For the last few weeks, nearly a month now since the Pan Mass Challenge, people have been asking me if I am still riding. The answer to this is yes — although I can no longer justify eating Nutella particularly and my weekends have been spent thinking about being a teacher more than usual. I have discovered a great new sport, I think. Plus my experience on longer rides from a fitness standpoint is greatly altered. I am much faster, which I really wasn’t going for particularly, although to maintain a good aerobic benefit-type heart rate, I need to be. I also cannot believe I am even writing about this in any detail.

I am also still actively looking for people to consider making a donation to the PMC  so that I can meet my goal when they officially close out the books on October 1.

It is really hard to ask, to be truthful, but the PMC is not about my heart rate or fitness or more peanut butter sandwiches than I ever thought I would ever see much less consume in two days. It is about funds needed to fight cancer.

Yesterday, I sat in an imaging center for a routine screening process with a variety of other women.  (Trying to avoid TMI here; I bet you can figure this out.) For me, as a woman of a certain age, it was a routine appointment, but who knows why others are there. One woman across from me, also ignoring the “Self” magazines and “Us” and whatever it is people think women read in waiting rooms (I brought the NY Times) smiled at me and shrugged saying, “You just say a little prayer.” Really, I thought. For yourself, but, I thought immediately of several women in particular this time who should also be included.

So many people — you maybe— have been more than generous in supporting this important cause and in your moral support of me as a rider. Currently, however, to be very straightforward about it, I am just about $300 short of my goal. Folks have donated a wide variety of amounts in cash, checks, and payments through the handy link provided. And some of you have asked for the link again. Here it is! ANY amount goes towards this important cause and is so appreciated by me personally as well as people we don’t know. Thank you so much.

http://www.pmc.org/profile/JB0520