Howdy everyone!!!
First, thanks Angela for the bit about sleep before midnight. It had been a few years since I last heard that. Makes it all crystal clear now, and I feel good about waking up the roosters:)
Second, training is going good. The lantus drop has been good. 5 units in the am, 7 units pm, and Blood sugars have been perfect. Saw the eye, and endo docs yesterday. All results were perfect. I had a better A1C than my endo, Bruce Bode...ha Sitting at 5.5 now with only 2% below target in 28 days. Best #'s ever. Ride on Sunday was amazing. Doing exercises every morning, yoga 3x a week, and massage and the difference is noticeable. I am very excited, and very motivated!!! Bigger week this week, with a few small tests. My guess is that by Saturday, total Lantus dose will be less than 10 units/day.
Ok, so now for the rant. I have been going to the pharmacy once a month for my entire life to get supplies. Every month I get the same thing: Apidra, Lantus, Freestyle Strips, Syringes, and Pen Needles. I get the same quantity every time, yet for some reason each and every time I go in the pharmacy, I never leave in less than 30 minutes. It has always been like this. I am not going to name bash, but they all seem to be about the same. Yesterday I went in to get the same 5 items as always, that I called in and requested, and then verified via phone before going in, and then I get my order minus 2 big boxes. No Syringes. I ask the guy, and he said insurance isn't covering them.
"Excuse me" I say.
"Well, your insurance isn't going to pay." he says
"I still need the needles" Wondering here why he didn't tell me this was the reason I had no needles instead of just not giving them to me.
"You have to pay cash"
"Ok, I want to keep my eye-sight, I will take the needles..."
So I pay my $30/box for needles, but decided to prolong the trip by calling my insurance company, United Health Care, who initially denied the coverage. The ironic thing is on the on-going message while I was on hold, the first thing it said was "Properly managed diabetes can significantly reduce the risk of complications, such as blindness." I found it quite funny that they are telling me to properly manage my disease, but refuse to pay for syringes that I need to give injections to ensure I do not have complications.
The lady on customer service was very nice, and ended up taking care of it, so I waited another 20 minutes while the "script" was filled, and then got my boxes for $15 a pop. All in all, just getting the diabetes supplies was $250, and this is the same cost every month.
I hope President Obama does act on his plans to help people get the tools. I have faith that he will. What if it was an underprivileged family, who could not swing $60 for needles, or didn't have a cell phone to call the insurance company, or even worse, did not have insurance to pay for the supplies???
I know exactly what would happen:
The person would be forced to check less, due to cost, not desire. He/she would be forced to do fewer injections, use inferior insulin, and/or use dirty needles, which could cause infection. This person probably sees an endo 2x/year at best, and has an A1C over 10, purely because of $$.
Diabetes, as you know, is a disease where management is everything. We have to take care of it, and having the best treatment (insulin) and technology will enable us to avoid complications.
Not having the tools is not an option, and if any reader out there has a contact in the House, Senate, or Oval Office, I would truly appreciate an introduction to try and make change.
I propose a $26 Billion Dollar "Supply Campaign" where we provide supplies to people with diabetes around the world, provide the best cancer treatment to those in need, and help people who cannot afford to help themselves. Maybe we start here, and see the impact it has, and then move outwards.
Together we can do it.
Thanks for listening to my RANT.
Have a great day.
Phil
Tuesday, December 9, 2008
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Back Baby! early rising??
Howdy!
Things have been good as of late, and my respect for those who gain their fitness from riding inside has sky-rocketed. Why? So this was comeback week for me. Sunday, I got to ride inside for 1 hour, and was counting the seconds. Tuesday I had big plans to ride outside, but it was freezing, so I opted to ride inside again. Made it 1 hour, and wondered why I do this? Did some Yoga that night, which was refreshing. The mediation part at the end is really good for me, and at least I know for 4-6 minutes a few times a week, nothing matters. It rocks!!
Wed, was able to ride outside for 1.5 hours, and then Thurs had plans to ride with my buddy John Martin, when the sky bottomed out. Back to the rollers. Again the longest hour of my life.
Wed, I got some acupuncture, and massage, as well as trying gyrotonics and Pilates, which were good! All this time, insulin requirements are dropping. It really is cool to see the effect exercise has on my metabolism. Going from 15 units of Lantus early in the week, down to 12 last night.
I saw my chiro on Thursday, and he straightened me out, which anyone who has ridden with me over the past few years will attest to the miracle that it is... I have been pretty crooked for some time, and I believe it is due to the blood flow discrepancy that has now been fixed, but it has been tricky to re-train the body to think straight.
