What has kept Redcyclist away from blogging?

SURVIVING:















It has been a really long while since I have posted. Work took a turn to become extraordinarily busy. That means long days and by the way I work it means I work all week long as late as I can to get it all done so I can have my weekends to ride and relax. It also means that with longer hours comes added stress which seems to knock me out. When I have stress, riding doesn't always release it, it enhances the effects of exhaustion and frustrations so I get somewhat of a double whammy. Even still, I have been riding 3 - 4x a week in rain and high heat.

I have been taking longer rests in between weeks of riding which have been induced by family illness, surgeries and some bad weather. My fitness feels as though it is on a roller coaster so I signed up for Boot Camp at the end of July in the middle of summer and temperatures of 105 degrees. What was I thinking!!! I know, I was thinking I would be in great shape for training and preparation for the El Tour de Tucson to raise funds for JDRF, Ha! I had my sights set on a high performance ride in Nov, but summer issues are delaying my progress. I don't seem to have the fire burning that normally drives me to push my limits and train harder. Yup it could be classic symptoms of burn out, but mostly I can't wait to get up and going on my bike. There was one reprieve from the heat but not from the rain...















VACATION!
I just returned from a weekend ride in flagstaff with 85 degree weather intermingled with raging thunderstorms. A group of us headed to Mormon Lake from Flagstaff, about 60 miles, on 4th of July. The weather was overcast and nice enough to wear summer gear. We had a great SAG driver, Kyra (daughter of one of the riders) who supported us with food, drinks and rain gear. The road for the most part was pleasant to ride with one exception for a 4 mile block of construction. Other than that the route was full of rolling hills with some steep grades here and there.

















We arrived at Mormon Lake in the middle of all the towns 4th of July preparations. There was traffic everywhere in this small town with a rodeo in full blown progress. Folks stopped us to ask us where we came from and how far we had rode. We were invited to stay around for the 4th of July parade, but declined as it would delay us 2 hours (a decision we later on were were glad we made).

We had a decent lunch then hit the road. Within the first 45 minutes we hit rain and out came the rain jackets. It rained just enough to cool us off and get my shorts soaked from the water that was thrown up from the wheels of my bike as I maneuvered through the running water that was now covering the road. Eventually it all stopped and the road slowly dried up. We returned back to the hotel by 2:45. We Brought our bikes inside to clean as it felt like a few drops were starting up again and within 5 minutes we had hail the size of almost almonds falling from the sky. The storm was crazy and we were all thankful we didn't spend one more minute at lunch or at our last rest stop. Thank you Dennis for mentioning we should get going and to Colleen for heading out ahead of us.



















The rest of the trip, we headed to amazing fireworks, woke up and toured NAU on bikes, then headed to Sedona, Arizona for lunch. We had a small incident on the freeway, but no one was hurt except the suburban pulling 6 people, 5 bikes and 1 tandem. We made it home safe and sound. All I can say is it is always good to be home.

Now work is back on and I am finding it hard to get in gear and focus. Looking forward to this weekend's rides!

Happy Safe Riding Everyone

May you find your independence on a bike :)

Freedom is found where possibilities are realized

2 Living Life
Penny

Climbing Hills and Riding 70 miles

I had been looking forward to this ride since late January. A friend of mine and I missed the Jan ride and wanted to organize another one so we could get the miles in. Leading up to this ride, I had my situation with my teeth happen (earlier blog) where I actually postponed taking care of the situation until after the Nogales ride so I could not only do this ride but log some miles in the 2 weeks prior.

In fact after the attack of the allergies, I regrouped, rode in the Bike to Work event and headed out on a 45 mile group ride the next day. I had done this particular group ride before so I was comfortable I could participate and return safely. Well, the ride took a detour due to road construction and became a high intensity hill climb, hill after hill after hill. I was having trouble keeping up and mid way through my GCM said my BS was dropping and under 100 but my glucometer said 177. So I ate a little more and finished my Perpetuem drink and headed back. I thought I was in good shape. Then we had a long hill climb on the way back which I think took it all out of me. By the time we hit my turn off to head back home, which was about 4 - 5 miles away, I lost my legs. There was nothing I could do. I was doing the motion but couldn't go any faster. I felt like I was on a crawl. When I got home my BS were below 65 and I was seeing black and white dots, it was all I could do to sit down. My husband who was on the ride with me, quickly made the TT1 bonk proof shake which has over 100 grams of carbs, not counting some of the additional stuff we added. I showered and laid down. I was out for a few hours. When I woke up my BS were just tipping 75.

I have never bonked before but this told me I needed to take the Nogales ride very seriously. In fact I was glad when my husband offered to SAG for us during the 70 miles.

