Howdy from Taipei,
Interesting culture over here. Since exiting the race, it has been a game of dodge the scooters (LOTS of them,) breathe as little as possible (smog,) and do more, and more insulin....
So the 4th stage was a tough one to begin with. I was warming up, feeling ok, but something was not right on my shoes. I noticed that my cleats (attach to the pedals from my shoes) were moved around a lot. This is not good, as even a millimeter change here is drastic. So I switched to my spare shoes moments before the start, only my left foot was hitting the crank arm every pedal stroke. So in the neutral section I got Doug to make his best effort to change em, and I switched shoes. Chased for a few minutes got back on, and then the flag dropped and the race was on. So we start going uphill, and my left knee had a dagger going through it, so I tried to get the shoes adjusted, and began chasing back, but all this position change just wrecked me. My left leg went numb (similar to problem I had surgery on last year) and couldn't muster up any power. This would have been a hard stage regardless, but this little malfunction was exponential due to the intensity. It was a shame, as I had blood sugar nailed.
Same day, Aldo came down with a fever, and took him out. Jesse was 5th, and then Ken 7th yesterday. We may only have a couple left in the race, but they are racing as 5 men! Please keep the Team Type 1 cheers coming...
I had done an extra unit of Lantus in the am, and a small Apidra correction post breakfast. As the race was going on, my body seemed to become more efficient at burning fuel, so more basal was needed to get the fuel to the muscles. Not exactly expected, but the right decision in my opinion, in my gut... I was able to snack lightly before the start, and began the race at 200(ish) flat lined. Things were good. Didn't need to eat in the first 20 minutes, and if I had not blundered the shoe situation, would have begun to eating Dex4 in the next 25-30 minutes as the trend went down. As it was, I pulled out of the race, and went back to the bus. I had a few hours, so I finished reading: "The People of the Book" which was a good read. Recommended by a nice lady at my book store in Atl, which I get to go back to on Sunday!!!
That night, I increased basal to 10 units, or 17 total for the day. Blood sugars were good. Next morning it was 8 units, or 18 on board, and then yesterday just seemed to be injection, after injection, after injection. Now that there is no race, I want to hang around 80-120, and I think I did 13 shots yesterday trying to get there. Last night I did 12 units of Lantus, and this am, another 9, to take me back to 21 units, which is higher than I was before the race. This am, I have 3 shots in so far, and most likely another to come in the next 10 minutes as I am hovering at 150. If the arrow does not go down, it will happen.
Question I could see coming up: 13 injections in one day!!! Wouldn't it be easier to be on a pump.
Answer: For day to day life, definitely maybe! But for race life, no. Racing is #1 for me, and I want that to come first. If I would have nailed the basal, I would have not needed so many, and when it comes down to it, I have done approximately 69,000 shots in my life, so 1 or 5 more is not that big of a deal.
Today, I am going to cruise around downtown Taiwan. My bike is being used as a spare, so I have no wheels. Not ideal, so I will go walk for a nice long time, and plow through my 3rd book for the trip. I did make a comment on the smog earlier, and will try to put pictures to explain, but each and every day it has looked like it was overcast skies, cloudy as can be. The thing was there was a 0%chance of rain. The over-cast was all smog. Visibility was minimal. It think this could be a very beautiful country, but it is hard to tell when so much is blocked from view. So next time I have to do an emissions test, or take a walk, ride a train, I will do so with a smile, as I hope the US never gets as bad as it is here.
Thanks for reading, and for all of your great comments!
Ciao for now.
Phil
http://twitter.com/PhilSoutherland
www.teamtype1.org
P.S. Congrats to Morgan Patton for her first 2 wins this year!!! Start to a great year for her!
P.P.S. Now at 141, so I am gonna hold off for 20 more minutes before another shot...
Thursday, March 12, 2009
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Tour Taiwan-2 wheels on ground please...
Howdy from another Hotel...
