Meet Team NECN: Danielle Niles
Posted by Ted McEnroe at 8:30 am
We’re starting our list of Team NECN riders with our newest team member - meteorologist Danielle Niles. Danielle is a ball of energy with a personal story to share - and she looks ready to ride, doesn’t she?
Here’s her story:
I am so excited to be participating in my first Pan Mass Challenge this August - as a member of Team NECN! I’m willing to bet that everyone reading this has been affected by cancer in some way; whether it be a friend or a family member, chances are you know someone who has battled or continues to battle the disease. And as you may or may not know- these past 6 months have been a difficult time for my family personally, as my younger sister, was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. She has been absolutely amazing in her battle against the disease: 3 surgeries and a radioactive iodine treatment later - she is back to 100%!
The reason I’m telling you all of this is because Jackie is the motivating factor behind my decision to ride in the PMC. She is a strong, hardworking, intelligent, kind-hearted, beautiful young woman. And despite the fact that she is my “lil sis”, I have always and will always consider her one of my biggest role models.
I’m riding for her, and I’m riding for anyone else who has been personally affected by cancer in any way, shape or form. If you see it in your heart (and your budget too) to sponsor me in the PMC, I would be so grateful. Whether it’s a penny, a dollar, ten dollars or more…every little bit counts.
Thank you for your support - it means more to me than you’ll know.
Be Well!
-Danielle
Today is the day… Party time!
Posted by Ted McEnroe at 5:44 am
Alright, enough of your stalling. It is going to be the first nice evening in approximately three and a half years. Are you really going to spend it inside, when you could be having fun, eating some of the best in local BBQ, trying new tasty beers and perhaps, going home with some great auction prizes?
Oh, and doing your part to beat cancer at the same time?
Of course not. That’s why you’re ready to come into Boston and join us for the Team NECN Fundraiser party at the Harpoon Brewery, 306 Northern Ave., Boston at 7pm tonight. (Click on the big banner on the right hand side of the page for ticket and other information).
NECN’s Doreen Vigue joined Jim Braude last night for ‘Broadside: The News with Jim Braude” and showed off a couple of our favorite auction items, including a signed Red Sox shirt from 2008 American League MVP Dustin Pedroia.
Oh man, I want that shirt. First of all, it’s Dustin Pedroia - an MVP. Second, it’s Dustin Pedroia - who plays the game with passion, abandon and skill. And third, it’s Dustin Pedroia, who like me is not, shall we say, blessed with an exceptional level of vertical physical attributes. (He’s short like me.)
So come outbid me for it. And have fun. And in the end, you can go into work tomorrow and when someone says, “What did you do last night?” you be able to answer:
“I helped find a cure for cancer. You?”
Spare tire: Don’t leave home without it.
Posted by Danielle Niles at 6:42 pm
Let me start by saying that I haven’t ridden my bike in 2 weeks. I’ve been busy, I haven’t been home on the weekends, and the weather has been less than ideal for biking. Alright, now you’ve heard all my lame excuses. Honestly, I have been busy, but that is not a good enough excuse to skip training rides. In my defense, I have been to the gym a number of times, so hopefully that counts for something.
My plan today was to ride 30 miles (even though the “FitCorp” training program states that I should be doing a 70 mile ride this week - eek!). I got home from work and immediately turned on the tunes to get pumped up for my ride. I mapped out a route and was totally motivated and ready to go!
The first few miles felt great - I was riding at a good pace and enjoying every minute of it. About 30 minutes into my ride, I started to ascend a large and steep hill. It was a narrow road and cars were flying by, but I was pushing through it. At this point, “Pump It” by the Black Eyes Peas was playing on my iPod (don’t worry the volume was low so I could hear oncoming cars) and I was literally 20 yards from the top of the hill. All of a sudden, I began to lose speed for no reason and something just didn’t feel right. I decided that I should stop to see if my bike was okay, so I pulled into a Dentist office parking lot right next to me and noticed that I had a FLAT TIRE!
Normally, this wouldn’t be a big deal at all. Avid bikers know that you should always carry a spare tire with you - and the PMC informed us of this at the orientation back in May. Apparently I didn’t think that this rule applied to me. I did listen to some of the other PMC tips though - because I brought my cell phone. If I hadn’t, I would have had to walk 6 miles back to my house with a bike on my back! It was either that or sleep on the side of the road for the night.
Thankfully, one of my best friends and roommate, Emma, works 10 minutes from where I was stranded and came to my rescue. Phew!! Needless to say, I have learned my lesson. I am dissapointed in myself because I didn’t prepare for a situation that I knew could happen. I will be paying a visit to Wheel Works tomorrow to fix the tire and purchase spares (yes, numerous ones!).
On a side note - there’s only 2 days left until the Team NECN fundraising party at the Harpoon Brewery in Boston. There’s going to be delicious Blue Ribbon BBQ, yummy drinks, and fabulous auction items! Not to mention, the weather will finally feel more like summer - so I’m sure we’ll be putting the outdoor patio to good use. Tickets will be available at the door, but we prefer that you purchase them online ahead of time (click the information on the right hand side of the screen).
Hope you see you there!! 
-Danielle
Countdown to PMC: 39 days!
The Pan-Mass Challenge celebrates its 30th anniversary with more riders than ever August 1 and 2.
