May 29, 2009
Karen L.

Racing season has begun, and the past two weekends I completed a triathlon and a 10K running race.

My diabetic plan for both races was similar: have (first) breakfast 3 hours before the race, bolusing 75% for the meal. At 1-hour pre-race, I’d set my basal to 75% from that point until the anticipated end of the race. If I was lower than I wanted to be before the race started, I’d eat accordingly. For the triathlon, I planned to eat 16g CHO at 3 points in the race, and for the running race, which would take me a shorter time, I didn’t expect to eat. In the tri, I had a GU in the sleeve of my wetsuit, shot blox and a meter in the Bento box on my bike, and a GU in the pocket of my tri shorts for the run, which was just a 5K. For the running race, I carried my running water belt that also has a big pocket on it that carries my meter and lots of shot blox.

First up was my first triathlon, a small Sprint distance race in a neighboring town. I thought there was a decent chance that I’d be the last out of the water, and was pleased that I wasn’t (although I was close!). This second open water swim was more successful than my first one at camp, in that I was able to get myself to just put my face in and swim a much larger percentage of the time. The bike was fast and fun, and I even passed a couple of people, although I don’t think any of them were on road bikes. The run was really hard, as I’m sure all of them will be after biking. I have a lot of improving to do on my transition times. Most of all, I’m glad to have my first official triathlon under my belt, and the race was really FUN, which is great, since I’m committed to training for this sport for the next 5 months…

Diabetically speaking, I wouldn’t really call this day a stunning success, as many of you heard on the call last Sunday. Although I woke up at 100, I was lower than I wanted to be an hour before the race, was 189 when I connected back to my pump after the swim, and a whopping 414 after the bike ride (having eaten only 2 shot blox). I shot it down some during the 5K and was back down to 86 a few hours later. Other than the pure numbers, there were a couple of logistics issues: this time, I handed my pump in a plastic bag to my coach before I warmed up in the water, and he handed it to me as I left the reservoir after the swim. That worked well, but the way I put the pump and tubing in the Ziploc lead to some knots in the tubing in T1, which added to my excessive transition time ☺.

On Memorial Day, I ran my 4th Bolder Boulder. This is a huge 10K road race here in Boulder, with wave starts and chip timing and lots of goofiness on the race course: bands and belly dancers and bacon and slip ‘n slides. This year I noticed less of the fun stuff than usual, since I was working hard to try and achieve a particular time, but it’s fun to see people running by you dressed as Where’s Waldo or with crazy wigs on, anyway. The course is hilly, but the weather was perfect: cool and overcast. I had some moments when I could’ve used a little more toughness, but I checked my watch just before I entered the stadium (the course ends inside the university football stadium) and saw that I could make my goal time if I really pushed. I sped up and was delighted to achieve that, with the added bonus of not throwing up the partially digested and multi-colored shot blox that were in danger of returning from whence they’d come on this final push to the finish line.

As a diabetic athlete, I’d call this race more successful than the previous weekend’s triathlon. Last year I’d had problems with lows both before and during the Bolder Boulder, and I was freaked out about that happening again. I woke up high at 248, and was lower than I wanted to be pre-race at 77. 4 shot blox later I started the race and was feeling strong until the 4K mark, which is where I was low during the race last year. Although I didn’t want to have to walk to test my blood sugar this year, at this point I was working hard and couldn’t tell if the shaky sweaty feelings I had were a low (like last year) or just me exerting myself (in a race, in the humidity – both somewhat unusual conditions). I slowed to a walk and tested, saw that I was 125 (not low, yay!), took 2 more shot blox, and continued on to the end of the race. Post-race I was 159, which I’ll call good.

All in all, a good start to the racing season!

May 28, 2009
Lorrie

This past weekend, I participated in the Madison, Wisconsin Quarter Marathon. I was originally signed up for the ½ marathon, but due to chronic planter fasciitis preventing me from running much; I opted to do the ¼ marathon instead—6.55 miles. Days before the event, I reviewed all of my notes regarding nutrition from Marcey’s talks at camp and during our conference calls. Even though my run wasn’t going to be a long one, I wanted to try out what I learned.

The start time for my event was at 7:50am. I awoke at 5:00am and tested my BG level. It was a perfect 100. I ate a peanut butter sandwich consisting of approximately 32 grams of carbs. I did bolus for the entire amount because on event days, my BG levels tend to rise. I drank about 16 ounces of water and had a diet pepsi as well—this is my coffee. Approximately 40 minutes before the start of the race, I ate a nutrition bar consisting of 18 grams of carbs. I did not bolus for this because my BG level was hovering around 100. I was surprised by this because in past events, my adrenaline kicks in prior to an event and my BG levels skyrocket.


At 7:50am the start gun fires and off I go. All was going well; I had a mix of slower and faster beat songs in my Ipod. Most people like faster tempo songs, but I find that if I have too many faster tempo songs together, I tend to over exert myself and burn out quickly. My strategy was to try to keep my pace consistent, and the tempo mixes helped with this.

About 30 minutes into my run, just past the 3 mile marker, I was starting to feel tired and a bit weak. At this point I really thought my BG level was low. I often feel tired and a bit weak when I’m either low or high, but with all of the running, I was sure I was low. I pulled my pump out and checked the sensor, which read 160. I was happy with the number, but surprised as well. Why did I feel tired and weak? I decided to add some carbs for that extra boost of energy, so I took two Gu shots blocks—total 8 carb grams. Around the 4 mile marker, I decided to do a finger stick. Again, I was surprised by the number on my meter. Why did it read 220? A bit angered by the reading, I pulled out my pump and reviewed the sensor reading; it read 170 with double up arrows. I made a quick decision to give myself a .5 unit bolus. Of course I wanted to give myself more insulin, but decided against it. Regaining my composure, I decided to just enjoy the remainder of the race and try not to let my diabetes distract me.

With one mile to go, I glanced at my watch to check my time. I was shockingly surprised at my time. I was under an hour. I picked up my stride a bit, challenging myself to end with the best time ever—best time for me that is. A quarter mile left, feeling strong and singing along to my music, out of nowhere a guy dressed as a hot dog, or maybe it was a bratwurst, flies past me. Hmmm, I wonder if the ketchup and mustard bottles that smoked Susie, were actually chasing the hot dog. We’ll never know.

I finished the race in 1:06. Pretty good I thought for someone with an injury. I also reviewed my sensor data to see how I did with my diabetes management overall. I’ve included chart with my sensor data. I realized during this race that proper hydration and nutrition is critical. In past events, I would concentrate so much on my BG levels that I would forgo nutrition. I have learned that proper nutrition is one of the critical factors and will continue to ensure that I incorporate it in my training and actual events. Overall, I was pleased with my performance.

May 26, 2009
Karen R.

The Sahuarita "Lake" triathlon is held each year on Memorial Day and is a sprint consisting of a 1K swim, 25K bike, and 5K run. I've never done this race and didn't really know what to expect. Past participants had said how you come out of the water covered in slime and that there was a killer hill on the bike course. Attended the prerace meeting and the race director assured us the water was not slimy, however, it is tinted to inhibit algae growth, but more on that later. As the bike course was changed at the last moment, we also received details on what was now a 2-loop course instead of an out and back.

This is where I realized I'm still glucocentric. BS is now 168 and figure it's still climbing. Bolus 1/2 unit of insulin and start drinking green tea. Get on the bike. About halfway through the first loop and I've gone through about 10 ozs. The ride starts to feel so good, doesn't the ride always feel good on smooth pavement? Drink a little more tea, then start with Gatorade to make sure I have fuel on board for the run. Drink around 16 oz. of Gatorade and then finish with more tea. That really good feeling I was having on my bike started to go away about half way into the second loop--even with new road bike shoes and a recent bike fitting, my feet are still going numb. I don't know how to fix this yet, but know the moment I get off the bike and into my runners, the numbness will go away.

May 26, 2009
Susie

Hello Team WILD! For those of you who I did not meet at training camp, I will be participating in the Longhorn 70.3 along with Team WILD. I don’t have diabetes, but the disease has affected friends and family, and I am familiar with the “highs and lows” of diabetes management. My introduction to Team WILD came through Lorrie DiCesare. I have known and been inspired by Lorrie for almost 16 years. I’ve seen first-hand the positive effects that an active and healthy lifestyle, and a positive outlook, can have on diabetes management. We have participated in multiple running races and triathlons together. I fully support the mission of Team WILD in helping all women with diabetes realize their athletic dreams. I am excited and thankful for the opportunity to participate in the Longhorn 70.3 alongside such a positive and inspirational team!

