It's been a long time since I last posted and here is the reason why: After the long ride with my brother on that evil-hot day (see previous post) I vowed not to ride in conditions like that again, and since that whole week turned out to be brutal weather-wise, that was the only ride of the week. Call me a wuss but I know my limits. In some ways it was a blessing as it was the last week of summer session and I was able to focus on my students and get done what needed to be done instead.
During the second half of that hot week Hubby and the kids were at my in-laws in Albert Lea while I stayed in Mankato. Somewhere on the journey to Albert Lea Hubby realized that there was not any insulin in the "pink bag" (which is our constant companion whenever we go out as it holds all of Annika's on-the-go supplies). The insulin was needed as it was the day to change Annika's infusion site and reload her insulin pump (which we do every three days). Hubby called me in Mankato just after 9pm to let me know there was no insulin for reloading...eek! The short version of the story is that my dad, who lives across the street from us, went digging in our fridge to get the perscription refill number, I called it in to Walgreen's in Albert Lea, which was closing in 45 minutes and whose automated refill system said it wouldn't be ready until the next day, I cursed, Hubby arrived at Walgreen's with 15 minutes to spare and had no problem getting the necessary insulin. Whew! Situations like that bring thoughts to my head about all sorts of bad "what if" scenarios...but thankfully, oh so thankfully, it was easily remedied this time.
This past Sunday, my brother Mark, his friend Shaun and I rode on the Dakota Rails Trail from trailhead to trailhead. We racked up 44 miles on smooth asphalt. Aaah. The only little snafu was when Shaun, who has a fancy bike with super skinny, low-profile tires, drove off the trail while observing the lovely corn fields and rolled his tire. Thankfully he was prepared with a new inner tube and Mark had a pump, albeit a non-functioning pump. The day was saved by another biker, who was the long-lost twin of my cousin Doug, as he had a pump that worked and a tool that helps get your tire on and off. It was educational to watch as I don't know how to change a bike tire, which is probably something I should know. (Side note: I learned how to change a car tire at 3:00 a.m. with my friend Chris when we were about 18 years old. We were determined not to call our fathers in to save us. You're welcome, Dad!) The early start we got on the trail that day was a blessing. By the time we were headed back to our point of origin there was quite a bit of traffic headed out on the trail. Shaun and Mark were able to travel at a faster rate than I towards the end of the ride (even though I had a high protein breakfast this time before riding...makes a BIG difference), so I rode at my own pace for the last couple miles and met up with them back in the trail parking lot.
This morning I put in 24 miles and zipped around a couple of the lakes before heading home. I would have liked to go farther but the dewpoint in the early a.m. was tropical and, much like the icky ride with my brother, I had a hard time cooling down. Tonight my cousin Jenny and I are heading north to Alexandria for the weekend. Our bikes are coming with us and we'll be trying out the Lake Wobegon Trail that runs through central Minnesota. More on that in the next episode!
The Ride in La Crosse is a little more than two weeks away. There is plenty of room for more donations to support the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, which is the reason for all of this pedaling and sweating. Go to http://www2.jdrf.org/goto/gjengdahl to make your donation!
