Tag Archives: ride

Monkeys at the Beach

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“You cannot get through a single day without having an impact on the world around you. What you do makes a difference, and you have to decide what kind of difference you want to make.”

—Jane Goodall (born 1934)
Primatologist, Ethologist, Anthropologist, Un Messenger Of Peace

bike nake

I’m riding a bike again (striped down… the bike, not me…yet), raising funds and building diabetes awareness as are a WHOLE team of other wonderful, amazing and inspiring people… and we’ll be riding at Amelia Island, Florida! 100 Miles.  Woot.

http://www2.jdrf.org/goto/alecia

Worth.

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Sunday.  Back on Piñata Bike.  Across Manhattan. up the West Side, Over the George Washington Bridge to 9W.  Just me, Piñata and a ride coach.  For months, I have wanted to take photos on the George Washington Bridge while I pedal along.  Finally did it.  Don’t worry, I was wearing a parachute.

Silly Rabbits, there are no parachutes, one adventure at a time kiddos.

The phrase on this photo bugs me because of the grammar.  Ending a sentence with a preposition?  What the what?!?!  But, the saying is true to me, and applies to so many things.  Endless.

I didn’t have a great ride on Sunday.  I rode slower than I envisioned.  I struggled on a route I sort of already know.  It was a gorgeous early morning, and I wasn’t riding strong.  There was so much road kill on 9W.  A lot.  I kept running over very flattened, furry things.  Oh man.  Sometimes I tried to imagine I just ran over a very dirty Barbie fur coat.  I wasn’t feeling great.  Blood glucose ran pretty well and I was drinking my electrolytes.  As I lagged behind the coach, I looked up a hill and was stunned.  There was a deer.  A fawn.  In the shoulder of the road, right in the path.  I yelped to the coach (yelping is a sort of description of a really weird non yell noise that I made).  Cars sped by.  The fawn jumped into the brush and there were two baby deer.  The ride coach passed the deer.  I sped up, a little scared the deer would jump into the road and tackle me (another bizarre bike adventure? Please don’t tackle me deer).  As I got closer, all 3 just stared at me.  The fawn had large scars on her back.  She clearly didn’t have it easy.  For some reason I said in a low voice, “You guys need to move over.  Go.”  And I waved my arm.  They stayed put in the brush.  Apparently even deer don’t listen to me.  Oh, dear (errrr deer).

I didn’t ride as far as planned.  I was the reason we turned around early (I hate that).  I had a MUCH better ride back (wind on my back helped) and I got the coach to talk to me (I actually said “tell me a story”.  When I’m not feeling 100%, I find chatter an awesome distraction).  I ended up riding 46.5 miles.  Not great (for me) but acceptable.

Obstacle are placed in our way to see if WHAT we want, is worth fighting for.

I want to help cure diabetes.  I want to push new technologies forward.  I want to use my voice, my time, my life, my experience to make a difference in this diabetes game.  I’m gearing up with a new plan.  My goal didn’t end in Burlington.  Here’s where to help: RIGHT HERE , or you can physically push me along (I’m really not kidding)… I’ll let you know the route!

 

 

Monday Mantra and Not Dissolving

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“You’re off to Great Places!
Today is your day!
Your mountain is waiting,
So… get on your way!” – Dr Seuss

So if you have a lot on the horizon (and some daunting changes), I offer you the following image and story:

splash

At the end of the day yesterday, I decided to clear my head (only temporarily worked) and ride a Citibike along the East River in Manhattan.  On my return trip, I stopped to take a photo and, to both my surprise and horror, I got doused with East River water!  Holy Shirt! Must have been from a boat wake, but no matter where it came from, I have never wanted to touch nor be touched by the East River.  I shockingly did not run home (pedal) and grab rubbing alcohol, and a shower.  I sat on my bike and laughed (like a crazy person which may have been noted by other people who rode by, wondering if I was just really sweaty on one side of my body).  So far, my skin has not dissolved, I have not developed superpowers and my pancreas has not sprung back to life.  Bummer on 2 out of 3 of those.

It’s really OK to be scared out of your fucking mind sometimes (I wasn’t actually thinking my right side would dissolve from East River water… well not after I survived the first minute… I’m talking about other stuff… you know, the splash is a metaphor and stuff).  In a totally bizarre way, sometimes it’s downright great to scared.

I need to go TRY to climb a mountain now.

Yes, quarter put into jar already.

