Since I posted last this is what has happened...I fell of a ladder and badly cut my left calf, bruised my left knee and thigh and rib cage!!! I had to take a week off completely! Ugh! I started running to break in a pair of Adidas Snova's. Great shoes! It turns out that I'm a "over pronator" and I've needed a "stabilizing" sneaker for years. Anyways, started running in the Adidas and got a hot spot on the arch of my left foot. Other than that, they felt great. My knees felt good and everything. I changed my socks, applied sport glide, tried moleskin and band aids and I still got a blister. The shoes had to go back after 18 miles of running. I put on my old New Balance and hit the gym for this final long training day.
On this day, 20 mile runs are the norm. I missed 11 weeks total of a 20 week training plan so guess what I had to do to ensure I could still run a marathon in 20 more days? I hit the gym. I can't run 20 miles but I could move continually for 4 hours to "simulate" a marathon for my body. So I used the elliptical machine for an hour, the cycling machine for an hour, and the elliptical machine for another hour. Then I ran the 5.4 miles from the gym back home. Total time was just under 4 hours.
As a type 1 diabetic who has never done anything like this before I had a real challenge. How to keep my blood sugars from falling too low? How many carbs do I need? How often? Will I know if my blood sugar is too low? What about testing? What if my blood sugars go too high? How will I bring them down? Do I take my insulin before or after this session? Do I take the same amounts or do I scale them back?
I have an appointment with an endocrinologist but it is in FEBRUARY!!! I have asked several doctors and called diabetes clinics but either they do not have the answer or can't speak with me since I'm not a patient!!! I have some strong feelings about this situation: where general advice given to a person who is 100% responsible for their self care, for their disease, for their treatment cannot be given out because of the law of land, however, I will run this marathon and if I die because someone who can give general advice that would have saved my life but didn't.... anyways getting off this soapbox now.
http://www.shericolberg.com/diabetic-athlete.asp
This is a book that gives general information for both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetics who wish to become better athletes, healthy people and understand their disease better. I glanced through this book and using her general advice was able to prepare for this exercise session and it only took 30 minutes of reading to get my answers!!
2:30 am Got up, let the dogs out, fed and watered them.
Fasting BSG 185 So I took 27 units of Lantis so I could process carbs all day.
Took 1.5 units Novalog and ate 45g of carbs (1/2 cup juice, 1/2 bagel w/cream cheese)
Went to the gym by 3:30am. Forgot gym key so went back home, got the key and back to gym at 3:55 did a BSG (Blood Sugar Glucose test) 175. Started on the Elliptical!!! After I started, every 30 min. I would stop, use the rest room, wash my hands, check my BSG and eat a GU (these are gel packs with sugar and electrolytes to keep endurance athletes from hitting the wall), continue for another 30 min. repeat, change equipment, and so on. Got it?
so here are my numbers:
4:25 BSG 83 (low but over 70 so acceptable)
5:00 BSG 105 (ok. Type 1 diabetics try to keep their BSG between 70-150)
5:30 BSG 141 ( I thought getting too high so I skipped the GU. 150 is the normal persons high)
6:00 BSG 57 (Skipping GU was not a good idea! Too low! No symptoms of Hypoglycemia. Ate GU)
6:30 BSG 96 (Better!)
7:00 BSG 86 (ok) Now I started on my 5.4 mile run!
7:30 BSG 108 (OK)
Finished at 7:57am. Bought 16oz of Bordens chocolate milk. Drank it without checking BSG, I know that was a bad idea, but at 8:30 by BSG was 135.
For the rest of the day, when I ate I reduced my insulin intake by a third. I hovered around 55-65 for a few hours after this session, nothing a veggie burger and fries at "The Green Truck" couldn't handle!
I went back to Fleet Feet of Savannah to trade in my blister shoes for a pair of Brooks Adrenaline GTS 11. They gave me a pass to the VIP Bathrooms at the starting line of the Marathon!!!! It is for Brooks shoe owners only so I should not have to wait 20 min in line to use a portapotty!! It's the little things sometimes!!!
Hopefully I can break in the new sneakers in the 17 running days I have left!
I am running to raise money for the American Diabetes Association. If you would like to help please goto this link:
http://main.diabetes.org/site/TR?px=6969504&pg=personal&fr_id=7090&et=cughbcNNTObunY62Ld06Mg&s_tafId=336989
Next post will be coming soon!
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