Collin Classic 2013

I was out of town last year for the Collin Classic Bike Rally.  This is a 64 mile rally in McKinney that is weel planned and supported.  There were a few changes this year.  There was a large riders village to get drinks and browse local bike wares.  After the ride there was a band, food trucks, and kid activities.  I got there early to set up a make-shift JDRF booth to promote the Ride to Cure.

All of the parking was in the grass so that is where I set up my booth.  I got a lot of vehicle traffic but no pedestrian traffic so I do not think that the booth was very productive.  Anyways, it did give me a chance to interface with Bikin' Mike (event organizer).

At the start I saw Philip and his buddy.  I also saw the JDRF coach and his wife.  Another JDRF rider was there but at the front of the pack and I never caught up with him.  As I was doing the 64 miler I departed at the 8AM hour with the first group.

The first part was a bit scary.  There were two accidents that required an ambulance.  I hoped it was not a harbinger of things to come.  And it wasn't.  I had a good ride.  The event is large enough where you can always find a wheel to tag on to.  The route was good with some rolling hills mixed in the east part of the route.  I rolled in with just under 17 mph average for the 64 miles.  I slipped into the Rider's Villiage and grabbed a grilled hamburger (delicious), some ice water, and snagged my free T-shirt.  A good ride.

Bike Training Log

Here is my bike training log up till 8-18-13.  (Double-Click to expand)

WildRide! 2013

I participated again this year in the WildRide! rally supporting a local cancer treatment hospital. This is a 65 mile ride through Richardson and the country towns east of Lake Lavon. The ride is broken up into three segments of about 20 miles each.

In the first segment I start out with several buddies from TI: Will, Ken, Umar, TC, Andrew, and Kang. We weave in and out of the bike traffic maintaining a healthy pace.  This leg is the most fun because there is always a wheel to latch on to and interesting riders to watch and converse with. The leg culminates at the end of the Lavon Dam where we can break to refill our supplies.


The second leg runs East past the Lake Lavon dam into the city of Nevada and Josephine.  My TI companions are planning to ride a bit farther up before turning around so for the next 5 miles I ride with Kang (the one shoe wonder).  My group hangs a U-turn and I keep going.  The country side is calm and beautiful and the ride quite nice.  There are some nice rolling hills on this leg to keep things interesting.  The path loops around and ends up back at the Lavon Dam.


At this point I have logged 45 miles and my legs feel OK, but everything else starts to hurt: keister, knees, elbows.  When there is just 15 miles to go my pace slows considerably; of course, the 20 mph headwind may have something to do with that.  I trudge through those last miles and through the finish line.  I welcome the opportunity to sit in the shade, eat a slice of pizza and hang out with the group for a bit.  I completed the 65 mile course with a moving average of 15.2 mph.  It was a good ride.

Bike to Work Day - 2013

Did you bike to work on Bike to Work Day?  Well, I didn't.  It was kind of raining that morning and I had a busy day at the office with early meetings.  I think I need an e-bike to make this really work.

Since We Last Spoke...

It has been a while since we last spoke.  The kids have all gotten a year older.  Seth is 9, Lance is 7, and Lexi is 3.  Seth and Lance are taking Karate and have recently earned their Orange Belt.  Lexi is taking ballet and gymnastics and is taking swim lessons to get ready for summer.

Stacey is keeping us all on schedule and with food in our lunch boxes and clean clothes on our back.  She is still heavily involved with the PTA at both schools and that alone keeps her pretty busy.

Work is keeping me busy.  Our group is sort of in start-up mode trying to get some new projects off the ground so there is always new challenges to be faced and new customers to visit.  I am training for the cycling century which puts me on the bike about 2 times a week.  Plus, I am serving as JDRF Ride Coordinator this year to help bolster the Dallas Chapter support.  Do you bike?  If so, come join us.

My Inspiration

On December 1, 2008, just eleven days before his third birthday, Lance, my son, was diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. He is the inspiration for me to join the JDRF Bike Ride for a Cure and to raise money for Diabetes research. They have been making great advances in treatment options and will hopefully find a cure for this disease within Lance's lifetime.

There are generally two types of Diabetes: Type 1 and Type 2. Type 2 is far more common and you probably know someone within your family or close friends with this condition. Type 2 Diabetics can produce insulin, but their bodies do not utilize it very well to get sugars (i.e. fuel) into the cells. This condition is generally treated with diet, exercise, weight loss, and oral medication.

Lance, however, is Type 1 which means his body does not produce insulin. The treatment options for Type 2 patients do not apply to him. He needs regular insulin shots and a prescribed carbohydrate diet. In general, he can eat anything that he wants as long as it falls within his allotted carb amount. So, cakes, candy, cookies are all possible if Mom and Dad plan ahead. He can do everything a normal toddler can do but we have to monitor his blood sugars regularly to make sure he is not getting too high or too low. What he eats, how much he eats, illness, and activity level all impact blood sugar numbers. As we are finding out, predicting the tastes, appetite, and activity level of a toddler is quite difficult.

FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions)

Q: How did Lance get this disease?
A: Doctors do not really know how this disease initiates. Genetics may play a part though many children get this disease without any family history. It is believed that a typical virus (i.e. Strep, Flu, etc.) kick-starts the imune system to fight off the infection which inadvertantly attack the insulin producing cells in the pancreas. Ultimately, all of the insulin producing cells are destroyed which creates this condition.

Q: Will Lance outgrow this condition?
A: No. Once the insulin producing cells are destroyed, they do not regenerate. Lance will have this condition for the rest of his life.

Q: How did you know he had Diabetes?
A: When there is insufficient insulin in the body, the sugar in your blood stream can not get to the cells where it is needed. So, the sugars keep building up. The body tries to get rid of the excess sugar through the urine. One of the common symptoms of diabetics is to be very thirsty and excessive urination. Lance had both of these symptoms. He could not get enough water to drink. He was chugging the bath water from a bucket! We were going to the potty and changing diapers every fifteen minutes! After Thanksgiving holiday we realized that this was not normal and took him in to see the doctor.

Q: Does Lance have to eat all sugar-free foods?
A: No. He can actually eat anything he wants as long as the carbs are within his "budget". With his insulin regimen he has a prescribed amount of carbs to eat with each meal or snack. We have to plan his food intake to be within this budget.

Q: I heard about this new treatment/drug/study for diabetics. Have you looked into that?
A: We are finding out that all the revolutionary new treatments, drugs, or studies are not qualified for toddlers. Even standard equipment like the pump are not recommended for toddlers. Most of the new stuff is tried out on adults and then teenagers before it becomes approved for all patients.

Post a question if you would like and I will try to answer it.