7/19/2020- Run

Exploration run

Part three

  • 6:01 am, BG: 120, Set temp target
  • 6:45 am, BG: 139, Start run
    • Mile 0.5, 2g carb
    • Mile 3.5, 2g carb
  • ~7:25 am, BG: 94, Lake break/meditation, 6g carb (15-20 mins or so)
    • Mile 6.5, 2g carb
  • 8:15 am, BG: 77, End run, 0.2 U correction, End temp target
  • 8:42 am, BG: 81, ~30 Minutes Post Workout

This morning I had planned a mid-distance run, so I set a temp target even though I anticipated I might get a dawn phenomenon spike. I had barely started my run when I noticed my BGs were already trending down. Since I was planning on 7-8 miles, I had 2 jelly beans, even though I was just a half a mile in. I was still trending down three miles later so I had a couple more jelly beans. Then at the turnaround I stopped for a bit to take in the view, meditate and check in on what automode had actually given me in terms of basal earlier in the morning. This way I could more accurately predict what might happen and manage more effectively. Turns out that from 5 am-6 am I got my full basal, then between 6 am-7 am, I still got a significant amount despite setting my temp target (see pick dots on my graph below). More insulin + more activity = more carbs to stay stable. Since I was only half way done, I had 6 more jelly beans to try to get me through the rest of my run. About a mile and a half from home, I was dropping faster than I would like, so I had 2 more jelly beans to prevent a post run low and waited until I was done running to end my temp target. It worked out pretty well and I only dropped to 73 at my lowest post-run. Success!

Today’s “exploration run” took me from our new home to the lake and back. Okay, so I might have known where I was going today as opposed to it being a true exploration run! It was a hot one and I was a sweaty mess by the time I was done, just under 8 miles total. When I got to the lake, I just knew I had to take a few minutes to sit by this huge willow tree and take in the view. It was so beautiful and peaceful! I know a lot of runners that get so stuck on hitting times or mileage that they forget it’s supposed to be fun too!

Enjoy the run, enjoy the moment!

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FAQs

When you put your life out there, in public, often people reach out and ask questions. Here are some of the things I’ve been frequently asked, in case you might be wondering the same thing.

Do you listen to anything while you run/workout?

If I’m lifting, I usually listen to music (especially if I’m working out at home). If I’m riding my bike on the trainer, I’ll usually listen to an audiobook or podcast. Usually when I’m running, I don’t listen to anything. I get lost in my own thoughts, think about running or what my next move to keep my blood sugar stable will be. I consider listening to something “cheating” somewhat because it distracts you from what you’re feeling. You lose the benefit of toughening your mind if you’re always listening to something and you lose the opportunity for a meditative workout.

How old are you?

Well that depends on when you stumble upon this post but I was born in November of 1987 so, at the time of writing (July 2020) I’m 32.

What kind of insulin are you on?

Humalog, currently. I’ve also used Novolog and Lantus previously.

What system do you use to manage your T1?

The Medtronic 670G & Guardian Continuous Glucose Meter

What do you have your high & low pump alarms set at?

During the day 70-120, at night it’s 75-140. I know this might seem like my pump would be alarming all the time but I believe that if it will alarm at 120, I can fix it and it might hit 150-160 before the insulin takes effect. If I wait until 150 to correct a high, it might hit 180  before coming back down. If I have  my high alert set to 180, like I did when I was first diagnosed, you’ll end up going out of normal range pretty frequently. I can also typically fix an oncoming high pretty quickly with a walk  around the block. For me, it’s faster than insulin and isn’t affecting me (and potentially causing a low) two hours later. On the low end, I can easily bump a lower BG (in the 70s) up to an 80 or 90 with a smartie or jelly bean or two to prevent a low. I keep these fast acting but low carb sweets on me pretty much at all times. 

What kind of tape do you use?

Sugar patch! Love them! I’m allergic to everything else I’ve tried so far.

Are you a personal trainer?

I’m not but my husband, Marty, is a personal trainer. I am a licensed massage therapist, primarily working with athletes doing sports massage as a side hustle. This experience has provided me with an in-depth knowledge of muscular anatomy and kinesiology and being a lifelong athlete doesn’t hurt!

When were you diagnosed?

On June 9, 2017 at age 29. I ended up in the hospital with DKA and the ER nurse  called up to the ICU and said, “You won’t believe this girl! She is textbook T1. Checks every box in terms of symptoms, but she is 29!?!?! How weird is that?” I now know a bunch of  people diagnosed later in life and much older than I was but I totally blew the mind  of that ER nurse. 🙂

What do you eat?