Lorrie and I made the trek to Madison Wisconsin last weekend to participate in the Madison Half Marathon. Since I don’t have diabetes, I can’t share any gems of wisdom about adjusting my basal rate, etc. However, I can share three general ideas that popped into my mind during the 13.1 mile run:

1. I really want to try to have fun! During the half marathon, two guys ran the entire race dressed as a ketchup bottle and a mustard bottle. They were smiling and waving to people, and having a great time. I’m not suggesting anyone complete the Longhorn dressed as a condiment, but I do hope that I can bring a spirit of fun and enjoyment into my training. I get to swim, bike and run for a wonderful cause – I am very lucky! Oh, by the way, yes the ketchup and mustard bottle smoked me...
2. Body Glide. Apply liberally to any areas that have the potential for rubbing. Enough said.
3. The power of Team. The event was in Madison, home of Team WILD’s very own Kathy Z. Kathy wasn’t running in the race, but she did have several friends participating. At least four or five times during the race, I would turn a corner and there would be Kathy on the side of the road, in her bright orange Team WILD shirt, offering cheers and words of encouragement. I know running and triathlon are individual sports, but what struck me was the extra spring in my step from hearing those encouraging words. To take it to the next level, I truly believe Team WILD can have that positive effect on many women with diabetes who are looking to find that extra “spring in their step” in their diabetes management and athletic goals.

Please click here to read the article with Edy Chambers!

Thanks for all you do Edy! This is just one more reason why you are WILD!
Good luck with the ride!!

May 23, 2009
Edy


Hey Team WILD- how fun to blog with ya'll!
OK- so I've been going to several spinning classes the last few weeks, then riding outside each weekend. The Tour de Cure is May 30 from San Antonio to Austin with a stop in San Marcos.

Last weekend I took my bike to the shop and with Nicole's suggestions-had them make a few changes-thank you Nicole! And I had them put my clips on. (nightmares included about falling and breaking something-no joke!) I rode around my (hilly) subdivision a bit one night and today I decided to go on the training ride. Success!- I rode 44 miles in 3 hours and did not fall!!!!

(photo isn't really Edy's feet...just a little creative license!)

BS did alright-not perfect! Woke with a 86. Decreased my basal to 70%, ate 20 gm carb and headed to the start-40 min drive southward. Pre-race had a 236! yicks- took no bolus-just drank water. At mile 27 had a 203, drank water and ate 1 shot block(8 gm). Arrived back at the car (without falling!) with a 92.

Guess my only issue is terrible burning in mostly my right hand. Used to have that with lows- now it's fairly constant no matter the BS. I try not to put too much pressure on the wrists, change positions, rub hands on shorts etc but maybe ya'll or Matt can make some suggestions with that.
Happy trails!

May 20, 2009
Sarah

So I went on a long bike ride + swim yesterday and I really wanted to focus on figuring out my nutrition. It has been something that I have struggled with and have started to feel the effects when it is not right. I don’t think yesterday’s nutrition was perfect, and I still have to work on it quite a bit, but I felt better than I have in a while.
I think I am, as what Matt and Marcey call “Glucocentric”, so I wanted to move away from that mind set yesterday. Not focus on my blood sugars as much and focus more on nutrition. This is how it went:

6:00am- 110 (Perfect!, my morning BS tend to run higher)- 2u for tea
7:00- 40g carb breakfast- 4u
8:45- 184- Leave for bike ride
9:15- 188 (hasn’t come down much, normally I would not take in any carbs until this has come down more, but start to sip accelerade)
9:45- 161 (coming down….keep drinking accelerade)
10:45- 151 (before I get in pool for swim, more accelerade)
10:45-11:45- swim, drink accelerade during rest breaks
12:00- 82- after swim, eat 2 shot block and mini promax bar (26g carbs total)
12-1:00- ride home, finish bottle of accelerade
1:15- 132 –finish, 25g carbs right away then 35g lunch within 1 hr


Total carbs throughout the entire session was about 60g, then another 60g after for recovery. I still don’t think this is enough for the amount of time I was exercising but man did I feel so much better than when I have only 20-30g! I have an appointment with Marcey this morning and will hopefully figure out how to tweak this more until I get it perfect!!

May 20, 2009
Becca

First of all, THANK YOU to all of you who sent well-wishes on Saturday!! It was so, so awesome to get back from the race and feel so much support from the group!

So, my first race, the Wildflower Olympic distance in San Luis Obispo, CA, was an AMAZING experience. Absolutely, positively amazing. I think my favorite thing was the transition area – what a total scene! People running around in wetsuits and bike shoes and bathing suits and spandex galore. I have never felt more comfortable in form fitting clothes! I also have to say, I loved having my race number written on my arms and thighs – it made me feel super hardcore!! I was sad to wash it off after the race was over and to be honest didn’t mind that a little of the marker lingered for a couple of days…

The entire week before the race I was battling something (swine flu?) and was feeling super terrible, so I was really nervous that my body would not be able to hold up through the whole race. But the morning we planned to drive down to San Luis Obispo (about a 3.5 hour drive from the SF bay area), I woke up drenched in sweat – and feeling a million times better!!! There was certainly a vicious battle that went on in my body the night before, and luckily my body won!!

Wildflower is a fun/intense race in that you camp out the night before since it is held in a pretty remote area in California. The atmosphere is super friendly and everyone was so happy to be there. One of my good friends is on the Team Type 1 triathlon team so Kathleen and I hung out with them the night before. They were so excited for us to be racing and to hear more about Team WILD, and it definitely made us a lot less stressed to hang out with such a supportive bunch.

I was very, very nervous on Sunday morning and woke up at about 5:45am – although my alarm was not even set for me to get up until 7am! I had slept all of 4 hours the night before, thanks to the assortment of snorers in the tents around us, and the ultra-hard ground we camped on. But no matter – I was UP! It seemed like forever by the time I was finally standing in my wetsuit in a group of about 100 women, waiting for our group to go out. They let us go into the water for a minute to warm and I splashed around and tried to take some deep breaths. I had a Gu up the sleeve of my wetsuit but I was about 200 when I headed to the start line so I figured I’d be ok.
And then we were off!! I think I was kind of in disbelief for the first half of the swim that I was finally, FINALLY doing my first triathlon! Once or twice I just kind of slowed down and looked around and enjoyed the moment. When I got out of the water my legs were incredibly shaky and I was convinced my blood sugar was super low. But when I got the transition area I checked and was 205….ok so maybe that shakiness was adrenaline! But in my rush to transition to the bike and my focus on not forgetting anything, I didn’t stop to think about ONE extremely important thing…I felt low but I WASN’T, and I needed to bolus aggressively to cover the insulin I missed during my swim or else I would skyrocket. So that’s a little foreshadowing for you….

On to the bike. The bike is TOUGH, you gain about 1200 feet of elevation over the 25 miles and the first mile is straight uphill, everyone in the lowest gear just slow pedal-pedal-pedal and try to make it to the top without just plopping over. When I got to the top my friend was there with a cowbell and a camera so that was a nice reward! The hills were tough and after about 8 or 9 miles I started feeling like I was hitting a wall. I was bummed because I thought it was maybe due to me being so sick for a week and not recovering all my strength. I got to the turnaround and I had gotten someone’s race sticker for their helmet stuck to my wheel, so I stopped to take it off and check my blood sugar.

420??? FOUR. HUNDRED. TWENTY?!?! How the heck…ohhhh shit. Yeah. I realized at that moment WHY I felt so crappy. I was SO mad at myself for not thinking things through after the swim and taking the insulin that my body needed. I pulled out my pump and although it was difficult to do since I just wanted to send a whole TON of insulin into my system, I only took about half what my pump told me to. I knew once I got a little in me, my blood sugar would come down fast. My blood felt like sludge and my eyes felt dried out. I decided to keep going but to slow my roll, drink as much water as possible, and just think good thoughts.

