I'm Ba-aaack

Now it will be interesting if anyone notices!

Since my last post in May of 2009 I've completed 3 marathons. The two immediately after The Flying Pig were Columbus (2009) and New York City (2010). The Flying Pig was a personal best on a difficult course, so I was confident I'd run a great race in Columbus. It wasn't my day. I ran a personal worst 3:48:55, then followed that up in NYC in 2010 with a new personal worst in 3:51:47. So after running my first three marathons and getting a personal best in each, I had these two subpar performances. Back to the drawing board I ran the 2011 Louisville Marathon, and did finish with a new PR, 3:29:38, not quite what I was shooting for, but a PR none-the-less.

I'm now working with the AMAZING Missy Foy, and per her recommendation I've signed up for 2 marathons in the fall, the Marine Corps Marathon and California International Marathon. I will only be running one of these, and that depends on when Missy and I think that I'm peaking. Missy is well known in Diabetic Running circles as she's the only diabetic I'm aware of that has qualified for the Olympic trials. She is amazing to work with and has helped me immensely.

On the diabetes front, thankfully not much has changed. My last A1C was 5.9, I've been recording my numbers on index cards recently, and I've noticed much more consistent numbers. I'm anxiously awaiting Medtronic's update on the sensor that has gained approval in the EU. I think I'm building up some pretty nice scar tissue in my abdomen from the harpoon like insertion for the current sensor. Here's to the FDA wrapping this one up quickly!

That is all for now, I'm going to try my best to update on a regular basis, please check back soon.

Flying Pig Marathon 2009

Race Day

I slept horrible and woke up at 3:45am, with a blood sugar reading of 67. I ate two English muffins with Peanut Butter & Jelly and took my normal Bolus minus the correction. At about 5:40 I left my house for the 1.5 mile walk to the start line. About half way there I checked my blood sugar 125, and I started eating a protein bar with about 24 carbs, and Bolused for half. I washed this down with a small bottle of water. I arrived at the start line around 6:00am, and I spoke to the 3:20 pacer then left for my visit to the Porta-Pot. Without getting into the specifics, this was my second “failure” of the day, and I would pay for this later. The temperature was in the mid 50’s and there was a very light drizzle. Even though 55 is a decent, I would have much preferred 45, especially after training in temps ranging from 0 – 55 degrees. The rain also added a touch of humidity to the air.

I arrived back to the start line around 6:27 with little time to spare. The first few miles were easy, but not as easy as they should have been. Around mile 5 my stomach started to rumble. Through 6.8 miles I was at an 8:02 pace. I was shooting for a 7:49 pace, which was fine because the hills were almost over. Unfortunately my stomach was still bothering me and I knew a Porta-Pot stop was inevitable. Around Mile 12 I finally gave in and stopped, I was in and out (of the Porta-Pot) in less than a minute, and felt much better.

I crossed the half-way point in 1:44:13, a little disappointing, but considering the circumstances, I was satisfied. I thought if my stomach would cooperate I could finish with a negative split. Unfortunately around the 15 mile mark, I started to feel the rumble again, and again I tried to put it off. Around mile 16 I started to feel nauseous / light headed, wasn't quite sure what was going on, so I decided to check my blood sugar. As I was running I pulled my meter out and continued going. My CGMS had me at 145 and the finger stick showed 180. This gave me peace of mind and the nausea passed. Unfortunately my stomach didn't cooperate and I succumbed to the Porta Pot at mile 18, unfortunately this stop was a little longer. When I came out, I saw that the 3:30:00 pacer had passed me by. The rest of the way I tried to reign him in, but I wasn’t able to close the distance. I finished in 3:30:20.

What I learned.

