Pmc

[CycleChic06]

I know, I know, it's really really early to be thinking about next year's PMC. But I was thinking about cycling goals for next year (note: *NOT* New Year's resolutions, but cycling goals!) and I thought it would be cool to ride part if not all of the PMC.

I know a couple of you have ridden it in the past and I was curious about your experiences. Things like doing one day vs. two day, which route you've taken, which town you started in, and just an overall view of the experience.

Thanks!
Emily

[Patti37]

I cannot offer you details about the PMC but someone I work with has done it every year for abou 5 years. He is addicted to doing it. He says it is one of the best events he participates in. However, he always worries about raising the money.

I know he does the two day. Sorry I do not have more details.

[DeniseGoldberg]

There are some threads under Charity Rides and Northeast about the Pan Mass Challenge. You might be able to hook up with some of the gals who posted there about the event.

http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=8807
http://forums.teamestrogen.com/showthread.php?t=8850

There are other threads too - these two are both about the 2006 ride.

[newfsmith]

I've done the Wellesley-Bourne MMA route and the Sturbridge-Bourne-Provincetown route. The Sturbridge route has the big opening ceremony the night before, and a very low-key actual start. From Wellesley, the night before has the registration and CCTV broadcast of the Sturbridge ceremony. The Wellesley start had more music and speakers in '05 than Sturbridge did in '06. The Wellesley route is quick, and mostly downhill, with only a couple of hills. The Sturbridge route has more hills, I hit 44 mph descending one of them. The two routes join before the lunch stop at Dighton-Rheobath high school. Crowd support is great for most of the ride, but there are still places where you will ride along by yourself at times. It is all about raising money for cancer research and treatment. You will see people that do the entire trip on a MTB, you will see 70+ riders (the average age is 43), you will see amputee riders, you may see famous folks riding. Hundreds of people will thank you for riding. Every rider has committed to raising a minimum amount that is pretty high, $3600 to do the S-B-P. If you don't reach that minimum by the October cut off it is charged to your credit card. Registration begins in January and the S-B-P route is full by February. If that is interesting, go to http://www.pmc.org/ and browse through the site to get more of a feel for it. If you have any specific questions feel free to PM me.

[CycleChic06]

Thanks for all the replies. I guess my main concern would be the fundraising. $3600 is a HUGE amount of money to raise. I was speaking to someone over the weekend who rode it and said it was a very spiritual experience. I would still love to do it so I'm putting it on my list of to-do's next year which include a 3 week trip to India and hiking Mount Washington. The India trip is def. happening, but I think I need to make a decision between the PMC and Mt. Washington. It'll be a toughie.

[SheFly]

If you really want to do a two day charity ride (that is VERY well organized, and great fun), you should consider the Great Mass Getaway. This is a ride for MS that leaves from Quincy on Saturday morning, and goes to P'Town over the two-day weekend. You can find more details here: http://www.nationalmssociety.org/MAM/event/event_detail.asp?e=6557

The great thing is that the fundraising minimum is $400. I will be riding in my 5th GMG this year... Still a great cause, and a great weekend!

SheFly

[tygab]

I would still love to do it so I'm putting it on my list of to-do's next year which include a 3 week trip to India and hiking Mount Washington. The India trip is def. happening, but I think I need to make a decision between the PMC and Mt. Washington. It'll be a toughie.

May I ask why you'd have to choose between doing the PMC and hiking Mt Washington? I think you can do both! Are you planning an extended hike along the AT? or do you just want to get to the top?

I did my first PMC last year. I did the Wellesley to Wellesley route, which goes Wellesley to Bourne to Wellesley over 2 days. That is a cheaper route, and some consider it easier. I don't know if I agree, I haven't done the other routes, but the "easy" downhill is not so easy uphill. You have to come back what you went down....

