September 27, 2009
Karen L.

This being my first triathlon season, there’s all kind of stuff to learn. I know what T1 and T2 are now. I know about putting stretch laces in my running shoes so I don’t have to spend time tying them in transition. I’ve learned to rub Body Glide on my ankles and wrists to ease wetsuit removal.

We’ve all got to answer a lot of questions in preparing for race day. What will I eat, and when? Where will I place myself in the wave start in the water? How will I set up my transition area?

Those of us with diabetes have some other things to learn and think about during our training and events. When will I eat before the event, and how much insulin will I take for it? What emergency snacks will I have on me in the water, and how? What will I do with my non-waterproof insulin pump during the swim? How often will I test my blood sugar during the bike ride? How will I test it? Where will I carry my fuel and blood sugar meter on the run?

I’ve been working a little on the testing-while-biking aspect of the whole equation. Here’s a closeup of the front of my bike, showing the aero bars. It’s nice that the ultra mini is such small meter: