Twin Cities Goal - 4:55:00, unsure it can be done

So my dad did the Twin Cities Marathon in 4:59 or so when he was 50 and I've felt like I need to beat his time and I can't seem to cross that barrier. What's wrong with wanting to beat your dad, I don't think there is anything wrong with that goal? Well I've run 4 marathons, Twin Cities twice and Grandma's twice and my fastest time is 5:11:21, I really need to figure out how to get the last 10 miles of the race at a faster pace.

Last week I did some interval training and this week I did some hills. I'm going to do a interval/hill rotation for the following 8 weeks of training which is really 6 weeks of training when you calculate in taper time. This means I've got 3 interval sessions left and 3 hill sessions left, 6-7 mid week long runs and 7 Thursday short runs.

My 17 mile run I averaged 11:24, some miles more some miles less but overall averaged 11:24. I looked at a pace chart and 11:30 gets you done in 5:01:31 so that extra 6 seconds per mile will actually get me done in less than 4:59 but not quite the 4:55 goal. I've got the following long runs left (18, 13, 19, 12, 20, 12, 8) I figure on the 18, 19, & 20 I need to average 11:20 and my 13, 12, 12, 8 I need to average 11 minute miles. In the final run I need to average 11:16 per mile to hit 4:55, I'm not sure its possible but I also know I can't hope and pray for it happen, I'll have to work my ass off to make it happen.

True test will be in White Bear Lake on 9/14, they have a great practice course that is 10 miles with twice around, great price, good water stops, and enough people to be running in a crowd. My goal for that run is to be DONE with 20 after 3:45, this seems SO DAM FAST but that only gives me 1:10 to get done with the last 6.2 miles, I just don't know if I have enough time to get it all in. Part of me wants to cry right now and part of me is motivated to get it done, I'll have to readjust my goal after my 20 mile run on 9/14. My biggest problem in previous years has been unrealistic finishing times. I'm really going to need family and friends to push me along the Twin Cities Course this year.

English Please

I commented on Facebook earlier that my blood sugar was 99 with 4 units active insulin and a comment that my correction rate is 1 to 25 and someone said "English please" so here you go:

I have something called diabetes, there are two kinds, 1 and 2. I don't know much about Type 2 but I can tell you that my type is 1 and there currently is NO CURE! There are TONS of medical advancements and diabetes is a lot easier to manage today than even 10 years ago. People with type 1 diabetes are completely capable of living a normal long life if they manage things to the best of their ability. You'll see I say "to the best of their ability" because there are lots of outside influences that make your numbers vary. Today I volunteered and did some painting, I was up and down a ladder and doing physical activity, this activity caused my blood sugar to go low.

So the first comment, how's it work:

Basal and Bolus. Basal is your background insulin, your pancreas constantly monitors your blood sugar by secreting little bursts throughout the day, my pancreas doesn't do this, my pump does. The doctors help monitor my blood sugar by me writing all the stuff I eat and activity I do and help me come up with a Basal Rate. Different times of day can have different basal rates, currently I have the following basal rates:

1) 12:00am 1.35
2) 3:00am 1.45
3) 8:00am 1.05
4) 12:00pm 1.15
5) 10:00pm 1.35

Total intake for basal in a day is 29.7 Units of Insulin

Next is your bolus rate, bolus is the amount of carbs you eat, I have two bolus rates depending on the time of day, those are 1 unit of insulin to 7 carbs or 1 unit to 8.7 carbs. If you take a look at the nutrition label of your cereal you'll see something like 43g Carb per serving. For me this means 43 divided by 7 or 8.7 = 6.14 or 4.94 depending on the time of day. If I were on injections I'd have to decide if I wanted to take 6 or 5 units because you really can't gauge a half or quarter unit in the syringe. With the pump I just tell my pump what I'm eating and it knows the time of day and what my bolus rate is and calculates how much insulin I need all on its own.

For dinner tonight I told it I was going to eat 72 Carbs of which was a guess because it was a banana(usually 30g Carb) and strawberries(i didn't look up but guessed at 40 and probably was that which was my mistake) Later I had popcorn and the label says 18g Carb per serving but 2.5 servings per bag so I did a bolus at 45g Carb

My blood sugar at dinner was 305 and my correction rate is 1 to 25 so I took 8 units as a correction and 7.2 to cover my food. With out testing I ate the popcorn and did the bolus for it. Could be one of the reasons I am thinking I'll go low later but some other things to take into consideration.

Lets say I eat something like jolly ranchers and I take a shot to cover for that. Chances are I'll go high because the jolly ranchers will quickly absorb into my body and blood stream but the life of the insulin is longer so I'll be high for a few hours. On the flip side, lets say I do something like eat pizza. Pizza has cheese, cheese is fat, fat slows down the absorbsion of carbs into the body so I may go low early but then high later because I'll have to eat something to cover the low. You can program your pump to give you part of the insulin now and the rest of it later, the problem for me is I'm new to the pump and its still a big game of guessing right how to set those different timing ratio's.

