So I'm really excited. I signed up for my first 5k EVER! It's a "Go Dirty Girl" mud race/obstacle course. I have a few months to prepare, but I've been hitting the gym 4x a week since last summer with cardio (I do all the fitness classes or elliptical) and weights. I just need to work on the whole running thing. :) I'm also probably starting an insluin pump in the next few weeks. Does anyone have any experience with running a mud race and using a pump? I'm thinking I'll probably have to take it off for the race?! What is the best way to carb-load before a 5k without feeling like you want to throw up half-way through?
I am not sure if this will work for you, but you may want to consider an aquapac insulin pump case used for swimming? http://www.insulincase.com/Aquapac-WaterProof-Insulin-Pump-Case-P608.aspx. I think it would keep your pump clean and dry while you are running. The belt strap it comes on is about 2 inches wide and a little bulky. I am not sure if you would have issue with this. You could also remove the belt strap and stick the aquapac and pump in your pocket or elsewhere.
I would also tape down your infusion site really well to keep it cleaner.
i dont have any advice but i am so excited for you! youre going to have such a great time!
Good luck on it :) Ok, firstly I can't run, so can't advise on that and won't! But coming from a biking stand point, and being relatively new to a pump (less than a year) I can throw a few things in.
When I got the pump I did have a fair bit of retraining on dose handling though. It's probably going to be harder for you as I doubt you will be carrying a large stock pile of high carb drinks as it's possible to do on a bike. But looking at my training readings off a combined data from a CGM sensor and testing (CGM can't totally be trusts as it's glucose in the fat layer as opposed to the blood tester, but is great to show trends), and discussions with my dieticians it was possible to work out a carb dose for so much riding/exercise. In my case it turned out an insane or so I originally thought 10g per 15mins approx (to carry enough liquid with that kind of dose I ended up using things far stronger than normal off the shelf energy drinks, the mix your own things to get this kind of potency, although I believe fitness level also plays a part in how much will be needed). But that was after the first hour or so. The first hour or two depending on ride out, I was coping quiet nicely off a nice stack up on porridge or some longer burning food. After that though it was pretty much drip feeding the carb drinks till a food stop, which even then only provided energy bars/oaty Cliff Bar things which gave a steady supply for the rest of the ride.
Blood wise, depending on delays at the start I find the beginning of events the hardest with BG raising to the 9mmol's (say 160 ish) or even scraping a 10 (180). I found short dosing (say 25% of normal dose for the food) before the event was good. But, the best bit is where the pump really comes in with the basal dose during the event. Unlike my old days with injection, having total control over the basal is fantastic and being able to set that to 10-20% of normal usage while riding gives just the tiny dose to keep everything working nicely. And the food working as intended, but giving the stability to keep on ploughing in the miles.
I know my pump which is a Medtronic Paradigm isn't meant to be properly waterproof, but find a zip lock bag works wonder for that and stashing it down your shirt even in serious monsoon weather that's bouncing it keeps things going. On the cannula side a waterproof patch over it works brilliantly also. So weather wise (for water anyhow so mud should be ok) can usually cope fairly nicely and cheaply without having to buy expensive cases and such from the manufacturers.
The biggest thing is getting a pump as soon as possible and banging in lots of practice which you are doing already in the gym, but also on possibly similar terrain to gather as much information as possible. Information is the key, as everyone of us is different on how we burn our energy reserves and what will need to be done to basal to keep things smooth.
I seem to be wittering on endlessly here :) So I'll shut up now. Good luck on the 5k :)
Thank you! Very helpful. I'm SO looking forward to the pump! And it sounds like your bike rides are much longer than a 5k, so hopefully I'll have that going for me as far as having enough carbs goes.
Can sometimes be out riding for a good 6-8hrs some times so keeping fuel levels sustained for a long time gets the interesting part. Found the move from my old long acting insulin to only using quick acting on the pump to handle basal as the main thing. None of the hassle I used to have with thinking two days a head to drop my basal down before an event or something so it wouldn't keep dragging my levels down. It's now just a couple of button clicks and off I go. You will love it :) It's just the relearning how your body reacts to what you've ate and the basal levels for the duration of the exercise and how much it's pulling on you which will be the biggest annoyance. I was fuming for weeks when I got the pump due to the constant hypo's when doing simple rides till I figured out a nice setting for the basal. Food wise I am a great believer in porridge or muesli before an event as it's just a nice slow burner for carbs. Something else to watch out for is your liver deciding to get involved and play silly things with your levels.
Just found this thread and wanted to add a bit...If you're talking a regular mud run then you are probably good with the aquapac deal and carrying it where you want...(I just ordered one not long ago and have to test it out soon) Big thing is just that, test it out!! Pack it with some tissue and an old tube coming out and put it underwater to make sure it is watertight like you expect.
If you're talking more of an adventure/obstacle mud run (warrior dash) then there are some other things to consider. I ran a handful of these races last summer with my CGM sensor still on and found that it was pretty much a given that it was going to pull off at somepoint, usually climbing over water obstacles. I haven't done one on a pump yet (first is in June) but I'm thinking of lots of tape, and using the thick belt on the aquapac to help hold everything to me! Plus you can find small electronics "dry bags" that are basically strong ziploc bags. Many have a reinforced hole in them that you can use a carabiner to clip a CGM to the same belt so you have it with you too....then double ziploc some glucose tabs or glucose gel and carry it in your hand/pocket.
Oh...and double up on glucose you carry and put it in different pockets, Had both my tubes drop out of my pocket underwater 3/4 of the way through a Warrior dash last summer when I had them kept together, never again!!
As for carb loading, I do a protein powder milk drink just before the start that really helps me slow down the drop in BG, but that's just what I found works for me after lots of testing, as usual...everyone's different!
Thanks! I did the run at the end of April and did carb load before but I noticed right before I was at a "normal" range and freaked out a bit. Thank goodness I had some icing in my pocket which got me through just fine. I ended up not wearing my pump at all which was good because mud went EVERYWHERE. I had my dad hold it for me and I taped up my site with tegederm. It kept it dry and clean. I don't wear a cgm but if I did I think I would remove it too (next time). It was so fun and I'm glad I did it!