Archive for the ‘Death Valley 2007’ Category
Death Valley reminds me of the face of the moon. Vast distances of rock, sand, rock mountains…repeat. After having just spent 9 hours in (on) it I know I don’t qualify as an astronaut but many of my friends think I was a space cadet for attempting 100 miles. This note will be short because I am typing it in a sandstorm and want to get someplace where it doesn’t feel like I am a wall getting rubbed by fine grit sandpaper. So here are pictures from todays ride and I will update with more details in the next day or two. Thanks again for all your support.
Friday morning started out with a meeting with all the riders in attendance. With the intent to be a pump up meeting it gets real when the message becomes sayings like “don’t be a hero”, “the intent is to finish, not to be in a Vegas hospital”, “hydrate, hydrate and hydrate more”. The reality that this is a desert is not lost on those who have done this before and its wise to heed their advice.
I will try to get everyone more updates as I can. If not, everyone have a great weekend and I will be thinking of everyone as I go for century miles.Well, just the airport 
All good, in one piece (talking about my luggage) and I am good to go. Got a nap on the plane and am rested for the 1 1/2 hour ride to the Furnace Creek Ranch. 
Its been about 10 years since I have been to Vegas and I don’t remember the airport like this!
Upon getting my stuff, I found more riders and our JDRF “cruise director” 
Krista. So I had about 40 minutes to kill before our bus leaves.
First stop..Albertsons (doesn’t everybody do that when they first get to Vegas?) for supplies, goodies and whatever. Once underway it will be straight to the ranch. So it may be a while for the next update.
As I mentioned, the ranch has no internet..only dialup. I haven’t used dialup internet for a while and may blow my brains out over the slowness! Take care until the next update.
Doing this 100 mile ride through Death Valley, CA actually is acheiving a couple of life goals for me. One is simply the ride itself and second as a way to give back and raise awareness for a disease that has touched me personally and my family directly. The ride is raising funds for Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation.
A couple of years ago I saw a documentary that really got me thinking. It was a movie about Ron Santo, “This Old Cub”. His story is amazing as a type 1 diabetic who competed in professional sports without benefit of the technology that exists today. What’s even more amazing is that he didn’t talk about it. As a fellow diabetic (type 2) I know that the wild swings in blood sugar levels causes havoc with a persons physical and mental conditions. Being too low makes some people “goofy” as my daughter describes it. Its why diabetics carry cards that tell police in the event that they get pulled over for a suspected dui, it may not be alcohol but in fact low blood sugar. Thing is, the behavioral affect is similar to that of an intoxicated person. So imagine knowing that in that desperate situation you need carbs and in a HURRY! Orange juice, candy bars or similar type of quick effect foods can get one over the low sugar incident. But I digress….
So Santo has a wonderful career with the Cubs and I watched them everyday I could after coming home from grade school. The games would still be on. Santo, Kessinger, Hundley, Banks, Williams, Holtzman, Bert Hooten, et al. I grew up as a 7 year old watching these guys on a b&w tv. It was great and listening to Brickhouse call the games…wonderful. So during the movie, here’s Santo, ravaged by diabetes and loses not one leg below the knee but two! Then I start thinking about classmates of mine in grade school that were type 1. I know that one of them died after years of surgeries that slowly took her extremities and finally her life. Totally unecessary in my mind. My father got diagnosed with Type II in his late 50′s, I got diagnosed when I was 30 years old. My cousin Johnny gets diagnosed with Type 1 at the age of 5. When I was diagnosed, I remember at the time thinking that I would just diet and all would get better. I failed to realize that this is a lifetime deal…no cure.
Back to This Old Cub…So this guy Bill Holden decides to raise money for diabetes in honor of Ron Santo and just starts walking from Arizona to Chicago. This guy is no athelete but is so touched by the Santo story and a huge Cubs fan that he decides to do something. Well that just did it for me. I am lucky enough to have good enough health to get on my bike and ride some serious miles for diabetics everywhere and raise money in search of a cure. So for my dad, my cousin Johnny, friends including Monica and finally Ron Santo. These miles are for you!