By about mile 20 of the bike I was starting to feel AMAZING. It truly is incredible how much better you feel when your blood sugar is in range – like your body can actually FUNCTION! I started passing people and my legs didn’t burn as much on the climbs. I was so, so HAPPY! I got back to the transition area and checked my blood sugar – mid 200s. Ok. I was coming down, and pretty quickly. I had some extra carbs for that feeding period and took off on the run. I felt GREAT. It was hot, and I was a little shaky on my legs at first, but I knew I only had 6 miles of (albeit very hilly) running ahead of me. I felt my blood sugar dropping a couple of times and downed some Gatorade at every rest stop, for carbs and for hydration. Sometimes when I’m running and I need to talk myself through it, I chant in my head “just keep swimming, just keep swimming” like Dorey said in Finding Nemo. I don’t know why but just the beat of it and the image of myself gliding along makes the run feel easier. I used that mantra on a couple of the bigger hills and before I knew it I was on the last mile, allll downhill (yes!!) and then sprinting through the finish line! It was AMAZING!!!
No one I knew was at the finish line when I got there, and for about 30 seconds I was a little bummed that I had no one to share the moment with. But then I realized how amazing that was – I could just BE in the moment, revel in it quietly, take it all in. If my friends had been there they would have asked how it was and I would have started talking right away – and I wouldn’t have had the time to just capture it all in my head. I loved every minute of it. They throw a soaking wet towel at you to wipe off the salt and sweat, put a medal over your head, and lead you to the time chip collectors. You feel sort of like a celebrity, everyone directing you and taking care of you. Even though they are doing it for EVERYONE who crosses that finish line – you are ALL celebrities, you all have the understanding of what it felt like to finish that race.
At least once during each leg of the race I looked around and kind of giggled quietly to myself. I was doing it! I think I honestly only half-believed it at times and a couple of times I said out loud, “I’m doing it! I’m doing my first triathlon!” It was so much work to get there and I gave up so much to make the time to train and take care of my body and LEARN how to do it all – and it was all so, so worth it. Competing in Wildflower gave me so much confidence for our race in October, and it made me so EXCITED about it! What an experience! Just to be surrounded by people who are challenging themselves through swimming, biking, running, and more than all that the MENTAL struggle it is – I mean, WOW.

I also felt very happy that I had made it through a tough diabetes challenge during the race. I was mad at myself for making such a big mistake, but I also think it showed me that when you’re in the moment, it’s easy to overlook the obvious. It was SUCH a good lesson for me to really slow down and FOCUS when I’m making diabetes decisions. An extra 30 seconds of figuring out what to do will save me tons of time NOT having to deal with a super high or super low blood sugar.

WHAT a day. What a great, great, challenging, exhausting, inspiring, did I say GREAT? day. I can’t wait for my next race!!

May 17, 2009
Kathleen

Three fellow type 1s (2 WILD girls & 1 Triabetes gal) suggested that I share the details of my 5/3 Wildflower Olympic Tri experience in case it’s the least bit helpful on what NOT to do. I also think sharing the gory details will continue to help me cope with the disappointment of not finishing the race. Instead of the Wildflower “Tri”athlon, I’m calling it the Wildflower 1 ½ because all I did was the swim and ½ the bike. Did awesome on the swim however (Celeste would be proud!).

In retrospect I can now see many things that I will handle differently going forward. I recognize that a true athlete is someone who learns from their disappointments (I hate the word mistakes!) so I am getting back in the saddle (he he!) on 7/11 for the SF Olympic Tri. A friend, who is also a CDE, is doing it with me so I will definitely have on site/real time support/problem solving! I have people! Mmm mmmm raise the roof! (ok, is that so 90s?)

I will give my summary and lessons learned first and then make notes on what I was thinking at the time and what I think I could have done differently.

In summary, I should have eaten a bigger breakfast and taken a full carb bolus and a full correction bolus for the “above range” number I woke with, especially since I woke more than 4 hours pre swim wave. I’m completely paranoid about a low while swimming (I have hypoglycemia unawareness) and there would have been no IOB by the time I hit the water. Duh! I also should have gone with a different basal profile. I was on a really really really low basal profile b/c that was the profile for my Wildflower on site training weekend which was heavy duty exercise 3 days in a row. This weekend, I did no exercise the day prior to the race. Duh! I should have also fueled more during the race. B/c I was above range all morning, I didn’t really fuel b/c I was afraid to take insulin and have IOB during the swim. I was so focused on hydrating and not adding carbs to make me higher (thus drinking only Nuun) that I didn’t make the connection that I was not fueling. (Sorry Marcey, I was not fueling the athlete!!) Nuun is not fuel. I was looking at it as no carbs = no need for insulin. I completely lost sight of carbs = fuel. If I had done the previous strategies, I think I would have been able to fuel for the exercise and not needed to take insulin as I typically do not in training. I’m usually taking in what I’m burning, for the most part, and I’m also usually on a higher basal so getting some insulin.

I also now see several areas where I could have also recovered and taken new actions so as to save the day mid race.

Below are the details:

If you are not familiar with Wildflower, let’s just say you drive 4 hours from SF and are camping out pretty much 2 inches from 3000 other campers. Already this is not my routine in terms of dinner the night before, mental rest and then actual physical rest. I got maybe 4 hours of sleep and woke up feeling like I was completely hung-over.

11pm 325
What the heck is mole chicken and how many carbs is that? Tasty dinner but never had it before. I was also getting low after initial meal bolus so 2 cookies later, way above range range. Ug! Anyway, took full correction and got into my sleeping bag. Camping sucks right now!
1am 196 (coming down)
2am 166 (yeah try to sleep. Ignore snoring guy in next tent.)
6am wake up 235 (crap, I feel hung over, cold, tired and old. OMG, what have I gotten myself into? Becca! Let’s go back to SF!)
6:30 eat banana 25 carb only take 1.75 u (in retrospect probably should have taken full correction, had better breakfast and taken full insulin)
8am 290 (eek, do nothing let it ride) Bike down the hill to transition area.
8:30 236 (hmmm, coming down, cool, let it ride, don’t want to get low on swim, drink some GU20. stay hydrated. Hydrate, hydrate, hydrate)
9:15 267 (ick, stop drinking GU20 carbs, drink Nuun, hydrate, hydrate, lower basal to race day program)
10am 295 (last check before 10:45 wave, let it ride, I’m nervous, don’t get low in the swim, stay focused, swim to the left, GUs in my sleeve, you can do it, no tears, ok maybe a few, kick some non diabetic ass)
11:30 299 (swim was great, not low, yeah, getting on bike, high though, hmmmm, let it ride and check in an hour midway on bike. Should come down. Only drink Nuun. Stay hydrated but don’t want to raise BG so no carbs)(should have eaten GU and taken some insulin. This is where I could have acted and saved the day. Next time, take insulin and carbs)
12:45 midway on bike 281 take .3 u (tried to eat and drink and started vomiting)
12:51 (maybe 281 was not correct, check again) 308 .3u again (fireman came over to help, had low BP 70/50, completely nauseous, sit in shade, drink water, fireman calls EMT b/c I have diabetes. arg! BP comes up, I’m feeling slightly better. Poked and prodded by EMT, scolded for high BG by EMT, discouraged from continuing, just throw me a crystal geiser and I’m outta here!)
1:45 231 (back on bike, just finish bike and bag the run. Everyone has passed me. I’m one of 6-8 people left on the course. Ick!)
2:30 237 (went 4 miles, had to walk some and am not well. Stop and vomit one more time. I’m done. Wait for ride back)
3pm 239 (back at transition, check BG, take 1u, Becca finished! Yeah!!!)
4:30 174 (waiting for shuttle back to camp to breakdown tent, etc)

After all this, we had to break down our campsite and sit in a single file line of 1000 cars waiting to leave the park. 5 hours later, we are home.

Camping and endurance sports in the same weekend, not good for me!

Challenges make life interesting but overcoming them makes life meaningful (a quote from the latest Triathlon Life Mag) . Here’s to overcoming this challenge on 7/11 and again on 10/25!

May 14, 2009
Wendy

Spring has finally arrived in the great white north and I have taken my first outdoor ride on my spiffy new bike. I was in great fear of the clip pedals as I have managed to injure myself many times on a bike (actually skis, bikes, roller blades, ice skates, the list is quite extensive- I hate filling out forms at a doctor office on previous injuries- I digress) My fear was unwarranted. It felt so amazing to be outside again.

I have also bought a wetsuit and have been practicing wearing it in the pool. I will do my first triathlon on May 31st at a local conservation authority. It is a 750m swim, 30 km bike ride and 7.5 km run. It will be my first open water swim race.

My swim coach, who is also an Ironman finisher, has been practicing with me on how to get in and out of the wetsuit. She has also advised me about buying a tri suit and strongly suggests not getting a one piece in case you have to make a pit stop you will have to remove the full suit. Then again wearing a pump make a 2 piecer more reasonable- any thoughts on this?

I also completed my first full marathon last Sunday. I think I have finally figured out my fueling – after the first 10k, 10-15 grams of carbs every 15-20 minutes (about 1/3 of gel) followed by water. I stopped at a medical tent about every 5 miles and tested my BG. My local coach had told me to not race and think of it as a training run to check my BG. So I did, and feel better for it.

