If I test during a race, I usually just test and walk. If I come up low, I usually just treat it with carbs. I've never stopped a run because of a low. I just eat and go. A few times I've sprinted to help boost my BG but I've only done that on training runs.
I've found that about 8-12G of carbs/ 3 miles seems to cover things. I usually seem to do ok with 8-12G of carbs/ 3-5 miles, which is not super precise. I have a CGM and a pump so it's pretty easy to keep an eye on things and turn my basal up and down as needed. In many cases, I have it turned up before races as I seem to run higher from adrenaline, etc. A big race like a marathon can get pretty crazy mentally beforehand and it seems to spill over into my BG.
I like to start and finish with my BG at 100, for a target, it doesn't always work out that way but is fun to aim for. For a marathon, I'll eat a Gu packet of some sort around 17-20 miles, like a meal, to help get me to the end of the race. Chicago is the only marathon I've run and there's all sorts of munchies along the way, fruit, pretzels, bananas (yuck...), beer, etc. plus all of the gatorade stations. I usually have a couple of bags of Smartie Beans with me but save those for "emergencies" and just eat the race stuff for nutrition as a I go along. In 2012, I flew up really high (ate plus adrenaline...) and didn't add any carbs until around 17 miles into it but then I ate a Gu and forgot to cut the bolus so I kept hitting carbs until the end of the race and still ended up at like 68 or something like that, which was ok as they have beer, chips, etc. at the finish line. Training runs are a bit more challenging as you sort of have to lug carbs with you but it's part of the challenge.
acid, thanks for answering my questions. it is amazing that you start out at 100. did you use to run when you did mdi and if you did, did you start out higher? i dont know if its possible for me to try to start out that low unless i gave myself less long-acting the night before. thanks again!
LOL,I don't always start at 100 but, if I do, I've found I can have like a glass of skim milk, crank off 3 miles and get home c. 80. The CGM bleeps a "high" alert at like a mile and then a low alert in the home stretch which, for me is perfect. If I run farther (ok, not that much these days...:-( ), I lug along some beans and have a few at "the turn", about 3 miles out and it works out ok too. If I run really fast, I will cross the line into anaerobic and then my BG will fly up, like 130ish but that's ok. I agree I wouldn't start that low on MDI or I would ccver the run with food. It will probably help a lot if you can lug your meter along and test. There was this company RaceReady, that sold shorts that had a big, mesh pocket across the butt that would hold a meter but, the last time I went to their site, it seemed dead. I hope it's just temporary as mine have seen me through a couple of marathons now and are a bit threadbare.
Do you guys find you stay level or your BGs actually rise if you run in the morning pre-breakfast? That's definitely my experience, I guess based on a dawn phenomenon. It's kind of nice, I leave the house at 100 and get home at around 125, with no glucose tabs having to be consumed to keep my BGs stable, and with basal insulin flowing the whole time.
Mornings are always interesting that way. I pretty much only run races or long training runs as the local running store has a group training thing for marathons (Chicago...) and we blast off at 6:30. I try to get up at 4:00 or so to have time to eat and clear out most of the IOB from a light breakfast but I still see my BG flying up so I just run until it comes down before I dig into my snacks or whatever.
