From Swimming To Running; Adjusting to the Pandemic

Try skipping breakfast a few times (on non-running days) and see if you get the same spike.

Wake up the same time, do everything the same, except don’t eat.

2 Likes

I’ll try that out right away. “Trying” told me that its expected to pour tomorrow starting in the morning, so I may not be running tomorrow. If I plan on not running, I will skip breakfast (darn it; its my favorite meal of the day, besides lunch and dinner :rofl:) SO I will test frequently (as usual) and c what happens. Thanks!!! :heart:

3 Likes

You know how much I am up for a good experiment! :+1:

2 Likes

Ha!!
:rofl:

2 Likes

SKIPPING BREAKFAST EXPERIMENT #1:

throughout the night, my BGs stayed in perfect TR as usual. I was initially on 100% basal but had to cut it back to 95% TB when I started going low, knowing that after 2 cumulative bk to bk days of running would lead me to needing less insulin (I have no real idea why my overnights require more basal (every time, whether I have been running or not. Perhaps my basal settings are a little too low?)

But anyway, I skipped breakfast this morning, and I experienced NO SPIKE. I am starving and ready for my lunch!!!

here are this mornings stats:

5am BG 79
5:50 BG 74
7:40 BG 63 took 1 Gtab
8:20 BG 91
9am BG 78
9:30 BG 69 took 1/2 Gtab (2gms) turned basal down to 95%
10:30 BG 97
11:15 BG 97
11:30 BG 97 bolused for lunch/brunch (1C Icelandic Skre, 2C 4% Lactaid Milk)

(I was wondering if it were even remotely possible that when I eat this exact breakfast in the morning (bolus at 5:50am, 20minute pre-bolus), I have 1tsp of freshly ground peanut butter; could that small amount of fat b contributing to the later BG rise? Its such a small amount)

So please, Eric, do some magic here! :heart: Any suggestions, ideas? I will repeat this experiment tomorrow to make certain that today’s results were not just a fluke. So, anything you can imagine, please share it here!! :pray:

1 Like

IMHO, yes, it could! I know if I eat a handful of mixed nuts at night, I will have often have a spike 4 or 5 hours later (it is muted on me though because Loop will catch it while I sleep!).

1 Like

Yes, I think it is possible.

But you did not have breakfast today, so I am not sure what you mean by “when I eat this exact breakfast in the morning”.

1 Like

What I meant was, and sorry for not being clear, was that when I do eat breakfast (I did not today, and I had no spike), I always eat the same breakfast.

but what is odd to me, is that I can eat Tbs of peanut butter all day long and NEVER have any reaction (or BG rise) from it.

PS: I just thought I would mention the PB. However I am seriously doubting that I would have such a severe spike from a small tsp of it.

I will have the same reaction if I eat any more than 4 nuts, much less a handful. there are carbs, fat and protein in nuts, and that can add up, especially depending on what kind of nuts u r eating!!!

1 Like

How many peanuts would you say are required to make a tsp of peanut butter??!! Probably not many, and peanuts do have one of the lowest GI.

1 Like

not many. certainly its something to consider though, as I know that if I eat a piece of cheese with any carbs (mixing bread with a small slice of cheese) I will always have to do a dual extended bolus so as not to have a delayed spike.

1 Like

Here is a little update on something we were working on…

DM notices a spike before her runs.

We looked at skipping breakfast on a non-running day, to make sure her basal was correct.

We looked at eating breakfast on a non-running day, to make sure her IC was correct.

Everything checked out. Her basal looks right, and her IC looks right. But she is spiking on her running days, a little before she leaves for her run.

So this looks like a cortisol spike.

(I need to post about the difference between cortisol and adrenaline. They both can cause a BG spike, but the reasons they cause a BG spike are different! DM, remind me to post this sometime!)

So we are going to fix this cortisol spike.

I used to have these before races. I no longer have them. Cortisol is the “stress” hormone that is more of the mental stress than the physical stress. I still get adrenaline spikes in short races. But the cortisol spike has mostly disappeared. It comes from mentally being prepared for things in such a way, like - “I am going to be in pain for a few miles. Another day at the office. :yawning_face:

The adrenaline response is still there. That can’t really be controlled, and shouldn’t be. But the cortisol response stopped after I became accustomed to what was going to happen. It started to feel normal.



