Down to the Short Rows

Only 18 days are left until the Ride to Cure Diabetes. I'm a little sad that we are nearly finished with the lead-up. I have only one training ride planned in the Tri Cities, and I will bike this weekend in Chicago while on vacation. That's it...then it is time to ship the bike. All that is left is to grow my hair out for the Mo!

Though the fun of the last few months will be missed, it will be awesome to roll off that start line and take on the final aspect of my goal. With God, anything is possible. I have Him, and all of you. I will draw on all of the words of encouragement you have shared as I climb the mountains and fight through the fatigue. I did on my 60- and 68-mile rides recently. I already know that you are as much a part of what I am doing as the cranks, gears, and chain. That is to say, you are essential on this endeavor.

It is true that I have grown through this experience and improved physically so that I am now in the best shape of my life. However, alone, I am still inadequate. With your help, dozens have united for one cause, raised nearly $5,000, and given Braeden and millions of others a leg up on Type 1 Diabetes. I could never tell you how happy that makes my family feel. Maybe you already know. I hope so. And, I hope you recognize the difference you are making.

THANKS, and stay tuned for reports from Killington, Vermont!!!

Pain vs. Fear of Pain

I knew it would eventually happen. And, in a way, I thought it would come as a bit of relief when it finally did occur. Now, I can say in fact that is the case. My first bike crash was not bad. I wasn't hurt, and neither was the bike. But, I had been anticipating it for the past 700 or so miles. And that was bad. Now that's out of the way, I think I will relax a little.

Dude, it happened fast. It was just the result of a careless wiggle of the handle bar. No dog, other bike, vehicle, or gravel was involved. I allowed my front wheel to wander a little as I shifted my grip on the handlebars. There was no shoulder on this stretch of road, and my wheel dropped off that precipitous ledge that divides the path of iron steeds from the rug of rain damp weeds. Too bad, Allen. Your fate is sealed; the die is cast.

The last wiggle had me leaning a little to my left, and soon my center of gravity drifted where my tires could not follow. My left pedal made contact with the ground first. My helmet hit last. 12 mph to zero in about 2 feet. Skin and cycling clothes make great for a fast halt on pavement. However, my gloved hands were spared from cuts, and the abrasion on my knee will be healed by Monday. My sore shoulder should be just fine by mid week. Glad it wasn't worse.

Anticipation often is more intense than the trauma itself. I see it a lot while raising our kids. It happens every "set change," where we have to replace the infusion tube that delivers insulin under Braeden's skin. He cries or is anxious when he is aware that it is time and frets throughout the 3 minute process until the delivery needle is withdrawn. Indicating, however, just how little discomfort is really involved, Braeden launches right back into play without limping or nursing his bum. It's just part of diabetes. And like my crash, the experience us a little wiser and thankful it is not worse.

Shirt Design Preview

Hello, all. JDRF has sent me a proof of my jersey for the Killington ride. It is adorned with the JDRF logos and has my sponsors' names on the back. I hope no one minds...I asked to have

my top donors listed on the shirt. Space limitations prevent all of my donors' names from appearing. It will be great having the names of so many friends an coworkers riding with me those 99.46 miles in August.

Training is progressing a bit slow for my tastes. Between travel, family obligations and nursing my knee, I have only managed 4 rides this month. However, I have now put almost 600 miles on my bike, and my longest ride to date is 48 miles. I need to be up to 75 miles in 1 month in order to stay on track. If my knee cooperates, I feel this is very do-able.

The route has been posted on the JDRF site. It was a long time coming. I have attached an image of the route from mapmyride.com. Check out the elevation profile. Oh, mama! The last 11 or 12 miles are going to be a test!

Knee Pain

Well, I have hit a bit of a frustrating point in my training. And I think it all began over a desire to have some really sexy road bike shoes. There could be a lesson in all of this. But right now I'm too busy to admit it.

I have been riding with a pair of mountain bike shoes and pedals that I purchased roughly a decade ago. They work great, actually. I got the idea of "upgrading" to road shoes and pedals, however, since it got hot. That ride in the rain also factored in. I estimated that road shoes would be cooler and not fill up with as much water when it did rain. Other folks claimed I would benefit from the stiffer footbed and lighter weight, as well. Two ebay purchases later and I'm holding some really nice pedals and shoes.