I hope everyone is rocking. So yesterday am, I went with the guy for 6u, which did not seem to be enough. We had a 140km stage lined up, and another 30 minutes of riding before hand, albeit very slow. Still, I was on the start line with a BS of 240 with an arrow going straight up. So I thought, how about bring it down, by what, insulin??? Nope, attacking! Early in the stage things were aggressive. I went with the first 3 moves, and was thinking, wow, glad this hill is over. But then, I saw that it was just beginning. We were on this really cool twisty, winding upward road, and lined out single file. I was in the red starting the climb, and practically going cross-eyed in pain to hold the wheel. It typically takes my engine a little while to get going, so this was not so shocking to be hurting this early. As the road tilted for one last steep pitch (didn't know it at the time) I decided I was going to ride my pace, and drifted a bit, and then a yee-ha!!! As we were at the top. It was a nice long downhill, and it took me a while to recover. Then Aldo went off the front, and Jesse, and Ken were covering tons of moves. The first sprint of the day Aldo took 2nd, and then we rode in the gutter for a long while as their was a stiff crosswind. The crosswinds are not so fun, as you are riding as far to one side of the road as possible, with very little draft, and hoping nothing pops up, as reaction time is minimal. Then just as the race was getting tough, Jesse made the break, and things eased up. Thanks Jess! We rode near the front for the next hour or so. Joe was the man here, riding in the wind to keep the boyz protected. At some point, teams started to get jumpy, and it was attack, stop, attack, stop for a long time. I covered about 15 moves in a row, which took it's toll. We got to the circuits, and it was 100% for Aldo here. One more spint, and some full gas riding to get there. This was a nice big crit, and in the gutter dying for a lot of it. At one point I made a BIG rookie mistake as we were coming into a left turn, I got gaped through it. I couldn't close it, and Aldo was on my wheel, so I slung him, and then was hung out to dry on the let, with a brutal cross coming from the left. Ken later told me I should have just swung right, as if I would have gotten a little protection, would have been fine, but I went right out the arse... Aldo won that intermediate sprint, and then 3 guys got away. Ken and Jess worked hard, and Aldo was set up, but a skipping chain caused him to lose the sprint. Team was gelling, and success will come soon.
Last night: 8u Lantus, 3u Apidra at dinner, and a high BS through the night. I gave 1 correction of 1u at bed time, added another unit of Lantus to make 9 total, and then another correction at some hour of the night, and 1 more at about 4am, to wake up at 105. I was so tired, that I fell right back asleep after all of em, so no love lost. Thanks Navigator for making sure I started the day right. I saw a comment ? about the lack of sleep and performance: I am a glass half full kind of guy. Theoretically, every time you fall asleep, you produce more growth hormone. And it is also good to keep the metabolism going with calories in the night. So when my alarm goes off, and I wake up to do a correction, I make sure and get about 20-30 calories from a protein shake, and then crash asleep again, knowing on a few levels, it is gonna help. Would I rather sleep through the night, without waking up? Of course, but I am pretty sure it is not affecting my performance in a negative way, and may even be helping.
This am, I did 6u Apidra, ate a good breakfast, and started the trend up for race time. I was too high, and didn't really need to eat. I felt pretty crappy today, and of minimal help to the team. Ken, Joe, and Aldo were aggressive early on, then Jesse was the man again for a good while. I was able to cover a few big moves, but then just suffering out there. Stage races are like that, and hopefully it means tomorrow will bring good legs. With about 6 to go, I was mid pack, and it was time to get to the front to help set up the train. So I pop into a harder gear, and start moving up the left side. Then I see a crash, and about 20 some odd guys piled up, as I am doing 30+mph. I slammed the brakes only to hit a guy, and fly over the bars AGAIN. I look, and one of the bikes ahead of me is an Orbea team bike, but I don't see anyone. I am doing circles looking for me teammate, and even looking in the bushes. Then like magic Ken appeared shorts, and jersey torn to grab his bike. We, along with 40 others went to the pit, and got in with 3 to go. Ken went straight into leadout mode, and he and Jess got Aldo into a good position. Aldo got boxed, and then without sprinting was able to get 5th or 6th. Still not what we are looking for, but we are getting closer to the W! My sacrum is still killing me from the first crash, and now I have a nice little hematoma on my quad from the 2nd. Tomorrow starts with a big climb, then a lot of flat, and then a 1km steep one for the finish.
As for the diabetes game. It has not been too complicated here. But I think I need to go up, so tonight, I am gonna hit 10u Lantus. I want to race tomorrow with a BG around 150. I have been running higher, and doing good, but unable to eat much during the stages. This is walking a fine line, as if I do too much basal, then I will have to eat tons during the stage. So if I am running too hot, so to speak in the am, then I can back down to 5u of Lantus for my morning dose. If not, then I will do 6, and hopefully be perfect for the stage.