I get some form of this question more than any other! Honestly, there are very few things I don’t eat. Unfortunately, this answer is so long to actually get into detail, it will have to be its own post. More to come on this topic in a future post!

I hope that you find this to be helpful and maybe even a little bit fun. If you have any questions here that I missed, let me know and I’ll do my best to answer them.

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The content on this site is not intended to be medical advice. Always consult your doctor before beginning a fitness regimen or adjusting your diabetes management strategy.

7/14/2020- Run

Exploration run

Part two

  • 6:46 am, BG: 157, Start run
    • 1g carb @ mile 2.5
    • 1g carb @ mile 3
    • 1g carb @ mile 3.5
    • 2g carb @ mile 4
  • 7:34 am, BG: 93, End run, 1 U correction
  • 8:04 am, BG: 120, 30 Minutes Post Workout

Today I went out for another easy explore-the-new-town run. Ended up with about 5 miles, and today the weather was perfect, low 60s and a gentle breeze. There are a few small hills right near our new place but the route today was mostly flat.

When I woke up this morning, I was at 107 so I started to leisurely get ready for my run. A few minutes later, I looked again five minute later and was already at 120. Oh the dawn phenomenon was going to be raging this morning! I started to get ready a bit more quickly and had already hit 157 by the time I ran out the door. About 2.5 miles in, I started to drop slightly and decided to have a jelly bean. I had one every half a mile after that since I began dropping pretty quickly. Then, when I finished, I immediately corrected and pre-bolused for breakfast knowing I had way too many carbs for uch a short run.

The timing worked though. Jelly beans are a quick spike and even if you over do them, they tend to come back down with insulin pretty easily (assuming you aren’t eating other things with them). They definitely aren’t the healthiest emergency food but at 1g carb per bean (jelly belly brand), they are great for micro-adjustments. Not to mention, it’s a fun surprise to see which flavor you get mid-run. Mile three today was buttered popcorn, (yuck!*) but I also got a green apple today, which I love! Overall, not a bad way to start the day!

*I mean, really does anyone actually like the buttered popcorn flavor?? :p

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7/13/2020- Run

Exploration 5k

New city/New route

  • 6:13am, BG: 137, 30 min temp target
  • 6:52 am, BG: 139, Start run
  • 7:24 am, BG: 114, End run
    • 7:30 am, BG: 99, 5g carb
  • 7:54 am, BG: 72, 30 Minutes Post Workout

We Moved!!!

So in case you missed the update, we moved from our home in the Philly suburbs to a new state! Our favorite place in the world, really! Getting to know a new town calls for some on-foot exploration. So today, I explored my new neighborhood with a quick morning 5k. Certainly wasn’t trying to break any speed records, just casually looking around and trying to get the vibe of our new neighborhood. I love it so far! It’s like we were built for the lake life!

Of course, just because things are new and exciting, it doesn’t mean I get a break from diabetes. My BGs have admittedly a bit wonky the past few days with the move. Whether it was the lack of sleep, the stress of driving a 26′ box truck for 4+ hours, moving and unpacking boxes or dealing with new unknown foods, it’s been challenging being out of my routine. After three days, I’m starting to adapt to the new routine and learning my new normal.

Of course with everything, my BGs didn’t act exactly the way I would have predicted on my run today. To be on the safe side, I set a temp target before my run. This way it would hit during my run and end before I started my run, since I wasn’t planning on going too far. During the run, I was fine but almost immediately after my run, I started dropping really quickly (see the 99 with 3 down arrows). Since I was dropping so fast and we were planning on taking Miles to the lake before breakfast, I had 5g of carbs* too make sure I wouldn’t go low. I also knew I would need a slight boost for playing with the boy and swimming in the lake**. Luckily, it worked out well! Without doing anything else, I had a nice steady line between 100-120 the entire time we were playing at the lake. I could get used to this! 🙂

*Jelly Belly jelly beans today! Yum! Definitely more carbs than I might normally have had in this situation but better safe than sorry.

**Miles is a Weimaraner, which is a German breed known for being high-energy, and great hunters and swimmers. Fun fact, Miles actually has webbed toes (so do all Weims)! Also, Miles HATES being wet… and is scared of choppy water. All of that being said, I’m determined to ‘break him’ until he loves the water. As a former competitive swimmer, I feel like it’s only right that my “swimming breed” pup ought to join me for swims in the lake (and enjoy them, of course)!

