September 2013 Training Wrap-Up

Nearly a week late with my September numbers.  September was a good month for me, training and fun wise.  Ryan and I went to California for a week and had a fantastic vacation!  We went to a Stanford College football game, spend a few lovely days in Sonoma County in the cutest bed and breakfast, drove down the coast and then spent three glorious days in San Fransisco.  My second time to the city and still so much I want to see.  I did a lot of walking during the trip but no actual training. Despite that I still got a solid month under my belt.  I have been having some pain in my right butt, hip and knee area when running.  Because I am stubborn I have kept running on it, however finally decided to make an appointment with a physiotherapist. I am pretty sure it is my piriformis or IT band and it happens only with this leg.  ART and massage do help but this time around it is not getting better.  I want to nip it in the butt (literally) so I can get back to some longer distance running. 

I got a few nice long rides in on my road bike and participated in the Fall Harvest Ride.  It was a 65km ride and there were about 300 participants.  I had lots of fun riding with so many other people!  I love the fall colours while being out on the bike, just beautiful.  I will be sad when the snow flies and Little J will be staying inside.  I have decided to get myself a trainer so that Little J does not feel abandoned.  I have joined a registered spin class and am doing two classes a week.  Although they are about 90 mins each, they kick my butt each time.  The intervals and hill climbing are perfect for training. 

 

Now for the numbers:

 

Hours of training = 34.8 hours

Bike (including Spin) x 9 = 339.2 km's

Run x 9 = 97 km's km's

Swim x 4 = 8,850m

Weights/tabata/core= 6 hours 30 minutes

Rest days =10

So far October is off to a good start and I have done some short runs and spent time on the bike and in the pool.  I have been making an effort to stretch a lot more and also to get more strength training in.  Biking and swimming do not irritate my leg so I won't be surprised if this month is spent on these activities and not so much running.  I don't want to end up really injured!  Happy October!

Two Years

I wrote this 3 weeks ago and finally tweaked it today...

Two years - Sept 7, 2013

Hard for me to believe that two years ago today I was diagnosed Type 1 Diabetic. That day is still very raw and real in my mind, not sure if that will ever go away. In some ways I feel like I have been diabetic my entire life. I find it hard remembering my days before regular finger pricks, counting carbs, bolusing for food, suffering with lows and highs. I think the reason for this is that it is so time consuming it has become a routine. In other ways I still feel like this is still all so new to me. Not a week goes by where I don't have to adjust settings, where foods that were okay the week before no longer cooperate with my blood sugars. I have been really low (like 1.4 low) and not felt too bad and I have been a bit low (like 3.5) and felt like I was done for. Not sure I will ever get used to the desperation that comes with having a low blood sugar. The ultimate panic and need to surface from a dark place where everything trembles and words cannot form. When everything is in slow motion and all you want to do is either fall asleep or eat the contents of your fridge. I have learned that pretty much every Type 1 diabetic suffers lows on a weekly, if not daily, basis. Let me tell you straight up - they are hell. And let's not forget about the high blood sugars. The feeling of lethargy that sets in, the thirst, the need to pee, the inability to think straight, the extreme exhaustion and the feeling of guilt. Yes, guilt and shame is such a huge part of living with this disease. Every time I see a high number I feel so guilty, so ashamed. What did I do wrong, what could I have done better and a big one is what consequence will I suffer down the road.

All of this seems very doom and gloom so far, so lets get to the positive things about being Type 1 diabetic (and yes there are quite a few positives). A big one for me and something I have heard from manyT1D's is that I am very in tune with my body. I know what foods make me feel good and what makes me feel bad. The motivation to stay healthy and active is huge. Every day I run, bike or swim and this benefits me in all ways. It makes my mental state much more calm than it usually would be, helps my blood sugars stay stable and makes me sleep so much better. Balancing the activity is a challenge on its own - high blood sugars after intense activity and then crashing lows. Having my pump and being able to set temporary basal decreases is a life saver.