The night before the ride to Nogales I headed to Performance, I was determined to find the highest carb goo or chewies I could find. I was going to ride the whole 70 miles without any mishaps.

The day of the ride started early, up at 5 am, ate my regular breakfast of 3 rice pancakes and a scoop of peanut butter, dosed 3 units instead of 4 and loaded up the car. I had prepared bags the night before with 2 bottles of perpetuem, juice, and coconut water. These puppies were fully loaded.

My husband also made us both PB and banana with honey sandwiches and I packed up the gels and Sharkies. We headed to meet the gang at the Manning House. There were 10 of us and we loaded up and headed South.

We arrived at Mariposa Road and stopped at the Wendy's there. Got our bikes out, filled up any last minute water bottles, took pictures and headed out. It was clear at the draw the leads were traveling quite a bit faster then I had in mind. A few of us hung back at our comfort pace but we were quickly brought back together as we were going to head on the freeway for a short jaunt. I have to say the freeway was a fast and smooth ride. We had a lot of room and I did not worry about cars much. Wish we could have done the whole ride there but I know it is not the safest way to ride. We continued North to our first stop, but I couldn't find my husband. A quick call and he turned around and met us 10 minutes later. I panicked a bit as he had our food and I knew I had to eat within the first 30 miles of the ride in order to use the nutrition for the last half of the ride. If I can keep my BS above 150, I know I am in good shape. I was around 160 so I ate 1/2 of my sandwich and drank a lot of my Perptuem bottle and then exchanged it for a refresh in the car. I wanted my BS to trend up but it was trending downward which meant I had to take in more then I would use before the next rest stop ~15 miles up the road. It worked and I kept my sugars a little high during the ride because I didn't want to worry about it.


The only issue I had during this ride was around mile marker 50 - 55, my neck hurt, my back was beginning to spasm and my knees were going as well. Tabot, my husband, was off to the side of the road a head which was perfect timing ( he took this picture as we arrived). We all stopped for a quick refresh. I was able to down a very cold G2 and some ibuprofen. I felt much better and it was just what I needed to finish the ride, although it did feel very long and there were times I felt like I wanted to jump into one of the SAG vehicles, but we finished. We finished 72 miles in less then 4 hours, including two sag stops.

We celebrated at the Manning House ( see pic) for a great spread of burritos, fresh fruit and drink. We had great company and a great ride. I love days like this. Can't wait for more...

The ups and downs of staying healthy

Sometimes it seems no matter how hard you try, how good you eat, how much you exercise and take the right supplements, sometimes your body just sends you a message. Mine is always through my teeth. My teeth are what told me I had diabetes, my teeth are what tell me something isn't right almost 99% of the time.

Well this time is no different. Over the last few months, I had been feeling tired and just plain exhausted. I took two weeks or more off just because I didn't have the energy to get on the bike.
Then I started having sinus headaches and ear aches in my right ear. Lastly, I went on a bike ride to participate in the Bike to Work week here in Tucson and participated in a difficult hill climb for 45 miles the next day. I struggled with energy and ability to keep up. The next day, Sunday, I had a bridge that came loose and then by Monday morning I lost the whole thing. Diagnosis: two cracked teeth appear to be the root cause. However, now that I have had that all fixed, a rather painful procedure that will extend up to 6 months, it was discovered I had a chronic infection in one of the teeth, which I had complained about for years but it was undetectable by I guess most xrays or other pieces of dental machinery.

So during my recovery, I have had a massive ear ache and incredible sinus pressure which appeared to be reacting to the fact that when the tooth was removed and the infection treated the antibiotics appear to be clearing up all the areas impacted or so I am hoping. However, the recovery has been less than ideal. I react to almost all pain killers with nausea, which means I am either in pain or feel severe nausea until it is all over. Yesterday I went to lay down at 2 pm got up at 5pm for 45 minutes and went back to bed until 6:30 am this morning. I had my first real food in 48 hours and it was nice to sleep in but it all gets worse by 6 pm every night. I am hopeful tonight may be different.

Either way I have been surviving on fresh fruit smoothies, protein shakes and soy ice cream. I am hoping to come out of this with renewed energy and hoping for a clean bill of health. My teeth for some reason, since I was diagnosed as a type 1 diabetic have become my one health weakness, even though I brush 2 - 3x a day and floss.

Anyone else have interesting issues like this?

Are allergies affecting your cycling too?

