CUMBERLAND, RI - When Scott Miller revealed one of his New Year's resolutions at a gathering of friends during a trip to New Hampshire in 1998, some acquaintances were aghast at Miller's announcement.

"They thought I was nuts," says Miller of the reaction that greeted his pronouncement he planned to complete a 100-mile bike ride to help raise money for the Leukemia Society.

Some friends were so troubled by his intention, that he may have a heart attack, they hired a trainer for him, he recalls with a chuckle, while seated at the kitchen table of his Laurel Lane home.

Undaunted by the skepticism and determined as a bulldog, Miller pursued his resolution.

He found his motivation in the mirror, peering at his own body. He didn't care for what he saw.

"I was out of shape. I needed to lose weight," he says, of his goal to shed pounds and improve his physical fitness.

He found the method to reach his goal in straddling a bicycle.

During a training regimen that stretched from January to the day of the ride for Leukemia in June, Miller says he lost 40 pounds, while enhancing his cardiovascular and physical conditioning.

What started out as a quest to lose weight and get in shape eight years ago, however, is now an integral component of Miller's lifestyle.

Since his first 100-mile bike ride eight years ago, Miller continues to pedal his bike not just for exercise, but to raise money for non-profit organizations.

He's currently in the final stages of training for the upcoming Pan-Massachusetts Challenge (PMC) on Aug. 5 and 6, a two-day ride stretching 192 miles from Sturbridge to Provincetown, Massachusetts.

It will be Miller's seventh consecutive Pan-Mass ride. He will pedal as a member of the Dunkin Dozen team, composed of 35 riders, that will join more than 4,500 cyclists for the 27th annual PMC, the nation's original bike-a-thon.

This year's ride has set a goal of raising $24 million for lifesaving cancer research and treatment at the Dana-Farber Cancer Institute in Boston through the institute's Jimmy Fund.

Miller has set a personal goal of raising $3,300 for this year's ride, and estimates he's raised more than $40,000 in pedaling for various charitable causes in the last eight years.

Four other Cumberland residents who have signed up to ride the PMC, Jim Hartke, Sean McCarthy, James Pelletier and George Southiere.

Miller's PMC participation is not just a test of his physical endurance, but also an expression of his character. The ride helps define who he is and what he believes in. Part of his constitution surfaces by his riding the PMC.

"I was always taught to give back to the community," he says of his major motivation for riding the PMC. "You always have to give back."

On the ride's first day, Miller will travel 110 miles from Sturbridge to the Massachusetts Maritime Academy in Bourne. The next day, he will complete the final 80 miles from Bourne to Provincetown.

Although a two-day ride, Miller trains for months preparing for the PMC.

As the PMC approaches, Miller says he averages 40 to 50 miles per training ride and pedals at least 125 miles per week.

Winter weather may slow him down, but doesn't stop him.

"If it's above 40 degrees, I ride," he says of his persistence.

As a gauge to his conditioning, Miller rides the Multiple Sclerosis 150-mile bike ride several weeks before the PMC.

"I use that as a tune-up for the Pan-Mass," he says.

It's not how far he rides, Miller says, but how he rides that's important. Proper training is crucial for successful long distance riding, he points out.

Miller credits Pierce Gafgan, his trainer, for properly preparing him for his pedaling marathons.

Miller, in turn, shares what he learns with other riders.

"I'm helping other people out so they train properly," he says.

Long bike rides involve more than physical conditioning, Miller emphasizes. Nutrition is a vital component of long-distance riding, he emphasizes.

"Once you get dehydrated, you're done. You can't come back from it," the veteran cyclist says of proper fluid intake.

Miller also estimates he burns 700 calories per hour on long rides. To keep his body fueled and his energy replenished, he takes along an assortment of fruits, nuts, raisins and power bars on his rides.

Miller abides by one of cycling's cardinal rules, eat before getting hungry and drink before becoming thirsty.

Miller's strategy in the PMC is clear and simple, finish safely.

"I'm not in a race. I'm not looking to beat anyone. I'm just looking to finish the ride safely, with no bruises or cuts," he says.

Like many PMC riders, Miller will be riding with the memory of a cancer victim with every pedal stroke he takes along the route.

"Cancer runs in our family," he says."

He tells about a cousin who died of a cancerous brain tumor at just 13 years old.

"I'm riding for her and other family members," says Miller.

Miller also has been assigned a "pedal partner," someone he'll be riding for during the PMC. This year, the Cumberland cyclist will be riding for Josh, a 6-year-old battling leukemia.

Whenever fatigue will set in, as it invariably usually does, thinking of his cousin and Josh will give him the boost he needs to keep pedaling, says Miller.

"That gives you a lot of motivation," he says of remembering his cousin and Josh.

Another great source of support is the many spectators who line the ride's route, from start to finish, Miller points out, shouting encouragement and applauding the riders. These demonstrations can lift a rider's spirit.

"It's really a good feeling to see the support all along the route. That support does help," he says.

The PMC is more than just a long bike ride to Miller. It's a happening.

"I think the whole weekend is an experience," he says.

There is a spirit and camaraderie permeating the riders that's hard to describe, says Miller.

"It's really like a community," he says.

The ride is an opportunity to forge new friendships.

"You meet so many different people," he says.

And it's a chance to renew acquaintances.

"You see people you see once a year," he points out.

It's also an opportunity to help others.

"You're raising money for a good cause," the biker say.

Miller's biking exploits began with a brochure that arrived in the mail.

The mailing explained the Leukemia Society's "A Team in Training Program," a regimen to prepare cyclers to complete a 100-mile fund-raising ride for the society.

In his search for a way to get in shape, the brochure piqued Miller's curiosity.

"I went to a meeting and signed up for it," he says.

After training with Chris Tomsett, his Leukemia Society coach, Miller pedaled his first century ride, not locally, but at Lake Tahoe in Nevada.

Despite his training, the thin air and hills made the ride torturous, Miller concedes. He spent nine hours on and off his bike to complete that first century ride.

At the 81-mile mark, however, Miller's heart sank when facing a nine-mile climb, he remembers:

Regardless, Miller was determined to persevere, no matter the pain and fatigue. His coach provided the inspiration, his guts the pedal power to make the climb.

Reaching the summit overwhelmed Miller.

"When I got to the top of the hill, I had tears in my eyes," he says of the great sense of accomplishment that consumed him at the moment.

He hasn't stopped pedaling since.

Miller also has completed 100-mile rides in Arizona and Vermont.

His next challenge, the PMC, comes in three weeks.

Anyone desiring to make a donation to the PMC in Miller's name may make a check payable to Pan Mass Challenge and mail it to:

Scott Miller,
PO Box 2243
Pawtucket, R.I. 02861
or visit the Web site www.pmc.org.

BY RONALD R. BLAIS Staff Reporter
Cumberland & Lincoln Neighbors, July 19, 2006
Reprinted with permission