HealthBlawg

TEDxCambridge 2011 Twitter Feed

I'm at TEDxCambridge today.  Should be interesting.  Follow along on Twitter at #TEDxC or right here:

David Harlow 
The Harlow Group LLC
Health Care Law and Consulting 

Another Pan Mass Challenge enters the history books

For those of you just joining us, I rode in my eighth Pan-Mass Challenge last weekend. The PMC is a two-day, 200-mile bicycle fundraiser for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. As if I needed another reason to ride, my mother-in-law was recently diagnosed with metastatic melanoma. This year, I rode in particular for her -- to honor her, and to bring her infectious love of life into the PMC weekend and beyond.

Amazingly, the rain stayed away from us Sturbridge-to-Provincetown riders this past weekend. (Well, it stayed away while we were riding, at least; the rain came down after we got to P-town. The riders finishing in Wellesley weren't so lucky.)

PMC slideshow

Each year, one of the highlights of the ride is seeing Jack O'Riordan at the Nickerson State Park water stop (the second stop on Day 2). He's the kid who has been out there with a sign every year reading "I'm 9 because of you," "I'm 10 because of you," etc.  It is always very moving to see him out there. Well, this year, there was a life-size photo of him at Nickerson captioned "I'm 15 and riding" - that's the minimum age for PMC riders.  I happened to hit the water stop at the same time as Jack and had my picture taken with him in front of the poster.  (You can see this photo along with the rest of my photos from the weekend in the slideshow above.)  If you look closely you can see the top of a cast on one of Jack's legs. He shattered his ankle (I didn't get to hear how that happened) and had a bicycle pedal cleat set into his cast so he could ride the PMC.

We saw that kind of dedication among many other riders -- including two cancer survivors who are now one-legged riders (one rides with a prosthetic leg, the other doesn't).

The riders include athletes riding at speeds I can only dream of reaching -- Lance Armstrong rode this year, as did both of Massachusetts' U.S. Senators, Kerry and Brown, who are no slouches either -- as well as folks dedicated to the cause, but not as dedicated to high-speed cycling.  People ride everything from fat-tire mountain bikes and hybrids to top-of-the line superlight racing bikes.  I even saw another recumbent rider who has the same model bike as I do.  (He was very excited about that.)

The ride works on many levels: 

It's a village on wheels where we all work together to meet a specific common goal. 

It's also a 200-mile-long party, with 5300 riders, thousands more volunteer burger flippers and bike mechanics and massage therapists and deejays, spectators in costume, high school cheerleaders doing their thing at breakfast at 4:30 am on Day 1, the bubble machines on the front porch of a house on the first hill out of Sturbridge with a party in full swing at 6:00 am, the blowout block party every year on Cherry Street in Wrentham, balloon archways spanning the road, themed water stops (the last water stop, in Wellfleet, had a Jimmy Buffett/Margaritaville/Parrothead theme this year ... see the slideshow), and people all along the way who come out in droves to say "Thanks for riding," to cheer us on, and to make a lot of noise.   

It's also a chance to just focus on enjoying riding for two days, without having to worry about any logistics -- or anything else.

Speaking of logistics, see the PMC blog for a sense of the huge numbers involved in mounting this operation -- from 19,000 bananas to 160 kegs of beer.  

Every year, I want to be able to share with everyone who is not a part of this village on wheels what it feels like to be on the ride.  While this is really one of those "you had to be there" kind of experiences, I am hoping that I can offer you a window into the weekend through the photos above, a few details about the ride in this post, through my PMC tweets from the road (and all PMC tweets from the road), archived on my blog, and through a few clips from my helmetcam video.  To see what the start and finish look like from the riders' perspective, check out a clip from my PMC helmetcam video:

For more video, check out Da Hedge -- the delirium at the hedge bordering a summer camp alongside the route in Brewster, and the scene at the Massachusetts Maritime Academy after Day 1's 110-mile ride.  

Thank you for joining me in support of this cause -- the Jimmy Fund at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute -- and please feel free to share this post with anyone who you feel may be interested in the cause and/or in supporting my ride (there's still time ...).

Remember, thanks in large part to the generosity of PMC corporate sponsors, 100% of every dollar you donate goes straight to the Dana Farber.

Over the first 31 editions of the PMC, the PMC community has raised an incredible $303 million for the Dana Farber.  The group goal for this year's ride, PMC #32, is $34 million.

Thank you for helping us reach this goal.

And we look forward to doing this all again next year.

David Harlow
The Harlow Group LLC
Health Care Law and Consulting

Pan Mass Challenge 2011 - David's Tweets From the Road

This weekend, I am biking 200 miles in the Pan Mass Challenge.  (Don't forget to sponsor my ride.)  I invite you to follow along here, and see my tweets from the road (or, more accurately, from the water stops), from noon Friday (when I leave home for Sturbridge) through Sunday evening (when the party ferry returns from Provincetown).  You can also check out tweets from everyone tweeting the PMC this weekend in the previous post.

David Harlow
The Harlow Group LLC
Health Care Law and Consulting

 

PMC 2011 Tweets From the Road

You can follow the entire Pan Mass Challenge weekend on Twitter right here.  Everyone's tweets tagged #PMC or #PMC2011 will show up, as we make our way to Sturbridge on Friday afternoon, join the festivites with Lance Armstrong, John Kerry and over 5000 other riders Friday night, ride about 200 miles between Saturday and Sunday, and come back from Provincetown to Boston by boat Sunday afternoon.  (Don't forget to sponsor my ride if you haven't already done so.)  If you want to limit yourself to my tweets only, you can follow them over here.  Thanks for your support.

David Harlow
The Harlow Group LLC
Health Care Law and Consulting

Lick Cancer. Sponsor my Ride in the Pan-Mass Challenge.

It’s that time again – the Pan Mass Challenge is coming up this weekend, and I will be riding for the eighth time along the 2-day, 200-mile route, as part of a village on wheels that comes together each year to fight cancer.  The 5000+ riders, and the volunteer bike mechanics, massage therapists, folks who prepare and serve food and drink, folks who come out in droves to cheer us on, and say “Thanks for riding,” all come together in support of a cause.  We need your help to support this cause -- the Jimmy Fund at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. 

Thanks in large part to the generosity of PMC corporate sponsors, 100% of every dollar you donate goes straight to the Dana Farber – no overhead comes out of your donation, so it can go straight to work supporting the Dana Farber’s cancer research and patient care missions.  

I have not done as a good a job as usual of staying in shape this past winter, and my training rides have been uncovering muscles that I forgot I had.  My family says I seem achier and whinier than before.  But I'm getting myself ready for the big weekend, because I have many reasons to ride. 

As a cancer survivor myself, I know how important this ride is.  I’ve benefited directly from the high-quality care provided by the Dana Farber and its affiliates, and I know that too many of us have had occasion to benefit directly or indirectly from the care and research that sustains us and our loved ones.

I've had many family members and friends touched by cancer -- and as if I needed another reason to ride, my mother in law was recently diagnosed with a very advanced case of metastatic melanoma.  This year, I am riding in particular for her -- to honor her, and to bring her infectious love of life into the PMC weekend and beyond.

In some ways, the ride in August is a two-day party – but it is a deadly serious one, beneath all the fun and camaraderie (and loud music, and bubbles, and costumes) out on the road.  We’re deadly serious about sticking it to cancer.  We’re deadly serious about striving for a world that’s cancer-free.  And we are crazy and determined enough to come together and work at making that dream a reality by pulling off a stunt like the PMC every year.

Join us.

Please contribute to the cause by sponsoring my ride in the PMC.  (You'll find links to photos and videos from past years' rides on my PMC page, too.) 

Please share this post with friends, family members, colleagues and business associates who you think will be moved by this cause to join in and contribute as well.

In my seven years of riding, you have collectively helped me raise about $45,000 for the cause. Over the 31 runnings of the PMC to date, the PMC community has raised an incredible $303 million for the Dana Farber.  The group goal this year is $34 million.  Once again, please join us.

And please follow along on PMC weekend, the first weekend in August – whether you’re by the side of the road, or following along at home via Twitter (follow hashtags #pmc and #pmc2011 or just check out the tweetstreams that will be posted on HealthBlawg starting Friday -- both the general PMC tweetstream and my own, complete with photos from the water stops along the way) or New England Cable News, or simply sending us your good vibes, we draw strength from your support.

Thank you.

David Harlow
The Harlow Group LLC
Health Care Law and Consulting

Pan Mass Challenge 2011 - Please Support my Ride & Help Lick Cancer

It’s that time again – the Pan Mass Challenge is coming up the first weekend of August, and I will be riding for the eighth time along the 2-day, 200-mile route, as part of a village on wheels that comes together each year to fight cancer.  The 5000+ riders, and the volunteer bike mechanics, massage therapists, folks who prepare and serve food and drink, folks who come out in droves to cheer us on, and say “Thanks for riding,” all come together in support of a cause.  We need your help to support this cause -- the Jimmy Fund at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute. 

Thanks in large part to the generosity of PMC corporate sponsors, 100% of every dollar you donate goes straight to the Dana Farber – no overhead comes out of your donation, so it can go straight to work supporting the Dana Farber’s cancer research and patient care missions.  

I have not done as a good a job as usual of staying  in shape this winter, and my training rides are uncovering muscles that I forgot I had.  My family says I seem achier and whinier than before.  But I know I will get myself ready for the big weekend, because I know how important it is.  I’ve benefited directly from the high-quality care provided by the Dana Farber and its affiliates, and I know that too many of us have had occasion to benefit directly or indirectly from the care and research that sustains us and our loved ones.

In some ways, the ride in August is a two-day party – but it is a deadly serious one, beneath all the fun and camaraderie (and loud music, and bubbles, and costumes) out on the road.  We’re deadly serious about sticking it to cancer.  We’re deadly serious about striving for a world that’s cancer-free.  And we are crazy and determined enough to come together and work at making that dream a reality by pulling off a stunt like the PMC every year.

Join us.

Please contribute to the cause by clicking on the Pan Mass Challenge link and using your credit card.  (Appreciated securities will work just fine, too.)

Each year when I ride, I carry with me a list of names of those for whom I ride, whether in their memory or in their honor.  When you donate, feel free to let me know of a name you’d like me to carry with me this year.

Please share this message with friends, family members, colleagues and business associates who you think will be moved by this cause to join in and contribute as well.

In my seven years of riding, you have collectively helped me raise about $45,000 for the cause. Over the 31 runnings of the PMC to date, the PMC community has raised an incredible $303 million for the Dana Farber.  The group goal this year is $34 million.  Once again, please join us.

And please follow along the first weekend in August – whether you’re by the side of the road, or following along at home via Twitter or New England Cable News, or simply sending us your good vibes, we draw strength from your support.

Thank you.

David Harlow
The Harlow Group LLC
Health Care Law and Consulting

Pan Mass Challenge 2011: The Training and Fundraising Begin

While things are still mighty cold and snowbound here in New England, and it's difficult to think about bicycling in this weather, I signed up a couple of weeks ago to ride in my eighth Pan Mass Challenge.  (It will be my second on a recumbent bike.)  For those of you not familiar with the PMC, it's the granddaddy of all athletic fundraisers, and last year alone raised over $30 million for the Dana Farber Cancer Institute's Jimmy Fund.  Thanks to the ride's sponsors, every penny of every donation goes directly to the Dana Farber.  Over 5000 riders get out on the road for the first weekend in August, and ride a variety of routes and distances, supported by many, many others, who are out cheering us on by the side of the road, are volunteering at the water stops, and who open their hearts and checkbooks.  I'll be riding the original route - Sturbridge to Provincetown, about 200 miles over two days - over the first weekend in August.

I invite you to join me in the fight to lick cancer. 

Please check out my Pan Mass Challenge profile, where you can read about my reasons for riding and some of my experiences on past years' rides (there are links from my profile page to photos and tweets from the road, too), and you can donate to the cause with just a few clicks.  I also invite you to join my PMC Facebook group so you can follow along virtually as I train for the ride (it'll get more interesting as the weather improves) and you can see some (ahem) interesting photos of me and my biking buddies.

Thanks for your support.

David Harlow
The Harlow Group LLC
Health Care Law and Consulting

Photographs of Snow

The snow hype machine has been in high gear around here, though I try not to pay attention.  Last weekend, I took a walk around the neighborhood and took some photographs of snow.  The light snowfall offered glimpses of something other than pure white, images that presented themselves to me as a series of abstract designs.  It makes more sense to me to look at the snow like this, contemplatively, than through the lens of the TV meteorologist. I hope you like the photos. (For a larger-format slideshow in another window, click on the image.)

David Harlow
The Harlow Group LLC
Health Care Law and Consulting

 

Pan Mass Challenge 2010 - photos and tweets from the road

This past weekend, I biked 200 miles in the granddaddy of all athletic fundraisers, the Pan-Mass Challenge, or PMC, which benefits the Dana Farber Cancer Center's Jimmy Fund.  If you didn't follow my tweets from the road, you can read them below.  Many include links to photos.  If you prefer, you can just take a look at my slideshow of photos from the PMC weekend, or the raw video footage from my helmetcam (in addition to the clip above, there's more PMC2010 video here).  The tweetstream of all PMC 2010 riders is archived here.  The weather was beautiful this year -- considerably cooler than usual, which made the ride even more of a pleasure.  Once I am more fully recovered, I'll post more about the ride.  Meanwhile, please join me in supporting this important cause: see my PMC profile for more information.

Update 8/12/2010: [Video added.]

David Harlow
The Harlow Group LLC
Health Care Law and Consulting

Pan Mass Challenge 2010 - Follow along on HealthBlawg

This weekend, I will be part of a village on wheels: one of 5200 cyclists riding in the Pan-Mass Challenge.  This will be my seventh year riding in the two-day 200-mile bicycle fundraiser for the Jimmy Fund at the Dana Farber Cancer Institute.  With your help, I have raised nearly $45,000 for the cause over the years. As a group, PMC riders and sponsors have raised more than $165 million over the past six years.  If you haven't yet contributed this year, it's not too late; please go to my PMC profile page and donate to the cause now, or through September.  This year's fundraising goal is $31 million, to mark the 31st edition of the ride.

For a taste of past years' PMC weekends, see here, here and here. 

I invite you to follow the PMC: All PMC tweets will be shown right here on HealthBlawg (Friday afternoon through Sunday evening) and there will be plenty of coverage throughout the weekend on NECN as well.  If you'd like to follow my tweets only, head over to HealthBlawg on Twitter.  I'll post more on the ride after the weekend is over.

See you on the road!

David Harlow
The Harlow Group LLC
Health Care Law and Consulting