Friday and Saturday were both 3 hour rides, and I have begun to feel good on the bike again. Let's just say I am very motivated to do everything humanly possible to be the best I can be.
This time getting back into training, I have been staying one step ahead of the game with my Lantus drop. Sticking with 5 units in the am and have gone from 10 at night down to 7 last night. I have been determined not to go hypo. So it has meant some rises in the night, and small corrections in the middle of the night. I plan to do 4 hours today, and will most likely stick with 7, as I went up to 155 by 4am, did .5 unit of Apidra and had a nice slow drop to 105 where I am sitting now. Just did the Lantus, and in will snack on some fruit, until about 9am. At 9 I will eat 2 packets of Oatmeal to get the trend going up, and then hit the road at 9:30. I am hoping that I won't have to eat as much on the rides as the past few days. Yesterday I had to eat 1000 calories on a 3 hour ride. My Blood sugar was between 80-110 the entire time, but I would have preferred 110-130, or even 130-150 with less food. This is normal as the body is learning to fuel during exercise. I think by this time next week, I will be able to do the same ride with only 500 calories.
Last thing before my ramble ends... Can someone explain to me what has happened? I used to enjoy sleep, and could sleep until 8,9 in the morning no problem. This week, Mon-Fri I have woken up between 5-6 every day. Granted I am going to bed earlier than normal, but this is making me wonder....ha Not to say it has been a bad thing. I am up, and can get 50 emails out of the way, and am caught up by 8am every day. Then I spend the day staying on top of them as possible before the inevitable fall behind...
Thanks for reading, and any thoughts on these new sleep habits would be much appreciated.
Have a great day!
Phil
www.teamtype1.org
Things have been good as of late, and my respect for those who gain their fitness from riding inside has sky-rocketed. Why? So this was comeback week for me. Sunday, I got to ride inside for 1 hour, and was counting the seconds. Tuesday I had big plans to ride outside, but it was freezing, so I opted to ride inside again. Made it 1 hour, and wondered why I do this? Did some Yoga that night, which was refreshing. The mediation part at the end is really good for me, and at least I know for 4-6 minutes a few times a week, nothing matters. It rocks!!
Wed, was able to ride outside for 1.5 hours, and then Thurs had plans to ride with my buddy John Martin, when the sky bottomed out. Back to the rollers. Again the longest hour of my life.
Wed, I got some acupuncture, and massage, as well as trying gyrotonics and Pilates, which were good! All this time, insulin requirements are dropping. It really is cool to see the effect exercise has on my metabolism. Going from 15 units of Lantus early in the week, down to 12 last night.
I saw my chiro on Thursday, and he straightened me out, which anyone who has ridden with me over the past few years will attest to the miracle that it is... I have been pretty crooked for some time, and I believe it is due to the blood flow discrepancy that has now been fixed, but it has been tricky to re-train the body to think straight.
Friday and Saturday were both 3 hour rides, and I have begun to feel good on the bike again. Let's just say I am very motivated to do everything humanly possible to be the best I can be.
This time getting back into training, I have been staying one step ahead of the game with my Lantus drop. Sticking with 5 units in the am and have gone from 10 at night down to 7 last night. I have been determined not to go hypo. So it has meant some rises in the night, and small corrections in the middle of the night. I plan to do 4 hours today, and will most likely stick with 7, as I went up to 155 by 4am, did .5 unit of Apidra and had a nice slow drop to 105 where I am sitting now. Just did the Lantus, and in will snack on some fruit, until about 9am. At 9 I will eat 2 packets of Oatmeal to get the trend going up, and then hit the road at 9:30. I am hoping that I won't have to eat as much on the rides as the past few days. Yesterday I had to eat 1000 calories on a 3 hour ride. My Blood sugar was between 80-110 the entire time, but I would have preferred 110-130, or even 130-150 with less food. This is normal as the body is learning to fuel during exercise. I think by this time next week, I will be able to do the same ride with only 500 calories.
Last thing before my ramble ends... Can someone explain to me what has happened? I used to enjoy sleep, and could sleep until 8,9 in the morning no problem. This week, Mon-Fri I have woken up between 5-6 every day. Granted I am going to bed earlier than normal, but this is making me wonder....ha Not to say it has been a bad thing. I am up, and can get 50 emails out of the way, and am caught up by 8am every day. Then I spend the day staying on top of them as possible before the inevitable fall behind...
Thanks for reading, and any thoughts on these new sleep habits would be much appreciated.
