The beginning and the end, sort of.

My first official sports jersey and rider number ever!

Whoop, there it is! This was the view at the starting line at 7 a.m. this morning. The throng was ready to ride! This was actually the view of the third of three waves of riders that were heading out...the coolest people were in the back. My dear friend Ann and her b'friend Peter were there to help with the send off and volunteer their time to help handing out snacks.

The temps started out in the mid-60s, which are perfect riding temps in my humble opinion, but the sky was pregnant with rain that didn't wait too long to start falling. The joy of riding in the rain is that you can only get so wet and then you can't get any wetter. Once my socks and shoes were thoroughly saturated I was at maximum water retention. I was wishing for a pair of those Elton John glasses from the 70s that had windshield wipers on them however. I now truly understand why riders wear man-made fibers and what that wicking thing is all about. We got a good dose of rain before it finally stopped.

 

Here is the elevation profile for the La Crosse ride. I didn't make it to that mountainous looking region in the middle, which is okay as it probably would have been my demise. The rest stops were about 14 miles apart and were staffed by enthusiastic volunteers who were leading you to food and drink at every opportunity. This is also where the porta-potties could be found. I was making sure to follow the three 'P's and was drinking enough liquid to warrant stopping. The chunk of the ride between rest stop one and two was hillier than the first section. The second rest stop was in Iowa.

(Hard to see in the small version, but that sign is the "Welcome to Iowa" sign) I wanted to film a lot more of the ride but it became too challenging to ride and film and not get hit by a car all at the same time. My original plan this morning was to ride a "metric century" which equates to about 62 miles, which means I would have had to ride about three miles past the second rest stop and then turn around and head back. But after all of the hills that I had just conquered, I wasn't sure that I could make it that far. I overheard a young women saying that she was going to head back and one of the coaches said he'd ride back with her so she wasn't alone. I recognized this woman as I had spent some time riding behind her earlier and knew that we went about the same pace. At that point I trashed the idea of riding out three miles more and pretended to be an extrovert, went over and introduced myself and said I'd ride back with her. This turned out to be a good thing for both of us as it was much better to ride with someone than alone. Katelin was riding for her 19 year old brother and hadn't trained, other than riding eight miles yesterday. Gulp! We battled our way back over the hills which seemed to be only upwards on the way back and made it back to the finish line together.

Hooray! I'm happy to be done with the ride for this year. It is still the most uncharacteristic thing I've ever done, but I have a personal investment in doing what I can to help raise funds so type one diabetes can be cured. All the MN riders had motivational bike-ware to keep them going and remind them what all this pedaling was about.

These are the reasons we ride...there is Annika on the bottom row, third one over from the left. There is my medal that I just might have to wear around the rest of the day. Now it is time for a celebratory margarita with friends!

Countdown...

Eek! Where has the time gone? The ride is tomorrow morning at 7a.m. Looks like there is a good chance that there will be rain to go along with the start. There are almost 400 riders in tomorrow's ride and together we raised just over one million dollars!!!! One dude raised over $100,000 himself! Guess the bar has been raised. There is still plenty of opportunity for people to donate and help me beat out that guy...how about $150,000?  Go to http://www2.jdrf.org/site/TR?px=1210912&fr_id=1472&pg=personal and throw some money in the kitty and help get me there. Eighty percent of the funds raised go directly to research to find a cure for type one diabetes.

Many people here have said this ride is a life-changing event and there will be many "goose bump moments." I have been teary-eyed more than once since arriving so tomorrow I may be a blithering mess. It is amazing and inspiring to see all of the people that dedicate so much of their time, effort and money to help JDRF find a cure. My friend Ann from Madison is here with her friend Peter and they decided to volunteer to hand out drinks and snacks at the start/finish line...and to yell really loudly for me when I start and finish.

I am fully carb-loaded and sloshy with hydration and now must get some sleep so I can function at 5a.m. To my family...this one's for you.

16 Days to Go!

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!

What is the Sound of One Brain Frying?

It is truly summer in Minnesota and like all good Minnesotans I like to talk about the weather. My brother Mark and I talked about the brutal weather conditions for this morning's ride and still we hopped on our bikes. Trust me, I checked the local and regional radar, twice, hoping that there were some incoming storms that would prevent us from pedaling. No such luck. When we hit the trail at 6:30 a.m. it was already 78ºF, the dew point a sticky 75, and the humidity was 93%. The air was thick with moisture and all was hazy. In that kind of heat it is easy to break out in a sweat with no effort.

