The Opportunity to Play with the Glucose Factor

2011-02-18T17:24:00.000-05:00

It's that season!!! Time to start off the 2011 JDRF Ride to Cure Diabetes cycling calendar again!!!

Last year, the JDRF Ride program raised more than $4 million dollars aimed at research and development projects for Type 1 diabetes. It was my honor to ride in Death Valley with 350 riders on my third time in that beautiful and challenging arena, and to serve as the chapter coach for our Tucson & DV riders as the Triangle/Eastern NC chapter re-established its program.

We are gearing up with many of last year's riders returning, and we're looking for new riders to join us on this journey. National registration opens March 7th. The Triangle/Eastern NC chapter is holding an information session on Wednesday March 2nd at the Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh, NC. If you're interested please come and talk with us. If you can't make it, get in touch anyway.

You're Invited...

Join us for food, fun and great information and learn all you ever wanted to know about the JDRF Ride Program.

Wednesday, March 2nd
NC Museum of Natural Sciences in Raleigh (directions)
6:30-7:30 PM - Information and Q&A
Snacks and Refreshments will be available

The Ride to Cure is a unique program combining fitness, camaraderie, fundraising and support. Come learn more about the National ride program.

Feel free to bring a friend!

Please RSVP to Kelly Fleming at 919-847.2630 or kfleming@jdrf.org.

If you are unable to make it, but would like to ride information, please email kfleming@jdrf.org as well.

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2011 Ride Dates...

National Ride Registration
Opens March 7 at 12 pm EST!
Don't delay! Spots fill up fast!!!

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For more information, please contact your local JDRF office at 919-847.2630 or visit the chapter's local ride page. click here.
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You can also visit the Triangle Ride To Cure Diabetes Facebook Page -- become a fan!
JDRF Triangle/Eastern NC Chapter
7721 Six Forks Road #136
Raleigh, NC 27615

Islet Cell Transplant Clinical Trials

2011-02-09T07:00:00.005-05:00

So earlier in the week I wrote a little on my thoughts about the current funding plans of JDRF and the response discussions that had been going on last week. This morning I hopped on FaceBook for a sec and what did I find???

One of the strong cure-based research projects being undertaken by the Diabetes Research Institute (DRI). DRI is in full swing with a number of islet transplant clinical trials. (DRI on Facebook) This is exciting, but we need to remember to be patient. We all hope... as a Type 1, I'm right there with you. We must also remember that these are research studies and findings might not be the final answer. But, it's a strong step on the path.

If you're interested in contributing to these clinical trial efforts, you can find more information here:
http://www.diabetesresearch.org/page.aspx?pid=746

Upcoming Adventures for the Cure Events

2011-02-08T13:52:00.000-05:00

Adventures for the Cure (AFC) is gearing up for the upcoming events that the team is hosting this year. AFC is a 501c3 charity and USA registered cycling club that boasts a strong group of men, women, and juniors that race in all cycling disciplines. Here's a list and links, so come join us!

1. March 12 - AFC Sugar Hill Mountain Bike Race (Patapsco State Park)

The 3rd annual AFC Sugar Hill XC Mountain Bike Race, will be on March 12th (rain date March 19th), 2011. We will be raising money for Extreme Weekend For Children With Diabetes and Kupenda For the Children. Get ready for another awesome AFC race!!!

2. April 9 - Leesburg Bakers Dozen
       The Leesburg Bakers Dozen mountain bike race has given us 10 spots to auction off for charity at their race on April 9th.

3. May 7 - Tour De Cure (Columbia, MD)
       Join our AFC Tour De Cure Team. Every year our team rallies behind this fun ride to raise money to fight diabetes with the American Diabetes Associate. Please join us and help out!

4. May 13-15 - Extreme Weekend For Children with Diabetes
       Extreme Weekend For Children with Diabetes is an annual weekend camp for children with diabetes. The next camp that was held on May 13-15, 2011. Go to DESTINY's website at http://www.diabetesdestiny.org to sign up.

5. August 7 - DUthe2 Duathalon (Western Regional Park, Howard County MD)
       On August 7th, 2011 DUthe2 Duathalon will be donating a portion of their proceeds to AFC (which will be sent to Extreme Weekend For Children With Diabetes and Kupenda For the Children). The race will be held at Western Regional Park in Howard County MD. AFC team members will be racing and volunteering at the race. Lets hope our cycling skillz hold up in a duathalon race :)

6. August 13 - Highway To Heaven, Ilchester Time Trial (Ellicot City, MD)
       On August 13th, 2011 AFC is partnering with the Chesapeake Wheelmen to host the Highway To Heaven Time Trial race up Ilchester Road. Racing up this hill is one of the hardest things you can do! Come out and give it your best shot. As usual, all of the proceeds made by AFC at this race will go towards our charity causes.

There is also an AFC team riding the 24 Hours of Booty event at the Charlotte ride on July 29-30. If you're interested in joining us for the event, let me know.

Additional events are always popping up throughout the year, so keep an eye out on the team website. For additional information visit: www.adventuresforthecure.com

Looking forward to an enjoyable season this year. Come out and join us!

Research with Team Type 1

2011-02-06T23:10:00.001-05:00

You may not have seen this yet, so getting the video out there. Good luck to Joe, Phil, and the rest of the team divisions in the 2011 season!

Take care --J

Discussing the Big Picture

2011-02-06T16:51:00.001-05:00

It's been a little over a week since the JDRF interview from DiaTribe caused a stir in the Type1 diabetes community. Lots of people got upset. Some supported the changes & updates. Some remained quiet...

Human nature says people don't like change unless they see it in a positive light and impact for their own life. Yet we all know that change occurs all the time. It's a normal part of life. The type 1 community is well-versed in being flexible and the constant need for adjustment, change, and adaptation. We also understand both the physical and emotional energy that is tied to this constant effort. The T1 community understands that on a daily, monthly, and yearly basis it's essentially an endurance event w/ the true finishline being that one day when type 1 is "cured".

There have been a number of really good discussions, summaries, thoughts, and posts that have come out this week since the interview. Facebook, Twitter, the CWD forums, and many others were alive for days! Some of these conversations deteriorated into caustic unproductive tones... We ALL know how personal and emotional this subject (T1 & a cure) is for everyone. There are millions affected -- that means there are millions of management regimes, millions of physiological details, lifestyles, financial situations, burdens, millions of opinions, emotions, thoughts, and desires. But I will make a request... remember we are all bound by the same tie, type 1... You don't have to agree with everyone, but BE COURTEOUS... plain and simple.

One of the best responses I read this week was from AllisonB on DiabetesMine. I'm not saying her thoughts are the only ones folks should listen to... But, take a deep breathe, relax, and just read it all the way through for some thoughts and perspective that may (or may not) differ from your own.

Personally, I don't see a major upheaval in JDRF's stated "new direction" (and yes, that's my personal perspective). That may shock or anger some folks. But before people get mad, keep reading...

I've always made the comparison of living with T1 as an endurance event. The facets of life w/ T1 are too similar not to see some correllation... and I'm not talking about endurance events WITH type 1, but as separate subjects correlated in challenges, aspects, emotions, hurdles, etc.

JDRF has always had the long-term objective of finding a cure. That hasn't changed, even with the stated "50-50" focus. The objective is there... the smaller steps or goals along the way are just to be stated more openly upfront. That will include helping work on improved LIFE treatements such as reducing or alleviating complications, technological advancement, "meds", and lifestyle facets such as exercise.

"Glucose control" as an example, has been a research funding category that JDRF has supported for a long time, not just with this new president. How many T1's now utilize a cgm that didn't 4-5 years ago? How many of them use it now with some coverage benefit by their insurance company? How many know that one of the greatest reasons most insurance companies changed their opinions of cgms from "experimental" to "normal" treament equipment was due to a JDRF funded CGMS project?  And how many people are sitting with anticipation of a closed-loop system (the Artificial Pancreas)? That's a big project for JDRF funding as well (here's a link: Artificial Pancreas). By definition these measures aren't "cures", but life treatment improvements.

"WE NEED A CURE!" I'm right there with you... trust me! I know we all want that more than any of the rest of these advances. But here's some food for thought...

What good will a cure do if we don't get to that day completely healthy, fit, and with no major physiological damage? What good will a cure be if we don't live long enough to see that day at all b/c of a nighttime hypo or other "freak" d-related issue? How many of us were moved, frightened, grieved, and were distraught by the young kids that have passed in the last year... that we know of... b/c of T1?  The "life treatement" tools available to living with T1 have to be improved even more as we go forward. And the benefit of those improvements are the contributing knowledge base that keep us moving toward that finish line. We have to live UNTIL the day and be healthy ON the day for it to make a difference for each of us individually. I was really struck by Scott Johnson's post on Feb 4 (I'll let you read it.), and from Dr. Sheri Colberg's article on outlooks and hypotheses (another I'll suggest for thought).

The CURE is simple to talk about and hope for... but the physiology is an animal of almost unfathomable complexity. You're talking about the complexity of a human being, from sub-cellular to the environment & lifestyle of every person in the world.

We are learning more & faster today than we've ever been able to in the past. And still we "want more"...   Welcome to the world of an endurance event... where at various points along the way everyone wants it to be over, but we push past those "low points" and continue on knowing that if we don't quit, we'll get to the end at somewhere down the road. We just have to keep exercising patience and recognize that any step that works towards that end is a good thing. So, continue to work with and support those organizations that make those steps toward the end. I don't care which, that's your own call... I've always been a big supporter for DESA, CWD, JDRF, AFC, DRI, MAD-IDEA, InsulinDependence, TT1, HypoActive, T1R, , and many more (see my last sentence below!).

Just remember to keep you head up... be patient... keep at it... do your best... and be courteous!
WE ARE ALL ON THE SAME TEAM!

Take care --J

2/3

2011-02-03T23:11:00.001-05:00

Today is 2/3... 2011. Last year on 2/6/2010 I found out that Jesse Alswager had passed three days earlier as I was making another attempt on Mt Washington in winter. Jesse was 13, just 1 month shy of his 10 year "Type 1 diagnosis" anniversary. In the year since February 3, 2010 this young man and his amazing family have had a tremendous impact on the diabetes community nationwide. It was awe-inspiring to see the posts pop up on Facebook, blogs, and Twitter today from those remembering and telling stories about Jesse. It was very apparent that this was the kind of young man that impacted everyone in his life...

One of the most inspiring things that Jesse did, even after his passing... he helped everyone see past the petty arguments and disagreements. He inspired people to action and impassioned motivation...

He helped us all realize... WE ARE ON THE SAME TEAM!

Keep that in mind as we all move forward from this today. Godspeed Jesse...

Jesse Alswager Memorial website:
http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/jessealswager

Holy Gone Until World Diabetes Month...

2010-11-09T00:07:00.006-05:00

NOVEMBER!!! ARE YOU SERIOUS?!?!?!?!?!?

It's called life. Diabetes or not, sometimes things come along fast and priorities have to take precedent. I've missed writing and sharing. With lots of plans back in the Spring of the year, lots of unplanned "tasks" came my way after the fact. I didn't even get any racing in over the summer... not really pleased about that, but plans must include being adaptable... as T1's & supporters, we understand this.

None of the past months hold any disappointment for me though. I have gotten the opportunity to join a strong group of cyclists with the Adventures for the Cures team (sorry, had to post this link in red b/c we fly "the Dots"), and plans for climbing, cycling, and running events are never far from my mind... along with some other items (keep reading, you see!). As for the months since May, here's a quick synopsis:
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Had some great times teaching summer school courses to the undergraduate forestry and fish & wildlife students for NCSU. Another season of capturing and banding songbirds with great success. And, a week in the Great Smoky Mountains with the class, while AFC co-founder Adam Driscoll rolled to a record performance on the Team Type 1 Race Across America 8-man team.

Last fall I was chosen by my peers at REI as the 2010 Anderson Award recipient. It was an honor that I wasn't prepared for and I'm still constantly humbled by. With that award came a week in the Pacific NW during June with all of the other Anderson recipents to celebrate, explore, and learn about REI's "roots". I'd never been to the Pac NW, and being able to take Liz with me was pretty cool. Even got to put in a 65 mile ride around Seattle with Steve G, Brad, and a group of the Anderson winners.

Straight from the Pac NW to Florida for the Children with Diabetes "Friends for Life" conference to help at Sports Central with some of my good friends from DESA (Diabetes Exercise and Sport Association). This is still one of the best things we do each year... If you've never checked it out, you should!

Shortly thereafter, some of my favorite people and I got to ride the 24 Hours of Booty event in Charlotte at the end of July to raise money to support cancer patients and research.

August to present has been largely filled with way more work than normal and an academic stretch... I've been taking a grad level entomology class that's required way more work that any other taxonomy class I've ever taken. (We've got less than a month to go!) Along the way CWD held a Focus on Technology weekend in Charlotte, NC where Liz, myself, and our CWD family got to spend a beautiful weekend hanging out.

Back in October, there was this one "big" weekend... the JDRF Ride to Cure in Death Valley, CA where for the first time I rode as a coach. Six riders, including myself, from the Triangle Ride Team were among 350 riders who raised over 1.4 million dollars to support the research projects that so many diabetics are intently watching as we zone in on a cure for Type 1 diabetes.

To top off the weekend, I asked Liz to marry me while we were on the trip and she said YES! Though most would start figuring out plans, we had the Triangle JDRF Walk to Cure soon after, which raised over $1 million dollars for diabetes research & a good friend and Type 1 Doug Burns flew in for the event -- Liz played a pivotal role in the planning for the Walk. But don't worry, now she's planning wedding details!
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2010 has been a busy one, and though I haven't spent nearly as much time focusing on "athletics", as we all know for diabetes, we don't get a break from knowing our condition exists each and every day. This year has been a tough one for many families of T1's... and those circumstances make our efforts hit "close to home". No matter who... physicians, companies, politicians, reps, athletes, parents, patrons, non-profits... we all need to remember that we are on the same team... we are all working towards the day we have a cure and we MUST get to that day. I see major steps getting us to that goal being made, but knowing about research techniques and "red-tape" firsthand, I don't speculate on how fast that day will be upon us. Yet, we cannot quit.

Until we reach that day, we need to support one another. Period. We need to be examples for everyone... that managing this condition properly is NOT a CURE, that it is a constant from which one cannot afford to be unconscious, but also that it is not a limiting factor in what can be accomplished given human perseverance and spirit.

November is National Diabetes Awareness month and the 14th is World Diabetes Day. As you go forward in your efforts, have fun and smile. Share and grow the support networks as there are many that still need our help. Diabetes touches way more people than we all think... anyone who knows a T1 or T2 is a Type 3... the support network. That's a LOT of people...Though we make all of these efforts on WDD and in the month of November, never forget that even after all of this ends this year... Diabetes doesn't stop and diabetics don't get a vacation. We need a CURE. Period.

6 Things to Know About Diabetes:
1- Insulin is NOT A CURE.
2- When we are having a "bad day", a few minutes doesn't necessarily "fix" the problem. Bear with us.
3- Type 1 is for life... we might have been diagnosed @ age 4 or 12 or 24, but as of now, we'll be T1 until we leave this Earth.
4- Give us the ability to manage our blood glucose well and we'll save health care A LOT of money!
5- I'll guarantee someone you know has Type 1 or Type 2... and though they may be managed similarly, they are NOT the same thing...
6- WE ARE ALL ON THE SAME TEAM!!!

Stay tuned for 2011... lots of awesome "things" coming down the pipe from a lot of people!

Take care --J

Insulin-On-Board Calculations by Pumps

2010-05-01T22:21:00.000-04:00

Many of us are use to seeing insulin pumps with "insulin-on-board"... the amount of insulin that's already been delivered and in your system from meals and b-g corrections. This has always been a hard subject to explain. Gary Scheiner has written a GREAT article in this month's DiaTribe about how IOB is calculated and reported by each of the major pumps used today. Take a sec and read how each pump's IOB works so you'll be better prepared when you need to know.

http://www.diatribe.us/issues/22/thinking-like-a-pancreas.php

2010 JDRF Ride to Cure Diabetes Jersey

2010-04-23T15:18:00.001-04:00

And here it is!!! There's only 1 way to get your 2010 JDRF Ride to Cure jersey... sign up & RIDE!!! (click on the image to see the front & back)

TRX

2010-04-21T22:52:00.000-04:00

I've become a big fan... along with many others @ Group Fitness on campus.

JDRF 2010 Ride To Cure Diabetes Video

2010-03-13T22:34:00.006-05:00

Any of these Rides are something everyone should do...

Symilin: An Under Utilized Tool for Diabetes

2010-03-09T10:47:00.000-05:00

Gary Scheiner gives some great insight into what he essentially refers to as an under-utilized tool for diabetes: Symilin. Symilin has been around for years. For those of you that don't know symilin is a synthetic version of the compound amylin. In people with diabetes, the major focus for 40+ years now has been insulin. The ties??? Both are produced in the pancreas, and especially for type 1's, this is an issue b/c their immune system has "removed" the pancreas from the game... so not only is insulin gone, but so is amylin.

I know a number of folks that have in the past and some that still utilize Symilin now in their treatment regimes. Personally, I haven't tried it. I've considered it many times, but largely b/c of the effects of my physical activity, I have not yet seen a major need either through bg's or weight management. Gary points out that only about 5% of T1's are currently using Sym, and discusses many of the reasons and complicating parameters.

Take a minute and give it a look. http://www.diatribe.us/issues/20/thinking-like-a-pancreas.php

An Article on Announced Partnerships for JDRF and the Future of Type 1

2010-03-08T22:03:00.001-05:00

A good article on some of the new partnerships between JDRF, Animas, and BD. Thought you might like to see some of the "things" coming down the pipe in the near future.

Here's the link: http://www.diatribe.us/issues/20/feature.php

Does Having Diabetes Mean You Are Disabled?

2010-03-08T21:53:00.000-05:00

This is an interesting question to which anyone could, should, and would answer "yes... at least sort of".

Does having diabetes mean you are disabled?

An article by James Hirsch in the most recent DiaTribe issue discusses the issue from a very interesting viewpoint... that of the question being raised by a third-grade boy, his son. Hirsch himself has had type 1 diabetes for 33+ years.

I decided to include this as food for thought.

(If you're having trouble with the links above, here's the direct link address: http://www.diatribe.us/issues/20/logbook.php )

New Hampshire 2010

2010-03-01T23:57:00.283-05:00

As the Mid-Atlantic was getting pounded by snow storms, some friends and I were in New Hampshire spending our days ice climbing and playing on Mount Washington and the surrounding valley. The weather patterns around Christmas were beautifully dumping loads of snow in New England around Christmas, but by the middle of Jan, all of the systems hitting Boston south to DC & Richmond were being held away from NH by various high pressures that seemed to park in just the right place. North Conway had only 4-6 inches of snow on the ground when we were there... way less than I've normally seen during the middle of Feb.

The plus side... less snow on the ground meant less was covering ice flows in the area and the approaches were much more accessible.

This year we had a mixed experience-based again... Big Bro (Ken) & Miss Patti, Erik, T-Bone, Ben, Little Pat, Jason, and myself made up the "vets" and the 4 rookies consisted of Eliz, Jac, Jes, and Lynna.

During our first 3 days, we climbed at: Arethusa Falls (the highest waterfall in NH), Frankenstein Cliffs (House of Blue area beside Hanging Garden), and explored new locations to look at their potential. Arethusa was cool b/c Big Ken and I are the only two that have ever been there and it's been almost 6 years since our last visit. Everyone got to experience climbs of grades more difficult than we've normally hit during the first day in the past. House of Blue is fun and let many of the rookies get runs on some easier lines... some almost considered it too easy, yet that day was also more about learning to manage oneself in winter conditions.

Arethusa

House of Blue

Day 3 was a mixed bag... T-Bone and Ben made a great, classic run up Landslide Gully (an all day affair) which tops out on Mt. Webster along the Appalachian Trail and swings back to the parking lot near the Willey House (the origin of the slogan "A Case of the Willey's"). I was really pumped that they pulled it off so well. Our bunch found some interesting ice... an awesome, free-hanging, sweeping 'cicle off the northeastern side of Mt Willard. But, we didn't venture far... a "weather window" was forming on Mt. Washington. (Still we got in a sunset ice climb on Cathedral!) Even better -- that window could open for as much as 2 days!

The Ladies following E & I

Coiling ropes

With the forecast in hand that afternoon, the window would begin opening as "normal" Washington summit weather sometime late morning to early afternoon on Monday and we'd need to be in place for the run. That meant a true alpine start! We readied everyone and rounded the breakfast table @ 3AM on Monday morning, made the drive to Pinkham, and were on the trail by 4:45AM. The temps were still in the single digits and the winds were blowing around 45mph down low. The low pressure nearby was forecast to move off-shore, temps & winds up high would move into the single digits and into the 15-30mph range... classic winter weather above treeline.