Have a great day!
Phil
www.teamtype1.org
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Riding inside=counting grains of sand on the beach
Howdy from HotLanta...
So things have been working again. Hamstring is feeling better. I have seen a lot of specialist in the past week to get this rolling. Massage, ultrasound, cold laser, stretching, acupuncture, yoga all with the hope of being able to ride again. Sunday, I was given clearance to ride on Monday. I was stoked to do it again...
Then there ended up being a high of 45, and even snow during the day. Normally this is no problem, I enjoy training in the rain and cold cause for some reason I think it makes me tuff! But coming back from Injury, I didn't want to stress a muscle with the cold, which meant riding inside on the rollers. Why do I like to ride? So I can be out there, away from everything, and always choosing a new path as I see fit, usually having no set route. Sometimes I can be gone for 5 hours, and it seems like only minutes. Then you put me inside on a bike, and it is about as boring as can be. I put music on, as well as the tv, and for some reason every second takes a minute. Going nowhere slowly...
But, it has to be done. As much as I think riding in the nasty weather makes you tough, I think the rollers are about =. It is truly taxing to the mind, and takes away a lot of the enjoyment of riding. Then I think of everyone who lives North of the Mason Dixon line, who if they want to be fit for spring races, will spend hour after hour inside staring at walls, I feel like a punk.
Did it again today, and it was a bit better. Tomorrow the weather is looking good, so I plan to ride outside!!! yee-ha!!
What about the diabetes game? Things have been good. For the last 14 days, My FreeStyle Navigator has my avg blood sugar is 118, with 5% above target, 94% in, and 1% below target. That is the best below target I think I have ever had, and still BS equates to an A1C of 5.4ish.
Still doing split dose of lantus. I was doing 3 in the am, and 10 in pm. Now that I am training again, I am going to slowly try to get back to the even split. This morning I did 4 units, and tonight I will do 10. Tomorrow, 5 units, and then 9 at night, as I plan to train for 2 hours tomorrow.
Also started doing Yoga. Have done 1 class, and plan to go back tonight. It was amazing to see how much flexibility changed by the end of the class. Of course I have spent the last 2 days in pain from using muscles I did not know existed. Wednesday I am going to give Gyrotonics and Pilates a test. Racing a bike is a lot more than just legs. It is mostly the head that controls success, followed by endurance, speed, and a strong core, which helps create more power. I am focusing a big effort on doing that, in hopes of being better than ever next year!
Thanks for reading!
Have a great day.
Philpott
www.teamtype1.org
So things have been working again. Hamstring is feeling better. I have seen a lot of specialist in the past week to get this rolling. Massage, ultrasound, cold laser, stretching, acupuncture, yoga all with the hope of being able to ride again. Sunday, I was given clearance to ride on Monday. I was stoked to do it again...
Then there ended up being a high of 45, and even snow during the day. Normally this is no problem, I enjoy training in the rain and cold cause for some reason I think it makes me tuff! But coming back from Injury, I didn't want to stress a muscle with the cold, which meant riding inside on the rollers. Why do I like to ride? So I can be out there, away from everything, and always choosing a new path as I see fit, usually having no set route. Sometimes I can be gone for 5 hours, and it seems like only minutes. Then you put me inside on a bike, and it is about as boring as can be. I put music on, as well as the tv, and for some reason every second takes a minute. Going nowhere slowly...
But, it has to be done. As much as I think riding in the nasty weather makes you tough, I think the rollers are about =. It is truly taxing to the mind, and takes away a lot of the enjoyment of riding. Then I think of everyone who lives North of the Mason Dixon line, who if they want to be fit for spring races, will spend hour after hour inside staring at walls, I feel like a punk.
Did it again today, and it was a bit better. Tomorrow the weather is looking good, so I plan to ride outside!!! yee-ha!!
What about the diabetes game? Things have been good. For the last 14 days, My FreeStyle Navigator has my avg blood sugar is 118, with 5% above target, 94% in, and 1% below target. That is the best below target I think I have ever had, and still BS equates to an A1C of 5.4ish.
Still doing split dose of lantus. I was doing 3 in the am, and 10 in pm. Now that I am training again, I am going to slowly try to get back to the even split. This morning I did 4 units, and tonight I will do 10. Tomorrow, 5 units, and then 9 at night, as I plan to train for 2 hours tomorrow.
