Endurance Athletes Serving the Community by Giving the Gift of Life

I gave whole blood yesterday and three people will benefit from my gift!

Eight weeks ago I suffered adverse effects from giving platelets through a process called aphereses by no fault of the local blood bank or their top notch phlebotomy technicians, but by the ignorance of the athlete, namely me!

 I knew I had to take it easy the day of giving blood and work diligently to regain my fluids that day and that night!

But that's not all, unfortunately I did not know how long and involved the process really was and foolishly went ahead with training plans that had me straining at every spin! 

The scary one was the day after when I joined a local legend while he and a friend did the fourth installment of the five 100 mile attempts he was completing that week for Earn-a-Bike! I was working above my level which I wanted, but was unconsciously putting myself in harms way because soon I would be suffering gastric distress and some mild vertigo! So at the half-way mark I decided to dial it back (I had set a PR for 25 miles but at what cost?), but by the time we stopped at the 3/4 way stop and it still had not dissipated I decided to just subsistence ride it back home and bid my farewells to my friends and legend. Despite these symptoms I was still clueless, after-all, "I am Batman!" 

The next day was a regular Street Ratz Ride and I thought nothing and volunteered to do the traffic blocking since Rapha was at Earn-a-Bike! I thought, "no big deal! It's just a sprint here and a sprint there!" It took way more out of me than I anticipated! Good work Rapha! Thank you! That is some hard work!

On Sunday I arrived at the Boyz Ride spent, yet we decided to do Babcock and Scenic Loop! Spinning up hills, no problem! I had no get up and go for the OofSs (Out of Seat efforts)! Monday is regular day off although this year I have been riding almost every day and racked up seven thousand plus miles so far!

Tuesday is normally speed play and I went in to Hollywood Village to practice bikes, with nothing but poor results so after an hour and a half of torture I gave up and rolled home! That Strava post it finally dawned on me, "it must have been the blood donation!" Duh!

Yes it was the blood donation! But not just any blood donation! BTW the center's app can provide you with all the details of your donation! The blood draw was supposed to be a triple platelet, but we strated having issues and the draw was amended by asking me would you mind doing such and such and of course not thinking I said, "nah, go ahead and do whatever!" 

Well, whatever was a double platelet, a double RBC, and a plasma! 

One recovers from a plasma pretty quick, in 24 hours! Platelets are next with a 72 hour recovery! But the RBCs, or Red Blood Cells, the ones that carry oxygen to your muscles, take the longest with four to six weeks recovery! Although one can start checking the fires in the furnace at the end of three weeks according to Judd et al! The rest of this information comes to you from the Red Cross and the NASM and these guidelines are specifically tailored to Endurance Athletes and Performance!

So, yeah, I gave blood yesterday whole blood which puts me eligible to give again in January! No Prob! Today's ride less than twenty in less than two hours at a comfortable ten plus smiles per hour. Again, no prob! So now I have recovery rides through three weeks from now and then I can start checking and seeing if I am up to par to start building back!

This mistake cost me in pain and suffering! I overstressed my calve, my quad, and overworked my back and still uncertain if it was sciatica (which I have had and it did not feel like that this time), a disk issue, or an extra vertebrae in my back due to a vertebrae not fusing on my tail bone! This costly mistake was definitely not worth it and I have resolved to be more cautious until this is ironed out and possibly go back to giving platelets regularly. 

Red Rider Year One Done and Dusted

What did this year of immense change look like?! I know I have covered a lot of this in individual posts, but I need this and I appreciate you coming along for the ride!

This was just last week at the time of my one year anniversary of being diagnosed a Type 2 Diabetic!

If you'll look at the bottom right that picture was one month in and I was large and in charge! Then look up towards the top right with my yellow shirt on don't know when this was, but I remember it was at the Red Barn looking larger! Top right and top left pictures were when I was at my smallest and very fit! My friend Ralph (Rapha) Ximenes found a couple of old Red Rider jerseys for Bexar County and San Antonio (old because the ADA no longer does events in San Antonio! Don't ask me why!?). Rapha is part of The Street Ratz of San Antonio and I could not have succeeded on this journey without their support, help, and encouragement! Thank you David, Anna, Bella, Steve and Marc! I needed the help and you were there for me!

If you look in the second column in from the right you will see the guys that motivated me day in and day out, our fearless leader Jason Mirault (who is my T2D example), Brad Cleaves, and Chuck Brooks! My sister and my wife for encouragement and daily or hourly reminders of what the goal was! In fact, Kay was my inspiration for walking that got me from over 300 to closer to my last weight check of 293 lbs. Gayle, Gayle I can't say enough about everything she has done and does regularly! She is my conscience and constant reminder when I lose my way! This is a huge thing, she is, I call her, my nutritionist! She is the Atkins (with some keto) expert that guided my eating to a nebulous T2D diet that is surprisingly satistying and still fuels my workouts and brought blood glucose numbers down to 5.8 A1c and lost a surprising 55 pounds in first three months! Then, I corrected some (meaning after denying all year some items came back in to my regime like bread, but it is Sam's Choice Keto Bread and the baby Mission Keto Tomato and Basil tortillas that we use for hamburger buns as an example! If I eat more than two of those baby tortillas, I spike which means my blood sugars go to the upper limit of the optimum range) and have gone up to 5.9 A1c and 43 pounds lost with a trend where my blood sugars were higher but still in range when I checked them regularly 2 to 3 times per day! Now, I'm trending down again and am still trying to figure why that is happening so I can continue this good trend! The other pictures or memes that you see there are the ones that really motivate me to do the right thing! I have set a long-term goal of 5.5 A1c and 200 pounds (fifty more to go). Dr. Gabe Mirkin of RoadBikeRider.com and Internet fame says, 5.6 A1c is still prediabetic and I want to go into remission so 5.5 it is. Now even when remission hits the work is not done because in order to stay in remission one has to maintain the strict diet with once a week excursions in to regular esting if your body can tolerate it. We have played around with this possibility and it is encouraging to have a 96 blood sugar morning after having burgers the night before! A word about the picture with me in the México polera, I would not have had initial success if it weren't for La Madeleine French Restaurant! Their menu includes many items that are diabetic friendly! The bread they use on the Croque Madame and the Nouveau Breakfast not to mention their great salads and soups. We still regularly frequent the store in Alamo Heights and the Northwoods location! 

