September 21, 2009
Kathleen

3:37am BG 293
Woken up by crazy thunder & lightening. Let’s eat! Granola and yogurt (40cho). Take full meal bolus and full correction. Back to bed.
7:00am BG 164
Alarm goes off and it is raining. Blood sugar, on target!
7:30am BG: 174
Waiting for Kristen at Golden Gate Park. Eat one GU (24cho). Mental note: take periodic sips of Gatorade all day. Fuel and hydrate!
Kristen I make it safely over the Golden Gate Bridge despite hundreds of riders participating in the MS Ride. Way too many cyclists and way too many cyclists pulling over to take their photo on “the” bridge. People! It’s just an orange bridge, it’s foggy, you can’t see anything, and there are thousands of us trying to get past you on a walkway maybe 4 feet wide. Kristen and I agree there’s an upside, good practice riding in a crowd.
8:23am BG 148
Meet up with Lisa & Daniel in Sausalito. Loud thunder cracks and big drops start falling. Daniel bails. He’s cold. Poor baby! What does he expect; he’s a runner and has like zero body fat! We tough insulated girls head out to Tiburon/Blackie’s Pasture.
9:04am BG 180
Despite the awful weather, a dozen from my local tri group show up to Blackie’s Pasture. Coach gives us a pep talk and instructions for the 8 mile Paradise Loop. Focus on form! Eat a GU (24cho) and I’m on my way. Keep drinking Gatorade.
Ok, this Loop is really curvy AND rolling, very wet, lots of debris on the road, cars and very disorienting b/c I’ve never been on it before and I’m afraid I will miss the turn back. You might say “Watch the riders in front of you”. Well, I’m so dead last that they are out of eye sight. Wait, what’s that I hear, someone is behind me. I’m not pulling up the rear! I don’t care that they headed out after me, I’m not dead last! We make the turn together and are back to our “transition” area…..together!
9:50am BG 170
Feeling good and transitioning into the run. 30 minutes. Coach says 15 minutes out, 14 back. Take my dry sneakers out of my plastic bag and put my biking shoes in there b/c it’s raining again.
Wow, I’m tight. I don’t feel winded (which is good) but my left shin is achy. Keep going. Ooooo….porto potty, better stop. Ick! I run/walk the 15 minutes and see Mona walking on her way back. We power walk back together. 15 minutes out, 13 back….walking!
10:30am BG 172
I need more nutrition. Clif Blox. It’s like a Lay’s potato chip, you can’t eat just one. I inhaled all 6! I was hungry and they are so good. 6x8=48cho. Hmmm, insulin? Probably. Just take enough to cover 1. Don’t want to get low.
While on the run, a gremlin flattens our tires. Sneaky coach. Wait, mine is not flat. Mums the word. It’s been a long day already and we’ve done several tire changing clinics, Tony showed me in Denver, I’m fine not changing mine today. I help Lisa with hers and then I’m first out on the next 8 mile bike Loop.
Second Loop, awesome. I feel more comfortable, I take the turns a little more quickly and only 2 people pass me (Lisa & Kevin). Almost at the final turn and hard stuff is falling onto my helmet. I think its nuts from the trees but I see its hail. Hail!
11:30am BG 318
I guess I should’ve taken more insulin for the 6 Clif Blox. (Shocker!) Just take a little. Transition again to the run. 20 minutes.
I feel pretty good on this run, looser, no shin pain. 10 minutes out, 9 minutes back.
12:18pm BG 225
BG coming down. Ok, where is everyone? It’s just me, Lisa and Kevin. Wait, this is what it feels like to be in the front of the pack. You wait for everyone else. Yes! I do a little “I’m in the front of the pack” dance.
The group sets up blankets and we all eat a picnic lunch. It was the very best turkey sandwich on wheat bread that I’ve ever had. Take half bolus b/c I’m riding back to SF. We sat around chatting about our Olympic tri next weekend in Santa Cruz, the house we rented, we’ll have a pre race pasta dinner and a post race BBQ on the beach. What a great day it is today. Wait, what’s that? The SUN! Pass the sunscreen ‘cause the sun is shining bright over Blackie’s Pasture. Heaven!
1:17pm BG 285
Kristen. Lisa and I head out on our bikes to the cheers of our teammates as they ALL get into their cars. That’s right, we’re riding back!
1:45 BG155
Still sunny as we near Sausalito to drop off Lisa. Wait, who is that we see on the bike path heading towards us? Daniel. The sun is out and he’s heading out for a ride. We are sweaty, dirty and muddy. I think he’s impressed. Eat a GU, coming down a little too quickly and there’s a huge long hill on the way to the Bridge from Sausalito. I need some fuel to get me up that hill.
2:22pm 116
Kristen stayed with me the entire time up Alexander Ave. How supportive is that? We are at the Bridge, it’s foggy and we are almost home! Easy peasy from here. Drink some Gatorade and we take our time. Wow, it’s really windy on the Bridge. Really windy.
Off the Bridge, into the historic Presidio, down Arguello Street (We make every light!) and into Golden Gate Park back where we started almost 8 hours ago.
3:10 pm
Kristen and I separate feeling like Champs!! I ride the 4 blocks home with a grin on my face. I’m beat!
4pm BG 90
Just had the best shower of my life! AND, my blood sugar is so IN RANGE.

I Love The Plan!

Thank you Marcey! You are an amazing nutritionist and CDE.