Four Body Odysseys On Two & Three Wheels: Cycling the 20th Maine Lighthouse Ride

Robert Pease (host)

My Body Odyssey is riding the 20th Annual Maine Lighthouse Ride with over 800 cyclists this year. That’s a lot of bikes sharing the carefully-planned routes along the South Portland area coastline. But all of this pedaling is to benefit the Eastern Trail, a dedicated bike path from Portland to Kittery for recreation and commuting. I’m Robert Pease, biking the 25-mile option  today to meet some of those Lighthouse riders. Our audio engineer, Kevin A. Kline, he’s riding the 40-mile option. 

Robert Pease (host)

Along the way, we’ll meet 4 My Body Odyssey protagonists, all of them facing considerable challenges. Therefore finishing the event today will be that much more gratifying. The 100 milers are now setting off bright and early. And Like all riders, their first few miles travel a dedicated  section of the Eastern Trail, which makes commuting by bike safer and more convenient for Portland residents. And among these 100 milers is Rebecca, a yoga teacher taking on the century ride despite several medical issues. 

Rebecca 

So I would actually say I’m riding with three specific challenges this year. And one is torn ligaments in my knee and one is that almost exactly two years ago today I had my last chemotherapy treatment. And then, there’ve been several other things, and in the mix, I manage the energy of depression, which sometimes keeps me from getting on my bicycle.

Robert Pease (host)

Rebecca is an Endometrial Cancer survivor. A relapse of that cancer, the effects of chemo and some collateral issues has kept her away from this ride for several years. 

Rebecca

So I’ve done this ride three times in the past, and what has made it the most joyful for me is finding somebody to ride with. So then it’s more about the, with a group ride, it’s very much about the connection with, with other people who are riding, is what makes it more joyous for me. Yeah, really fun. 

Robert Pease (host)

As this is very much a ride and not a race, Rebecca and others are able to slow down and take in the scenery

Rebecca

And there’s this section from Biddeford to Kennebunk. It swings inland and just goes through these gorgeous rolling hill farmland. The course is so well chosen for beauty. 

Robert Pease (host)

Rebecca is now about six or seven miles into the ride, just past the Eastern Trail portion, when another group of cyclists gather at the starting area. These are the 62-mile, or 100 kilometer, riders. 

Robert Pease (host)

Eric’s approximately age 30 and a Portland resident. He’s riding here on his birthday. And it is remarkable he’s taking on 62 miles considering the injuries he had just over a year ago from a hiking accident. 

Eric

What happened was, I was hiking Mount Katahdin last at, on that day in June. You know, it was a nice sunny day. It was, you know, nice day of a hike. It was my first time ever hiking it, so I was enjoying it. Made it to the top… 

Robert Pease (host)

But it was on the way down that Eric ran into some serious trouble. 

Eric

I was going down those boulders they had. And when I went down it, my knee started feeling sore. So I just kept going, going, you know, walk it off. And then I took one step and I just heard a loud pop, and it was my quadricep tendon blew right off my kneecap. 

Robert Pease (host)

Eric was airlifted off Mt. Katahdin to a hospital where his quad muscle was surgically reattached. But it turned out the quad issue was not his only injury… 

Eric

So it’s like, it’s still a mystery on how my shoulder managed to tear my rotator cuff and labrum.

Robert Pease (host)

The combination of 2 major surgeries, plus rehab, that left Eric in a tough situation, financially and behaviorally. 

Eric

I mean, I lost my job and I didn’t know where, where I was gonna go next. And, and I think, I think all it all saved me when I found the right athletic trainer that was able to work on my injuries. She encouraged me to get help on my mental health issues I was battling through it. And I did that. And then over a few months, I started getting more confident again, looking at life in a more positive way. 

Robert Pease (host)

It’s now 8 a.m., getting just a bit warmer, but still overcast, and a third wave of riders are now gathering at the starting area by the Spring Point Lighthouse. 

Robert Pease (host)

We’re following 2 odysseys on this distance. First off, Larry, a Portland area resident in his early 70’s- you may have met in our previous episode.

Larry 

Well, I was diagnosed with stage four Prostate Cancer. And so I’ve had, uh, four treatments of, um, chemotherapy.  And they do in fact get worse. But during that period, I was able to ride  a hundred miles a month. 

Robert Pease (host)

But Larry’s also nursing injuries from a fall just two days prior to the event.

Larry

I was just gonna have a small ride and I fell off my bike onto a set of railroad tracks. So my side is a little bit sore right now. The doctor said, “you should be all right. I’ll give you a 20, 30% chance of riding”. So I may not do the full 40 miles…

Robert Pease (host)

Another 40-miler we’re following is New Hampshire resident Jim Barry. Jim’s paralyzed on one side of his body from a mountain biking accident 12 years ago that left him with impaired vision, hearing, balance and speech. Yet throughout his rehab, Jim was keen to get back on a bike, which he did- first in the hospital, then at home, when he purchased his own adaptive, three-wheel trike. 

Jim

In the first hospital was when they made me so some riding in a hallway on some kind of trike. And as soon as I got home, I ordered a new trike to start riding outside.