First off, it wasn’t my day. Next marathon, I’m going to eat the carb (heavy) meal 2 nights before the marathon, and eat something more “simple” the night before. I would like to get up and eat breakfast 4 hours before the marathon, but for a 6:30am start, that is awfully difficult. This was my third marathon. My first was the ‘07 Marine Corps 3:40:06, I didn’t know what to expect, and my biggest goal was to finish. My second was ’08 Chicago 3:35:06, and I think I would have fared much better if it weren’t for the dreaded heat. The Flying Pig Marathon was definitely the toughest course of the 3, and I did manage an almost 5 minute PR.

What’s to come?

I’m still very hungry and think that a BQ is definitely in my future. I have signed up for the Columbus Marathon on October 18^th. This will be a much “friendlier” course, and one that I think I will really enjoy. I don’t think it’s out of the question to shoot for a 3:20:00 or maybe even a 3:15:00, which the ladder would qualify me for the 2011 Boston Marathon. I'll keep trying till I get that "Perfect" day, where I get great weather, a great course, and I feel great.

Race Day Chart of Blood Sugars

Unfortunately I haven't been able to attach the PDF to this post, but during the race my number kept within the 100 - 190 range. Though I'm not happy with my race result, this control is VERY satisfying!

Taper Madness

I'm tapering...so I have many things to think about, which for me, is not good. On Saturday my "coach" asked me what my race plan was, which really got me thinking. My "goal" time is 3:20:00, my "stretch goal" is 3:18:00, and my "satisfied goal" is 3:25:00. I really feel like I'm trained well enough to run a 3:20:00, though there are SO many variables that can come into this. My plan is to run the first half in 1:42:30 (7:49 / mile). This will help me get through the hills which are for the most part, over at the 8.5 mile mark. Then I can gradually "step on the gas" and finish the second half in 1:37:30 (7:28 / mile). Diabetes "plan" during the Marathon I will carry 4 packs of Clif Shot Blocks with me out on the course, and I will give one pack to my girlfriend for an emergency. Race starts at 6:30, so I will be up at3:30-4 am to start my day. I want to get everything "taken care of" before I walk out my door at 5:30 (I live about 2 miles from the start). I will be carrying a meter and strips along with me, but do not plan on using them during the race, I rely soley on my CGMS . HEAT. I was starting to worry that we were going to skip Spring and go right into Summer. My Saturday morning run was miserable, and I've been watching the forecast rather close. The current forecast is showing a high of 70 and a low of 49, with a chance of showers. Not perfect, but close to ideal. In preparation for Sunday I'm trying to get to bed earlier, and trying to drink 100 oz. of water a day. Fall Marathon Unfortunately I was not chosen as a Global Hero for Medtronic. I really wanted to run the Twin Cities Marathon, but now I feel a bit of bitterness, and I'm looking at other options. If everything goes right this will be a BQ attmept, so I'd like to run a "fast" course. Any thoughts would be appreciated. Another caveat is that I want to run NYC, but just to enjoy the sights, I will not be racing NYC. So, I would like to have atleast a few weeks separation between NYC and my BQ attempt. Happy Running & Blood Sugars!

Catching Up!

I woke up Sunday morning (3/29) and went to 7am mass. It was bone dry and about 45F, perfect running weather. I come out of church at 8am and it's raining and gusty, Grrrrr! So being the borderline OCD person I am, I debate in my head for the next hour on what I should wear. I had shorts on, then I decided to put pants on (over top of the shorts mind you), with a long sleeve T and a vest. We parked downtown at about 9:30, and for whatever reason I didn't shed the pants and vest?? My plan was to split the race into 3 5k races getting progressively faster. Well, considering I was burning up after 1 mile, I had a disappointing race. It was a 15k, and I PR'd, with a time of 1:10:13 (a 7:32 pace), I was shooting for a 1:05:00 or so. We'll get 'em next year! On Thursday April 2nd, I had my quarterly appointment with Doctor Parilo. My A1C was 6.2, though I'm happy with that number, I know there is room for improvement. This may hurt me more than it helps me because when I'm not "perfect" it bothers me. I like to look at my CGM chart on my pump and see a straight line on about 105, unfortunately this doesn't happen much. I spent the usual 45 minutes with Doc Parilo, and talked about everything in my life, much more than Diabetes. One of the many reasons he is the best Doc out there, see Diabetic Queen, for confirmation on this! On Sunday April 5th I concluded my week with 53.38 miles. I hit a small blip there in early to mid March with a hip issue, but that seems to have subsided. I'm feeling pretty good. Here is a breakdown of my training for the week of 3/30. Monday - 6 miles Easy Tuesday - 3 x 2 mile at 7:20 - 7:25 pace Wednesday - OFF Thursday - 8 mile Tempo at GMP (7:35-7:40) Friday - OFF Saturday - 18 mile run wit miles 14-17 at GMP (7:35-7:40) Sunday - 8 miles Easy The key run of the week was the 8 tempo, and it went great!

