although some of you may have benefited indirectly from the wonderful research done at Dana Farber I would imagine that it does not mean very much to many of you, especially those who are not US based.
For me, as well as being a center for cancer research, it is also a local hospital. We have supported Dana Farber for many years but this year it took on a greater significance in our lives. Since Teece rode the PMC last year, Mr H has received treatment from a Dana Farber physician and now has a good prognosis.
My heartfelt thanks to Teece, his fellow participants and to all who have sponsored Teece. Your support enables Dana Farber to continue its excellent work.
Aug 9, 2011, 5:47 am
#12
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A quick update to
a) Thank halfcape and Yahillwe for their generous donations, and
b) Report that the weekend went off really well - despite some filthy weather for Sunday's ride.
I'll do a more substantial write-up when I've caught up with real life, but in the mean time, donations are still accepted until 1st October!
a) Thank halfcape and Yahillwe for their generous donations, and
b) Report that the weekend went off really well - despite some filthy weather for Sunday's ride.
I'll do a more substantial write-up when I've caught up with real life, but in the mean time, donations are still accepted until 1st October!
Sep 14, 2011, 2:46 am
#13
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Hi Everyone,
Just a final update and a bit of a belated (sorry!) report on how the rides went.
Firstly, sponsorship is now in excess of $2,100 – a huge thanks to everyone who has donated to date. Donations (in US dollars) are still being accepted until 1st October:
http://www.pmc.org/profile/CB0178
So, to the ride. The late-breaking news was that Lance Armstrong was to ride with us on the Saturday. Whatever your opinions on Lance’s sporting achievements, he has done a huge amount of good work in the cancer community, through the Lance Armstrong Foundation, and the LiveStrong campaign. So this was quite a big deal for the PMC. Not that many of us got to see him! One of my team mates did, having got up really early (like 4.30am wasn’t early enough) and got a spot very near the front for the start. I ended up seeing photos on-line instead. The start on Saturday is always one of my favourite bits – even as a Brit, the rendition of the American national anthem is always a bit special before we roll out. Even at dark-o-clock, it was very warm and sticky, and it stayed that way for the whole ride. We had a decent-sized group that stayed together, mostly, the whole 110 miles, consisting of a mixture of Team Dassualt members and some others from Team ROAG, who have close ties with our team. This meant we set a pretty decent pace, averaging comfortably in excess of 20mph for the day, and we stayed largely free of mechanical troubles. There’s always one rider or story that sticks in the mind after the event. This year, there was a guy riding a tandem on his own. On his back was a tribute to his teenage son, who he’d lost to cancer recently. Lots of riders ride with similar tributes, or lists of people lost to, or suffering from cancer – but dragging the extra weight of the tandem round for the weekend really is going the extra mile. Chapeau, as us cyclists like to say.
On the road again. If you’re wondering about the helmet decorations – it’s hard to pick out team-mates when 5,000 riders are in the same jersey.
The waterstops and lunch were as slickly run and as entertaining as ever – plenty of fancy dress and music make it a very cheerful event, and as usual, the turnout at the side of the road was great, all helping the miles speed by. The Lakeville waterstop is always the one that puts the ride into perspective, though, as this is where the Pedal Partner picnic is held. Pedal Partners are kids that are currently undergoing treatment at the Jimmy Fund clinic at Dana Farber, and are paired with PMC teams for the event. There’s a huge gallery of photos of the children as you turn into the waterstop – many of them fuzzy-headed or sporting tubes from their noses, but all smiling. “This is why I ride” is kind of an unofficial PMC slogan, and it never feels more appropriate than then. The wind really picked up towards the finish at the MMA in Bourne – the wind-turbine was really whipping round as we arrived, and we were nervously joking about how hard Sunday might be. The rest of Saturday was spent refuelling and relaxing, although one of ROAG guys managed to blag the use of a $100,000 BMW from the sponsors, for a cinema trip.
Team Dassault in Bourne, at the end of day 1.
Saturday night, the weather turned for the worse, and there was fairly torrential rain – I was glad I wasn’t one of those sleeping in a tent. The rain had stopped by the time we got up for breakfast (I hesitate to use ‘morning’ here, as it felt like the middle of the night) but it was still very wet, and the first half of the ride we were continually passing people by the side of the road fixing flat tyres, but we were fortunate and didn’t suffer the same fate. I ended up riding in a smaller group with just a couple of team-mates for company, although we did pick up a train of around twenty riders at one point, not that they did any work. It felt good for the three of us to be towing such a large group along – even better when I upped the pace for a few miles and we dropped most of them. One of the survivors compared me to Jens Voigt, legendary hardman of the pro peloton!
On the Ice Couch with Scott & Jim. No idea what Jim’s having trouble swallowing.
The final miles of the PMC are always tough – the exposed slog along Route 6 and the sadistic right-hand turn into the dunes when you’re only a mile from Provincetown, but this year was the hardest I’ve experienced, with winds that blew us almost to a standstill. It felt good to crawl over the finish line and wash the grime off.
Socks – good for keeping ankles clean.
If you’ve got this far, well done, and thanks. I have a different project planned for next year, and won’t be riding the 2012 PMC – I’ll certainly miss it.