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The Medtronic 670G System

When I was first diagnosed in 2017, the Medtronic 670G closed loop system was the only FDA approved closed loop system. It was the latest and greatest diabetes technology. It was so highly recommended that I of course chose this system over other options. After using it for a few years, I can honestly say there are a lot of things I like about it and there are some drawbacks too.

For some background, this system is made up of the Medtronic 670G Insulin Pump and the Guardian Continuous Glucose Monitor. A closed loop system means the CGM “talks to the pump” and the pump will adjust your basal rate to help keep your blood sugar in range.

The Positives

  • I have fewer lows with the closed loop system then I did on MDI or in manual mode on the pump.
  • It keeps me pretty stable if I don’t have time to micromanage my BGs
  • Having a sensor taught me a lot about how things affect my blood sugar. This level of knowledge has been key to my BG management strategy and great A1c levels
How to change your infusion site on the 670G (video)

The Negatives

  • The algorithm doesn’t manage the dawn phenomenon well. 
    • It is not a predictive technology, it only reacts to what your BGs are doing.
    • Since the sensor reads the interstitial fluid, not actual blood, it runs about 15 minutes or so behind your actual blood readings. This means it is 15 minutes “behind” on all reactions.
  • The Guardian sensor isn’t the most accurate on the market (but it isn’t horrible either)
  • You can only see your sensor information on the pump itself and you can’t share it with anyone else.
  • The algorithm targets a BG reading of 120, which is a bit higher than I like mine and I tend to have more highs when it is in automode than if I manage it myself.
  • To reduce basal, you only have the option of setting a temp target to 150 in automode
  • In automode, the only way to bolus is to enter the number of carbs you’re eating. It doesn’t factor in fat or protein. As you probably know, 30 g of carbs in rice, hits differently than 30 g of carbs in pizza or 30 g of carbs in a salad with salmon.
  • I’m not convinced the pump is very durable. I have had 3 insulin pumps in a two year time frame because each of the first two had critical pump errors and they had to be replaced.
    • This also means the algorithm needed to “learn me” all over again with each replacement. Very frustrating!
How to change your Guardian sensor (video)

Even though there are more negatives than positives on my list, the positives still outweigh the negatives in terms of how much weight they hold.  When automode isn’t effective, I take it out of automode and manage blood sugar myself.  It’s similar to having any other pump/CGM (that isn’t looping). Also, for my friends on MDI, I prefer a pump because I can micro-dose and therefore micro-correct (small inputs=small mistakes). I started on MDI and the two times my pump failed and I had to go back to it while waiting for the new pump to come in. I’ll personally never go back to MDI unless I don’t have another option. MDI works for some though, so I’ll never knock something that works for someone. 

Final verdict: Good enough for now. There is a lot to be said for fewer lows and a somewhat hands off approach. If those are things you value, this could be a decent option. Also be on the lookout for the next version of this system (hopefully this year!). Rumor has it that they fixed a lot of the issues with this one in the new model.

Scott (and Jenny) from the Juicebox Podcast also did a whole episode on this system. Check it out here for even more on this!

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The content on this site is not intended to be medical advice. Always consult your doctor before beginning a fitness regimen or adjusting your diabetes management strategy.

7/8/2020- Run

Easy 5k

Family Run Time

  • 6:08 am, BG: 141, Start run
  • 6:39 am, BG: 106, End run
    • 7:03 am, BG: 80, 1/2g carb
  • 7:09 am, BG: 78, 30 Minutes Post Workout

Marty was going into work a bit later than normal today so we decided to go for a family run this morning. It was foggy, humid and hot but still a lot of fun. With all of the extra stress and chaos from the moving process, we all needed this one*!

I didn’t do anything special to manage my blood sugar before the run since it was another quick one this morning. I carried some jelly belly jelly beans (1g carb each), just in case but didn’t use them on the run. Towards the end of the run and just after, I started to drop pretty quickly but my numbers were still in a good place so I waited a minute to see what it would do. Around 7:03 am, I saw I was still dropping (but more slowly) so I had 1 smartie candy (1/2g carb) to prevent a low and avoid a spike before breakfast. I generally try not to drop below 70 but spiking before even a low carb breakfast could send me sky high really fast. 78, I’m good with though! Time to pre-bolus and eat! Happy hump day all!