We rode on the crushed gravel L.R.T. trail which had many wet areas due to last week's generous rains. Riding on wet gravel is like riding through melted butter, a bit slippery and sluggish. Whose idea was it to ride on that trail today? Besides the damp trail our biggest battle was the overbearing heat and humidity. It felt like we were riding in New Orleans not Minnetonka. It was tough going. We made it out to Victoria before turning around and had to stop for more liquids in Excelsior. The poor woman that was working in the little gas station there looked worse off than we did. The air conditioner wasn't working and she was miserable. She suggested that we not touch any of the candy bars as they were no longer solid. Mark kept pouring water through our helmets to try to cool us down. I was pretty sure my brain was frying. We had to walk our bikes a couple of times on the return trip as it was just too hard to pedal any longer, but we made it 31.25 miles.

At the end of the ride, Mark made it up the last two hills and flopped to the ground in the front yard. By the time I rounded the bend and was heading up the final hill the neighbor across the street was asking Mark if he was okay or needed help. It must have been a dramatic flop to cause the neighbor to be concerned. I told him we were just going to turn the hose on and everything would be okay. Hose water never felt so good!

It's a good thing that misery loves company and that Mark will do just about anything to get out of studying for his biochemistry exam. Dear God, please don't let it be nearly this hot on August 13th in La Crosse. How about 60º instead and tailwinds both ways?

If you would like to donate to the cause, please go to http://www2.jdrf.org/goto/gjengdahl to make a donation in any amount.

Overcoming the Obstacles...or just Complaining?

I have much guilt about only getting one ride in last week so decided to go for a long one today. Today's trek took me down the Sakatah Trail from Madison Lake to Morristown. I wasn't sure if the trail was going to be open through the Sakatah Lake State Park, due to the state government shutdown, but it was. There were barricades up however on the roads that went through the park. And if I was a mischievous teenager I'd probably find a reason to go hang out in the park with no one around.

My friend Ann (member of the Lactic Acid Gang) sent some official padded biking shorts to me and they took their maiden voyage today. I must say that they really are not meant as "walking around" wear as the pad feels like the world's largest maxi-pad with butt wings. However, when you ride your bike with them on they are squeezing and wicking and padding one's parts, so that is all good.

Today's ride was more like an obstacle course as there was need to dodge and swerve around miles and miles of downed tree branches. Not big tree branches but smaller ones that are still capable of getting jammed in your spokes. I'm sure this detritus is also thanks to the state gov't shutdown as there are no state employees receiving paychecks to come and clean them up. (Do not the rest of us have to make compromises every day?)

On the return trip I ran out of water and stopped at the Alley Scoops Ice Cream and Other Treats shop in Elysian. The kind lady filled my empty water bottle and sold me the world's biggest popsicle. It was about ten inches long (hugely phallic in construction) and Jolly Rancher flavored. It was not as good as a root beer or banana popsicle but it was tasty enough at the time.

The last eight miles of the 44.5 were tough as I had entered the discomfort zone. Pretty much everything hurt by that point and I questioned why people do this to themselves. Is there joy in the pain? Is it just seeing if you can survive and reach your goal? It reminds me of childbirth where there is a lot of pain and discomfort involved (and some really good drugs), but you get a baby (or two, or three) at the end of it all. I didn't get a baby at the end of this ride (thankfully!) so I'll have to settle for just feeling good about reaching my goal...surviving a long ride. I look forward to being able to walk up and down steps without saying "ouch" on each one and having the full feeling restored to my pinkie by tomorrow, hopefully.

Still working on reaching my fund raising goal. Check out my progress at: http://www2.jdrf.org/goto/gjengdahl

Ups and Downs

Dawn cracks early and I was up to see it. Hubby was almost up to see it too as he was up checking Annika's blood glucose during the night. She had had a day of super high glucose readings (which is bad) and didn't start leveling out until I got her infusion site changed before bedtime.
(The infusion site is the location where her insulin pump connects to her body. The picture to the left is not her, as she chooses to use her butt as the infusion site location, but you get the general idea.)  This connection site has to be changed every three days and is about an hour long process as Annika prefers to have numbing cream on the new site area first. She doesn't like to feel the poke of the needle that goes into her skin and quickly retracts, but it sets a cannula (like a tiny straw) under her tissue for the insulin to travel through. The cannula is attached to tubing that runs back to her insulin pump. The pump has a cartridge that we fill with enough insulin to get her through three days. When Hubby checked her at 3:00 a.m. she was experiencing a low blood glucose of 58 (optimal range for her is 80-110) so he had to wake her up to drink some juice. (A really low blood glucose can lead to a diabetic coma...don't ever want to go there!) After giving her the juice he waited for anther 20 minutes and checked her blood glucose again and she was slowly climbing up at 93. He left me a note to check her in the a.m., which I did at 5:30 and she was at 139. Since she was a little out of range I gave her a small insulin bolus to bring her glucose down a bit. When she woke up at 8:30 she was feeling shaky, a sure sign of low blood glucose for her, and she was back down to 63. She had some more juice. Such is the wacky world of type one diabetes.