For most of the early morning we moved up the Tucks trail via headlamp and hit the "little Lions Head headwall" shortly after sunrise. I scurried up the trail to just below treeline, Erik and I discussed the circumstances and made the call -- whiteout up high in the summit ridge -- and turned the group around. Erik took the group over to the Tucks ski hut while Little Pat and I ran over to take a look at Huntingtons, where we ran into T-Bone and Ben going in for their own look.

Tucks in Whiteout

Though a little disappointed by another foiled attempt, it was another great day getting folks up early, motivated, and seeing them manage themselves and the conditions well. Never take that for granted... for when you do, you'll find yourself part of a group that has one or more folks in need of "rescue" by the rest of your party or even assistance from another party. Erik, Ken, and I have had a wealth of experiences over the years assisting other parties that ran into bad luck or got in over their heads and made bad decisions. We've made conscious efforts not to "be that group", even if it meant putting aside our own personal capabilities many times. I'd rather be empty-handed than living with the idea that a friend got hurt b/c of a decision to go into a situation I was largely responsible for getting them into.

Well, the years of "investing into the good choice bank" finally paid off... when we got home and did some more homework... we realized the high pressure system would hang out and the weather window would indeed stick around. THIS TIME, with weather that only typically occurs on the summit once every season at best! Don't get cozy folks, repack the bags if you want a shot b/c Tues IS the day to go all out!

Most of the group was spent and decided they would hit Cathedral with a less intense day out following our alpine start day. But E, Little Pat, Jac, Lynna, and I decided that we would make a second run with such a perfect setup. T-Bone decided that he'd take a shot at a traverse of the Presidentials from Crawford Notch to Washington. None of us couldn't have chosen a better day! Hit the trail @ 11AM and at Lions Head @ 2PM. Crystal clear bluebird skies w/ 0-4mph winds and temps around 25-28 degrees... This seemed almost like cheating on a final exam in college! As we hit the summit cone snow field, the ladies were wearing out, so E & I talked. We decided I'd make a run for it and they would turn soon.

Approach

Jac & I on the trail

Alpine Garden

Summit snowfield

Looking West

That hour solo up the summit ridge seemed like it took forever. My bg @ Lions Head had been 138, I'd taken 1u, and eaten about 45g of carbs (basals were on a -40% reduction). The icy footing and angle forced me to French step almost the entire way. I was tired and hungry, and because I was solo, the whole experience was both surreal and lonely. As many years as we'd brought people and made attempts at getting up, and here I was finally without anyone else to really experience it with... You could see forever... (The summit observatory was reporting 100 mile visibility!) I could very well imagine what it would be like up here on a "normal" day. I got in one picture on the top just before the batteries died in the camera, and again it all just seemed surreal. 3:30pm summit!

Approaching Summit

Observatory @ the Top

This is where my mind really began to wander to events of the week... Not long after we'd arrived, I'd gotten word that Jesse Alswager, a 13yr old with Type 1, had died due to complications. I didn't know Jesse, but I knew of his mom Michelle. What I did know of Jesse though had always made me want to meet him.

I struggled that week leading up to this second Washington attempt. The Alswager family was constantly in my mind. "Why?" you ask. Well, New Hamp is where I took my first giant leap into "athletic endeavors" in extreme environments. As timing would have it, my first year in New Hampshire... when my learning curve for managing in adventure settings was steepest... was the year of Jesse's diagnosis (@ age 3). This year, 2010, marks Jesse's 10yr dx'd anniversary and my 15th.
Read Jesse's story... http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/jessealswager

Jesse was also an avid snowboarder having a great friend in pro snowboarder Sean Busby. Like Jesse, I have a great affinity for cold, snow, ice, and mountains, among other things. It was hard to fathom & process how ironic the circumstances of the week were. Jesse had been just under a month shy of 10 years since his dx, and here I was on top of Washington after 10 years of chasing this thing... and the conditions!

Physically I was tired. Emotionally I was struggling. Mentally I was scattered. And then a thought crossed my mind which brought a smile to my face... without realizing it really, aloud I said, "Jesse, you'd have liked it up here today. Thanks buddy."

It was like someone hit the reset button. Everything just lifted and cleared. My next thoughts were of getting down to meet E and the ladies on their way down, and then to keeping a look-out for T-Bone coming across the ridgeline from Eisenhower's direction. I met the group right above the little headwall on the L-Head winter trail after a quick stop at Lion's Head to eat again (bg was 78) and change clothes. No sign of T-Bone at that point, but he really wasn't too far behind me -- he summitted Washington @ a little after 5PM.

Jac's picture coming down

We "sprinted" down the mountain that afternoon, back to the house where Miss Patti had an awesome dinner waiting for us... and of course, Big Ken had our infamous "Margarita Night" ready and waiting. It was a trip I'll not soon forget... in mind or heart.

Godspeed Jesse... Your buddy --J

Still A Bit of a Runner

2010-02-17T23:36:00.014-05:00

No sooner did New Year's pass than Liz & I packed up and headed down to Orlando, FL. A seemingly good choice for the beginning of January. Well, we'll get to that... Why Orlando you ask? The simple answer is the Disney Marathon weekend.

A couple of friends have gone down and run over the past few years, and I typically do one or two halfs during the Nov-Jan timeframe each year. Liz started running in 08 and did her first half at the OBX event in Manteo, NC that year. I did the OBX event that year as well, but threw in the quirk of doing the City of Oaks Half in Raleigh the week before. I've never run a "fast" half, largely due to the fact that I really don't train to do so... hey, it's the "off season" and I'm getting ready to go ice climbing most years, so my training is focused in that arena, not running fast!

Anyway, I did the City in 2:03 and OBX in 2:06 just 7 days later (oh yeah, and I had an unexpected low bg finishing OBX... which forced me to slow down). That sparked an idea, along with a growing interest in longer endurance runs... and after talking, Liz & I decided Disney would be a cool finish/start to 2009-2010. She signed up for the Donald Duck 1/2 mara, and I registered too... just didn't immediately say WHAT I registered for... hehehe... When Liz found out that I had registered for the Goofy Challenge, I thought she was going to physically beat me! See, told you that she also calls me crazy just the same as many of the rest of you!

Well, as we're travelling down to FL on Thurs Jan 7, we start to hear tidbits about the weather forecast for Sat & Sun... We picked up our race packets on Fri, took in some of the planned activities & expo highlights, and then headed to the Pearl Izumi outlet in Orlando -- one of Liz's major requests each time we get down there. Back at the hotel that afternoon, we confirmed the likely weather for the next morning, prep'd all of our clothing, food, and gear and readied for our 2:15AM wake up.

Donald's Half-Marathon
At 2:20 I popped up the radar and it was showing clear skies, but moisture was going to come in around 4AM. Temp was in the mid 20's... ARE YOU KIDDING ME??? We came to FL to run in this???

The half run was really good. Orlando hadn't seen snow in almost 25 years and as the race began around 5AM, it was snowing and sleeting with a light breeze. I told Liz she could run the half as fast as she wanted, but I was going SLOW... My training prep for the events had gone well. I was running stronger and stronger, having not really run much until the beginning of Oct (granted I probably started with a really good base... wonder why...). But even still, I've learned not to up the mileage too fast in training, so I was consistently running 5-10 miles per session, 4-5 days a week in December @ a 8-9min/mile pace and a few "long" runs of 12 miles (yes, my long runs weren't LONG by any stretch). I knew coming in, I just needed to take it easy and "coast" during the half.

Liz said she wanted to run together the whole time. I really couldn't help but chuckle. She could have very easily run an even 2 hr or less time, but I also couldn't complain about having the company -- she joked it'd be one of the only times she had the chance to "beat me" in a half... well, if she keeps running like she has been, I'll be chasing her very frequently in the near future!

The Donald 1/2 starts just outside of Epcot, runs through Magic Kingdom including straight through Cinderella's Castle, back through part of Epcot and to the finish. It snowed/sleeted for the first 6 or so miles, then stopped, and around mile 9.5-10 it started to rain. Rain and 33 degrees... NOT GOOD! We finished at a comfortable 2:27 and by the time we got out checked bags, we were mildly hypothermic, very wet, cold, and shivering. My bg's were good during the run... I waited to drop my basals until 15mins before we started (a lesson learned from early morning cycling and running previously), dialing in a 50% basal reduction, then consumed ~45-60g carbs per hour during with no boluses. Bg @ the start was 135, at mile 7 it was 95, and at the finish it was 153.

After a shower and warming up, I rolled my legs out with The Stick, and we hit Cracker Barrel (my normal post-event eatery -- Mama's pancake breakfast w/ a side of Hashbrown caserole -- AWESOME!) took a nap... go figure. Later that day we went and walked around various places in Orlando to keep my legs loose and then it was another early bedtime... 2AM would come early again on the repeat morning!

Mickey's Marathon
With Liz not running Mickey's Marathon I didn't have to worry about a bag check, but I also had enough food on me to last the whole 26.2 miles, a 24oz water bottle, Camelbak Elixir, glucometer, and extra infusion set -- I didn't know if I'd be able to "find" her along the route. Back to the same starting area we used for the Donald race, I was moved back in the pack b/c I wasn't planning to run the full fast either...

I've never done this kind of mileage total in such a short period of time... period. I've run multiple halfs and one full (which was on REALLY short notice -- I survived). I knew that the 39.3 mile total in ~30hrs was going to be a major test, if not for my preparedness, for my bg management. I knew I'd need to dial back the basals more than with the half as my insulin sensitivity is in many ways, exponentially cumulative -- another reason I eased the pace of the 1/2 to try and limit the overall sensitivity impact during the full run.

At 5AM, they started the first wave (front runners) for the full and my wave started about 30-45mins later. I dialed my basals to a 70% reduction about 5:20 with a bg of 151. I will say that if anything favored ME... it was the weather! Clear skies, slight breeze, and 25 DEGREES! (Yes, you read that correct! And, YES, WE WERE IN ORLANDO!)

The full marathon starts with a short jaunt through part of Epcot, then off to the Magic Kingdom down Main Street and through Cinderella's Castle again, then over to Animal Kingdom (which was really cool!), along Disney Highway and into Holywood Studios, and the last few miles in Epcot and back to the finish. I chose not to initially turn on my IPod but just take in the sites, sounds, and excitement of the event until I needed "a change" mentally from the effort. I saw Liz @ mile 4 as we came out of the first part of Epcot, and then again as we ran through the monorail station -- she'd just barely made it there by the time I was coming through. All I could do was smile and laugh as she was bouncing around yelling for me like a crazy lady.

My bg @ mile 11 was 109 despite eating 45-60g per hour w/ no bolus and with the basal reduction. I'd tried to check it around mile 8-9 and kept getting a low temp alert on the glucometer (I mean it was only 28 degree!) As I approached Animal Kingdom, nearing the 14 mile mark, I could "feel" the gas tank starting to empty -- a quick bg check showed I was 72. So, I decided to walk and eat MORE. After a 5-10min walk, I started to run again but even more slowly than before. I eased through Animal Kingdom giving the food a good chance to digest and around mile 18 grabbed a banana and ate half a pack of cherry Sports Beans (for the caffeine).

Now I was expecting my hop flexors to start giving me trouble. They historically have around 15-20 miles. But they weren't tight and I could actually feel my bg coming up... "trouble" for those (non-diabetics) around me b/c many folks don't fuel enough and this deep into a full most folks start to begin "tapping out". As we hit the overpass on the Disney Highway and into the out & back miles of 20-21, I had my early stride, speed, and energy back! A bg check showed I was back to 148.

Entering mile 24, I could feel my right hip flexor start to tighten a little but at this point I was so ecstatic with how I'd been doing overall (I was @ 37+ miles), that I knew I could gut this last piece out. The last few miles were actually surreal. I was tired, finally. And as we came out of Epcot onto the last stretch the crowds were amazing. Through each of the parks, characters scattered at various points along the way outside of the parks, Liz meeting me @ miles 4, 8 and 13, and having run with over 34,000 participants that weekend... it was simply awesome!

I finished the full in 4:58. Definitely not fast, but hey, that wasn't the point. The point was to complete 39.3 and be able to function the next day! And that, I did well! Goofy Challenge Complete!!!

A dinner @ the Hard Rock (and well earned beer) at Universal and easy trip home wrapped up one of the best running weekends I've ever had, especially with Liz being such a great part of it.

Last year, many of the CWD family ran during this event and I couldn't make it. This one was also for you...

Take care --J

A Re-evaluation of an Evaluation

2010-02-15T22:30:00.001-05:00

WOW! January 2010 is already over and I'm still writing this piece. Actually this has just been sitting here in my drafts and I've had a note that I needed to write. Now over a month later, here we go!

Riding and Racing:
Tony & I had talked over some T1R things towards the end of 2008, and both of us wanted 09 to "make progress". T had been gracious enough to let me race on the team for a couple of years and as my interest in bigger and longer races had grown, I decided it was time to put more effort into a full season. I set some pretty lofty goals and knew the learning curve would be steep -- I say this b/c I've been riding & running for a few years now, but mostly for general fitness to stay in shape for climbing trips... not in any true manner to have a "racers" build or power. But, I also knew it would be fun!

09 racing started with a foray into cyclocross for my first time. LOVE IT but I absolutely get my tail kicked! The colder, wetter, muddier, and more technical the course... the better chance I seem to have. Yet, I was still plagued by little nuances that are typical of cyclo -- people running into one another, caked drivetrains, bent parts, etc. Most of the winter season I ran in the back half of the pack, but I realized very quickly how much fun I was having! It was 22 degrees. I was covered in mud. I had 4 of 18 gears. I wanted to puke and we still had 20 more min's to go. Get the point? (yes, I have a sadistic personality at times!)

At the beginning of Feb I received my "Yippee" card from Leadville for the 100mtb race... and a large part of the rest of my season was built around being ready for that race. Along the way, Tony & I hit some races together where we both had great results @ a 6hr race in GA (this started Tony's run to the series title by the end of the year), and I finished my first 24hr race (not pretty, but I handled it and my bg's were good!).

During the middle of the summer, I hit a time where I was pressed really hard for training time. My mid-week rides weren't quite as long as they needed to be for a number of weeks, and I was often limited to 1 long weekend ride instead of the 2 I needed to be doing. I was also not getting enough sleep... this showed up a few days prior to and the morning of Cowbell. Though I came out of the weekend with a 12th in the marathon and a 5th in the XC, it made me realize I needed to be resting more.

Leadville... I think I've discussed this at length. The engine was bigger this year, but still not big enough. Bg's were good, but I think the gas tank ran a little too empty too early. I adjusted to the altitude well but 12.5K feet is tough... BUT I will say that I TRULY understood the beauty of the 29er vs a 26er climbing up Columbine. The greatest highlight of that effort was the support of such great friends and family that were there and keeping tabs on me as I pushed my limits in what is truly the coolest (and original) 100 mile mtb race in the country!

After the LT, I intended to ride the NC Fall cyclo series. Did the first two races and guess what? Tired. No pop in the legs. No power at all. I was fried. Time to recoup, cross train, and enjoy some fall "play" weather. I was a little disappointed, but I've learned to recognize the signs and needs of my body.

Other Events, Activities, and Thoughts:
I missed the JDRF Ride to Cure this year and that really didn't sit well with me. I did the Death Valley ride in 07 & 08, but with the financial struggles that everyone was facing in 09 and having a number of contributors strapped I opted to do some other rides.

And that was a good choice in the end b/c a group of us got together and did the 24 Hours of Booty charity event in Charlotte. We've all been touched by cancer somehow in our lives... relatives, people we know, friends... It was such a great, inspirational event and will be on my yearly "to do" list every time I have the chance!

Both Liz & I took the trip down to FL to help with the DESA Sports Central portion of CWD's Friends for Life conference. Each and every year this event inspires me. Every new child, sibling, or parent I meet reminds me how large yet close knit our diabetes community really is. It's heart-warming to see a kid smile when you get to... talk to them, check bg's at the same time (sometimes eat a snack or bolus as an adjustment), and then play a game, shoot basketball, hit volleyball, or just hang out... and they realize in many ways you're not that different than them. It is here that I try to make the point that "Testing is just testing. It's not a pass/fail, good or bad. But you need to know the number to be able to figure out the correct action to take." And how can I also not admit how fun it is to hang out with long time friends like Judith & Dani Ambrosini, Bill King, Rick Philbin, Doug B, Joe E, Laura, Lauren, Monica, Sarah, and so many others.

During the summer I also had to recert for my Wilderness First Responder to stay current. No matter how many times I take this course, I always learn something new and interesting during the 8 days of coursework... which involves 3-4 mock rescue scenarios that are only limited by the imaginations of the instructors. A big thanks to Phil from WMA and all my classmates for making it such a great session!

As the year entered the holiday season, my family had to face the passing of my grandmother on my mom's side of the family. My grandmother (Nannie) was a Type 2 diabetic and had been for a long time. For many years she could manage her glucose levels with oral medications. Yet, even with pretty good bg's, it has been evident over the past 5-10 years that she had physiological damage attributable to diabetes (i.e. poor circulation, some kidney damage, peripherial nerve damage, etc.). And at the same time, I'm not afraid to say, she was a stubborn strong-willed woman. Many times over the years I had talked to her about testing her bg's more than she was and "the path" she was going down. Still, she did as she chose and had a great time during her life. I will miss having her in my life, but know that she lived a full life of her own. The memories, lessons, and ideals she taught will always be with me and the rest of my family.

During all of the events surrounding Nannie's passing, I got a phone call saying I needed to be back in Cary, NC for the REI staff meeting. I've worked part-time at the store since 2000 in camping, climbing, cycling, footwear, action sports, and clothing. Despite the timing, I made the effort to be there, partly b/c I needed a mental break and change of scenery. To my great surprise that night, they announced the store's Anderson Award winner -- a peer-chosen award that goes to the staff member that "best represents the core values & ideals of REI within the store". I was both shocked and very humbled by the honor, much the same as when I was awarded the 2005 LifeScan-DESA Athletic Achievement award. To have my friends chose me for such a notable award as "the representation" was almost too much that weekend. It drove home the fact that I don't test and push myself for notoriety, but rather just to show folks they can do whatever they choose to try. An old mentor drove the point home with me a long time ago that it's better to "lead by example" than to talk your way through the game. As part of the Anderson award, I get to spend some time this summer in Seattle, WA touring, sight-seeing, and playing in the Pac NW!

Lastly and b/c I can't forget this at all... I owe a huge thank you to my girlfriend Liz. It truly amazes me every day the effort and support she has shown. I know, I know... that's what people that love you do. But still. She's definitely called me "crazy" a number of times (yes Tony, like you, she doesn't understand my sadistic love of the cold!), yet she refused not to be at every event or race or important moment during the year that she could make. It happened quite frequently that her smiling face would pull me out of my "mental dungeon" when deep into an event and I would find new energy I didn't realize was there, even with all the other motivations I "utilize". And at Christmas, she and one of my best friends Carlleena, went to great lengths to give me one of the best gifts I could have ever asked for.... Liz purchased a one of a kind painting called "Colorado" that Carlleena painted after being on my support crew for the LT100.

As you can tell... it was a really good year! And now that we're almost 2 months deep into 2010, I can hint at the fact that this one is on track to be just as good, if not better. Oh yeah, and don't think "the brain has stopped working". It never does. I don't believe I'll race quite as much in 2010 as last year, but it's all aiming towards a long term goal, so stay tuned!

Take care --J

It's the middle of Feb? Seriously???

2010-02-15T01:42:00.000-05:00

I've had "write blog entries" on my tasklist now for, oh.... 5+ weeks. Punched it up about 2 weeks ago and realized I hadn't finished my "Review of 2009" yet. Wow! I believe I'm a bit behind!

No excuses, just swamped with work AND I've been busy... Ran the Goofy Challenge @ Disney in January and just got back from a week in New Hampshire ice climbing and FINALLY getting to the summit of Mt. Washington after 9 years of attempts! Like I said, no excuse!

Just wanted to give you a heads up. Will be playing catch up this week with entries as quickly as possible... before I leave with the NCSU fitness instructors for the Collegiate Fitness Expo @ William & Mary this coming weekend.

So.... stay tuned! Updates coming shortly! Hope everyone is enjoying the Olympics! Take care --J

And Away We Go!

2010-01-01T23:57:00.000-05:00

'09 is over and a new year has begun. Wow! Could that be much more action packed? Lots of things came and went. Lots of new experiences... some fun, some difficult, but all involved growth. And in no form or fashion can I say it hasn't been interesting. So many new people and old friends all inter-twined along the way...

As I've gone through the last few weeks of 2009, I've tied up some loose end and had a chance to look back, assess, evaluate... whatever you want to call it... In the next few days I'll talk about some reflections.

In the meantime, I hope everyone has had a great holiday season and are now diving headlong into their courses for 2010. Happy New Year to all of you!