*Yes, the move has been stressful for Miles too! Most of his toys are packed, lots of strange people have been in and out of the house and he has an irrational fear of cardboard boxes (which are everywhere right now)!

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The content on this site is not intended to be medical advice. Always consult your doctor before beginning a fitness regimen or adjusting your diabetes management strategy.

7/7/2020- Run

Quick Mile

with Miles

  • 7:09 am, BG: 126, Start run
  • 7:19 am, BG: 135, End run
  • 7:33 am, BG: 143, 2.1 U correction
  • 7:49 am, BG: 151, 30 Minutes Post Workout
  • 8:19 am, BG: 137, 60 Minutes Post Workout

So with my minimal number of daily workout posts recently, I feel like it’s time I mention why I’ve been too busy to post (but not too busy to workout, of course). Marty and I are moving to a new state. The past few weeks have been full of finishing up our responsibilities for our current jobs, selling our house, making arrangements for living in our new town, and packing, of course. This means quick, intense workouts because they are efficient and don’t take a ton of time. Today, that meant taking Miles for a quick one mile run. We’ll also go on walks throughout the day to keep him occupied and burn some energy.

Since it was just a quick run, I didn’t do anything special to manage my blood sugar. The run today wasn’t even enough to knock back the dawn phenomenon. When I continued to spike post-run, I gave myself a nice sized correction and breakfast pre-bolus. The game plan recently has been, “let automode handle it” so I can focus on more pressing priorities. This means I’m running a bit higher than normal, closer to averaging 120. I’ll be interested to see how these few week effect my next A1c! It’s not perfect technology but when it works, it sure can come in handy! There is definitely a benefit to being able to focus my attention on other things and allow my pump to keep me in range. 🙂

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So how do you make money?

Something you all probably don’t know about me is that I’m a closet personal finance nerd. I love geeking out on all things money and one of my favorite personal finance podcasts is Stacking Benjamins (don’t worry, it’s highly entertaining and you won’t learn anything!). When people call in there and ask about questions to ask when interviewing/evaluating potential financial advisors*, one they always recommend is…

“So, how do you get paid?”

In other words, “What’s your motivation?” or “What are you trying to sell me?”. I mean everyone needs to live and therefore earn a living, right? When I originally started this blog, WordPress made it super easy to turn on ad revenue, so I figured why not, all websites and blogs have them, right**? Then I saw this awesome post from Scott, the host of the Juicebox podcast (seriously, check out the Pro Tip series. It’s life changing!). 

It got me thinking about why I started blogging in the first place. When I was diagnosed with T1D, one of my first thoughts was, “I have to get back to running.” It took me a long time to find out that there were good T1 athlete resources out there. Most of what I learned initially was through self-experimentation and trial/error. Let me tell you, there were a lot of errors!

Even now, looking around, there is a lot of really good general information and rules of thumb for how to workout and keep blood sugar normal. However, the way my mind works, I want to see it in practice in real life. I’m not sure if anyone else is doing this but if so, I haven’t found them yet. So I’m offering up myself as that example for you all, because that is what I wanted when I was diagnosed (to see the “how” in practice). I don’t have it all figured out but hopefully you can learn from my mistakes, as I make them, right along with me. If I find good resources that help me, I’ll share them here in the hopes that they might help you too! 

Since that is my “mission” I’ve also realized that my mission is NOT to earn revenue from this blog. Since I have come to that conclusion, I’m removing the ads. They’re bullshit anyway and personally I hate seeing ads when I’m just trying to learn something (or anytime really). 

So all of that being said, you are probably still wondering how I make my money. Well, I work full time in human resources and I also make a little bit from my “side gig” as a licensed sports massage therapist***. In short, I don’t make money from this blog. I just hope that all of the time, effort and money that I spend on it (yes, there are some costs) allow it to become a helpful resource for someone****.

So from here on out, you won’t see ads here and if you see me talking about a product or resource you can know that it is because I’ve found them to be helpful and I’m not being paid to promote them. 

Also, if you know something that I’m missing or have a suggestion, feel free to reach out to me on social media and let me know. Again, I’m not claiming to be an expert but hopefully you’ll find that I’m pretty good at weeding through the bull and finding a few nuggets of useful information worth sharing.

* More on this here if you’re interested. 

**Even my favorite blog, https://www.mrmoneymustache.com has them. (I promise I’m not trying to convert you all into money nerds too).