I just got copies of the photos from the race and I burst out laughing. I had my fuel belt on, a jacket around my waste and my running skirt had slipped under my belly so my lower belly was exposed – including my pump insertion site and my CGM monitor. Nothing like being out there with your diabetes.

Happy racing!

May 12, 2009
Lyndsay

May 10, 2009
Kathy

I hoped to be writing about my 4 hour rehearsal I planned on doing yesterday, but, alas, I sit hear on my couch with my "diabetes sick protocol" in full force. Diet soda, ice-pops, Kleenex, water and magazines flag both sides of me. I am honored to say our very own Mari Ruddy graces the presence of the May issue of Diabetes Forecast magazine...what a great, inspirational article about her starting the Tour de Cure's Red Rider Program! We are so lucky to have you, Mari!

Back to being sick, if there is one thing I learned from our camp last month, it's that being a triathlete means rolling with the punchs. You fall off your bike, you get back on. You freak out in open water, relax and keep swimming. You feel sick from dehydration, hydrate more next time. And being a triathlete with diabetes means there are a lot of punches. You feel low on the bike, get some sugar in you; you still feel low on the bike, get more sugar in you. Luckily, I'm in between jobs right now and have the next week off. More life changes, but this will give me a chance to recover and do my rehearsal later in the week. I love being reminded of this frame of mind, rolling with changes, and being a part of team WILD is incredibly valuable to me for this. Some changes we bring on ourselves, like my job change, and others we don't ask for, like being diagnosed with diabetes. It seems like I should have something more profound to say now, but nothing's coming to me. Oh well, happy training and rollin'!

May 2, 2009
Jennifer S.

Hi Team!!

Hope all of you that were doing the Wildflower Olympic tri this weekend did well and kudos to those of you that did the 4 hour rehearsal today per Yoli's great calendar! I'll be completing that in a few weeks!
I had a minor triumph at the pool today as I was completing the drills that Celeste was so great at putting together for us. I was swimming focusing on keeping my head down, and really trying to not kick as much as I've been used to doing. Trying to reach, extend, glide through the water all while trying to breath out as much air as possible and get enough in without additional water to get through the next strokes. I was sharing a lane with a gentleman who really appeared to be an agile swimmer. After about 45 minutes of sharing the lane we both ended up at a rest point at the same end of the pool. As I finished my last stroke and hung on the side of the pool he turned to me and told me I made swimming look so easy! Really?...was my mental thought...because I'm not feeling the ease here....clearly you don't feel me trying to keep my focus on a million things while making this look easy. But I said..." Oh, thanks I've really been working hard as I'm training for a 1/2 Ironman". He told me my strokes are very smooth and that I have no "splash" while swimming. WOW....just like that I was suddenly feeling a little better about my swimming. It took just a quick comment to help me find a positive focus and make the last 20 minutes of my swim feel like I was gliding. I think so much while I'm "trying" to swim and complete the drills the right way, that I think I forget to have fun and enjoy the workout as well. It was a triumph for me!! Finding that I'm actually doing something well and that the more I practice the better I will get.
With that said I've been looking into open water swimming opportunities in my area. I came to realize how important this would be after doing the open water swim at our camp in San Antonio in April. After swimming only half the distance and experiencing what I'm assuming was a panic attack in the open water I knew I needed to get some open water training in....a pool is so not like swimming in a lake! I located a lake about 1 hour away. I've scheduled one day per month through this August to go down to the lake and swim and I also am planning to join a local tri club here in Alexandria....thanks to Ramona for telling me about this!! And it will be so nice to have a fellow teammate to participate with in this club!!

I'm feeling better about my swimming, mostly about how I should look at my swims. I enjoy cycling and running and when I go into a workout for either of these I actually look forward to it...I haven't had that feeling going into my swim sessions. I guess I needed a little healthy compliment from someone I didn't even know to give me some "happy" focus. I hope to keep this with me as I continue to improve my swimming....I know I can do better and enjoy it too!!

May 2, 2009
Becca

I'm heading into SF to pick up Kathleen in about half an hour and we are heading down to Wildflower to do the Olympic distance. This is my VERY FIRST TRI. I am VERY excited and also a wee bit (ok, more than a wee bit) nervous. I have had SUCH a huge learning curve just preparing for the race (I mean the gear alone is enough to make your head spin!) and I see now the importance of what Yoli was talking about on one of the last calls about doing a few races just to get a feel for how it all works. I haven't even DONE it yet and I'm already seeing how much work goes into it...I'm sure I'll have learned a lot more by the time I finish the race tomorrow!

Anyhow - I just wanted to send a note out to all of you because without this team, I probably would not be getting ready to take on such a huge, amazing challenge. I am so, so excited for our race in the fall and I am even more excited for all of the learning, tri-ing, and growth we will have between now and then. Have a great weekend and keep your fingers crossed that we finish with smiles on our faces!!!

April 25, 2009
Mari

This is a really cool clip. I thought of Nicole teaching us to "bunny hop" on the bike at camp... Nicole, is this for our next session???
I've always wanted to bike up a tree!!!
Enjoy!

April 21, 2009
Karen R.

Not even close to what Katie wrote about but probably just as important. Yoli's probably tired of seeing me write in my training log that I need to put my slicks on my mountain bike so I'm very happy to say mission finally accomplished! And because I had to do my front tire twice, (payback for putting in a patched tube) I'm really, really good at it now.

My local tri group had a man come in from Genuine Innovations (the company that makes gadgets to inflate tires with CO2 cartridges) to demonstrate how to use their products. He shared a story about a highly ranked woman triathlete competing in Kona who encountered a flat. Apparently she went through two cartridges, couldn't inflate the tube, and then was out of air. Another athlete rode by, threw her another cartridge, and on the third attempt was able to inflate the tube. After the race she admitted she had no experience using the cartridge system. Moral of the story is that the first time you use something, it's not in a race when it really counts. Sounds a lot like the recent discussions about fueling the body.

Happy swimming, biking and running everyone.

April 18, 2009
Katie

Okay, so it's not my day to blog, but hey, when I feel inspired, I better write because it doesn't happen often. :) I was just excitedly writing Marcey to share my awesome 8.14-mile run from today (I work tomorrow), and decided to share with everyone! those of you who weren't at camp- I didn't do so great with our 3-hr rehearsal, as I did not consume nearly enough water or carbs during the event and as a result felt quite like poo the rest of the day (I blame the heat as well!). Plus I really realized that I have NEVER taken in enough carbs/water before, during, OR after longer events in the past, sooo now every one of our longer training sessions/races will be a great practice for me/my stomach to learn how to consume more!

So, here's the rundown of my day today:
0415- 129

0830- started 50% basal

0840- 64

0900- 70g cho (oatmeal)

0930- 2.3units (50% bolus for 50g cho) (ok, should have done less than 50%)

1030- 166

1040- started run

1110- 71, 32g shot blocks, walked 10minutes

1140- 89, 25g gel

1205ish- stopped temp basal (@ mile 7)

1215- 97- end run, 1.5units (to slow down post-run spike)

1220- 42g cho (accelerade and string cheese), 3.0 units (100% bolus)

1240- 198

1305- 215 (still trying to figure out how to prevent this...)

1335- 119

1350- 110

1400- 3.75units (75% bolus for 70g cho)

1410- 70g cho

1610- 110

Um... how freakin' cool is that?!! I also drank about 1 liter of water during the run. so I went through Marcey's notes over and over after camp and wrote the really important stuff on sticky notes that I have up in my kitchen so I can think about and plan how to properly hydrate/eat before, during, and after longer workouts... like I said, something I have NEVER done before. and, the coolest part of the whole day is that I felt AWESOME during the entire run, and felt like I could have kept going when I ended. so great!! So my plan for now is to run at a pace that keeps my HR at or below 155 (that's where i feel good), and stop every half hour for a minute or two to check BG and eat 20-30g CHO.. and of course sip on water every few minutes. It only took several YEARS, but I think I finally get it, thanks to our FABULOUS staff! Happy 7-8 mile run tomorrow! :)

April 15, 2009
Jennifer A.

I feel that I am a fairly educated person. I feel like I understand blood sugar management and deal with it frequently with my pregnant patients… I find it easier to predict the blood sugar trends during the pregnancy as I can anticipate the different changes of insulin resistance based on how far along the pregnancy is. However, I find that it is sometimes not as easy when dealing with my own blood sugars, especially after different activities. I have to admit, I try to control my blood sugars fairly tight, which also means on the low side, at times. I think this is due to the fact that I have my patients managed very tightly during the pregnancy as this is what is important for a healthy outcome. As a result of this, I sometimes deal with hypoglycemic unawareness.