A Thank You

2009-11-12T00:44:00.000-05:00

I know many who are and have served in our Armed Forces. Some are acquaintances, some are good friends, and some are family. I wanted to make sure... though it's now technically Thurs... I stopped for a second and told all of them and those I don't even know...

Thank you for your service that provides me with the freedoms and opportunities I have in my life... as you have and continue to face the many challenges and dangers each day in your effort to protect them for me and the millions of this country... both domestically and abroad.

Stay as safe as you can and again... Thank You... --J

Race Across the Sky (Quick Review)

2009-10-28T15:40:00.002-04:00

RATS as it's now being called was shown nationwide on Oct 22nd and had such a great turnout that there will be a second showing on November 12th. Yes, these are single night showings! Tickets for the Nov 12 date go on sale November 6th.

http://www.raceacrossthesky.com/

Overall the movie was really good. It does focus a great deal on the "front of the pack" story... but who outside of the LT race or mtb community would have much interest intially were it not for the Lance vs Dave story? The movie was an idea to draw more attention to the LT100 mtb race and help draw revenue to the little mining town that sits in the heart of CO... something race founder Ken Choubler always says he will never apologize for.

The scenery was awesome and it gave many cyclists, family, crew, and friends who've only ever heard stories about the LT a chance to really see a large part of the course (which is out & back). The movie includes some of the moving personal story lines of racers like Ricky -- a 16-time LT finisher, and Roxanne Hall -- a CO local mtb native whose 2008 LT attempt was sidelined while she fought just to survive a collision with an automobile only to recover and make an attempt @ the LT in 09 again!

If you pay attention to details... you learn a lot of the "fine points" about racing the LT during the movie. Sure, the camera didn't do superb justice to the weather experienced during the 09 race. But it's the little things like types of terrain, types of surfaces, altitude gains/losses, speeds, food, hydration, time factors, bottlenecks, power requirements, longevity need of the racer's endurance & equipment... the list goes on!

It was very entertaining to watch... and I knew EXACTLY what the outcome was given that I was there. But it was cool to see the race, course, people, atmosphere, nerves, volunteers, and perspectives that I had only a 1st person view of on race day. It was funny to watch Lance panic when he stopped b/c of his flat tire, fully expecting Dave Wiens to come flying around the corner at any second and dash his shot at winning the race.

I will add that, between the "round-table discussion" and footage of the movie... Everyone in the country will fully understand why the LT100 community has such great respect for Dave Wiens. And it is still very evident that Mr. Armstrong has a great deal of respect for him as well.

It will be interesting to see what effect the movie has on the 2010 lottery for entries... to Ken C... I think your plan is working!

If you missed the first showing... go see the movie on NOVEMBER 12! Likely to hit dvd after the first of the year. Take care --J

Late Summer Recap -- "Friends for Life" Children with Diabetes Conference

2009-10-01T23:33:00.004-04:00

Another entry from my hiatus midsummer. Enjoy!

"Friends for Life" Conference
One of the best parts of the year for me is July. Why? Because that means it's time for the Children with Diabetes conference in Florida. CWD was started in the 90's by Jeff Hitchcock when he and a couple of other parents began chatting about their diabetic kids over the internet. When a trip to Disney was mentioned, many of the families decided to meet... and from there CWD is now an international diabetes outreach organization. The Friends for Life conference is held in Florida each summer and now has attendance numbers over 1500 each year -- ages cover the gammut from newborns to adults w/ diabetes.

The conference has programming for preschool through adult, even including grandparents for almost a week solid. There's always a great exhibit hall with the newest & best products on the market. The week is capped off with the Friends Banquet and the farewell breakfast.

I have helped for the last 3 years at Sports Central with other DESA (Diabetes Exercise and Sports Assoc) members and athletes. During the programming for each of the groups of kids, they rotate through educational sessions, play sessions, etc. They also get to come into Sports Central for at least one session to hear from d-athletes and play games with all of them. It gives me a chance to catch up with folks like Judith & Danny Ambrosini, Rick Philbin, Bill King, Doug Burns, Chris McGee, Jen Alexander, Joe Eldridge, Missy Foy, Monique Hanley, Sebastian Sasserville, and many others!

It's hard to put it all into words. It's an amazing time and one I would very highly suggest everyone attend! Enjoy the pictures from this year's conference @ Disney!

Playing volleyball with the teens.

We get the chance to talk to the kids. It's so much fun to talk and play with kids... especially this preschool age group! (left to rt: Judith, Jen, Chris, me, Danny, and Bill)

The view from the dinner restaurant @ Animal Kingdom.

Doug and Michelle with Snow White & Prince Charming @ the Farewell Breakfast

Liz & I w/ Cinderella and her Prince Charming @ Breakfast

CWD families getting ready to enjoy the afternoon parade @ Magic Kingdom

Late Summer Recap (continued) -- Cowbell Kenda XC race

2009-10-01T19:50:00.000-04:00

So I went MIA for the end of the summer prior to Leadville... here's part of the short recap between ADA Tour de Cure and leaving for Colorado in August.

Cowbell Kenda XC
So when I woke up on Sunday June 21, I wasn't sure what the day held. The day before had been the Cowbell marathon and I'd had an all but bust of a day... a big adrenal bg spike at the start of the race followed by yo-yo bg the rest of the day that weren't following normal responses to insulin and carb factors in the equation. It was also hard fighting the heat and dehydration; other factors in the equation. After a couple of hours post-race, everything had calmed down and with some concerted effort I had a great refueling meal and rehydrated well. Tony checked in on me... we were both puzzled overall.

My bg reading when I awoke on Sunday was 86 and I felt "like me". I talked it over with Liz and knew that the xc race would only be about an hour. Figured I could at least handle that. Plus, I wanted to see how I could do running full throttle for a sprint effort and see if I would get the same adrenal bg response.

I knew it would be a fast race. Having done the marathon, I now knew what the course looked like and we were told some of the most challenging technical elements would be bypassed. For kicks, I opted not to ride the HiFi 29er but instead roll on Liz's Fisher X-Caliber 29er hardtail.

It was a fast start again and I made my way up to the leading group around 4th-5th as we went through the winding flats in the woods. As we went through a slick section an older gentleman slid and clipped my front wheel a bit. I went down but avoided running over him or being hit by anyone behind me. By the time I got situated and pedalling again I was mid-pack around 10th or 11th.

Knowing I only had about 4 miles to go, I just decided to put it out there. If I was high or low afterwards, I would deal with it... right now I felt GREAT and wanted a better performance than yesterday! The rest of the race is a blur, though I can vividly remember the various parts of the course and how hard I was going in my 4 mile time trial.

By the next to last climb I was running 6th and could see the guy in 5th walking up the hill so I pulled a CX effort and ran up the toughest part, hopped back on the bike and took off. Caught and passed him to finish 5th for the race... happy.

Brent Lester was back again that day too for the XC and he ended up on the podium. Great weekend results for him... Nice job B!

Following Cowbell... I felt tired but pretty good the rest of that day. Bg's were good all Sunday & I hadn't seen any adrenal spike. The next two though I ran a low grade fever and had to up my basal rates to keep my bg's in the 130-140 range. I believe that's what I was "seeing" on Saturday's race... the precursor signs of being ill... and I didn't recognize them, just compounded the issues that day. Probably wasn't a great idea to have raced the xc on Sunday, but there weren't any significant signs that day. Glad I didn't exacerbate things by racing that second day and that things ended up working out well. Welcome to the world of diabetes!

Late Summer Recap -- Cowbell Marathon

2009-10-01T18:17:00.000-04:00

So I went MIA for the tail-end of the summer prior to Leadville... here's part of the short recap of things between the ADA Tour de Cure ride in central NC until leaving for Colorado in August.

Cowbell Marathon
On June 20th, Liz and I went to Davidson, NC for the 12th Annual Cowbell Challenge 50-mile mtb marathon. Tony couldn't make it to the race this year, which had me kind of bummed considering I've never run Cowbell and had been looking forward to another race with him at that point in the season. T knows Cowbell well and I always learn and enjoy races when we run together. Found out Brent Lester would be there though -- Brent & I met during the NCCX Winter Cup races at the beginning of the year -- and we always have a good time @ races.

The race starts in downtown, takes some greenways and roads out to Fisher Farm where it goes for 6 laps, totalling close to 56 miles. I ran Open Pro for the first time... partly to see how fast the "big boys" run and to see how my nerves & bg's would handle the additional excitement and pressure -- testing the "race regime" to see if I still had a handle on the adrenaline spike issue. The previous day and morning of the race my bg's had been running a bit high... 140-185... consistently and I couldn't put my finger on why. Now as bg readings during a race, I'd love these. But for non-race "at home" numbers they show something is "off".

To make it short... At the gun it was a "put the hammer down" sprint style and of course I fell into the "rookie" trap of not running my race, but trying to keep pace. Needless to say, as we approached Fisher I could tell my bg was high. A quick check -- bg of 290ish. So now knowing I wouldn't be able to run with an efficient engine, it was time to see WHAT managment steps could be taken to bring it back if anything... I mean worst case, I'd have to bail so wanted to see if I could learn something from it. (Note: I've had these adren events before in races... first one of note was Leadville 07... and I've worked to figure them out since.)

Rolled a moderate aerobic first lap and hydrated as hard as I could, both to help with the added dehyration from the high bg and because of the heat... it was the hottest weekend of the summer! Bg at the end of Lap 1 was ballpark 185ish. Lap 2 was much better with the bg's back in more of a "race range", but I still didn't feel great.

A quick bg check was 130ish. Lap 3 I felt like I was carrying a ton of bricks, so I stopped and checked... bg was 150ish. At the end of the lap I was battling nausea and dehydration. Thermometer at the start/finish line was reading 104 and with the humidity the heat index was close to 112. I checked my bg and it was below 75.

All I could think was "d#$%"... I decided to take a break to see if I could hydrate and what my bg was doing. I didn't want to eat much, so only had a 15g snack.Not long after I finished Lap 3, Harland won the pro class finishing his 6 laps in just over 4 hours.

I still had time for another lap. When I checked my bg again it was over 200... in just 20 min's! What the h#$%!!! Now I was mad. But, being "smart" about being an athlete w/ diabetes, I bagged my race. Within an hour my bg was back down below 75 and thirty min's after that back over 200... all without good reasons. It was one of those days.

We stuck around for Brent to finish his race and he ended up with a podium in the sport class. Here's a pic Liz got of his last lap.

I ended up 12th and wasn't last, so even with a bad day it wasn't a terrible result. If I could've finished 1 more lap I could've had a top 10. Needed some rest, rehydration, food... I knew something was up with me physically that I couldn't put my finger on it. Liz was worried... don't know what I'd do without her always there supporting me. If at all possible I wanted to run the Cowbell Kenda XC race the next day. Decided I'd make the call the next morning...

It always amazes me...

2009-10-01T16:02:00.003-04:00

I've always found it a bit interesting... Many people believe that diabetic athletes have such good routines and regimes that we never have issues with our blood glucose control. It may surprise you, but never forget... we are diabetic too!

We push our bodies, train for our respective events and disciplines, and often play with many of the best, sometimes having really spectacular days! But a great deal of success hinges on experience and attention to details. Many put great effort into testing bg's via fingersticks much more than the suggested 6-8 times per day. Some are using cgms to help (this topic could be an entry all by itself!).

And yet, no matter how much effort is made... everyone still has rough days -- days when bg's seem to stay low, and days when they are above normal. It can be a hard thing to figure out "why" exactly... the body is a very complicated system with many internal and external factors effecting "how the engine runs".

Two big suggestions that I & many friends convey:

1- When you make the effort to test, don't just get the reading for nothing. Think about why the reading is what it is? What caused it to be that number? See if you can put your finger on "why"... Sometimes you can, sometimes you can't. But you need to THINK about the reading to learn to respond appropriately and have improving success with your regime.

2- A bg reading is not "good" or "bad"... it's a number, with no connotation. What caused the resulting number may be good or bad, perfect or poor choice... but the number is not anything but information. DO NOT FALL INTO THE HABIT OF NOT TESTING for fear of seeing the number. You need to know. Until you know, you can't begin the process of addressing or changing anything. No matter what you've done in the past... start anew and go test...

At the end of the day, no matter who anyone is, what they do, where they're from... we are all human and in this together. Find someone, anyone, that can help you and make the effort! It may take days, weeks, months, or even years to reach the goal, but in the end the journey is as much the destination as the final result. Take care --J

LT100 MTB race movie "Race Across the Sky"

2009-09-26T17:16:00.002-04:00

So here is the "Race Across the Sky" movie trailer... Movie in theatres Oct 22 only!
Go to www.raceacrossthesky.com for ticket information.

It's Time for the LT100 Race Report

2009-09-16T19:49:00.024-04:00

It's been a month during which I have gotten some much needed rest and rejuvenation. Quietly getting work done, getting caught up at home, doing some other things "for fun" in order to reload and get back to a point where I WANT to get on my bike. You ask... "not get on your bike?"... yes, b/c you can't go full tilt all the time. And often by getting off for a little while or mixing up the normal routine you greatly improve b/c we all need good rest. That doesn't mean I have been "active"... you know me better than that!

So... the story of my 2009 Leadville 100 mtb race? Okay, here we go!

By race morning I'd been in Colorado for 15 beautiful days. Hiking, riding, and exploring had been both fun and well scheduled to have me as ready as an east coaster can be for the race. The pre-race meeting for the LT race is always a treat, and with all of the hype surrounding the Showdown -- Round 2, it was an awesome experience again. Lance didn't make an appearance, but crowd favorite and 6-time champ Dave Wiens did along with hundreds of other heroes and heroines. One of the coolest moments was when those who had finished 10 or more races stood, and the few dozen were whitled down to the 3 gentlemen that had finished every LT100 since its inception. Awe inspiring!

I woke up early, even for my version of early, on race morning... 2:30AM. With almost 6 hours of sleep I had breakfast, hit a quick shower, suited up, grabbed what gear wasn't already in the truck, and off we went. It was raining at the house and basically all the way to Leadville. As we neared the Climax mine, with my head starting to play "rain games", I popped on my IPod and just closed my eyes... if this was to be how the 09 LT mtb race would go, I wouldn't back down and had prepared for it. I didn't realize it, but I actually fell asleep in the last 15-20min of the drive. When I woke up we were in Leadville,and the rain had stopped giving way to a partly cloudy-starry sky. Sweet... maybe we've got a chance to stay dry...

At 5:30AM it was 35-36 degrees F. Over the next hour I made multiple bg checks, one last inspection of the bike, gathered up the food, water, and the gear I'd need (yes, packed the rain jacket at the start) for the first 40 miles. Then it was really just a "hurry up and wait" scenario -- get warmed up, stay warm, final pit-stops, and watch the media frenzy along with the building anticipation of the other 1200+ non-pro's getting ready to roll into this beast of a race -- 100 miles @ elevations from 9200 to 12600 with aid/check stations @ 23, 40, 60, 76 mile marks and over 13,000 feet of climbing total... all with the goal of an official finish of under 12hrs (avg finisher times fall in the 10-12hr mark).

It was a fun sight to watch overall. Most of my crew had never been to the LT and they were really excited, anxious, and to a degree nervous... they were familiar with the course, many have "played" with me on numerous occassions in bad weather during ice climbing, mountaineering, and riding trips, so they knew what the weather potentially held. They were amazed by the media... Carlleena looked at me with mouth agape and pointed up... I said "Yeah, we normally don't have a helicopter for video coverage!" ;) There were webcast crews all over the place and the film crew from Citizen Pictures shooting a feature film of the race called "Race Across the Sky" -- RAS will be in theatres on Oct 22 (http://www.raceacrossthesky.com/).

My bg's had been a little high that morning which isn't abnormal since my "nighttime" basals are regularly MUCH lower than my daytime rates. When I woke it was 137. Knowing it would be a little up b/c of breakfast and with the drive from the house I bumped my temp rate to match what my normal daytime basals are. 2 hours after breakfast I was 227 with 2.3u IOB... not bad, but I needed to watch it. Since I tend to get adrenaline spikes at the start of big events, I wanted a little "extra" running when I started the race but not overkill. At 5:30 I was 187... still a bit high given my IOB and an increased % chance for a spike... so I bolused .5u. At 6AM I dropped my basals to 35% of normal & a bg check had me @ 171, which warranted a gel about 15min into the race due to the IOB... perfect b/c that'll put it before the first climb up Kevins!

At 6:30AM MST, Ken C ticked off the final countdown and gave the traditional LT shotgun blast to start the race. As the leaders screamed off the line at over 30mph (while behind a leadout by the Leadville Police), the helicopter roared over the heads of the rest of the field. It was 37 degrees. I had positioned myself just behind mid-pack knowing it would be a bit of a traffic jam up Kevins but also knowing I couldn't run with the big boys up the first climb if I was going to survive the day. The sun had already broken the horizon behind us and illuminated the 14ers in front of us and coming over Mt. Massive was a wispy gray cloud that moved towards Turquoise Lake. Within a minute or two a huge rainbow shown and the right side came down on top of St. Kevins. Rolling along @ 20-25mph many folks around me were talking about how pretty it was & another guy and I verbally agreed but also pointed out that it meant it was raining on Kevins... I remember the face of one lady changing as if she'd seen a ghost... All I could do was smile and in my head shout "Welcome to the Leadville Trail 100!" also thinking of the old Mountain Hardwear ad that read "Somewhere in the back of your twisted skull, you were hoping this would happen...". If you know me well, oh how that fits so many times when I have the most fun!

Just barely a quarter-mile onto the gravel road leading to Kevins we passed the first severe casualty... an older gentleman had crossed wheels with another rider & gone down hard... I later heard he had broken his clavical and possibly some ribs. With almost 1400 riders total, the course was packed and it was important to hold your line, only changing when you knew you could and there was a hole. As we approached the base of the Kevins climb I saw the helicopter moving towards the west over the ridge... leaders were past the switchback and heading towards the fast rolling section on their way to the pavement @ Turq Lake.

The climb was 3 lines wide and many folks were struggling hard in the thin air. Kevins is a steep climb and one you want to ride briskly but not too hard. I picked my way over to the far right line b/c the speed of the group was slowing on the steepest sections, and I could walk and push at the same speed w/ a lower HR impact while basically keeping my place in the line... sounds funny I know, but it's SLOW in that pack and often safer than trying to spin and balance amongst so many others. On the bike for anything but the steepest sections and heaviest traffic I realized I was tackling the climb faster than I had in previous years and faster than my pre-ride the week before (when I was still acclimatizing). One of the highlights was riding near 2 different couples on tandem mtb's -- talk about guts!

After I made the switchback, I realized that many people were following one another as if this were a singletrack line, but much of this area still has 2-3 lines. Often the line the group was on was the "cleanest" but the 2nd line isn't much worse so I used these 2nd & 3rd lines whenever I needed to and again realized I was steadily gaining ground. Don't get me wrong, some of this Kevins area is singletrack b/c of rocks, berms, or debris, but much is classic Rocky Mtn fireroad.

I popped out on the Turq Lake road in just under 50min. I'd gotten in my ~60g of carbs during this first hour and now the weather was the "debate". It had begun to rain and gotten harder as we got to the pavement. From the Kevins exit to the western point of Turq Lake it is FAST downhill, then uphill to the Hagerman's Pass Rd, which leads to the backside of Sugarloaf and Powerline. I knew there was a "cork" of people behind me and many hadn't seemed comfortable descending little sections on the trail, so I decided to forgo the jacket for a little to build some distance. I hit 38mph on the pavement downhill and the rain had basically become a mist with only the tire spray being heavy. Lots of people were pulled over grabbing jackets from that point all the way up Hagerman's, but the climbing was keeping me warm.

As we hit the backside of Sugarloaf I was finally with a group riding at similar speed, but as we neared the top the mist was really thick and it started to rain harder so I pulled and donned my jacket knowing I would at least need it on the Powerline descent. Thermometer on my Camelbak said it was 36 degrees... that + wet = NOT GOOD! Only lost a minute and actually caught back up to the bunch I'd been with after just a short time. When we started to crest the top they all stopped for their jackets before P-Line, and I don't think I saw but one of them the rest of the day.

Powerline is a pretty technical descent in dry conditions. It has lots of lines to choose from in many places but usually only 1 of these lines goes all the way through each section... the others either end in the trees, rocks, or giant ravines and ruts that you either find a way to jump or you dismount. It's pulverized granite on a hard granite sub-surface or really loose sandy-pebble soil with lots of good sized rocks thrown in. The rain had made it even more interesting... better in spots and harder in others. Given that this was the VERY first technical descent I ever did (gotta remember Leadville 06 was the first mtb race I ever did), I love P-Line! Yes, it's obvious if you screw up, you're going to get hurt but it's also one of those descents that if you maintain control and properly scout far enough ahead you can scream down!