***This is why I know a little bit about anatomy and kinesiology. Living with a personal trainer helps too!

****And it is quite possible that someone will actually just be me! 😉

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6/28/2020-HIIT

Lower Body

+ Abs

  • 7:57 am, BG: 100, Start Workout
    • 2 mile run
    • 50 Kettlebell swings
    • 50 Sandbag walking lunges
  • 8:21 am, BG: 120, 0.2 U Correction
    • 25 TRX Pike to knee tucks
    • 1 mile run
  • 8:50 am, BG: 131, 1.0 U Correction
    • 25 Kettlebell swings
    • 25 Sandbag walking lunges
    • 15 TRX Pike to knee tucks
    • 0.5 mile run
    • 15 Kettlebell swings
    • 15 Sandbag walking lunges
    • 10 TRX Pike to knee tucks
    • 0.5 mile run
    • 1 Rep push up challenge, 90 seconds
    • 0.5 mile run
  • 9:13 am, BG: 178, 1.3 U Correction & Pre-bolus
    • 0.3 mile walk
  • 9:23 am, BG: 175, End Workout
  • 9:50 am, BG: 135, 30 Minutes Post Workout

Today I pulled from a few different workouts, picked Marty’s brain and made this one up. I wanted some legs, abs and running incorporated. It was a good one and it was hot outside so the running and lunges were brutal! If you look at the photo above, you may notice that I did some extra running and walking today that I hadn’t originally planned at the beginning of my workout. That was 100% blood sugar related today.

Speaking of blood sugar, if you look at the first pump picture you can see one of the challenging things with automode. Last night we had guests over (masked and socially distanced) and I had three alcoholic beverages (with about 6g carb total) in the evening. Alcohol can lower blood sugar for up to 24 hours so a workout after a night of drinking can be a bit tricky. You can see my nice steady 70-100 overnight line and you can also see that my pump (targeting a BG of 120) didn’t give me any basal insulin for hours. On one hand I didn’t go low but the lack of basal combined with the dawn phenomenon was no match for the cardio included in my workout today.

I didn’t eat anything during my workout but my blood sugar steadily rose throughout today. So much so that I gave myself a few corrections and added in some extra running and walking. I started off pretty conservatively with my corrections because it was early in the workout and I was at a good number although trending up. When I was further into my workout, I noticed my BGs were still rising quickly and I was planning on 10g of carbs for breakfast so I did a more aggressive correction. Then towards the end of my workout when I realized that wasn’t going to be enough, I added in a mile of running and a 0.3 walk with the pup and corrected again and added a bit extra to pre-bolus breakfast. You can see in the last pump picture that it worked pretty well.

I honestly hate how I feel when my BGs are that high but as long as they aren’t elevated for a long period of time, I don’t stress about it. Just adjust, correct and keep it moving!

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Cheesy Garlic Biscuits

Low Carb Biscuits

(Or “muffins” if you’re talking to Marty)

Ingredients:

  • 1 1/2 c Almond Flour
  • 1 TBSP Baking powder
  • 1 TBSP Garlic powder
  • 1/4 tsp Salt
  • 2 Large Eggs
  • 1/2 c Two Good 2g yogurt
  • 4 TBSP Margarine/Butter, melted and cooled
  • 1/2 c Cheddar Cheese, shredded

Directions:

  1. Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F and lightly grease a muffin pan.
  2. In a large bowl, combine almond flour, baking powder, garlic powder, and salt
  3. In a separate small bowl, mix together the eggs, yogurt and butter. Add the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and combine.
  4. Mix in the cheddar cheese until completely incorporated. The batter will be thick.
  5. Scoop batter into the muffin tin, about 1/4 c of batter in each until all batter is used. If desired, you can top the batter with a little more garlic and cheese. Firmly tap the pan on the counter so the dough settles into the muffin mold.
  6. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean and tops are golden.
  7. Allow the biscuits to cool slightly before serving or cool completely and store for later. Enjoy!

Notes:

You can also cut them in half horizontally and use them to make sliders. I’ve used them with chicken/pork BBQ and breakfast sandwiches. Feel free to use your imagination! Also, pro-tip when it comes to cheese, always shred it yourself! It is a bit more work but tastes so much better!

Nutrition:

1 biscuit has roughly 140 calories, 3.8g carbs, 12g fat and 6g protein. This is an estimate and based off my entry of the ingredients into My Fitness Pal.

Looking for more recipes? Check out my T1 Recipe page here!

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