New rule: blame the pool

Reason No. 987 why I hate the pool: It doesn’t matter how much I eat beforehand or how much insulin I don’t give myself or how much of a reduced basal rate I input, my blood sugars always go low like practically from the second my toe touches that germy pool water. Never fails. Not cool.

I met up with my favourite iron chickie tonight, which I was so super excited for, because I had some super duper amazing news to share and I knew she would be so super duper receptive to my super duper amazing news. Are you ready for it? So you remember how two weeks ago my physio became my new BFF, well after yesterday morning’s appointment, he’s been promoted – to sainthood! After giving me the once over, which included an awful lot of poking and prodding and kneading and ultrasounding, he told me my right shin is feeling perfect and while there’s still some hard tissue in my left shin signifying scar tissue, he said it’s minimal, and he gave me the thumbs up for longer runs. Not drastically longer runs, no 23, 26, 29, 32 km runs just yet, he said, but I’m good for 10 and 12 km runs this week, and 12 and 14 km runs next week – goodbye 4 km runs!

And with news like that, I had to get back on the road. But because I had a late-night meeting last night, I decided to do a back-to-back aqua jog/real run, which meant I had to do math. I knew that the pool kills my blood sugars (the sign of a great workout) and because I didn’t have much time between ending my aqua jog at 6:15 and meeting some of my favourite running chicks at 7, I decided to shut the pump right off – no basal. I also ate a granola bar two hours before without bolusing, hoping to increase my blood sugars enough that they wouldn’t bottom out. But nope, once again I failed.

TONIGHT’S AQUA JOG:

• 5:15 p.m. BG before: 9.6
• Temp. basal: -100 per cent (1 hour)
• Time: 45 minutes (no safety belt)
• 6:30 p.m. BG after: 3.9

And being the good little diabetic I supposedly am, I had no juice and no DEX tablets with me (used them up and forgot to replace them) but I did have a box of emergency granola bars in my trunk and mowed down on one before heading over to meet my girls. Fifteen minutes later my blood sugars were at 4.9 and 10 minutes after that they were down to 4.3. Oh crud. Let me just say, two granola bars (oh yes, I mowed down on yet another one) before going for a run, not a good idea!

We only went out for 4 km, which should have been easy as hell, but combined with the aqua jogging and the granola bar overkill, I was dying. My stomach was lurching and my legs were sleeping. Carol was practically dragging Blaine and I to the finish. And yet, despite the mixed belly and fatigue, it was an awesome run. All three of us were so thrilled to be back together laughing and giggling in between the gasping and wheezing. Love my girls!

TONIGHT’S RUN:

• 7 p.m. BG before: 4.3
• Temp. basal: -50 per cent (1 hour)
• Distance: 4 km
• Average pace: 6:34 min/km
  
• Time: 26.20
  
• 8 p.m. BG after: 10.1
• Temp. basal: +50 per cent (2 hours)

The earlier lows had a major rebound. By the time I got home 45 minutes later, my blood sugars were sitting at a whopping 15.7. I blame the pool!

Reason No. 988 why I hate the pool: Just try putting a sports bra and running tights on in that humid change room with your skin all moist from the impetigo-infested water. You can’t. And seeing as how I’m not one of those hippie-loving change room nudists (each to their own) it was quite the sight, I’m sure, when I’m standing there trying to untangle my sports bra which somehow got stuck just over my head while trying desperately to keep the towel safely secured around me. Oh joy.

A question for my pool-loving folk: How do you do it? How do you change without suddenly becoming a back-alley flasher?