The two most vivid memories I have of this year are: 1. we were all FREEZING!!! My hands were working well enough to hold the bars and my index finger could operate the brakes, but I was visibly shivering with the entire rest of my body... my teeth were chattering -- I was in mild hypothermia slipping towards signs of moderate but the adrenaline of the descent was working! I was still smiling... ;) and 2. a rider just barely 2 bike lengths in front of me went down on a steep wet rocky section where there was only really 1 line. Mentally I went "holy s#$%, here we go!" He lost traction on the front wheel which peeled out left, and he fell head/shoulders downhill right in the middle of the trail... basically taking up the whole trail. Funny how fast your brain works in over-drive... option 1 -- we're riding over his bike, option 2 -- we're riding over him... and either way we're probably going down too! I mean I was basically sitting on my rear wheel, grabbing brakes for all I could without endo'ing, yelling my head off so the riders behind me wouldn't pile into us, and realizing there was no where to go... he was strown across the whole trail! Even trying everything I wasn't going to be able to stop before I got to him... and then his feet came out of his pedals and the bike slid into a rut to the left as he began rolling to the right. I yelled to see if he was ok, to which he (as he rolled) replied "yes", and I told him to stay right... there were at least 5 other riders right on my tail at this point... and I shot an 18 inch gap (still with he and the bike moving down the hill) knowing if either of them bounced back in the line as I was coming through, I was done!

The rest of P-Line was a blur... literally when I got down I remember thinking "that's it?" Still with my jacket on I now popped out on the Hatchery road (CR 300), fell in with a group of riders just ahead of me, and stayed in the draft while I ate as we came to Halfmoon Rd. and into the H-Moon aid station. I stopped just long enough to check my bg & take off my jacket b/c the rain had broken in the valley and the sun was out -- I knew it was going to be a warm run into Twin Lakes. My bg was 124. I felt fairly good, still a little chilled, but I knew I'd warm up and with some calories in I'd stoke the fire better.

This is the section that most people dislike in the race b/c they say it's boring. But, it's the area where you get some recovery between the efforts of the first 20 miles and the climb from Twin Lakes to the top of Columbine. I rolled it as fast as I could without pushing LAT at all and ate while I rode. I still had a little chill from clothes drying as I approached the new section of trail that rerouted around The North Face, which "outbound" is a multi-switchback descent. The guys at the LT shop had told me some of these corners were still a little weird... broad sweeping at entry but ending tight. Overall this section wasn't bad and the builders had done a great job... yes, it takes longer than the old TNF route, which just dropped straight off the hilltop, but it wasn't very technical other than you want to stay on the trail (otherwise you ride into thick sagebrush).

As I made my way up the last moderate hill before you drop into Twin Lakes I was expecting to see the leaders coming at any point... in my previous attempts Dave W would come by me here as he was inbound and 2 years ago Landis went by me inbound as I got to T-Lakes. To my surprise I dropped over the top and as I made my way to the check station... no leaders! Without even looking at the clock I knew that meant I was ahead of the cutoff.

As I rolled through the check station I could see my crew holding up there signs... Goal #1 accomplished! They told me my time before I even checked my watch... 3hrs, 41min... almost 20min's ahead of the "cutoff" (which often is actually 4hrs 10min). A quick bg check yielded 141. They refilled my Camelbak while I inhaled a small stack of Pringles, 1/2 a poptart, and reloaded my pockets and Bento box. As we're doing all of this someone yells "Here comes somebody..." (from the Columbine direction) and I look right with my back to the course to see a motorbike with a camera crew and think "... are they in front or behind him...". Then Big Ken says " he went that way" and points to my left... and sluggishly I turn like "Huh???" Carlleena says I think that was Lance and Liz echoes the thought. Someone says "But he wasn't wearing a LiveStrong jersey?" I ask if he was wearing a Mellow Johnny's jersey, Liz says yes, and I confirmed it was Lance.

While I'm standing there eating, figuring out the Lance leading question, taking "orders" (gentle prompts) from Liz, I realize that my crew is so extremely ecstatic about me getting to this point so much stronger and faster than past efforts. Liz has become my official crew chief considering how many races she's gone to this year... she knows the "needs" and routine like clockwork. Big Ken and Miss Patty were the only ones who'd been to this race before. Helping them out were Liz's mom & dad, her brother Forest, Carlleena (from here out referred to as "C"), and Marcy. Liz's mom took the above pic of Lance and many of these below during the race (thanks Susan!)

At this point I know I'm tired, but I also know the engine has plenty of life left... and I'm going to need it b/c the biggest climb of the race is next... 10 miles from T-Lakes to the Columbine mine @ 12600' (3400 feet of gain)... and the clouds are thickening but spotty. I've done a climb similar to this in NC -- Curtis Creek road in the ORAMM -- but this has real altitude added to the mix. And even if it's sunny, at over 12K, the temp is going to be quite a bit cooler. I also knew there were some two short steep hills from T-Lakes to the base of the Columbine road, so that C-bine climb proper is actually only 9 miles. Now it's pretty warm finally so I removed my jacket and stuffed it in my C-bak... I'd regained complete feeling in my hands and my clothes were dry... A GOOD THING!

As I headed out, not .5 miles past the lakes Dave Wiens passed me on his way inbound. I knew he was minutes behind Lance at this point, but I also knew you can't count him out... he didn't win 6 LT100's being soft! This is a shot of Dave that Liz's mom got as he came back through T-Lakes inbound...

The initial miles of the Col climb are gorgeous mature aspen groves. It was during this time that I saw fellow Type 1 diabetic racer Jarral Ryter fly by in a pretty big group on his way inbound -- Jarral is a multi LT finisher and earned a top 100 starting spot last year. I yelled as he flew past as it's awesome to see another T1 having a great day!

The wind was picking up off and on, and it was partly cloudy so when the sun was out it was hot and when it was behind a cloud it was chilly. I couldn't really find a happy medium. I hadn't gotten rid of my arm warmers and for a while I pulled them down. As you climb higher you move into conifer forests. Being a forester & wildlife biol professionally I know this and also from "adventures" know this is where the weather conditions begin to make considerable shifts. I felt a little "out of gas" at one point, so I got off and did a few minutes of "hike-a-bike" to lower my HR and eat. Figured I needed a little bit more fuel in the tank and a quick bg check confirmed it as I walked... bg was 102. (Thirty min's later it was 158 -- Gummie bears & a Gu to the rescue!)

When on the bike I realized I was in a long procession of bikes separated from each other by only about 20-30' as far as you could see. It was a climb... aka everybody suffers until you get to the top. I laughed aloud when I realized too that we were ALL in granny gear and the revelation of a 29er's benefits began to show -- in the same gear, pedal stroke for stroke, I caught and passed many other riders on this climb. It was just a true iconic, real life, real-time example... and it made me wonder how fast Dave or Lance would be on a 29er vs the 26's they were riding... at this point, we can only imagine...

Sure I hit low mental points on this climb, everybody does. But it's one of those things Ken C talks about in the LT pre-race meeting... he's a man that would know having RUN 20+ LT 100's and finished more than 10 of them! But like anyone who loves climbing knows, everybody suffers and it doesn't stop until you reach the top... so calm down, sit back, and patiently let the climb come to you. I will admit that at this point I was really missing not having my IPod on... I'd given it up b/c of the weather earlier and was now kicking myself a little! But that's when I thought of something Jen D told me one day riding Cycle NC when we were both hurting... try to smile, keep trying to smile, eventually it'll work and you'll feel better! I laughed aloud again, now smiling, and began to mentally sing songs in my head from my IPod riding playlist.

As you start to break treeline, you're still a long way from the top, and the trail gets royally rough and rocky with some off camber sections thrown in. While Lance, Dave, and many of the leaders get to pick the best line up and at least part way down we in the middle and back have to share both ways. Often that means taking the crappy line. It was in this section that I began the major hike-a-bike and I put my jacket back on b/c the wind had a harsh bite now even in the sun. Just as earlier on Kevins, I could keep up with others spinning in granny gear while I was walking and it gave some of the muscle groups I'd been working a break -- it actually felt good!

This was also the third time I laughed -- 1. b/c no one I know at home is crazy enough to do something of this sort, 2. this kind of suffering fits me to a T, 3. I had never pushed my bike that far in my life, and 4. b/c no matter how much of a cyclist I have become over the last 3 years, apparently I still excel better at mountaineering! I say that b/c of the old saying, "What is mountaineering? It's walking uphill, carrying a heavy load, while not feeling very well."

There were sections I rode once we got higher up and on better terrain (aka something I could get out of granny gear on... at least a little while). The most memorable was near the top of the where I caught up to one lady who thought she was going to die, at least that's what she was saying. We chatted for about a hundred yards and when we got to a rideable section I suggested we get back on. She was cold, didn't have a jacket, just wanted this to end... and as we started to pedal... it started hailing on us. Light at first and I remember looking down saying "that looks like styrofoam... what the hell?" Then a piece hit my face and I felt the cold, wet texture as it fell harder. I thought "holy s#$%! Can this race throw anything else at us today?" Luckily it didn't last long, just one single cloud.

While I was at T-Lakes aid station, I had told my crew that if Lance stayed on pace he'd finish about the time I reached the top of Columbine. Literally not 1-2min's after I got to the top one of the aid station workers said "Lance just finished in 6hrs 28mins and change." Wow! He did it and it really did take me 3 hours to climb this dang thing! It was chilly up there and given that Lance had just finished in 6.5 hrs I knew that meant I had only 5.5 hrs to get back to town... boy was this going to be a push... but at least I knew the next 10 miles would go by pretty quick. I didn't check my bg here, just ate about 45g of carbs (including one of the best cups of Ramen noodles I've ever had! I knew & felt like I was VERY likely trending lower than I wanted to be... who'd have guessed that with 3 hours of climbing (duh!)...

I don't believe I fully processed how fast the 10 miles down were going to be until I left the station, crossed the upper "flat" back to the top of the descent and looked down. "Oh wow! This is gonna be fun!" No, that wasn't sarchasm, it was sheer joy & excitement. The upper section is nasty rocky b/c with riders coming up, you are relegated to the right side of the path. There are two options here... full slow or just stay off the brakes and ride the heck out of it! Another guy and I rode basically the whole way down "together", catching and passing lots of people over the course of the next minutes with no one passing us. Literally we were going fast enough I lost track of time b/c of the focus needed on the course. I was consistently averaging 30-35 mph for 85-90% of the descent -- I broke my mtb "personal speed record" hitting 43mph! (and I wasn't trying to...)

I rolled back into the Twin Lakes aid station and was met by Liz, her dad, brother, and mom. The rest of my crew had already gone to the Pipeline aid station to prep for me getting there. I was feeling a little better overall, but could tell the fuel tank was starting to really run low. Bg check came in @ 116. Yep, tank isn't full... They reloaded me with everything + I requested an extra pack of gummie bears in my Bento.

At this point I was kind of surprised to be honest -- what took me 3 hours to climb took 34 min's to descend. I thought coming into the station that I was going to get cut off. When I said something about it, Liz's dad said, "You're actually @ 30-35 minutes before they cut-off this station... you've actually GAINED time on your 40 mile cut-off split!" I couldn't hardly believe it... and at the same time knowing the course, and the approximate times inbound required to make the 12hr mark, I knew I was on the bubble. From here in I would need even more of "the race of my life" than I'd had to this point if I was to make it. I bolted from the T-Lakes station trying to be efficient, not press my heart rate too hard b/c I would need it later and so that I could digest food... food I knew I was starting to desperately need!

One of my primary race fuels late "in the game" is Haribo Gummi Bears. This is the point where very much fat and protein just sit and knot things up, so it's simple carbs, as often and as much as I can take. Friends have described my "reaction" to them late in a ride as me gaining the energy of a 4-yr old. I've tried gels... too slow. I've tried other "sugars"... upset my stomach. Fats & proteins this late... gut lock & gastric cramps. Most food at this point doesn't even taste good, but gummi bears do!

As I ate, I pedalled. Basically from T-Lakes to Pipeline inbound you're gaining elevation in short bouts and most of it comes on the hillside singletrack that replaced the North Face. I felt good by this point and was cranking it out w/ a good HR. Continuing on the next obstacle is MF Hill... something now one really pays any attention to outbound because it's a short, steep downhill that's just a little loose, but not technical. Uphill is an entirely different story. The pack I was running in hit the hill, which is a steep hike-a-bike section, and when we topped out you could see the pain it had caused. One guys looked at me and said, "I think I'm good when I get to Pipeline. This is enough for me." Many decided they were going to stop and take a break.

I had a completely different opinion... we were under the gun. I refused to stop or rest. This was what I came for. If I wasn't going to finish I was going to leave everything out on the course in my effort. I would not back down from this, the memories live to long in your mind! What I did notice really quick though was that my HR had spiked hard and after a few minutes back on the bike I had the ominous realization that my HR had dropped WAY BELOW what it should be running... I pulled out my glucometer and tested in flight -- reading was 127. So now still in flight I'm navigating while contemplating what's happening and if there's anything left in my bag of tricks to "fix it"...

It didn't take long. Kind of like watching a car race when one of them loses a cylinder... I'm figuring mileage, looking at speed, thinking about time, and watching as I can't turn over a large enough gear to manage an average speed anywhere close to what I need to... and there's nothing I can do about it. I switched gears. I stood. I spun. And through it all my heart rate stayed low... and when I say low, I mean almost as low as sitting on the couch resting. Reality sunk in. The "engine" was cooked and all I could do was limp in at this point. If I could make it to the station before the cut off, I knew I didn't have the horsepower to make it in by 12hrs. Yet, mentally the racer in me sprang back to life -- I began thinking about many of the quotes I've collected over the years and things I've said to folks & things folks have said to me, like... (here are a few of the short ones)

"Get off the couch!" "

"Failure is not the falling down, it's the staying down." -- climbing quote

"Talent is only part of the equation. The rest is drive, endurance, heart, determination, and an acceptance of the pain." -- Anonymous

"Worry is wasted energy." -- Anonymous

"It ain't about how hard you can hit. It's about how hard you can get hit and keep moving forward... how much you can take and keep moving forward!" -- from "Rocky Balboa"

And then I looked down at my bike... to which I had taped a long strip of athletic tape and written Ken C's Leadville Trail quote, the "I refuse to quit" saying from the pre-race meeting, and a list of "reasons" why, thinking of, whom, and for what I was riding: Liz, Marge, Bird & Miss B, Ken & Miss Patti, C & Marcee, my family, Liz's family, Type1Rider, JDRF & CWD, T1 friends, and the kids & parents that live w/ type 1 diabetes everyday. As I fought back a few tears that weld up w/ that determined stern grin some have seen, I shifted to a bigger gear, put my head down and started singing the George Canyon song "Quitters" in my head as I rode as hard as I could. The next miles were a blur w/ vague memories of a few people cheering on the sides of the course.

I came into the long straightaway to Pipeline not feeling any better... the gas tank was empty. I glanced at my watch and it read 3:04PM. As I neared the station I recognized Liz & Carlleena walking towards me on the edge of the course, and as they got there I could see that both were fighting back being upset. I stopped at them and just put my head down on my handlebars... not upset, not disappointed, not frustrated. I struggled to catch my breath -- I was wheezing... my airway was inflamed and tight. I had missed the cut-off by 6 mins. And yet, I was extremely calm and satisfied on many levels... I'd had one of the best races ever ON the day I intended to and had left everything I had in me out on the course in the effort. I hadn't failed, I just wasn't "official" by the course standard... yet! As I told them standing there... I still have work to do...

The picture above was shot by Liz's mom after I had 5-10 mins to get settled down a little. (Pictured from left to right: Liz, me, Big Ken, and C... not pictured are Miss Patti, Liz's fam, and Marcee) The final total was 76 miles in 9:06 w/ between 9K - 10K feet of climbing. It had taken me a little over an hour and a half to ride from T-Lakes back to Pipeline... I'd lost all of my "advantage" I had gained earlier. I was a bit dehydrated, but not much... not much fluid intake needed before I visited the facilities. My bg reading here was 96 and it stayed between 75 and 115 well into the next day... I had completely cooked off the carb grams of over an entire big pack of gummi's after I left T-Lakes... gas tank was not big enough, so yes, more work to do!

I didn't develop any edema, but I had airway inflamation for the next couple of days. Normally post-race my bg's rise given the lower insulin levels and any food still digesting. It didn't really happen here. I wasn't carb depleted, but I didn't have any excess in my system either. As we stood and talked, I can't describe how proud I was to have such a supporting group of people in my crew for this. Of course they still said I was nuts... but shortly after... C began saying she might be interested in a future entry as well! Oh yeah... did I mention how tired I was...

We headed back to Leadville and watched a few of the 10hr finishers come in, then took off back to the house. After dinner, a session with the massage jets in the jacuzzi, and dessert (gotta love post-race rewards!), I called it a night and slept about 12 hours. Sunday morning Liz & I got up, put some things in the truck and headed back over the Leadville to catch the end of the buckle ceremony where Dave Wiens stuck around to accept his age group trophy to match his 2nd place overall finish -- Dave got a standing ovation!

As a last "event" for the trip... Liz ran the LT 10K run that day @ noon! I was very proud of her! Later that afternoon we caught up with everyone else in Breckenridge, and as we made our way back to the house near Hoosier Pass it was snowing! What a way to finish the trip!

Looking back...

Leadville is one of those events that definitely "gets you". I probably drift to memories of it at least once a day. Yet at the same time, even over a month later, I'm not disappointed with my performance. Disappointed in a way that I didn't officially finish... Well, yes. But not with how that day went for me. As Jay Hewitt tells everyone in his presentations, you've gotta set goals with high failure potential. You've got to push and test yourself in order to see what is inside and what you're made of. It makes you stronger. It makes you better.

I learned a lot that day about myself that I figured I knew. But it's an awesome feeling to have it really come out when the time arises. I didn't quit... heck, I literally refused. Physiologically I was fried before I got to Pipeline, and yet I still found more inside to keep at it. I safely raced as a type 1 diabetic in the biggest race of it's kind in mtn biking. No, it wasn't enough when compared to the standard, and yes, the competitor in me has been hard at work since I stepped off the bike formulating ways to continue to improve. Big goals and dreams wouldn't be worth the time and effort if all you had to do was show up! I sincerely hope that Jarral and I inspire some child with type 1 to tackle a major challenge they have. Maybe it's on a mtn bike, maybe it's in some other endeavor. Personally, I will be back to Leadville again, no doubt!

If all of this has piqued your interests, you should really check out the feature film that was shot during the race this year. Of course the media focus was on the Lance vs Dave rematch, but the film makers did a lot of work to capture the stories of the non-pro racers that attempt this event... a couple of whom have finished EVERY SINGLE Leadville Trail 100 mtb ever held! On October 22 this film will hit theatres nationwide for a one night showing. The film is titled "Race Across the Sky" and the website is: www.raceacrossthesky.com

...Lastly, I want to thank a couple of people that have helped (and tolerated) my efforts over the years and as I've chased the LT100 dream... Liz, Bird & Miss B, Marge, Big K & Miss Patti, C & M, Lynn, Doug, Bill, Jarral, Brent, Lauren & her fam, Judith & Danny,E, Rick, Joe, Dostou, Camille, Jen D, G-baby, Si, Scott, Horm, the Cary crew, Tony & Kir, T1R teammates & friends, Joe E, my campus counterparts, Ross, Meredith, Al, Sandy, and all of the other folks that constantly keep tabs on me. Many of you are inspiration and motivation for me. I couldn't do any of this without each of you in some way. Thank you!

Alright, I'm out. Next up... cyclo season (for fun) & the rest of my run training in prep for Disney... Take care --J

Leadville Trail 100 Mountain Bike 2009

2009-08-14T19:22:00.003-04:00

All the pre-race meetings, medical checks, number & timing chip distribution is done...

Tomorrow @ 6:30AM (RMT) the LT100 MTB race gets underway! This race has gained a lot of attention with the Lance vs Dave rematch... I'm a Lance fan, but Dave Wiens is a true peoples' champ (6x LT 100 MTB champ)... so GO DAVE! Though this is the media draw, the true story is in the 1200+ other "avg" riders who will roll themselves through the proverbial grinder w/ the goal of being an official finisher in under 12hrs. Good luck to all the other riders!

Check out the webcast of the event! Details can be found @ the LT100 website:

www.leadvilletrail100.com

The webcast is only $5!!!!!!!!!

Lastly, in the spirit of the LT100...

"You are better than you think you are. You can do more than you think you can!" -- Ken C

What can I say... Leadville...

2009-08-11T00:32:00.007-04:00

Over the last month and a half I've bounced around A LOT... wrapping up teaching for summer school, trying to get loose ends tied up w/ other work-related duties (which get pushed aside during summer school), racing @ Cowbell in both the marathon & the XC events, racing the NC State Games XC, spending a week in FL for the Children with Diabetes Friends for Life Conference, and training for my personal multi-season goal... Leadville.