Now that we are doing our Phase Two Endurance training, I find that my blood sugars have been frustratingly difficult to control… with many highs and lows. This hopefully will improve with trials of altering the basal rates better and experimenting with my nutritional supplements during my activities. But, it makes it hard to do a good work-out when you are dealing with lows. For instance, I planned on doing a long ride on the bike (luckily it was indoors on the computrainer). I had had some low blood sugars the night before and overcorrected as I was high in the morning. I gave half of the bolus for breakfast and correction and lowered my basal rate before my ride. During the ride, I noticed that my cadence was slowing and I felt it was harder to pedal. I checked my blood sugar and it was extremely low. I ate some fruit and glucose tabs. I rechecked and it only came up a little. I refueled some more and continued riding. I checked several times more through the ride and it only raised minimally. Very frustrating! The bike coach I was working was concerned and questioned how I was planning on keeping my blood sugars up for 5-6 hrs during my ½ ironman. I replied, “That’s why I need to practice and work on blood sugar repletion.”

I thought my blood sugar management would be a little easier to deal with after I got my real-time sensors (which are now happily covered by my insurance company). Granted, I realize that these sensors are best to follow the trends. But, I get so annoyed when the calibration is off. This is sometimes even by 100 points. I feel I check my blood sugars even more so when wearing the sensor. I still wear the sensor as I feel it helps with my trends and just try not to pay attention to the number as much, which is hard to do at time… especially in the middle of the night when it alarms when it’s reading a high or low value (when it’s within a good range).

OK… enough griping. Can you tell I am writing this while on call in the hospital? Anyhow, I will end with a lighter note. I just started reading the new edition of the book, Diabetic Athlete’s Handbook by Sheri Colberg, which has a forward by Matt (good job by the way). This is actually the inspiration to my blogging rant. It has so many great points and suggestions on planning your activities. It has tables on how much carbs to take prior to the activity based on what your starting blood sugars is, duration, and intensity of activity. It also has a table on how to adjust your insulin. I’m in the middle of reading the section on “Dealing with Exercise-Induced Hypoglycemia.” I know some of this is a review on what was described at DTC… but it’s good to have it as a written guideline (as I am much more of a visual learner). So, if you want a good reference book… this is it!

March 21, 2009
Karen R.

This isn't quite the blog I had planned to write this month, but because March has been throwing me some punches, I thought I'd take an opportunity to write about what to do when the unexpected happens, such as your pump failing early on a Saturday morning.

For the second time in a year I've received the A33 alarm on a Medtronic pump (different pumps), and if you don't know what that is, it is an indicator that something is wrong with the pump motor. It happens during priming and signifies that the pump is failing to recognize or feel the reservoir.

The most important lesson learned the first time was to make sure your pump settings are stored somewhere, be it on Carelink or written down. As I found out the first time, if you are not able to clear the error message, you cannot, now matter how hard you try, get your settings off the pump. This time I was able to clear the error and download my settings again, but as instructed by Minimed there is a problem with the motor and Minimed does not recommended continuing to use the pump.

Almost right on par with the first lesson is to make sure you have a "plan B" in place. The first time I didn't and like this time, the error happened on the weekend. The weekend matters, because normally you would receive a pump the next day, but now the next day is Monday. My improvised "plan B" for the first occurrence turned out to be using my previous 508 pump. It was temporary and worked ok, but I found out that once you use the bolus wizard feature, you hate to lose it.

So leaving the security of a pump behind, and because I now have a scrip for a long-acting insulin, my "plan B" this time is going to be Lantus. I have never used Lantus or Levemir, so this weekend will be a learning session. Not planning on doing any exercising until I can get my blood sugars down, but should be okay to start again tomorrow. Right now I'm appreciating the information from camp and that we had the medical call we did last Sunday. After that call, I thought I would at some point probably try a long acting insulin, just wasn't expecting to do it this weekend. If everything goes as it should, I'll be swimming with a long acting insulin on board Monday and get to see what, if any, difference it makes. I love being my own lab rat!!! Oh, and as positive as I may sound about this, I'm really not. I had horrible results with exercise and Lente and to think about going back to an injected long acting insulin feels as though I'm taking a step back, even though I know the insulins are different.

As I'm still using the Dexcom, I haven't lost the ability to continuously monitor glucose levels, and it's obvious I need to get my replacement basal on board. This probably won't sound odd to many of us, but right now I'm enjoying the freedom of being without the pump, although I know I'm going to be checking my waistband the next few days, trying to remember what I did with it!

So what had my topic been for the month? Not exactly sure, but something along the line of March being my anniversary month of diagnosis and as I enter my 25th year with this disease, I've learned, if nothing else, acceptance, responsibility, and that diabetes is a disease not an excuse. Over the last 24 years, I know I let having diabetes stop me from doing a lot of things (partly for the safety of others) but always wondered where did that adventurous woman who once (literally) skydived (even though it wasn't recommended) go?? The past two years have brought some amazing changes in my life and each day, life gets better and better. So thank you Mari, thank you team, thank you coaches, and thank you Matt and Marcey, because without all of you, I wouldn't be planning to do the 70.3 triathlon or be pushing myself and the limits as I am right now.

March 19, 2009
Sarah

So I think I had the best swim session yet today. I had kind of a ‘ah-ha’ moment and it was the best feeling!

I have been working on drills and endurance in the pool, but my main focus on drills has been keeping nose down, turning hips, and breathing on both sides (those were my big weak points). Today I did the 3rd week swim session where a lot of the drills were focusing on pull. I didn’t realize until today how much I really wasn’t pulling. I had the right ‘form’ in my arms put wasn’t using them efficiently.

The entire workout today I really felt my arms pulling through the water and it made such a difference! I feel like now I will start to see improvements in my swimming cause I feel like I was missing a big step.

Anyways, I just wanted to share. I love it when you have those ah-ha moments and you feel like things suddenly ‘click’!

Happy spring to everyone, it’s finally starting to warm up here in Denver and I can’t wait to get outside more and not be confined to treadmills and spin class!

March 25, 2009
Jennifer A.

My blog will be short this month. I've been keeping on track with the training activities until this week. During my run last Sunday, I found it difficult to catch my breath. I took some time out of running until a few weeks ago due to my pyriformis syndrome. But, thanks to ART (Active Release) therapy, I've been able to run without as much pain. ART is definitely something people should look into if having pain whether muscular, ligament or myofascial. OK... back to my blog. So, during my run Sunday, I thought... I wasn't out of running that long that I'm so out of breath... but maybe I was more out of running shape than I thought. Then, the next day, I woke up and felt like I had run a marathon or two. My voice was hoarse and my throat was sore. I was getting sick! I am not one to get sick that often. And, like that Walgreen's commercial, I had no time for the flu.

Ignoring my illness, I managed to do my usually weights on Tuesday. Then, woke up Wendesday to swim. Did biking on Wednesday night. Then, Thursday, I was way worse. I had a fever and aches. I went home from work for the first time ever. My blood sugars all week have been running high too. It's been horrible. I rested Thursday but decided I was stronger than this and woke up Friday to swim. Alas, my body was yelling at me and I gave in. Have rested for the rest of the weekend. It's sad... because this is the first day in a long time that the sun has decided to shine in Chicago and would have been a great day for a run.

I will be listening in on our conference call tonight... but won't be able to say much as I still have my sexy sick voice and am hoarse. On a lighter note, my blood sugars are finally in the normal range without being in 110-120% of my normal basals.

March 10, 2009
Mari

I was swimming last night with my local triathlon club, CWW, and like Team WILD, we’ve started the endurance phase of training. So we were swimming long, slow distance. But I’m in the advanced group, so long and slow doesn’t mean easy. As part of the workout, we did four 250’s, the goal being to swim each one at the same pace, so we had to focus on not going too fast the first one.

In between each set we got progressively less time to recover. Between the first and second, we got 30 seconds. Then 25 seconds. Then 20 seconds. Well, on the last set, I was doing great, then all of a sudden, I felt like I was floating. And I felt kind of dreamy. Then I had to pee like a banshee. This feeling is one of the ways my body tells me my blood sugar is really low. But I just didn’t want to stop. This was a great workout, I felt strong, and I wanted to keep going.

I thought about just continuing. I probably wasn’t THAT low. I had my pump off. I had eaten right before the workout. I must be fine. Right? But the dreamy feeling was weird. That is something new. Then I thought about the Longhorn in October. Decided I need to learn my body NOW so that I can be better prepared THEN. So, I stopped. Got out. Tested. Blood sugar was 47.