Also started doing Yoga. Have done 1 class, and plan to go back tonight. It was amazing to see how much flexibility changed by the end of the class. Of course I have spent the last 2 days in pain from using muscles I did not know existed. Wednesday I am going to give Gyrotonics and Pilates a test. Racing a bike is a lot more than just legs. It is mostly the head that controls success, followed by endurance, speed, and a strong core, which helps create more power. I am focusing a big effort on doing that, in hopes of being better than ever next year!
Thanks for reading!
Have a great day.
Philpott
www.teamtype1.org
Friday, November 28, 2008
Metabolism shut down-diabetes game
Howdy from Atlanta, and Happy Thanksgiving to ALL!!!
I hope your holidays rocked! I am still off the bike due to hamstring strain. The first few days the split dose of Lantus continued to work, as I went a little higher day by day. But about 4-5 days into being off the bike, the split dose quit working, and I went high in night. It seems when I am not riding, I need that hit at night. As soon as I went back to a much heaver dose at night (10 units) then I was back to normal in the am. The other difference I noticed was that I was having to bolus a lot more for anything I ate. Diet was pretty simple. Fruits and salad for the most part, and some sushi. When I was training, I would bolus 1-1.5 units for the salad, and not go over 150 before coming back down. On Tuesday, I had to give a shot of 4 units. I think this further proves the value of exercise to both people with and without diabetes.
How is that? When I was exercising, and eating about 2000 calories a day, I was doing less than 20 units of insulin for the day (basal and bolus.)
Not training: eating a restricted diet, and doing appx 25 units of insulin total.
For the non-diabetic this would be very similar. Not exercising your body may produce 30 units throughout the course of the day to cover all of your food intake, but if you began to exercise 1 hour a day, you may be able to cut that # in half. Type 2 diabetes is essentially caused by using up all of your insulin (every one has a pre-set amount-genetics) too early. So if you can cut down the amount of insulin production by 33%, theoretically your pancreas will function that much longer. This is my theory, and I could be way off, but I think I am right.
There are currently 50 MILLION Americans with Pre-Diabetes- Just think if everyone hopped on a bike, or went to the gym, then we could cut that number in half, if not make it dissapear.
I am thankful for all of my family, my friends, my health. Do you know someone who would be thankful in 1 year that you pushed them to exercise today? Just a thought.
Going to try accupuncture tomorrow. Never done it, but I got some good news, and am extra motivated to train, and ensure good health. Riding is my biggest stress relief, and the thing I enjoy doing more than anything, and not doing it has been tough. I am eager and anxious to get back, so I can start saving money on insulin again...ha
Thanks for reading. Have a great holiday, and I appreciate all of your support for the Tour of California! Hopefully good news to share soon!!
Philpott
www.TeamType1.org
www.TeamType2.com Yes you read it right, please check it out. Exciting for 2009!!! site under construction!
I hope your holidays rocked! I am still off the bike due to hamstring strain. The first few days the split dose of Lantus continued to work, as I went a little higher day by day. But about 4-5 days into being off the bike, the split dose quit working, and I went high in night. It seems when I am not riding, I need that hit at night. As soon as I went back to a much heaver dose at night (10 units) then I was back to normal in the am. The other difference I noticed was that I was having to bolus a lot more for anything I ate. Diet was pretty simple. Fruits and salad for the most part, and some sushi. When I was training, I would bolus 1-1.5 units for the salad, and not go over 150 before coming back down. On Tuesday, I had to give a shot of 4 units. I think this further proves the value of exercise to both people with and without diabetes.
How is that? When I was exercising, and eating about 2000 calories a day, I was doing less than 20 units of insulin for the day (basal and bolus.)
Not training: eating a restricted diet, and doing appx 25 units of insulin total.
For the non-diabetic this would be very similar. Not exercising your body may produce 30 units throughout the course of the day to cover all of your food intake, but if you began to exercise 1 hour a day, you may be able to cut that # in half. Type 2 diabetes is essentially caused by using up all of your insulin (every one has a pre-set amount-genetics) too early. So if you can cut down the amount of insulin production by 33%, theoretically your pancreas will function that much longer. This is my theory, and I could be way off, but I think I am right.
There are currently 50 MILLION Americans with Pre-Diabetes- Just think if everyone hopped on a bike, or went to the gym, then we could cut that number in half, if not make it dissapear.
I am thankful for all of my family, my friends, my health. Do you know someone who would be thankful in 1 year that you pushed them to exercise today? Just a thought.
Going to try accupuncture tomorrow. Never done it, but I got some good news, and am extra motivated to train, and ensure good health. Riding is my biggest stress relief, and the thing I enjoy doing more than anything, and not doing it has been tough. I am eager and anxious to get back, so I can start saving money on insulin again...ha
Thanks for reading. Have a great holiday, and I appreciate all of your support for the Tour of California! Hopefully good news to share soon!!
