# Any Diabetics Here?



## OlMarin (Oct 22, 2016)

I am. Adult onset type 1, insulin dependent. 
Riding means I can ride to dinner, eat WTF I want, take my usual insulin and blast on home. Great rib joint 19 miles away.........
Great Mexican food the other way. But that's a mere 7 miles


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## BR46 (Nov 15, 2015)

T2 here..Off the needle just pills, diet and a lot of exercise


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## OlMarin (Oct 22, 2016)

BR46 said:


> T2 here..Off the needle just pills, diet and a lot of exercise


You have a good reason to ride. In my case, I was in my early '20's when I started losing weight in a hurry. Got sick, weighed 129# (current weight is 170#). I'm 70" tall.
I would not be alive without insulin.
Fortunately it's easy nowadays to carry everything to maintain Type 1. Fits in a small seat bag. And the stuff's miles ahead. 
In my day we didn't have a machine with which you could test your blood sugar at home. Test strips had just started.


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## rogerfromco (Jun 22, 2007)

OlMarin said:


> I am. Adult onset type 1, insulin dependent.
> Riding means I can ride to dinner, eat WTF I want, take my usual insulin and blast on home. Great rib joint 19 miles away.........
> Great Mexican food the other way. But that's a mere 7 miles


Adult onset Type 1 here as well. Using a medtronic pump and CGM. Most rides are 60-90 min these days so no real need to adjust my basal rate - just ride on and make sure I'm around 150 or so when I start.

Watching Bigfoot Biomedical and the FDA approval for an automated pump (artificial pancreas) with an app based interface. Supposed to get FDA approval in 2017.


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## OlMarin (Oct 22, 2016)

I'm still self inject. Lantus is a set amount. Novolog is sliding scale, used with meals to keep peaks from happening. A1C's consistently in the mid to high sixes. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.


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## OlMarin (Oct 22, 2016)

Hydration is a big thang with everybody, diabetics as well. Also low BS when exercising is a major concern. My solution starts by spending a dime on a pack of good ol' Kool Aid.
You have the ability to set the simple sugar level wherever you want. I find 1/3C sugar and 2/3C Splenda gives just enough 'fuel' in 2QTS *for me. *With any fluid, you have to like it or you won't drink enough. I love the mixed berry!!
My solution for electrolytes? Bananas. Good road fuel.


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## rogerfromco (Jun 22, 2007)

For long rides, I have honey stinger gels for instant glucose and mix gatorade in with the water in my hydration pack for electrolytes.


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## Joel_l (Aug 12, 2016)

Type two for 5 years now. So far controlling with diet and exercise. Was going out to lunch with a friend who's type 1 one day. She was checking her levels before we headed out. I commented that my blood is probably like molasses. She checked it and it was in the high 300s ( was actually a fasting number ). After 3 months I was able to get my A1C down to the low 5s. These days I'm at 6 working on getting it a bit better again. Doc wanted me on Metformin but I declined until I could see what I could do on my own.


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## OlMarin (Oct 22, 2016)

Joel_l said:


> Type two for 5 years now. So far controlling with diet and exercise. Was going out to lunch with a friend who's type 1 one day. She was checking her levels before we headed out. I commented that my blood is probably like molasses. She checked it and it was in the high 300s ( was actually a fasting number ). After 3 months I was able to get my A1C down to the low 5s. These days I'm at 6 working on getting it a bit better again. Doc wanted me on Metformin but I declined until I could see what I could do on my own.


Good job! My riding has been a bit sparse this winter as I'm not cut out for cold weather anymore. My Lantus is up a bit, weight staying same. Appetite varies with activity. Dang, it ain't broke. Better not fix it.


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## Gasp4Air (Jun 5, 2009)

T1 since age 50, 16 years ago. I monitor closely and do well at checkups. Dexcom CGM is huge for me - literally never without it, day and night. All exercise is good - ups my insulin sensitivity and just feels good. Hiking, biking, working on the house. It's all good.


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## HELLBELLY (Jan 16, 2004)

Type 1 IDDM since age 16 and a mountain biker since age 20 (will be 50 in August). It's always a learning effort as to what is going to work best to maintain proper blood glucose levels, how to fuel for exercise, keep my weight in check as well as balancing diet, exercise and insulin intake. I highly recommend reading Not Dead Yet. I actually go to same endocrinologist as the author and manage my efforts in a similar fashion as their team athletes.

:thumbsup: :devil:


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## OlMarin (Oct 22, 2016)

Hellbelly, sounds like you're on the right track. I'm more of a road rider and spend quite a bit of time between stops. I always carry M&M's and my meter with me.


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## HELLBELLY (Jan 16, 2004)

OlMarin said:


> Hellbelly, sounds like you're on the right track. I'm more of a road rider and spend quite a bit of time between stops. I always carry M&M's and my meter with me.


I always say whatever turns you on, but candies give me too much of a hard spike. I "road ride" (quotations because I am a mountain biker first and probably will never get the dirt outta my veins no matter how Euro trashy and smug I ever get) too commuting to work 2-3 days a week, doing some after work 35-40 mile group ride burners and some cyclocross insanity as well. Instead, I carry a zip lock bag of dried organic figs and eat a couple of them every half hour or so. Timing for fuel on harder rides is critical for me. I like to start out either with my blood glucose a little elevated (150-180mg/ml) or if it's ideal or slightly low eat something before I begin (some figs, or a Cliff Nut Butter bar). Timing again is critical as if I were to eat either of these and not start riding (hard) within 15-20 minutes I will spike. I feel like shiz when I do and do not ride well. I only carry a meter/insulin on rides that are going way out and/or more than two hours. The less stuff I have to schlep on any ride the better. I used to use a pump and a CGM, but found them to be cumbersome and less precise than manually managing it myself.

:thumbsup: :devil:


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## str8edgMTBMXer (Apr 15, 2015)

Type 2 here...for about 10 years. Just on pills, and the normal diet and exercise thing. I did start having some issues in my left eye though. Seeing the doc about that...


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## OlMarin (Oct 22, 2016)

HELLBELLY said:


> I always say whatever turns you on, but candies give me too much of a hard spike.


I shoulda clarified. I keep the M&M's for emergencies. Large pill bottle full. I mix my own go juice. Kool Aid mixed with 1/3 normal sugar and the rest sucralose. I stop every 15-20 miles and eat usually 1/2 PB sammich. Unless I'm on my fave pastry run which involves a 50 mile day and 3 different shops. I gotta be careful what I eat and when. I also carry some Novolog with me and a syringe or two, depending. 
I also have to really crank the pedals on these pastry runs. Damn the bad luck!!
Last one I was 202 an hour after getting back. I can handle running a bit rich while I have the motor winding.


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## MRMOLE (May 31, 2011)

Interesting information here. This September I will have been a type 1 for 40 yrs. (I'm 60). For the last 20 yrs. I've been a 200 mi. a week rider and kept my a1c's around 6.0. I relate very well to most of the things discussed here (use GU packs for ride glucose and emergencies). Insulin pump/CGM info particularly of interest as have always been denied by insurance because of my good a1c #'s. Was always iffy about the pump but the CGM's I think would help. Feel like the bicycle has extended my life considerably!
Mole


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