The one thing I would recommend (since you’ve mentioned you’re already insulin sensitive and when you take in glucose you need it to be working) is that gatorade (and gatorade Endurance Formula as well, which is often served at something like a marathon/half mary) and gels often do not mix well in the stomach…not that you’ll get sick, but that the two types of glucose (I don’t recall the names, so I apologize) are different from each other, and your stomach deals w/ them differently. When you mix them (eat a gel and follow it w/ gatorade to ‘wash it down’) your stomach takes longer than normal to try and break them down b/c they are requiring two different types of acids to break them down.
During my first full iron tri, I started the run at like 75 or 80 and never could get it to come up (b/c I was dumping all diff. kinds of stuff into my stomach). After learning about that mismatch, I’ve tried either changing my workout/racing regimen to only include gels or only include gatorade (which has worked better). On a related note, if they serve flat coke (they do at long distance tris stometimes, but may not at marathons), the flat coke and gels mix fine w/ each other (same type of glucose stuff)…
Thanks Bradford, that’s a great tip. I think from among the two I’ll probably choose Gatorade like you said you do. I think I can carry enough Gatorade on me for the half distance anyway. What about gels with water, does that screw with your stomach or could I eat a gel and then hit the water station?
I can eat gels w/ water all day long (and they work great)…esp for running. For iron distance tri length, eating nothing but gels all day long can have poor consequences towards the end of the run (and not being able to find a portapottie…lol).
Emily, you’ve gotten some really good advice here. I’ve done several marathones, a bunch of longer (50 and 100 mile) mt. bike races. Including one solo 24 hour mt. bike race. Some keys are, 1. you need to start the workout with a BG around 200. The exact number is specific to you, but until you know that number, go for 200. Find a good diabetic educator who knows something about exercise, and I’m not talking about 3 times a week walk briskly around the block for 20 minutes. Find knowledgeable people. 2. You need to have some insulin on board, whoever above said, “do the other runners leave their pancreas in the car?” was funny. But you need to have something to get the glucose/carbs to the muscles. They need that to function properly. Insulin is the golden key. It’s how they connect. 3. Get out there and figure it out. You’ve already started and maybe have done the hardest part. You know what DOESN’T work. What did you eat that day, how did you feel, what was your basal intake? All things to consider. Time of day and your body’s natural rhythms. Remember this info. 4. Google sports drinks/mixes/bars. You’ve heard a lot of talk about gu and drink. Teach yourself about these things and try some. Go to any race, you don’t have to be competing, and get some samples. There are a ton out there, and figure out with your educator, what will probably work for you and then do it. Just do it. (Free Nike plug there) But you have to try it. Practice, run with stuff in your pockets and/or a waist belt with gu and a bottle and/or holding a bottle and/or Camelbak. It sucks, but until you have it dialed, you need to carry something and probably a couple things to raise your BG, so we don’t find you in the middle of the road. 5. Get a Road ID, and really cool exercise bracelet that lets EMS personnel know who you are and how to treat you in the event of a super low. Take it from someone who has had a couple trips to the ER because of bad decisions and low BG. One thing that’s cool though, is, it’s so easy to help a diabetic with low sugar. Talk about saving someone’s life. The change is immediate, from low to normal, we know this, but just get some sort of medical ID to help rescuers help you.
You’re in the right place and have a great time running and figuring this out. Go crush that marathon or half or whatever. You’ll get hooked pretty quickly and become and exercise junkie. And that’s a good thing.
This is a great discussion, and I was actually wondering some of the same things. I am training for the Tour de Cure in July. I was diagnosed in Jan 21010, and as of yet am not on the pump. I find that I need to get my BG pretty high before I ride because once I am out there I begin to fall pretty quickly. I usually cut my breakfast insulin by 50% and let it creep up before I leave on a ride. Usually by mile 7-8 I can drop from around 200 to 110. I would like to be able to go further than this (will this ever change?) For example, yesterday I started out at 208, then 7 miles in tested, was down to 110. I ate a power bar (maybe this wasn’t fast enough?) By mile 12, I was 60. (And boy did I know it- I felt like I was riding through tar) I usually ride for 1.5 to 2 hrs at a time. I guess my question is: how do you handle these things when not on the pump? I take Lantus at night and Novolog at meals. The problem I see with taking the long acting versus the pump is that I cannot adjust it through out the day to coincide with the events of my day; once you take that shot, you gotta live with it. How do you build your endurance? And in the long run is it okay to let myself get so high before a race? How do I plan for the day of the Tour; what do you eat? My CDE doesn’t really have much info for me (she admits her specialty is T2s) I have my first appointment with the Endo in 2 weeks where I plan on begging for the pump. 
great post, totally concur. only one way to figure it out… interesting point on having insulin on board, i will play with that. ive always tried to be at the end of my humolog profile, but you’re right, it is the key to open the upload. hmmmm… like on my running bracelet; every day is a journey.
Devon, it’s been my experience that things will kind of suck in the beginning. You do things right one day and you’ll do them wrong the next. By that, I mean, you’ll need to get experience with how your body reacts to runs, and long runs. What is long or high intensity to you many not be to me or Tom. With that said, I try to eat a big breakfast a few hours before a big outing, and then top up 30 minutes before the run. Depending on the actual run/ride, I will lower by Lantus by 30-60%. I now know what to take with me, depending on what I’m doing, but you may want to take Smarties, Glucose tabs, Jolly Ranchers, Gu, bananas, or whatever it is you use to get you up from being low. I’ve also learned how to eat during whatever I’m doing. Not so much as learned how, but practiced doing it. Not everyone has an iron stomach like me, I understand, but you need to practice eating something during long bouts of exercise, it’s the only way you’ll be able to control going low. Maybe you need to be at 220, instead of 180, before you start. Maybe you need to eat something 30 minutes before and right as you start. I think when we first start our run/ride/race, our body needs a little extra glucose, and then it settles in after a bit. Just my take.
Especially when you’re learning how this all works with you and exercise, you need to take quick sugar/glucose with you. In your pockets, your water bottle holder, in a Camelbak maybe. I tend to only buy running shorts nowadays with pockets in them. On really long runs, I wear bottle holder around my waist, and I have a strap bottle thing in my hand, both with sugar in them.
I hope this helps.
The one things I might add in addition to what Daniel said is that while you are still on shots, you should try to exercise at the same time on the days that you exercise. I say this because your body may utilize insulin differently throughout the day, but with shots you can’t necessarily control what you have on board. So practicing during the same time frame (if possible w/ your normal daily schedule of course) will take out one more variable from the equation. For example, if you practice getting your numbers stable on rides or runs every afternoon, but then you get ready for the Tour, your body may handle your insulin and the glucose you consume much differently in the morning hours, so it could take you off of your “A game”, no matter how much you had practiced.
The power bar you ate would help some, but it’s not going to be as quick acting as a gel or fluid (powerade/gatorade/etc) will be…so you could try eating that power bar before the ride (as it’s going to release throughout the ride) and then you can adjust your glucose w/ faster acting carbs while you’re in the middle of the activity if you need to.
Good luck w/ the Endo appointment, and have fun at the Tour!!