Holy crap. No wonder I was dreamy. There were only 15 minutes left in the workout. I could tel,l based on how I felt and the 28 years I've had diabetes, that it would likely take that long to feel right enough to get back in the pool, so I took the time to think about things. As I sat there, thinking, I thought about how long 70.3 miles really is. This triathlon is not a walk in the park. This is serious. It’s one of the harder challenges I’ve undertaken in my life. And, we each have to do it under 8 hours, or they kick us off the course.

What does this mean? Well, I was thinking: I can swim 1.2 miles in 38 to 40 minutes. I expect to allow myself 5 minutes in the transition area. Now I’m up to 45 minutes. What about riding 56 miles on the bike? It’s a fairly flat course, but still, 56 miles… that’s a LONG way to ride my bike. With essentially no getting off the bike. This is NOT a Tour de Cure ride with a rest stop every 10 miles. NOPE, this is RIDE THE BIKE. Eat nutrition ON THE BIKE. Be focused! Have fun, but this is a RACE!!!

I do a 62 mile Tour de Cure ride in about 5 hours. I will have to go faster than that for this, because I need all the time I can get on the run. I am a slow runner. So, if I want to do the bike portion in 4 hours, I have to average about 15 miles an hour. That’s AVERAGE speed. Four an ENTIRE 4 hours. (think of HOW MUCH A PERSON CAN DO IN FOUR HOURS... that's A LONG TIME!) I wonder, can I go faster than that? I guess I’ll have to see this spring. I need to build speed and power this year. (nicole, you hear me!!!) Okay, I’m getting nervous writing this! Gals, this is the BIG TIME!!!

Now, the transition between the bike and the run, for the sake of consistency, I will say 5 minutes for this. I hope I can be that fast, I will need to practice bricks, cause I’m thinking my legs are going to be really wobbly at this point.

Now a 13.1 mile run. Like I said above, I am a slow, slow runner. I am hoping I can average 13 minute miles. That’s what I did on the half marathon I did in June 2008. But I hadn’t just biked 56 miles and swam 1.2 miles. That’s 2 hours and 50 minutes to finish the run. Okay, that’s too slow. I wonder if by October I could improve and run 12 minute miles? I am so glad I’ve lost 11 pounds and by our camp I intend to lose 4 more pounds. I think carrying 15 less pounds than last season might help make me faster.

Otherwise, WILD women, I hope you all come to the finish line to welcome me to the end of the race! I may JUST make it under the 8 hour limit!! Writing this now, seven months before we meet in Austin for the race, makes me understand the vital importance of training and of attending camp and of having a plan and sticking to it. Thank you Yoli, Celeste, Nicole, Matt and Marcey and to the whole team. Your support and instruction is even more key than I realized before this little reflection. I’m glad my blood sugar was low, it gave me a minute to think and be thankful. And get excited for this challenge.

GO WILD WOMEN!

March 5, 2009
Wendy

On Sunday I ran the appropriately named Chilli half Marathon in a neighbouring community. It was -20C. I have no idea what it is in Fahrenheit but it was D@# cold. To put it in perspective the sponsor was handing our chapstick and gloves.

I got some great tips on cold weather running/racing from other members of the local tri team that I joined- so I that I thought I would share them with you .

1. Throw away clothing.
   Apparently there is a practice of discarding old sweats and warm up clothing when the whistle blows. The start is littered with old sweat pants and shirts that are collected and taken to the local salvation army. A lot of people visit Sally Ann and buy some throw away clothing specifically for race day.
2. Never carry water/only a sports drink.
   If you plan to carry water, bring a sports drink instead. With the sodium in the drink it is less likely to freeze. I have been out for a run and the top of the cap has frozen. This is annoying.
3. Gels
   Clip your gel to the inside of your top (preferably between layers) so that it stays warm. Using one of those black office clips works. I know that I have a couple of sports bras with built in pockets but I generally don’t want to go fishing between my boobs for a gel when I am running. So having gels closer to your neck is a more refined approach.

March 4, 2009
Kathy

I had my 17 year "Diabetes Birthday" this week. Next year, my diabetes can vote!

I thought I would send you all my rough draft of my fundraising letter. Sort of boring, but I'm not feeling very creative for blogging tonight...and I'm sort of watching my WI badger's BB game vs. MN (GO BADGERS!).

The following is literally my first draft/initial thoughts for my fundraising letter. I feel like I may need to cut it down a little, but I'm sitting on it for a few days to see if I can come up with any bright ideas. Here it is...


Hello to all my wonderful friends and family:

Finger Pricks = 31,025

Insulin Needle Injections = 6,570

Insulin Pump Infusion set Injections = 1,144

Continuous Glucose Monitor System Needle Injections = 30

Becoming a triathlete = you guessed it, priceless

I am writing to tell you about an exciting and, hopefully, inspiring group I joined. I, along with 19 other women with diabetes from around the country (and Canada) will be competing in the Longhorn ½ Ironman Triathlon. We call ourselves, Team WILD (Women Inspiring Life with Diabetes), a project of the Diabetes Exercise and Sports Association (DESA). With the support of each other, our coaches and medical staff, we hope to finish the 70.3-mile finish line on October 25, 2009 in Austin, Texas. As I sit here at my computer, I’m trying to compose a coherent letter that captures my enthusiasm and passion for this event. I can’t help but reflect on my last 17 years living with “the sugar,” or Type 1 Diabetes.

During my adolescent years, I convinced myself I would not have diabetes much longer. Surely there would be a cure by the time I was 30! But here I sit, turning 30 this year and there is no cure in sight. Luckily for me, there is a way to manage the disease. And luckier still, there is technology. After about six years of insulin injections via a syringe, technology lead me to my first ‘outer pancreas’ in the form of an insulin pump in January of 1998. My “pancreas” and I have been nearly inseparable for the past 11 years. And now, I am happy to introduce another addition to my pancreas family…a continuous glucose monitoring system, which can record my blood sugar readings every few minutes to better manage trends and effects of various foods in which I eat. Being privileged enough to be a part of such wonderful life-changing technology is not to say daily management is easy, but it is certainly more manageable.
Athletic activities have been an invaluable function of my diabetes management over the years. Growing up participating in team sports, and later running races not only helped keep my blood sugar readings in better control, but perhaps more importantly, helped me keep a sense of self esteem. I thank my parents for instilling an attitude that I can do anything and they never lead me to believe diabetes could stop me from doing something. They may not have been thanking themselves when that attitude led me to apply for the Peace Corps during college, and to a solo two-week trip to Europe upon graduation. But ultimately, I think they would agree with the critical role exercise plays in my life with diabetes.

I’m asking that you join me and Team WILD in this goal. Of coarse, donations are very much appreciated and tax-deductable. Another way to show support is to spread the word, especially if you know someone with diabetes. We want to do exactly what our name implies, inspire others to get out and move! Do what inspires you…join a dance class, take your dog for more walks, run a 5K race or try a triathlon yourself! Check out our website _________________and/or give online at _____________________

Thank you so much for your support.

March 1, 2009
Ramona

I'm not much of a blogger - and this is actually my first team WILD blog (one month and one day late - sorry!) - but I have had a few things on my mind recently, and I'm actually excited to have a forum in which to express them.

I don't know if it's just my personality, or a result of having had diabetes since childhood, or a combination of both, but I easily slip into an obsessive compulsive, all-or-nothing mindset. As in, "staring tomorrow my blood sugars will never top 150, I'll work out every day, lose 15 lbs, cook healthy meals each evening, keep the house clean and organized, wear dashing outfits, diligently watch the news, be nice to everyone, and say really smart things at work." Obviously, that never happens. The funny thing is, I KNOW it's unrealistic and won't happen, and yet, at the beginning of every month (or week, or season, or solstice - any "beginning" that is handy, really) I kind of believe this time might be different. And when it turns out not to be, I have to fight the urge to give up entirely (as in, succumb to my every lazy and gluttonous whim!) until the next 1st of the month/week/fiscal year/whatever.

I think this sort of mindset is not uncommon in people who exercise a lot, and I also think growing up with diabetes might contribute to it. So I'm guessing this isn't unfamiliar to at least some others in the group! As I train for this triathlon, I'm struggling to reign in this mindset and to funnel its energy in a positive way. I'll be honest - I feel a little behind on the training. And because of my black-and-white outlook, sometimes that makes me want to give up entirely. But (and this is the point of this blog) I have found it SO VERY useful to log-on and read about the experiences of the others in the group. It reminds me that what we are doing takes a lot of time, attention, and energy, and no one can do it without a lot of effort and occasional stops and starts.

So, as I struggle to face the week ahead and figure out how I'm going to find time to get everything done, it's really nice to know that there are a group of women out there trying to figure out the same things and managing to do them, even if they don't do them perfectly. Thanks, ladies!