To say I've been "detached" has been an understatement. Focusing on this event has been literally a 9 month process and it comes down to this week... I've been in CO for almost 11 days acclimating, riding, and trying to make sure all of the fine tuning is adjusted correctly. Has it worked you ask? Mostly. 4 hard days of riding last week left my bronchial tubes a little inflamed and unhappy, but I wasn't getting any fluid buildup (which is a GREAT thing). After 2 days of "rest" w/ light to moderate activity I hopped back on the bike today for a 2hr spin, which was good albeit for a slightly high bg the entire ride -- likely due to the "stress" of the elevation.

From here out it's just enough intensity to keep me ready, but to get a good taper. Leadville was the first race of its' nature -- 100 mile mtb race w/ cutoff times @ 40, 60, 80, and 100 miles. You have to finish sub-12hrs to be an official finisher. This is attempt #3 for me... #1 ended w/ a mechanical and #2 ended @ 40 due to really high bg's. I've prep'd a great deal more for #3 than in the past, and yet there is a great element of luck involved with this race -- to put it into perspective... it's Colorado, it's between 9200 & 12600 feet in elevation on the course, it'll involve almost 14000 feet of climbing, it's weather "dependent", and it's body & mind dependent. It's a very mental event, but no matter how physically, mentally, logistics, or equipment prepared, there are still the elements of conditions (weather) and diabetes physiology that are to a large degree, uncertain.

All I can do at this point is manage the circumstances I can affect, ride as hard as I can, and enjoy what is most certainly... the best single day endurance mtb event on the planet! Wish me luck!

PS -- Yes, Lance is racing again and this time with the intent to win. He's not alone as current reports have Jeremiah Bishop, Tinker Juarez, Ethan Pessant, and many other gunning for the win. As much as I am a fan of these guys... my support goes out to Dave Weins -- 6-time & defending champ/course record holder -- who has to be one of the nicest and most down to earth riders you could ever dream of meeting. So, in the spirit of the LT100... GO DAVE!!!

Race Across America!

2009-07-01T21:59:00.006-04:00

I wanted to send out a BIG congratulations...

1. Team Type 1 -- Winners of the 8-person RAAM division & their effort to reclaim the transcontinental record... they SUCCEEDED... 5 days, 9 hours, and 5 min!

2. Adventures for the Cure -- Winners of the 2-person RAAM division!

3. Team Type 2 -- the first 8-person team of type 2 diabetics to complete RAAM (and they did it in great style)!

It's inspiring and great to see all of these folks do so well. It brought a big smile to my face each day and boosted my motivation knowing I was training in the same hot temps these guys were racing through all week. Again... CONGRATULATIONS to them all! Well deserved!

Triangle ADA Tour de Cure

2009-06-25T21:49:00.005-04:00

This year's TdC took a new route. It started again in Cary and this time rode a great route to Southern Pines, NC through rolling hills of the Piedmont. Unlike last year, it wasn't the hottest weekend of the year either! (bonus points!) Our Type1Rider/CSH team had a lot of people this year and we've been in the hunt for one of the top 5 fundraising teams overall -- that's just awesome!

I really enjoyed the route, and despite this being a 2-day event and in the middle of my summer school teaching slog, I wanted a really good ride both days. There are lots of little stories from the weekend...

Saturday: Tony & I flying around that morning, an enjoyable team paceline Sat mid-day, my breakoff to do the 106 mile century route through Fort Bragg, the ride in with Bruce (a Type 2 member of T1R), and the chances to hang out w/ Laura (TT1 triathlon) & Larry Cleveland (TT2 RAAM team) as well as lots of other riders.

One of the highlights on Sat for me was meeting Suzanne & her son Ry... Ry is a "recent" T1 teen who is working to manage his bg's in order to play football this coming Fall. I played when I was younger but that was pre-T1. Tony played w/ T1. Suz, Ry, and I have been chatting back and forth, and have plans to work on some strategies with Ry to help him excel... but it was awesome to finally get to talk in person!

Sun: Riding off & on solo and between groups, fast-organized pacelines, sloppy pacelines, the TdC volunteers and staff support, CSH folks riding and working, and the gummi-bear "fired" engine during the last 15mile run in to a smiling Liz at the finish in Cary.

It was a very good weekend... think I already said that... From me personally as both a cyclist & a diabetic -- thanks for all the hard work, donations, support, staff, volunteers, hours, and goodwill put into supporting all efforts to find a cure!

Race Report: BURN 24... A month later...

2009-06-25T20:25:00.004-04:00

So I royally intended to write more often through the month of June... that didn't happen... I've been teaching summer school courses for NCSU, which aren't like regular courses. We don't meet for 1-3 hours a couple of times a week. No, summer courses I instruct for run from 5:30AM until after sunset everyday, 5 days a week from mid-May through the end of last week. Most of my training rides have been during "free-time" for students to do fieldwork, or at night via my Lights and Motion sets. Enough said.

BURN was my first 24HR event ever on a bike. Last year I crewed for a 4-person team, but this time I wanted to try it... solo. Tony Cervati, our T1R team captain has done this race a number of times and was all for the idea! (Yes, we both have twisted senses for fun when it comes to endurance races...)

My training leading up was good, although I knew I was a little tired from the long hours teaching and that would be my biggest challenge. Bg's travelling were good and when we arrived we hooked up w/ Tony and the other Cycling Spoken Here riders who were running on a variety of teams. Liz had never been to a 24hr event, so all of this was new to her... she kept asking me, "How are you so calm?" I just kept reminding her I was trying to conserve as much energy as possible considering the task at hand.

The Lemans start was funny... there was a $1K prize for 1st on the run alone! Kind of cheating for the teams to be allowed a runner & separate rider this early on while we soloist had to slog it out both ways! The course was good w/ a short tech section around mile 2-3 of downhill switchbacks and lots of speed w/ good drops, but the rest was relatively tame -- 800' of climbing on a 7-mile lap. My goal was 15-18laps with an average lap time of between 1-1.25hrs (including the quick stops between laps)... what's a goal for if you're not going to have to reach to get it?

Tony was funny... in his blog he wrote that between he & I, we had enough sugary carbs to feed twenty 8 year-olds for a month... We did... And like clockwork, our bg's were on-point each time we checked after completing a lap. I was averaging ~118 while eating about 60g carbs per lap with my pump set to a 70-80% basal reduction (aka I was running about 20-30% of my normal basal intake). This may seem really low, but I am extremely insulin sensitive normally much less during activity -- I see the same trends w/ other activities like ice climbing, half-marathons, mountaineering, etc.

By about 9hours in I had done 6 laps and it was time to put on the lights. (Did I mention how much I love riding my Fisher 29er at these races!!!) My 7th lap was 1/2 during enough light to see and finishing up in the fading daylight, and my body was starting to yell at me. During lap 8... I started seeing the signs of my recent sleep deprivation due to teaching and not sleeping -- mentally recognizing obstacles and correct lines, with no response from my body. My legs still had fuel and were working well, albeit with less power, but the rest of me was holding up.

So, when I came in I told Liz I needed a break and some "real" food... lots of it. This is where most would say, "oh no...", but my stomach and I get along 95% of the time and I knew I could handle it. Off we went into Wilkesboro... yes, I left the race, ate, and came back. But when I came back I was so sleepy I couldn't stay awake (even w/ a golden bg of 98) so I knew riding right then wasn't an option. I checked on Tony... he was riding strong and felt good. Then I crashed in the tent, during which it started to rain.

Around 2:30AM I got up, suited back up, and took lap 9... not realizing Tony was in the pit after someone had crashed him out around midnight (I found this out when I completed the lap). Lap 9 had been good although I was still a bit dazed and knew I still needed more sleep... I was starting to react again but just still too slow to be safe and the last thing I wanted was to have a stupid crash. So back to sleep.

At 7AM I popped out again to do lap 10... but my bg was 65. So I ate and hung out for 30min for it to come up. When it hit 125, I rolled out... again with 60-70g of carbs to eat along the way and my basals set to an 80% reduction. This time I was methodical in the technical section trying to carry momentum, take the best lines, and shift very efficiently. It was working until the last good climb when I had that "loss of power" feeling... knowing my bg was dropping below ~110. Luckily the last 1 mile is mostly a screaming downhill of banked corners, "wall rides", and jumps. When I rolled in and checked my bg was 72... 10min later it was 49. OH S#$%!!!

Liquid carbs and food + a suspended pump delivery for 30min brought it back up to 136 by 8:45... "Still have enough time for lap 11... but is that the smart thing to do?" In retrospect I probably could have grabbed the Frosted PopTarts, eaten both and been fine. But the voice in my head said... "what are you going to prove if you go out for 1 more lap and something happens... this is really a training event for you... be a SMART diabetic racer!" So I surprised Liz when I said I was relutantly done... at least this time... Finished 29th overall in the solo division w/ 10 laps (15 laps would've put me in the hunt for a top 15 finish!)

I felt bad for Tony... this race has always been a run of bad luck for him. Almost as if he's running two separate 12hr events... he kills the 1st one and something "knocks him down" for the 2nd. He'd been running really well with everything going perfect when another racer t-boned him on the technical switchbacks in the middle of the night... and didn't even really stop. I almost wanted to do lap 11 just because he wasn't able to ride another lap from around 1AM on...

T & I are similar in many ways and very different in others. He IS a true example of an endurance mountain biker, while I still consider myself a true novice when it comes to mtb (I'm just a mountaineer/climber who's taken up cycling!)... who typically does well b/c I'm relatively hard-headed, have a twisted love of suffering style adventures, knows how to fall down well, and just doesn't quit as readily as many would. I'm not strong enough to race for the front, podium positions... he is... and he'll push anyone as hard as they can take it. And, we are both bound by the idea that being diabetic doesn't impose a limit on anyone if they chose not to allow it to do so.

If we ever seem disappointed in our efforts, just ask either of us how fun it is to do all of these things... you'll see us smile everytime... especially when kids are involved -- makes each and every effort worth the energy! Take care --J

Burn 24: The Day Before...

2009-05-22T12:35:00.004-04:00

So I'm busily packing, organizing, and making sure I have everything together before I head out the door... Why am I taking a break to write??? Waiting on the dryer... :)

This week has been busy w/ NCSU summer school courses starting for the forestry and fisheries & wildlife undergrad programs. I've been teaching a lot this week and pulling lots of long hours. Called it a day early yesterday and started catching up on sleep... b/c I'll need it this weekend!

Tomorrow the BURN 24Hr mtb race starts in Wilkesboro, NC @ noon and finishes @ noon on Sunday. This will be my first 24hr attempt, so I'm shooting at a conservative goal... I'm out of the base portion of my training plan and working on power increases, but also just LONG rides as a whole. My goal for the race is to ride 125-150 miles or ~18 hours of the event. Given how tired I am from sleep dep, that will be a stretch but what are goals for without setting something to actually shoot for? As Jay Hewitt says... set a goal w/ a high failure potential... it'll tell you a lot about yourself and where you are!

BURN is just part of my training regime really... I'm shooting for my late July - August races to be in top form. This one is more of a learning experience. Many people think it's nuts, but I'm not alone -- there will be ~ 350-400 other riders @ the event, many riding in team shifts. This is right up my alley... consider that my first mtb race was a 100 miler just 3 years ago... you get the point! Tony and lots of others including some of his Fisher 29er teammates will be there, so I won't be alone by any means.

Have a great weekend & check back updates and the race report to come! --J

JDRF Parents' First Friday Out / Kids @ the Museum

2009-05-18T14:53:00.004-04:00

A few months ago, Liz & I were talking about a number of circumstances that sadly, though often occur, with type 1 kids. One situation is that parents very often are limited in their ability to "take a night off" without concern that the "babysitter" is capable of looking after the type 1 child. Another situation is that though there are huge numbers of type 1 kids, many of them do not often know another T1 child or even a teen or adult. So this conversation sparked an idea w/ Liz...

On the first Friday of every month, downtown Raleigh has "First Friday" where many of the businesses stay open extra hours, live music is scheduled, restaurants have special events, and many of the museums, galleries, etc. hold events. Liz reached out to the Eastern JDRF chapter and offered a First Friday event for type 1 kids & their siblings where the parents dropped them off @ the Museum of Natural Science for 3+ hours... giving the parents a chance to enjoy the FF events downtown... and the kids a chance to meet, play, and see the museum all with supervision by a group of adults that volunteered to help.

She asked me to be the "diabetic in-charge" and focus on the T1 kids care -- given that I've done a number of programs like this (Friends for Life with CWD for example), being T1 (obviously), and b/c of my WFR background with emergency care.

When I arrived, I made all kids aware that I too was T1... told them what my last bg was, when I last ate, showed them my pump & we chatted a little... mainly to breakdown any discomfort barriers they might have had. We discussed how we'd check bg's during the evening and what I wanted them to do if they felt "funny" at all. All total we had something like 15 or 16 kids, 7 of whom were T1 with the others being siblings.

They got the chance to explore the museum, draw/color, play games and with various toys, do puzzles, watch a movie about alligators, and meet some of the live museum animals (blue-tongued skink, alligator, gray corn snake, and hissing cockroaches). Most adults I know would freak out even seeing many of these animals but all the kids were thrilled!

We had 1 low about an hour into the night (a post-dinner low which they ate before getting there). At "snacktime" all were really good bg-wise, and many were really enthusiastic about showing me "how their pumps worked" ;)

------------------------------------------------------

The reports after the event were really good and the kids apparently had an awesome time. Liz has gotten a number of requests for continuation of these types of activities, and the parents were very pleased with how things had gone... and very glad for the few hours of R&R...

Another "Kid's Night" is currently scheduled for Friday June 5. Contact the Eastern NC JDRF chapter office for more info...

Race Report: 6Hr Grind on the Greenway, Ft. Mills, SC

2009-05-18T09:32:00.006-04:00

WOW... has it really been almost a month since I last posted... still feel like the Grind was just a little more than a week ago...

Well, the 6Hour Grind was hosted by the Charlotte MTB group at the Anne Springs Close Greenway in Fort Mills, SC on April 11. Unlike what most of us would think of as a "greenway", there weren't smooth paved pathes to ride around on. This is more of a natural greenway with a series of mtb trails built through it.

Fri night's drive into Charlotte was rough... t-storms, POURING rain, strong winds. I was worried the race wouldn't go off, but most of the storms actually nailed Charlotte and stayed just far enough north that the AS Greenway system didn't see very much action.

The weather was awesome...3rd 6Hr of the season for me & 2nd that had sun and mild temps. The race proceeds were going to a number of great organizations, one being TeamUp4Type1 -- founded by Cricket Butler to raise money for the Charlotte JDRF chapter (Cricket is riding the Tour Divide MTB race -- Banff, Canada to Antelope Wells, New Mex). Tony couldn't make the race, but his GF 29er crew teammate Marci was there, and we were both looking for strong runs for the day.

I was tired Sat morning... bg when I woke up was 93... good. Ate breakfast, drove the few miles from where we stayed, started prep'ing things, checked bg again w/ 1hr before start... 67... d#$%it! Time for a Snickers and some Sports Beans. 30min prior to start... 142... start temp basal of 20% of normal (i.e. 80% basal reduction). T-minus 10min... 186... cool.

I'd never ridden these trails, which was fine, just meant I wasn't hauling butt and blowing myself up early... always a good thing ;) Each lap was about 9 miles in length and consisted of some short but really steep little climbs, a suspension bridge crossing, another elevated bridge crossing (w/ a steep, slick ramp), some rock garden sections, and really flowing single track strings of S-curves.

My goal for the day was 5 laps (~45 miles) which should put me in the top 10-15. Lap 1 went well... aka I didn't go down at all!... and my time was good. Bg @ the end of Lap 1 was 141 --> hydrating well and got down about 60g of carbs. Lap 2 was faster now that the racers had gotten strung out a bit. Bg @ the end of Lap 2 was 117, again w/ good hydro & 60g of carbs. At the pit between laps 2 & 3 I downed 20g of carbs via Sports Beans to bring that 117 up a bit more, still with the intent being 55-65g of carbs during the lap.

Could tell on Lap 3 that I'd pushed a bit on Lap 2, so I back off the pace just a little and it started paying off... I could feel "the tank refilling" (aka my bg coming back up & muscles recovering). This was good b/c it meant I could pop off a faster lap 4 & get into lap 5 w/ plenty of time to make it count. Bg @ the end of Lap 3 was 156... SWEET! Before I left the pit, Marci came flying in... putting a lap on me... and running 1st in the womens solo! Got her some chain lube and off she went... I was pumped up now!

I roared into lap 4... Ok, at this point, most of the course was sticky & you could fly. But, in the areas where there were mud holes... they were truly mud HOLES by this point! Bobbled a few times, ran/pushed through some, and was doing pretty well. I was starting to pass folks I hadn't seen since Lap 1 (b/c they had been in front of me) but there were still plenty of riders way stronger... the mens leaders went by me for the second time (go figure)... It was cool, b/c I was riding my race plan and accomplishing it.

On lap 4 I slipped in the ramp of the elevated bridge and bailed off to the left still clipped in... "ouch, that's going to leave a bruise"... bike was fine... whewww! Nerves were shot for a few minutes as I continued on, but you couldn't fight the flowing nature of this trail system and soon enough I was back in a groove just weaving my way through the corners, rock gardens, and climbs. In the last mile of Lap 4 I came across the top of a hill and started down the backside remembering that this hill had "black dirt"which was "sticky" at the top but got slicker the farther towards the bottom you got. In the slick sections you just had to "roll with it". Worked great all day... until... :)... I slid far enough in one corner to catch the right side of my bars on a small hardwood tree...

Right bar clips & spins the bars 90 degrees... oh look, we still have forward angular momentum... Big yellow poplar meet Jimmy. Jimmy, meet big yellow poplar. I hit this thing still basically at speed (~20mph) with the left side of my body... shoulder, hip, and my head slammed into in on the side. I don't think I lost consciousness, but I was disoriented quite a bit -- realized it when I looked down at my hands and instead of seeing 1 set I saw 2... displaced images between my left and right eyes. Oh yeah, headache. Pulled my sunglasses off and realized that my "color vision" was screwed up... sky was purple, leaves on trees were yellow, my T1R jersey was light purple & white (actually sky blue & white). All right... concussion... Bike was fine b/c my body took the shot. After a few minutes I started walking and pushing my bike knowing that I only had about 1 mile to finish... after a couple hundred yards I felt better so I hopped back on my bike and just slowly pedalled my way out to the finish.

Yes, I was objective enough to know my day was over. And, yes I was disappointed b/c things had been so well on track with my plans. Told Liz what had happened when I got out, and told her what to watch for (all that WFR training is worth it!) Had a headache still but it hadn't gotten any worse, yet I didn't want to take anything so I could be aware if it did. No unequal pupil dialation ("blown" pupil). No nausea or vomitting -- I was actually really hungry about 20 min after I finished. Bg was 119.

Ended up 19th in my category... had I finished that 5th lap I'd have been between 12-15th. But, at least I wasn't really hurt in any way. It was a fun race even with the headache as my take-home prize! Marci finished 1ST in the womens solo w/ 6 laps!!!

... the next day I further inspected my helmet... it was obviously dented on the outside just behind my left ear and there was a visible crack on the inside! I squeezed it and that left side started popping... So, yes: 1) I have a new helmet, 2) no TBI (traumatic brain injury), just a "mild concussion", and 3) no post-concussive syndrome issues w/ headache or sleeping.

Now... doing fine and I've been riding a lot. BURN 24 is the next race event on my list! Stay tuned...

Danny MacAskill Trials sequence

2009-04-30T22:58:00.003-04:00

I'm not a trials rider... in any fashion... but it's really cool to watch these guys pull this stuff off. This video is so good I have a hard time deciding which individual sequence is my favorite! (Two are the tail whip transfer and the McTwist off the tree...)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z19zFlPah-o

UPDATES!!!

2009-04-16T11:45:00.002-04:00

Updated the race results @ the bottom of the page for the last few weeks. Sat's race (6hr Grind) was going really well until about 2 miles from the finish of my 4th lap... I was shooting for 5 laps that day which would be ~45miles. Lost some traction in a high speed bottom turn and "pushed" a bit, clipped my bars on a small tree which sent me into a much larger tree not far away. Finished the 4th lap, but called it a day with a mild concussion...

Still, making progress and no major injuries to bear so things are good! Hope everyone is having a good week! Take care --J

Jimmy Dodson
NC Registered Forester & TWS Certified Wildlife Biologist
Type1Rider Race Team member -- http://www.type1rider.org/
Type 1 Adventure Blog -- http://theopportunitytoplay.blogspot.com/

Rediscover Hotmail®: Get e-mail storage that grows with you. Check it out.