Philpott
www.TeamType1.org
www.TeamType2.com Yes you read it right, please check it out. Exciting for 2009!!! site under construction!
Monday, November 24, 2008
less exercise, more insulin...
Howdy,
Last week, I have had a minor set-back in a strained hamstring. I am going to see the doc again today, and will hopefully get clearance to train. It has now been 4 full days with no riding. I am thinking the strain may have been due to gym work, cold weather, riding a bit, who knows??
It hasn't been all bad, as I have made a lot of work progress, and had plenty to do. On Saturday, I flew out to San Diego in the morning, went straight to the TCOYD conference. It was a great event and I was thrilled to be there. I got to catch up with a lot of old friends, and meet some new ones too! Andy, Morgan, and I were at the event which had over 2000 attendees. We then attended the snack bar, and went to a great sushi restaurant with Eric, Jessica (of Sanofi) and Doug of Euro, who is in charge of the media team over there. He and his team have been a dream to work with.
After dinner, straight to the airport, and red-eye back. I slept the ENTIRE flight, which rarely happens.
What happens to the metabolism when you go from 2-5 hours of exercise a day (9 units of Lantus- and less than 10 of Apidra) to 0 hours of exercise?
More insulin is what happens. I had noticed that I was having to do a little more Apidra/carb than normal, and instead of a very slight drop in blood sugars, there was a very slight rise. This meant the metabolism was slowing quickly. Surprisingly though, I stuck to the 5 units of Lantus in the am, and 5 at night, and last night was the first time, where I started going high. It was mildly frustrating, and I had to do a lot more boluses than normal for the amount of food I was eating.
So this morning, I woke up at 6am at 198, did 3 units, went back to sleep, and then woke up at 8:45 at 109. Last week if I would have been 198 in the night, I would have done less than 1 unit, and woke up at 70. This morning I increased my basal to 6 units of Lantus, and I think I should be back on track. I was somewhat surprised that the very low basal rate lasted until Sunday night. I think it means my body is working well.
While I can't train, I am going to diet heavily. A friend labeled this "manorexia" which is fitting.
Here is the thing: We find out this week if we get into the Tour of California. I am really hoping we do, and think it would be a very big day for Team Type 1.
If we do get in, I will get to race against many riders who have won stages at the Tour de France, and many of the best riders in the world. I know to have a chance of success I have to be my best ever, which means getting the power to weight ratio as high as possible. 2 ways to do this.
One is to gain more power, which I will work hard on.
Two: lose weight.
Also working hard on this. If I can gain a little power, lose a little weight, then all will be good. If I were not planning on having a stellar year on the bike, I would be more than happy with where I am now. So please cross your fingers for us for the ToC, as that is one huge step to getting to the Tour de France by 2012.
Have a great day!
Philpott
www.TeamType1.org
Last week, I have had a minor set-back in a strained hamstring. I am going to see the doc again today, and will hopefully get clearance to train. It has now been 4 full days with no riding. I am thinking the strain may have been due to gym work, cold weather, riding a bit, who knows??
It hasn't been all bad, as I have made a lot of work progress, and had plenty to do. On Saturday, I flew out to San Diego in the morning, went straight to the TCOYD conference. It was a great event and I was thrilled to be there. I got to catch up with a lot of old friends, and meet some new ones too! Andy, Morgan, and I were at the event which had over 2000 attendees. We then attended the snack bar, and went to a great sushi restaurant with Eric, Jessica (of Sanofi) and Doug of Euro, who is in charge of the media team over there. He and his team have been a dream to work with.
After dinner, straight to the airport, and red-eye back. I slept the ENTIRE flight, which rarely happens.
What happens to the metabolism when you go from 2-5 hours of exercise a day (9 units of Lantus- and less than 10 of Apidra) to 0 hours of exercise?
More insulin is what happens. I had noticed that I was having to do a little more Apidra/carb than normal, and instead of a very slight drop in blood sugars, there was a very slight rise. This meant the metabolism was slowing quickly. Surprisingly though, I stuck to the 5 units of Lantus in the am, and 5 at night, and last night was the first time, where I started going high. It was mildly frustrating, and I had to do a lot more boluses than normal for the amount of food I was eating.
