See when you have an alarm on your Omini-pod insulin pump it means the insulin delivery has been disrupted and you have no choice but to change over to a new pump- Well, at the start line of the race is the last place you want to take the five minutes to prep and change your insulin pump (especially since changing the pump requires that you have insulin and a new pump to put on in the first place).
I sunk down to my knees in disbelief, knowing that I really couldn't run this race and that we made the entire trip for not- Then, after a couple second pity party, I thought, "hey, you've been in this place before (Vermont 50, 2014) and this isn't even an Ultra, it' going to be started and done in less than an hour and a half, you can do this!"- I looked at my mom, my sister, and Jac, and said "can you meet me at the aid station, mile 6"- of course they could! In a matter of seconds I mapped out a new strategy, and armed with insulin pen in one hand and water bottle in the other, I ran back past the sea of runners to the start line and promptly turned around at the start gate and began running the race! As this race was timed by a timing chip, I didn't even have to worry about missing the true starting gun- Time to Fly!
First few miles ticked by quickly, as I was weaving my way through runners, unsure of which ones were running the half marathon and which we running the 5k. I only knew one other runner at this event, and knowing we are very similar speeds enabled me to forge ahead, at least until I could locate him. The 5k runners turned off at approximately 2.5 miles and I proceeded to keep the pace high, but not out of my comfort zone, at least not yet.
After about mile 4 the course turned from pavement to dirt road: For the first time since the race began, I started to enjoy the ride! It was also about the moment I caught up to Vincent! He was looking strong, but he assured me he hadn't trained too much and just wanted to see if he could keep it around 7min. pace. Well, I wanted to keep the pressure on so I proceeded to keep moving up, sure Vincent would catch me with his impressive stride as we made our way back toward the downtown.
I expected to see the fabulous three Baker ladies as I cruised into the mile 6 aid station, but they were not their. I checked to see if I could grab the pen needle and take a little insulin, but it had fallen out of my water bottle- Oh well, "Stay calm, and run on"- So I gulped some more water and continued on. By now I had caught quite a few runners and found myself around 15th position but I wanted to keep the pace high, as I knew I would have to waste a lot of time checking sugars and taking insulin when I caught the "fab 3".
At the next aid station (mile 7.5ish) I saw my family at the aid station- I ran in, took a knee and tried to stay calm. Clean the finger, test the blood, measure the insulin, grab some drink and Go! Jacqui, Mom and Em did such a great job keeping track of me and giving me the support I needed to get the job done! My sugar was higher than I Hoped, so I made a quick calculation, took a shot and got ready to run just as Vincent caught up. Its always good to see friends out there on the roads and trails and he helped lift my spirits and get me rolling again and away from the negativity of the way the day had unfolded thus far.
The end of the race was fairly anti-climatic. There were a few nice rolling hills and friendly fans along the route, but the last few miles were a very much a survival fest- hold onto that past for just a few more miles. I caught a few more folks before I kind of settled into a rhythm. I had caught two guys and one girl and we were trading back and forth as we started to get around the "out and back" section- I think its always important to encourage other athletes and to thank the volunteers. At about mile 11.5 was our last water stop, I filled up on water one last time and thanked the volunteers (there was even a few belly dancers there to take our mind off the task at hand)!
I ran within range of the last three folks as we snaked our way back to the beautiful downtown of Newmarket, NH. I surged ahead around one of the corners and entered into the last little uphill right next to my compatriots. As we started to cruise down the home stretch I decided it was time to go and upped the tempo one last time-
Well this was a LONG final stretch and I knew my muscles that were beaten down by 13miles of pavement and consistently high blood sugars to mix with our old friend lactic acid- Somehow I hit the finish line and held off those last few runners with a finish time of 1:28:50- Not quite what I hoped for, but given the situation, I'll take it!! 18th/800- 3rd place 20-29AG-
The Great Bay half was a great experience and I Hope to come back again- I think Jacqui wants a shot at the half marathon and Mom and EM are thinking of rockin' the 5K! Also, I want a shot at this run with some better sugar numbers and nutrition options (2 shot bloks are not enough for 1.5hrs of running). As I may have said before, I am vey impressed with the weight and feel of the New Balance fresh foam shoes (I have the M980 Road) and enjoy road running much more with these cushy, smooth shoes- In addition to the support of these three awesome ladies; Jac's Mom, Deb and friend Julia also ran solid times on this beautiful day!
The big take home on the diabetes front is to be superbly adaptable! I had less than two minutes to fix my insulin delivery method to get through this event- and was able to make a decent solution to this sticky situation. The other take home is that when you are a person with diabetes you simply cannot do it alone! Friends and family and other people with diabetes are our greatest asset in staying healthy, staying happy, and running the long run of life with a unique challenge. You CAN Overcome!
Whats up next?
Still trying to figure it out, but I'd love to return to Pineland Farms and give a good shot at the 50k there- I am hopefully ready in the body and mind to set some PR's this summer!
Until next time,
To Health and Happy Adventures!
Brando
GPS Data on movescount below:
http://www.movescount.com/moves/move59279543.jpg)
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