Loop of Brum 200km Audax

Loop of Brum August 2020

 androidAPS - with SMBs enabled when carbs >0

max minutes of basal to limit SMB to = 300

 

Loop of Brum 200km Audax

 loop of Brum December 2019

 androidAPS - with SMBs enabled when carbs >0

max minutes of basal to limit SMB to = 300

 

 

Paris-Brest-Paris 1220km

 

 

 

Paris-Brest-Paris! 89 hours and 30 minutes! 

SMBs enabled with carbs >0 max 

max minutes of basal to limit SMB to = 30

DIY audax to London

 3rd August 2019

 

 

 

Loop of Brum 200km (calendar event)

 6th July 2019 loop of Brum

 

Loop of Brum 200km DIY audax

One final loop on my own before the calendar event!
Another chance to test out the insulin pump in closed loop 

basal profile same as standard profile, adjusted insulin carb ratios and insulin sensitivity factor

Vale of Belvoir 200km Audax

200km ride with Cannon Hill cycle club
First ride using an insulin pump, decided to test out the closed loop with androidAPS 

reduced basal profile (cycling 1):

 

Windsor Chester Windsor 600km Audax

5 days rest then another 600km.
I remembered all background injections (2.5 units levemir at 6am, 8pm and 6am). Fully catered controls made it easier to eat properly. Injected 1.5-3 units of novorapid at each control but had to stop several times for extra correction doses, particularly on the second day. Probably needed 3 units rather than 2.5 unit doses of levemir. Glucose fairly good first day but running high for second half of the ride. I didn't feel sick at any point and only had slightly raised ketones (1.2mmol/L) at the sleep stop.

Benjamin Allen's Summer Outing 600km Audax

Final PBP qualifier!! It should be 603km but lost a bit due to strava fail. glucose control was not great, running high for much of the time but at least I had no hypos. I was in range for several hours during a long hilly night section. I arrived at the sleep stop at 4:30am. Glucose normal but very high ketones. I then ate, forgot to inject and fell asleep! SEveral large insulin doses (3+4+4) were needed to bring doen the glucose and ketones when I left a few hours later. Final section was a sprint along the A38 with 4 Corners Audax. Finished just after 7pm.

London-Wales-London 400km Audax

Another 400 a week after Moors and Wolds was a big ask but I didn't want to miss this ride. A lot of publicity had gone into increasing the number of women entering this ride including holding places when the ride sold out soon after opening.

3 units of levemir at start, glucose control fairly good during the day, I ate a lot more than I did on Moors and Wolds which definitely helped. beans on toast at woodstock 1.5 units novorapid. Glucose was running slightly high for the next few hours so after a couple of rather aggressive corrections (2x 1units novorapid) I dropped slightly low just before next control at Tewksbury. I was glad of the chance to drink some orange juice as I was running out of water. 13:45 Panini and flapjack at tewksbury 1 unit of insulin, 18:15 vegetable stew, chocolate cake, yoghurt and fruit at Chepstow 3 units of novorapid. Slightly too much as I was dropping low an hour later so stopped to eat a doughnut. 00:15 Vegetable chilli and baked potato at Lambourne 1.5 units of novorapid, running high overnight but it was very cold so I didn't want to risk stopping to treat a hypo and I had very little orange juice left. 06:45 Coffee and brioche roll at Henley, finished at 07:30.
The coldest overnight ride I've done, colder than FFF500 at new year.

Moors and Wolds 400km Audax

Another PBP qualifier, glucose control was okay. The late morning start is difficult because I reduced my 7am levemir dose (from 12 to 2.5 units) so needed several corrections to stop glucose rising before cycling. Started with a glucose of about 13 but had 2 units of novorapid so dropped to 5.4 by first control. First half of ride glucose generally in range. 15:00 65g carbs, 1.5 units novorapid, 19:10 75g carbs 1.5 units novorapid. I stopped for 45 minutes at 220km, 85g carbs 1.5 units novorapid, 2.5 units of levemir. Glucose increased to about 15 so injected another 1.5 units. Glucose about 7 by next control at Willerby just after 1am. 17g carbs no insulin. Started feeling unwell at about 3am and vomited at 04:30. Glucose averaging around 10. Felt better by the time I reached the next service station at Gainsborough, 2 units of novorapid and 25g carbs. I carried on slowly finishing just before 10am. Glucose back in range by the end.
Post ride: by the time I got home 3 hours after finishing my glucose had risen to 15mmol/L, blood ketones 5.6mmol/L. I followed sick day rules and injected 3x10 unit additional doses of novorapid over 3 hours. 3.5 hours later ketones reduced to 0.2

Heart of England 300km Audax

3 units of levemir (reduced from 12)

3 units of novorapid at first control (65g carb)
0.5 units of novorapid at second control (45g carb)
0.5 units of novorapid at third control (50g carb)
1 unit of novorapid at fourth control (50g carb)

80g carb consumed throughout the day as orange juice



 

Another Slice of Rutland 200km Audax

4 units if levemir (reduced from 12)
3 units of novorapid at first control (60g carb)
no insulin at middle control (30g carb)
1 unit at last control (50g carb)
60g carb consumed throughout day as orange juice


 

A Rough Diamond 300km Audax

Second PBP qualifier

March Madness 200km Audax

1st PBP qualifier

Snowdrop Express 120km Audax plus ride there and back

really pleased with glucose control for this ride, and I remembered to enter all my carbs and insulin injections

