One week till 26.2 part 2

In one week I will be attempting the marathon distance for the second time. Things didn't go as I planned the first time. My overall time was not bad at all for a first time marathoner, but I was attempting to qualify for Boston on my first try and in hindsight that was a very lofty goal. Not only did I face the usual new twists of running that far that fast,but it was the longest run that I had ever attempted without my insulin pump. I have run several half marathon and it works out for me to run without it for that distance and length of time. I found out the hard way that anything over 1:45 to 2:00 I need to keep my pump attached and use a temporary basal for the duration of the run or race. At about mile 17 in the Houston marathon last January my energy completly and suddenly was gone and my body felt like it was shutting down. It wasn't the proverbial "wall" that I had hit , it was my blood sugar near 400. I didn't find out until I had finished the race and I was on my back in the med tent with and IV in my arm. I learned painful but valuable lessons that day and have had good training the last few months , running long and fast with my pump on. I have been using a temp basal of -70% for a duration of 3.5 hrs to cover the whole race. In my training runs I have had blood sugars of 80 to 150 after finishing my 20 mile and above workouts. I usually take in about 25grams of carbohydrate (gels or stinger chews) every 6miles or so and drinking water when I am thirsty to stay hydrated. Diabetics can do anything if they are careful and smart to put in the time to see what works and what doesn't. I am happy to report what has worked for me and what has not, but it will be different for everyone just like we all have different pump settings and carb ratios that work for us. The most important thing is to be willing and not afraid to lead an active lifestyle that works together with our medicine to help our body be the most efficient it can be.It is very important to inform our doctors on the things we want to do so they can partner with us in our lifestyle change. If you have one that tells you should not be a runner my advice would be to find one who is excited about your being willing to take care of "your diabetes" (: Hopefully at this time next sunday I will be able to report that I have run a good strong race and qualified for Boston !