Northerner
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Cycling
- Thread starter Matt Cycle
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Did you test on the bike or stop like you would for a fingerprick test (I assume you stop!). I'm quite keen on getting a Libre for Adam for when he is active so I don't have to go through the rigmarole of trying to convince him to stop for a test, but that's only going to help if it's easy to swipe through clothes when you're moving about (and assuming I can catch him).
Oh, and the snot? That's what the snot slot on your gloves is for right? 😉 Best bit of advice I wish I'd got sooner about cycling - never touch a cyclist's gloves......
Oh, and the snot? That's what the snot slot on your gloves is for right? 😉 Best bit of advice I wish I'd got sooner about cycling - never touch a cyclist's gloves......
Robin
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I manage to do it when I'm horse riding, though I usually bring the horse back to a walk first! I fish it out of a pocket one handed, with the other hand stil on the reins, and it will give me a reading even through my thick fleece on cold days. If the readers been in my pocket, it's usually kept warm, I don't know if it would work in the cold, (like an ordinary meter won't) if it was in a backpack. I've also managed not to drop it in the mud so far!
Could do with riding gloves with a snot feature. Fishing a tissue out of a pocket while riding, without fluttering it and spooking the horse, can be a problem.
Matt Cycle
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I did both but mostly whilst stopped. I wanted to see if it was possible to extract the meter from rear jersey pocket, press the button and swipe to take a reading and then put it back - without swerving all over the road or dropping it. The thicker winter gloves made it tricky as I had to remove a glove but the readings through layers of clothing are fine - I had two base layers and a winter jersey. Would be a lot easier with the summer fingerless gloves on but it was possible. As Robin says it mentions the reader only works down to certain temperatures but I had no problems in the cold yesterday. I would recommend getting one for Adam - the sensors are fairly flat to the skin and go on the back of the arm to avoid being banged or knocked. The adhesive that holds them in place seems to a super strength type but you may have to keep an eye on it to ensure he doesn't try and pick it off!
Ah, gloves. Yes they are always euphemistically described as having a 'soft material on the edge of the finger to wipe away sweat.' This is on winter gloves!! Now I know there is supposed to be global warming and all that but when wearing my winter gloves it has never yet been warm enough to wipe away sweat and if it was I wouldn't be wearing them. Everyone knows it's a snot wipe.
Matt Cycle
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Managed to get out for what turned into an eventful ride. It was four seasons in one ride with snow, sun, hail and wind. Took a flatter route into Cheshire after last weeks Derbyshire hills.
Strava has it as 44.5 miles at an average speed of 15.9 mph and elevation gain of 1760 feet.
I'm currently taking a steroid (for 5 days) prednisolone which causes hyperglycaemia. My insulin doses have gone off the scale so I was concerned what the effects of a ride would be. It turned out reasonably okay. I haven't used the second libre sensor yet so it was back with normal finger pricking and levels were as follows: at start8.4 mmol/l, at 12 miles 5.3 mmol/l, at 22 miles 6.6 mmol/l, at 30 miles 8.0 mmol/l, at 36 miles 7.1 mmol/l and back home 6.3 mmol/l. So pleasantly surprised with those.
About 8 miles from home I had a visit from the DF's friend and cyclists enemy the P******e Fairy (it's bad luck to spell it out but it's when your tyres go flat). Like the DF she is another little minx and this then involved changing the tube at the side of the road - the cause was a small thorn through the tyre. Anyway I was soon back on my way. 🙂
Bike definitely needs a clean - a job for this afternoon.
Another one of the Lovell radio telescope at Jodrell Bank (not far for coffee now)
Chose not to go up in the snowy hills (looking towards Wincle from near Gawsworth) 😱
Garmin stats (same as Strava for once)
Strava has it as 44.5 miles at an average speed of 15.9 mph and elevation gain of 1760 feet.
I'm currently taking a steroid (for 5 days) prednisolone which causes hyperglycaemia. My insulin doses have gone off the scale so I was concerned what the effects of a ride would be. It turned out reasonably okay. I haven't used the second libre sensor yet so it was back with normal finger pricking and levels were as follows: at start8.4 mmol/l, at 12 miles 5.3 mmol/l, at 22 miles 6.6 mmol/l, at 30 miles 8.0 mmol/l, at 36 miles 7.1 mmol/l and back home 6.3 mmol/l. So pleasantly surprised with those.
About 8 miles from home I had a visit from the DF's friend and cyclists enemy the P******e Fairy (it's bad luck to spell it out but it's when your tyres go flat).
Like the DF she is another little minx and this then involved changing the tube at the side of the road - the cause was a small thorn through the tyre. Anyway I was soon back on my way. 🙂Bike definitely needs a clean - a job for this afternoon.
Another one of the Lovell radio telescope at Jodrell Bank (not far for coffee now)
Chose not to go up in the snowy hills (looking towards Wincle from near Gawsworth) 😱
Garmin stats (same as Strava for once)
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Northerner
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Great pictures Matt, and great numbers too - well done! 🙂 Sorry to hear you fell victim to the P******* Fairy! 😱
Matt Cycle
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Thanks both. Yes it was a strange day weatherwise. Photos are only taken on a poor quality phone camera. The second picture looks like it could be an Alpine scene - when in fact it's rural Cheshire a few miles from Macclesfield!