So this morning, I woke up at 6am at 198, did 3 units, went back to sleep, and then woke up at 8:45 at 109. Last week if I would have been 198 in the night, I would have done less than 1 unit, and woke up at 70. This morning I increased my basal to 6 units of Lantus, and I think I should be back on track. I was somewhat surprised that the very low basal rate lasted until Sunday night. I think it means my body is working well.
While I can't train, I am going to diet heavily. A friend labeled this "manorexia" which is fitting.
Here is the thing: We find out this week if we get into the Tour of California. I am really hoping we do, and think it would be a very big day for Team Type 1.
If we do get in, I will get to race against many riders who have won stages at the Tour de France, and many of the best riders in the world. I know to have a chance of success I have to be my best ever, which means getting the power to weight ratio as high as possible. 2 ways to do this.
One is to gain more power, which I will work hard on.
Two: lose weight.
Also working hard on this. If I can gain a little power, lose a little weight, then all will be good. If I were not planning on having a stellar year on the bike, I would be more than happy with where I am now. So please cross your fingers for us for the ToC, as that is one huge step to getting to the Tour de France by 2012.
Have a great day!
Philpott
www.TeamType1.org
Thursday, November 20, 2008
FreeStyle Navigator on a bike ride-diabetes tool
Howdy again,
Training has been going good as of late. I have my system pretty down now, and am enjoying life. I wanted to give a post not so much about the wacky basal rate changes, but more about an actual bike ride.
Yesterday, on the phone by 8am doing the usual. At 9:30 eat breakfast (2 packs of oatmeal) with 3 units of Apidra. Apparently I misjudged as I went up a bit, and had to do a correction of 2 units, which at 11am had me dropping. I think at one point I was 142 with an arrow straight down, so I snacked on some juice, had an apple, and leveled off at 107 by 11:15. I had a conference call set up for 12, and then planned to hit the bike for a 4 hour training day immediately after. At 11:45 I had 2 more packets of Oatmeal (no bolus,) or 60 gms of carbs, and the arrow began to go up. By the time I left the house at 12:15, I was at 148 with an arrow pointed slightly up.
Quick arrow definitions:
If it is going straight up or down, it means blood sugar is change at least 2 points per minute, sometimes more.
If it is at a 45 degree angle, then it is changing at 1 point per minute. Very helpful to plan ahead.
I knew I was going up. I set out on the ride with 3 almond bars, at 160 calories each, a banana, a cliff bar, Dex4, 1 bottle of water, and 1 Gatorade.
25 minutes into the ride I was 160, with no arrow. This meant that I was leveling off, and I was thinking I would either flat line, or begin to drop. 15 minutes later, I checked the Navigator, and I was at 148, so the drop had begun. I drank some water (fluid before food helps digestion) and then ate the banana. 1 hour into the ride, I was at 118, so I ate a almond bar. 20 minutes later, was at 111, so I ate another almond bar, this time with Gatorade in advance. I am not riding a real fast pace right now, so I am very comfortable riding with a blood sugars between 90-160. If I were racing, I would want them higher, say 130-180. At 1.5 hours I was at 99, with flat arrow, but noticing a slight downward trend. I ate my last almond bar (these things are really good!!!) drank some Gatorade, and I knew I would be good. I did not look at Navigator until about 2 hours 20 minutes into the ride, when it got to 91. I stopped as I needed fluids, got a coke, and Gatorade. I drank about half the coke (40 gms carbs) on the spot, and then put the rest in my bottles. I rode the rest of the way without looking. I knew I was good, felt good, and continued to take a coke/Gatorade mix in for the last 1-1.5hrs. Should have had more though, as when I got home I was 88 with an arrow pointed straight down.
The recovery process: 88 arrow straight down: Went straight for about 45 gms carb/15 gm protein from Chocolate milk, then put 162 gms of pasta on the stove. This is about 120 gms of carbs. I ate the pasta, and then bolused 5 units of Apidra. Blood sugar went up to 148 before dropping, and 1.5 hours after my ride I had some Dex4, and an apple which leveled me out, before grabbing sushi with my brother Jack at 7:30, or 2.5 hrs after my ride. Typical dose for sushi would have been 5 units, but I did 2, and blood sugar was great!
Before ride carb/insulin ratio seemed to be about 15/1, and after ride 30/1.
Exercise does make a difference.
Last night continued on my split dose Lantus, with a 4 unit bolus of Lantus at 10pm.
Then Southpark, and asleep by 10:35...
That is a very typical day, and how "my" body works for training. I hope this helps.
Have a great day.
Phil
Team Type 1
Training has been going good as of late. I have my system pretty down now, and am enjoying life. I wanted to give a post not so much about the wacky basal rate changes, but more about an actual bike ride.