Just a final update and a bit of a belated (sorry!) report on how the rides went.
Firstly, sponsorship is now in excess of $2,100 – a huge thanks to everyone who has donated to date. Donations (in US dollars) are still being accepted until 1st October:
http://www.pmc.org/profile/CB0178
So, to the ride. The late-breaking news was that Lance Armstrong was to ride with us on the Saturday. Whatever your opinions on Lance’s sporting achievements, he has done a huge amount of good work in the cancer community, through the Lance Armstrong Foundation, and the LiveStrong campaign. So this was quite a big deal for the PMC. Not that many of us got to see him! One of my team mates did, having got up really early (like 4.30am wasn’t early enough) and got a spot very near the front for the start. I ended up seeing photos on-line instead. The start on Saturday is always one of my favourite bits – even as a Brit, the rendition of the American national anthem is always a bit special before we roll out. Even at dark-o-clock, it was very warm and sticky, and it stayed that way for the whole ride. We had a decent-sized group that stayed together, mostly, the whole 110 miles, consisting of a mixture of Team Dassualt members and some others from Team ROAG, who have close ties with our team. This meant we set a pretty decent pace, averaging comfortably in excess of 20mph for the day, and we stayed largely free of mechanical troubles. There’s always one rider or story that sticks in the mind after the event. This year, there was a guy riding a tandem on his own. On his back was a tribute to his teenage son, who he’d lost to cancer recently. Lots of riders ride with similar tributes, or lists of people lost to, or suffering from cancer – but dragging the extra weight of the tandem round for the weekend really is going the extra mile. Chapeau, as us cyclists like to say.
On the road again. If you’re wondering about the helmet decorations – it’s hard to pick out team-mates when 5,000 riders are in the same jersey.
The waterstops and lunch were as slickly run and as entertaining as ever – plenty of fancy dress and music make it a very cheerful event, and as usual, the turnout at the side of the road was great, all helping the miles speed by. The Lakeville waterstop is always the one that puts the ride into perspective, though, as this is where the Pedal Partner picnic is held. Pedal Partners are kids that are currently undergoing treatment at the Jimmy Fund clinic at Dana Farber, and are paired with PMC teams for the event. There’s a huge gallery of photos of the children as you turn into the waterstop – many of them fuzzy-headed or sporting tubes from their noses, but all smiling. “This is why I ride” is kind of an unofficial PMC slogan, and it never feels more appropriate than then. The wind really picked up towards the finish at the MMA in Bourne – the wind-turbine was really whipping round as we arrived, and we were nervously joking about how hard Sunday might be. The rest of Saturday was spent refuelling and relaxing, although one of ROAG guys managed to blag the use of a $100,000 BMW from the sponsors, for a cinema trip.
Team Dassault in Bourne, at the end of day 1.
Saturday night, the weather turned for the worse, and there was fairly torrential rain – I was glad I wasn’t one of those sleeping in a tent. The rain had stopped by the time we got up for breakfast (I hesitate to use ‘morning’ here, as it felt like the middle of the night) but it was still very wet, and the first half of the ride we were continually passing people by the side of the road fixing flat tyres, but we were fortunate and didn’t suffer the same fate. I ended up riding in a smaller group with just a couple of team-mates for company, although we did pick up a train of around twenty riders at one point, not that they did any work. It felt good for the three of us to be towing such a large group along – even better when I upped the pace for a few miles and we dropped most of them. One of the survivors compared me to Jens Voigt, legendary hardman of the pro peloton!
On the Ice Couch with Scott & Jim. No idea what Jim’s having trouble swallowing.
The final miles of the PMC are always tough – the exposed slog along Route 6 and the sadistic right-hand turn into the dunes when you’re only a mile from Provincetown, but this year was the hardest I’ve experienced, with winds that blew us almost to a standstill. It felt good to crawl over the finish line and wash the grime off.
Socks – good for keeping ankles clean.
If you’ve got this far, well done, and thanks. I have a different project planned for next year, and won’t be riding the 2012 PMC – I’ll certainly miss it.
Sep 14, 2011, 3:52 pm
#14
Join Date: Mar 2010
Posts: 630
I love the photo of the ice couch. What a great idea.
From my deck, I can hear the cheering as the bikers go through my town and I am not that close to the route.
I do have a question, how do you all get off-Cape after the trip? Friends with vans, buses? I know that you don't bike home!
From my deck, I can hear the cheering as the bikers go through my town and I am not that close to the route.
I do have a question, how do you all get off-Cape after the trip? Friends with vans, buses? I know that you don't bike home!
Sep 15, 2011, 2:17 am
#15
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It wasn't quite so necessary this year, but yes, it's fantastic when it's really hot!
The PMC is a logistical dream machine - as a rider, you're really well looked after. Transport home - of course you have the option of arranging your own transport, but the PMC lays on several options - buses back the the various start points (transporting bike and kit as well as riders), or several ferry options direct to Boston. Only the high-speed ferry option is at additional cost on top of the registration fee.
I do have a question, how do you all get off-Cape after the trip? Friends with vans, buses? I know that you don't bike home!