Plan the race, race the plan.....kind of.....
Hi all! Our Athens weekend was a blast. Back in July, I went back to Athens to help train the new school nurses and I decided that running the AthHalf would give me an excuse to come back and visit our friends and see my students. My students will always be my babies!
As you know, training for this half was a little shaky, especially with a sprained ankle early on, BUT with some (LOTS) of support from Osman, my family and friends and knowing I'd get to see some of my students, I pushed through. I've had a few people ask how I train for a half and I thought I'd share what works for me. So here we go....
1) If you are a female with type 1, download the app My Flo. This app helps you break down your cycle week by week. This app helped me tremendously. I was able to figure out which phase of my cycle required more or less insulin. IT IS AWESOME and helps make running with type 1 and being a female a smidge more predictable, if that is even possible.
2) I highly suggest reading the book Pumping Insulin by John Walsh and Ruth Roberts. This is my type 1 bible. After reading his chapter on exercise, I was able to determine how to adjust my basal rates prior to a run. For shorter runs (3-4 miles), prior to running, I'd cut my basal by 50% for 30 minutes. For runs that were 5-9 miles I'd cut my basal prior to running by 50% for an hour. For 10-13.1 miles, I'd cut my basal by 50% 45 minutes prior to the run for 1 1/2 hours. Your basal cutting may be different but this is what worked well for me. I feel like I explained this poorly, so let me know if you have questions!
3) Find yourself a good super starch. A fellow t1d and incredibly athletic friend of mine suggested I try UCAN. It was life changing. It definitely doesn't taste like a milk shake but it does the trick. For runs over 10 miles, I used 2 scoops. Most runs I used 1 scoop of UCAN and sometimes added in a protein bar. My protein bars were nothing fancy, usually the off brand of the Nature Valley Protein Bar.
4) If possible, run with no insulin on board.
5) While running I used the Stay Fit Running Belt. It is comfortable, and doesn't bounce up and down. I am able to keep my glucometer, glucagon, pump, cell phone and Stinger Gummies all in the belt. I typically have a chew or two around mile 3 and throughout the rest of my run if my blood sugar starts to dip down.
6) Last but definitely not least, journal your runs. I kept track of what I ate before, how I adjusted my basal rate prior to a run, how I felt, what worked, what didn't work, what cycle phase I was in etc. It seems silly, but it really does make a huge difference.
If you are still with me, bottom line, it isn't a perfect science. Sometimes things work, other times they don't, but at the end of the day, you got out there and gave it your best shot. I hope this helps a little. I still have to remind myself to take it 1 Drop at a Time while I run mile by mile. I'm still learning to not get freaked out if my blood sugar starts to dip. Nothing is worse than the rebound high after a long run because I over ate carbs while running.
This past half marathon was my best run yet. The weather was perfect, my blood sugars behaved and I had great running company. Ironically, there was a lady dressed as a unicorn running in front of me. In the diabetes community, a unicorn is a blood sugar of 100. Well would you believe, when I finished the race, my blood sugar was 100. Type One Run also reposted my unicorn blood sugar. This group is also another good resource for runners with type 1. Life is good and that rut of mine continues to get smaller and smaller.
As you know, training for this half was a little shaky, especially with a sprained ankle early on, BUT with some (LOTS) of support from Osman, my family and friends and knowing I'd get to see some of my students, I pushed through. I've had a few people ask how I train for a half and I thought I'd share what works for me. So here we go....
1) If you are a female with type 1, download the app My Flo. This app helps you break down your cycle week by week. This app helped me tremendously. I was able to figure out which phase of my cycle required more or less insulin. IT IS AWESOME and helps make running with type 1 and being a female a smidge more predictable, if that is even possible.
2) I highly suggest reading the book Pumping Insulin by John Walsh and Ruth Roberts. This is my type 1 bible. After reading his chapter on exercise, I was able to determine how to adjust my basal rates prior to a run. For shorter runs (3-4 miles), prior to running, I'd cut my basal by 50% for 30 minutes. For runs that were 5-9 miles I'd cut my basal prior to running by 50% for an hour. For 10-13.1 miles, I'd cut my basal by 50% 45 minutes prior to the run for 1 1/2 hours. Your basal cutting may be different but this is what worked well for me. I feel like I explained this poorly, so let me know if you have questions!
3) Find yourself a good super starch. A fellow t1d and incredibly athletic friend of mine suggested I try UCAN. It was life changing. It definitely doesn't taste like a milk shake but it does the trick. For runs over 10 miles, I used 2 scoops. Most runs I used 1 scoop of UCAN and sometimes added in a protein bar. My protein bars were nothing fancy, usually the off brand of the Nature Valley Protein Bar.
4) If possible, run with no insulin on board.
5) While running I used the Stay Fit Running Belt. It is comfortable, and doesn't bounce up and down. I am able to keep my glucometer, glucagon, pump, cell phone and Stinger Gummies all in the belt. I typically have a chew or two around mile 3 and throughout the rest of my run if my blood sugar starts to dip down.
6) Last but definitely not least, journal your runs. I kept track of what I ate before, how I adjusted my basal rate prior to a run, how I felt, what worked, what didn't work, what cycle phase I was in etc. It seems silly, but it really does make a huge difference.
If you are still with me, bottom line, it isn't a perfect science. Sometimes things work, other times they don't, but at the end of the day, you got out there and gave it your best shot. I hope this helps a little. I still have to remind myself to take it 1 Drop at a Time while I run mile by mile. I'm still learning to not get freaked out if my blood sugar starts to dip. Nothing is worse than the rebound high after a long run because I over ate carbs while running.
This past half marathon was my best run yet. The weather was perfect, my blood sugars behaved and I had great running company. Ironically, there was a lady dressed as a unicorn running in front of me. In the diabetes community, a unicorn is a blood sugar of 100. Well would you believe, when I finished the race, my blood sugar was 100. Type One Run also reposted my unicorn blood sugar. This group is also another good resource for runners with type 1. Life is good and that rut of mine continues to get smaller and smaller.
Here is their repost!
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