Race Report: 6 Hrs of Warrior Creek

2009-04-06T19:58:00.005-04:00

So Saturday was a fun day! Liz headed out to this one with me as support and we met up with a pretty good group there. Tony was riding the Superfly single-speed in the SS-division, while Brent, Travis & his wife, and I were rolling solo class with Cricket on a duo team and Tom & his wife on a duo team... ok, did you follow that?

The course was ~11miles a lap w/ a 1-1.5mile "parade" at the start to string out the field. Each lap had ~2000 of climbing, fast high-banked corners, and lots of steep gully drop-rises. Oh yeah, little to no recovery sections and a gnarly rock garden @ the end of each lap, but a really fun run. It had rained on Wed & Thurs but the course had dried out pretty well.

I had a rough week leading up, so I was a little nervous about how my body would react to the 6hr endeavor. Bg when I woke up was 132... good start. Breakfast, hop in the car, drive, switch & let Liz drive while I nap, get ready to race... Bg @ 9AM was 64! Oh crap! Dropped basals to 30% of normal, & ate a Snickers, Sports Beans, and a GU w/ 45min before the gun. Bg w/ 5min to start was 155. Ok, let's see what we can do... (food in pockets: 2 GU's, GBears, 1 Honey shot, and 1 small PBar, w/ 1 bottle of Cyto & 1 bottle of water).

Knowing I'll be @ the 6Hr Grind on April 11, my goal was 3-4 laps in WCreek with the idea being riding time being my main goal but knowing I wanted to see what I had in the tank if I felt good. The pre-race low had me spooked, so I rolled into the back 1/3 of the pack on the parade to give some more time to digest before I started ramping the heart-rate (HR). Dropping to the back actually blocked me in with some slower riders, which isn't a bad thing, but it was frustrating b/c those in front of me weren't being very "efficient"... they were coasting through the big gully drops w/o pedalling up the opposite rises which was causing big losses of momentum instead of "flow". Once a couple of us got around them, we cruised well the rest of lap 1 and came around to the line @ 1:22ish into the race. Dang that was faster than I expected!

Checked bg @ the end of Lap 1... 136! That's pretty good! (I was 137 @ the end of Lap 1 in the Dirty Spoke 6) Buuuut, I didn't drink as much as I should so something to work on (drinking 1 bottle of CytoMax & 1 bottle of water) . Another pack of Sports Beans, GU, 1/4 bottle of Cyto, 1/2 L of water... back on the trail!

Lap 2 was a big blur mainly b/c I was alone most of the lap. Didn't get passed by anyone caught a few and they just let me by although I told them "no rush, I wasn't in a hurry today". In hindsight, I was going a lot faster than I thought! Liz was along the trail a couple of times during these first two laps taking pics for all of us and it was nice to come around a corner grimacing only to see her there smiling. The rock garden at the end of the lap jumped up "and bit me" but I didn't go down... ok, that r-garden was in a "perfect" place right after a heck of a good climb when your body was screaming for a break. I didn't go down but I got a good strawberry on the inside of my left ankle! Picked up the bike, ran through the rest of the garden, and screamed around to the line w/ the clock around 2:44!

This sight created both a "heck yeah" and a "uh oh" reaction... I think my 2nd lap just got faster than my first... which was already faster than I had expected... Am I going to pay for this "speed" now??? Bg at the end of lap 2 was 117. Not bad & better than @ DSpoke last month, but still not where I'd like it to be (goal is 130-170). Same food & liquid during the stop as last time, but took 2 bottles of Cyto for lap 3 with the idea that I could get more carbs via fluids trading the straight water. Off again...

I was bombing through lap 3 for the first 5 miles just like in the last laps, feeling good and loving the day out in such a great event. Then (duh, duh, duuuhn) I hit one of the good climbs that was a little muddy at the bottom and BAMMM! Cramps hit both quads and my left hamstring AT THE SAME TIME! I couldn't get off the bike fast enough! Stretched them out as best I could, drank more & took a break, and finally got back on the trail pushing for about 100yds then back to pedalling. Started trying to see what would actually manage the cramps best... found that lower powered, high spinning sequences led to the cramping. The muscles just couldn't fire that fast without seizing up, so I started doing climbs in bigger gears while alternating seated and standing which negated the cramping -- note to self, remember this, it'll likely be a big lesson in the longer races later this season if cramping!

Didn't even attempt the r-garden this time after I bobbled coming into it and bailed off the downhill side of the trail. So, just got off and carried the bike through it, rolled out and across the line and back to the tent around 4:30 on the clock.

Decided to bag it at this point even though I might have had enough time for a 4th lap. Bg check came back 112. Ok, still some work to do here. Then the lactic acid really hit my system. My stomach went to crap and it was all I could do to keep even just liquids down. (The first two laps' return on investment!) I got some protein and carbs down over that first hour, crawled into the car and slept almost all the way home (thanks for driving home Liz!). Still wasn't great even around 8PM, so I ate a bowl of chicken noodle soup which basically felt like it brought me back from the dead! Slept REALLY hard that night, was sore on Sun, but a light ride and another good night of sleep have me back on track today.

Quick transition this week with another 6hr on tap this coming weekend. I'm pumped about the Grind since part of the proceeds go to Team Up for Type1 & the Charlotte JDRF chapter. It'll be a cool event! Hope you have a good week... Take care --J

2nd 6hr Race of the Season

2009-04-05T14:03:00.004-04:00

Saturday the 4th was the 6 Hrs of Warrior Creek put on by the Brushy Mtn Cycling Club on the new trails they've built at the Kerr Lake campground of that name. The course is really sweet and is a hard run overall with little to no "let-up" for recovery. The race combined the WC trails with a short section of the Overmountain Victory trail for a 11+ mile loop.

Weather was awesome -- sunny, temps starting out @ ~50 degrees and warming to the mid-upper 60's. BMCC had originally expected about 75-100 rider and the field yesterday was about 200 total! It was a hard day overall... but well worth the effort. A lot of us were there including Tony & I from T1R, Brent Lester from the Fisher 29er crew (one of Tony's 29er teammates), Cricket Butler (Dirt Devas) from the TeamUpForType1 group, and some of CSH & Trek folks locally. We all had really good days overall.

Today, I'm just lightly spinning around to loosen my body up some & eating everything in sight! I'll post a race report here soon... Thanks for all of your support. Take care --J

The Lead-up...

2009-03-30T23:09:00.003-04:00

The last two weeks have been a long grind that's just been killing my motivation. In the last 2-3 weeks we've had roughly 3.5 days of sun and moderate warmth... Other than that, it's been raining essentially non-stop. If that we're enough, things at work have gotten beyond "treading water" -- it's normal for us to get somewhat swamped this time of year, but it's way worse this Spring. Last week Smith Med announced it would no longer sell the Coz pump system, but would continue to provide complete support for users until their warranties were up... great! I haven't been pleased with that announcement for a number of reasons, but also feel for the sales employees that lost their jobs with the move.

I've been able to get a few really good days on the bike in over the last few weeks since the race in GA, but not nearly what I had hoped for. Today I'm actually feeling like I'm a bit under the weather which has me cautious about this weekend's race @ Warrior. Though not really intending to ride it as hard as possible, but rather as a good long training event leading up to the Grind, I'm watching lots of things to see how things play out this week. I noticed something was "off" on Saturday as my bg's were creeping up. Sat night I hopped on the indoor trainer and had absolutely nothing energy or power-wise... Everyone has "bad" days, but this was one of the worst spins I've had in years. Sunday bg's were up and down, but I had completely lost my appetite. Those are big caution flags I've learned to watch for that say "you better watch it or something is coming your way" quick... aka being sick.

I had intended to take this afternoon and get a 3-5hr moderate to low intensity ride in mainly for duration... instead I spent 4+ hrs asleep on my couch! Feel better, but still not 100% so I'm just going to have to see if I can rest up well w/ just enough spinning to keep my legs loose and not go completely into "shutdown".

6Hrs @ Warrior Creek is Saturday on the new trail section at the Kerr Dam near Wilkesboro, NC. Tony & I are going down and a number of others will be there as well. Looks like it should be a good weekend for it. I'll keep you posted. --J

Race Report: Dirty Spoke 6hrs @ Heritage Park

2009-03-23T20:52:00.005-04:00

Race Date: March 14, 2009

The first 6hr race of the season, and the first one I've ever done. Tony & I both went down for this race, but were running different classes. I was running the beginner solo and T was running the expert/pro. Temp was 38 degrees when we started (and 43 when we ended). The rain from the low pressure system held off and only hit us lightly for about 1hour during the entire event. Still, there was a really thick foggy mist all day and everything was pretty damp -- damp enough to make every root glassy and parts of the course moderately slick but not sloppy. The course was 9.1-9.2 miles a lap and really technical -- equivalent to lots of the trails in Pisgah in western NC.

I started out the race with my bg a bit over 200 knowing I still had a little insulin on board (IOB). Adjusted my basals down to 35% of normal only about 35 mins prior to the start... to have some "extra" basal running to curb any adrenaline induced bg jump... one of the tricks January's cyclo races helped me with! I ate 1 GU 10 mins before the start, put 2 GU's in my pockets along with a pack of Haribo gummy bears, loaded one bottle of CytoMax, and one bottle of water w/ a 1/2 of a Camelback Elixir tab. The idea was to consume 2 GU's and most of a bottle of Cyto every 1-1.5 hrs depending on how long a lap took. That's about 60-65g of carbs per hour. (***Note: The 60-65 carb g's is what many of us (diabetic athletes) have found is the intake "rate" when we perform best. To support this, medical "experiments" and datasets from Team Type 1 have recently shown that an endurance cyclist/athlete can essentially fuel at an optimum rate of 62.5g carbs/hr -- how's that evidence for supporting years of careful observations!***)

I got a little behind on my fueling and hydrating on the first lap, but not by much -- I'd never ridden the course prior to lap 1, so a lot of my focus was on "surviving" considering people were crashing right and left! Heck, I probably went down 6-8 times on the first lap and 3-5 times each of the following 3 laps! It was a rough day. I was on the HiFi for its' first race, and it was handling beautifully, but the course was just a real bear. At the end of the first lap, my bg was just below 140 and given that I was now running solely on 35% basal I decided not to change anything in my food-hydro system for lap 2.

At the end of the 2nd lap, I was right about the mid-90's. This is "too low" to feel like I have a "full gas tank" and run like an Energizer bunny, and it's pushing the limit of my bg dropping truly low in the next 30-60 min of riding hard. Had to decide what to do... fast!

At the end of each lap I would pass the "pit" setup with my and Tony's car's. I could pop the hatch on my car and had access to everything you could imagine. At race start I staged 6 bottles of Cyto, 6 bottles of water, 18 GU's, 3 Nutri-grains, 2 Stinger gels (basically STRAIGHT honey-based sugar), 4 small PowerBars, 6 large packs of Haribo gummy bears, 2 Snickers bars, 1 "real" Red Bull & 2 sugar-free (for the caffeine kick!), 3 bananas, a can of Pringles, 3 sets of gloves, 3 pairs of socks, 2 pair of tights, arm warmers, 3 fleece-synthetic hats, 3 jackets, 1 insulating vest, 1 wind vest, Coz gluco monitor (with it raining, left it in the car), 2 One Touch meters (1 carried in pocket during race in a plastic bag), 1 Mule Camelback, and all of the bike tools & parts you could imagine... and even given this list, I know I've left some things off...

So, back to the race... At the car I ate a 1/2 a Snickers and a whole Nutri-grain, reloaded the GU's, water, and Cyto as before. I also knew I had a glucometer in my pocket in a plastic bag and a full bag of Gummi Bears in addition if needed. I didn't adjust my basals any... partly b/c I wanted to see if just 35% was too much and if I could bring up the bg enough with what I ate while still going pretty hard. Rolled out on lap 3 and had a really good one... feeling like I was making good time, maneuvering better, and starting to "come up" in the bg department. Paid really close attention to my food intake and hydration and finished the lap having eaten both GU's and 3/4 of the CytoMax bottle. Swung by the "pit" to check the bg... mid-80's! D#$%&it!

At this point I had 1hr 40 min left to turn one more lap... the lap I knew was going to be the difference in a decent finish and the tail-end of the pack. My first lap had been about 1:10, 2nd lap of 1:15, 3rd of 1:20... so a 4th lap of 1:30 would give me a 10min cushion to have the lap count. Ok, calm down, time to make a plan... decide what to eat, drink hard, wait 10-15 min and cruise out a little slower at the beginning of the lap to give digesting some time for the bg to start coming up, slowly picking up the pace... Alright LET'S GO!

So, screw the "regular" food... go with what works! GUMMI BEARS!!! I ate a whole BIG pack (~95g carbs), drank about 16oz of water, 1 GU, and another 4-6 oz of water. I know, I know... that's WAY more than the "optimal" 62.5g/hr... but with a bg in the mid-80's I needed a lot more b/c I wasn't trying to keep my bg stable, I was trying to make it come up. The key here was pace and the associated heart-rate -- too high & food will just sit in your stomach while bg just keeps dropping, while too slow and the time issue means missing the cut-off for the lap to count.

So, I back off for the first 3 miles and at this point it was like my body started saying "what the heck are you doing? Let's GO!!!", while my brain was saying "not too fast too soon"... After I clicked off mile 3 where I was only "down" about 3 mins on my previous laps at this point, I let the two sides agree and it was like someone strapped a rocket to my bike!!! I was mashing gears I hadn't seen since the first lap and just barrelled through sections I had been grinding on laps 2 & 3. Of course as I'm doing this, some of the leaders are still passing me, but they weren't dropping me as fast as before. As I popped out of the woods and hammered through the last few hundred yards on gravel road, I finally started to feel gassed. But, I was also emotionally bouncing off the wall -- I'd just turned a sub-1:15 lap! (ride time) My 2nd fastest of the day!

A post finish bg check result was 76... wow. I idea now was to "give it some time" to see if I'd gone so hard that a lot of the food was still just sitting in my stomach or if I'd actually digested it and just burned it up. After 20 min the bg result was 84. After 40 min, it was 87. To "morale"... I'd digested and burned it off. Not quite to "perfection" but for on-the-fly management + a little experience weighted luck, not a bad sequence!

I ended up 16th in the 6hr beginner solo class out of 30+ riders. Tony turned in a monsterous final lap on his single speed after his shifter blew up on his HiFi on lap four. He ended up 8th in the expert/pro class with 5 laps -- finished the 5th lap with less than 1 min to spare! (NICE JOB T!!!)

It was a really good start for T1R team this season, and something we hope to build on. It's a long season, but we're working hard. Lots of things to take away from this one. Next up is 6hrs of Warrior Creek in Wilkesboro, NC on April 4th, then I'll hit the 6hr Grind in Charlotte the following weekend. Hope you are all doing well. Take care --J

Borah 2009 Type1Rider Jersey

2009-03-16T02:33:00.005-04:00

Borah has added our 2009 T1R jersey to their Team Gallery so the public can order them individually!!! I really like this year's jersey design -- Tony spent a long time working with them on it. I attached the link, so if you or someone you know is interested, feel free to order one and sport the T1R colors on rides and in any events that you do! (Just click on the title to this post...)

Sat's race in GA was a tough one, but it all worked out pretty well. I'll post a true summary soon so stay tuned! Take care --J

40 Degrees & Rain to Greet the Season Opener!

2009-03-13T23:24:00.004-04:00

Tony and I are currently going to bed in prep for our first solo 6-hr race of the year near Athens, GA. The weather for tomorrow is going to be hellacious... in the 40's most likely with .5-1 inch of rain forecasted. GREAT!!! The one true condition that I absolutely despise! I'd rather it be -10F and snowing or 110F in the desert than 40 and rain! Oh well. Funny part is... not being "big time" with sponsors picking up the tab... we paid for this abuse... Sick, I know! Have a great weekend and keep an eye out for the report next week. --J

The HiFi 29er is finished!

2009-03-06T12:17:00.007-05:00

ALL DONE!!!!

I picked up the stock bike back at the end of January. Tony has had an '09 HiFi Deluxe since December and another friend has a Pro. This one is a nice bike, good components, sweet ride. But there were some things that I wanted to change out for more durable pieces and personal preferences... I mean geez, I'm going to be riding this thing for hours at a time in some long races. Gotta depend on it!

So the specs... G-Fisher HiFi Deluxe 29 w/ Fox

rear shock, Fox F29 fork, Mavic C29SSMAX wheels, Avid BB7 mech brakes w/ full RipCord housing/cables & SL levers, full SRAM X9 drivetrain w/ LX exo cranks, Eggbeater Ti pedals, Thomson Masterpiece seatpost & X4 stem, Bontrager Race saddle (atleast for now), Cane Creek Zero Stack headset & Lock-on grips, and a Race Face Next 3/4 carbon bar.

We weighed it after the rebuild: the stock was 28+ lbs. while this version is 26.5! Though weight isn't a huge factor to me... that's freakin awesome for a full suspension 29er! I've been on some short spins with it already, but nothing long -- yesterday's 3+ hr ride was on my cyclo bike. This weekend I'll take this thing out on a 45 mile marathon training ride in RDU and give it the full test. Can't wait!!! Take care --J

Snow, Snow, Snow...

2009-03-02T13:33:00.004-05:00

March 1st... 5 inches of snow & ice @ my house in the Piedmont of NC. Returned home from a trip to Hampton, VA early yesterday afternoon... we raced the coming weather so we wouldn't have to drive through it. Everything is blanketed in a wet white cover today, and now that the system has passed, the sun is out and it's a gorgeous day.

Relegated to the trainer again today. By weeks end it's suppose to be in the 70's. A true Spring flip-flop! Take care --J

PS -- The parts are in for the HiFi so I should have that squared away in a few days!

Sending Congrats!!!

2009-02-23T14:00:00.002-05:00

So I was busy last week... but so were a lot of good friends and I need to send out some some strong congratulations to them for the things they have achieved:

1- Tony Cervati -- founder and team captain of Type1Rider, was officially named to the 29er Crew for Gary Fisher mountain bikes. This is a huge step for him & his goals with T1R. His years as a solid, very strong endurance mountain biker, his support for local cycling organizations, & his diabetes advocacy have finally caught the attention of the national mtn biking community. He's a featured diabetic athlete for Cozmore insulin pumps, ride chairman for the Eastern NC ADA Tour de Cure, and has numerous 6/12/18 and 24-hr mtn bike races and wins to boot. Recently, Tony and his wife ticked off a 1st place and 3rd place finishes in two of TORC's 6-hour endurance races in the Triangle. Congrats Tony!!!

2- Erik R, Ken H, Ben G -- Some of "my boys" just got back from what has traditionally been our yearly New Hampshire ice climbing trip. With a lot of conflicts for our normal group, a number of us couldn't make it this year, but 3 of the guys did. They encountered mixed weather and ice conditions but managed to squeak in good lead climbs on a number of routes, the most noteworthy being Pegasus (WI 4) in Crawford Notch. That was just the cake... the icing was a summit of Mount Washington on a rare calm and moderate temp sunny day. We have made numerous attempts in the past & like many of even the world class alpinists, this "low altitude" mountain has until now "repelled" us with either insane conditions or a need to assist in the rescues of other parties. I personally have made 6 attempts, and I'm 0-6. For Erik and Ben to make it up... that's as good a feeling as making it myself at this point. Congrats E, B, and K!!!

3- Team Type 1 -- Last week, 8 riders from their pro road team were in the field of the Amgen Tour of California battling it out with the likes of Levi, George, Lance, Zabriske, Christian, Cavendish, et al. TT1 was an strong crowd favorite and they rode very well, but not without struggles. This year's tour was royally tough with the opening 3 days seeing rain and cold temps and then the addition of some very tough mountain stages. Of the 8 riders, Phil Southerland and Fabio Calabria are the only two with type 1 diabetes. The team experienced crashes, illness, injury, which resulted in only 3 of the 8 finishing the entire tour. Disappointment for them? Kind of -- there are always hopes for better results. But what they did accomplish was awesome and something to continue to build upon... and they had 2 type 1's in an international field who did well! Phil is coming back from heart surgery last fall and Fabio had some other challenges... but they were in the game! Val, Matt W, and Jones all completed the tour and weren't "lost in the pack" during the week's event coverage. It was really cool to watch and cheer them on & I look forward to their continued successes and the impact the team has on diabetes advocacy. Congrats Team Type 1!

Congrats again to all of these folks! Take care --J

Whirlwind Week

2009-02-20T11:51:00.004-05:00

This has been a full week... we coordinated tree planting on ~170 acres to start, then spent the last two days in a 3rd-party environmental certification audit for SFI & FSC, had a planning session for the upcoming "spring season", and now have an outreach program for some area middle & high schools this weekend.

I'm waiting on some parts orders to come in for my 29er HiFi. Switching out some of the stock parts for those that I prefer, better fit me, and drop a little weight on the bike. I've been meaning to post some pics of all the bikes... let me get the HiFi squared away & they'll come.