Gotta get Ken a beer tonight, as he is pretty banged up, but he is a great teammate, and really did impress us all today. Hopefully I can not crash tomorrow...
Ciao for now! Thanks for reading.
Phil
Team Type 1
www.teamtype1.org
I hope everyone is rocking. So yesterday am, I went with the guy for 6u, which did not seem to be enough. We had a 140km stage lined up, and another 30 minutes of riding before hand, albeit very slow. Still, I was on the start line with a BS of 240 with an arrow going straight up. So I thought, how about bring it down, by what, insulin??? Nope, attacking! Early in the stage things were aggressive. I went with the first 3 moves, and was thinking, wow, glad this hill is over. But then, I saw that it was just beginning. We were on this really cool twisty, winding upward road, and lined out single file. I was in the red starting the climb, and practically going cross-eyed in pain to hold the wheel. It typically takes my engine a little while to get going, so this was not so shocking to be hurting this early. As the road tilted for one last steep pitch (didn't know it at the time) I decided I was going to ride my pace, and drifted a bit, and then a yee-ha!!! As we were at the top. It was a nice long downhill, and it took me a while to recover. Then Aldo went off the front, and Jesse, and Ken were covering tons of moves. The first sprint of the day Aldo took 2nd, and then we rode in the gutter for a long while as their was a stiff crosswind. The crosswinds are not so fun, as you are riding as far to one side of the road as possible, with very little draft, and hoping nothing pops up, as reaction time is minimal. Then just as the race was getting tough, Jesse made the break, and things eased up. Thanks Jess! We rode near the front for the next hour or so. Joe was the man here, riding in the wind to keep the boyz protected. At some point, teams started to get jumpy, and it was attack, stop, attack, stop for a long time. I covered about 15 moves in a row, which took it's toll. We got to the circuits, and it was 100% for Aldo here. One more spint, and some full gas riding to get there. This was a nice big crit, and in the gutter dying for a lot of it. At one point I made a BIG rookie mistake as we were coming into a left turn, I got gaped through it. I couldn't close it, and Aldo was on my wheel, so I slung him, and then was hung out to dry on the let, with a brutal cross coming from the left. Ken later told me I should have just swung right, as if I would have gotten a little protection, would have been fine, but I went right out the arse... Aldo won that intermediate sprint, and then 3 guys got away. Ken and Jess worked hard, and Aldo was set up, but a skipping chain caused him to lose the sprint. Team was gelling, and success will come soon.
Last night: 8u Lantus, 3u Apidra at dinner, and a high BS through the night. I gave 1 correction of 1u at bed time, added another unit of Lantus to make 9 total, and then another correction at some hour of the night, and 1 more at about 4am, to wake up at 105. I was so tired, that I fell right back asleep after all of em, so no love lost. Thanks Navigator for making sure I started the day right. I saw a comment ? about the lack of sleep and performance: I am a glass half full kind of guy. Theoretically, every time you fall asleep, you produce more growth hormone. And it is also good to keep the metabolism going with calories in the night. So when my alarm goes off, and I wake up to do a correction, I make sure and get about 20-30 calories from a protein shake, and then crash asleep again, knowing on a few levels, it is gonna help. Would I rather sleep through the night, without waking up? Of course, but I am pretty sure it is not affecting my performance in a negative way, and may even be helping.
This am, I did 6u Apidra, ate a good breakfast, and started the trend up for race time. I was too high, and didn't really need to eat. I felt pretty crappy today, and of minimal help to the team. Ken, Joe, and Aldo were aggressive early on, then Jesse was the man again for a good while. I was able to cover a few big moves, but then just suffering out there. Stage races are like that, and hopefully it means tomorrow will bring good legs. With about 6 to go, I was mid pack, and it was time to get to the front to help set up the train. So I pop into a harder gear, and start moving up the left side. Then I see a crash, and about 20 some odd guys piled up, as I am doing 30+mph. I slammed the brakes only to hit a guy, and fly over the bars AGAIN. I look, and one of the bikes ahead of me is an Orbea team bike, but I don't see anyone. I am doing circles looking for me teammate, and even looking in the bushes. Then like magic Ken appeared shorts, and jersey torn to grab his bike. We, along with 40 others went to the pit, and got in with 3 to go. Ken went straight into leadout mode, and he and Jess got Aldo into a good position. Aldo got boxed, and then without sprinting was able to get 5th or 6th. Still not what we are looking for, but we are getting closer to the W! My sacrum is still killing me from the first crash, and now I have a nice little hematoma on my quad from the 2nd. Tomorrow starts with a big climb, then a lot of flat, and then a 1km steep one for the finish.
