Quick update - Riding across the USA

[YogaO]

Just wanted to give you all a quick update to our adventure; riding across the country on recumbent trikes.

We have almost completed 10% of our 5,500 miles, with just over 540 miles under our wheels. I am typing this on my phone in a coffee shop in Sisters, OR, with the outside temp @ 41F; charging phones and my Dex.

Each day has been nothing short of amazing - I am running out of superlatives to describe the beauty of our country and the warmth of the people we’ve encountered.

On the diabetic front, I am happy to report that while my overall BGs are running a bit higher than normal and a lot more peaks and valleys are happening, I’m not facing anything catastrophic.

Among my biggest concerns was keeping my spare insulin in the safe temperature range. The Frio pouch seems to be working, although we have yet to experience extended hot conditions like we typically face in Florida.

I am also starting to modify my basal profile more, because my Darn Phenomenon has really kicked in. My philosophy going in was to have my basal run @ 10% of “normal” while riding and 70% for my overnights. I wanted to prevent those 3am hypos that I was having while training. I definitely succeeded, maybe too much though, because my fasting BGs have been in the 160ish range, with significant increases starting around 4am.

I put in a higher amount last night and that didn’t work too well, but I also had a bit of a carb-heavy dinner last night.

Another challenge is finding food and trying to figure a good I:C ratio, especially when I don’t have a good feel for how big the next hill is. I am thankful for the tools I have to help manage this particular guessing game.

Look for daily updates and pictures on Facebook - Two Traveling Trikes.

Keep on rolling!

[rgcainmd]

10% already! You guys are fast!!!

[YogaO]

Thanks! We have our moments, like running downhill from McKenzie Pass into Sisters @ 30-35 mph, with a huge grin plastered on my face.

But then there’s the other side, like pedaling UP 22 miles to the top of McKenzie Pass @ 3-4 mph … still loved every moment!

[truenorth]

@YogaO

… McKenzie Pass …

One of the most beautiful places on Earth, imho. Enjoy your days riding!

[Judith_in_Portland]

So delightful to read this thread…Sorry I’m not in Oregon to greet you…Blessings of the universe to you!..Judith

[Thas]

Thanks for the update! Would love to be able to do the same thing – will have to live it precariously thru you (for now?)

[Roger212]

My longest ride ever was 81 km. You’re making me feel like a piker. Keep up the good effort and best of luck with the ride.

[YogaO]

Here are just a few a the pictures from our ride up to the summit @ McKenzie Pass.

This is my wife in the Observatory with a view of the Northern Sister

In this photo, you can see the Middle and Northern Sisters with an 1800 year-old lava field in the foreground. Nature is tough!

This shot shows Belknap Crater with a couple of interesting lava bits in the foreground. Do you see anything?

[Pastelpainter]

I seem to see faces in the lava, a cow and a man?
Lovely to see the photos along the way, what beautiful countryside you are riding through.

[YogaO]

August 14, 2016

A quick(?) update to the original quick update.

Today, we are close to halfway through our 5,500 mile trip @ just over 2,700 miles. I’m sitting in a Subway shop in Larned, KS after eating another humongous meal and bolusing about half of what I would normally.

As part of today’s update, let me share two screen shots of my Dex Clarity report from the first 47 days. It looks pretty darn good, considering the up and downs and curves of the TransAmerica Trail combined with the ups and downs of T1D!

One thing that most of you have probably already guessed is that climbing a mountain pass is inversely proportional to my BG number -

A couple of points right off the bat:
1 - I have my high alarm typically set @ 210mg/dl because I am eating some pretty big breakfasts and deliberately running high in anticipation of the pedaling activity to bring it down. This does typically happen, although I periodically can’t handle the mental stress of running above 210 for long and over-correct. Then, I find myself getting a Dex alarm that I am falling … fast!!

2 - Because of cost, space, weight and availability factors, I am only fingerstick testing two, maybe three times a day to calibrate the Dex. Most of my dosing is based on what the Dex is telling me, and my own 42+ years of D-experience.

3 - This report is under-reporting the height of the highs and depths of the lows. I am spending significant time chasing both of these into an “in-range” number, 85 - 170 mg/dl while riding and 65 - 160 mg/dl after the day is done. Pretty tough to do so far.

From a clinician’s point of of view, having an A1C of 6.2% would seem pretty acceptable, but I’m pretty certain that an actual A1C might come in @ something above 6.5%.

4 - As you can see, the SD is pretty high, but again, given all the variables, that’s not too bad.

So overall, I AM pretty well … “pumped” about how well things have gone on the diabetic front. Today will bring new challenges to meet and I expect to meet them.

We have moved out of the West, which means we are no longer climbing big mountain passes. Instead, we are riding through the farming and ranching areas in Kansas. Many people think Kansas is a flat, maybe boring state. Let me share that it is filled with hills, wonderful green fields of wheat and sorghum and mowed brown fields of wheat and hay. It is also packed with some of the friendliest people we have met yet (and we’ve met of lot of friendly folks).

If you had told me five years ago that we would travel through small-town Kansas at 10 mph and be happy, I might have called you crazy, but here we are and we’re loving it.

Also a quick story:

On our way east of the Rockies, rolling down towards Canon City, CO, we passed some TransAmerica Trail riders heading in the opposite direction. Per unwritten custom, we stopped and exchanged information on what was ahead. This couple told us to definitely stop in Guffey, CO, a little town of 28 people.

