Crashed the Yeti at FOMBA

So life has been pretty busy as of late. I have been riding a fair amount since the Bruin's won the Stanley Cup and my work schedule has lightened up. I have started a new diet that I will get more in depth in after a little more time goes but, but so far am impressed. It's not really so much of a diet as it a 'Hey You, eat healthy'! More to come....

I was riding at one of my favorite New England trail areas, FOMBA (Lake Massabesic) this past weekend. I was to ride all the trails finishing with Fireline, and then turn around and do Fireline again backwards. I was about 1/4 of the way through Long Trail and I heard a loud bang, it was kind of like the same sound as when you are cruising down a rocky trail and a BFR hits your rim/crank/downtube. But it wasn't any of those! By tire immediately locked up and I began skidding out of control. I went over the bars and landed side thigh first on another BFR, and my bike went ass over tea kettle hitting yet another BFR right on the seat stay/drop out junction. The stays are made of carbon fiber and the crash resulted in a bulged and splintered carbon seat stay. The loud bang I heard was the drop out cracking.

I talked to my dealer back in Colorado and got an RA # from Yeti. I FedEx overnighted (is that a word?) it today and hope to hear good news soon. I am very hopeful that Yeti will replace the frame as I have many events coming up including a MTB skills camp for type 1 diabetic kids in the Boston area. This will be difficult without my bike. Yeti has a great reputation and I have nothing bad to say about the bike itself, I just cant afford to be without a bike right now.... will keep you posted!

Type1Rider Trailer

Tony Cervati has Type 1 Diabetes and is racing his bike in the Tour Divide to show everyone that people with diabetes have no limitations. Tour Divide is a 2,845 mile mountain bike race from Banff, Canada to Antelope Wells, NM (Mexico/US border) along the great divide. This race climbs a total of over 200,000 ft from start to finish, and takes an average of 3-4 weeks. The race must be done unsupported. All racers must utilize the same facilities that are available to everyone on the route, and no racers can pre-arrange any sort of stop for anything, including supplies. This will be an epic feat for him and for diabetes.

Please help Tony and TapRoot Films create the film. Go to the Kick Starter page below and show your support. Please share this information in all your social media outlets, blogs, email and websites so that this film can happen. I know every single person who reads this is in someway affected by diabetes

Tony: @type1rider on Twitter
TapRootFilms: @taprootfilms on Twitter
Kick Starter site: http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/taprootfilms/type-1-rider-the-film

Please check out the trailer for the film that will help Tony help all of those who are affected with diabetes.

First dry Willowdale Ride!

Yeti Big Top 29er + Singletrack = :-)

Got out for a quick lap at Willowdale State Forrest. A little drizzle in the air, but I'll call it dry as my last ride out there was pouring and 40°F. Trails were in very good shape this time around, and the ride was great.

I started the day with a couple pieces of Double Protein toast with strawberry jelly. I added my 40g carbs and  BG of 98 into the Bolus Wizard of my MiniMed pump and it delivered a bolus of 4.9U. I went for an easy 1hr hike with dogs, and when I returned home to get ready for my ride I was low at 65. My CGM warned me of the approaching low, but I was out of glucose tablets in the car. You may think this is deplorable, but it happens, and I fixed the issue the same day and replenished. Set a temp basal of 55% a little after 2pm for a 3:30pm start time.

The start of the ride was chilly but I warmed up pretty quickly. I am convinced that the cold weather has an impact on insulin sensitivity. I can't back it with any medical resource at this time, but I feel like low BG's are more apt to happen in colder weather. I digress. My only complaint on my ride was a little lower back pain. I'm not sure if I am getting used to wearing a hydration pack or if riding a single-speed could be the culprit, but those are the only things that have changed recently.

This weeks riding....

I think I have turned the motivational corner, and have started getting into more of a regular exercise schedule. The weather has NOT cooperated. It has been raining, cold and windy. My job does not allow any sort of normal schedule for eating, sleeping or exercise so I just have to suck it up and get it done. Some days (rarely) I will work 8am-5pm, some game days I might do a 11am-11pm, and weekends may be a double header. It has yet to fail that my day off is gloomy, windy, snowy, cold and rainy. Even though all this can, and will, deteriorate motivation to get out and exercise I have to suck it up and get out.

