Tag: cycling

August 13

Ride today with a friend, training for the MS ride next weekend. We did 60km and all I can think about is how frustrated I am with myself. My BG has been running high for 2 days and this morning and didn’t burn off my regular exercise carb, so stayed high. I was at 18mmol an hour in and 13 at lunch (total 2 hr ride time before that).

Oh, and because we just weren’t organized, I left my insulin in the car, which was a ways away from where we had lunch, so basically had lunch with no insulin. Fuck. I didn’t dare take my BG after lunch, I’m sure it was ridiculous.

We biked another hour and a half after lunch and I got it down to 11! Holy crap! Yay! I just did a full correction for supper so I’ll see what happens. Not sure why it’s running higher- sick? Stress? (I am about to start a new job…)

August 12

I’ve been doing a lot of thinking as I’ve been reviewing my old journals for these posts. I still can’t believe how much has changed for me in the last year- it’s really amazing!

Last year at this time I was really sick. And now I am a different person. I’m not the strongest I have ever been but my body is pretty healthy right now. The MS bike ride is next weekend. I don’t feel like I’ve trained enough for it but I’m gonna give it a shot anyway. I realized when I was messaging mum earlier that the fact I can manage my diabetes with hard core exercise like riding 200 km in two days was pretty much the whole challenge part of this bike tour. It’s a super great fundraiser and a personal challenge for each rider. Even if I don’t finish the ride, I think I got this.

July 29

Good ride today! Did the Blewett back road/ 49 Creek hill – hard but not impossible, although I did need to stop a couple times to catch my breath. The ride back was mostly downhill and I had had too much carbs during so when I got back to the car I was 16.4. Panicked a bit. With lunch and correction I was due to take 5 units but after exercise, BG can keep dropping for a bit. I probably should’ve taken 4.5 or even 4 but I didn’t, I took the full 5.

Now 2 hrs later and I just fought off a low of 3.6.

Oops.

June 5

Biked to the Duhamel store today on the new bike and it was really good! I still don’t feel like I’m gonna be ready for the bike tour but whatever. 10 weeks. I felt super calm and spacey after today’s ride- endorphins are great!! Tired now but gotta stay awake another 20 mins to check my BG.

April 17

I’ve done two good ride days now.

The day before was bad but a good lesson. The Powerade really helped so I started out with that yesterday and did half the bolus dose I had calculated. Lots of tips from the nurse and dietitian at the clinic about exercising with diabetes. Also some more tips on dealing with my post breakfast highs- I forgot I need to be taking my insulin 10-15 mins before eating.

Trying also to get up a bit earlier on work days to get on the stationary bike – the nurse said that trying to keep a consistent amount of exercise is best for my insulin dosing, so I’m not messing too much with how much I’ll need.

April 16

Yesterday was the first day of my training regime for this 2 day long bike ride coming up at the end of August. It’s an MS fundraiser and here in our region it’s called the West Kootenay Glacier Challenge. It’s hellishly hard. And I really want to try and do it.

I’m going to do it.

So, yesterday was my first official training day.

And I fucked up.

It’s all good now but it was a little unsettling at the time.

OK, so I only moderately fucked up, I guess it could’ve been a lot worse.

Bike ride + bad planning= lesson learned.

I planned to go for an hour and a half, with a turn around at 45mins and I wasn’t going to check my blood sugar before that. In the past I have biked for half an hour and then checked and it’s all good and then check again in half another hour and it’s getting low, so I thought I was good… The other thing is, I usually let my BG be a little high before I go out.

Yesterday BG was 10.4 when I left. This was the start of the problem- it was only half hour after taking rapid insulin and I had taken a dosage to cover all the food I ate, instead of letting it run a bit higher…

45mins of moderate cycling later BG is 3.7.

Whoops.

OK, it’s ok, I brought lots of snacks. So sandwich. (38g of carbs).

Got me up to BG 6.2. And I still had to get home.

That’s ok, I had some dex tabs too (20g) and then started the ride back.

Easy cycling, no pushing. 20 mins in I did a recheck.

BG 6.7

Well hell. I am fighting with my insulin now. I know I did wrong with the food bolus insulin and now the exercise and insulin are working against me.

But it’s still ok, I still have snacks. Half a granola bar (15g of carbs) goes in to the bod then I bike another 20 mins.

(Yes, technically I should be almost home, time-wise, but having a low really slowed me down and I was still, at this point, 20 mins from home. It’s either that or the ride home is actually further.)

So, I stop and retest again. BG 6.9.

Ok, I know I can make it home in about 20 mins. I still have food in my bag but I am standing outside a gas station and say fuck it and buy two of those power drinks. Now I can have the carbs while I’m moving.

15 mins later I am on the ferry, 5 mins from home. I have drank almost all of 710ml of sports drink.

BG 7.4! Yay!!

I feel good, I feel proud of myself for managing. I ease my way home and have an orange and some cheese to celebrate.

Sooo, I learned some lessons yesterday… and as tired and upset as I was during the whole thing I am not cut down. I still want to do this.

Day 1 of the training for the West Kootenay Glacier Challenge has been accomplished! Today I’ll be going out again…