The one thing I have struggled with over the last two years is opening up to others. To the outside world I appear to breeze through dealing with Type 1 diabetes. I hate for people to see me at my most vulnerable and am used to be the strong one. I have problems talking about my disease and often hide it. I have been having lows whilst at work and while being out in public with others and have hid it well while inside I am crumbling. This is my goal for the next year, accept my disease and stop hiding the bad times, as they unfortunately occur regularly.

The last two years have been the biggest adventure of my life. I have travelled the world and lived in different cultures yet nothing has challenged me this way. Being in charge daily of your life or death is a daunting task, but two years in I am ready for the challenge.  Every day I hate this disease but then have no choice but to embrace it.  I cannot change my reality....I can only live with it.

August 2013 Training Wrap Up

How the heck can it possibly be September already?  This summer seemed to fly by.  We are in the middle of a heat wave and it is wonderful.  It was 32C yesterday during my bike ride.  I will take that!  Fall is right around the corner however.  It is dark by 9:00pm and some of the leaves are starting to change.  Time really does fly.  August was a pretty solid month training wise.  I participated in my second sprint tri of the summer and had a blast.  I have been experiencing some pain and tightness in my back and right leg/knee.  My chiropractor has performed some ART and this has helped. Diabetes wise things have been going pretty well. I have definitely had some bad crashes which I need to figure out and work on avoiding. 

 

Now for the numbers:

 

Hours of training = 39.7 hours

Bike (including Spin) x 7 = 225.6 km's

Run x 15 = 150.8 km's

Swim x 6 = 13,350m

Weights/tabata/core= 6 hours 55 minutes

Rest days =7

September is going to be a good month. Ryan and I are heading to California for a week and then at the end of the month I am running the 22km Melissa's race in Banff.  Lots to look forward to!  I also will be posting a lot more here.  I have come to realize that my blog is something for me and each post does not have to have a ton of meaning. I love to write and need to do just that :) 

St. Albert Triathlon

This was my second sprint triathlon in the last few weeks and it was fun! The course was much more difficult than the one in Devon that I did at the end of July, however the race itself was so much better organized and the scenery was beautiful. Also this is where I live and I always think it is fun to race where you train!

The stats:

Swim 750m: 14:46
T1: 2:04
Bike 20km: 42:19
T2: 2:02
Run 5km: 27:37
Total: 1:28:46
8/23 in age category
89/198 overall

Got up at the crack of dawn and was at the race site for 6:00am.  My sugars were at 6.2 when I woke up and I dialed my insulin back by 50% for 2 hours.  Ate my breakfast and bolused half of the normal dose. I had tweaked my diabetes plan a bit and was anxious to see how it worked. Set everything up in transition and got body marked. I get such a thrill when they do that for some reason. My swim heat was to be on deck at 7:20am so I had a lot of time to catch up with some friends and check my blood sugars a bazillion times.  20 minutes before race time I was up to 12.6 so I shut the temp basal off.  My adrenalin was high and I knew this would keep my sugars in check for the first part of the race.

The race started right on time and at 7:25am I was crossing the start line and hopping in the pool. For some reason I struggled in the swim. My time was really decent for me, however I felt like I could not properly catch my breathe the entire time. Instead of breathing every third stroke I had to alternate to every two. I was happy to have that done! Hopped out of the pool and ran past the spectators outside to T1. Did not take too long to dry my feet, get my helmet, sock and shoes on, however the diabetes management definitely cost me an extra minute. Not much I can do to avoid that.  I was happy to see an 8.2 flash on my meter.  Took a big swig off water and I was off.

It was about a 150m run before we were allowed to mount our bikes. The weather was quite warm and I started to dry as soon as I started to ride. The bike course is very pretty and quite hilly. About 2km in you come to a big hill that is nearly 2km long. I picked up a decent speed and shouted a few yahoos as I zipped down the hill. My plan on the bike was to just push it and not worry about the run. After the hill it was into the countryside and up and down some inclines. Going over the train tracks shook me up a bit and I heard that after the race one of the elite ladies actually lost control, went down and had to be taken away in the ambulance. Anyway, I hit the turnaround point in just shy of 17 minutes and felt pretty pumped. I hoped to be able to maintain the same speed and come in under 40 mins. This plan was going well until I reached the long hill. I pushed hard but my speed took a big hit going up such a long, steep hill. Crested the top of the hill and powered to the end. Again I unclipped successfully and was happy with this

