Down and Out

Well, my friends, the race has been run with disappointing results.  Only made it about fourteen miles, through the worst up-and-down hill stretches before stopping in Hell-Bourg.  Will provide a detailed report once I get home, but wanted to provide a quick update.

Got up at 2AM and Jeff drove me to the start at the Cilaos stadium.  When we finally lit out I was feeling great and roughly in the middle of the pack after the 3/4ths mile uphill to Cavern Dufour.  However, the energy requirement was well beyond anything I had trained for --- overall I would make it about fourteen miles and usually all I need to eat during a run of that length is a single Clif Bar.  For this stretch, however, I would eat three Clif Bars, a Mojo Bar (pretty much the same as another Clif Bar), a Hammer Gel and three packs of Sports Beans.

I was wearing my Continuous Glucose Monitor and it usually revealed a blood sugar in the 90's but falling rapidly...so I kept eating.  I can only guess that the continuous tumbling of my blood sugars induced hypoglycenic symptoms (even though I wasn't low), because towards the middle of the big mile plunge down to Hell Bourg I lost my foot coordination...what happens when I truly am low.

The trail was incredibly difficult --- a constant steep downhill grade, with the footing all loose rock at the top and then muddy roots and rocks at the bottom.  When my coordination abandoned me I began falling...constantly.  Seemed like everybody passed me during these last few miles and I was SO frustrated.  I would turn the corner of a switchback and it would be yet another massive downhill blanketed in muddy roots and I would think "here I go falling again".

Really banged my elbow and it was bleeding at a good clip, in addition to my legs (my one leg actually looks like I shaved it because I scraped all the hair off!).  Then I fell and smashed my glucose monitor.  Well the race was over now because I could hardly continue without being able to assess blood sugar levels.  Of course I stumbled more times trying to get to the check point and managed to bang my cheek on a rock during one of the final tumbles.

But at last I got there and was I ever happy to see Jeff waiting to pick me up (he had been there since 10AM and it was now 1PM).  The sad thing is that I wasn't tired...simply could not get my feet to fall where I willed them.  Guess the sorry news is that ultra-marathons really aren't for diabetics (at least not this one), but I have so much respect for these trail runners after truly experiencing how challenging it is.

I am so sorry, my friends, really feel like I've let everyone down, but there was no way to go on.  To everyone who donated towards my drive, I can never thank you enough and I hope these dollars go towards allowing Type I's to really live normal lives!  Its hard to feel too blue being on Reunion, however, and after I return I look forward to sharing this beauty with everyone.  Thank you, thank you again my friends!!!

Still accepting donations until the end of 2011 if you don't mind supporting a loser  ---

 http://jdrfevents.donordrive.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=donorDrive.participant&eventID=775&participantID=4931

Bon Voyage???

Its lift off today!  So no more entries for a bit, but I am so pumped that the game is on.  Cannot fathom how I can feel so exuberant after all the mayhem leading up the departure, but let me explain.

Was in Ohio for work through Thursday, and it was a hectic time as I attempted to get ahead on so many fronts.  I was thoroughly exhausted by the time I checked out Thursday afternoon to head for home…knowing that working from on Friday would also be a grueling affair.

There were omens that the fates might work against me because this was the first time I had flown Delta in two years.  Our company travel desk always goes with the lowest fare, and from my small airport that usually means US Air.  The beneficial impact of constantly flying with the same carrier means that I am “Zone 1” for these flights and get to board first.

I am a total zero with Delta, however, so even though I checked my luggage through as carry on, before we boarded the gate attendant announced it was a full flight and didn’t believe there would be sufficient overhead…so they were checking bags for no charge.  Well, I was beat and could do with less hassles, and glancing at my boarding pass to confirm I was “Zone 4” (dead last to board), I ventured to the desk and checked my bag.

Big mistake.

I silently laughed as I took my seat and noted there was a slot right above my seat that would have accepted my bag, but dismissed concern and buckled up.  Well, when we landed at Atlanta there automated trafficking software crapped out and they had to navigate planes from gate to runway by radio…meaning we sat on the tarmac for forty five minutes to get the last two hundred yards into our gate.  I was already acknowledging my luggage would be lost and scrambled through the massive airport to catch my connecting flight.

Well, I made it and actually sat on the plane for ten minutes before they closed the door, so I felt hopeful my luggage miraculously joined me.  Of course this was misguided optimism and I wound up waiting an extra twenty minutes to confirm my bag was MIA before returning home by 11:30 PM with some things I needed to pack Friday stranded in Atlanta (I am using my backpack rather than a suitcase so at least I didn’t need to worry about a speedy recovery of the suitcase anyway).

