Back in 2014, Mister and I rented a camper and followed the Tour of California bike race around for a week. Just like people at the Tour de France. We lived in a camper and drove around the bay area for a week. It really was such an amazing trip!
At the first stage of the race, the California sun was scorching my face. So I went off on a mission to find a hat. I could have easily bought a hat from one of the big teams, but there was one team that instantly touched my heart. Team Novo Nordisk.
Atop Mt. Diablo rockin' my TNN hat!
Now let me tell you about Team Novo Noridsk. In the years since 2014, I've followed this team. I've done my small amount of research on them. And I have concluded that they are the best cycling team out there. For the only reason that in order to be on the team, you MUST be diabetic. This team's sole purpose is to let you know that diabetes is not a reason to stop living life. Diabetics are just as able-bodied as everyone else. It is a matter of education! You really should check out this awesome team.
https://www.teamnovonordisk.com/about/
When I needed to find a new charity to run for, Team Novo immediately came to mind. I reached out to them and was directed to another non-profit that works hand in hand with Team Novo. I will officially be fundraising for Team Type 1.
http://teamtype1.org/
Now don't go sending me money just yet. TT1 is currently launching a new online platform for donations, which we will be using once it is up and running, which should be about 2 weeks. Do some research on this organization, save your pennies and support my journey to 26.2. I know most of you reading this are cyclists. Most of my friends ride bikes! You can relate to Team Novo Nordisk simply through your love of bicycles. I mean, they are a professional cycling team! And they work side by side with Team Type 1.
Type 1 diabetes, for those of your who are not familiar, is the kind of diabetes that you are born with. It is genetic. It is also called juvenile diabetes, because people are usually diagnosed in their young years. Patrick was diagnosed at 23. There is absolutely nothing that he can do to cure his disease. He can only manage it, which he does with a Novo Nordisk continuous insulin pump. Money raised goes directly to education, research and support. TT1 offers scholarships for young athletes who fight this disease. How cool is that?!
Ok, now that I have done my solicitation for the day, let me tell you about the race this past weekend. I ended up dropping from ten miles to seven miles and I killed it! Mother Nature has been a little bipolar this Spring and the weather was 24 degrees at the race start. I was the first runner on the team and started right at 0900 in the stupidly cold weather. The first three miles were a little uncomfortable. I couldn't get my clothes to stay put and things were moving around too much. After I finally got my clothing situation under control, I knocked out the next four miles without much fuss. I actually ran more than what I would have guessed, close to 90% of the entire seven miles. Once my leg was done, it was a waiting game. As a team, we crossed the finish line just under 5 hours for a marathon. We all killed it!
7.2 miles done! Check out those cool AF sunnies on my face, too. Goodr is a brand of running sunnies that are designed to stay put while you are on the move. I can't say enough good(r) things about them!
Looking ahead, I have about three months until my next race. Rock N Rock Chicago half marathon on July 22. After that, its another three months until Marine Corps Marathon!! Training is going to start getting heavy, so if you see me outside of here, tell me a joke to keep my spirits high. Come run with me! Join me for a ride (which is going to be my cross-training activity). Buy me a beer. Or some tacos. Or better yet, donate to Team Type 1! More info to come once the platform is ready to go...
#imrunningforpat
#mcm18
