September 28, 2009
Ramona

Ok – I know it’s not a miracle, but it almost feels like one. On my big rehearsal yesterday, my blood sugars stayed between 88 and 168. The rehearsal (1.2 mi swim, 56 mi bike, 13 mi run) took me 8 hours and 45 minutes, and the WHOLE time by blood sugars stayed within that range! During my previous rehearsals, I’ve struggled to keep my blood sugars below 300, particularly on the bike. But check out yesterday’s numbers!

My experience yesterday convinces me that practice is invaluable. For each previous rehearsal, I’ve painstakingly planned and recorded my insulin, carbohydrates, and blood sugars. Finally, all the data paid off! I’ve learned that I have to be very aggressive when I get out of the water. Yesterday, I took 100% of my missed basal, 100% correction, and 150% (!) bolus for a goo. Even more unbelievable, I left my basal rate at 100% almost the entire rehearsal! Without practice, I never would have had the guts to be so aggressive. But gradually I’ve learned what I need. I understand that it is different from what many other women need, and I feel empowered to know that I have been able to identify what, I think, are my unique needs.

In Austin, it would not surprise me if the exact same strategy I used yesterday totally fails me when I try it again. But that’s ok. What’s important to me at this stage is that once – just ONCE – my blood sugars were about as perfect as I ever hoped they’d be during 8+ hours of exercise. It gives me confidence that it can happen again, even if it doesn’t in Austin. And I hope for those of you still waiting for your perfectly “in-range” rehearsal, it gives you hope that it can happen to you too!