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.