Pre PMC 2011

   20 consecutive years is a long time to do anything. So as I approached my second decade of PMCing, I felt compelled to come up with something that would appropriately mark the big milestone. I quickly ruled out another Friday New York border to Sturbridge ride which I did to mark my 10th PMC. The additional 93 miles, followed by the 192 mile PMC weekend, was a real challenge at the age of 41. So having gained some wisdom with age, I chose not to subject my legs, lungs and butt to the same pain 10 years hence.
    After mulling over a few other ideas, I finally settled on something - a tattoo of the PMC logo. Not a big one. A small 2 or 3 inch "Tat" (using the lingo already!) on my calf. Big enough to illustrate my commitment to the PMC, yet small enough so I won't be confused with your average NBA player.
    However, as I write this, I have to report that I am still tattoo-less. No, I didn't chicken out or get overruled by Kristen (she's all for it). Instead the local Tat shop turned me away because they would only do a Tat that would cover my entire calf. Not what I had in mind at all. So my search for the right artist continues because I still want to do this. I welcome thoughts from any of you out there who may be "inked".

PMC Logo

    Oh yes ... my training. I've had better years. As some of you know, I suffered through two separate bouts of kidney stones in May and then July. If you've had kidney stones, then you understand how you might not really want to ride a bike when it feels like you have a Ginsu knife stuck in your back/side. I'm happy to report that after something called a Lithotripsy, I am now A-OK! The final impact was that despite getting a requisite number of training miles under my belt (1,397), I missed a couple of the essential longer rides which have been a part of past preparation.