T2 was pretty uneventful. My legs felt a bit dead from the hill and it took me a few extra mins to change shoes and get a hat on. It was getting hot out by this point. Again diabetes management took just over a minute, but the good thing is my sugars were in range.  They were at 7.8 after the bike. This made me a happy girl! Started off on the run and felt pretty strong from the get go. The run course had changed from the previous years and headed down into the trail systems in St. Albert. The part with lots of hills! The hills are short but very steep...and lots of them. I made a deal with myself to just not stop running and to make it to the top of each hill smiling. A few of them were painful and I was huffing and puffing pretty good by the time I made it out of the ravine. The last 1.2 km's was sweet and I felt like I could have just kept going. My legs felt strong and I felt good. I pushed hard the last 400m's and sprinted to the end.  I did not check my sugars right after, but half an hour later they had spiked up to 12.5. I took a correction bolus to counteract the high.

I really enjoyed this race and will definitely do it again. All in all I am happy with my performance. Not sure what happened with my breathing in the pool, could have just been adrenalin. I had a blast on the bike and although the run was difficult I liked the challenge. I still feel like I can push myself harder on the run. I usually run a 5 km race at a 4:50-5:00/km pace and need to work on doing this after swimming and biking. It is a good goal to chase. I was happy with the diabetes management and maintained good blood sugars throughout. I crashed hard later on and this is something I need to manage a bit better.

I really enjoyed watching the elite category finish their races - those guys and gals are impressive! The after race events were fun and I took advantage of a free 15 minute massage. I could not eat the food offered, but Ryan brought me a cup of my beloved Starbucks to enjoy in the sun. I stuck around for quite a while as they were giving away some pretty sweet prizes. I am glad I did as I ended up winning a $100 Itunes gift card.

There are a lot of pictures, however they are still on my camera :)  

Devon Sprint Triathlon

This was a bit of an emotional day for me. First race of any kind I have done since being diagnosed Type 1 diabetic on September 7, 2011. I won't go into a lot of detail about my struggles and complications since then (it's all in my blog), but it has been a long road back to say the least.  It took a long time for me to get back to any activity and when I did it was like starting all over. Happy to say however that after nearly two years of living with this disease I am beginning to get a handle on how my blood sugars react to different situations and sports.  A big thing for me has been trying to take it in stride and deal with the lows and highs when they come.  I will never be able to avoid it from happening so need to learn to deal with it on the spot if needed and adjust expectations.  Acceptance has been a hard thing but definitely something I continue to work on. It has been worth all of the trial and error! Having my insulin pump made the journey to the start line possible.  For me, being able to adjust my basal rates has been an invaluable tool.

The breakdown:
Swim 750m: 15:12
T1: 2:04
Bike 20km: 42:39
T2: 1:20
Run 5km: 27:52
Result: 1:29:06 - 8/29 in age group

Anyway, to the race. Got up at 5:00am and could not believe when my blood sugar was 13.9!  Figures that on the day of my race this would be the case. I corrected, packed my breakfast to go and was off.  I arrived in Devon at 6:15am for the registration and body marking.  Quick blood sugar check showed an 8.8 with some insulin on board so I had my breakfast and took half the usual bolus. My swim heat was not to start until 8:40am so I spent most of the time trying to keep warm (it was only 8C).  An hour before my start time I set my basal rate back by 50% for 2.5 hours.  I have done this in practice and it has worked well for me.  Biking and running usually send my blood sugars way down so I wanted to be prepared.  I had it set so that the basal rate would return to normal about 20 minutes from the finish to counteract the high I usually see afterwards. I set up my transition area and saw my friend off that was swimming at 8:00am. 

 (All set up and ready to go!)

Ryan showed up at 8:00am and shortly thereafter it was time to get my chip and join the other swimmers in my heat. A final blood sugar check showed 9.2 which I was happy with.  It was an outdoor pool and chilly on deck!  There were three people in my lane and we chatted to seed ourselves properly. One of the ladies in my heat had missed her earlier heat and was pretty worried as her estimated time to finish was about 25 minutes. We all agreed that passing would be done at the end of the lane.

