Race prep

So, I'm ten days out from pitching a tent for Wildflower and getting all my gear set up. I work with a few folks who've raced 70.3's in the past and have spoken with a few other friends who apparently have dealt with pre-race jitters and nerves. I was asked the question over the weekend, "Are you getting nervous?" I answered it honestly... absolutely not. I don't know why, but I've never been one to get nervous... maybe it has to do with having diabetes, but people have often told me I'm able to keep things in perspective. I've always perceived nervousness to be wasted energy. I've got too many other things to spend time on with my daily diabetes management to let nerves get in the way. I'll always feel like I could do more to be race ready, but I know others have done far less, too. And in a way, aren't all our life experiences preparing us for the trials we'll encounter throughout life, whether it be triathlon stresses or other challenges in life we'll face? I'll be happy to be out there on the competitive playing field.

Got to e-mailing a friend about what I plan to do with the swim and my Medtronic pump, which is not waterproof. Thought it might be worthwhile to share what I've been working on with our team doctor, Dr. Matt, if disconnecting an insulin pump during the swim is a concern for others. He and I got to discussing this during Diabetes Training Camp down in Tucson. He started me on a dose of Levimir that I typically inject around 11PM at night. I stop my basal when I inject the Levimir. I've found that the Levimir which I dose at half what an daily dose would be typically will be good for about 10 hours before it begins to lose its potency. This permits me to have a manageable amount of insulin on board when I swim in the early mornings. I've not seen significant fluxes during my swims and if my pump is hooked back up by 9AM the following morning, my BG's have been quite good. My overnight BG's have also behaved quite well. For those of you that might not have waterproof pumps, it might be worth discussing with your doctor.

Before I sign off for the night, I want to give a shout out to teammate Brian Foster for his outstanding finish in Boston on Monday... way to go Brian!

Happy Easter

I've been delinquent on posts, but certainly wanted to wish all a Happy Easter.

Phew, yesterday was indeed a struggle. I'm certain there will be many more of those. I got in a good ride on Friday afternoon of over 50 miles with about 2,500 feet of elevation gain. I've never felt better on the climb up Lookout Mountain outside of Golden. Diabetes, to me, is a constant balancing act and I guess those good feelings from Friday had to equal out. My swims yesterday and today have been a struggle and the run yesterday afternoon was a real effort. Weather is garbage out here today, so I'm hoping to get a few hours of nice easy riding on the trainer and loosen up the legs a bit.

So often, I've seen athletes, teammates, friends, acquaintances beating themselves up over perceived failures to perform to their own or other's expectations. I, for one, know I've been guilty of that in the past. There is a quote I've found an important reminder when I've begun to "beat myself up" for not meeting my own expectations. I also saw this on a 2008 Triabetes YouTube video and it could not be a more relevant motto for me. Teddy Roosevelt once said the following, "It is not the critic who counts: not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles or where the doer of deeds could have done better. The credit belongs to the man who is actually in the arena, whose face is marred by dust and sweat and blood, who strives valiantly, who errs and comes up short again and again, because there is no effort without error or shortcoming, but who knows the great enthusiasms, the great devotions, who spends himself for a worthy cause; who, at the best, knows, in the end, the triumph of high achievement, and who, at the worst, if he fails, at least he fails while daring greatly, so that his place shall never be with those cold and timid souls who knew neither victory nor defeat." Well said, Teddy. Training will continue to present challenges, but they will be overcome with a mental toughness that shapes all who compete in triathlons.

I was in to see my endo for my regular six month check a week ago and all signs were good. HbA1C was 6.5, blood pressure was 120/59 - 21 years into this disease. I don't think I've ever been more fit or healthier. Just a reminder that it can be done no matter the circumstances.

Happy Easter!