Those gentlemen in my pictures inspired me and allowed me to see the possibilities! Later after losing 55 lbs. I find out that I was returning the favor! Yes! This meme speaks to this and even yesterday my Paved Trail Buddy Roland Gibson says while yelling as we ride by each other in opposite directions, "I want to be like you!" The addage, "You never know who is watching you and being inspired!" is true in real life and this keeps ne going past the current achievements! 

This also reminds me of BezzyT2D.com and the accompanying app. I went there as a newbie seeking even more information about T2D and found a home away from home, a group of Diabuddies (a term I stole off of a new friend in Glucose Guide a diabetic app. [no matter what type 1, 1.5, and of course 2] that is run by my friend and Colleague Mila Clarke! So excited about helping Mila at Glucose Guide!) The future's so bright! Paying it forward is critical for me because I know I need to be helping in order to feel accomplished as a human! 

We celebrated one year by going up to Carrolton and visiting with my sister Kay, she wined and dined us in great extravagance enjoying a ton of Brazillian food! What a treat, plus we manged a visit to Michael and Alli with antique gifts being brought! We swam at Kay's, walked, and compared blood sugar numbers! Tricks were traded and beautiful memories were made with Kay's friends!

Thanks to our paved trail system!

Here is my most current picture before my ride yesterday!

Recovered Training Effect

My first attempt at this didn't pan out so here we go again! Recovery didn't work either, but try, try again! Hope springs eternal!

Recent rides have raised my spirits and opened my eyes to the possibilities! I rode 45 with Action Bikes at 15 mph, then I rode with CRSA Puppy Pack for 57 miles at 15 and was still feeling good! So I tried the Cyclones All-Stars and stayed with them to New Berlin, but then faltered and got dropped and when I checked my  mileage I was at 17.1 so still encouraging! A couple of weeks later I tried CRSA big dogs and came up short because of all the hills. So, yeah, I gotta do hill-work! Took me a couple of hours to get a rhythm on the hills, but even then it wasn't right because it was still torture. The ride with the Puppy Pack taught me I have to do it my way! Still work to do and I'm game!

Sometime at the end of 2022 I made it as an ambassador for BezzyT2D and am still motivated to help people. There are feelings and politics so I deal with that but focus on helping folks! 

The flute is still incommunicado! We are certain we'll still find it. It's in a bin! We are slowly dealing with the amount of stuff we have stored which is good. The first to go will be bike storage.

As for church we have not made a move or gone back to in-person services. Online services still keep me going week in and week out!

The city and the trail steward job never got back to me and here I am after a huge 225 mile week still wanting to ride!

Last thing on my T2D is I'm very close to being in remission. I have been hanging out at 5.8 for a while now and remission is three months at 6.5 or less!

Next pic is a dream come true! I ride to improve not to just improve, but to ride with my friends. So I am back to riding with my old team and am getting a kick out of it and am not the slowest so I'm not holding anyone back!

Smileage: Trail Steward Letdown

I've been out on the paved trails of the SCG and LCG most days including yesterday where I took this picture in an all gender restroom that was spotless and had modern amenities!

While out riding the Howard Peak Trail System, I came to the realization that I still haven't heard from the folks at Parks and Rec and the trail steward program. So today, I went looking for the email I received from them citing my acceptance and being listed as Eligible. At the end it mentioned that being on the list doesn't guarantee being chosen and contacted further! That one can check their application. 

I went to the website and had not not had any action on my status since 10/26! 

Now that I've wrapped my head around it I'm not so dejected. Now that I think of it, one of the fellas I spoke to out on the trail said it took him three tries to get a spot as a trail steward! 

I sent an email inquiring about my application.

I am ready to apply again!

BTW in the picture, I have lost 33 pounds and inches have moved from here to there!

Miles of Smiles

So after a mind-f**king trip back down to the Medina River and all the glory of the switchbacks and the death stench at Cassin and Mitchell lakes, I decided to hang up my speed spurs! Yeah, I'll still try a Zone 2 workout here and there and go do a fartlek in hidden valley ranch, but now it's miles of smiles for me! Along with this decision comes the fact that no one rides at 10 mph and and no one feels like they're flying like I do when I hit 11 mph!😂🤣😂I'm still training for distance and time due to Trail Steward duties, but personally not caring about Strava in real-time and only filling things out manually for my followers and friends that give a flying f**k! No more group rides unless it's happenstance! Yeah, my feelings are hurt, but I'm good with me! I know stuff and can share my knowledge along the way with others that need my help! Thanks for coming to my personal ted talk! 

Here's my new team and its motto: