No
matter how my frozen brain cells analyzed the situation, the common logic conclusion
was always that I should pull over, get off the bike and hop into one of the
warm and dry support vehicles. I was
recognizing many symptoms of hypothermia and my constant shaking was really
making it unsafe for me to be riding a bicycle.
It was about 10 degrees Celsius and I was literally soaked to the bone. One of the things that cycling has taught me
is to be able to endure a certain level of discomfort, but honestly, I had a
difficult time thinking of a time when I was more uncomfortable on a bike than
at that moment. Like I have done many
times before, my answer was to literally attempt to ride away from the
problem. I just needed to go
harder. After a few minutes, the extra
workload seemed to bring up my core temperature and I stopped shaking. I was not comfortable by any means, but at
least I was no longer fearing being hauled off in an ambulance because of a
dangerously low body temperature.
The
day before the ride was such a beautiful early fall day. It was sunny, not too warm with no wind. 70 riders were signed up to ride and I was so
stoked!
The
next morning, Saturday, September 29th, we woke up to cool temps and
heavy cloud. As soon as I pulled into
Mike’s Bike Shop, a light rain started to come down. It was 8 degrees and the forecast looked quite
wet, but riders just kept rolling in. In
a way it was the perfect analogy to Type 1 gaming. No matter how much planning you do, there are
still some uncontrollable factors that can and do mess with your perfect
plan. Just like the crap weather we were
facing, high and low blood sugars, bad infusion sets just happen. It’s just a Type 1 game rule…
The
early group rolled out at 7:30 am
with the main group leaving about 30 minutes later. It was cold.
It was wet. It was very
uncomfortable. I was chaffed in areas
that I sincerely did not think possible on a bike ride even after a lifetime of
riding. Enduring such pain as a group
like that, especially for a reason like helping finding a cure for Type 1
Diabetes creates a kind of bond amongst the sufferers. A situation like this really teaches you what
you’re made of. The grit and
determination of some riders really surprised me. 200 kms cycled in one day with close to 2000
meters of climbing is a challenge in itself, but really tough in these conditions.
For me I believe that in a way it was easier to find the courage to keep
pedaling given the whole reason for the ride, but for many without a personal
connection to Type 1 Diabetes, they must have had to dig a little deeper to
find the motivation to keep spinning the pedals. I personally have the utmost respect for all
who completed the entire distance.
Congrats to the riders who made the finishers list… Honestly, congrats.
Most
riders, including myself, deemed the ride as the “hardest day on a bike in my
life”. One of the things that I love
most about cyclists is their positive attitude.
You organize an event that turns into a near-death experience and the
riders don’t bitch or complain… They
thank you.
After
all the math, $19,479 has been raised and donated to JDRF in search for a cure
for Type 1 Diabetes!! That’s over $4,000
above our initial goal of $15,000.
From
Adele and all other Type 1 gamers out there, I would like to personally and sincerely
thank everyone who made this happen! Thanks
to all participants and to the sponsors: Mike’s Bike Shop, Arcteryx, Giant
bicycles, Terry Tomlin, Cycle Lambert, Sock Guy, Simple Signs and Dieppe Rotary
club as well as all who donated including Pablo Vergara for all his help and
for sacrificing his dignity and hair for the cause…
THANK
YOU !!
*Photo by Don Ricker photography
