PMC Profile: Watertown's Glenn Gallo Takes on His 4th Pan-Mass Challenge

Glenn Gallo

Age: 46
Address: Hall Avenue, Watertown
Work: Museum Fabrication
PMC Experience: 4th year riding
Reason for riding: Cancer survivor

Watertown Patch asked Glenn Gallo about riding the :

Watertown Patch: Can you tell me about surviving cancer? What type of cancer was it? When were you diagnosed and when did you finish treatment?

Glenn Gallo: I was diagnosed with Oral cancer in March of 2007. I underwent surgery, eight weeks of Chemotherapy and 35 radiation treatments. Treatment ended June 28th of 2007, so I'm 5 years out fairly recently. It was the toughest thing I've done to date. I wasn't able to eat for 8 months or so, and needed to be nourished via a feeding tube. Head and neck cancer treatment is tough, as it compromises your ability to eat, speak, breath etc...It's doable, but you need to be gentle with yourself for quite some time.

WP: Were you a cyclist before participating in the PMC? 

GG: I was a cyclist and a novice power lifter before my cancer diagnosis, and was back on my bike in April 2008. I had to start slow. 2009 was my first PMC. I'd actually planned on doing it before I was diagnosed, but never got around to it.

WP: What is the toughest part of the PMC?

GG: The toughest part of The PMC for me, is the emotion of the event. Along the route, you interact with a lot of people who've lost family members, or who are going through treatment now. My first year, I was behind a man riding a kid's bike. I talked with him for a while once we finished. His young teenage son had just died of cancer, and he rode the PMC on his son's bike. That really stuck with me. There's a lot of raw emotion. Cancer tends to clear your perceptions of reality.

WP: Do you have tips for training for the PMC?

GG: My training tips would be to start early in the season by getting your base miles in. Slowly incorporate higher intensity work, such as hill repeats etc. as you get closer to the ride. Remember, have fun!

Are you riding in the ? Share your experience with Patch. Send an email to Charlie.Breitrose@patch.com