On Saturday June 5 we had a scheduled training ride with the NY Crankees (the NY JDRF team) in Bedford Hills, NY. For this ride, we were given 2 distance options 36 Miles or 48 miles- I chose to go the distance, despite the heat and the hills!
The evening before, I headed to Grand Central to get my bike permit and my train ticket for the 6:30 am train. Yikes! that is early, but even more concerning was that when I mapped it out to get to the train station in time, I had to leave my apt by 5:30 am-not usually when you want to be awake on a Saturday morning. That night I packed a small backpack that I could ride with during the day that contained all my necessities: blood glucose monitor, pump replacement sets, glucose tablets, cash, ID, Sports Beans (by Jelly Bean but are good for Fuel while riding) snack bars and water!!!!
When I woke up Saturday morning my blood sugar was a little high, but I figured it was just due to the adrenaline and anxiety of making sure I would make it to the station in time for the train. I got to the station shortly after 6am, grabbed coffee and snacks and walked with the other riders to our boarding platform for the Metro North. The train conductor "greeted" our group of cyclists, by telling us that no more than 4 bikes are allowed on a train at one time (not a train car- the entire train) after some pleading and explaining that we were training for a charity bike ride, she let us slide, but we had to sit in pairs in the cars with restrooms(see picture.) During the ride I chatted with a fellow JDRF rider who is also a lawyer, she said she almost went into action with the train conductor, but it was just too early to rev that up. We also read the rule for the train and found out that on the weekends 8 bikes are allowed and during the week it is limited to 4- must have been an early am for her as well.
While on the train I tested and I was still high, my insulin pump then gave off an alarm 'no delivery' so I realized that none of the insulin I took earlier was active in my body, I was high and not coming down. I got into my backpack and had to change my pump site on the train to ensure I was getting insulin. I started to come down almost immediately after the replacement, and I knew I would have to put a temporary rate on for the duration of the ride and check occasionally to make sure I wasn't dropping. Luckily I was with other diabetics so there was a sense of understanding and awareness what was going on.
We arrived at the Bedford Hills train station just before 8am, and were met by some fellow riders who had driven to meet up with us. There were approximately 16 riders and it was a pretty even split between males and females, except for when we divided into the group of who was doing the long ride and who was doing the short; I was the lone female riding 50 miles!
This ride was beautiful, it took us through rolling hills of farms and estates with lavish green lawns perfectly manicured- it is no surprise to find out that people such as Chevy Chase, Ralph Lauren and Martha Stewart have properties in the area.
Coming from the city it is breathtaking and calm, however the Map My Ride cue sheet took us through many wrong turns or missed turns, maybe adding to the sights but also adding an additional 8 miles to our ride and more hills! When we passed through the state line into Ridgefield, CT we stopped at a cafe for a lunch break! We were joined by many other cyclists, enjoying the nice- but hot weather and the open roads with limited traffic.
By this time my blood sugar had balanced itself out and I was feeling very good For lunch I got a bagel with turkey and veggies. A good combination of Carb and protein. Bagels are rare for me to eat because of the high ratio of carbs and how they effect my blood sugar. But today I ate my bagel without reservation because I knew I needed the nutrition to continue the ride, and I did- I didn't go above 160 for the remaining 25 miles.
In the end we did over 55 miles with a bit of backtracking and hills. I kept up with the guys, or they waited for me, whichever it was- I finished and felt strong!We burned 4,000 calories (thank god for that bagel) and climbed 3,719 feet. This is what we covered http://connect.garmin.com/activity/35805465
I was fortunate to get a ride back to Brooklyn and was able to relax and rest up for the rest of the day!