Howdy from Emory Radiology Dept:
So the bike racin has not been all that great for me (but great for the team!!) Tuesday in Beaufort was a quick one for me. Before my leg quit working, I typically feel really good, and have no problem riding the front of a race. But once the left leg gives, there is no need to be there, as I just get in the way. Beaufort was a hard race, no doubt about it. Krazy Ken Hanson made the break, and those guys stayed away for most of the race. Got caught with a few laps to go, but he still managed a top 10. Then Wednesday was Walterboro, which is a good one. I like the course, and have ridden well there in the past. Spent 5 laps moving up, then cover a move, and then shut down. I slowly worked my backwards, and then off the back. 2 guys stayed away, and Aldo and Ken took 1-2 in the field sprint again for 3rd and 4th. It was a solid performance, and the team was starting to ride better together. Most of these days, we would ride in the morning, typically to a coffee shop, then back take a nap, and then get ready to race at night. The 2-a-days really boost the metabolism, and for me especially at night. I got the s-a pen, and it seems to be more potent than the vial, or my metabolism is just really flying. I haven't done a bolus over 4 units in a while now, and have been hovering at about 15u of basal a day. Back to 16 now with no racing. Weird though, as every night at 9, I would just need more and more carbs. I was taking in Dex4, and Gatorade at bed time, as that was when it was racing.
There was one night I thought I had it all good, but could not sleep. For me, not being able to fall asleep is a tell-tale sign that I need more food, or insulin. My body won't let me go to sleep having messed up. So sure enough, I check again, and am hovering at 60, got some more carbs in, and then 15 minutes later I was in dream land. Also, I think it is a guarantee that if I brush my teeth before that final check, then I am going to drop and need more food. This is a jinx that has proven itself time after time. Funny little intricacies of The Diabetes Game.
I was planning to stay with the team, and keep trying to race, but I got a call from the Radiology Dept at Emory, and Dr. Diego Martin ( a radiologist) was not happy with the first MRA. So in for another, which is supposedly 2x as powerful as your standard MRI. Diego also rides bikes, and wanted to take everything into account. He actually sat in while they did the MRA, to ensure they got every possible image. Now I get to play the waiting game for a while, and hope to hear something that will allow me to move forward. For some leisure reading on this condition,
I have a couple of links below, which are more descriptive of the condition I have.
http://www.velonews.com/article/13064
http://sportsmedicine.about.com/od/bicyclinginjuries/a/Arteriopathy.htm
Thanks for reading, and the Well Wishes!
Have a great weekend.
Philpott
http://twitter.com/PhilSoutherland
TeamType1.org
Friday, May 1, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Twilight Time!
Howdy from Beaufurt, SC:
We are hanging out in the marshland these days, at a beautiful house compliments of Mr. Mike! Last check it was time for the crits. We cam in with a solid team, great staff, and motivated to get some results. First on the block for me was an MRA (MRI of the arteries) to see what is going on with my leg. I got that out of the way on Wednesday, then an easy cruise on Thursday, same on Friday in good ole Athens, GA! It really was great to be back, and good to see a lot of old friends in advance of Twilight.
Friday night we had dinner with the Team Type 1 ladies team, who were also motivated for some good results. Saturday am was an easy ride, and then some relaxation in prep for the race. The writer of my book (due out next June) John Hanc came into town to experience the race scene, and work on the outline so we can get the story straight. It was a pretty hectic day. With the race slated for 9pm, we went to get the last meal at 5:30, which was going to be my last shot of rapid until after the race. I did my 3 units for the All Star breakfast at Wafflehouse (usually 5) and was hoping to be sitting at 130 or so after the meal. Low (no pun intended) and behold I had a bit too much basal, and the metabolism was cooking, which kept me at about 90 after the meal. Then 2hrs before I made an attempt to get the blood sugar up, but no response. 45 minutes before I ate some more, and then at 8:30 I was sitting at 171 and flat lined on the FreeStyle Navigator. At 9pm I was sitting in the start house and adrenaline was pumping. If the race would have gone off at 9pm, or even 9:15, BS would have been between 200-220, but at 9:30 I was 225 going straight up. 260 on the start line. Did I eat too much? Was the adrenaline from 40,000 screaming fans and a front row start jacking me up? Who knows, and at that point who cares. All I could do was focus on the race, and know that I would not be going hypo. The gun went off, and it was madness. Full gas from the go, and I just stayed in the top 5, top 10 hoping to have a functional leg. The race began to get pretty hard, and the leg slowly died. About 10 laps in I was having trouble maintaining position, and jumping out of each turn with my right leg only. If the race would have eased up for a bit, I may have got through it, but that doesn’t happen at twilight, so I pulled the plug. I was pretty bummed, as this is practically a hometown race, and lots of friends were out watching, but that’s life. I got to see the end of the race, and 3 guys had snuck off the front. Ken Hanson and Aldo looked good, and came in 1-2 in the field sprint for 4th and 5th overall, which ain’t bad for Twilight. Followed this with a celebration on the town, and time to think about Roswell.
Also, big congrats to the Ladies, who animated the race with many attacks, and Jen McCrae who took 3rd place!!
Day 2, we did a quick ride in the morning, then drive home, and off to the race. John and I spent some time together, as did my mom and I. Then it was race time. Today, I had backed off the basal a bit, and got my meal about 3hrs in advance. 1hr before I was sitting at 90, but took a less drastic approach to raise the BS today. 20 minutes before I was at 170, and then on the start line I was 206 and flat, when the gun went off. Roswell is a completely different race. I knew to have a chance to help the team, I had to make it through the numbness. Vassili told me to chill for the first half, and then try to help. So for 40 minutes, I sat at or near the back, conserving as much as possible. Took in 1 gel 20 minutes in, and drank some sugar drink, and water. 40 minutes in there was a lull in the race, and I hopped up to the top 10, which was a tough run. It was much tougher to fight for position, and jump out of the turns on this one. I started losing power in my left leg, and began to go into survival mode. Ken and Aldo were flying out there, and Timmy Hargrave looked decent in a crit. So I drifted back to the back, and used the “Jason Snow” method to get through the race. With about 5 laps to go, I started to move up, and Vassili was telling us to try and win the sprint. There were 5 off the front, and with 2 to go, I snuck to the front, and thought I would give it a good drag for half a lap, to help Ken/Aldo, but then I ended up with a small gap. I went about as hard as I could for .5 a lap, and with .5 a lap to go got caught, and Mad Man Ken Hanson took over. He gave Aldo a leadout through the last turn, and Aldo blasted the sprint to take 6th.With the race over, I checked the Navigator, and was 170 headed straight down. Perfect BS for the race… The team is looking good, and if we can keep it together to the line, we have good shot at taking a W this week. Jen McCrae took 3rd again, and Monique and Morgan began to show the goods in the race. I did not get to see it, but I heard that the ladies kept the pressure on all day.
Out west Fabio spent many hours in the breaks, which helped to set up Darren Lill for the Win in Vuelta de Bisbee! Congrats guys!
I decided to come try and race this week, in hopes of lending a hand to the team. A big thanks to our Swanny: Sergey who makes everything off the bike perfect, and also to our mechanic Alex Banyay. He rocks the house, and our bikes have been flawless every time he touches em!
