By Patrick Mertes
As I prepare for my very first Tour de Cure, I’ve found myself running into many of the same challenges I’ve faced with other endurance activities. Before ever hopping onto the bike I do a quick self-check-- asking myself the same series of questions each time:
1. What’s my blood sugar at currently?
2. How does that number compare to the last time I checked?
3. How much insulin do I have on board?
4. What are my basal rates looking like?
5. When’s the last time I’ve eaten? What kind of food was it?
Every so often, the stars will align perfectly in my favor and I will be ready to ride right off the bat. More times than not, however, some fine (sometimes major) tuning will be required before I can get on the road.
In an ideal world, I’ve scheduled out the time of day I plan on exercising. Prior to this time, I’ve (hopefully) been able to recognize a predictable trend with my sugars. I’ve avoided a heavy meal bolus and began cutting back my basals about an hour ahead of “go-time.”
In a more realistic world, I’ve recognized a break in my schedule about 30 minutes ahead of time and a lot more “math” is required (more on this method in a later post).
Ultimately, my brief training for Tour has been a pleasurable experience. I can’t wait to be in good company come May 16th and 17th.
The blood glucose logs, thoughts, and experiences of a type 1 diabetic husband, father, dad of a type 1, speaker, author, & endurance mountain bike competitor.
