The opportunity to change lives

We are now six days into Team Type 1′s California training/get-a-bunch-of-stuff-done camp.  We’ve been getting in some solid rides with some beautiful weather in Solvang.  In addition to time spent on the bike, most of the days have been filled with photos, interviews, team bonding, and meetings.   Currently there are 15 professional riders, and 10 riders with Type One diabetes so the group rides have been quite large.

One of the exciting aspects of this team is how much it really means to people with diabetes. We have gotten tons of positive comments through the team’s site and via email from people all over the world who have been inspired because of the message this team delivers. It’s nice to ride for a team that has a goal beyond winning races, and it’ll be nice to have a loyal fan base cheering for us throughout the season!

One of the team’s main sponsors is Freestyle blood-glucose monitors. Tonight I ate the largest dessert I could find in an attempt to see how high I could get my blood sugar. Alas, my body functions properly, the highest I have seen so far was 156. Seriously though, it’s is pretty amazing that these cyclist can perform on the bike while controlling their diabetes.  The best part is that the exercise cycling delivers has really helped control the diabetes.

We also had meetings with the managers and directors to talk about the season and personal race schedules. I’ll be starting my US season with the San Dimas stage race in few weeks right back here in California.