Bike racing and diabetes are very similar in that we are very dependent on our team around us to help make us succeed. If we have the right tools, we have a chance. Also, winning 2 race here will be a success, but that also means we will lose 5 races. After the defeats, if we learn, and do it better next time, then it was a lesson, not a loss… On the bike side we have Orbea bikes, Shimano parts/wheels, director, mechanic, souigneur which are all necessary for success. On the diabetes side we have sanofi-aventis, Navigator, Omni-Pod (for some,) dex4, endo, educator, and for each game we all depend on our family and friends to support us. When one is going good for me, the other typically is too.
Off to grab a nap, and get ready for the race tonight. Thanks for all the comments, and well wishes! Also, thanks TJ for making it out to watch!
Our schedule is on the blog off www.teamtype1.org so please come meet us if you can!
Have a great day, and thanks for reading
Phil
We are hanging out in the marshland these days, at a beautiful house compliments of Mr. Mike! Last check it was time for the crits. We cam in with a solid team, great staff, and motivated to get some results. First on the block for me was an MRA (MRI of the arteries) to see what is going on with my leg. I got that out of the way on Wednesday, then an easy cruise on Thursday, same on Friday in good ole Athens, GA! It really was great to be back, and good to see a lot of old friends in advance of Twilight.
Friday night we had dinner with the Team Type 1 ladies team, who were also motivated for some good results. Saturday am was an easy ride, and then some relaxation in prep for the race. The writer of my book (due out next June) John Hanc came into town to experience the race scene, and work on the outline so we can get the story straight. It was a pretty hectic day. With the race slated for 9pm, we went to get the last meal at 5:30, which was going to be my last shot of rapid until after the race. I did my 3 units for the All Star breakfast at Wafflehouse (usually 5) and was hoping to be sitting at 130 or so after the meal. Low (no pun intended) and behold I had a bit too much basal, and the metabolism was cooking, which kept me at about 90 after the meal. Then 2hrs before I made an attempt to get the blood sugar up, but no response. 45 minutes before I ate some more, and then at 8:30 I was sitting at 171 and flat lined on the FreeStyle Navigator. At 9pm I was sitting in the start house and adrenaline was pumping. If the race would have gone off at 9pm, or even 9:15, BS would have been between 200-220, but at 9:30 I was 225 going straight up. 260 on the start line. Did I eat too much? Was the adrenaline from 40,000 screaming fans and a front row start jacking me up? Who knows, and at that point who cares. All I could do was focus on the race, and know that I would not be going hypo. The gun went off, and it was madness. Full gas from the go, and I just stayed in the top 5, top 10 hoping to have a functional leg. The race began to get pretty hard, and the leg slowly died. About 10 laps in I was having trouble maintaining position, and jumping out of each turn with my right leg only. If the race would have eased up for a bit, I may have got through it, but that doesn’t happen at twilight, so I pulled the plug. I was pretty bummed, as this is practically a hometown race, and lots of friends were out watching, but that’s life. I got to see the end of the race, and 3 guys had snuck off the front. Ken Hanson and Aldo looked good, and came in 1-2 in the field sprint for 4th and 5th overall, which ain’t bad for Twilight. Followed this with a celebration on the town, and time to think about Roswell.
Also, big congrats to the Ladies, who animated the race with many attacks, and Jen McCrae who took 3rd place!!
Day 2, we did a quick ride in the morning, then drive home, and off to the race. John and I spent some time together, as did my mom and I. Then it was race time. Today, I had backed off the basal a bit, and got my meal about 3hrs in advance. 1hr before I was sitting at 90, but took a less drastic approach to raise the BS today. 20 minutes before I was at 170, and then on the start line I was 206 and flat, when the gun went off. Roswell is a completely different race. I knew to have a chance to help the team, I had to make it through the numbness. Vassili told me to chill for the first half, and then try to help. So for 40 minutes, I sat at or near the back, conserving as much as possible. Took in 1 gel 20 minutes in, and drank some sugar drink, and water. 40 minutes in there was a lull in the race, and I hopped up to the top 10, which was a tough run. It was much tougher to fight for position, and jump out of the turns on this one. I started losing power in my left leg, and began to go into survival mode. Ken and Aldo were flying out there, and Timmy Hargrave looked decent in a crit. So I drifted back to the back, and used the “Jason Snow” method to get through the race. With about 5 laps to go, I started to move up, and Vassili was telling us to try and win the sprint. There were 5 off the front, and with 2 to go, I snuck to the front, and thought I would give it a good drag for half a lap, to help Ken/Aldo, but then I ended up with a small gap. I went about as hard as I could for .5 a lap, and with .5 a lap to go got caught, and Mad Man Ken Hanson took over. He gave Aldo a leadout through the last turn, and Aldo blasted the sprint to take 6th.With the race over, I checked the Navigator, and was 170 headed straight down. Perfect BS for the race… The team is looking good, and if we can keep it together to the line, we have good shot at taking a W this week. Jen McCrae took 3rd again, and Monique and Morgan began to show the goods in the race. I did not get to see it, but I heard that the ladies kept the pressure on all day.
Out west Fabio spent many hours in the breaks, which helped to set up Darren Lill for the Win in Vuelta de Bisbee! Congrats guys!
I decided to come try and race this week, in hopes of lending a hand to the team. A big thanks to our Swanny: Sergey who makes everything off the bike perfect, and also to our mechanic Alex Banyay. He rocks the house, and our bikes have been flawless every time he touches em!
Bike racing and diabetes are very similar in that we are very dependent on our team around us to help make us succeed. If we have the right tools, we have a chance. Also, winning 2 race here will be a success, but that also means we will lose 5 races. After the defeats, if we learn, and do it better next time, then it was a lesson, not a loss… On the bike side we have Orbea bikes, Shimano parts/wheels, director, mechanic, souigneur which are all necessary for success. On the diabetes side we have sanofi-aventis, Navigator, Omni-Pod (for some,) dex4, endo, educator, and for each game we all depend on our family and friends to support us. When one is going good for me, the other typically is too.
Off to grab a nap, and get ready for the race tonight. Thanks for all the comments, and well wishes! Also, thanks TJ for making it out to watch!
Our schedule is on the blog off www.teamtype1.org so please come meet us if you can!
Have a great day, and thanks for reading
Phil
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Diabetes Game: Walking the line...
Howdy from HotLanta,
As always, it is great to be back home. We are heading into the crit series next, so I should have a steady influx of temp roommates in the house. First it was Daniel Holt, now Ken Hanson, but the guys are cool which makes it easy. Last I wrote, was after the test, and I was a bit down. Lots of work has been put in to getting faster, stronger, leaner to have a chance at success this year, and to find out the surgery was a failure really sucked. But, even with the semi-functional blood flow, I was still going ok, and the team was solid for Battenkill, so I went in ready to do my best for the team.
