Type 1 - couch to 5k

Different people have different approaches such as starting exercise with a higher blood sugar.
I tried this but found I was sluggish at the start which put a strain on my body which caused my levels to rise further.
In contrast starting on a normal/lower level resulted in a hypo.

Therefore, I found the best approach for me is to add some dilute squash/juice to my water bottle to sip as I go along and maintain my levels.
Be aware, levels are likely to drop after exercise so you may need to top up with some extra carbs or reduce your basal for the next 24 to 48 hours. I was advised to reduce my basal by 20% the day/night after exercise and found this worked well for me.

Unfortunately, it will take some trial and learning. Plus, as we get fitter, the way our body reacts to exercise may adapt. So you may need to adjust your approach as you get further from your couch and nearer your 5K.

I tend to have a banana or something about an hour before I run and that usually keeps me going. Monitor your sugars afterwards as you may get a post-exercise dip; I also need to reduce my next bus injection as a result

As others have said, it’s a bit of trial and error - even after 30+ years of being a T1, still is!

Couch to 5k is a brilliant way to start off - get to know how your body responds to exercise and this helps you do it slowly and build up, it's how I started running as I was quite scared of how I would react but it becomes more intuitive over time and you think less about the t1d and more about doing a bit more or just simply enjoying the run, my advice is to ensure you don't have any quick acting insulin on board when you go out as this can cause a BG crash, keep levels above 9 mmol/l but not above 12 mmol/l so you have a good buffer and carry glucotabs. I wear a bum bag with mine but they are easy to carry when running. Realistically levels aren't doing to drop massively if your only out for 15-20 mins to start if you don't have any quick acting on board, also note that we can respond differently to exercise from morning vs evening, personally I go low at night time runs that go over 40-50 mins but can run for a good hour in the mornings without seeing significant BG changes. Also monitor using a CGM if your using one - it's perfect for allowing us to run without stopping.

Good luck with your runs. don't let the odd hypo phase you, personally running for me is liberating as I feel free from t1d when i run, also try your local park run out too, your can run/walk there but it's nice to be around others too, I sometimes see the odd t1d which is really good too and nice to share running stories.

Juicyj said:

keep levels above 9 mmol/l but not above 12 mmol/l so you have a good buffer

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This is really interesting.
I still clearly remember a piece of paper I was given when I was first diagnosed about what to do about blood sugar levels and exercise.
It said something like
- if your levels are below 4, do not exercise
- if you levels are between 4 and 7, eat about 10 to 15g slow acting carbs before exercising
- if your levels are between 7 and 9, go for it
- if your levels are above 9, correct and do not exercise

I know my body is very sluggish above 9 so exercising at that level would put a strain on my body causing my levels to rise higher.

As I said, it is interesting to read how other people manage exercise and is another example of how we are all different.

Juicyj said:

my advice is to ensure you don't have any quick acting insulin on board when you go out as this can cause a BG crash

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Absolutely. I could not agree more.
It is probably why the advice I remember was not to exercise if over 9 because I would need to correct and end up with iob.

Brookemurph said:

Thanks for the advice everyone! how much time would pass for it to count as no insulin on board?

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Usually assume 4 hours for fast acting insulin

I started Parkrun just over three years ago and my Hba1c has significantly improved. I recently completed my 100th Parkrun and have even done several 10 k and even a half marathon. I have a pump and Dexcom. My pump goes to exercise 1 hr before I run and I aim for a BG of about 8 before I start. I always have OJ and fruit pastilles with me as a precaution. I have now been type 1 for almost 40 yrs. exercise always helps.