DM, here is your thing to do…

Everyday, whether you are running or not, go through the same process. I mean do everything the same. Wake up, eat your normal breakfast, get your running clothes. Put on your BG meter wristband. Put your strips in your strip holder. Lace up your Hoka One’s!!! Get your SPIBelt and fill it with the gels. Shorts, shirt, hat, all the stuff you usually put on.

Everyday, do the same thing.

On some days you will run. On other days you will not. But it does not matter. The entire routine, the whole idea - Today is just another day at the office. Today is just like any other day.

It will take a while. But eventually, you will be mentally at ease with the idea that a running day is just like any other day. There is no difference.

Get this in your head:

Running days are actually easier. They are relaxing. There is no stress. I was meant to run. I was supposed to run. I was built to run. When I run, I am free. Running is the easiest thing I will do all day.

Put on ALL your stuff, and prepare for your run every day. That is just what you are supposed to do everyday. It is just normal. You are supposed to run. Nothing different about any of your days.

4 Likes

I will do this tomorrow and see how well I can achieve even a minutia of BG control/management :heart:

2 Likes

FIRST DAY OUT AFTER ERIC’S SUGGESTION:

eager to see how it goes. have been reciting a new mantra: “today is like any other day. no worries. everything is as it should be.”

we’ll see what happens and I will obviously report back when I return. :pray: :sunny:

2 Likes

THE EXPERIMENT HELPED A BIT :

well, I still spiked a bit, but nothing like the past times, so I am extremely satisfied with my first attempt at using Eric’s suggested technique and reciting my mantra before I headed out.

It was hot as Hell out there today, but it was a load of fun. My husband joined me, and we had a bit of a tiff before leaving (he is extremely disorganized and forgetful, whereas I am extremely organized and have a memory of an elephant) Today was one of those days that he really pissed me off, but once we got started, all was forgotten and we enjoyed one another’s company :sunny:

here are todays stats:

9am BG 62 took 1/2 Gtab to bump up my BG just a little (its only 2gms of carbs)
9:30 BG 85 (BG started climbing) Lowered Basal to 85%
10am BG 119 ( see my spike wasn’t half as bad as its been :grin:) out the door
10:45 BG 77 took 2 Gtabs
11:15 BG 85 took 1 Gtab
11:45 BG 62 took 2 Gtabs and raised my basal to 95%
12pm BG 74
12:30 BG 62 Finished, took 1 Gtab and bolused 4 units for refuel, drank 48oz water

one last thing: I started out with a pulled groin this morning, but after I warmed up, the pain subsided, and I had somehow injured my right hip from which the pain persisted. Don’t know how that happened, except maybe bc I have scoliosis and am a bit lopsided :rofl:.

tomorrow will be another day. I will be working on that mantra! Hopefully I will have even less or no spike tomorrow. :pray:

signing out,

DM

3 Likes

Everyday is just another day in the “office”. Running or not, same thing, get dressed for “work”.

2 Likes

I took your suggestion to heart very seriously. I promise that I will abide by your instructions. I am very eager to watch it help me and see how it plays out.

Tomorrow is another run day, so I will get another chance to get dressed for “work.” and I will say my mantra as many times as possible in the hope that it will keep me feeling calm and collected from morning through when I leave my home to when I hit the pavement. :grin: :heart:

all in all, I was very pleased with my numbers today. I even leaned towards the DARK SIDE for a few moments :rofl:.

2 Likes

Your “work” looks pretty darn good, too!!! Congrats on keeping that spike down!!

2 Likes

TERRIBLE NIGHT:

just an brief update:

last night I could barely sleep. I had terrible anxiety about getting up to run this morning and spiking. No matter what message I was whispering to myself, I couldn’t relax. Finally, when I got out of bed for bfast, my BGs were already elevated. I did a modest correction with my bfast, but it barely budged down my BGs. Now it is 9:30am and I am getting ready to leave in half an hour. I just turned my basal down (at 10am I will have zero IOB). My BG is already climbing at 112. God only knows where it will be in another 1/2 hour. I wish I could relax :grimacing: :pray:

I know that this is going to take practice, and that I am new at this, but I just want to be looking forward to my run and enjoying every moment of it. Hopefully that will happen and that I will appreciate every second.

PS: my husband is coming with me again today, and I gave him the riot act yesterday to be ready at 10 (not 10:05 or 10:10 or 10:15, etc JUST 10am!)

we’ll c how he does this morning. finger crossed. ( I cant believe how controlling I am! :wink:)

2 Likes

my new Hoka One Ones

3 Likes