128 degrees on the pavement in Death Valley, Calif. Need I say more?

I think it goes without saying that even in early October, Death Valley is FREAKING HOT. We’re talking 128-degrees-off-the-pavement hot. And no, that’s not a joke. The air temperature registering on my bike computer was 113 degrees, and the Park Service measured the temperature off the pavement the day before the ride, which was over 128. “Freaking” doesn’t even do the hotness justice.

Here’s proof from mile 67. Allow me to draw your attention to the 113 degrees on the left-hand side…

But before you start mumbling I-told-you-so, duh-Mollie, and why-would-you-even-doubt-that-you-silly-girl, let me inform you that sometime during the past eight months, I got it in my little head that the temperature in mid-October would be around 85/90 degrees. But I have been known to make things up, so yes, I should have known better.

Before I go on being dramatic about the ride itself, let me first say that the experience we had at the JDRF Ride for a Cure was amazing. Not only was it a wonderful opportunity to see friends we hadn’t seen in months (and ride with our ride team!) but more importantly, it was inspiring. Being around so many people who believe in the same cause we do is a powerful thing. It fueled my drive to continue to work toward getting Riding On Insulin going again—which is Sean’s foundation that facilitates ski/snowboard camps for kids with type 1 diabetes.

Also, I would be remiss if I didn’t thank EVERYONE who helped Sean and I raise our collective $6,000. To all the donors of gifts large and small—you know who you are. Thank you for your generosity.

To The Lucas Cates Band, you are AMAZING—thank you for donating your time for my event, Jam for a Cure. And your new CD rocks. I plan on devoting an entire post to you in the near future because I can’t stop listening to it.

Thank you to The Brink Lounge for allowing me to host my event in your fantastic venue. Also a big thanks to the First United Methodist Church in Waupaca, Wis. for allowing me to share my story (and a few tears!) during worship.

To all those who have donated and/or purchased a scarf (or four!), THANK YOU from the bottom of my heart. We could not have done this without each and every one of you.

Lastly, I’d like to thank two people. The first is Michelle Page-Alswager. Prior to February 2010, I really didn’t have any idea about the type-1 world you were living in, Michelle. And after the events that transpired that month with Jesse, I witnessed a strength and determination in you that is unrivaled by anything I’d ever gone through or seen anyone else go through. I admire you for your courage, and I thank you for pulling me into your circle, and for encouraging me to not just ride, but to ride for a reason. Godspeed Jesse.

And without you, Michelle, there would be no second person to thank. Sean, you are my boyfriend…my strength…the love of my life. I am so proud to tell people about you and what you’ve accomplished for the type 1 community. You are at once strong-willed, yet humbled by all those who’ve been living with the disease longer than you have. You have done so much in such a short amount of time, and I thank God every day that we found each other. Never forget how important you are to so many kids around the world—and to me! I can’t wait to see what great things we’ll accomplish with Riding on Insulin. I love you!

 

OK, I’m off my soapbox now…wipe up your tears! Back to the ride. The route is basically biking out 52.5 miles, and biking back the same way. The first 40 miles were great—we maintained a great pace, drank TONS of water and really enjoyed the beautiful scenery we were riding through. The energy of the riders and volunteers was AWESOME. I wish I could have people like that riding with me (and feeding me every 15 miles) every time I ride in Utah. Maybe I’ll send Sean out in the car next time and have him pull over every 15 miles and hand me a PB&J, Gatorade and a banana.

Mile 23 was dedicated to Jesse Alswager. At that mile marker, the Western Wisconsin Team stopped for photo ops on the side of the road. Sean had an idea to make a little tribute to Jesse, which we did together. You can see below.

 

We then road the next mile in silence; a cool new tradition in honor of a great kid. Part of me could feel him with us the whole day—perhaps that was due to the fact every time I looked up, there was a line of Jesse’s in front of me…his face was on the back of our AMAZING jerseys. I felt so proud to wear it that day.

There was even a coyote just hanging out on the side of the road…no biggie, just biking with a vicious animal. Another day in the life of Mollie Shambeau…

The last 6 miles of the first leg (about mile 45-52) are all gradual uphill, leading to the top of Jubilee Pass. In short: IT SUCKED. It took us over an hour to go SIX measly miles, but Sean and I made it. Talk about couples therapy—we really had to work to motivate one another. One minute, I had the strength, the next minute, he did. We wouldn’t have made it without each other.

By the time we took our break at the top, the air temperature was pushing 110 degrees. Plus, we were really focused on Sean’s blood sugars and how we could keep those in check with the heat. Water and food were key. And can I just say something here? How can someone even prepare for temperatures like that unless you LIVE IN THE DESERT? No way.

So I won’t beat around the bush here: Neither Sean or I made it the full 105 miles. Sean got debilitating cramps at 67 miles and called it, and I went a total of 78 miles and then called it. At first, this was really hard for both of us to handle—we signed up, we trained, and we came to finish a task. Plus, we’re both uber competitive and we hate to let people down.

But we both learned an important lesson that day. We didn’t let anyone down. Sure, it’s a 105-mile ride, but it really isn’t about the ride, it’s about the reason for riding. We knew our physical limits couldn’t take us to the finish line that day with such high temperatures—the heat can drive you insane, not to mention put your body in a seriously physical situation! It just wasn’t our day. We know in our hearts we were capable of riding 105 miles. Just not on October 15^th, 2010 in Death Valley, Calif. Simple as that.

Plus, we can’t ignore the fact we raised $6,000 for JDRF, and collectively with the other riders: over $1.4 million! That’s all something to be proud of.

Are we determined to eventually complete our century ride? Of course. There have been talks of doing the LaCrosse, Wis. ride next year…or perhaps the Tuscon, Arizona ride? Who knows.

What I do know is that we went to DV, and we rode our hearts out for Jesse Alswager. So mileage aside, we really did what we came to do. GODSPEED JESSE!