I'm still here..... barely!

So after a long 5 weeks with no posting I figured it was about 4 weeks past due! I have failed at blogging......

Within a day of my last post I was running a temperature anywhere from 97-101, had most of the minor flu-like symptoms, and felt terrible! Like most people with diabetes, the common cold makes managing my diabetes very difficult. My basal rates can get thrown out the window. My insulin to carb ratio's can get flushed, and my insulin correction sensitivities need Midol!

After a few days of high temps and nausea it migrated into the a head cold that would not budge. For about 4 weeks I have been a mucus coughing/spitting machine, feeling less than stellar. I missed all 5 remaining cyclocross races (although 3 would have been missed due to work schedule changes anyway). So the only exercise I have gotten has come from hikes with the dogs since the Shedd Park race. This has been somewhat self inflicted with the Holidays and all.

Kingdom Trails Again!

 Kingdom Trails in East Burke, VT have to be some of my favorite since moving to Boston. It's a 3 hour drive up, but is worth it! A few weeks ago the trip to Kingdom Trails was a bit of an adventure with my blood sugars, as I could not get my sugar up even though I was taking in plenty of carbs. Just one of those days!

Willowdale Ride

So I haven't really been on a ride since my FOMBA adventures last week. I have been on a few hikes with the dogs, but nothing to blog about. I went for a short ride out at Willowdale today. It was about 10 miles (full loop), and it was the same course as the race on 5/21/2010, with a little extra single track at the end. Legs were not feeling that great when the ride started, it took me about a half hour before I really felt warmed up. In addition, my glucose sensors have not been real accurate in the last couple weeks, and today was no exception. I suppose this is an entirely separate issue/post, but the sensors have not been recognizing rapid or drastic changes in blood glucose, which is kinda one of the main features! I was using sensors that were a tad on the old side, so a new one will be inserted tonight for a Sunday morning calibration and hope for better results this week.

Basically how the glucose sensors works is that there is a transmitter that wirelessly transmits blood sugar data to my insulin pump. Attached to the transmitter, and inserted into my abdominal area, is a sensor. It has a tiny tube that, after insertion, lies in ythe interstitial fluid and measures blood glucose. There is a possible slight lag in the glucose readings from the interstitial fluid and actual blood glucose (blood sugar) levels, but Medtronic says 20% accuracy. That means if the sensor reading says your blood sugar is 100, and actual finger prick reading should be between 120-80 roughly.

So I started my ride at 185 mg/dl. That's a good place to start a ride, it usually drops like a rock in the first half hour for me even though I have temp basal rate set. Today I set a 55% temp basal, and I did it 1.5 hours before ride start. I normally do it 1 hour before ride start, but I am trying to work on the 'drop like a rock' blood sugars in the first half hour! My sugar stayed elevated today, even up to 209 according to the sensor 50:19 minutes into the ride. I was running a little low on energy so ate a GU. Do you really eat those? They really can't be chewed, or swallowed whole... I guess it's more like chewing gum with no dentures! I digress. So the ride was finished by 1hour 17 minutes, and sensor was still hanging at 205. I checked with the glucometer and it said 274! Ouch! I took 3 units for correction, and another 3 an hour later, and threw the sensor away and opened a new box.

All in all it was a good ride, although the 274 says why I wasn't feeling that great. I got in around 10 miles, mostly single track, and rode for about 1:17. I did take 11 minutes off my time from the race on 5/21/2010 on the same course so I was pretty pleased with that! Might have to time trial this in  the weeks to come for a good spring to fall fitness comparison!! Go ride!

29er tested...

I ended up battling traffic and made the trek to the Specialized demo ride. Glad I made it! I did two laps (they had short test ride lap setup, maybe 2-3 miles) on the carbon hardtail with Sram XX. The bike fit pretty well, but would need some proper fitting. Well, after my two laps I was sold! Not necessarily on the Specialized, but on the 29er platform. It felt fast and I was amazed we how well it went over the rocky and rooty sections. I did seem to hit my pedals in a couple corners that I don't think would have on my 26", but I did not analyze crank length or bb clearance.

Blood sugar still a little on the low side, may run a slight temp basal tonight. Good night and sweet (29er) dreams!

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