We were spoiled the last two weeks with the warm "spring" weather... now we're back to normal Feb... rain every 3-4 days, high temps on sunny days in the 40's, and sharp windchills. Realize that these comments are to be taken with a grain of salt. I like cold weather -- much colder than most here are comfortable with -- like single digits! But for riding, even 30-40 degrees sucks! But, I've gotta keep putting in the time outside rolling when it's possible -- riding a trainer indoors is tedious but necessary, and I'm also getting in some time running.

With the ongoing increases in training, I'm working to adjust my basal rates again. Over Xmas when I was pretty inactive getting over being sick, my daily basals were averaging 18.5u. In the last two weeks I've been waking up "high", like 200-240, about 5 of 7 days a week. On another day I woke up low (67). Given past experience, that points to my bg's dropping low @ night while I'm sleeping. So in the last couple of days I've been checking and adjusting not only my nighttime, but daytime basal patterns. What can I say... it's that time of my "activity year"!

Lastly... wanted to give a big congrats to the performance of Team Type 1 this week in the Amgen Tour of California. Phil and Fabio were the two T1's of the eight rider team for the event and both put in a heck of a fight to ride with the best in the world. Their first three days were hellacious... 30-50 degrees and torrential rain! The team is down to just 3 riders now, with crashes, and other situations... Phil & Fabio have now withdrawn, but not b/c of any issues with their diabetes management. That's a huge accomplishment & very motivating to the millions of people with diabetes. The team is definitely a crowd favorite at the race and across the country. I wish all of them well and luck as the road cycling season gets into full gear!

Alright, gotta go. Hope all of you have a great weekend! Take care --J

I Got My 2009 Leadville 100 MTB Yippee Card!

2009-02-10T11:56:00.009-05:00

This morning I went to the post office... I normally go 1-2 times a week... but I've been going almost everyday since Feb 4th...

Why??? B/c on Feb 1st, the folks at the Leadville Trail 100 office held the lottery entry drawing for the 2009 LT100 mountain bike race. This morning I got what the veterans refer to as my "YIPPEE" card... we're going to Leadville for the '09 race!!! I can't tell you how pumped up I am right now. I can only describe it as a 4-yr old on Xmas morning that's had way too much sugar and caffeine!

I've been to "the show" twice already in 06 & 07... '06 was a mechanical DNF and '07 was a blood sugar related DNF. I didn't get in for '08 which was actually a blessing in disguise given how rough a mtb season it was with my contracting Rocky Mtn Spotted Fever in late April -- I really didn't get over it until the end of July, which would've meant a disasterous LT100 effort.

Jarral R, a fellow T1 and multiple LT 100 finisher, is in the field again this year and b/c of strong finishes he'll start up near the front. This is also likely the Dave Weins vs. Lance LT100 round #2. As much as I like Lance, I'm a Weins fans all the way... he's the 6-time LT100 bike champ, has reset the course record twice, and has now beaten Landis, Lance, and many other top US mtb racers that have dared test themselves against this course. Weins is also one of the nicest guys you could ever meet hands down. And at ~43 yrs old, he just keeps showing that the "old guys" stomp the youngsters in this race all the time!

So, '09 here we come!

2009-02-09T18:27:00.003-05:00

Since getting back from Snowshoe... it's been a non-stop whirlwind of activity. Some people would say things are always like that with me and to some degree I can't argue with them in the least! We signed on a new team sponsor. I've had a non-stop deluge of tasks associated with work with the highlight being the first good bit of "burning weather" for our office to do some much needed prescribed burning.

I've gotten in some "short" rides lately, like getting out yesterday for about 25 miles though I was kicking myself for not getting in a much longer ride on such an awesome day... One of the "+'s" for the day though was all of the riding I've been doing on the cyclo bike is paying dividends on the mtb rigs. I had a lot more power on my hardtail xc bike yesterday than I've had in a while. Still have gains to make for sure, but at present... going in the right direction!

This weather is doing weird things to me mentally and physically. It's the middle of February for crying out loud!!! I'm already thinking about how I ought to plan training rides as if it were April/May... b/c it's warming up... WHERE DID THE FREAKING WINTER GO!?!?!?!?! Some of "my boys" are in NHamp right now on what's historically been our big ice climbing trip of the year, but most of our usual group couldn't make it this year. I had way too many conflicts to get up there this time, so I really hope all their conditions are stellar and they hit some really good stuff we've been eyeing for the last couple of years.

I know old man winter is gonna blow back in here on us hard in a couple of weeks and erase all these Indian summer daydreams. My luck it'll be in the 40's and raining every week after this until May! But until then... gotta take advantage of the opportunities as they present themselves. Hope everyone is doing well. --J

2009-02-03T13:17:00.004-05:00

So the weekend @ Snowshoe was a good one overall. We arrived fine getting to the mountain before most of the storm that was moving through on Fri. Unpacked, settled in, and geared up to hit Silver Creek on Fri night -- temps were in the high single digits w/ some wind. This was Liz's first adventure on skiis so I just wanted to get her out and started on the learning curve. Of course she fell a lot initially, but after 2+ hrs on the slopes, she was starting to get the hang of it. I kept her on the "greens" and the crowds weren't heavy at all -- hardest thing was getting her not to worry about everyone else, but concentrate on what she was doing. She did great for her first foray. Not wanting to push it or her in those conditions, we bagged it for the night with the full day on Sat ahead. We got 7" of fresh snow that night!!!

Sat we headed out with some others and spent the morning getting everyone else and her comfortable and more efficient... me, well it gave me a chance to "get the rust out" b/c I was having to ski around all of them. I pushed all of them a tad here and there... they were pulling a "follow the leader" bit, so I pulled some tight turns and squeeked onto some short blue sections as we went back and forth across the mountain. Sat afternoon, we all helped teach another friend who had never been on skiis at all, and once she got the hang of it I decided I needed a little break for some terrain that was more normal for me... I've skied everything on the mtn before so I just try to string together steep and long fast runs from top to bottom.

Catherine, one of the women with us who's pretty good herself, decided she wanted to come along so off we went. We dropped in on Knot Bumper first, down to the Glades, and then out the bottom of Ball Hooter to the lift. She did really well, attacking the slope all the way down with only one bobble. Knot Bumper is one of the more challenging "blacks" (single black diamond) on the mtn, so I was pumped she handled it as well. Back up we went, this time to take the run on Grabhammer (also a black). I skied over the top of the first drop, surveyed it & dropped in to find the upper portion icy but then powder at the bottom. I pulled up after a little bit and stopped to keep an eye on Cath, and when she sneaked over the edge it wasn't in the same attacking fashion as earlier... and that's when the mountain "jumped up and bit her". Long story short, when she fell her right ski popped off but her left didn't and she blew out her left knee... not a good ending to a great day. We got her squared away though and she was in good spirits knowing she had the guts to try what none of the others would... though that's a tough price to pay!

Sun morning Liz and I made first tracks and hit things hard for the first hour, then met up with others to get Cat loaded. Afterwards we made our way home to a warm 60 degree day... I hate this weather "flip-flop"!

Welcome CBros!

2009-02-02T13:51:00.005-05:00

We just picked up another team sponsor for T1R, so I'm happy to announce that Crank Brothers is now on-board! All of us have been big CBros. fans for a long time... I don't have a bike without CB pedals on it! I'm pretty pumped about it and look forward to "flying their banner"!

Had a great ski session in Snowshoe, WV over the weekend. I'll post details as soon as I get a chance... Take care --J

Along the Same Lines...

2009-01-29T21:41:00.004-05:00

I was going through some stuff today & bounced in to the Team Type 1 (www.teamtype1.org) & Phil Southerland's personal blog ( http://philsoutherland.blogspot.com) just to see how they are doing with the upcoming pro road season right around the corner. Phil has been experiencing big changes in his TDD and I:C lately with all of the time they're putting in at training camp... very similar situation to what I've been talking about.

One of the other interesting aspects is that some of the non-diabetic riders are wearing cgm's (continuous glucose monitors). One of the guys (Ken Hanson) basically had a bg "crash", or "bonk", for a non-d that was followed by a "rebound" when he drank a softdrink and his bg stayed moderately high while (I'm talking a starting bg of 130-140, dropping to 80, then up to 160's). Then in the post-ride carb-reload meals this rider shot to 270! HOLY CRAP!

160 isn't something that's alarming to many d-athletes. Often we feel like Energizer bunnies with bg's in the 130-160 range while we're plowing along in an endurance event, provided we can maintain hydration levels. It's just interesting to see a non-d rider with these readings, especially the post-ride meal bg.

I'm sure we could discuss all of this for weeks! TT1 has a medical team comparing the bg & performance data of the non-d's and the d's on the team alike, and it'll very likely shed a lot of light on bg related performance parameters. Something cool to keep an eye on!

I'm off to ski for the weekend, so hope you have a great one as well! Take care --J

Feeding the Monster!

2009-01-28T21:11:00.004-05:00

WOW! This has been one of those weeks! I woke up on Monday morning and have been "running" at mach 10 ever since. Eating fine, being active and getting in some exercise, working on lots of items @ work, tying up some of the cycling/events coming down the pipe, sleeping great albeit not quite enough, but holy crap the "monster" has shown up this week!!!

The MONSTER is what I call my body's reaction when it's "building" based on my activity level and the corresponding long days. My basals normally drop and I:C ratios change pretty easily with an active training period. But when I hit those true building portions of training regimes, the changes are ASTOUNDING! I eat, and eat, and eat, and eat, and eat, and eat... with often a 50+% reduction in my total insulin dose and still have to watchout so I don't drop too "low".

Monday, my TDD (total daily dose) dropped 45% from it's 3 week avg and my carb intake was 175% of the same previous timespan avg. My highest bg of the day was 109, my lowest was 58 (just one time), my bg avg for the day was 82, and I tested my bg 19 times. I basically had to eat the whole day, often without bolusing for the carb intake -- based on bg check vs. IOB -- a "relative" calculation I've done for years in my head.

The cool thing now is the Cozmore I'm using has Hypo-Manager which with a bg value entered (manually or with CozMonitor) basically says, "hey, you've got x-amount of IOB and with a bg value of y, you should consume z-grams of carbs". Pretty cool (and helpful). The only catch in that is that HypoManager is calculating the z-grams of carbs based on a specified I:C ratio... see the caveat? On a day like Monday, my I:C ratio has abruptly changed and I don't always have the timeframe to "measure" what it has changed to.

This is where a little "feel" and experience comes into play. HypoMgr was saying z-grams, & I knew I had to eat more than z. The catch is you never really know "how long" a timeframe the changes will last, and there's not necessarily a reliable pattern... it's based on current fitness level, weight, hydration, "energy reserves" stored, past activity intensity & duration, current activity intensity & duration, amount of sleep, time of day... It's one of the situations that makes the difficulty of diabetes management pretty apparent. Imagine a Dr. telling a heart patient that sometimes they needed to take 1g of nitro, but at another 1/4g, and then given these circumstances they could need .33g or maybe .5g... but he wasn't quite sure when those needed dosage changes would occur...

It can be frustrating. Somedays that frustration is easy to handle and on others it feels like we're going to break at any given moment, and were it not for the support we have from friends, family, and organizations we'd all probably be crazy. We all stuggle and fight with diabetes all the time... sometimes the road is smooth, sometimes it's bumpy... but it's 24/7. We rarely have more than a given couple of minutes where we're not thinking about what's going on with our bg, food, and insulin. It's one of my first 3-5 thoughts when I wake up and in the last few before I go to sleep.

The rest of the week so far... well, Monday was actually a really good day overall. Tues was literally identical from a mgmt standpoint, and wasn't a bad day either. Today things are "coming back to normal", but my TDD is still down & grams of carbs still up... just not as big a shift as the previous two days.

This weekend might be interesting! I'm going skiing for 3 days with a group of friends in Snowshoe, WV. When I'm in cold weather, my insulin requirements go down just sitting still b/c my body works hard to stay warm. Add in activity like skiing, hiking, or ice climbing and the situation could mimic Monday's scenario all over again! Temps are suppose to be between the single digits & low 20's with chances of snow! It'll be a nice change of pace and cross-training weekend... and I'll get a heck of a leg workout in the process!

Type1Rider Team Doing the 24 Hours of Booty!

2009-01-26T14:47:00.005-05:00

I know... the 24 Hours of Booty... catchy name! It's a charity ride to benefit the Lance Armstrong Foundation, the Ulman Cancer Fund, and other cancer research venues. This year there are two locations, and T1R will have a charity team @ the Charlotte event venue participating in the ride!

You may ask... "I though T1R was about diabetes?" Well, we are. But we also help out other organizations that are close to our hearts and the lives of those we know as well. Race team members will be participating in the ADA Tour de Cure & the MS 150 this year, and we've all done rides for other organizations in the past as well.

The 24HOB is one that I've been interested in for a while, given that my mom has battled breast cancer, good friend have battled both bone & brain cancer, and others friends have family members of their own who've faced the challenges of cancer. It's also quite fitting to support LAF b/c of their extraordinary efforts along the cancer front... given the recent passing of my friend Coach Kay Yow from breast cancer.

My goal is to have at least one rider from our charity team clicking off miles for each of the 24 hours of the event! If you'd like to join us... register for the Charlotte event & join the "Type1Rider" team! Hope to see you there!

Take care --J

Things to Think & Talk About...

2009-01-25T22:09:00.003-05:00

The last few days have been so "full" that I can't write on just a single subject... So, I'll try to be succinct.

After a busy few weeks with CX and then a seat-of-the-pants day on the ice, it was nice to come into this week knowing I didn't have to get up early to be "race ready" for a change. I took a few days off, just stretching and being active while at work. The weather changed dramatically from Monday to Thurs -- we ice climbed and had 3-5" of snow on Mon & it was 60 degrees on Thurs! I hopped on the trainer later in the week to spin my legs out a bit, and finally got outside today for a ride. The weather changed again and the high was only 28 at my house. Took the cyclo bike out for only about an hour... as much as I like the cold, it's tough to be motivated to go out with weather like this! Nonetheless, it's gotta be done when the opportunity is available since it's the middle of "base building" for the events to come. My bg's have been really good this week with less than 4 readings over 160 and only 2 readings in the 60's w/ an average of 92. Basals are averaging 17.8u/day right now w/ a TDD of 35-40u this week. Still room to improve, but I'm not displeased.

Yesterday, we took some of the undergrads that work for us to a tract and planted about 4000 trees. Sounds like a lot, but that's really just about 9.5 acres. Still, handplanting isn't extremely fast, but it was a good day to be out. Better than sitting at a computer or driving in traffic! We still have some more to plant, but we did get the bulk of what was needed knocked out.

On the way home I heard that Coach Kay Yow, the head coach of the women's basketball team on campus, passed away. She'd been battling breast cancer off and on for over 2 decades while remaining the coach and a strong advocate for cancer research and awareness. She touched the lives of thousands and is one of the most personable people I've ever met. Coach Yow and I first met at the University Awards for Excellence in 2007. We chatted off and on throughout the last couple of years about a variety of things both on campus and in our lives. She was always extremely motivating, compassionate, genuine. It's tough knowing that she touched so many people and worked so hard for everyone else with such grace despite all the challenges she faced. She will be sorely missed... On Monday, everyone is asked to wear pink to honor her memory...

On a brighter note, I got a new ride this week. I've been considering this for a while and have been looking. This really isn't the time of year to find a lot of great deals on a new rig, but there are still options from time to time. I'd been seriously considering a 29er, but having ridden them in the past I learned that the handling many times left something to be desired compared to a 26 "traditional" mtn bike. Gary Fisher was historically a solid design, but in the last decade they've been out-done by other companies utilizing newer designs and technology. Well... the redesign and their Genesis geometry last year with the G2 fixed the handling. Tony is on the GF 29er team and had suggested I give the G2 a try -- he's got both a 29er SuperFly (29 full carbon hardtail) and a HiFi Deluxe (29 full suspension alum w/ carbon seatstays). I have both of them a spin at the shop. Holy smoke! I have a Scott full carbon hardtail 26, but the SuperFly is screaming fast. The HiFi & the SFly have huge wheel-bases, but both handled almost exactly like a 26. The HiFi was sweet & the fact that it's a full suspension made it a great fit for many of the races planned this year. The shop had an '08, which other than the paint job, is exactly the same as the '09 except for the brakes. So, I now have an 29er in the rack!!! Have some parts I want to switch out eventually, but overall I'm really pumped about it.

This coming weekend is out trip to Snowshoe for a few days of skiing. It's suppose to be between 0 and the mid-20;s so conditions should be good. I'll keep you posted. Hope you all have a great week & take care --J

Prospective 2009 Schedule Added!

2009-01-21T13:06:00.003-05:00

I know people don't like to scroll down... but the list is so big that it only made sense to add it to the bottom of the page! This is the "prospective" so just realize that it is subject to change, but I will keep it updated as details get hammered out.

Not all of these are RACES! There are a lot of conferences and fun/charity rides here too -- if someone wants to meet up and participate... DO IT & LET ME KNOW! I'll be happy to have others join in.

Some ask: "Why list everything? Doesn't that just put pressure on you?" The answer is no. It doesn't create pressure, but it does keep me honest and allow some friends (the whip-crackers) to keep tabs. It's a good thing! Take care --J

Registrations for Charity Rides are Open!

2009-01-20T18:16:00.005-05:00

Looking for some good charity rides??? Lots of the registrations are now open and others soon will be! Check these out!

JDRF Ride to Cure Diabetes (Sonoma, Whitefish, Killington, Death Valley, and Tucson):
http://ride.jdrf.org

ADA Tour de Cure (numerous US locations):
http://tour.diabetes.org

Livestrong Challenge (Seattle, San Jose, Philly, Austin):
http://www.livestrongchallenge.org

24 Hours of Booty (Charlotte, NC & Columbia, MD):
http://www.24hoursofbooty.org

MS 150 for Nat Multiple Sclerosis Society (various US locations):
http://http://www.nationalmssociety.org/get-involved/events/bike-ms/index.aspx

I know there are way more than just these few that I have listed. But I have special connections to each of these. The first two are obvious... diabetes. So many of my friends and family have supported and helped me chase my adventures, that the last three are one of the ways I give back in their honor in other important causes.

Consider doing a ride this year... I can tell you, every bit of the effort is worth it!!! Take care --J

NC Ice Climbing!!!

2009-01-20T11:42:00.004-05:00

Wow! Talk about an action-packed weekend! Two days of CX racing followed up by a chance to swing tools and kick crampons on ice in NC, and then 3-4" of snow @ my house in central NC overnight... Is there a repeat button I can keep pushing?

So, Sat's race was a tough course made harder by the 20 degree temps & Sun's course was just an awesome challenge and fitting ending to the Winter CX series. I was tired yesterday morning and my chest still had some congestion due to the mild bronchitis I developed over the weekend. But I WAS NOT going to stay home knowing there was ice on the Blue Ridge Parkway, so Big Ken and I headed out. Rest is a good thing... don't get me wrong. But sometimes you've just gotta suck it up knowing you can rest later. Ice doesn't typically last long in the SE so when it's here you've gotta make the best of it. Last week's temps were a perfect setup for the location we headed to.

There were three other parties already there when we arrived, but there was plenty of room to share. I always joke that the first day out is a chance to "get the rust out" b/c everyone's technique is a bit lacking initially. The scene was "quiet" and relaxing. There was a slight breeze, snow was falling, and the sun kept popping in and out with temps in the mid-20's. We got in a number of runs, worked on form and efficiency, and had an all-around great day.

It's amazing to me how "settling" a day out like that can be. I've been excited and motivated by all of the events over the last few months. But settings like yesterday have a major calming effect despite what many of you would see as frightening and crazy. It is not chaotic or terrifying. It's actually pretty simple. No cellphones, computers, vehicles, or noise. It's about the basics... the natural beauty with it's raw power & peace alike, dressing appropriately, eating & drinking to have the energy to keep going and stay warm, for me... carrying all the stuff you need on you or in your pack, managing bg's while keeping insulin & glucometers warm enough not to freeze and so they'll function correctly, the people around with whom you have formed a profound bond... the brotherhood of the rope... and furthermore the friendship that extends beyond the effort.

My bg yesterday morning was a bit high @ 162, but as we arrived to go climb it was back to 92 after 63g carbs for breakfast. I set my basals to 85% of normal, a little higher than most climbing days b/c the hike in isn't a long one where we were. Two bg checks during the day were 108 and 117, and I ate about 60g of carbs while we climbed. At day's end the reading was 131. When we arrived at dinner the reading was 219... probably b/c I needed to change my infusion site being that it was my 4th day. With the site change & correction, 82g carbs for dinner, my reading when I arrived home was 84 and before bed was 119.

