A local sports store sponsored a 5k in town this weekend, the first we’ve had here for awhile. Turn out was pretty good, about 500 runners and walkers. I hope it becomes an annual event.
I decided to run to the starting line as a way of warming up. Stupidly I didn’t pull up a map to calculate the distance which I guessed to be a little more than a mile, but which turned out to be 1.7 miles. Yikes!! I arrive three minutes before the starting horn.
I finished 191, about mid pack with a time of 30:49. Disappointing, but consistent with my past times at that distance. I was 8th in the OFD (Old Farts Division) and would have been 7th if I could only have caught the OF who passed me in the last quarter mile . . . may he acquire the worst case of athlete’s foot ever.
BG wise I awoke 1.5 hour before the race at 255. Too high. Had my regular breakfast which included only 15 grams of carbs and cut my bolus back 1 unit in anticipation of the race. I was feeling sluggish at the beginning of the race, but when I checked my levels I was 125. Hmm - must have been my ‘warm up’. Checked again at the turn around - 89. Uh-oh, not low, but a clear downward trend, and a fast one, too. So I popped three glucose tablets and pushed on. I was just over 90 at the finish of the race, but went low - 50 - on the walk home, about an hour later.
Coupla things to consider: I’ve run two marathons but this is my first 5k. Was the excitement a contributing factor to my dropping bg? Unlikely, since stress usually means an increase in bg.
The total run was only 1.7. miles longer than my standard run. I should probably have cut my bolus further OR should have adjusted my basal when I bolused OR upped my carb intake. I considered changing my basal but didn’t do it because the run was a standard distance for me, and I don’t usually adjust my basal for it. Next time, I’ll consider it.
The fact is I entered the race pretty much on a whim and should have planned better. It was not a disaster, BG wise, but I could have done better.
Your thoughts? Anyone have a recent racing tale?