Hello - advice on endurance sports welcome!

[Johnnyroyale]

Hello,

I am 38 years old with type 1. I have an idea in my head to do an ultramarathon - around 40 or 50 miles. Dumb, I know - I really should save up for a car, horse or even a bike.

I was wondering whether there is anybody out there who has done something like this before, or a similar endurance event like an ironman or all-day cycle race - and if you have any tips on controlling blood sugars while eating on the fly, whether there are any post-race crashes I should be wary of etc. I have run a couple of marathons and didn't have any problems (other than it was a bloody long way) but an ultra seems more complicated, as there is the fact you have to refuel part-way through.

 

[Northerner]

Hi Johnny, welcome to the forum 🙂 Can't advise on the ultra I'm afraid, but it's certainly possible from what I've read elsewhere. Have you tried http://www.runsweet.com/ ?

 

[Johnnyroyale]

Hello Northener, I have read runsweet, but the info on ultras is a little thin on the ground. Maybe I'll just have to experiment then write my own guidelines!

 

[Northerner]

Hello Northener, I have read runsweet, but the info on ultras is a little thin on the ground. Maybe I'll just have to experiment then write my own guidelines!

I suppose a rare event coupled with a rare disease might account for the lack of info around - you can be the pioneer! I remember reading a blog from and Aussie who was doing the Marathon des Sables, but for some reason it seems to have stopped abruptly a couple of months before the event - might be worth checking out for some possible training tips though:

http://train2gain.biz/My_Sahara_Stroll_2010/home.html

If I come across anything else I'll let you know. Have you got a copy of Diabetic Athlete's Handbook? That might give you some food for thought (so to speak!) as it is pretty good at explaining the science behind it all.

 

[Copepod]

Weclome Johnnyroyle.

I'm involved in adventure racing, ultra running etc, mainly marshalling, but occasional short (5 hour) races.

The key things are to reduce basal insulin before starting, and probably omit bolus insulin during event, while taking in regular amounts of food - personally I prefer jelly babies / jelly beans, but some people can tolerate energy gels eg High5; in hot weather, liquid is vital, so I usually have 2 containers, 1 for plain water, the other for electrolyte solution; sometimes salty snacks such as crisps / tortilla chips / nuts can be good. Depending on the event, there may refueling points for water, and sometimes food such as sandwiches, sausage rolls or biscuits - you'll welcome non-sweet foods.

Depending on the race, navigation can be important, so make sure you're OK with that.

Ideally, don't drive yourself home - you'll be knackered, at risk of hypoglycaemia and probably wanting to eat, drink and sleep.

 

[Johnnyroyale]

Hi Copepod, thanks for the tips. The bit about omitting bolus insulin completely is particularly useful. Cheers. Incidentally, it's always been jelly babies for me - no need for science gels. They taste grim too.

 

[Copepod]

You'll need to experiment about omitting (or reducing) bolus insulin to find out what works for you, but I often find I can omit a dose eg during each day of a 2 day mountain marathon, carrying overnight camping kit. I'd still carry some bolus insulin with me on an ultra run, though. I can't tolerate energy gels, either - jelly babies are much more pleasant and convenient 🙂

 

[HelenM]

You might find this website useful. The writer has T1 and is primarily an elite marathoner but has also been ranked in the top 10 for 50 mile runs
http://missyfoy.com/balance.php
Her blog includes some descriptions of fuelling on 40 mile training runs.

 

[Johnnyroyale]

Thanks very much, this is very useful.

 

[Ergates]

That's awesome, you go for it mate!

I do loads of exercise, although almost all of it is at a much lower intensity than an ultramarathon. In the spring and summer when I'm at my busiest I tend to ride around 210 miles and skate (rollerblade) for another 20-30 hours a week. The cycling, except for the hills, is at a pace I can chat at without getting seriously out of breath, and the skating is at a little lower than that since I'm mostly teaching.

I'm not sure I have a solution really, my control on MDI wasn't brilliant, and I've just moved to a pump. What I did do on MDI was to measure much more often during the exercise and adjust based on that.