So, my first ride with the new pedals was a 48 mile jaunt last Saturday. I knew something was not right when, 4 miles into the trip, my left knee began to mumble in discomfort. Within 10 more miles, I admitted to my riding partner that my knee "hurt." And, before the ride was out, the pain was really significant. Great first outing with my new kicks, huh?

Well, I have been to a couple of local bike shops, consulted with experienced cyclists, and researched quite a bit on the internet. So, I am completely qualified to start guessing at how to change my setup in order to address the pain. There are no less than a dozen variables: seat height, lateral/medial cleat position; internal/external cleat rotation; varus/valgus forefoot cant; etc. I endeavored to ride a bit yesterday to see if some of the first adjustments made a difference. Not really. Keep guessing, that is my plan.

Wish me luck. In the mean time, I'm going to keep a positive attitude about this new purchase. Afterall, those shoes really are awesome!

Nearing the Achievement of my Goal

Folks, we have almost done it. You have nearly raised $4,200 for Braeden and JDRF! There are not many things I can to do express my gratitude for the contributions you have made. Braeden's life is so dramatically affected by diabetes. Your donations to JDRF are personal and moving to me.

I set out a few weeks ago to put together a slide show that at once helps raise awareness of type 1 diabetes and thanks the many individuals who have helped me get so close to my 2009 Ride goals. That slide show is posted below. This video was first shown two Friday's ago at a benefit dinner for the JDRF Walk to Cure Diabetes team The Braeden Bunch; it was a hit. Thank you for everything you have done to make an improvement of the lives of those with type 1 diabetes.

Allen

Rain = Slower, Cooler

Both yesterday and today I rode a portion of my distance in the rain. This is a first for me, and I'm glad it finally happened. Since there is no guarantee that the weather will be nice on Ride Day, being familiar with riding in weather, including wind, rain, and cold, gives me some confidence.

What did I learn? Staying cool is no problem when riding in the rain. Visibility is reduced quite a bit due to water droplets on glasses and the tendency to squint through the spray. Shoes get heavy once they are waterlogged. Cold rivulets probe your neck and back. The normal sounds of the bike are muffled or inaudible altogether, drowned out by the report of a million rain drops on the road, trees and rider. The water on the road and the extra weight on the bike act like a brake, slowing acceleration and dropping the top speed by a few mph.

Maybe we should all hope for some nice weather on 29 August in Killington!

A Bug's Life

Two quick updates about the fundraising effort before a short account of recent training:

(i) Today you helped me reach 90% of my fundraising goal!!! There is less than $400 to go. WOW!

(ii) I will be sending a detailed email update to my d-list in the next several days that will include a link to a cool video I think you'll like. It highlights Braeden's experience with diabetes. I am excited about finishing the production and rolling it out to you.

Rides last month and in April have been great. The warmer weather really has spoiled me. I don't look forward to 90 degree temperatures, but I also think I would struggle in those 40 degree days I experienced in winter. Maybe these moderate days will last another full month or two.

With all of this moderate weather, I am getting a nice cycling-short tan. You know the one...everything north of the top of the knee is snow white. There are sharp lines that betray the happy homes of my shorts cuffs. I guess it beats a farmer tan. Like I say, there is a lot more sun with this better weather, but that is not all.

Now there are bugs, too! Holy heck, let me tell you how tough your car windshield is. It takes neither much speed nor size for a bug to leave a mark. And, a big bug--say a bumble bee--at 34 miles per hour can crater the flesh. It is very important to wear glasses while cycling for obvious reasons. But who knew that you needed a grille, too? Oh yeah, those little winged critters jet through the air intakes, too! And since I am most often breathing like a 747 at take-off, often the first indication of a breach is the sensation of a pointy little insect ricocheting off my uvula or rattling down my trachea. These little things get netted in my helmet, too. Heimlich the Beautiful Butterfly may be minding his business flitting around the north-bound lane one minute and then trying to figure out how to escape a maze of impact foam through a vent on my hat the next. So far, no humble bumble has gotten hung in the attic and tried to sting its way out. However, I think that will happen very soon.

Here's to creepy things on your scalp and warm sunshine! Thanks for the continued support, and be on the lookout for that video soon!