In addition, the mid-week runs have been completed without ado. In fact, I successfully conducted an experiment yesterday to address a key concern for the looming ultra. Wednesday morning was a twelve mile circuit and I bumped up my units of Lantus (the long acting insulin) to omit taking any fast acting Humalog at breakfast. Due to the extreme length of time required to trot fifty miles I need to develop a plan for insuring sufficient insulin to keep the system operating.
Since the marathon required four hours I could still just take my usual lunch-time injection after the race and things were pretty much business as usual. That won’t be an option for the upcoming event, however. Guessing I will be running at least eleven hours and need to decipher a way to supply insulin so I can fuel my body. Without insulin all those Clif Bars I’d be downing would never be translated into energy and there would be no option beyond “hitting the wall” (with a resounding thud, no doubt).
I’ll ask my doctor to confirm this notion, but I think I’ll be okay by escalating my Lantus (which is active for 18-26 hours) and avoiding the need to drag a hypodermic needle and bottle of insulin along to poke myself when I’m all sweaty and filthy halfway through the race. This presents a further dilemma because the faster acting insulin often strikes me powerfully when I’m active and halfway into a fifty mile run it could really knock me for a loop.
My blood sugar was slightly higher than usual after the twelve mile run, but I felt better during the run and was encouraged this might work. I’ll duplicate the test Saturday morning and we’ll see where the blood sugar hovers after twenty six miles. I am feeling good that this will keep me insulated from insulin worries for the ultra --- insulin-ated, one might say…
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