I slept better last night than I have in months and awoke this morning to a few inches of snow on the ground and still falling. Looks like yesterday's settling scene followed me home! Today I'm catching up on some paperwork, stretching, and may hop on the mtn bike for a spin through the snow this afternoon. (Bg when I woke up was 99.) In the coming weeks I don't have any races planned at present. That doesn't mean there's idle time. A skiing weekend and plenty of riding and running in preparation for the coming Spring events -- consider this a "training block".

Hope everyone is doing well. Keep checking back... --J

Recovering from CX by Chasing Ice

2009-01-18T22:37:00.004-05:00

Winter Cup CX is in the books. Today was race #5 and it was a tough course @ Bur-mil Park in Greensboro. It was the toughest of the season. The field of riders numbered more than 40. We all had a really good time. Finished 33rd today. One friend was a few places ahead of me, and another finished in the top 5 today and 4th in the series! I like LONG races, but CX (and sprint races in general) have grown on me.

The hardest part for me today was my lungs. I'd irritated them yesterday with the harsh 20 degree cold air and I hacked up some crud this morning basically showing I have mild bronchitis. Today's riding actually made it all feel better, but breathing was still more shallow than normal. My bg was crashing a bit this morning shortly after we got to B-M. 1 hour prior to start it was 67. Using the Hypo manager on my Coz pump and having established an "attack game plan" for the "adrenal burst in previous races, I ate 18g carbs via Gummi bears to correct the low, then 50 g in two GU's, and bolused .85u about 55 min's prior with a basal adjustment to 65% of normal. 10 min's prior to start my bg was 92. After the race, my bg as 116. 30 min's afterwards my bg was 125 and I had a sub from Subway, chips, and various other food and boluses on the way home. The 125 afterwards told me I hadn't under accounted for the carbs in the GU, and that I'd played the "burst" well.

So, since the race, I've been resting and eating. Oh yea and packing... b/c the cold temps over the last few days and the current system moving through has formed up a number of the ice routes in the NC mountains. So... so much for "rest" after the winter cx run... there's ice to swing at! Rest is over-rated! Gotta get on ice when we can... I'll let you know how things go. Take care --J

Race #4 down, #5 to go...

2009-01-17T21:41:00.002-05:00

Today's race was brutal. I really like cold weather but holy s#$% it was chilly. Fine if you were standing around dressed for the weather, but harsh even dressed in good winter cycling gear. The course had pieces of each of the previous races... fast flats, steep hills, big drop-in sweeping turns, loose gravel sections, a little sand, pavement, choppy "eroded" sections... but no real mud. It wasn't tremendously fast with everything comprising it, but that busted the field up pretty well.

Bg's were really good today. Basals set @ 65% of normal with a pre-race bg of 97 and no IOB (insulin on board). Bolused 1.25u one hour prior to the start, ate one GU immediately, and one GU 15min prior. Finished the race with a bg of 116. Progress!

That was the "high point" though. I was running ~20th-24th at the end of the first lap, very close to a friend in the field. Pushing hard, but doing fairly well. In hindsight it was possibly too hard too early, but it's a sprint race and on that type of course everyone wants to stay together early on... a good way to put people in the red early and break up the pack! As I hit a good stride and relaxed for about 30 sec's, I went down... on my left side this time. Luckily there was only one rider right behind and he maneuvered without hitting me. Knocked my left shift lever about 30 degrees to the inside of my bars which was a pain the rest of the race, but other than that the bike was ok.

Pushing to get back into the mix I blew myself up... to the point I dry heaved a couple of times. At the same time, my back tightened up too and anyone who rides knows a tight back means slow... The nice side of pushing so hard was I put a lot of distance on the rest of those behind me except for the leaders, who lapped me just before I finished up my 3rd lap. When the leaders lap you on their last lap, you're done when you complete your current lap. They finished 4. Had I not gone down, I would've finished 4 and possibly come in a little better. Ended up 25th. The only thing that hurts right now is my lungs... have some cold air broncial inflammation that will hopefully clear up a lot tonight.

Two good friends from Charlotte showed up and hung out with Liz to cheer me on, and it was awesome! Liz is a great "cheerleader" and I've learned to hear her encouragement as I make laps. C is the little "hard", abrupt, no bs voice in my head. C returns the "favors" I bestow upon her as her "coach". That's one of the joys of our friendship... I push her, she pushes me. We keep each other honest!

Tomorrow is the final race (#5) of the winter CX series in Greensboro at Bur-mil Park. I've been there before so it should be a good set up. The caveat is we may get some more true CX weather... 40 degrees and rain... I hate 40 & rain!!! Oh well, I paid for it so might as well get my money's worth. I'll let you know! --J

Race #4 Today!

2009-01-17T08:04:00.002-05:00

It was 5 degrees at my house when I woke up. It's now 10. Concord, NC is reporting 12. I love cold weather... and it's time to go to CX race #4!!!

Hmm...

2009-01-16T13:36:00.009-05:00

Today...

I lack motivation...

not sure why...

nothing going wrong...

plenty of things to do...

bg's are good...

slept great...

Just one of those blah funks today.

The one "bright spot" is the COLD weather has arrived! Broke out the down belay parka for today! That's not something that often occurs in NC. Have my cold weather fleece pump wrap with me in case I need to be outside for more than an hour -- helps keep the pump and infusion set tubing wrapped so there's little chance of the insulin freezing... especially in the exposed tubing! Yep, it's happened before!

Anyway. I need to shake this mentality... need some good music... THAT'S IT!!! Alright, off to accomplish some things with a little inspiration...

Hope you all have a great day! I'll let you know how the cold rides turn out over the weekend. --J

A Perfect BG Day

2009-01-14T20:44:00.005-05:00

Funny how we have those perfect bg days sometimes having done nothing different than before, but it seems like the stars are all lined up that day... RARELY happens.

Went to bed @ 101. I woke up to a 106. The mid-morning reading was 93. Lunch... 114. After lunch... 121. Pre-dinner the reading was 97. And now the reading is 111. Can't do much better than that! I:C ratios have been spot on all day (another "perfect" rarity).

Is there anyway I can just "copy" this day after day??? Why can't things follow this pattern on days when we put so much effort into managing instead of days when it's a background thought? All the riding recently has been good and most of all it's relaxed what would have otherwise been a LOAD of stress from work. It's not uncommon for us to be busy, but it's normally a pretty steady stream of items. This year all the tasks for the coming months dropped on us at once. The riding has been "decompressing"... oh yea, and it's good for you! (Well it is, especially during the winter months when we all face challenges with limited activity.)

On another note, many of the dates and information for the conferences and events have been coming out in the past two weeks. CWD's Friends for Life has been posted for a while, and the DESA conference dates have been set (though the registration info isn't out yet), but ADA Tour de Cure & JDRF Ride to Cure registrations have opened. A lot of the mountain bike races are starting to have dates posted and early registration is open. There are still a few that aren't up, but at least I have enough to preoccupy me at present.

Another preoccupation is weeding through the details and options of possibly getting a new bike. Yes, yes, I know. Another bike! This time though I'm looking @ 29er mtb rigs. On paper these are far superior to traditional mountain bikes with 26" wheels, but until this year and last they didn't really perform as well in the field as the concept suggested. Now is a different story, so I'll keep you posted.

Starting to get all the little stuff together tonight for the last of the series CX races this weekend. I'm definitely hooked, so I'll be doing more CX in the future!

How to Juggle...

2009-01-13T22:54:00.007-05:00

Oh this is going to be one of those weeks for sure... but some of us may win the lottery!

Work is nuts with all the tasks we have on our plate this semester. Nothing out of the ordinary, but the timing is normally more spaced out. This year it has just all dropped on us at once. I'm still trying to tie up loose ends from research projects that happened last summer. Now we're on the short timeframe until the Summer 09 field courses and research projects kick in... it'll be Spring before we know it people!

I have a meeting with my d-team at UNC Highgate on Fri morning to get the last of my new pump paperwork taken care of, and all my prescriptions updated. Thurs night, a group of us are going to the Carolina Hurricanes game... hopefully they play well! That'll be fun considering I haven't been to a game since the eastern division finals a few years ago.

Saturday is the 4th race of the Winter Cup CX series in Charlotte. Some friends I haven't seen in a while are planning to come... it'll be a treat since it's suppose to be quite chilly (temps in the teens) and one friend in particular likes the cold as much as I! The caveat is I've never ridden in those temps... though I often ice climb in those temps... so there will be a learning curve on how I dress. I'll probably have to put my pump in my "winter" fleece sleeve I've historically used for other winter activities -- don't want the insulin to freeze in the infusion set tubing! Sunday's race in Greensboro is suppose to be a little warmer, and it's the final race of the series. It has been a really good experience for me. I think I have a start on how to handle these short sprint-style races better now, but as always there are still a lot of factors that can change on any given day.

As busy as the next few days of work and the weekend races will be, there is a bright spot that's keeping me overly pumped up... some of us are going in search of ice to climb! Last year we only got a really short "window" of ~2 weeks, so we're all itching to get on some southeastern ice. So, sharpen the axes, organize the pack, and coil the ropes... we've got ice to chase!

Race #3 NC Winter Cup CX, Fayetteville, NC

2009-01-11T21:49:00.005-05:00

This past week has been busy getting back to work, organizing for the Spring & beginning logistics for the Summer semesters, and trying to "be active" despite the rain. The efforts began to pay off though...

I awoke REALLY tired this morning, which is not something you want on the day of an event. Liz was kind enough to drive from Raleigh to F-ville while she let me sleep. Only an extra hour or so of sleep, but I felt 10x better! BG when I got up was 83. When we arrived at the event location my bg was 68 after breakfast and the nap in the car. I ate 1 GU, bolused .4u for it... based on HypoManager -- this was @ 11am with the race to start @ ~12:15-12:20. At 11:30 my bg was 89 and at 11:45 it was 92 -- flat-lined. I dropped by basal rate to 65% of normal, bolused .75u and ate another GU (25g "long-burn" carb).

Let me explain a little... I've been trying to curb the adrenaline glucose kick at the start while still having carbs and enough insulin on board to "have a full tank". GU is a long-chain carb, therefore it (like Hammer gel) takes about 25-30 min to really begin having an effect on bg -- meaning the GU's would begin "working" right around the start... at the same time I would expect an adrenal kick. I use Apidra in my Coz pump. From experience, I know that Apidra starts to work on my bg after about 20 min and starts to peak around 1-2 hours after, with about a 4 hr duration. In training without any issue of adrenaline kicks and a bg of 100-120, I can eat a GU without a bolus and just "burn it off". By utilizing a bolus, I was buffering against the adrenaline kick. To finish the discussion, my bg at the end of the race was 94 -- a little lower than I perform best at, but VERY acceptable!

Okay, the race. When I first saw the course, my first comment was "great, another flat sprint course". Well, it was predominantly flat, but it was wet and muddy enough and included enough off camber & curves to make lots of spots interesting. Oh yea and then include the sandpits. Off the start I in the back within seconds of the gun and then the cluster of riders ahead hit the first mudhole and 90% of them went down... I dismounted and ran through them. Making good time and beginning to move up, I was progressively riding stronger. I was upper mid-pack somewhere between 11-15. And then on the second lap I dove into the "dragon's tail", a double off camber s-curve, when both my wheels went out from under me and I went down on my right side. I hopped up, grabbed the bike, ran through the section, over the barriers, and remounted having actually gained three positions... WHAT! SERIOUSLY! Then I found out I'd landed on the rear derailleur and knocked it out of alignment (at the least). One middle gear on the cassette was great, while things slipped in any other cog... sometimes horribly. At this point I could've gotten flustered, aggravated, and blown-up.

Instead I settled down and kept pushing as fast as I could muster, checking things out on the clear straightaways. The drivetrain was a mess, but I had a gear that I could solidly ride 75% of the course in at a good clip. Wound it out in the third and fourth laps as much as I could, lost a few spots b/c of the issues, and finished up 22nd. I wasn't displeased b/c of the bg and b/c I actually felt like myself racing today... had power when I needed it, had run well without feeling like I was going to puke the whole time, hadn't blown myself up aerobically, managed the mechanical difficulties as well as I could, and finished decently well. Yes, I still had the "what if's" conversation with Liz post-race, but hey, that's the beauty of all off-road racing. I'd love to win or run top 5... who wouldn't? But, the whole idea is to have fun, get better, and learn.

Ted wasn't at the race today, but Morrison was. He finished a very strong 6th and has been doing really well in the series. Hopefully I'll be able to get in some good rides as we go into the last weekend of the Winter Cup. Oh, and did I mention they're giving away a Chris King wheelset to one of the full series riders? Oh yea, fingers crossed! (Pictures from races to come soon...)

Preparing for #3

2009-01-09T17:18:00.003-05:00

This week has been dreary to say the least. After last Sunday's CX race in the rain and mud, it continued to rain... Mon, Tues, Wed... and it finally started to break Thurs morning. Still, that basically killed trail riding all week. Even today it's really not dry enough to hit the trails b/c they're still too wet. Tomorrow will likely be good... except that I'll be resting up for Winter Cup race #3 and working with some of the undergrad students in the field all day preparing to start the forest inventory cruise (field sampling) at Schenck Forest.

The decent bg's from earlier in the week have started to "roller-coaster" a bit despite riding for 1+ hours each of 3 nights on the indoor trainer. My body just likes to be active... all the time. I'm very insulin sensitive -- I know folks who can "miss" their dosing by .5u and not have major bg swings, whereas I can have a basal change of .1u or less and have a 30-50 mg/dL swing in my bg numbers. Winter is almost always a challenge with the lessened opportunity to get out and play as often. I typically have to increase my basals during late Dec through mid-Feb, and then begin dropping them in March. Ice climbing normally affords me the luxury of being active and my body responds much like in the summer and fall months, but the temps have been way too warm this year for southeastern ice to form up. If this keeps up I'll be rock climbing soon in addition to picking up the riding frequency.

Race #3 of the Winter Cup is this weekend in Fayetteville, NC. It's suppose to rain Sat afternoon and into the night, so having never ridden the course, I have no idea what to expect. A lot of the Fayetteville area is really sandy, but silty mud is also common. The terrain can be varied from flat to steep hills. So at this point... who knows! I'll let you know how it goes... Pictures from all three of these races are coming. Take care --J

Motivation!!!

2009-01-07T20:12:00.006-05:00

Think I'll watch these two dvd's tonight (24 Solo & Uncommon Ground). Nothing like a solid cycling and climbing dvd to enliven the imagination!

Patience...

2009-01-07T19:31:00.005-05:00

Almost chaotic. That's the only way to describe this week so far. Going back to work with classes starting on campus this week is always hectic. Lots of projects already scheduled and planning horizons are already stretching into August... Trying to get in touch with people this week has been tough too, so even little conversations to clarify items are like pulling teeth!

Add in the fact that it has rained everyday since Sat. Yes, the race on Sun was in rainy conditions but it's hard to get outside and ride trails when they are soaked... AND IT KEEPS RAINING! So, I've been relegated to the trainer inside. I don't dislike the trainer, but I'd rather ride outside any day (well, except when it's >100 degrees).

Bg's have been relatively good so far this week. At this time of year, they aren't quite as predictable and steady as during the warmer months (except for when I'm out ice climbing for 6+ hours), but they've still been pretty good. They'd definitely have been golden if I'd gotten in a good outdoor ride, but that's part of the "game". Often circumstances prevent perfect situations, which is nothing new to diabetics. It's a rare occurrence. So, we deal with it and manage as best we can... and learn to have a little more PATIENCE...

Testing the Water...

2009-01-07T00:32:00.007-05:00

It's been a tough few weeks. Got a sinus bug just after Thanksgiving that I couldn't fully shake for about 2-3 weeks. Did some light riding, but could tell my lungs and head just weren't completely open. The cold air and rain during that time didn't help. Actually felt better running some. Anyway, once I got past that, the stomach bug hit me on Christmas day and didn't fully let up until after New Year's.

Great timing when on Jan 3 I did my first cyclocross race! Cyclo is off-road racing on a "modified" road bike that will handle larger, knobby tires than standard road tires. The Saturday race hurt -- course was really fast, not that technical (just one technical turn), and the field was full of healthy CAT 3 roadies. I got worked. In the past I've had trouble with sprint-style races b/c of adrenaline spikes. Some diabetics see this occur, others don't. My bg was 139 just before the start, and I turned my basals back to 60% of normal... 30 min race & at the finish my bg was 226. That means I very likely had a pretty good adrenaline glucose dump without enough insulin on board to utilize it. I was worked at the end and finished up 34th out of a field of 37.

Sunday's race was in Winston Salem and though I only finished 31 out of 39, my bg's were much better. Conditions were wet, muddy, and really slick with lots of technical sections on the course. This time the bg was a little lower than I'd like and more so than a optimally "run" in a race... Started @ 132 and I had over-bolused at breakfast on purpose so I could eat a GU about 20 min's prior to the start. 30min race, no tests during, and I finished up @ 114. Better, but not yet dialed in. Almost had a mechanical during the race that I prevented... mud had thrown my drivetrain all out of whack with shifting. Lost quite a few places fixing it with a short stop, but battled back a little by the end. Frustrating though b/c I had been keeping pace with a friend who finished up 20th. Oh well! The idea is to delve and start my "season" earlier than in past years... and to have fun doing it! Sunday's race was royally FUN!!! I wish all the races were that technical and wet -- slowed the field down and gave me a fighting chance!

Three races to go... one this weekend, then two the following. I'll try to build off of what I tried last weekend with the bg's vs. adrenaline game. Hope to keep improving in the field too. I imagined CX would be fun, but little did I know how much! Take care & I'll keep you posted --J

Note: You can read this event report in more detail at: http://www.type1rider.org/forums3/viewtopic.php?f=13&t=449

2009-01-06T21:48:00.012-05:00

So, I've been thinking about this for a while. See... for years I have been wandering through the woods, climbing rock & ice, riding, running, going to conferences & presentations, and visiting different places... only to send out a quick "adventure notes email" once I returned home to various friends. But over the years that list has grown quite large and I would regularly get messages asking where I'd been b/c someone hadn't heard from me. Well, this is part of that solution.

This blog is my forum to: 1. tell stories of others, 2. talk about experiences of my own, 3. discuss information about diabetes, 4. help non-diabetics learn more about the condition, and 5. help keep myself and all of those living with Type 1 & 2 motivated... in what is essentially a 24hr a day, 365 days/yr, ultra-endurance event of managing the blood glucose levels of our bodies.

A Little Background
I was diagnosed at the age of 19 during my sophomore year of college. Not only was I trying to decide what I really wanted to do with my life (and choose a major), here I was tossed a "curveball" for which I had no knowledge or background. No one in my family was diabetic. I was a "healthy" young guy playing club lacrosse. What the heck was going on?

To put things simply... the med team I was originally referred to basically "canned" everything active I had been doing -- no lacrosse, no running, no riding, NOTHING! On top of that, the level of information I was provided with was "sub-par" given what I now know was available at the time. But surprisingly for a 19yr old, I was patient... for ~2 years. By that time I had figured out my "professional direction", had a handle on things academically, was developing growing interests in lots of outdoor activities, and knew there was more to this "game" than my level of ability at that time. So, I switched med teams... started delving in adventure sports... found DESA, new info @ JDRF & ADA, and Children with Diabetes.

Along the way, I met Tony Cervatti at the DESA conference in West Chester, PA. We were both nominated for the DESA/LifeScan Athletic Achievement Award in 2005. Tony sees the same med team I do, we live little more than 20 min's apart, have similar interests, and yet had not met before then. At the time, Tony was chasing the idea to ride a 24hr mountain bike race while I was busily ice & rock climbing and mountaineering. Little did I know that I would become so interested in endurance cycling and eventually become part of the diabetic cycling team & organization, Type1Rider, Tony started following that '05 DESA conference.

Now...
To answer the obvious question... no, I haven't stopped climbing. It has become more difficult to coordinate trips with most of my partners relocating to different cities, but we still get out about 2-3 weeks a year. But cycling is something I can do anytime I'm able to grab my bike. In '07 I decided to take the altitude experiences I had gained climbing/mountaineering and the endurance aspects of riding 100 miles into my first mountain bike race... yeah, "bit off a big one"... the Leadville 100 mtb race, during which I had a mechanical failure 36 miles in and DNF'd. All that did was create a challenge... and here I am.

Type1Rider is an organization whose purpose is to create Awareness, Educate, Support, and Encourage diabetics and their loved ones. Diabetes is not simple in any form or fashion. It is a struggle. It beats everyone involved up somedays and seems simple on other days. It is analogous to an ultra-endurance event...

And until there is a cure, helping all of the kids and families dealing with this everyday is very important to me. I don't want any child or parent to believe they can't do anything they wish b/c of they have diabetes. There may be bumps, hurdles, pitfalls, challenges, successes, and failures along the way. The goal is to keep your head up... look long-term... you're not alone b/c there are a lot of us in this together!