Riding Dillon Reservoir - June 8, 2019

It's easy to get busy and let training go by the wayside. I'm full of excuses - the weather has been terrible (for real - we had a foot of snow less than two weeks ago), we've been selling one house, moving into storage, and getting ready to buy again, we are commuting from Fairplay to Colorado Springs . . .  and, yet we are still beginning to train.

Because of the snow and delay of summer, Thad and I have been hiking more than riding. Last week, we hiked out a trail towards Breakneck Pass with our axes and cleared the trees that had fallen this winter. We've ridden that trail a few times. It is a combination of single track and dirt roads, makes an 8 mile loop and climbs 1400 feet of elevation. I set goals each time - longer distances before I have to put my foot down and climbing further up the hill before stopping to catch my breath are two goals that I consistently strive for. I am getting stronger.

Today, we are going over the hill to Breckenridge where we will complete a 30 mile ride around Dillon Reservoir. I think it might feel easy because we will be riding at 9,000 feet in elevation as opposed to 10,200 feet. Today, I will enjoy the ride and the challenges that it brings!

I'm checking in again after the ride. Today was great! We both felt strong, made some "bests" on sections of the ride including the climb up Swan Mountain - about 900' of elevation over 3.5 miles. It was odd that my BG was high during the climb and for quite awile after. I can't explain it. Maybe I went low and rebounded up. Maybe I miscalculated the number of fruit snacks I needed in order to keep my BG up during the climb. Maybe I shouldn't have suspended insulin delivery as early as I did. Maybe is just was. I get frustrated at times. It is hard to always have to think about BG numbers, snacking, not snacking . . .  all of the time. But since T1D is what I live with, I manage it. Albeit not perfectly, but I do my best. Today I enjoyed the ride and the challenges that it brought.

Riding for a Cure

Dear Friends and Family,

Mom and I are embarking on a fun adventure at the beginning of July. We will be riding along the Erie Canal Trail from Buffalo to Syracuse. We will be part of the organized ride and will ride about 50 miles a day. We are looking forward to the time together (with dad along to drive and support us as we ride).  Part of what makes this ride enticing are the many historic and recreational sites along the way. We hope to stop at the Elizabeth Cady Stanton Home and explore the historic locks and bridges. We will also visit the house my dad grew up in and the church where my grandfather was a minister in Pittsford, NY.

Mom, dad, Thad, and I are using this ride to raise funds for The Children’s Diabetes Foundation. The Children’s Diabetes Foundation was established by Barbara and Marvin Davis in 1977 in Denver as a non-profit organization dedicated solely to the support of research in diabetes and to provide the best possible clinical and educational programs for people with the disease. The Foundation’s mission is to raise funds to support the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes, where thousands of patients of all ages from all over the world receive the finest diabetes care available.

This August, I will mark 24 years living with T1D. I am currently a patient at the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes. I am fortunate to have excellent health care and I have benefited from improvements in treatment. Currently, I use a Medtronic 670G Insulin Pump. I also wear a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) which measures my Blood Glucose (BG) continuously. The pump and CGM talk to one another and my pump adjusts the amount of insulin given based on my BG number. This positive change allows me to have better control and gives me a bit more freedom around my T1D management. When it is in auto mode, it does some of the thinking for me which means that I can pay slightly less attention to my pump and BG numbers.

Our goal is to raise $5,000 for The Children’s Diabetes Foundation so that we can help find a cure to Type 1 Diabetes and can support the educational and clinical programs so that others with the disease receive the care and support needed!

Please donate today! Tax deductible donations can be made through August 30^th (the date I was diagnosed) on the Children’s Diabetes Foundation website linked HERE. Or you can write a check payable to The Children’s Diabetes Foundation and give it to me or to mom. 

As we train and ride, we will add to this shared blog about our experiences. We hope you will follow and enjoy our journey. 

Sarah, Mary, Keith, and Thad