In a Groove

Things are starting to really fall in line for my training.  With the help of Dr. Todd Elwert, and my "coach"  Luke Humphrey, and last but not least the wonderful Dr. Miguel Parilo, I can see the light at the end of the proverbial tunnel. Dr. Elwert as provided me with many new methods of stretching in order to get these hamstrings of mine "unstrung".  3 weeks ago, my hamstrings were extremely tight.  Last night on my 2 x 3 mile, other than being extremely tired, I barely noticed my hamstrings.  As for my coach, I've come a long, long way in the last year, and there's no way I could have done it without him.  I can't talk about my success running without mentioning Dr. Parilo and his team, it is Paramount to my success to have his involvement.  With each new week I'm setting new personal records for distance.  With this, I have had to constantly tweak my basal rates, constantly lowering with the increase in miles.  

This weekend I will get a chance to see where I stand as I'm running the Heart Mini Marathon, this will mark my 5th Heart Mini.  I plan to PR, and I'm hoping to set the tone for a great Flying Pig.

Cautiously Optimistic

So, I did the exercises with the Pilates bands last night (50), this morning (50), lunch (50), and before my run tonight (50).  It was my best (pain free) run in weeks.  

A big part of running is staying healthy or avoiding injury.  Any runner goes through minor aches and pains, and the serious injuries usually start as minor ones.  The last couple of weeks this hipt thing has been nagging me like a streak of "bad" blood sugar readings.  I CAN'T STAND EITHER OF THEM!  Struggling with an injury gives me anxiety in the same way unexplainable high blood sugar readings do.  You will do anything to try and correct it, and try to look back on what you've done different to cause the result.  I will continue to do these exercises, as long as it keeps the hip pain away.  The Pig is 7 weeks from Sunday!

Hurting

Sunday marks 7 weeks to the marathon. Unfortunately, I'm hurting.  It's my right hip / quad.  Some days it's the hip, some days it's the quad?  It actually gets better as I run, but never completely goes away.  I'm 90% sure it's not a stress fracture.

My blood sugars have been pretty good, no major complaints in that department.  I've actually been having some serious issues with my Transmitter on the CGMS.  The problem is that I can't keep a signal between my pump and transmitter for more than 2 hours.  I've been on the phone with the help line, and they tell me that everything checks out ok.  But I'm sure something is wrong, I talked to my WONDERFUL Medtronic nurse, and she has loaned me a transmitter.  Voila!  I haven't lost a signal in over 2 weeks.  I'm working on getting  a new one from Medtronic. I spoke to them today and it sounds like I've been approved (probably b/c my initial sensor came from the money out of my pocket)!  Anywho, I should be getting my new sensor in the next couple of weeks.

I went by the local running store here in Newport, KY this evening, and told them of the issues of my hip.  Ann, the guru there gave me some exercises to do in order to strengthen the area.  So, immediately after I spoke to her, I was off to Target to buy some Pilates bands.  I did 50 exercises with each leg, and I will tomorrow.  Hopefully my pain will subside!

I've made a promise to myself, to start posting atleast.......once a week.  I'm going to try like hell to get something in.  Even though I don't think it's important to anyone else, I know how I feel when I go to the other blogs and nothing is updated.