One More Under the Belt

Another race morning came upon me! I woke up with a blood sugar of 136, and this perfectionist accepts it as a good number for a race day. (And yes to all my diabetic friends out there...I would normally correct a 136, that's how anal I am!) The same ol nerves and anticipation are coming on while I'm eating my usual pre-race breakfast. Although the nerves are not as present as they have been in the past and I'm just plain excited to race. I made a big pot of coffee for my loving husband who is not quite up yet. (Early bird and night owl....a match made in heaven!) Brent and Jim can't understand why triathlons have to be so early....why not a more respectable hour? But Shannon and I still drag them.

I finish getting all my gear together and we head out the door at 5:30am. After getting a bit lost in the early morning darkness we made it to the park. I check in, get my goody bag and head back to the car for my gear. Brent and Jim are now joking around on how to jockey for a good position to see us.

Shannon got her stuff all set up super fast, and I just take forever......remember...perfectionist!I checked my blood sugar and it's 215. Obviously not a number I would like. I increase my basal rate and wait it out. At this point Shannon has realized that the swim will be cold...and decides to look at the wetsuits the "bike store" under the tent. Great price on a 2XU sleeveless one and fits great. SOLD! Risky move on race day...but I'm the one with those hangups, not Shannon. Now we want to get in the water to test it out right? I do one last check on the bg, and it's down to 174....better, but not what I wanted to see. I think I bolused a very small amount then took the pump off and headed to the start.



The water was fine...love wearing the wetsuit...if only taking it off were easier! The men go off first, and the women follow 1 min. later. I fall into my rhythm pretty early. The bright sunlight made it hard to sight the buoys, but I managed fine.


I'm the one taking the earplugs out

As I exit the water my mind goes to the bike and the routine I use for transition. I get the wetsuit off and check the bg, and it's 168. Now this makes me happy. A very small change after a race effort swim. I consider that success! I finish transition, hop on my bike and I'm off!

This bike course surprised me. I rode a part of it for the Tour de Cure back in June, and I don't remember some of those hills. Geezzzz! I still managed a bike speed of 18-19mph. My legs are burning near the end of the 12.5 miles, and now I'm starting to imagine the run on legs that feel like 2 bricks!



I arrived in transition and the blood sugars are up to 229. Yep...I knew that was coming. I think I corrected a little again. (I really should write that down huh?) This run should be interesting to say the least. I head out to the cheers of the husbands and....BAM....the run starts with a short but steep hill. Can you say anaerobic?? Like I wasn't already! The run course was 2 loops and I decide to ease into it with the first loop.....I gotta get those legs loosened up! By the time the 2nd loop came I felt way better...but still not "there" yet and don't feel like I will be.....until I see the finish line through the trees....AND the women in front of me with the age of 38 on her calf! Now I don't need to tell you what happened next do I? Yes, I found that "something" that I needed to push me to the line, and get my race face on. I caught...I passed...I finished 5th out of 25 in my agegroup.



I looked around for the boys and found them with their chairs and cameras in hand. I check the blood sugars once again and I see a 249....another climb, but not too bad. I say not too bad...but really....I'm unhappy with it. I tried to forget about it and enjoy the finish! I head on back to the finish line to wait for Shannon. Strong finish for her! She looked great! But I'll tell you we both agreed that the run hard.....grass/paved path. The grass was the tough part...not even a trail.

I tried to see if they posted any finish times...but no go. I had pancakes on the mind and didn't want to wait! Shannon and I quickly changed in the Element and made our way out of the park! Always love replenishing those glycogen stores!!

Did I kick stress in the butt today???? I think I did...at least I'm kicking it down one block at a time. I will say that I didn't think about any of it while I was racing. I plan on knocking a few more blocks down on Sept. 16th...the last race of my season!

Next up...Sept. 16th

Have I Mentioned.....

...the living with diabetes part of my blog. There is much more to the big ball of diabetes then just my training and racing. STRESS is a huge part of the chaos that causes blood sugar woes! Stress makes you want to crawl under a rock and not get your butt out there and train. Stress fuels thoughts that would never cross ones "normal" mind. How do you break the cycle? I have never quite found that something, but one thing is for sure....stress can kick your a**!!!!

So...in light of current situations....and so little racing this year.....I look forward to the next race. Another sprint distance with my friend Shannon. Sunday I will wake up fully focused and ready to go. Stick to the race plan...stick to the race plan. I do this because I love it...I do it also to show we diabetics CAN do it! And on race day.....stress will no longer kick my a**.....I'll do the a** kicking that day!

Race Season Finally Starts

Life is hectic sometimes. Yesterday was the first race of the season for me. Training has been crap, so I went into this race with no expectations. And for anyone that knows me well…they know that is very hard for me to do. So my report goes as this:

No nerves at all race morning. Amazing! Maybe that was the no expectation part of my preparations. I woke up around 5AM with a blood sugar of 76(not ideal for race day).
I eat, and bolus for all of it…only 25carbs anyway. I also raise my basal rate based on all the testing of this method I did last year for sprint races. And I check often to see where it goes in the next 2 hrs. The Dexcom is dead so no continuous monitoring this time. Bummer!

They had been predicting rain and way cooler temps for Sunday so I checked the weather first thing. (who are “they” anyway???) It looked like there was a lot on its way via the radar. I’m thinking this is not going to be good…especially if there is lightening/thunder. They will cancel for sure. But I kept packing my gear and thinking that at least it won’t be the 90 plus degrees it has been the past week. The water will be warmer then the air. I made a pot of coffee for Brent to take…and amazing enough he was awake before I could wake him.