Our requirement was $2500 last year, and both my husband and I raised that amount as first timers. We were plenty nervous about it, but we've learned a lot and even just from others on what we can do to raise more. I feel pretty confident we can do it again. Use company matching wherever you can w/your donors, that goes a LONG way! I realize the fundraising can seem very intimidating, but there are different ride options. I will say that the 2 day rides to Ptown fill very quickly. When I registered last year the only 2 day open was the W2W. Also, this year they've added a 1 day ride, Wellesley to Wellesley with a $1,000 fundraising requirement.

Here are the 2007 routes and minimum fundraising requirements:

HEAVY HITTER $6,300 <<note: this means you get cool shorts and some privs like early registration etc
2-DAY RIDES TO PROVINCETOWN $3,600
2-DAY RIDES TO WELLESLEY $3,000
1-DAY RIDES TO MMA $2,600 (Saturday)
1-DAY; STURBRIDGE TO WELLESLEY $1,800 (Saturday)
1-DAY; WELLESLEY TO WELLESLEY $1,000 (Sunday) - NEW
1-DAY; BOURNE TO WELLESLEY $1,200 (Volunteer Saturday; Ride on Sunday) - not available until Volunteer registration opens on March 6th
VIRTUAL RIDE No Minimum/No Obligation: $500 PMC merchandise; $1,000 for ride jersey


I have been thinking about it for months already and am just waiting to sign up when it opens to us. We'd like to do the Ptown route this year. It is really a very transforming experience. I started cycling just to do the PMC and so I guess for me the transformation included going from inactivity/non-cyclist to relatively fit and improving cyclist.

I met people who traveled from California, Ohio, etc just to do the ride, people who'd done it for 10+ years, people who started riding when their kids were little and are now riding with their kids and so on. Of course, the other unifying theme is what everyone has gone through - survivors, people who have loved ones fighting the disease, adults who were treated by the Jimmy Fund now old enough to ride (one of our team members fits this description), kids fighting the disease now and those riding in memory of someone they've lost. Sadly, it seems like the list of people my husband and I are riding for in one way or another just keeps growing.

Also, the PMC has a pass thru rate of nearly 99% on the fundraising, and a very high rider retention rate. So, when the eyes get big on the $ amount one needs to raise as mine did, the flip side is that the demand to participate in this ride is high and a LOT of money gets raised as a result. The fundraising is part of the challenge and when you cross the line knowing both goals have been achieved, it is a great feeling that lasts for days.

I have no doubt there are other great fundraising rides in the area, like the MS 150. I would consider doing those rides if they appeal to you. I do think that for whatever ride you choose, you need to believe in the cause as it goes a long way in your motivation both cycling and fundraising wise.

Feel free to contact me if you'd like more information.

[CycleChic06]

Thank you all for your advice. I didn't realize that the different routes had different fundraising requirements and that they all fill up so quickly. The Great Mass Getaway would be a great alternative, but the appeal of the PMC is that cancer is just closer to my heart. I have lost friends and family (some terribly young) to cancer and I'm scientist currently doing cancer research.

Tygab, you make a good point about the feeling of reaching your goals as you cross the finish line, as the lofty fundraising requirements are part of the challenge.

And as far as the choice of Mt. Washington vs PMC, both are going to require a lot of time and training. Though, hiking Mt. Washington would probably need far less training than the PMC. The tentative plans were to hike up Tuck's and spend the night at the AMC hut and then do the short hike to the summit the next day and then hike back down. But an extended hike on the AT isn't out of the question. But that on top of classes and orchestra rehearsals and working full time doesn't leave much time to do much else, that's why it'll be a choice between Mt. Wash and the PMC.

[ironmike]

Congrats on deciding to do the PMC! A great way to get involved is to join a team local to your area.

Couple of ways to find team rides is by the classified section of the PMC web site:

http://pmc.org/mypmc/classifieds.asp?Cat=Training%20Rides#

and also here:

http://www.pmc.org/mypmc/profiles.asp?section=search&let=team

See you on the road!