I was diagnosed as a Type 1 Diabetic on January 21st,
2012. That was 367 days ago. After spending the first 30 years of my life
as a healthy and active person; this came as a great shock and devastated me
mentally. I was never one to eat junk
food, sit around, or even smoke and drink.
I lived my life in order to ride and race my bikes and be successful at
that. I exercised and stayed fit to do
what I love. I believed that I would
never be able to ride and race again. I
walked away from my bike for 7 months.
One of the most important things for a Diabetic person is
exercise. We need to stay active. It helps a TON in managing our blood sugar
and being able to function just like a non-diabetic. Well, I had a room full of exercise… A Seven Axiom SL road bike… A Seven Sola SL 29er… A Trek X02 cross bike... A Fuji
Track Pro track bike. What excuse did I
have for not doing something other than my own mind? The answer?
None…
July rolled and I was feeling more confident in my control
and I had a new shiny CGM that was constantly checking my blood sugar, so I put
my shorts on and clipped in. Wow… What a
feeling! I have always enjoyed my time
on my Seven, but after 7 months away from it, you really do appreciate the ride
and how perfectly we fit together. The
ride was short, only 30 some miles, but it opened my mind and my eyes to the
fact that I was still who I always was.
A few weeks later; I rode a 100 miles.
I just went out and keep going; just like the old days.
For me, the bike was always secondary to my love of riding
and racing. Don’t get me wrong, I do
love my bikes and appreciate how great they are. They are awesome machines and definitely help
my riding, but they were never something I needed… Now; I need them. They keep me healthy and alive.
Do I want to say my bikes helped save my life and allow me
to be typing this today? Yes… Yes they
did. My bikes have transitioned from an
aid in my love of cycling to something I need in my life. My bikes helped me find the best
Endocrinologist in the world, some great new riding partners, and my sanity
again.
I hate clichés and I loathe spins on clichés, but sometimes
it is about the bike.
Jason