That hill wasn't that bad...really, it wasn't.

ICC: Whitnall Park Road Race 7/23/08
Race #13

23rd of 70ish

Pre race BG: 256
Post race: 237

I didn’t adjust my basal rate for the 2 hour drive up and so I had to take a pre race bolus. That made me pretty nervous because I hadn’t done this before. I had gel so I’d be ok, but sensing a low blood sugar reaction while racing is not easy and nothing I want to experiment with.

On an up note, I met Alex Bowden of Team Type 1 at the race and spoke with him about glucose management on race days. He likes to over bolus at breakfast because he prefers his BG to be lower as the adrenaline of the race elevates his blood glucose. He also has a continuous BG monitor so he knows what is happening every 5 min. The sensor beeps when he is too high and vibrates when his BG drops below a certain threshold. I want that…

Bottom line: I’ve got to better manage my diabetes on race days because I think I will feel better and more confidence. I mean, at Monsters of the Midway I did and I won that race. A sure sign, I think.

…and the race.

Beautiful course. There was one section of rough pavement on one narrow part of the course, but everyone was extra cautious about holding their lines and not flying all over the place.

I really didn’t actively race this one. It felt like no one really did. I sat in. I played it safe. There were no attacks, few surges. Everyone pedaled along with an understanding. I went above LT once. My average hr was 155; my average for Blue Island was 168. Finished 23rd. Meh.

Alex did some work up front, but he didn’t take the hill strong enough on the last lap and couldn’t out sprint the 10-15 riders he normally would have dusted. He finished a sullen 20th.

My dad came up to this race. It was really nice to have the company. I think he likes it. I mean, he likes competition and seems to enjoy learning about cycling. This will be a good way to get some of my mom’s sandwiches for lunch, too. A win-win situation I think. Now, if I can only get him to take better pictures….