Full Fat Festive 500km Audax

Even I agree that this ride was a bit insane. broken rear gear cable at 50km, stopped at 65km for fry up breakfast at Premier Inn. Carried on to Oxford, thankfully relatively flat section. Visited Bike Zone in Oxford and nervously had a coffee in their cafe while they looked at my bike. Happily they managed to replace the rear gear cable within about 30 minutes and I was back on the road again. Next stop Winpole where I caught up with a few other audaxers. Really tasty cheese, pickle and salad sandwich from farm deli, one of the highlights of my ride! Then on to Cambridge, stopped at Wetherspoons for fish and chips. Next section was cycle path alongside guided bus route to St Ives, I rode most of this with another audaxer. As I was approaching St Ives glucose dropping to 4. Another Wetherspoons, his time just a packet of crisps, no insulin. Ride from St Ives to Northampton was tough into an icy headwind. Finally arrived in Northampton at 12:45. Checked in to travelodge, glad to be on the ground floor. Fell asleep before injecting and woke with glucose of 19. Correction dose plus quick mug of coffee and I was back on the bike by 04:20. Hypo'd a couple of hours later and ate my way through my glucose tablets and flapjacks. Stopped to change batteries in garmin and reached Gaydon services 3 minutes within time limit. Glucose had rebounded back up again but I was glad of the opportunity for some breakfast and had 2 yoghurt and granola pots plus a coffee. Next few hours were a glucose rollercoaster as I swung continuously from hypo to hyper. Eventually stopping just outside Gloucester I ate another flapjack and half a pack of glucose tablets and just let it run high for the rest of the ride.  Finished with about an hour to spare and tucked into a much needed plate of dhal and rice. Overall glucose control good for first 300km. This seems to be my limit at the moment. I haven't managed to maintain focus beyond this point on a long audax to keep glucose in range. An aim for 2019!

Loop of Brum 200km DIY Audax

Loop of Brum (Brum200) for the third time. Anticlockwise from Berkswell, beautiful day for a ride.
Sat outside cafe at Cannock chase for a couple of penguin bars, a friendly group of runners gave me a mince pie. I guessed insulin dose at 2.5 units. As I rode the next few km I did the calculations in my head. Total carbs divided by 7 and multiplied by 0.25. Calculated insulin dose 2.57 so I was pretty happy with my guestimate. Stopped at bakery in Penkridge for a packed lunch, egg may sandwich and rhubarb and cherry cake. My favourite section of his route is the ride to Ironbridge. The bridge itself was freshly painted and a sat in the sunshine eating my picnic lunch. My watch vibrated several times during ride to Bewdley but I was climbing the hills fine. I stopped to do a blood test which was reading 2 mmol/L above my Xdrip cgm. I recalibration Xdrip from the blood glucose result and carried on with a perfect glucose of 5.8. A pot of yoghurt and water bottle top up in Bewdley. The last 50km always appears hillier than expected, lots of christmas lights in the villages I past through and a stunning full moon to round off a great day of cycling. Glucose in range for the full 200km, I think that's the best yet.

Kings, Castles, Priests and Churches 200km Audax

Early start for train down to Tewksbury. Breakfast at 4:30am with normal insulin ratio. Short ride into town where I met up with Piotr to catch the train from New street. Coffee at the start at wetherspoons, 4 units of levemir at 7am. Quite a few familiar faces from the previous week's 300km ride, including Matt. A slice of orange and almond cake with a pot of tea at Bromyard. 2 units of insulin, probably slightly too much as needed half a flapjack an hour later. I joined up with Liz and Barbara and we rode together to the next cafe at Ludlow. In preparation for the hilly section of the ride I had apple pie and custard with 3 units of insulin. Liz and Barbara stopped in Presteigne for food but I pushed on to the next cafe control at Kington. I was a bit short of time but ordered a brie and cranberry panini. I left Kington with Piotr but he was slightly faster and soon enough he disappeared out of sight. When I reached the final garage control it was almost dark. A stamped card and a flapjack and I was back on the bike again. Finished in time for a curry at wetherspoons before riding back to Ashchurch with Piotr to catch the train.Thankfully no Rugby fans this time!
Probably the best glucose control for an audax so far. Peak at 12:00 is the apple pie, 11 units for the curry worked well although glucose increased overnight.

Adjusting my insulin doses for audax rides

I've developed my own method of adjusting my insulin doses for when I'm doing long periods of exercise. I have a rather 'non standard' insulin dosing regime to start with so this method only works for me, it wouldn't be appropriate for anyone else. 

I use MDI (multiple daily injections). I have 2 insulin pens, levemir which is a long acting insulin and novorapid, a faster acting insulin. 

For days when I'm not doing a long cycle ride I inject levemir twice a day and novorapid every time i eat or drink carbohydrate. I also inject 3 units of novorapid at  9am and 9pm. These additional doses of novorapid are to prevent glucose rises at certain times of the day which are not matched by the levemir profile.

When I'm doing a long audax ride, I reduce my levemir dose on the morning of the ride to 40% of my normal dose, I inject my normal dose of novorapid with breakfast and aim to have a glucose around 5-7 at the start. I miss out my 9am novorapid dose. I still get a bit of a glucose rise mid morning so might have to do a small correction dose before the first cafe stop.  During a ride when I stop at a shop or cafe I inject 25% of my normal novorapid dose for food I eat. With such low insulin doses the limiting factor is the insulin pen which has half unit increments.

I have occasionally ridden audaxes starting at 11am in the morning. I used the same protocol but by the time I started riding my glucose was 13+ which was difficult to manage.

If I'm riding through the night I reduce my evening levemir and miss my 10pm novorapid dose.

It's taken a lot of trial and error to work this out, occasionally I get it right. The longer a ride is the more difficult it is to maintain focus on keeping my glucose in range.