As for the diabetes game. It has not been too complicated here. But I think I need to go up, so tonight, I am gonna hit 10u Lantus. I want to race tomorrow with a BG around 150. I have been running higher, and doing good, but unable to eat much during the stages. This is walking a fine line, as if I do too much basal, then I will have to eat tons during the stage. So if I am running too hot, so to speak in the am, then I can back down to 5u of Lantus for my morning dose. If not, then I will do 6, and hopefully be perfect for the stage.
Gotta get Ken a beer tonight, as he is pretty banged up, but he is a great teammate, and really did impress us all today. Hopefully I can not crash tomorrow...
Ciao for now! Thanks for reading.
Phil
Team Type 1
www.teamtype1.org
Sunday, March 8, 2009
The Diabetes Game... Basal cuts, and BG perfection
Howdy from some hotel in some city in Taiwan,
Ah the life... A blurred one, one that revolves around getting up, eating food, riding bikes, eating more food, travel to hotel, eat more food, and sleep... Throw a few shots in there, and having a trusty roommate who actually remembers what room we are in, and life is good!
So yesterday, I said I was going to 8 and 8 for am/pm Lantus doses. I must confess, I lied. As I was injecting the 8 last night, something inside me said: "you need 9!" So I went with my gut (which is how I make all insulin dosage decisions,) turned the SoloStar 1 more notch, and 9 it was. What I didn't notice, was that I was already dropping. I was at 135, with an arrow headed down. So I had a Dex4 Liquid blast (15gm carb) and a granola bar, and by 9:20 I was sound asleep. Woke up once at midnight, and again at 2:30, but then slept right through to 6:30, when it was time to eat. Blood sugars in the night were between 92-115, which made me think the decision was the right one! Got back to the room, and after breakfast, I was at 154 I went with 7u Lantus for the grand total of 16u for the day. I snacked on a cliff bar, and began the race at 184 with an flat arrow. Today was an 80km crit, so got about an hour warm up in.
The gun went off, and it was aggressive from the start. We had everyone near the front, and I was feeling good. Covered a move here, a move there, but never going to hard to do so. 15 minutes or so in, I had a Dex4 Liquid blast to flatten any drop out, and then about 5 minutes later, we are moving pretty good, and I see one guy go down, then another, and it just so happened to be right in front of me. So I nail the guy, flip over the bars, and land square on my tailbone, and head. My Louis Garneau helmet kept the head good, other than a slight ringing in the ears, but the tailbone hurt. I checked my FreeStyle Navigator, which said 208 with an arrow up. Typically when I crash, blood sugar will sky rocket, but I am beginning to think that it is road rash that does this. Today, no road rash, and no spike. Still, i didn't eat anything for the next 1hr 30 minutes, only taking in about 25 grams of carbs from an energy drink.
Anyhow, I went ahead and hopped back on the bike, and limped to the pits. Shimano wheels were straight, nothing was broken, and I hopped back in. The boys were covering things, as I was getting back into the groove. I quickly figured out that I must have nailed my bike pretty hard, as I only had 4 gears working in the back. Most of the time, my chain was just skipping around, so I would just pick a gear, and stay there. This caused a bit of extra grinding (low cadence, more muscle use) than I would have liked. Normally during a crit, or any race for that matter, I like to spin a high cadence and use more of the cardio system. The grinding was manageable, but definitely took it's toll. Joe was super aggressive, as was Ken, and Jesse. We lined it out or the 2nd sprint, which Aldo and Ken went 1-2 in. Then at the end, having spent a lot of energy chasing the last break, we left Ken and Aldo on their own for the sprint, and the Polish team was fresh from sitting in all day. They did a solid lead out, and somehow got beat to the line. We managed 11th, and now have Aldo in 7th overall, which is ok for the first day. Our strength will come later in the race, and we are only going to get better the more we race together.