Have you ever had a day where your legs don't seem to work, your breathing seems labored and your strength seems zapped? That has been my day, this whole month. I keep getting out on my bike but every time seems worse then the time before. I started back to spinning classes thinking I needed the aerobic workout to improve my endurance. I also took the fitness heart rate stress test, which looks excellent. However, I keep waiting for riding to get easier with big gains.

Spring in the desert is killer for me, allergies are the worst and everything related to oxygen is restricted. I now realize if I want to train, it may not be ideal in Tucson. Given this is where I live and work, not sure how to get around this. I am already on the decongestants, antihistamines, nasal spray and allergy eye drops. Oh yeah also on the asthma medication for the breathing part. Now is when I can't help but wonder if riding is going to be something I can do through the summer.

The hard part for me is I never know if I am over-training or if I just need to ride through it all no matter what the pace or cadence. I look forward to riding, but sometimes there are blocks of days I just can't move. I would really like to have fewer days like this and move back into the days where I raced to beat the lights or other cyclists who are testing their own speed and capabilities.

Now, I am hoping my riding buddies are going to keep me on my bike. The more folks who ride into work or on the group rides, the more likely I will stay on my bike and keep plugging along.
I hope this passes soon, I hate feeling soo tired...

My Day to Vent....

Took a little hiatus from blogging or tweeting. Work has been grinding away and it fries my brain cells to a crisp. But I have been riding, just at a more casual pace, because I now realize how much stress plays a factor in hitting the wall.

Since the Tour de Cure, I have been riding and riding and riding. Last weekend I just couldn't ride any more, partially because my son was sick with a very high fever. As it turns out he is recovering and by Wed I was riding in to work again. Gotta tell ya though Thurs ride into work was a bitch! High, high winds where I was almost knocked off my bike. This is the time when I begin to hate to ride, but at the same time was curious about riding through it all

Well, I did arrive home safe and sound but something about the drivers that day had me a bit concerned. The drivers were aggressive. I guess I don't get why folks in cars think they have something to prove by running cyclists off the road. It baffles me to think that someone in a 4k - 6k lb piece of metal or plastic feels the need to intimidate folks who are driving a vehicle of less then 20lbs. Three times this week, I have seen serious inferiority complexes at play. A few weeks ago, I had a guy in his big Chevy truck, veer over into the bike lane where his passenger side rear view mirror brushed my shoulder. We were both taking off from red light and I guess he didn't like that I rode up in front of his tiny truck... Seriously You Tarzan, me what... Jane??? Such a big man.

So why are cyclists considered such a threat? Hmm let me think, we make better car drivers because we are constantly riding (on our bikes) defensively to protect ourselves from poor drivers, we value diversity, we value the outdoors, Ohh and we value our freedom! Hmmm, sounds threatening to me and ohh sooooo un-American by powering our bikes with local produce...
(Okay you may need to think about that one for a minute...)

Okay - Gripe session 1 is over......
Thanks for listening, I feel a ton better.
Penny

After the Tour _ Now What?

There is a lot to catch up on, work for one thing, sons surgery and planning the rest of my cycling adventure. Oh yeah...and figure out how to get BS in control.

Lets just say I have had a few set backs, one being Mint Girl Scout cookies... I love these cookies and have no control in pacing myself. BUT.... they were not involved in the next few set backs.

The weekend before the Tour de Cure, I went for a group ride with an incline. The problem was I was going to meet up with the group at a certain point closer to my house. I called the group leader that morning made arrangements, only thing was we got our wires crossed and by the second call, they were already 1/2 way up the hill. The issue was I waited 30 minutes for the group to come by while my BS began to elevate. Normally by that time, I would have been already riding and using up the carbs I had eaten for breakfast. Then to top it off, I hiked up the hill as fast as I could. When I hit the top, BS were not registering on CGM because they were too high. I eventually brought it down again, but the same thing happened today.

Normally, I ride Tues, Wed or Thurs, with some combination of 2 -3 days... I may ride all 3 days or just ride 2. Well, today not one of my alarms went off today, except my husbands, which was set 45 min after mine. I get a little stressed when this happens, especially when I have only 15 minutes to eat, get dressed, get on bike and meet up with the group by 7am. By the time I got into work today my BS were in the high 300s. I am wondering if anyone else has this type of reaction to stress or when your adrenaline gets pumping. I took 10u of humulog to get it back to normal... It was if the insulin wasn't working or I had serious issues with counting my carbs, which was 1/2 of a protein shake that I gulped down to have something to help with the insulin I had already taken.

My BS are like a roller coaster, everything seems fine and then I eat and it shoots up like a Roman Candle firework. I have never seen a trendline stay level through out the day. I am also getting challenged with allergies. My regular commutes which have been easy rides in the past have now become a struggle and my legs feel heavy. I don't know if I should just ride it out or stop and take a week long break. I am taking antihistimines as well as a decongestant along with an anti - asthma medication only for the days I ride (sports induced). Still I struggle.

I am riding again tomorrow, because it just feels so great to be outside, to ride, to be cold then hot, to roll into work after a great work out and then shower and get ready for the day ahead. My attitude becomes even more focused on possibilities instead of challenges, but when I have a morning like this morning and no amount of insulin seems to fix the problem, I worry. Eventually it all straightened out again, well at least until I ate again. Hmmm maybe I should become a breatharian and live on air, I am sure I could control my basals better than my boluses then.

Ok, good news for tonight my BS is at 139, the bad new is I just ate and it is on an upward trend. Ugh! Heading to bed for a 6:45 AM start to my ride tomorrow seems tiring given that I know I could end up with some night time highs... Guess I will take a couple units of Humulog and sleep until my lows or my CGM alarms signals me to wake up. Thankfully I still feel my lows and get woken out of a sleep with serious sweating. Makes it hard to tell the difference between a low or early onset of menopause! Ha.... ain't it all fun.

Here's hoping I get to sleep through the night and wake up on time tomorrow.

Cheers
Penny

"Quiting is never an option for a diabetic"

Riding in the Tour de Cure

First I want to thank everyone for their support, so many people contributed their time and money, without this support I would have never done this ride. I met all my goals, I raised $2840, I earned my Diabetes Victory Jacket, I rode the Tour de Cure in a Red Rider Jersey, I improved my time, I made new friends including other Type 1 Diabetics and I rode the Tour with really great friends, (ah Priceless). Talk about a successful event.

All good things are not without some challenges and this ride had a few. First, it was not the best of conditions but it could have been much worse. We had a lot of wind and the morning chill felt like winter all over again. I followed my morning ride routine and ate 3 pancakes, Tbs of almond butter with a special treat, my husband made me coffee. Ahh heaven! Took 3.5 units of Humalog and set my alarm for 7 am to remind me to take my Levamir while on the road to the Tour. My support friends and I met around 6:15 am then headed to the ride location about 45 min away in Rancho Sahuarita.

Arrived at the site, took 4 units of levimir, which was less than planned, but it was all that was left in my pen. (Note to self: make sure you have enough supply of insulin when leaving the house). As we were unloading the bikes, we quickly realized how cold the day was going to be. Glad I wore my riding pants, arm warmers, jersey, head band, gloves and jacket. I kept most of all this on until about the 40 mile marker. I was at the start when I realized my BS were very high, ~288. I kept thinking I should take a shot. BS stayed high up until the 20 mile mark(first rest stop) when it began to go down, and down and down. It was looking good as my goal was to remain at 152 for the majority of the ride. I stayed above 160 most of the way through.

The 2nd 20 - 30 miles were the most difficult, an 8 mile climb up Mt Hopkins. Ugh! It felt like it would never end. This is where my legs started burning and my back went into small spasms.
Even one of my experienced support riders, Gary, said "This isn't fun!" but we pushed on. I just new if I made it to the top of the hill I would feel great. I did, a little fatigued, but great. Great support at the top of Mt Hopkins with Ibuprofen for the spasms and 2 Girlscout Cookies for the spirit. I also finished my PB&J and my first bottle of perpetuem. We were ready to head down when another Type 1 asked me if I was 'Penny' from the Trek Bikes of Tucson website.
We talked for a few and then it was off to finish what we started, even though I knew one of my support friends had been cussing at me the whole way up, I couldn't hear her but I knew. Soo in all fairness, she is not a big fan of hills in general and I know the main reason she was there was for me. So Colleen, a big shout out to you and your continued support no matter what I put you through. Steve and Richard, awsome job pacing and keeping us moving forward. Mary thank you for your lifetime of friendship, support, perseverance and 'Can do' attitude. My husband, Tabot, and daughter, Sedona, were at the last rest stop to cheer us on. It was great to see them ringing bells and yelling. Wow! I truly am blessed.

Anyway, we headed to the back 25 which was not so bad, a nice downhill ride, hitting high speeds and nice coasting. We kept a nice pace, but I had kept the group a little long at the first two rests, almost 45 min total, too long. When we rolled into the finish the festivities for the most part were over. The good news, I cut off 2 hours from the first time I rode 60 miles :) and BS were not my worry. Very nice to have the Dexcom 7 to manage my BS trends. This along with some alarms I set on my watch, I was able to time my food intake and water.

All in all, it was a great ride, with great wonderful friends and family. I look forward to riding next years Tour de Cure!