And my last thoughts for the morning, keep smiling, your enemies will absolutely hate it (and you can always go home and have a good cry later right?).

xo

 

 

 

Wordless Wednesday – Riders On The Storm

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The story to go with this post is just outrageous, bizarre and absurd, but it’s Wordless (and way stressful) Wednesday.

I think maybe the smile is enough to convey my thoughts (and wet hair blown across face /stuck to my cheek apparently).

20 miles.

Adventure.

Check!

Also, Dexcom in shirt.  Can I be like Sponge Bob Square Pants, but instead Square Boob?

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I Love You More

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There is so much D stuff going on around here that I crashed yesterday and …

TOOK a NAP (I am NOT a napper).  While my brain tries to process and absorb the past few days, I have some pics I just can’t wait to share.

I (oddly, nervously) HELD the encapsulation project from ViaCyte.

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My friend Cindy took this pic.  She is a lovely and a really funny D-Mom and we tend to make each other cry.  You know what she’s not?  A photographer!  Hello Blurry pic.

Next up: #JDRFOneWalk Conference in Washington, DC was wonderful.  HOPE is so beautifully motivating.  Facial tattoos while on a 20 minute walk by oneself in this nation’s capital, lends to some pretty confusing conversations (I kept forgetting I had it on my face… most of the confusion involved the World Cup).

Mike Tyson without the ear biting.

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My bike riding has taken on a new angle.  Details later, but I’m riding a 3-speed Citibike or a stationary bike at the gym, but more.  My joking is no longer a joke.  I’m training-ish.  I ring the Citibike bell like nobody’s business BUT mostly when no one’s on the path.  Yes, I’m a 10 years old.  Want to join the Manhattan/Brooklyn JDRF One Walk?  That’s the bridge in the background of my bike training pic.  Gorgeous right?

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And finally, I had an incredibly magical moment on Saturday.

Exhausted and pedaling along when I saw a BIG heart!

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Yes, that is a piano that appears to have washed ashore on the tiny bank of the East River.  I hit the breaks and wondered just how tired and dehydrated I could possibly be.

These pics are my proof that I did indeed see a piano in the sand, tagged with A HEART.

Magic, I’m telling you, magic.

More to come. xo

 

 

Curiosity?

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Foot is healing and Dexcom site is switched.

Left thigh doesn’t hurt at all but I am curious as to why the blood pooled around the edge of the sensor (yep, that’s a skort in the pic…  I like to rock a skort regardless of the teasing I seembikeshorts to keep catch about it) .  Anyone?  I don’t know why I’m so curious about this, but after all the blood upon insertion, I expected a big bloody bruise under the sensor, not around it…. Anyone?

 

So what’s next?  In a dramatic moment (read: insane), my sister and I signed up for  JDRF Ride.  No, not one of the BIG Rides, but a local one…. well Jamaica….ummmmm Jamaica, Queens… which seems far away (right now) since I still haven’t figured out how we are getting there.  You know what else I haven’t figured out?  Bikes!  We don’t have bikes!  We *may* have a connection to borrowing bikes thanks to JDRF.  Great!  There is a 10 mile version to which I said, “pish-posh”.  I regret my pish-posh attitude now.   I will be riding 20 miles.  I had no idea how far that was.  My training so far has been 2 Citibike rides.

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That is the Brooklyn Bridge in the background, which is part of the route of NYC’s JDRF One Walk.  This is also the view over my Citibike handlebars and my big huge purse strapped to the front.  My training looks wimpy.  My training IS wimpy.

After eating way too much unhealthy food over the 4th, yesterday I went to the gym.  Granted I have some sort of upper respiratory thing I’m fighting through, BUT I did a 1/2 hour on the elliptical and then switched to a stationary bike.  I was good and sweaty and coughing and figured maybe I rode 10 miles.  I looked down.  Nope.  2.16 miles.  Holy Smokes this going to be ugly.  How many spin classes can I go to in 3 weeks?  Eek.  Remember when I did that CYC (spinning madness) class for JDRF?  My sister and friend loved it so much that they still take the classes!  I hope my sister doesn’t mind me riding on the handlebars of her bike.

Here’s the route (terrifying YET exhilarating and then a little “OMG” and then “those stops look fantastic”):

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Next up: I leave Wednesday for Washington DC for the JDRF One Walk Conference: Road to Success.  I’m excited and super curious.

And finally, in the next few weeks I hope to have some updates on the AP trials which are to begin HERE in NYC.  Not holding my breath for my own guinea pig involvement and not getting over enthusiastic (so I keep telling myself).

Keep advocating folks.