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!