Maybe the next post we'll talk about temp basals and that game. Thanks for reading if you made it this far.

Meters and test strips

Goofy story here. A while back I got a notice from Medtronic telling me I'm eligible for a new meter. I spoke with them about the test strips thinking "they're coming in the mail, I'm good. Plus I get other supplies from them so why wouldn't this be ok ?" We'll easier said than done, opening my mail I realize I have a bill from Medtronic for $750 plus!!!! Eeek. 

I called into Medtronic to discuss the issue and they owned up and waives the bill, thank you Medtronic! Into the second problem that started last week. I reach into my overall supplies and realize I'm out if test strips! I go ahead and refill strips on my other meter since it was the weekend and I never actually got a prescription for the new meter. Called my buddy Jeff who is a T1D and he lent me some strips to get me through. 

Pull out test strips from Jeff and put into old meter and it doesn't work?!? New batteries? So I have AAA battery's laying around because if the pump but it doesn't work still...go to target and get the same kind it had before, still nothing. 

Now what? Cancel the order on the way or get a new script for new meter?  Supplies left already so I get to get a new meter. Good thing it's on warranty, that could have gotten expensive. 

Moral if the story is to have a 15 day supply somewhere other than the regular supply to allow enough time for mail order to get the info, process, and ship. 

My diabetic problem this week. 

Stupid Diabetes

So here is my day :

1:53 a.m. 220

5:10 a.m. 167

6:21 a.m. 141

6:54 a.m. 119

9:02 a.m. 150

9:50 a.m. 134

11:00 a.m. 80

4:19 p.m. 113

5:41 p.m. 109

6:25 p.m. 134

Dinner I take one unit to cover dinner of 50 carbs so I could trend up for my run.

6:50 o.m. 134

 

7:11 p.m. 168

On the way I down 30 carbs to keep pushing me up. 

7:35 p.m. 90

Two miles in I test since I took off my cgm. Down 60 carbs because I'm only half way done

7:45 p.m. 65

Run a mile more and see where I'm at. Start to walk. 

7:52 p.m. 79

Keep walking. 

7:56 p.m. 90

Coming up, I can run again. 

8:03 p.m 73

FML. On my way down again and call it quits. Walk out to car, sit I. Parking lot and start typing this up. 

8:17 p.m. 146

Seriously?!? 15 minutes and I'm here? I recall saying I would go high later in the night. Did a 5.7 bolus 1.7 correction with 4 extra because I'm heading that direction. 

3,6,12,24

Sometimes it amazes me how a 3 hour line can look so flat until you change it to the roller coaster 24 hour line....

The Dilemma.

Good evening. I tested my blood sugar around 3:00 pm and it was 147 so I did a small correction bolus. A few hours later when I had zero insulin on board I went ahead to test and I was 105, I'd say this is a win for the doctors and for the pump for knowing how to calculate my correction rate along with how to squeeze out .6 units if insulin to come out. Normally all this would be great except I don't understand basal rates and how they affect me yet. I'm looking to go on a seven mile run but obviously don't want to leave the house at 105, easily I would pass out. N

ow for "the dilemma" 

1) how long should I set a temp basal for?

2) should I eat anything and not temp basal?

3) if I eat, how long after until I leave?

4) how long do I wait on a temp basal to be not be impacted with my activity? 

5) how much in carbs do I need during?

6) how high will I spike my sugar after the run? 

Any advice or suggestions? 

Here is a photo of how it went....

Finished my run at 220 and had no carbs since and in 265. Temp basal was 3 hours at 50% and when I was 98 I ate 12 x 4 carbs for 48 total carbs. Left the house at 180 with double arrows up. About mile 4 the arrows stopped and blood sugar stabled out at 237 for the last 3 miles. Got home and tested and also did a bolus to correct and have been high the past two hours with another correction bolus before bed. Will see in the morning where I end up.

Sweet dreams. 

To temp or not to temp, basal

Left work at a reasonable time today and checked my blood sugar from the car, 115 so I set a temp basal for 60 minutes at 20% thinking a 3 mile run should mesh well with that. This was at 4:30 and when I was at home stretching I tested again. This next test I was 89 so I decided to turn off the temp basal, eat 40 carbs and see where my sugar was an hour later. I then saw my wife eating some skittles so u asked for a handful and ate those too. 

Cgm is reading 96 at 5:30 and now reads 119 with one up arrow. Going 3 miles ill probably burn about 100 off my current reading, off to my hair cut and test with meter after that. 

Here is the before shot: gross, way too long. 

Ok, haircut done and blood sugar now 234. Hair looks great again and off to the treadmill. 

Post run blood sugar is 175, it was 4 miles not 3....good thing I double checked while on the dread mill. 

Cgm graph