Saturday was a shorter race, at 80 miles. The weather was sketchy, in that it was nice and sunny at the start, but a good chance for rain. Normally I would have brought a rain jacket, and some arm warmers, but instead of having my bag go to Albany NY (on my flight) it went to Lafayette, LA. How this happened, I don't know, but Ken Hanson gave me a kit to race in. I was wearing Navigator, and 1 hour pre race was sitting at 150 flat line. Then there was a slight upward trend as we edged closer, and closer to the start. This is good, as typically at the beginning of a race is when the biggest drop happens for me. But apparently I either a) didn't have enough Lantus on board or b) ate too much before the start. But no way I am doing Apidra this close to the start. We started the race, and there was a solid climb at the start, and Dan and Ken made the break. They began to get more and more time on us, as the field rode a nice easy pace. There were tons of dirt roads on the course, and a lot of big rollers. It may be the coolest bike race course I have ever done. On the shorter hills, I am good, and was able to ride at/near the front. On some of the longer ones, the left leg would go numb, and I would have to gauge my effort very carefully as not to completely kill my leg. About 45 minutes into the race shortly after I ate a gel, I checked the Navigator and was 250ish. Then 30 minutes later 290, then 350... So it was water time. I quit eating food and gels, and just tried to stick to water. We then came up this 4km stair step climb. Steep at the bottom, then less steep, then more steep, for a while... 1km from the top I was unable to pedal with the left, so just went at a nice steady pace thinking my race was over. We made a left, and then down a long dirt descent. It was now raining, and I was freezing cold, so figured I would just pull out. Then I saw the group about a minute up the road, going slow, so I went a hard tempo to get back on. The blessing in disguise here was that we passed my buddy Johnny Sundt, who was just out riding, and he gave me his rain jacket. Thanks Johnny! Got back in the group, and we decided to pull the plug at the feed anyway. Dan had flatted out of the break, and Ken was trading attacks with the others up there, and ended up with a solid 3rd place. I got back and immediately gave a massive bolus, and after about 30-45 minutes started taking in calories again.
After that I was very sensitive to my Apidra, so was giving 3/4 boluses for food and snacks. Good BS's through the night, and after the high in race the day before, decided to stick with same basal instead of reducing. Mistake!
Day 2 was 200km (125 miles) on the same course, but with more teams in the race. It started pretty quick from the gun, and we had some good fights getting to the front for the dirt. Shawn Milne was our leader for the day, and we all felt good that we could rock it. I had a gel early, and then another, followed by some cliff blocks. I thought things were good, and made it through the tough parts of the course, gauging my efforts over the climbs carefully. As we got near the feedzone, I pulled out the Navigator, and saw 157 with an arrow Straight down, which gave me a quick alarm. So immediately, I downed 2 gels, more cliff blocks, and whatever sugar bottle they gave me. At the feed zone, I took 2 more bottles, downed another gel, and saw that I was 155 and flat. I thought I had avoided disaster, and was now 100% focused on the enxt dirt sections. Team Type 1 was well represented at the front, and we were constantly jostling for position on the dirt. We made it over a long gradual climb, and were bombing down the descent, when I heard the sound of air leaving my tire rapidly... Flat- happens all the time. I called Vassili on the radio, and started drifting through the line of 150 guys behind us. Alex gave me a quick wheel change, and was off chasing. So here I am chasing down the hill in the midst of a bike race induced dust storm. It reminded me of "Days of Thunder" and the cloud of smoke. I had a field to catch, so just closed my eyes (not really) and went for it, dodging cars, riders, and some rocks. It took about 20 minutes, but I got back on, dead from the chase, and at the base of a climb. Came off over the top, and then chased back again. It looked like it was slowing up, so I grabbed some bottles from the car to take to the guys. Then we began to go full tilt again. I was at the back, dying a slow death, but determined to get these bottles to the guys, as I could tell my race was coming to an early end. I managed to get Dan and Aldo feeds, just as my alarms began going crazy. I had already puked a bit of gel, and was sick to my stomach from the overload of carbs early, but still dropping. I guess the chase had me thinking of one thing and one thing only, which was to get back on. I should have been thinking get back on, well fueled, and help the guys. But for about 30 minutes of hard, hard riding, I forgot to eat a thing. When I saw 115 with an arrow going down, I knew I would have to take in about 75gms of carbs to have a chance, but couldn't even fathom a sip of gatorade. But, I got the bottles to the guys, and then Shawn went onto 4th place. He was nearly guaranteed 2nd, but a mis-timed flat ended our hopes of the podium. Scott Nydam (BMC) was off the front the entire day, and really deserved his win, and Karl-(10-Men)zies (Ouch) came in 2nd. All in all, it was a good day for the team. Our Orbea bikes were perfect for the fast stretches on the road, but also very good on the dirt.
What is the moral of the story here?? It isn't easy to nail the blood sugars every time. But knowing the # gives the power to deal with it accordingly. Had I not had Navigator on Saturday, I would have eated too much, and come home at 400, and on Sunday, I would not have been able to eat so much in advance of the low. Knowledge is power here, but no more so than off the bike. Check and correct, no matter where you are. It will help!
Then it was time to head home, and get ready for Twilight, and all the crits. I did my MRA, (which is an MRI of the arteries,) yesterday, and I will hopefully here from the surgeons at Emory as to what my options are. In the meantime, I have got some good advice from Tim Johnson, and a few others, so will continue to tweak things to make that leg work.
I really appreciate the support, and well wishes, and hope to see you at the crits. Please come say hey, and meet the team. Time to see big Joe turn on his speed, and Morgan Patton has a great chance at scoring her first NRC win this next week. I am real excited for the team.
Thanks for reading. Have a great day!
Phil
http://twitter.com/PhilSoutherland
www.TeamType1.org
As always, it is great to be back home. We are heading into the crit series next, so I should have a steady influx of temp roommates in the house. First it was Daniel Holt, now Ken Hanson, but the guys are cool which makes it easy. Last I wrote, was after the test, and I was a bit down. Lots of work has been put in to getting faster, stronger, leaner to have a chance at success this year, and to find out the surgery was a failure really sucked. But, even with the semi-functional blood flow, I was still going ok, and the team was solid for Battenkill, so I went in ready to do my best for the team.
Saturday was a shorter race, at 80 miles. The weather was sketchy, in that it was nice and sunny at the start, but a good chance for rain. Normally I would have brought a rain jacket, and some arm warmers, but instead of having my bag go to Albany NY (on my flight) it went to Lafayette, LA. How this happened, I don't know, but Ken Hanson gave me a kit to race in. I was wearing Navigator, and 1 hour pre race was sitting at 150 flat line. Then there was a slight upward trend as we edged closer, and closer to the start. This is good, as typically at the beginning of a race is when the biggest drop happens for me. But apparently I either a) didn't have enough Lantus on board or b) ate too much before the start. But no way I am doing Apidra this close to the start. We started the race, and there was a solid climb at the start, and Dan and Ken made the break. They began to get more and more time on us, as the field rode a nice easy pace. There were tons of dirt roads on the course, and a lot of big rollers. It may be the coolest bike race course I have ever done. On the shorter hills, I am good, and was able to ride at/near the front. On some of the longer ones, the left leg would go numb, and I would have to gauge my effort very carefully as not to completely kill my leg. About 45 minutes into the race shortly after I ate a gel, I checked the Navigator and was 250ish. Then 30 minutes later 290, then 350... So it was water time. I quit eating food and gels, and just tried to stick to water. We then came up this 4km stair step climb. Steep at the bottom, then less steep, then more steep, for a while... 1km from the top I was unable to pedal with the left, so just went at a nice steady pace thinking my race was over. We made a left, and then down a long dirt descent. It was now raining, and I was freezing cold, so figured I would just pull out. Then I saw the group about a minute up the road, going slow, so I went a hard tempo to get back on. The blessing in disguise here was that we passed my buddy Johnny Sundt, who was just out riding, and he gave me his rain jacket. Thanks Johnny! Got back in the group, and we decided to pull the plug at the feed anyway. Dan had flatted out of the break, and Ken was trading attacks with the others up there, and ended up with a solid 3rd place. I got back and immediately gave a massive bolus, and after about 30-45 minutes started taking in calories again.