Yesterday, on the phone by 8am doing the usual. At 9:30 eat breakfast (2 packs of oatmeal) with 3 units of Apidra. Apparently I misjudged as I went up a bit, and had to do a correction of 2 units, which at 11am had me dropping. I think at one point I was 142 with an arrow straight down, so I snacked on some juice, had an apple, and leveled off at 107 by 11:15. I had a conference call set up for 12, and then planned to hit the bike for a 4 hour training day immediately after. At 11:45 I had 2 more packets of Oatmeal (no bolus,) or 60 gms of carbs, and the arrow began to go up. By the time I left the house at 12:15, I was at 148 with an arrow pointed slightly up.
Quick arrow definitions:
If it is going straight up or down, it means blood sugar is change at least 2 points per minute, sometimes more.
If it is at a 45 degree angle, then it is changing at 1 point per minute. Very helpful to plan ahead.
I knew I was going up. I set out on the ride with 3 almond bars, at 160 calories each, a banana, a cliff bar, Dex4, 1 bottle of water, and 1 Gatorade.
25 minutes into the ride I was 160, with no arrow. This meant that I was leveling off, and I was thinking I would either flat line, or begin to drop. 15 minutes later, I checked the Navigator, and I was at 148, so the drop had begun. I drank some water (fluid before food helps digestion) and then ate the banana. 1 hour into the ride, I was at 118, so I ate a almond bar. 20 minutes later, was at 111, so I ate another almond bar, this time with Gatorade in advance. I am not riding a real fast pace right now, so I am very comfortable riding with a blood sugars between 90-160. If I were racing, I would want them higher, say 130-180. At 1.5 hours I was at 99, with flat arrow, but noticing a slight downward trend. I ate my last almond bar (these things are really good!!!) drank some Gatorade, and I knew I would be good. I did not look at Navigator until about 2 hours 20 minutes into the ride, when it got to 91. I stopped as I needed fluids, got a coke, and Gatorade. I drank about half the coke (40 gms carbs) on the spot, and then put the rest in my bottles. I rode the rest of the way without looking. I knew I was good, felt good, and continued to take a coke/Gatorade mix in for the last 1-1.5hrs. Should have had more though, as when I got home I was 88 with an arrow pointed straight down.
The recovery process: 88 arrow straight down: Went straight for about 45 gms carb/15 gm protein from Chocolate milk, then put 162 gms of pasta on the stove. This is about 120 gms of carbs. I ate the pasta, and then bolused 5 units of Apidra. Blood sugar went up to 148 before dropping, and 1.5 hours after my ride I had some Dex4, and an apple which leveled me out, before grabbing sushi with my brother Jack at 7:30, or 2.5 hrs after my ride. Typical dose for sushi would have been 5 units, but I did 2, and blood sugar was great!
Before ride carb/insulin ratio seemed to be about 15/1, and after ride 30/1.
Exercise does make a difference.
Last night continued on my split dose Lantus, with a 4 unit bolus of Lantus at 10pm.
Then Southpark, and asleep by 10:35...
That is a very typical day, and how "my" body works for training. I hope this helps.
Have a great day.
Phil
Team Type 1
Tuesday, November 18, 2008
Platinum Baby!! a little diabetes stuff
Howdy again,
Platinum?? So today I hit the mark, 75,000 fly miles on Delta this year which is the mark to hit their Platinum status. I think I have been on 65 separate flights with them this year, and it gave me some time to reflect. What exactly do you do when on a plane this much. Let's look at some #'s: 65 flights with average of 1.5 hours on the runway per flight not counting fly time. =97.5 hours
Then 75,000 miles at 500mph = appx 150 hours of fly time.
Then time before check in: avg 1hr, and 45 minutes spent at airport after flight or 105 hours
for a grand estimated total of: 14.7 days spent at airports or on planes. Not factoring in delays, driving too, and from airport.
Which begs the question: What in the heck do you do? So I went and took a look at my book shelf, and counted 34 books read this year. Some great ones, some not so good ones, and some that just pass the time.
I really don't mind all of this fly time, as it does give me a chance to escape into the world of words. I have no contact with email/phone while flying, and I get to read, which I love to do. I am on book #35 right now, and kind of half-way reading 2 others, and have another 10 or so that I want to read before the year is out.
So I would say that if you tend to get stressed out when jumping on a plane, grab a book in the bookstore that every airport has. It really takes a lot of the stress out, and also makes it easier (for me) to fall asleep on the plane.