(My pump and I ready to race)

 

(All ready to go)

The swim was pretty uneventful and I felt strong and consistent. The lady in my lane was very courteous and let us pass her as needed. At one point she drifted over and smacked me in the face, but nothing too major. I was up and out of the pool in just over 15 minutes and made my way to transition.  Clipped my helmet on, put socks on, bike shoes and big gulp of water.  Blood sugar was 13.9 which did not impress me.  I turned my basal rate back to 100% and was off.  I was feeling fine so was not too worried. Reminded myself that this was my first race and was to be an experiment with the blood sugars. Ran with my bike to the mount area and away I went.

(Running out of the pool to transition)

(In transition from swim to bike)

 

(Heading out on the bike)

The bike portion was just an out and back along the highway. The way out was a slight incline the whole way and then the way back was slightly downhill. I could definitely have gone faster if it was not for the wind! It was ridiculously windy. A few times I felt like I was going to blow off my bike.  Most people in their vehicles were courteous and slowed down, however a few vehicles flew by at top speed making the bike a bit shaky at times. Little J performed very well however and I am super happy with her.  I remembered to unclip (this was my biggest worry on the bike) and made my way back into transition. Quickly changed into running shoes and threw on a hat. Blood sugar was at 8.8 and I was happy enough with that. I was off and out.

The run was great. Not my fastest run by any means but I just loved it. It took about 1.5kms to get my legs and I just smiled the entire way. I knew I could push harder but was just enjoying the moment. The 5kms zoomed by and before I knew it I was all done. 

(Finishing the run)

All in all it was a great first race back and I really had fun. It was good to get my first race done to show myself it can be done even though a few more challenges health wise are present.  I was very excited when I found out I had placed 8th in my age group out of 29 women!  My blood sugar after the race was at 9.4 and I bolused some insulin for the guaranteed rise I would experience. I obviously should have bolused more as 45 minutes later it had risen to 17.0! 

I definitely need to work on my blood sugar management during racing.  I had a lot of adrenalin and excitement and am pretty sure this contributed to some of the highs.  I was very happy not to suffer any lows and I felt strong throughout.  I know I could have pushed myself harder on the bike and run, but for this event I was just happy to be out there and wanted to enjoy the experience. I was very happy with my swim and know I can definitely improve there as well. 

I have loved my training and am very happy with my new bike.  Having Ryan there to cheer me on and to make sure I was doing okay diabetes wise means the world to me.  He is my biggest fan and I cannot imagine doing any of this without his support.  I have another sprint in two weeks and then a half marathon in September.  Onward and upward!

Summer Vacation

My long awaited summer vacation has arrived and I cannot wait!  Ryan and I are heading off to BC for 10 days of camping in the glorious sunshine.  We plan on canoeing, swimming, hiking, biking, relaxing in the sun, eating yummy fresh food and going on some wine tours.  It has been nearly ten months since I had a solid week off and I am ready for it.  I have a ton of blog posts in the making so hope to get them actually posted on my return!

June 2013 Training Wrap Up

Hard to believe that we are already six months through this year!  I had been signed up to run leg two of the Kananaskis 100 mile relay which would have been my first race race in nearly two years.  Unfortunately it was cancelled due to all of the flooding in Southern Alberta.  I was disappointed as I really wanted to get my first race under my belt since being diagnosed, however of course totally understand and am devastated by the damage done to our beautiful province.

Despite all of the rain I managed to get some decent training in and am overall very happy with my progression.  I have been out on my new road bike and love it!  Learning to clip in and out is a whole new world for me and I have tumbled a couple of times, nothing major.  I can tell that all of the time I have spent on the spin bike has paid off as I feel strong on the bike.  My running continues to go well and my speed is slowly picking up. After my summer vacation (yay!) I shall start to incorporate some speed intervals and hill training into my routine.

Now for the numbers:

 

Hours of training = 37.8 hours

Bike (including Spin) x 10 = 325.8 km's

Run x 11 = 120.6 km's

Swim x 4 = 9,250m

Weights/tabata/core= 8 hours 45 minutes

Rest days =6