On top of this, my CGM hasn’t worked properly this week, so I spent a half hour on the phone talking with several folks to diagnose and learn corrective action.  The remedy was to tear out the old sensor and inject a new one.  They will replace the sensor at no cost and my confidence has been restored, though not 100%, in the device’s reliability.

Dilemmas continued on Friday when I opened the package from Verizon to fire up my international cell phone.  My delight at the inexpensive option turned to dejection, however.  I had requested a simple flip phone and there was a blackberry in the box, missing directions to activate everything and no discernible charger for the battery included to run the unit.  After contacting Verizon and making it past hold times, I was informed there was some “switch” in data plans and they had sent me the different device for reasons that I was unable to untangle in my distressed state (driven by work concerns  and all of these travel disasters).  I finally just told the person on the other end I would simply ship the phone back without using it because there wasn’t enough time to work through these curve balls they had tossed with no notification.

So no phone for the trip and disappointment that this good thing fell apart so quickly and completely.

I bravely pressed on wrapped up office concerns, but the day concluded with translating an e-mail from Air Austral (our airline between Paris and Reunion), which communicated that our flight was no longer departing Sunday evening…it has been delayed until Monday morning.  There’s some unpleasant news.  Now we need to find lodging for Sunday night in Paris, miss a day on Reunion and have to ensure we can check in (very) late at La Gite du Volcan Monday night (and navigate the treacherous roads in the dark now).

Not great news, but you know what?  I am too close to the challenge that has been building towards this climax for eighteen months and there has been too many cherished moments recently.  The delay affords more time to spend in Paris with Rudolph and Jacomien, and this week in Dayton I had a great experience at Massage Envy at the Greene.  Went there for a last massage and naturally talked about the race with my therapist (since my response to her initial question was to focus on my legs...which leads conversation to the run).  When I offered some cash as a tip afterwards, she instructed me to contribute it to my fund raiser.  It’s hard to get down when you come across such gestures of kindness.

In fact, many contributions have come in this week and my apologies that I haven’t been able to thank everyone à if you read this please know how grateful I am.  Once this trip is all over I will try to express my appreciation personally.  Thank you, my friends, and bon voyage!

Working it Out

Quick entry before hitting the sack.  Need to rise well before the crack of dawn to fly to Ohio through Thursday and scramble like crazy to try and square away as much office work as possible before heading for Reunion.  The timing of this run isn’t exactly convenient for my job.  It’s the end of a quarter and we’re preparing next year’s budgets --- though I’m stressing over being able to accommodate everything, this is a once-in-a-lifetime event and I’ll just have to deal with it.


Got another ten miles in at noon in deliciously cool weather – the calf still squawks a little, but I maintained a stronger pace to test the recovery and it went well.  Very soon this will all be academic and willpower becomes the key ingredient to overcome any shortfalls in physical preparation.   Hard to say whether I can keep moving for 24 to 29 hours straight through, but I better sharpen my pencils because the test begins shortly.


In precisely two weeks, with good fortune, I will be reveling with locals at the post-run celebration in St. Denis.  I sure hope I will be celebrating…

All Systems Go

Received several boosts the past two days and I am very grateful.  First, the above e-mail got a pleasant response and I am exultant to report I will be devoting time today writing thank-you notes to a lot of wonderful friends!


On the physical front, I went out and ran eighteen miles this morning without any repercussions to the calf!  I was only supposed to do sixteen, but with my calf holding together and recalling all the miles forfeited while waiting for it to heal kept me going.  The run also reinforced how much temperature influences things.  Just a few weeks back I was forced to walk for stretches because I would be overwhelmed by fatigue, but trotting in sixty-degree weather completely vanquished this concern.


Today’s run also afforded the opportunity to fine tune outfitting my new running back pack with the CGM sensor.  I positioned my sensor in a much better place this time, so neither the hydro belt nor the straps from my pack irritated the site.  It was a blessing to run without holding onto the dang belt and fussing over my monitor, plus I finally was able to test the features of my pack.


The pack holds another two water bottles and although they looked a bit inaccessible where tucked in, it was remarkably easy to pluck them out while on the move.  Also tested the "distress whistle" (built right in to the backpack), which is another piece of required gear for the Reunion run.


Bottom line is that I am beginning to feel ready to take this monster on, but the balance of the weekend will be devoted to getting packed up, because it is off for a road trip Monday and there won’t be much time after getting back before the adventure begins!