We were to meet our friends Shannon and Jim around 6:15-6:30. Brent and Jim were all bundled up with chairs, cameras, umbrellas, and coffee in hands. They think triathlon is not a spectator sport, but you could have fooled us. Brent has been to enough of mine to know the ropes. This event I’ve done every year since it started. Right here in Clarkston. They know where to sit to see Shannon and I several times. (Although I might add they gave their chairs to 2 women with babies watching their husbands…chivalry is not dead!)


As I’m setting up my transition area I’m seeing all sorts of friends of mine. Nice to see them all! (By the way…the new bike looks great racked at an event. Hope I do it justice!) We all seem to be talking about the weather, which at this point has not started yet…just super cloudy and 60ish degrees. It’s been about 1.5 hr’s since I ate. I do a blood sugar check, and I’m at 105…perfect, but scared again of a low I eat 10gm. I get my swim stuff and we make the trek to the beach, about 700m away. Once there I make the obligatory porta-john stop….along with everyone else. And now the wait begins.

Shannon and I are in second wave to start. Now I’m realizing that I have the only white swim cap among the women…clearly a mistake at check-in, but no one says anything so I ignore it. Turns out to be a good thing for Brent…he can see me through the whole swim.
I see my training friend Steve who is anxious to start, and wish him luck. Which he won’t really need…he is a SUPER athlete! Maybe it will rub off on me!
One last blood sugar check, and I’m at 117. I’m happy and hand my meter and pump to Brent who will be waiting to hand my pump to me after the swim.

I’m in the water and dunk under several times to get the body used to the temperature. I hate how my heart rate goes up so fast at the beginning of the swim and hope that this helps a bit. The horn blows and we are off. I get my groove early…and it surprises me. I’m feeling really good…sighting the buoys, breathing on both sides, just smooth. I’m trying not to worry about my pace so much and keep trying to remember that I’m not really racing this one. As I’m coming out of the water , someone is screaming my name. I look over to see my friend Dana with her boyfriend Travis. This really motivates me!! I was wishing Dana could be racing with me, but after quite a health scare, having her there is wonderful !!!

I quickly hook my pump back up, and slip my shoes on for the 700m run to transition. I hate that part of this race! When I get to my bike, I’m fumbling around a bit because it is now just starting to drizzle and I covered all my gear up with a plastic bag. I check the bg’s and I’ve peaked to 190. I’m a little deflated by this, but I continue and happy it isn’t higher. I think that 10gms I ate are showing…plus a little anaerobic swim.

I couldn't wait to race on my new bike!!! The day is here…on a course I know like the back of my hand! It was just great! I averaged around 19-20mph. Other then the few MEN who didn’t call out “on your left” and pass you at very close range….the ride was great. The real rain held off. So I didn’t worry too much about slick roads.


I’m in transition once again and check bg’s once again. Now I’m at 200. Not bad considering the 190 to start and a pretty all out effort on the bike. (I just couldn’t hold back..it was too fun!!) As I’m poking my finger there are people watching right next to me and I do a quick explanation, they give a few WOW’s and I’m off again. I think I bloused .5 to correct and I anticipated a more anaerobic run.

Running has been dog slow for me lately, so what will happen here I don’t know! It’s a 2 loop course with one big hill that I curse every time I get to it! I kept the pace down a little to get the legs used to running. Just when I get to the bottom of that hill a guy passes and says..”You’re tough!…You’re diabetic?” I say yes and thanks. Either he saw the pump or he overheard the small explanation in transition. (Sorry Tony…no jersey worn today to promote Type 1 Rider….I was hot!) Tough I thought? I’m not feeling so tough on this hill. Then I started to think about tough….people like Tony, Mari, Marty, Mike, Kathy, Dana who know tough….and then the names got to be too many…and it suddenly became not so tough. I go through for the second loop and see Brent, Jim, Ann, Bob, and Janet too cheering me on…then see Dana again. I hold my hand out for a high 5 and take some of the awesome strength of hers for the last lap. This lap now feels faster and stronger. The finish was sweet and I gave it all in the last mile. Steve finished right behind me and looked fantastic. He asked how my blood sugars were when he couldn’t even catch his breath…now that’s a true training friend…scratch that…true friend. I can’t even describe how that made me feel! We went to grab some food and water and then went to find our families. (by the way, blood sugar was 230. Bolused for the correction and a bagel)
I went back to the finish to wait for Shannon…then low and behold my friends Matt and Gary cross the line then Shannon. Great finish for Shannon! She hasn’t done a triathlon in a while…she looked terrific!!


At this point it is starting to really rain and we cut out chatting with everyone to get our gear in the car and go to breakfast. Bob and Ann, Jim and Shannon, Dana and Travis all head to the coney island. I think we all deserved a pancake or 2!!

I finished 11/25 in my age group. Which I’m trying not to be disappointed about…because I was not racing…right??? But I really thought that run was faster…that pace is 3 years ago pace!

11/25 Nancy Eastman
swim rank 4- 18:23- pace 2:18- 800m
bike rank 9- 50:05- rate 19.2 - 18miles
run rank 19- 44:01- pace 10:01- 4.4 miles
Total time 2:00:17

As I came into the finish chute I heard my name and almost wish I could have heard.”Nancy Eastman, diabetic, from Clarkson.”

Newsweek Article

A fellow camper is a writer for Newsweek...check out her article online...then read the Q &A with Dr. Matt! Awesome exposure! Also make sure to look at my 1 minute of my 15 minutes of fame on the second page. Quite the photo of "happy campers"!