After that I was very sensitive to my Apidra, so was giving 3/4 boluses for food and snacks. Good BS's through the night, and after the high in race the day before, decided to stick with same basal instead of reducing. Mistake!
Day 2 was 200km (125 miles) on the same course, but with more teams in the race. It started pretty quick from the gun, and we had some good fights getting to the front for the dirt. Shawn Milne was our leader for the day, and we all felt good that we could rock it. I had a gel early, and then another, followed by some cliff blocks. I thought things were good, and made it through the tough parts of the course, gauging my efforts over the climbs carefully. As we got near the feedzone, I pulled out the Navigator, and saw 157 with an arrow Straight down, which gave me a quick alarm. So immediately, I downed 2 gels, more cliff blocks, and whatever sugar bottle they gave me. At the feed zone, I took 2 more bottles, downed another gel, and saw that I was 155 and flat. I thought I had avoided disaster, and was now 100% focused on the enxt dirt sections. Team Type 1 was well represented at the front, and we were constantly jostling for position on the dirt. We made it over a long gradual climb, and were bombing down the descent, when I heard the sound of air leaving my tire rapidly... Flat- happens all the time. I called Vassili on the radio, and started drifting through the line of 150 guys behind us. Alex gave me a quick wheel change, and was off chasing. So here I am chasing down the hill in the midst of a bike race induced dust storm. It reminded me of "Days of Thunder" and the cloud of smoke. I had a field to catch, so just closed my eyes (not really) and went for it, dodging cars, riders, and some rocks. It took about 20 minutes, but I got back on, dead from the chase, and at the base of a climb. Came off over the top, and then chased back again. It looked like it was slowing up, so I grabbed some bottles from the car to take to the guys. Then we began to go full tilt again. I was at the back, dying a slow death, but determined to get these bottles to the guys, as I could tell my race was coming to an early end. I managed to get Dan and Aldo feeds, just as my alarms began going crazy. I had already puked a bit of gel, and was sick to my stomach from the overload of carbs early, but still dropping. I guess the chase had me thinking of one thing and one thing only, which was to get back on. I should have been thinking get back on, well fueled, and help the guys. But for about 30 minutes of hard, hard riding, I forgot to eat a thing. When I saw 115 with an arrow going down, I knew I would have to take in about 75gms of carbs to have a chance, but couldn't even fathom a sip of gatorade. But, I got the bottles to the guys, and then Shawn went onto 4th place. He was nearly guaranteed 2nd, but a mis-timed flat ended our hopes of the podium. Scott Nydam (BMC) was off the front the entire day, and really deserved his win, and Karl-(10-Men)zies (Ouch) came in 2nd. All in all, it was a good day for the team. Our Orbea bikes were perfect for the fast stretches on the road, but also very good on the dirt.
What is the moral of the story here?? It isn't easy to nail the blood sugars every time. But knowing the # gives the power to deal with it accordingly. Had I not had Navigator on Saturday, I would have eated too much, and come home at 400, and on Sunday, I would not have been able to eat so much in advance of the low. Knowledge is power here, but no more so than off the bike. Check and correct, no matter where you are. It will help!
Then it was time to head home, and get ready for Twilight, and all the crits. I did my MRA, (which is an MRI of the arteries,) yesterday, and I will hopefully here from the surgeons at Emory as to what my options are. In the meantime, I have got some good advice from Tim Johnson, and a few others, so will continue to tweak things to make that leg work.
I really appreciate the support, and well wishes, and hope to see you at the crits. Please come say hey, and meet the team. Time to see big Joe turn on his speed, and Morgan Patton has a great chance at scoring her first NRC win this next week. I am real excited for the team.
Thanks for reading. Have a great day!
Phil
http://twitter.com/PhilSoutherland
www.TeamType1.org
Friday, April 17, 2009
The good, the bad, the ugly (and unknown...)
Howdy from the Atlanta airport,
I hope everyone is rocking. Lots has happened since last time here. Last week followed up the with some real good training. Mountains, a 4 hour tough day, and some racing. As the week wore on I started getting more and more sensitive to the insulin. I was down to 13u basal, and less than that of rapid. Life was good, and metabolism moving. Did most of my training with Daniel Holt, and until last Thursday he was practically forcing me to ride. Weather was bad, and motivation not so high, but as the sun came out, I started getting really stoked to ride.
The Good:
Saturday came around, and it was race time in the Big B (Birmingham.) Joe's home town, and on a real cool speedway, so we were motivated to win. Joe, Dan, and I lined up with 50 others for the race. We were aggressive all day, and covering a bunch of moves from Cleve... Joe said he was feeling good, so we banked on a sprint for him. I got in some move for a few laps, and looked like we might stay away. With about 2km''s to go, we got caught, and Dan went straight to the front with Joe in tow. I stayed on the big man's wheel, while Dan kept things in check. On the last little rise 2 guys attacked, and Joe was on them like white on rice. Then came the kick to the line, and My boy Joe lit that sprint up to win by close to 5 bike lengths. It was the first time we had raced together in a long time, so to pull it off was nice. Real stoked for Joe. He has been knocking on the door for the past few weeks, and is definitely riding better than he has ever gone before. Expecting some good stuff from him come Speedweek.
The Bad and the Ugly:
So all this riding has been good, and my form was coming around nicely, but all with a little hint of doubt. During my last day in Taiwan my leg went numb for the first time since surgery last May. I was a bit freaked, so took 8 days off the bike, then every time I went hard since it has repeated. So I go in to the Vascular lab at Emory to do an ABI, or blood pressure in arm, relative to leg. At rest I am normal, 3 minutes after exercise I am normal. BUT, immediately after intense riding I have 33% less blood flow to my left leg than I should. Functional ABI is anywhere from .85-1.00 during exercise. Before surgery last year I was at .68, and at retest I was at .66. I am much stronger than last year, but still at a big disadvantage. I go in for an MRI of the arteries next week, which will determine if the surgery is recommended again, at which point I am unsure of what I will do.
I am a firm believer in the old "everything happens for a reason," yet I am also not happy about this at all. I had a problem, had surgery and a pretty brutal climb back, only to be standing at the same ledge again. Screw it though! I can still pedal, and still like riding my bike, so I am gonna race. This weekend is the Tour of Battenkill which will be a brutal 200km race with 30miles or so of dirt. Should be a real slug fest, with some of the best in the country. To get through it will be tough, but we have some guys going really well, and I want to do as much as I can to help set up another W Team Type 1.
Also, a quick thanks to all those who drive on Johnson Ferry that read this last week ... Dan, Colby, and I rode to the crit again on Thurs, and only got honked at 2x by people who weren't happy about where they came from, or where they were going... Maybe a honk free ride next week? Is it possible??
Thanks for reading, and I hope to have some good news to report next week, on a multiple levels.
Phil
http://twitter.com/PhilSoutherland
www.teamtype1.org
I hope everyone is rocking. Lots has happened since last time here. Last week followed up the with some real good training. Mountains, a 4 hour tough day, and some racing. As the week wore on I started getting more and more sensitive to the insulin. I was down to 13u basal, and less than that of rapid. Life was good, and metabolism moving. Did most of my training with Daniel Holt, and until last Thursday he was practically forcing me to ride. Weather was bad, and motivation not so high, but as the sun came out, I started getting really stoked to ride.
The Good:
Saturday came around, and it was race time in the Big B (Birmingham.) Joe's home town, and on a real cool speedway, so we were motivated to win. Joe, Dan, and I lined up with 50 others for the race. We were aggressive all day, and covering a bunch of moves from Cleve... Joe said he was feeling good, so we banked on a sprint for him. I got in some move for a few laps, and looked like we might stay away. With about 2km''s to go, we got caught, and Dan went straight to the front with Joe in tow. I stayed on the big man's wheel, while Dan kept things in check. On the last little rise 2 guys attacked, and Joe was on them like white on rice. Then came the kick to the line, and My boy Joe lit that sprint up to win by close to 5 bike lengths. It was the first time we had raced together in a long time, so to pull it off was nice. Real stoked for Joe. He has been knocking on the door for the past few weeks, and is definitely riding better than he has ever gone before. Expecting some good stuff from him come Speedweek.
The Bad and the Ugly:
So all this riding has been good, and my form was coming around nicely, but all with a little hint of doubt. During my last day in Taiwan my leg went numb for the first time since surgery last May. I was a bit freaked, so took 8 days off the bike, then every time I went hard since it has repeated. So I go in to the Vascular lab at Emory to do an ABI, or blood pressure in arm, relative to leg. At rest I am normal, 3 minutes after exercise I am normal. BUT, immediately after intense riding I have 33% less blood flow to my left leg than I should. Functional ABI is anywhere from .85-1.00 during exercise. Before surgery last year I was at .68, and at retest I was at .66. I am much stronger than last year, but still at a big disadvantage. I go in for an MRI of the arteries next week, which will determine if the surgery is recommended again, at which point I am unsure of what I will do.
I am a firm believer in the old "everything happens for a reason," yet I am also not happy about this at all. I had a problem, had surgery and a pretty brutal climb back, only to be standing at the same ledge again. Screw it though! I can still pedal, and still like riding my bike, so I am gonna race. This weekend is the Tour of Battenkill which will be a brutal 200km race with 30miles or so of dirt. Should be a real slug fest, with some of the best in the country. To get through it will be tough, but we have some guys going really well, and I want to do as much as I can to help set up another W Team Type 1.
Also, a quick thanks to all those who drive on Johnson Ferry that read this last week ... Dan, Colby, and I rode to the crit again on Thurs, and only got honked at 2x by people who weren't happy about where they came from, or where they were going... Maybe a honk free ride next week? Is it possible??
Thanks for reading, and I hope to have some good news to report next week, on a multiple levels.
Phil
http://twitter.com/PhilSoutherland
www.teamtype1.org
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Diabetes Game: Rock Hill and Johnson Ferry Rd...
Howdy from Atlanta,
Last I wrote, things had been a bit hectic in the airport, and I was trying oh so hard to relax. Went and hopped on the next flight, and had some really cool flight attendants, which makes all the difference in the world. So had a nice flight, got to Charlotte, and began to think about the bike race. Took about an hour to drive with Daniel Holt back to Joe McConkey's house to grab a ride. We went out for an hour, and I felt pretty crappy. Dan kept saying, we have to be aggressive and get in the early break, which was the last thing I was thinking with how I felt Saturday.
Sunday am, came. I woke up at 171 (decreased basal that night, and ran hot) gave a small rapid bolus, ate some oatmeal, and then a steak egg and cheese bagel 1 hour before the start. I was able to hit the start line at 191, which was Perfect!! So as the race went, I knew that one effort too hard, and I was going to see my McD's again. I sat dead last wheel, telling Dan "I am not making the early break!" About 7-9 miles in a small group got a gap, and had some strong riders in it. Dan lined it out down a hill, and when he came off I jumped across to the move. There were 4 of us working, and then another 6 came across, and that was the early break. After about 20 minutes off the front, and flying we had 2 minutes. Mark Hekman was flying and kept the break rolling fast. I was pretty close to losing breakfast multiple times, and after the hard effort to get established, I had a huge loss in power in my left leg, similar to pre-surgery last year. I wanted to puke so bad from these efforts, but knew I had to keep those calories in, so I avoided the quick fix. After getting the feeling back, the break started to attack each other. One guy got a minute gap, and then the 3 other strong guys in the move got close to him, leaving 6 of us behind. We worked steadily, and got the gap down to 15 seconds. There was a hill that is about 1km long, and fairly steep, and I knew that was my chance. When we hit the base I went full tilt getting across, got there with one eye half open, and sucking air through a straw. Needless to say, that really hurt, and I was in survival mode for a while. We caught Andy, and Mark immediately countered, to which I had nothing. There went the move, and not a thing I could do about it. We chased for a bit, but lost ground, and then it was "stay off the front time." About 30km's to go, we found out we had a 8 minute gap, and so kept it steady. I checked the Navigator, and was sitting at 97, which may have explained the lack of power. In about 1 hour of riding in the break, I consumed a lot of carbs, and still dropped 100 points. I was tired, and still stuffed from breakfast, but managed to take in everything I had. We stayed away, and I got smoked in the sprint for 5th by muscleman. I was able to finish 6th, which was good on some levels, but disheartening on others, cause if I would have made the front group, would have been going for the W. Oh well. After the race I was at 103, gave 6 units of rapid, then put down 75 carbs 20 protein, and then ate a muffin. This was enough rapid for a while. I ate some chips, and then about an 1.5 hours after got a bunch of junk food calories in, and was recovered. Legs didn't agree, but technically I was... Hopped in the car, drove home, and that was that. Day off Monday, and then came Tuesday, and Johnson Ferry Rd.
Tuesday was freezing cold. Went out for 1.5hrs in the am did some sprint workouts. The "feels like" on the Weather Chanel was 38F or something like that. Dan and I even got sleeted on for about 45 minutes. He the meteorologist says sleet, I saw snow... Get home, work with my little brother Jack for a while, and then set off for ride #2 to the Tuesday Crit. We head up getting a little lost, and it is looking like 1.5 ride at 44 degrees to get there. Riding N through Buckhead was ok, but then we hit Johnson Ferry Road in Cobb county, and all hell broke loose. This road is 6 lanes wide. 3 on each side, and an additional lane for any turns. Plenty of room. But we had more road rage here then any stretch of my life. One old man driving a Corvette laid on his horn. A guy on a motorcycle hung right there to watch over us, and the vetteMan so inconveniently changed lanes to pass us, and my buddy on the Moto flicked him off for us. Dan and I continued to ride, and had at least 9 more people lay on their horns.
To everyone who drives on Johnson Ferry Rd: I am sorry about your life, and that your day at work was so bad. I urge you to get on a bike and de-stress, try it out, and see that as much as it pains you to switch lanes to pass 2 guys on a bike, it hurts even more to go full gas trying to make a group ride. Maybe then you could re-think taking your frustrations out on your car horn for no real reason. I admit, I have been in a hurry, and if it was a twisty 2 lane mtn road and we blocked the whole road, I would understand. But 6 lanes!!!
Did the crit, or some of it, and then jetted back home to get 5 hours in for the day. Good times, and my legs hurt. The great thing about these 2-a-days are that the metabolism just flies!! I barely had to bolus at all yesterday, and ate close to 3800 calories for the day. Keeping steady at 16u of basal and will see how the changes happen after this week of training.
Another big day today. Dan is trying to get me to go the mtns. I am trying not too... Prolly will though. No racing this weekend, and then BattenKill with a full Team Type 1 squad in NY the next.
Thanks for reading, and have a great day!
Philpott
www.TeamType1.org
Last I wrote, things had been a bit hectic in the airport, and I was trying oh so hard to relax. Went and hopped on the next flight, and had some really cool flight attendants, which makes all the difference in the world. So had a nice flight, got to Charlotte, and began to think about the bike race. Took about an hour to drive with Daniel Holt back to Joe McConkey's house to grab a ride. We went out for an hour, and I felt pretty crappy. Dan kept saying, we have to be aggressive and get in the early break, which was the last thing I was thinking with how I felt Saturday.
Sunday am, came. I woke up at 171 (decreased basal that night, and ran hot) gave a small rapid bolus, ate some oatmeal, and then a steak egg and cheese bagel 1 hour before the start. I was able to hit the start line at 191, which was Perfect!! So as the race went, I knew that one effort too hard, and I was going to see my McD's again. I sat dead last wheel, telling Dan "I am not making the early break!" About 7-9 miles in a small group got a gap, and had some strong riders in it. Dan lined it out down a hill, and when he came off I jumped across to the move. There were 4 of us working, and then another 6 came across, and that was the early break. After about 20 minutes off the front, and flying we had 2 minutes. Mark Hekman was flying and kept the break rolling fast. I was pretty close to losing breakfast multiple times, and after the hard effort to get established, I had a huge loss in power in my left leg, similar to pre-surgery last year. I wanted to puke so bad from these efforts, but knew I had to keep those calories in, so I avoided the quick fix. After getting the feeling back, the break started to attack each other. One guy got a minute gap, and then the 3 other strong guys in the move got close to him, leaving 6 of us behind. We worked steadily, and got the gap down to 15 seconds. There was a hill that is about 1km long, and fairly steep, and I knew that was my chance. When we hit the base I went full tilt getting across, got there with one eye half open, and sucking air through a straw. Needless to say, that really hurt, and I was in survival mode for a while. We caught Andy, and Mark immediately countered, to which I had nothing. There went the move, and not a thing I could do about it. We chased for a bit, but lost ground, and then it was "stay off the front time." About 30km's to go, we found out we had a 8 minute gap, and so kept it steady. I checked the Navigator, and was sitting at 97, which may have explained the lack of power. In about 1 hour of riding in the break, I consumed a lot of carbs, and still dropped 100 points. I was tired, and still stuffed from breakfast, but managed to take in everything I had. We stayed away, and I got smoked in the sprint for 5th by muscleman. I was able to finish 6th, which was good on some levels, but disheartening on others, cause if I would have made the front group, would have been going for the W. Oh well. After the race I was at 103, gave 6 units of rapid, then put down 75 carbs 20 protein, and then ate a muffin. This was enough rapid for a while. I ate some chips, and then about an 1.5 hours after got a bunch of junk food calories in, and was recovered. Legs didn't agree, but technically I was... Hopped in the car, drove home, and that was that. Day off Monday, and then came Tuesday, and Johnson Ferry Rd.
Tuesday was freezing cold. Went out for 1.5hrs in the am did some sprint workouts. The "feels like" on the Weather Chanel was 38F or something like that. Dan and I even got sleeted on for about 45 minutes. He the meteorologist says sleet, I saw snow... Get home, work with my little brother Jack for a while, and then set off for ride #2 to the Tuesday Crit. We head up getting a little lost, and it is looking like 1.5 ride at 44 degrees to get there. Riding N through Buckhead was ok, but then we hit Johnson Ferry Road in Cobb county, and all hell broke loose. This road is 6 lanes wide. 3 on each side, and an additional lane for any turns. Plenty of room. But we had more road rage here then any stretch of my life. One old man driving a Corvette laid on his horn. A guy on a motorcycle hung right there to watch over us, and the vetteMan so inconveniently changed lanes to pass us, and my buddy on the Moto flicked him off for us. Dan and I continued to ride, and had at least 9 more people lay on their horns.
To everyone who drives on Johnson Ferry Rd: I am sorry about your life, and that your day at work was so bad. I urge you to get on a bike and de-stress, try it out, and see that as much as it pains you to switch lanes to pass 2 guys on a bike, it hurts even more to go full gas trying to make a group ride. Maybe then you could re-think taking your frustrations out on your car horn for no real reason. I admit, I have been in a hurry, and if it was a twisty 2 lane mtn road and we blocked the whole road, I would understand. But 6 lanes!!!
Did the crit, or some of it, and then jetted back home to get 5 hours in for the day. Good times, and my legs hurt. The great thing about these 2-a-days are that the metabolism just flies!! I barely had to bolus at all yesterday, and ate close to 3800 calories for the day. Keeping steady at 16u of basal and will see how the changes happen after this week of training.
Another big day today. Dan is trying to get me to go the mtns. I am trying not too... Prolly will though. No racing this weekend, and then BattenKill with a full Team Type 1 squad in NY the next.
Thanks for reading, and have a great day!
Philpott
www.TeamType1.org
Saturday, April 4, 2009
Airport Game-quick rant...
Howdy from the HotLanta Airport,
Things finally have started rolling again this week. A week ago, I was bored to tears (from being caught up,) not feeling good on the bike, and was working on a record of days in a row in one place (17.) But all has changed, and life is rocking.
I was feeling a bit better after having gotten 2nd in that race, and a bit more motivated to get on it. So Mon-Tues were the usual recover from the weekend. Matt McCarthy saved me on Tuesday by forcing me to go ride. Wed went out and just road real hard for about 2.5 hrs with The Artist Colby, and then 1.5hrs of yoga that night, which definitely hurt me (thanks James...) Thursday I began to question radar on the weather channel. There was no green, a 5% chance of rain, and as we got 40 minutes from home it started to sprinkle, and another 20 minutes later lightning was crashing as cats and dogs came down from the sky, all with a clear radar. Flipped it at an hour, and made it home just in time to shower, pack, eat, and head to the airport.
I got in late, took a walk with my buddy Geoff, who is the Chemist behind the first blood glucose strip, and Navigator. We talked mostly about riding, as he is an avid cyclist. Geoff claims to be fat and slow, but he climbs pretty darn good, especially for a 60 yr old...ha
Thurs night I put my Navigator back in. I saw the comment asking where it was last time. I love the device, and am it's biggest advocate, but I try to remember how to do it old school just in case. So I went 2 weeks without it, and was able to get my 14day avg down to 103, which is good, kind of. I had more low blood sugars in 2 weeks, then I had had in 2 months. It is crazy how much the FreeStyle Navigator helps to avid the trouble area. I wanted to get this perspective before a sitting on a CGM panel at the Diabetes Tech Society clinical meeting.