Now for diabetes... I am still splitting my doses of Lantus. Doing 5 in the am, and 4 at night. I didn't work out yesterday, and that was too little. Woke up a little elevated at 4 am, did a small correction and woke up at 78. Plan is to hit the gym, and then ride in the 45 degree weather, and will stick to 4 tonight thanks to the elevated metabolism.
Now, I know it seems like I make a lot of changes, but I think that is the bike racer in me doing it. If I did not change training every day, I would probably do the same amount of insulin give or take a few units of Apidra day after day. But when riding/racing a bike, you have to be on the lookout for new ways to improve, which is why I am always switching things up. It may seem from some of my last posts, that diabetes is the most complicated disease in the world (which it can be at times...) but to me I go by feel. I am CDE's worst nightmare, because I do not carb count, and I wing it every time. It just so happens that I can look at a plate of food and judge what I need, which I bet you can too.
My challenge to you: Before factoring carbs, correction, and bolus needed next time, take a guess at what you think you would do. Then compare to what the "real" calculations say. I would say you can probably do it by feel as well. At Camp Kudzu a few years ago, I worked with our clinician Susie Smith. She was cool with me not carb counting, and playing the guessing game, but she wanted to expirement. So I counted the carbs, told her what I ate, while giving the amount of insulin I thought I needed. It just so happened that 98% of camp I was on a carb/insulin ration of 18.75/1.
Internally I knew, and I bet you can too. Give it a try, and let me know what you think.
If you do this, please double check afterwards to ensure you did it right.
Thanks for reading!
Have a great day.
Philpott (yes, this is in fact my middle name. Thanks mom...)
www.teamtype1.org
Platinum?? So today I hit the mark, 75,000 fly miles on Delta this year which is the mark to hit their Platinum status. I think I have been on 65 separate flights with them this year, and it gave me some time to reflect. What exactly do you do when on a plane this much. Let's look at some #'s: 65 flights with average of 1.5 hours on the runway per flight not counting fly time. =97.5 hours
Then 75,000 miles at 500mph = appx 150 hours of fly time.
Then time before check in: avg 1hr, and 45 minutes spent at airport after flight or 105 hours
for a grand estimated total of: 14.7 days spent at airports or on planes. Not factoring in delays, driving too, and from airport.
Which begs the question: What in the heck do you do? So I went and took a look at my book shelf, and counted 34 books read this year. Some great ones, some not so good ones, and some that just pass the time.
I really don't mind all of this fly time, as it does give me a chance to escape into the world of words. I have no contact with email/phone while flying, and I get to read, which I love to do. I am on book #35 right now, and kind of half-way reading 2 others, and have another 10 or so that I want to read before the year is out.
So I would say that if you tend to get stressed out when jumping on a plane, grab a book in the bookstore that every airport has. It really takes a lot of the stress out, and also makes it easier (for me) to fall asleep on the plane.
Now for diabetes... I am still splitting my doses of Lantus. Doing 5 in the am, and 4 at night. I didn't work out yesterday, and that was too little. Woke up a little elevated at 4 am, did a small correction and woke up at 78. Plan is to hit the gym, and then ride in the 45 degree weather, and will stick to 4 tonight thanks to the elevated metabolism.
Now, I know it seems like I make a lot of changes, but I think that is the bike racer in me doing it. If I did not change training every day, I would probably do the same amount of insulin give or take a few units of Apidra day after day. But when riding/racing a bike, you have to be on the lookout for new ways to improve, which is why I am always switching things up. It may seem from some of my last posts, that diabetes is the most complicated disease in the world (which it can be at times...) but to me I go by feel. I am CDE's worst nightmare, because I do not carb count, and I wing it every time. It just so happens that I can look at a plate of food and judge what I need, which I bet you can too.
My challenge to you: Before factoring carbs, correction, and bolus needed next time, take a guess at what you think you would do. Then compare to what the "real" calculations say. I would say you can probably do it by feel as well. At Camp Kudzu a few years ago, I worked with our clinician Susie Smith. She was cool with me not carb counting, and playing the guessing game, but she wanted to expirement. So I counted the carbs, told her what I ate, while giving the amount of insulin I thought I needed. It just so happened that 98% of camp I was on a carb/insulin ration of 18.75/1.
Internally I knew, and I bet you can too. Give it a try, and let me know what you think.
If you do this, please double check afterwards to ensure you did it right.
Thanks for reading!
Have a great day.
Philpott (yes, this is in fact my middle name. Thanks mom...)
www.teamtype1.org
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