Re-reading what I put in the first post - to make it clear the steroids were prescribed by the doc (they're not my dodgy attempt at body building and if you've seen me you'd realise I'd probably need more than a few ). The insulin doses required to combat the hyperglycaemia caused by them are massive. 😱
Re-reading what I put in the first post - to make it clear the steroids were prescribed by the doc
(they're not my dodgy attempt at body building and if you've seen me you'd realise I'd probably need more than a few ). The insulin doses required to combat the hyperglycaemia caused by them are massive. 😱
Matt Cycle
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An absolutely glorious Spring day and I headed back out into Cheshire towards the town of Middlewich, partly as a recce for my potential (long) route in the Summer. Don't wish to spoil what was a great ride but diabetes issues raised their head again so I've put in a spoiler below containing a rant.
Strava has it as 55.6 miles at an average speed of 15.7 mph and elevation gain of 1880 feet.
Blood glucose was an issue (see spoiler) - at start 7.4 mmol/l, at 11 miles 8.5 mmol/l, at 21 miles (coffee stop) 12.4 mmol/l and then 14.1 mmol/l so had a small correction, at 32 miles 6.2 mmol/l, at 40 miles 5.0 mmol/l, at 45 miles 6.0 mmol/l and back home 7.2 mmol/l. Had flapjack, malt loaf and a gel. 🙄
Yes I know - it's Jodrell Bank again 🙄
I wandered lonely as a cloud - no it's not the Lake District it's Byley in Cheshire.
Garmin stats - Strava has rounded down the mph again 🙄
I don't want to sound like a drama queen but sometimes I f*****g hate diabetes. I've played fair but it isn't playing fair with me. I was prescribed steroids a couple of weeks ago for 5 days and since then my control has been all over the shop. They cause hyperglycaemia and I'm really struggling to get my bg's under control. Everything was fine until this. I'll keep fighting.
I'll keep fighting.Strava has it as 55.6 miles at an average speed of 15.7 mph and elevation gain of 1880 feet.
Blood glucose was an issue (see spoiler) - at start 7.4 mmol/l, at 11 miles 8.5 mmol/l, at 21 miles (coffee stop) 12.4 mmol/l and then 14.1 mmol/l so had a small correction, at 32 miles 6.2 mmol/l, at 40 miles 5.0 mmol/l, at 45 miles 6.0 mmol/l and back home 7.2 mmol/l. Had flapjack, malt loaf and a gel. 🙄
Yes I know - it's Jodrell Bank again 🙄
I wandered lonely as a cloud - no it's not the Lake District it's Byley in Cheshire.
Garmin stats - Strava has rounded down the mph again 🙄
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Robin
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Rant away, Matt. It is really annoying ( and that's the understatement of the year) when control goes pear shaped despite your best efforts. Hope it sees sense and toes the line again soon!
Wasn't it lovely to see blue skies today, though. ( Once the fog had cleared here)
Wasn't it lovely to see blue skies today, though. ( Once the fog had cleared here)
Matt Cycle
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Thanks Robin. I know managing diabetes is never easy but generally I'd got a pretty good handle on it in terms of insulin, eating and exercise etc. The steroids seem to have thrown it. The effects don't even seem to be predictable. For instance today by 21 miles my bg had been rising and had gone up to 14.1 mmol/l with nothing to eat since I started - I can't recall that ever happening before. At the time I was taking them they also resulted in industrial sized insulin doses and things have been out of kilter ever since.
We didn't get the fog here so it has been a beautiful day - perfect for a ride. There was no slacking on my return though as I had to cut the lawns. I'm not saying we live in a mansion or owt but the lawn on our back garden is quite big.
At the time I was taking them they also resulted in industrial sized insulin doses and things have been out of kilter ever since.We didn't get the fog here so it has been a beautiful day - perfect for a ride. There was no slacking on my return though as I had to cut the lawns. I'm not saying we live in a mansion or owt but the lawn on our back garden is quite big.
Robin
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I don't know a lot about steroids, apart from knowing they wreck your blood sugars while you're on them. Could they take a while to clear out of the system afterwards? Hopefully when all traces are gone, things will settle down again.Thanks Robin. I know managing diabetes is never easy but generally I'd got a pretty good handle on it in terms of insulin, eating and exercise etc. The steroids seem to have thrown it. The effects don't even seem to be predictable. For instance today by 21 miles my bg had been rising and had gone up to 14.1 mmol/l with nothing to eat since I started - I can't recall that ever happening before.
We didn't get the fog here so it has been a beautiful day - perfect for a ride. There was no slacking on my return though as I had to cut the lawns. I'm not saying we live in a mansion or owt but the lawn on our back garden is quite big.
Cutting the lawn is my husband's job. He looked at the weather forecast and decided it might be frosty tonight, so I let him off the hook. It is turning into a field, though!
Matt Cycle
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I've had a search and found this on an American site:
"Many people mistakenly believe that since Prednisone’s side effects linger after stopping, that the drug must still be in their system. In reality, the side effects are lingering because of the potent physiological effects that were exerted when Prednisone was in the body – not because it is still present. Think of Prednisone as analogous to a tornado going through a city and wreckage as lingering side effects.
Even though the tornado has passed and is gone (Prednisone is out of the system), the deleterious effects take awhile before they are corrected. In other words, after stopping Prednisone, it takes time for the wreckage to get fixed (adverse effects to subside). Know that for most people, Prednisone should be out of the body within a day or two of stopping."
So as you say hopefully things should settle down. 🙂
You've let your husband off there with the lawn! I was told, er I mean asked, by Mrs C - lawns or cleaning windows. I chose the lawns.
"Many people mistakenly believe that since Prednisone’s side effects linger after stopping, that the drug must still be in their system. In reality, the side effects are lingering because of the potent physiological effects that were exerted when Prednisone was in the body – not because it is still present. Think of Prednisone as analogous to a tornado going through a city and wreckage as lingering side effects.
Even though the tornado has passed and is gone (Prednisone is out of the system), the deleterious effects take awhile before they are corrected. In other words, after stopping Prednisone, it takes time for the wreckage to get fixed (adverse effects to subside). Know that for most people, Prednisone should be out of the body within a day or two of stopping."
So as you say hopefully things should settle down. 🙂
You've let your husband off there with the lawn!
I was told, er I mean asked, by Mrs C - lawns or cleaning windows. I chose the lawns.
Matt Cycle
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Ha, yes. I'm hoping to do a 100+ miler to Chester/North Wales. Depending on the exact route this would be the halfway stage - it's only double what I did yesterday. 😱
Matt Cycle
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Normally I would be fairly happy with that - but it was the combination of things over the 2 weeks whereby the steroid induced hyperglycaemia took away any semblance of control I thought I had. 😱
Matt Cycle
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An overcast start this morning turned into another glorious Spring day. Very similar to last week. I thought I'd include a 'few' hills in the Staffordshire and Derbyshire Peak District. It was quite hard work but fantastic to be out on a day like this. I rode towards Ashbourne and then included Ilam, Hartington, Monyash and Longnor with various villages in between before finishing off with a ride up Gun Hill. 😱
I'd got the Libre on so could track exactly what was happening bg wise. It was quite surprising - I started on 7.3 mmol/l but within 8 miles this had climbed to 10.1 mmol/l. It's either excitement (yes, really 🙄) and andrenalin or the liver dumping glucose at the start. A couple of other issues are I have a bit of a cold at the moment plus there is the lingering effects of the steroids which I thought had gone but may still be hanging around. I also dropped my basal slightly in anticipation of the ride so that could have had an effect. Mind you it's diabetes so it could be anything. 🙄 The rest of the ride it stayed in the high 5's to upper 7's and occasionally into the 8's. So overall considering the various issues pretty pleased with those. Only had malt loaf and a gel.
Strava has it as 51.6 miles with an average speed of 12.7 mph and elevation gain of 4700 feet. 😱 Almost beat my top speed but not quite - it was 46.8 mph, current top is 47.6 mph on the same stretch of road. Check your brakes! 😱 This now takes my total for the year over 500 miles with just 12 rides done.
Overlooking Ilam (I've just come from the opposite side of the valley)
Near Ilam
Looking from Longnor towards Crowdecote (I've just come down the road that snakes round towards top right of the pic, the village is right in the centre, the track and building on the left are a farm)
Garmin stats (Strava has lot 0.1 of a mile and 0.1 mph)
I'd got the Libre on so could track exactly what was happening bg wise. It was quite surprising - I started on 7.3 mmol/l but within 8 miles this had climbed to 10.1 mmol/l. It's either excitement (yes, really 🙄) and andrenalin or the liver dumping glucose at the start. A couple of other issues are I have a bit of a cold at the moment plus there is the lingering effects of the steroids which I thought had gone but may still be hanging around. I also dropped my basal slightly in anticipation of the ride so that could have had an effect. Mind you it's diabetes so it could be anything. 🙄 The rest of the ride it stayed in the high 5's to upper 7's and occasionally into the 8's. So overall considering the various issues pretty pleased with those. Only had malt loaf and a gel.
Strava has it as 51.6 miles with an average speed of 12.7 mph and elevation gain of 4700 feet. 😱 Almost beat my top speed but not quite - it was 46.8 mph, current top is 47.6 mph on the same stretch of road. Check your brakes! 😱 This now takes my total for the year over 500 miles with just 12 rides done.
Overlooking Ilam (I've just come from the opposite side of the valley)
Near Ilam
Looking from Longnor towards Crowdecote (I've just come down the road that snakes round towards top right of the pic, the village is right in the centre, the track and building on the left are a farm)
Garmin stats (Strava has lot 0.1 of a mile and 0.1 mph)
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