The meeting was really cool. I got to see some exciting studies, and learn a bit about the future of diabetes, and tech. There were some brilliant people there, and I can't say enough about this industry. One word, and one word along describes it, Passion!!! Everyone there was passionate about making better products, so we can live better lives. One of the coolest things was continuous in the hospital. If this could be standardized, people with diabetes would be so much better off, as when I was last there for surgery, I felt like I was back in diabetes care of 1989.
Then it was off to dinner, pack the bags, and call for my 4am wake-up call. On the plane at 6, having to repack my bags 3 times. I had a garmet bag, roller, and backback. Same bags I carried out to LA no prob was all the sudden a huge issue in LA. They tried to tell me it wouldn't work, can't do it, yada, yada, yada. So I walked away fuming, stuffed my suit, shirts and coats into the roller, shoes into my backback, and went through. Here is what I think the problem with the airline business. All these new cost, new rules, but no new added value to the customer. I think people would gladly pay $20/bag if they could get it immediately after the flight, or check bags if there was a guarantee they would arrive with the plane. Or how about some consistency? I am venting on the experience, and probably based off the fact that it is 2pm, and I am just now getting my 2nd cup of coffee...
One more quick flight to Charlotte, hook up with Dan Holt who is racing right now, and then Rock Hill (90 mile race) in the am. The plan for this is to skip my am basal, which should allow for a slight rise near the end of the race, and I will do 1/2 bolus for my breakfast tomorrow. The legs were good on Thursday, but who knows after 9 hours in the air in 48hrs. Time will tell. That's it for now, and off to catch a flight.
Thanks for reading!
Have a great day.
Philpott
http://twitter.com/PhilSoutherland
TeamType1.org
Things finally have started rolling again this week. A week ago, I was bored to tears (from being caught up,) not feeling good on the bike, and was working on a record of days in a row in one place (17.) But all has changed, and life is rocking.
I was feeling a bit better after having gotten 2nd in that race, and a bit more motivated to get on it. So Mon-Tues were the usual recover from the weekend. Matt McCarthy saved me on Tuesday by forcing me to go ride. Wed went out and just road real hard for about 2.5 hrs with The Artist Colby, and then 1.5hrs of yoga that night, which definitely hurt me (thanks James...) Thursday I began to question radar on the weather channel. There was no green, a 5% chance of rain, and as we got 40 minutes from home it started to sprinkle, and another 20 minutes later lightning was crashing as cats and dogs came down from the sky, all with a clear radar. Flipped it at an hour, and made it home just in time to shower, pack, eat, and head to the airport.
I got in late, took a walk with my buddy Geoff, who is the Chemist behind the first blood glucose strip, and Navigator. We talked mostly about riding, as he is an avid cyclist. Geoff claims to be fat and slow, but he climbs pretty darn good, especially for a 60 yr old...ha
Thurs night I put my Navigator back in. I saw the comment asking where it was last time. I love the device, and am it's biggest advocate, but I try to remember how to do it old school just in case. So I went 2 weeks without it, and was able to get my 14day avg down to 103, which is good, kind of. I had more low blood sugars in 2 weeks, then I had had in 2 months. It is crazy how much the FreeStyle Navigator helps to avid the trouble area. I wanted to get this perspective before a sitting on a CGM panel at the Diabetes Tech Society clinical meeting.
The meeting was really cool. I got to see some exciting studies, and learn a bit about the future of diabetes, and tech. There were some brilliant people there, and I can't say enough about this industry. One word, and one word along describes it, Passion!!! Everyone there was passionate about making better products, so we can live better lives. One of the coolest things was continuous in the hospital. If this could be standardized, people with diabetes would be so much better off, as when I was last there for surgery, I felt like I was back in diabetes care of 1989.
Then it was off to dinner, pack the bags, and call for my 4am wake-up call. On the plane at 6, having to repack my bags 3 times. I had a garmet bag, roller, and backback. Same bags I carried out to LA no prob was all the sudden a huge issue in LA. They tried to tell me it wouldn't work, can't do it, yada, yada, yada. So I walked away fuming, stuffed my suit, shirts and coats into the roller, shoes into my backback, and went through. Here is what I think the problem with the airline business. All these new cost, new rules, but no new added value to the customer. I think people would gladly pay $20/bag if they could get it immediately after the flight, or check bags if there was a guarantee they would arrive with the plane. Or how about some consistency? I am venting on the experience, and probably based off the fact that it is 2pm, and I am just now getting my 2nd cup of coffee...
One more quick flight to Charlotte, hook up with Dan Holt who is racing right now, and then Rock Hill (90 mile race) in the am. The plan for this is to skip my am basal, which should allow for a slight rise near the end of the race, and I will do 1/2 bolus for my breakfast tomorrow. The legs were good on Thursday, but who knows after 9 hours in the air in 48hrs. Time will tell. That's it for now, and off to catch a flight.
Thanks for reading!
Have a great day.
Philpott
http://twitter.com/PhilSoutherland
TeamType1.org
Monday, March 30, 2009
Diabetes Game- To ride or not to ride...
Howdy from HotLanta,
So back from Taiwan, settled home again, and bored out of my mind. There are times when things are intense, training is full on, on the phone/computer 8-10 hours a day, and then there are the not times. Things are relatively slow right now, which is most likely just the calm before the storm. Here I am 2 weeks at home, and already missing life on the road. One would think that this means plenty of time to ride, but I just have not had any motivation to get on my bike. Pretty beat both physically and mentally after the 2 month stint on the road, and 4 month heavy workload on the bike.
About a week ago, did a nice 5 hr hard ride, then day off. Tuesday, I went up to the World Champ Crit, got 4hrs total in, and feeling ok. Then the rain hit, and I couldn't make myself ride to save my life... This wasn't effecting basal much, as I was just not eating a whole lot. Daily diet when not riding consist of oatmeal w/ almond butter for breakfast, fruit in afternoon, and then a salad for dinner. Add in a few shots of espresso, and the day is done. So here I am with plenty of time to ride, but no desire to do my favorite thing in the world.
Was planning to race this past weekend, so riding was essential. I made it through most of Friday without the bike, and had conceded to being super fresh, when my buddy called and peer pressured me into 1 hour on the bike. Same deal Saturday, but I put the pressure on, and out we went for 1.5hrs. Went hard a few times to open up. Got a good dinner of Sushi and Guiness on Saturday then Sunday am set out for the Gainesville RR.
5:45: wake up, coffee, oatmeal, more coffee, pack the car (was thinking ahead, and packed bags the night before) hit McD's for game day breakfast and hit the road. Got to the race, and had blood sugar at 140, at the start, and was eating consistently. Set off with 50-60 other brave soldiers at 42 degrees, overcast, and windy. I made a deal with myself that I would not attack until my vest came off, which ended up being about 10 miles in. Started going with moves, and was feeling ok. As the race went on, I kept feeling better, and better, and would give it a go here and there. There were about 10 mygen, and 10 PaceSetter Steel boyz in the race. No moves could really get a gap, and it looked to be coming down to a sprint. So I bided my time, and was sitting good. 500m to go, someone tries to take my front wheel out, and I unclipped for balance. Got back in, having lost 10 spots or so, and then hit it out full gas. I was passing lots of dudes, and managed to sprint for 2nd overall. 2 feet later, and I think I would have taken it, but that is the game we play. I was pretty happy with 2nd, and ready to take on race #2 later in the day.