Robert Pease (host)

Jim rides the trike at events like this despite it being three times heavier than a normal bike. And he’s propelling all that weight with only one good leg. But his wife Mary- who rides beside him on a two wheeler- she knows not to offer any assistance.

Mary

Never. He can do it himself. It’s great. He really has, uh, you know, he guts stuff out and he really has the, um, stick-to-itiveness to do these things. And he always has. I mean, before accident too, but it’s great. So he, he wouldn’t want me to push him up the hill, you know, he wants to do it on his own. And even when both of us get a little tired, it’s great. You know. We know there’s an end in sight and it’s we’ll have happy memories and it’s a wonderful ride.  It was great fun. 

Robert Pease (host)

Jim has a PhD in engineering and his careful analysis of his challenge are chronicled in his book, Cracked: My Life After A Skull Fracture. That’s available from Amazon and linked in our show notes. Jim, Mary and the other riders, they’re following spray-painted directions on the route today with police at major intersections, and volunteers at rest stops along the way. After roughly 5 hours, Jim and Mary are met with applause as they complete their first Maine Lighthouse Ride

Robert Pease (host)

That’s in recognition of the sustained concentration or mental focus Jim needs to propel and steer that heavy trike up and down hills, over and around bumps, and through narrow gates on this 40 mile course.

Jim 

I had to concentrate really hard when I ride. So it’s also, I’ve done a lot for my focus because I have to think a lot to make my body do what I want it  to do.

Robert Pease (host)

These cool, almost ideal, riding conditions have also helped Larry reach the finish area only a few months after chemo and a few days after that fall on a training ride.

Larry

It went well and a lot better than I was anticipating. I mean, I had, uh, because of the injury I had two days ago falling off my bike, I had bailout contingency plans starting at 10 miles in and we stopped at the, the house where I would’ve had people bring me back and they said, I’m, I said, I’m going so I made the whole thing. So it was, I felt good. 

Robert Pease (host)

Not long after, most of the 62 milers, or 100k riders, they reach the finish area at Southern Maine Community College. And despite that hiking accident a year ago, Eric is right there with them. 

Eric

I think it was like six months ago, I didn’t think I’d make this possible. I mean, it was, I think when I started riding in May, I think it was April or May, it’s hard to tell for me. I was riding small rides, like around my neighborhood and all that. And I spent a good summer training, not just on my road bike, but my mountain bike. So I hit a lot of the trails and I figured, I think it was like a month ago, I’m like, “I think I can do the 62-miler”. And here I am today.

Robert Pease (host)

A light rain begins to come down at 3:30 this afternoon. That’s when the first hundred milers reach the finish area. But Rebecca takes her time out on a ride like this one, she pulls in closer to 4:30. We asked if she was able to share today’s odyssey with other riders. 

Rebecca

So right out of the starting line, this woman, Suzanne, who I don’t know, rode right up next to me and started talking. And it was lovely and we were well-paced and she was delightful. And then there was this whole contingent from Peaks Island, where I used to live. And then when I got to the Scarborough Marsh, I rode through the marsh with this fellow Noel from Brazil. And he had completed a triathlon the day before.

Rebecca

And the next traffic light, there was this fellow David, and we were perfectly matched with pace. Oh my gosh, socially, it was so excellent.

Robert Pease (host)

Which is the great thing about events like The Maine Lighthouse Ride. The sense of community and shared experience. But even with help along the way, 100 miles seems like a pretty exhausting day for someone like Rebecca- in her early 60s with a history of cancer and a knee issue. So we asked if she’d  be taking some time off after a long day in the saddle.

Rebecca

No, I don’t think so. I’m planning to go out and do it again actually while the paint is still on the road.

Robert Pease (host)

That’s four odysseys from among the many stories of the 20 Annual Maine Lighthouse Ride this year. Again, this ride benefits the Eastern Trail, which is 65 miles of dedicated biking path from Kittery, the southernmost point in Maine, all the way to Portland, its largest city. Working with towns along the way, the Eastern Trail Association is close to completing this dedicated bike path, both for recreation and also commuting. More info at easterntrail.org. Many thanks to the Association and to Lana Wescott Events for hosting My Body Odyssey this year. If you’ve not been to Portland or have not done this ride, mark your calendar for mid-September of 2024. Next up on My Body Odyssey, we’ll circle, or actually cycle, back with Gene- our season one protagonist who took on the Pan Mass Challenge this year. That’s the nation’s largest cycling fundraiser for cancer research. 

Gene

You know, and so by right around 5:15, sun’s still not up yet. And so really, like, you look across and, you know, it’s dark, but you can see everyone has their, like, the, their flashers on. And so it’s like a sea of like, bike headlights and, and taillights. You know how when you go to a concert and people get the lighters or their phone lights, it’s kind of like that, you know?

Robert Pease (host)

We hope you’ll join us for an update on Generational Gene’s battle against a family history of obesity, diabetes and cancer. And we hope you’ll share My body Odyssey with friends and family members who might benefit from the show. Please also consider subscribing on your favorite podcast app and to our Youtube channel, where you’ll find video highlights from the Maine Lighthouse Ride and other events. My Body Odyssey is a Fluent Knowledge Production. Original music by Ryan Adair Rooney.