Post race, I was 150 trending down, but had to pull the sensor off, as the crash sprung it lose. So I am back to finger sticks for tonight, and will put new sensor on to calibrate at 5am, and 7am, so I will be good for the race. I did 6u Apidra back at the hotel, followed by Chocolate Milk and some extra protein to start. Then Gord came in with some killer sandwiches from the bakery, and then another 1/2 sandwich on the bus. Getting close to dinner now, and will do a little less insulin than normal, as sensitivity is probably up there. Tonight, definitely doing 8u Lantus, and will play it by ear in the am, as tomorrow is 140km, so will probably need less. I am guessing 6 in the morning, but will go with what the gut tells me tomorrow.
Thanks for reading, and for all of your comments!!!
Have a great night/day, or whatever it is wherever you are...
Ciao
Phil
http://twitter.com/PhilSoutherland
www.teamtype1.org
Ah the life... A blurred one, one that revolves around getting up, eating food, riding bikes, eating more food, travel to hotel, eat more food, and sleep... Throw a few shots in there, and having a trusty roommate who actually remembers what room we are in, and life is good!
So yesterday, I said I was going to 8 and 8 for am/pm Lantus doses. I must confess, I lied. As I was injecting the 8 last night, something inside me said: "you need 9!" So I went with my gut (which is how I make all insulin dosage decisions,) turned the SoloStar 1 more notch, and 9 it was. What I didn't notice, was that I was already dropping. I was at 135, with an arrow headed down. So I had a Dex4 Liquid blast (15gm carb) and a granola bar, and by 9:20 I was sound asleep. Woke up once at midnight, and again at 2:30, but then slept right through to 6:30, when it was time to eat. Blood sugars in the night were between 92-115, which made me think the decision was the right one! Got back to the room, and after breakfast, I was at 154 I went with 7u Lantus for the grand total of 16u for the day. I snacked on a cliff bar, and began the race at 184 with an flat arrow. Today was an 80km crit, so got about an hour warm up in.
The gun went off, and it was aggressive from the start. We had everyone near the front, and I was feeling good. Covered a move here, a move there, but never going to hard to do so. 15 minutes or so in, I had a Dex4 Liquid blast to flatten any drop out, and then about 5 minutes later, we are moving pretty good, and I see one guy go down, then another, and it just so happened to be right in front of me. So I nail the guy, flip over the bars, and land square on my tailbone, and head. My Louis Garneau helmet kept the head good, other than a slight ringing in the ears, but the tailbone hurt. I checked my FreeStyle Navigator, which said 208 with an arrow up. Typically when I crash, blood sugar will sky rocket, but I am beginning to think that it is road rash that does this. Today, no road rash, and no spike. Still, i didn't eat anything for the next 1hr 30 minutes, only taking in about 25 grams of carbs from an energy drink.
Anyhow, I went ahead and hopped back on the bike, and limped to the pits. Shimano wheels were straight, nothing was broken, and I hopped back in. The boys were covering things, as I was getting back into the groove. I quickly figured out that I must have nailed my bike pretty hard, as I only had 4 gears working in the back. Most of the time, my chain was just skipping around, so I would just pick a gear, and stay there. This caused a bit of extra grinding (low cadence, more muscle use) than I would have liked. Normally during a crit, or any race for that matter, I like to spin a high cadence and use more of the cardio system. The grinding was manageable, but definitely took it's toll. Joe was super aggressive, as was Ken, and Jesse. We lined it out or the 2nd sprint, which Aldo and Ken went 1-2 in. Then at the end, having spent a lot of energy chasing the last break, we left Ken and Aldo on their own for the sprint, and the Polish team was fresh from sitting in all day. They did a solid lead out, and somehow got beat to the line. We managed 11th, and now have Aldo in 7th overall, which is ok for the first day. Our strength will come later in the race, and we are only going to get better the more we race together.
Post race, I was 150 trending down, but had to pull the sensor off, as the crash sprung it lose. So I am back to finger sticks for tonight, and will put new sensor on to calibrate at 5am, and 7am, so I will be good for the race. I did 6u Apidra back at the hotel, followed by Chocolate Milk and some extra protein to start. Then Gord came in with some killer sandwiches from the bakery, and then another 1/2 sandwich on the bus. Getting close to dinner now, and will do a little less insulin than normal, as sensitivity is probably up there. Tonight, definitely doing 8u Lantus, and will play it by ear in the am, as tomorrow is 140km, so will probably need less. I am guessing 6 in the morning, but will go with what the gut tells me tomorrow.
Thanks for reading, and for all of your comments!!!
Have a great night/day, or whatever it is wherever you are...
Ciao
Phil
http://twitter.com/PhilSoutherland
www.teamtype1.org
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