Running with Type 1

[caspararemi]

Hi all,
I've recently taken up running as a way to keep fit and hopefully lose a little weight (I don't need to lose much, just a kilo or two from around the edges!). I've got a 10k run coming up this summer, which I'm aiming to do in around an hour.

At the moment my training hasn't been for more than 30 minutes at a time, but I'll be building up on this ahead of the event.

My question is - does anyone else run and what do you do to prevent hypos?

I get very good warning signals, but I'm worried that if they come on while running, I won't feel the difference between being hypo and just being knackered!

I suppose the answer is going to be to test, test, test, but it's the one thing that's been playing on my mind as I train.

I have a 'running belt', which is a bit like a very slim bum bag, where I keep my keys and other essentials (office pass when i run from work, oyster card if i'm running around London and not sure if i'll need to get a bus/tube home or not!), so I can carry dextrose energy tables in that. I also usually have a banana before I run, and always eat soon after, even if it's just a smoothie.

I think my current plan for the hour long sessions is to test immediately before, half an hour in, and then right at the end. I think by the time I move onto longer races (10k is just the beginning!) I'll have worked out how it affects me and whether insulin needs reduced on long run days etc!

Any advice from experienced runners would be appreciated. Thanks!

 

[cugila]

Nobody answered as yet......here is some info about Diabetes and Running that might help you out until some runners jog by ........ :wink:

http://runsweet.com/Running.html

Ken

 

[phoenix]

You seem to be doing all the right sort of things and the runsweet site mentioned by Ken is a excellent source of info.
A couple of other things to be aware of :
the timing of your last meal/insulin, running when insulin is still at it's peak is more likely to cause problems
reducing the insulin at the meal following a run as many peoples levels fall 5-6 hours after exercise.

We are all very different and many people aim to raise their glucose levels before a run.
For me this doesn't work. If I am lowish immediately before running I may eat something like half of a low gi cereal bar. Nevertheless at 20-30 mins my glucose levels will fall. It doesn't seem to matter how high I was when I started, or if I ate something before I start ;my glucose levels plumet. Now I take a glucose tab at 20 minutes without bothering to test. This 20 min fall still happens now, even though I have a pump and use a reduced basal rate for running.
When I was on injections I then had to keep topping up with single glucose tabs every 20-30 mins (until a couple of hours when the pattern changed)

I normally feel hypos whilst running as a loss of energy, but in some ways it's more in my head than a physical thing. I feel disheartenend, think I can't do it, see a small hill as a mountain, I want to stop !

 

[caspararemi]

Thanks Phoenix,
I've not considered continuing to monitor for the hours afterwards to be honest, I've only ever looked immediately afterwards then got on with my day. I'm glad you pointed that out, I'll definitely start keeping an eye open to see if there's a pattern.

 

[rkeane]

Hi
I usually try and get my run in just after one of my main meals, whether its breakfast, lunch or dinner.I don't like having to eat more just to exercise. Defeats the purpose really! It's usually after dinner due to my work routine and I usually half my insulin before my 40 min run. After it my levels ae around 8 an I just have to be careful to eat something before bed as I can easily hypo in the night. At the weekends, I tend to go for my run in the morning and it took me quite a while to figure out insulin. Again I half the amount of insulin but have to have an extra piece of fruit or carb to keep my blood sugars level throughout my exercise session. I don't know why I need extra carbs with my morning exercise but just make sure you do reduce your insulin or increase your carbs. Also each meal has different carbs so be careful with thatwhen adjusting your insulin dosage. Goodluck