Start of summer

Kona race pics came in few days ago... here, inhaling some Gu coming back from the Hawi aid station along the Pacific coastline.

Rode my Roubaix road bike up Lookout Mtn yesterday and that became an ordeal. Near the top, my rear tire pretty much exploded... something I've never had happen. I heard the rear tire suddenly making a rubbing sound and within a couple of seconds, it blew - sounding like a gunshot. It caught the attention of several other cyclists making the 2,000 foot climb that were in the area. The tire was completely shredded. That was all for the day and a trip to the bike shop was in store for the afternoon. It could have been worse, I was 80% of the way up the climb and had it happened on the way down the mountain at 40-45MPH, that could have been problematic.

Got out this morning to catch my Triabuddy, Parker Gregston, play a soccer match. Parker is a 12-year old from the Denver area who has a pretty good handle on managing his diabetes. He also has Celiac disease and I have a ton to learn from him - he's a terrific young man. He, his family and I are trying to find a 5K on the calendar this summer to run. As part of the Triabuddies program, he will participate in some exciting opportunities. Each of the Triabuddies will venture out to the Channel Islands this November the week before the Ironman and will set sail off the coast of Santa Barbara for a multiday outdoor adventure with guides and Insulindependence staff. They'll arrive in Tempe the day before Ironman and we'll all get the opportunity to meet up, celebrate the year's accomplishments and prepare for raceday on Nov 22. A few hundred yards from the finish line, I'll pick up Parker along the ropes and we'll cross the finish line together - should be an awesome experience! I think if it were up to Parker, he might want to join me for the last few miles - I wouldn't want to slow him up... lol. Parker is helping raising money for the Triabetes program and I encourage anyone to visit his fundraising site (First Giving). Having had the opportunity to speak with a few of the 2008 Triabuddy families over the course of the last six months, I can speak firsthand of the positive impact this program is having on families' lives.

It's great to be back in the drier air, Kona was so humid. Had some rough weather this afternoon in Denver, but it's set the stage for a nice cool evening. Plan to swim the next several mornings as I'll be forced out of the water for 3 weeks following my Wednesday PRK laser eye correction surgery. It's going to be different to lose the glasses I've had for 20+ years, but looking forward to being able to see on my own again - transition stations will be so much easier not worrying about finding the prescription shades.

Kona

As friend Peter texted to me last week, "soak it up, you're in Mecca..." I had never been over to the Hawaiian islands, but I got the distinct impression that Kona is a bit different from other areas of our 50th state. From swimming the official IM swim course (see pic) several mornings to riding the Queen K Highway, it quickly became apparent that this is the center of the world for a triathlete. From the heights of Mauna Kea (13,800 feet high) to the depths of Kailua Bay and the dolphins swimming beneath us, it was an amazing experience. Saw snow fields on Mauna Kea and experienced the heat of running and riding thru the lava fields.

Saturday's race performance provided decent improvement from my first tri out at Wildflower 3 weeks earlier. The swim provided 200m visibility to the ocean floor and I was out in 58 minutes. The ride was a rolling one across the Queen K and I managed those 56 miles in about 3.5 hrs. The run was rough... hot, humid, blisters developed early on my heel and ran out of salt tablets too early. To call it a run might be a bit of a stretch, more walking than running. I was out on the run course an hour longer than I should have, but it's always good to get to that finish line. Stuck with my overnight Levimir injection the night before to keep some insulin on board during the swim and reconnected my Medtronic insulin pump coming into T1 after I had exited the water. Turned basal to 65% of normal and consumed about 60g of carbs an hour and tried to consume around 60 oz of water an hour. I held that regimin fairly well thru the ride and felt pretty strong coming into T2. The run quickly deteriorated in the first two miles as I felt increasing discomfort on my heels. I should have stopped a medic and taken a minute or two to bandage them up, but got into the mindset that I didn't have a minute to spare - lesson learned. I should have worn socks I had practiced in rather than buying a new pair a few days before the race. BG's were 97 out of the water, 146 at the midway point on the bike and got up to 210 early in the walk/run before coming down in the 140 range on a few additional checks late in the race. All in all, I think I've got the diabetes management dialed in pretty well for race-day's. I may need to increase the basal rates and consume a little more on the carb side, especially on the run. My nutrition on the run is not where I think it should be - think I'm going too light.

The trip out also provided another opportunity to reach out to the diabetic community. To the Oregon State student I met on Saturday, keep up the good work and stay active... it makes all the difference in the world. Before entering the water on race morning, I had an internist identify himself and ask me about the catheters plugged into my abdomen. When I told him I was a T1 diabetic and I'd connect my insulin pump when I exited the water, he asked me some good questions about how I deal with insulin on race day. Yet another opportunity to educate...

A huge thanks to the entire Carlson clan for the week out there... you all are awesome!! I will not forget making the last turn on the golf course and seeing you run to the ropes to get a high-five coming down the home stretch. Diabetes' marriage with triathlon started out there with Billy 26 years ago and look how far it has come - a remarkable legacy! Bill, let's both get back out there for Kona in October in the years to come! In the meantime, we'll work on getting the Insulindependence Kona office established - we ought to be able to do it for $175 :)