It's Complicated

Some days I feel like I have everything figured out but then this disease just keeps throwing curve balls.

I have been going along now for several months trying to get better at controlling my blood sugar and trying to get back into racing shape at the same time. During the first few weeks of running, I would have to eat a snack right before the run and then again after about 20 minutes to keep from going too low. Lately though, it seems like I have been building up the ability to run for longer without needing to eat.

For example, I ran just a little over 9 miles on Saturday with a decent pace of just under 7 minutes per mile and all I had was a granola bar about 10 minutes before the run. The Saturday before that, I did a much faster workout where I ran 6 miles at a pace of about 5:50 per mile. Again, all I had was an energy gel just before the run.

After days like those (which were my longest and fastest runs since becoming diabetic) I felt on top of the world again. Even though I know I can't cure myself, running like that makes me feel like I'm getting very close to doing exactly that.

But that is where it gets difficult. On Saturday's after my run, I only need about 75% of my normal insulin amounts the rest of the day to keep my blood sugar in check. But then the next morning it is the opposite. Whatever I eat for breakfast, I can't seem to take enough insulin to stop my blood sugar from spiking up over 200. See the chart below.

This shows how my glucose levels are fine just before eating in the morning because they are in the blue zone. Each colored line is my glucose level on a different day as the hours move along the bottom axis. The dotted line is my average for the week. After I eat, I go way too high, above the target blue zone. But then I come crashing down to lower than where I started. You can see that my lunch numbers are more normal, I mostly stay in the target green zones.

I've tried taking more insulin and it does lower the peak level a little but then I drop way down into dangerous levels before lunchtime. It is as if I need insulin that works even faster or something. This week I will try taking the insulin 20 or 30 minutes before the meal and see if I can lower that peak even more.

This is what a typical day looks like for me. Breakfast is clearly the area that needs the most improvement.


It is weird that I have had no problem figuring out how to do very difficult workouts and keep good control of my blood sugar but I can't figure out how to have breakfast.

If anyone out there has any ideas, let me know.