Hit the car, BS is 143, and do am dose of basal at 8u (total 16 on board now)
Then 4u rapid, and a recovery shake with 80gm carb, 20gm protein. Hit up a sandwich shop, and thought I was good to go. 1hr 45 min before the start, I was sitting at 154. Here is where the detail think comes in. Typically 1hrs 45 min before race, if I saw 154, I would wait, and then test 20 minutes later. But, idiot me only brought 7 strips or so for the day, 5 of which were now gone. So I planned on checking 45 min before the race, and right after. 45 min before, I am feeling a little groggy, and sure enough, 54. Eat Dex4 liquid blast for the quick spike, and a snickers for duration. Then sip on hammer gel leading up to the race. Felt good starting off, aggressive, and feeling good. Then about 10 miles in, we were going slower, and I was felt like it was harder. I could just be out of shape from not riding, but it was a different kind of pain. I was taking down lots of food during the race, but apparently not enough. At the rate I was going, I was sure I was going to get dropped from an easy race. So about 2 miles before the car, I drifted to last wheel, and as everyone made a right turn to race, I made a left to the car. Checked at the car, and was 53, which explains the dead feeling out there. I was thoroughly pissed. Lining up for a race, planning on going like hell for the Win, and then this crap happened. Was I pissed at diabetes?? Yes, infuriated. But when it comes down to it, if I would have brought more strips, checked more, ate more, done things better, I would have been fine.
They say: "guns don't kill people, people kill people."
I say:
"Diabetes doesn't create problems, poor diabetes control creates problems"
In this case it was on me, and I am still pissed off at it. In the past now, lesson learned, won't let it happen again. Every year, once during training, I will go low. Then I bring too much food for the next 364 days, and it doesn't happen again. Well, this is my "I didn't bring the strips" day of the year, and it will not happen again.
This week, I am local until Thurs, when I take off for Long Beach. Going to the Diabetes Tech conference out there, and will get to talk with a lot of the inventors, scientist, engineers behind the great products, and future goods of the diabetes world. Call me a geek, but I really enjoy these meetings, and am very excited about the opp to learn while there.
Then either racing in Long Beach on Sat, or flying back to Charlotte for Rock Hill RR on Sunday. Still working out the details. Hopefully I ride once or twice before then too...ha I am back on it, and looking forward to riding again tomorrow. I hit bottom last week, and feel like I bouncing straight back to the top. Hope the ride up is a good one!
Thanks for reading.
Phil
So back from Taiwan, settled home again, and bored out of my mind. There are times when things are intense, training is full on, on the phone/computer 8-10 hours a day, and then there are the not times. Things are relatively slow right now, which is most likely just the calm before the storm. Here I am 2 weeks at home, and already missing life on the road. One would think that this means plenty of time to ride, but I just have not had any motivation to get on my bike. Pretty beat both physically and mentally after the 2 month stint on the road, and 4 month heavy workload on the bike.
About a week ago, did a nice 5 hr hard ride, then day off. Tuesday, I went up to the World Champ Crit, got 4hrs total in, and feeling ok. Then the rain hit, and I couldn't make myself ride to save my life... This wasn't effecting basal much, as I was just not eating a whole lot. Daily diet when not riding consist of oatmeal w/ almond butter for breakfast, fruit in afternoon, and then a salad for dinner. Add in a few shots of espresso, and the day is done. So here I am with plenty of time to ride, but no desire to do my favorite thing in the world.
Was planning to race this past weekend, so riding was essential. I made it through most of Friday without the bike, and had conceded to being super fresh, when my buddy called and peer pressured me into 1 hour on the bike. Same deal Saturday, but I put the pressure on, and out we went for 1.5hrs. Went hard a few times to open up. Got a good dinner of Sushi and Guiness on Saturday then Sunday am set out for the Gainesville RR.
5:45: wake up, coffee, oatmeal, more coffee, pack the car (was thinking ahead, and packed bags the night before) hit McD's for game day breakfast and hit the road. Got to the race, and had blood sugar at 140, at the start, and was eating consistently. Set off with 50-60 other brave soldiers at 42 degrees, overcast, and windy. I made a deal with myself that I would not attack until my vest came off, which ended up being about 10 miles in. Started going with moves, and was feeling ok. As the race went on, I kept feeling better, and better, and would give it a go here and there. There were about 10 mygen, and 10 PaceSetter Steel boyz in the race. No moves could really get a gap, and it looked to be coming down to a sprint. So I bided my time, and was sitting good. 500m to go, someone tries to take my front wheel out, and I unclipped for balance. Got back in, having lost 10 spots or so, and then hit it out full gas. I was passing lots of dudes, and managed to sprint for 2nd overall. 2 feet later, and I think I would have taken it, but that is the game we play. I was pretty happy with 2nd, and ready to take on race #2 later in the day.
Hit the car, BS is 143, and do am dose of basal at 8u (total 16 on board now)
Then 4u rapid, and a recovery shake with 80gm carb, 20gm protein. Hit up a sandwich shop, and thought I was good to go. 1hr 45 min before the start, I was sitting at 154. Here is where the detail think comes in. Typically 1hrs 45 min before race, if I saw 154, I would wait, and then test 20 minutes later. But, idiot me only brought 7 strips or so for the day, 5 of which were now gone. So I planned on checking 45 min before the race, and right after. 45 min before, I am feeling a little groggy, and sure enough, 54. Eat Dex4 liquid blast for the quick spike, and a snickers for duration. Then sip on hammer gel leading up to the race. Felt good starting off, aggressive, and feeling good. Then about 10 miles in, we were going slower, and I was felt like it was harder. I could just be out of shape from not riding, but it was a different kind of pain. I was taking down lots of food during the race, but apparently not enough. At the rate I was going, I was sure I was going to get dropped from an easy race. So about 2 miles before the car, I drifted to last wheel, and as everyone made a right turn to race, I made a left to the car. Checked at the car, and was 53, which explains the dead feeling out there. I was thoroughly pissed. Lining up for a race, planning on going like hell for the Win, and then this crap happened. Was I pissed at diabetes?? Yes, infuriated. But when it comes down to it, if I would have brought more strips, checked more, ate more, done things better, I would have been fine.
They say: "guns don't kill people, people kill people."
I say:
"Diabetes doesn't create problems, poor diabetes control creates problems"
In this case it was on me, and I am still pissed off at it. In the past now, lesson learned, won't let it happen again. Every year, once during training, I will go low. Then I bring too much food for the next 364 days, and it doesn't happen again. Well, this is my "I didn't bring the strips" day of the year, and it will not happen again.
This week, I am local until Thurs, when I take off for Long Beach. Going to the Diabetes Tech conference out there, and will get to talk with a lot of the inventors, scientist, engineers behind the great products, and future goods of the diabetes world. Call me a geek, but I really enjoy these meetings, and am very excited about the opp to learn while there.
Then either racing in Long Beach on Sat, or flying back to Charlotte for Rock Hill RR on Sunday. Still working out the details. Hopefully I ride once or twice before then too...ha I am back on it, and looking forward to riding again tomorrow. I hit bottom last week, and feel like I bouncing straight back to the top. Hope the ride up is a good one!
Thanks for reading.
Phil
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