Peter Downey of the Support Services Department at Princeton Insurance once attempted a 45-mile bike ride which, he said, left him exhausted. So what drove him to sign up for a seven-day, 500-mile bike ride in the name of charity? Perseverance, a love of the cause, and maybe, he admits, a little bit of crazy.

The 29th Annual Anchor House Ride for Runaways took place on July 8, 2007, taking participants from Harrisonburg, VA, through the Shenandoah Valley and the Blue Ridge Mountains, all the way to Quakerbridge Mall in Lawrenceville, NJ. It was a momentous occasion for Peter, a first-timer, and for the oldest participant, for whom 2007 marked his 15th year as a rider – Dr. Martin Weinapple.

Peter said he’s always enjoyed riding and that he’s thought about making the time to train and prepare for this event for the past 15 years. “I decided last year that it was finally time to go for it.”

Start small, finish big
Peter began training for the ride back in September 2006. “At first, I just did 30-minute rides on flat terrain on the stationary bike.” Then, he started increasing to 45 minutes, then 60 minutes. And in March when the weather was warmer, he would go outside and do a 20-mile loop on his road bike, including rolling hills, steep climbs and sprints.

On days when he wasn’t doing extended rides, Peter said he also liked to work on weight training to strengthen his upper body, which is just as important as strong legs when bike riding.

“The training rides proved to be easier because they mostly took place in the cooler months of April and May,” said Peter. “During the Ride for Runaways, not only was it 98 degrees and 90-percent humidity, but the route had a greater number of steep hills – some much steeper than the ones on the training rides. Getting through it required a lot of hydration and stopping along the way.”

Crossing the finish line at Quakerbridge Mall on July 14, 2007 brought about mixed emotions for Peter. “Overall it was very satisfying, but I wanted it to continue,” he said.

Upon his return, Peter said the first question most people asked him was whether it was hard, to which he had a surprising answer: “Not as hard as I thought it would be!”

Peter credits the training program and keen desire to persevere as the reasons why he was able to enjoy the ride from start to finish. He said he never once thought about quitting when the going got tough.

“I imagine it could be easy to convince yourself to slack off a little and take a break from the training schedule when it seems the training rides are getting easier,” said Peter. “If I had given in to that temptation, I can guarantee I never would have made it through some of the longer stretches of the route or the long and steep climbs.”

Peter said he had heard that a doctor was the oldest participant in the event last year, but didn’t realize he was actually a Princeton Insurance policyholder.

“After hearing Dr. Weinapple’s story, and having worked for the company for 10 years, it’s refreshing to know there are policyholders with as strong a commitment to Princeton as we have,” said Peter, noting Princeton’s low employee turnover rate.

Peter and Dr. Weinapple are both in the midst of training for the 30th Annual Anchor House Ride for Runaways. On July 13, 2008, riders will depart from Rutland, VT, make their way through New York and Pennsylvania, and finish once again in Lawrenceville, NJ at Quakerbridge Mall.

For more information about the event and the Anchor House, visit www.anchorhouseride.org.