When we got to the turn for Guffey, we realized It was a little off-route and also 1 mile UP a hill. Normally we would pass it by under those conditions, but we decided since it was looking a bit like rain and we hadn’t had lunch yet, we would go for it.

When we rode into to town, it looked like the whole town was closed up, but we pressed on. We saw a sign that said, “Rolling Thunder Cloud Cafe”, straight ahead. We rolled our trikes into the parking lot at the same time as the rolling thunder clouds directly above us unleashed a loud round of rolling thunder and the first fat drops of stormy rain - CRASH, SPLAT!

We grabbed our raincoats and headed inside for a fabulous lunch. It seemed like the rest of the town had the same idea, because right after we arrived, the tiny little place filled up with people.

We met the owner, Wayne (retired LA County Sheriff’s officer) and his wife, who is a PhD in classical music (retired). Everything made from scratch … and then there was the three berry pie, a la mode (blueberry, raspberry and boysenberry). Yes, it was bolus-worthy!

At the top of Hoosier Pass

Finally, the glorious Rockies are behind us!

Yes, the homemade pie was bolus-worthy!! (Of course, I rode another 20 miles afterwards!)

Look for more frequent updates on our facebook page, Two Traveling Trikes

Keep on rolling!

[rgcainmd]

You and your wife are amazing!!!

[Terry4]

Thanks for the report, including the Dexcom Clarity data. You’re doing a good job on all fronts. I totally get the perspective of the countryside at 10 miles per hour. You see and smell things you may not otherwise. It’s much different than moving along at 70 miles per hour encapsulated in steel and glass. Good luck on the rest of your journey!

[YogaO]

Thanks for the compliment!

We tend to think we are pretty normal with special quirks.

[YogaO]

Yes, seeing the country @ a slower pace is eye-opening.

Today for example, we stopped along the road for lunch in the shade of some trees. I wondered if I would continue to stop and listen to the wind race across a field, the call of a bobwhite, the dancing of the shadows as the sun and wind played with the leaves when this trip is over. I sure hope so.

[YogaO]

I had a low episode today that I wanted to share briefly. As with most out of range situations, it came about because of a mismatch between food digestion and my bolus becoming active.

My BG before lunch was 122 and rising, after eating and starting to ride again, it was 91 and mildly trending downward. I ate a couple of glucose tablets and Trail mix - about 20g of carbs total.

In the next 20-30 minutes, I realized I was having a more serious low. When this happens, I tell Lucia that I have “lost the desire to pedal”.

Now that doesn’t mean I actually stop, but I do start pedaling more slowly (lower cadence), and I drop behind Lucia and follow. I take more glucose and eventually, my BG comes up.

[Terry4]

Nice recovery!

[YogaO]

Hi all my fellow TuDers!

I know it’s been awhile, but I am hoping some of you have been following us on the Two Traveling Trikes Facebook page.

Our trip across America (supporting the McLindon Family Foundation) has continued to be nothing short of amazing, with impressive landscapes and friendly people everywhere (except for a few dogs and their owners in Eastern Kentucky!)

As of today, we have completed just over 5,100 miles/8,207 km. It now looks like our total trip will be a bit over 5,800 miles/9,334 km. Yes, Lucia and I have stopped and looked at each other and said, “Wow!” This is in part because the trip has been so much fun that it doesn’t seem like we left home over 100 days ago.

We are stuck in Jacksonville, NC until Monday morning at the earliest as we wait out Hurricane Matthew. For us it has been a multi-day event since we have also been worried about our home, cats and friends in Florida. Our final push to get home will be complicated by the storm’s aftermath - a lot of our route takes us along what could be a damaged coastline …

On the diabetic front, things have continued to go very well. Yes, I still have a pretty high standard deviation, but I am very happy considering the riding challenges each day brings. Here are a few Dexcom Clarity Reports through September 14. Note, my original Dex receiver decided to become really hard to charge, so I was able to get a new one sent to me along the way. (That’s another story that actually showed great customer service on the part of Dex and Byram Healthcare.)

Plus, a comparison of two 38 day periods…

Here’s a few photos from along the way:

The Astoria Column in Astoria, OR (the western start of the legendary TransAmerica Trail)

The Victory Monument in Yorktown, VA celebrating Washington’s victory (with a lot of French help) over Lord Cornwallis in 1781. This is also the eastern end of the TransAmerica Trail.

A couple of shots from Chester, IL, right against the banks of the Mississippi River. Chester is the home of E. C. Segar, the creator of Popeye. The town has embraced Popeye with character statues all over town.

Sunflowers!

Finally, here’s a shot of Lucia and me when our friends from Mount Dora, FL surprised us in Yorktown, VA by showing up @ the B&B we booked for a few days. We had planned on celebrating completing the TransAmerica Trail there and they totally surprised us by showing up and booking their own room.

Thanks for following along! I look forward to more participation when we get home.

[Mari5]

Great! congratulations! Can you show us what your trikes look like? Sorry, I’m unfamiliar. Do they have motors and pedaling or what exactly??( I’m from France) You have done something incredibly fantastic!! Bravo! I hope you have a good trip home and that all is well!

[Terry4]

Congrats on your ride. Your Clarity numbers look excellent given the sustained exercise you are doing almost every day. Keeping your time low to under 5% is fantastic. Keep on cranking! I hope your Florida home escaped Matthew.

[pancreaswanted]

what a great experience! thanks for sharing!!