February 23, 2009
Lorrie

Yesterday was my blog day, but I was more focused on my rehearsal training than writing my blog. So, I’m a day late. My experience with the rehearsal training was awesome. I awoke at 6:30am ready to go. I had a minor setback and had to delay my start time a bit due to a low BG reading of 61. Not sure what could have caused the low; it just happens occasionally, oh well. Ate breakfast and bolused less than half of what I would normally bolus, due to the low. Then, headed off to the gym for the rehearsal, all of which had to be done indoors because of the weather.

My strategy for the rehearsal was to swim for 40 minutes, cycle for 1 hour 20 minutes and run for 30 minutes. Prior to the swim, I checked my BG level, 183. Decided to take a small bolus of .4 units because I usually have post swim highs. Put my pump away, grabbed my goggles and headed to the pool. Jumped in and began swimming. My goal was to swim 40 minutes straight without stopping. As I was swimming, I didn’t concentrate on speed, just form. I would swim a hundred focusing on head down, then another on high elbow, and so on. When I got tired, instead of stopping, I would swim a length turning on my back after three strokes and breathing for three. I considered this my recovering, then I would continue on. I found that the more I swam, the more comfortable I got in the water. I’m usually a one sided breather, but after several weeks of practice, I can breathe on both sides, which I did the entire time. After 40 minutes, I celebrated internally, and headed to transition, which was 5 minutes in the steam room to warm up a bit—the water was cold. I wish they had one for real during a triathlon. Maybe not, I would never leave transition.

Back in the locker room, I checked my BG, it was 187. I thought pretty good, usually I’m in the 200s. It must have been that small bolus prior to the swim that helped. Next up, the spin cycle. I set a temp basal of 80% on my pump and ate a Special K bar. I didn’t bolus for the bar (25 carbs), because cycling tends to bring my BG levels down. Grabbed my IPOD, put on my sneakers and headed off for the next challenge. Set the spin cycle so it would allow for some change in terrain, including a mixture of hills and flats. Instead of listening to music, tuned in on the TV to one of my favorite shows, and started spinning away. Rode at a cadence between 90 and 100 for 1 hour and 20 minutes, almost 21 miles. Felt good after the bike, just a bit sore in the bum and off to the treadmill I headed.

I decided not to check my BG level prior to the run. I know I should have, but wanted to get through the next 30 minutes quickly, plus I was only going to run a short time due to heal problems. I ran for about 20 minutes and walked the rest, only covering about 2 miles.

Finally, it was all done and I felt great. I checked my BG level, which was 80. That was a bit low, and know that I should have checked my BG level and ate something after the cycling portion. I kept my basal rate at 80% for another 6 hours.

After the rehearsal, I was starving and went out to eat. My recovery food consisted of pancakes, eggs, tomato juice and bacon. All the food Michael Phelps eats, but of course, smaller portions. I only bolused for 40 carbs, even though I know it was more like 80. I wanted to make sure I didn’t have any lows throughout the day.

Later in the afternoon, I ended up having a burger and fries, and a couple of beers. I was on a high from the rehearsal and just craved a burger. Again, I bolused for half the carbs.

I did struggle to keep my BG levels from going low. I struggled to keep my BG level around 80, even with the temp basal and only blousing half for meals. By the time I went to bed, around 9:00pm, I was back up to 100. A perfect score to end a perfect day.

February 15, 2009
Sarah

A random thing happened in the pool the other day and I realized it might be a good way to train.
So the pool where I swim is a small 20-yard, 2-lane lap pool. It is actually the Hyatt’s hotel pool, but the gym I go to does not have its own pool so they let us use that one. It’s a little small, but it works…. 1 mile is 84 lengths!
I love it because since it is a hotel pool there is hardly ever anyone there. I am usually alone or with a few 5-6 year olds splashing around in the other lane. So I was surprised yesterday when I went to find 3 big guys (they looked like they were triathletes because they were wearing Zoots and not normal ‘board shorts’) swimming laps. They were very nice though and I shared a lane with one guy while the other two were in the lane next to us.
I did a few warm up drills then decided I wanted to do a continuous swim. As I started swimming I noticed it felt different. My stroke felt a little off and I wasn’t sure why. Then I realized it was because the guys were almost creating ‘waves’ as they passed me. I was so used to swimming by myself that I was not used to the ‘waves’ created when you swim with other people.
But I thought to myself, this is kinda nice, its like getting practice for the open water swim where we have to deal with hundreds of other people as well as the natural current of the open water! So if I may make a suggestion…. if its too cold where you live to start practicing in open water, find 3 big guys to swim laps with you and you can create your own open water experience!

February 15, 2009
Jennifer A.

I’ve been taking a biking class using Computrainers with a triathlon training group for the past month. I’ve never taken a biking class before (not even spinning). The Computrainer measures the power you generate, mph, calories burned, etc. The first class was to see what your fit threshold power was. I was happy to say I had the best FTP amongst the women in the class (and even better than one of the guys). It’s a great class filled with drills to push your power and cadence. Since your power and settings are in the computer, the resistance on the trainer is calibrated to your power at the beginning of each class.

During our last class, Mike, my instructor must have heard how much I love those single leg drills. We did 2 sets of 4 (30 sec) drills. During our "cool down," Mike challenged me to do some more single leg drills... so I did 1 more set of 2. He said I did the best during those last 2… but my form tends to tire out after 20 or so seconds. They definitely work on strengthening your legs though. We did spin ups and steady state drills as well.

I must be getting stronger, because Mike has to keep upping my power/resistance on my trainer during class. I'm usually at the highest gear even with the 85% times. So, he went up to 15-20 points higher on my FTP. Then he had to change the resistance further (not sure how high the power rating was since we didn't recalibrate to see as it was during a steady state). Maybe I didn't give it my all during my initial FTP. It will be interesting what my FTP will be when the class ends when we remeasure it. I’m hoping to improve.

Another good thing about these trainers… you can bike a course of any local, national or international triathlon course they have from Kona’s world championships to the local sprint triathlons. The resistance on the trainer will change based on the road condition of the course. Since I won’t be going to the camp at the end of March, I’m going to set up some time to do the Longhorn ½ Ironman course during the training season. I’m happy to have such a resource available. :)

February 8, 2009
Eustacia

I got to thinking about my last 12 months of life and realized I had missed one key thing throughout this year. Personal compassion and acceptance. I have spent much of the last 4 years of my life working on deepening my ability to be compassionate toward others yet this last year it seems I forgot it can also apply to myself.

In the last 12 months I have worked my dream job at the south pole, traveled abroad, fallen in love, become a parent, bought a house, lost my driving license, become extremely sick for 6 months, got a new puppy, lost my dream job and the ability to go to the place on earth where I am at complete peace, joined this fabulous organization thru all it’s changing, lost my ability to work out and attend my triathlons, been so sick I couldn’t spend time with friends, spent a lot of time with family due to an ailing grandmother, have the honor of being a pall bearer for my grandmother after she passed, started an EMT course, and continue to be unemployed going on 5 months now.

I think of all this and realize that the days I give myself a hard time for being fat and out of shape maybe I should take it a little easier on myself. That I have spent so much time being afraid that my sickness would become permanent I failed to see that there is such thing as temporary acceptance without the possibility of losing your core character. I was so afraid of becoming what I don’t want to be that I couldn’t accept what I was. And in turn that meant any attempts I made to remove myself from the situation I was in were not genuine and always met with defeat and hardship.

My spiritual beliefs are that we do the best we can in each and every moment with what we have available to us right then. I have super high standards for myself and at times I forget that some days conquering the world is not on my to-do list.

So today I did not conquer the world but I did work out for the first time in ten months. I jogged for only fifteen minutes at a slow 13min/mile pace. The first five minutes were like every run I ever embark on (even in excellent shape). Five grueling minutes wishing every second that I could throw myself in front of a moving bus. And then surprisingly I settled into a nice easy peaceful jog. Probably the most peaceful run I have ever been on.

It ended just as simply as it started though as I drove back home I felt like the luckiest person on earth. All of us on this team live every second of every day a little more complicated than the average person. We can’t take a sip of a drink or a bite of food or even a stride of a run without considering a multitude of factors. But the fact is, we can take that stride. And with any luck, I won’t forget that again.

February 6, 2009
Becca

So, this week I started my training. I know last week was supposed to be the beginning, but let’s just say that sometimes ultimate frisbee (which I play every Monday) can get a little rowdy, and that sometimes leads to strained muscles in your neck and back. Yeah…last week was rough! But this week, feeling better, let’s go swimming! I was super nervous to go swim because I’m still a beginner at this whole “total immersion” thing so I was hoping for my own lane so I wouldn’t hold anyone up. I was in the slow lane with one other woman and it was essentially two lanes in one, so she said we could just each take a side until someone else came. I was like, SWEET! I was down the pool and halfway back when I bumped into a large woman in floaties who was walking the length of the pool. I came up, startled, and she said to me “listen honey, you always go down the left side, we rotate around. You’re on the wrong side.” I felt kind of embarrassed and felt the need to defend myself and explain that we were just sticking to our own lanes until someone else got here. Ah, off to a good start! Haha...

I felt a little silly but I continued my skating drills…man it takes a long time to get down the pool when you’re doing those! I checked my BG a few times and bolused a little extra - it's hard for me to stay in range when disconnected from the pump. I swam for a full hour (moving into my zipper-switch…Celeste would be proud) and when I was done, the floaties woman and I were chillin on the shallow end of the pool and she turned to me and said, “You’re doing that full immersion swimming, aren’t you?” I was pretty surprised that she even knew what the hell I was trying to do. I kind of figured anyone watching me was just thinking, boy that girl sure does things her own way. I told her it was and that I was just a beginner. The lifeguard chimed in and said, “oh yeah, someone just won a world record doing that! I gotta watch you so I can learn!” Several other swimmers at the pool looked over at me appreciatively, like I was some sort of expert. Hilarious and ridiculous, but I was ok with it because man, some of those swimmers were really cute. I told the lifeguard, “well, you might want to wait a few weeks until I get better and it actually looks like something!”

Now, I don’t know if someone actually did just win a world record doing full immersion, but whatever – I could not have asked for a better experience during my first training swim. I worked hard, met some nice people, kept my BG between 100-200 (which is a feat for me when I'm disconnected), and learned that it is really not that embarrassing to be passed while swimming in the slow lane. I hope every one of you gets to have a night that that sometime in the next 9 months of training. It’s amazing how supportive and excited people are, and how non-judgmental. Even after I took up her lane, floaties woman could still appreciate a nice zipper-switch :)

February 5, 2009
Kathy

I really appreciated reading Jennifer's Smith's recent blog on 'expectations vs reality.' This week, I've been low on my last two runs and cut my bike training session in half due to a low. Right this moment, I'm icing my ankle now because twisted it after calming down my hyper-active dog from freaking out when passing another dog/runner combo, then stepping on a giant piece of snow/ice chuck randomly on sitting on the ice-covered sidewalk. [big sigh]

I also broke two of my three blood sugar meters, the third was already broke. Somehow, there is a test strip stuck in all three of them that I'm too frustrated to get out. I've been using my trusty mini "sidekick" meter instead. I swear there are some days I have some sort of electromagnetic force field around me that causes me to break almost every piece of electronic equipment I touch. In fact, I'm surprised this computer is still working.

Anyway, this is the reality of training for a triathlon. It's not all pretty and, like Jennifer said, I'm so happy to be part of a team in this WILD adventure.

February 3, 2009
Lyndsay

First of all, THANK YOU to Mari and whoever else had any input to choose a venue that was NOT an ocean swim! THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!!

I started my official kick off week on vacation in St.Maarten. Really, I wish everyone, especially those in cold climates got a change of pace with hot temps and sunshine like I did. I went for two great runs, outside, which was a great feeling to be off of a treadmill (and not worry about slipping on ice!) My hotel had a gym which I used the bike. And then there was the ocean. . . .

Going into the trip, I was really excited to practice my new swimming skills (big thanks to Celeste for coming to Chicago in January.) I still have a long way to go, but I did look forward to getting in the ocean and actually swimming instead of just bobbing around and body surfing.

I was prepared for the trip and brought my goggles, however they never made it out of the suitcase. When I wear my goggles, comments are frequently made and I often am laughed at. Usually I laugh with them because I know I look like a goof, but the trip was with my husband's work and I did not want to go there and embarrass him. I also never realized how truly wonderful swim caps are. I definitely needed goggles and a cap for my swim. I appreciate my gear more then ever now!

A little history on my swimming story. Before working with Celeste, I had a confident side stroke, but not much else. In September I was at Diabetes Training Camp in Colorado, and I was that beginner who was constantly hugging the side of the pool, choking on water. At the swim clinic in January, Celeste said she was very pleased with how far I had come with my lack of swallowing water. Yeah! I had improved!~

All of that improvement instantly went away when I attempted a relaxed, stroke in the ocean. I swallowed more salt water than a sinking ship. I was far from the TI motto, to "swim like a fish."

I am happy staying a freshwater fish.

February 2, 2009
Jennifer S.

I've found that these two are not always in sync. I plan and plan and make considerations for plans and adjust things and reality seems to always be a little different than what I expected.

Living with Diabetes requires a lot of planning and forward though so we can hope to see the results we expect. I've found the same thing with training for athletic events. A lot of planning goes into where we expect to end up at the finish line.

Last December ('07) my husband and I decided to register for the Disney Half Marathon for January '09. I only really started running about 3-4 years ago, and this would be my first 1/2 Marathon. I've done lots of 5K's/10K's and 10 milers, all with planning and training of course...but nothing like the effort I really put in to do this 1/2 and do it well. I really wanted to finish in a great time, or what I hoped would be admirable in my eyes!

I was doing great and a few weeks before the January 10th race day. I ran my last long run 12 miles, did really well, 2 hours (a little less actually) and was feeling great after I was done. My training was giving me what I expected (Thanks also to Yoli's training plan she e-mailed to those of us doing 1/2's).
I was ready for my tapering before my race....but not the kind that reality dealt me.

However, reality strikes when you really aren't expecting it, and not at opportune times either!!
Friday Jan. 2nd I woke up with a scratchy throat....thought not too much of it, just that it may be a "little cold" and since I'm rarely if ever sick I wasn't worried about it's effect a week from then on my race.
Saturday Jan 3rd, stuffed up head, feeling a little tired so I really rested most of the day...did some Yoga (little hard with a stuffed nose) and overall again just thinking this is a cold.
Sunday Jan 4th. Still stuffed up, but just not feeling right....food has that yucky taste, and I was really tired.
So being the devoted volunteer for my Tour de cure committee that I am, I went to our planned early afternoon meeting....sitting as far from my co-volunteers as possible so as not to infect them....and then went home and took a "Nap".
My husband woke me around 8PM asking if I planned to eat dinner (or make dinner more likely as I'm usually the cook), and my stomach was telling me..."please do not put food in here!!".
1:35AM Monday Jan 5th.....clearly my stomach wasn't pleased with any of the contents and thus began my 2 days of confinement in bed and more often the bathroom! And the real thing on my mind here in my waking state was .....I really have to be better by Saturday...I am not missing my 1/2 marathon! A little crazy I realize....but I had really planned/trained and planned some more for this event and was so irritated that I hadn't planned on being sick.
I hadn't had the flu since I was in 9th grade, I get the flu shot every year.....really....the flu before my exciting event!!

Well, by that Friday I was feeling "better" so to speak. Stomach still queasy, but I am not missing my race.
I went to bed that night knowing I wouldn't finish in my expected time....I hadn't done any aerobic workout for over a week since feeling ill...and I don't think that's the type of taper you want before an event!
My expectations had to change, and again the reality of that was a hard thing to swallow.
I started the race with a slightly higher than normal BG - 167, ate a Powerbar (which actually sat well in my stomach) 40 minutes before the race and bolused for only 1/3 of the carbs going on past experience here....not what I had planned to do!
Doing well at mile 3 with BG of 136, mile 6 with BG of 118, but noting on my CGM that I was trending down. So some cherry caffeinated sport beans went in and for the next few miles I was right on target.....after mile 10 I was feeling pretty tired, walked between mile 10 and 11 with BG steady in the 90's.
Finishing time of 2:35.....my goal was 2:10, but I can only learn from this experience.
Finished a little lower than I wanted at 79....but I felt pretty good when I stopped to think about what I had just done and considered my past week of unexpected illness. As the girl at the medical station wrapped my knee with ice and Donald Duck continued to cheer at the finish line for those finishing after me....I ate a glucose tablet, then a banana.....and was feeling good the rest of the day!!.
I think I learned things will always need adjustment, and many times expectations aren't what we planned for....the benefit of being on this wonderful team is that we all have individual expectations and experiences, but because we share them each day we are also learning from 20 other experiences....not just our own. We should be over prepared when we get to the start line for our Tri this October....even if reality is not what we expected we'll have a lot of experience to mentally draw from and we'll all be able to finish strong!!