When I hit the trail today it was on a borrowed set of wheels. Amy, my cousin's wife, let me try out her bike for my 20 mile ride this morning. I have been riding my hubby's bike which is a hybrid (something in between a mountain and a road bike). Amy's bike is also a hybrid but is a women's frame so it doesn't have that potentially hazardous bar that runs between the seat and handlebars. The last bike I rode that was made for females was my lavender Mod Girl bike made by Iverson in the 60s or 70s.

It looks quite similar to this one, but has a rainbow banana seat and chrome fenders instead. Just this week it was unhooked from the ceiling of my dad's garage where it has been stored for the last 30 years. It is in the process of being polished and prepped by Hubby for our girls to ride. They have not mastered bike riding yet but I'm hoping they'll be enamored by chopper-style handlebars and think it is about time to learn.

Some of the likable features of Amy's bike include: the lightweight aluminum frame, the fairly smooth grip shifting, the shock absorber on the front wheel and compression seat post (makes hitting the bumps much less jarring), and a seat that makes it easy to sit on your sit bones and thus not make one's feet go numb. I am not sure yet if I enjoyed sitting more upright, as this bike requires, and was in need of more than one cage to hold beverage containers. One of the perks of getting to try out this bike is that it gives me the opportunity to test drive a bike and see what features would be preferable or necessary on any future bike purchase.

Today's ride went fairly well and I'm starting to get a little jazzed about the upcoming La Crosse event. There are almost 400 riders registered so I won't be riding alone on August 13th. Some of the riders have type one diabetes and some are like me and are riding because they know someone with type one. Before the Ride I think I am going to put a photo of Annika and Johanna on the handlebars to help keep me focused when the pedaling gets tough. Only 37 days away!
 http://www2.jdrf.org/goto/gjengdahl

Gettin' By with a Little Help from my Friends (and Brother)

When it rains it pours and so it happened that three people, Chris, Ann & Mark, offered to accompany me on my Saturday ride. My friend Chris (who did some training rides with me in April & May, and used to ride to the Dairy Queen with me back in the day) thought it was going to be a short ride, and it wasn't. Ann, my friend from Madison (who is much more athletic than I) was in town with her bike and thought the ride would start "later" at 7 a.m., but instead the start time was bumped to 6 a.m. And Mark (my non-licensed practicing Chiropractor brother) had his knees adjusted at chiropractic school the day before and just wanted to see if he could ride any distance (his knees were wrecked by endless riding a decade ago). What a joyous surprise to have a posse to go on the journey!

Everyone was dressed in some form of wicking material, myself included, as Mark had bought a pumpkin orange riding shirt for me at REI the day before. Thus my risk of being shot by hunters decreased immensely, and ability to be seen from great distances increased immensely.

The route we took was almost the same one I rode last week that goes by all of the major bodies of water in the Minneapolis city limits. There was an additional four miles added as we started from my house this time around, making our journey 39.9 miles (but we're calling it 40)...and we all lived to tell. When we could, we rode two-by-two as conversing was easier that way, and conversation on a long bike ride makes it seem much shorter. That is why the originally planned short ride of 20 miles just kept going to 40 as everyone seemed so invigorated and hadn't run out of things to talk about. As I was leading the gang along the route Chris said the song "Leader of the Pack" kept coming to her mind. I am thankful it was not "Baby Got Back."  Three out of four of us were wearing bandannas so it was decided that we should form our own gang, tough asses that we were. No official name was decided upon but I am partial to the Lactic Acid Gang. Feel the burn. Put that on some wicking biking shirts!

We did ride by a Dairy Queen by Minnehaha Falls but it was only 8:30 a.m. at that point and it wouldn't be opened for another couple hours. Ann was disappointed as it is never too early for a little ice cream treat. (I'm with you, Ann!)

How wonderful to have such supportive friends and family to go along on this JDRF journey! The La Crosse Ride is 41 days away and many people have donated money and time to help me meet this challenge and raise money to help find the cure for type one diabetes. I am at 71% of my fund raising goal and would appreciate more help spreading the word about the opportunity to contribute. Please direct folks to http://www2.jdrf.org/goto/gjengdahl to make an online contribution. Repost the link to your Facebook page or Twitter feed please. 


Ann headed back to Madison and we probably won't be able to ride together again before the August 13th La Crosse Ride. The Saturday ride was the longest one she has ever been on, and she did great! Mark and Chris live much closer and may be willing to try another ride at some point (cross fingers here). After so much solitary training it was really fabulous to have people so willing to ride. They all still scratch their heads at me for doing this but are very encouraging.


See the sweaty Lactic Acid Gang below: