This past weekend, I completed my 17th Pan-Mass Challenge Ride — and what a ride it was.
The weather was as perfect as one could ever hope for, and though I got a late start to my training this year, I peaked just in time. After 2 days and 185 miles, I actually felt stronger at the finish line than I did at the start.
Ocean View Section; Wellfleet, MA
(Non-cyclists feel free to skip to the next section ;-) )
There's one particular section that I find challenging: Ocean View Road in Wellfleet, and the subsequent descent on Long Pond Road.
There's a steep section at the beginning followed by rolling climb up to "The Beachcomber". After that there is a rolling descent down to the 3rd and last water stop on Day 2 with a few sections of climbing to keep one honest.
As we turned off the Cape Cod Rail Trail, I was chatting with one of my teammates about how I dreaded this upcoming section. I felt I hadn't trained enough this year and I was struggling with climbs. He told me I shouldn't worry and that it wasn't as difficult as I was making it out to be in my head.
I told him I was going to try and approach it smart. My goal wasn't to attack the hill, but rather, to maintain a steady level of effort at a good cadence, and see what happens.
I did good on the initial steep section. I maintained a good level of effort. I didn't burn myself out by sprinting up that section like I am typically tempted to do. Once I conquered the initial steep section, I found that I had plenty of energy & strength to tackle the rest of that rolling climb. I pressed on with a strong but measured effort. To my surprise I noticed that one of our stronger riders was drafting me up the hill. An even bigger surprise was finding out that I had set a personal record for that entire section without necessarily intending to!!!
I guess the change in tactics worked better than I could have imagined!
After conquering that section, my confidence level was high for the remaining 20 miles! I felt stronger in those last 20 miles than I did in the previous 165!
Every year, PMC weekend feels like a family reunion. I reconnect with riders I've known for over a decade, meet new faces, and find inspiration at every rest stop and finish line. It’s more than just a bike ride — it's a community powered by hope, determination, and a shared mission to fund life-saving cancer research at Dana-Farber Cancer Institute.
As I have mentioned previously, I had dedicated this year's ride to the memory of Eric Haberman. Eric passed away last November after being diagnosed with Colon Cancer.
Since January I have had more reasons to ride that I have kept to myself.
A friend from high school days is just beginning their journey with multiple cancer diagnosis and will be starting treatment soon.
A good neighbor has recently received a cancer diagnosis and has begun treatments at Dana-Farber.
A family member has also recently received a cancer diagnosis and is consulting with their team on next steps.
On Friday of PMC Weekend, I learned of another college friend who passed away earlier in July from cancer:
Frank White 9/8/1969 - 7/4/2025
So while PMC weekend was a joyous celebration of life and positivity, there are still those quiet, private moments of reflection. Reflection about those who are in the fight or have lost the battle. They are never too far from our thoughts.
Thanks to the generosity of so many, my fundraising is going strong — but I still have a long list of past donors I haven’t heard from yet. If you’re one of them, now is a great time to renew your support.
I’ll be fundraising until the end of September, when rider totals are finalized for 2025. Every dollar helps, and 100% of your donation goes directly to Dana-Farber.
Donate here: https://pmc.org/mm0373
Thank you for being part of this journey — whether you’ve supported me once or every year since the beginning. Together, we are making a difference.
Martin Middelmann
17-Year Rider | 185 Miles Strong | Goal: $12,000
PS - My 2025 Video is a work in progress. Stay tuned...
