Hi,
Obviously my name is Deb. I live in Wisconsin and am running the Madison Half Marathon tomorrow. By all of the posts, it appears no one has been on with new topics since March 2009. I was hoping to find some real runners out there that would share their triumphs and struggles. My diabetes educator doesn't know what to do with me, so it's all trial and error. I've been running seriously for about 5 years and really enjoy it.
Let me know if anyone is really out there.
straw man
Another place to look is the DESA web site:
http://www.diabetes-exercise.org
http://t1d-runner.blogspot.com
He who has the best time wins. Jerry
Hi Deb,
I'm not sure how serious I am, but I'm a T1 and have been running for a few years. I ran my 1st 1/2 marathon in February. Jerry has lots of experience, and no doubt we all benefit from comparing notes on what works/doesn't for us. My doc doesn't know what to do w/ me either. I think they are so used to trying to talk people into exercising, they don't know how to handle those of us who actually enjoy it. I'm switching to a different pump and getting started with a CGM this week, so will be interested to see how that helps with BG mgmt during runs.
So are you on a pump or MDI? Got CGM?? Let us know how our 1/2 goes and how the BG mgmt goes. Oh, and hope it was fun too
Hi Carol and is it Jerry?
Thanks for your kind and welcoming replies. I've been pumping since 1995. I have CGM available, but haven't learned how to do it yet. Hoping to get it set up soon. However, I was hooked up to CGM for 6 days earlier in the month to try and make sense of it all. It didn't help. There were no obvious patterns and my diabetes educator is baffled.
I finished the half today in 2:14.16. Was running with my daughter at a 9:50 pace until 9 miles when I started to feel tired. Had to stop and check my sugar because that's often my symptom of a low. My sugar was 178 - not too bad. But my daughter kept going on without me and I couldn't get back into my rhythm. Ended up with some calf cramps, but overall, it was within my goal. It also felt good to beat a 23 yr old coworker (I'm 53 by the way).
My biggest problem is the high sugars I get afterward. Within 45 minutes of finishing I went up to 353, then up to 410 an hour later. I feel simply poisonous. It's probably a delayed reaction to the GU I consume during the run. Today I had 3 packs for a total of 75 grams. My pump was set at a 38% basal. I had decent control during the run. Do you have similar problems? What do you do to keep your sugars up during a run? If I don't take anything, I can leave my pump totally off and crash 150 points in a 30-45 minute run. I've returned from a simple 3 mile run with a sugar of 38-45 more often than I'd like to admit, thus the need for the GU.
In two weeks I will be leaving for a 5 day wilderness adventure with another daughter up in the Minnesota Boundary Waters - again another challenge for blood glucose control, and no chance for rescue if I blow it.
I also have a passion for mountain summiting as I grew up in Denver. Two years ago we neared the summit of Longs Peak. Last year we topped Quandary Peak (the 12th highest in the state), and this year we are probably going to go for Massive (the state's 2nd highest). Talk about grueling. Climbing peaks is much more difficult than any run I've ever done. At least on the mountains, frequent stops are required just to stop and catch your breath, so BS monitoring isn't what stops the action. I'd love to talk with you more regarding how you control things during your runs.
Take care and I'll wait to hear from you.
Deb
The voice of mile 18
Tri Rule #1 of Triathlon Training/Racing - If Momma ain't happy nobody is happy
Congratulations on your half marathon!
I turn down my basal rate at least an hour before starting a long run. I turn it down about 40%, but whatever works for you is what you should do.
Since you didn't mention it, maybe the timing of turning your basal rate down is causing you problems with lows. If you don't make the adjustment until just before you start running, it's too late. It won't make any difference in the first few miles of your run.
Another thing that can make you drop steeply when you start running is "insulin on board" from a previous meal or correction bolus. You either have to eat a long time before you start the run, or bolus less than you normally would for the meal, or the impact of that insulin will be greater than you want it to be.
I usually eat a gel every five miles or so during a long run. If my blood sugar is below something like 105, or if I know I have some extra insulin on board, I will eat a gel before starting.
At the end of a run, I immediately turn my basal rate back to normal. After a long run, as soon as possible I try to eat a recovery meal, and I bolus for this a little aggressively, knowing that my basal rate was low for at least an hour prior.
Your highs after running are likely caused by the lack of insulin in your system, so bolusing right after, even with food, would help, I'm thinking.
There are lots of ways to make it work for you. I'm just describing what works for me.
You may also want to check out Missy Foy's web site:
http://missyfoy.com/
And consider getting the book, The Diabetic Athlete's Handbook, for more examples of what other diabetics do.
Basic things for all of us: Carry something that identifies you as a type 1 diabetic. Always carry more fast acting carbs than you need. On long runs, I always carry a tube of glucose tabs in addition to whatever gel I plan to eat.
Hey Deb, awesome time in your 1/2! LOL, yes it is fun to beat the younger folks. I led a wellness group with my previous employer and it was sad how out of shape so many of our younger employees were.
Jerry gave good advice and has a lot more long run experience than I do. 75 grams of carbs on a 38% basal sounds like a lot to me, but I know we are all different. Did you test before mile 9 and let that dictate your treatment (carbs or insulin)? None of us likes to have to test during races or training runs, but I have found that if I can get things headed in the right direction early on, they go much better for me. So I try to test before heading out (and a couple of times earlier in the morning), and then about 3 miles in to see how I'm trending. If I'm dropping I eat a few cliff shot blocks and/or drink some gatorade. If rising, leave things alone and test again in another 4 or 5 miles...lather, rinse repeat.
I just got my CGM started today and am having fun watching the graph. Can't wait to see how it goes on runs. My pump/CGM trainer is T1 and runs lots of 1/2 marathons, so was good to benefit from her experiences. Maybe you can get that CGM going too...just have to think it will help sort things out and maybe minimize testing during the race.
Great going, and let us know of your progress.
I would like to echo the fact that the diabetes educators/doctors rarely know what to do with T1D who run, especially those who run more than 1-2 miles. I've not had much luck and just go by trial and error also. The suggestions by others on this site are very helpful, and it's even just nice to have someone who truly understands what we need to do to run and our individual requirements.
Congratulations on the half!! Awesome accomplishment!