# Cycling John O'Groats to Lands End



## Copepod (Jun 5, 2011)

A friend of mine is seeting off from John O'Groats on 11th June, intending to cycle to Lands End 9 days later to raise money for Diabetes UK. She has had type 1 diabetes for 17 years and been using an insulin pump for a few years. her hospital has loaned a continuous blood glucose sensor for the ride. As she explains "The hospital hope to use me as a case study as there is not much data on diabetics cycling over 100 miles a day for 9 days consecutively." 

http://www.justgiving.com/juliashrubb

I'll relay any updates I hear from the road.


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## Northerner (Jun 5, 2011)

That will be a great achievement! Tell her to wave as she goes past Glasgow as we'll be up at the Glasgow Meet on 11th June!  Has she heard of Team Type 1 in the US? http://www.teamtype1.org/


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## DickBarton (Jun 11, 2011)

That is great stuff, I hope she has a cracking time.

Before I landed with my current 'permanent house keeper' and had the responsibility of a job, I was riding 350 miles a week on my bike...managed to do this for about 3 years...was brilliant, loved the biking and I was feeling very good...not quite as lucky as that nowadays with job/wife/child, but I still get out biking once or twice a week...

I hope she takes lots of pictures on the ride as I'd love to see how she gets on...I'm sure she'll love it...I'm proper envious.


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## Copepod (Jun 12, 2011)

No pictures yet, but I can relay this post by Julia on Facebook a few minutes ago: 

"Another great day's riding. Fantastic scenery and good group riding. In the shadow of Ben Nevis tonight. I'm ready for the midges!!"


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## Copepod (Jun 14, 2011)

Posted on 13th June: "Tough day today! Very wet up through Glencoe and the Scottish Highlands. 122 miles. In Glasgow tonight, to England tomorrow!"


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## Northerner (Jun 14, 2011)

Copepod said:


> Posted on 13th June: "Tough day today! Very wet up through Glencoe and the Scottish Highlands. 122 miles. In Glasgow tonight, to England tomorrow!"



I'll bet it was tough! I've been through there and it sounds like she caught the rain that I saw all the way down from Glasgow. She's already done extremely well!


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## Copepod (Jun 14, 2011)

Posted at end of ride on 12th June 2011: "Luckily glorious sunshine today but a bit of a headwind. The GB cycling team have joined us for a few days training. Their speed is incredibile! One rider kindly led a peleton I joined for over 30 miles, but my legs are weary now."


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## Northerner (Jun 17, 2011)

How is she doing now Copepod?


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## Copepod (Jun 17, 2011)

Posted Thursday: "I really enjoyed today's stage - got cheered on my friends and colleagues in Cheshire this morning and parents in Ludlow this afternoon. A relatively easy 106 miles. www.justgiving.com/juliashrubb" And she got cake from a friend somewhere along the ride. 

Posted Friday: "Thanks for all your messages (and sponsorship!). It would be easier if it wasn't raining - please could you all do the opposite of a rain dance. Thanks!"


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## Julia (Jun 20, 2011)

Hello Everyone,

Thank you Copepod for telling me about this site. I've had a look around and am looking forward to "getting to know" you guys better.

Having a well earnt rest after finishing my cycle ride yesterday. What an amazing experience. It was tough, but I did it! 963 miles in 9 days. A great way to see the UK! I met some truly inspirational people including many paraolympians who were also doing the ride.

Unfortunately the hospital had to withdraw the offer of a sensor a couple of days before the start due to funding. Oh well. My blood sugars weren't perfect but I learnt a lot and managed to make some tweaks to both basal and bolus rates as I went a long. If anyone wants more details let me know. Apparently there was another type 1 on the ride, but the medics pulled him out on day 1 after swing from over 30mmol/l to less than 2mmol/l. I never got the chance to talk to him.

Thank you Northener for the link about team type 1. I had not heard of them and I bought the book just in time to take with me - highly recommended!

Just a bit about me and my diabetes. Diagnosed age 11, now 28. Had a paradigm pump for 2 years. Over last few years have struggled to get HbA1c less than 8, but feeling very inspired to get that down in the next few months... Always been very active, lots of cycling (previously mainly mountain biking), long distance running etc.

Anyway, I'm really looking forward to becoming part of your group and sharing information and ideas!


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## Northerner (Jun 20, 2011)

Hi Julia, great to hear from you, and many congratulations on such a tremendous achievement! I can't even ride a bike! I look forward to hearing more from you


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## Robster65 (Jun 20, 2011)

Hi Julia. Welcome to the forum. 

A truly amazing feat. Well done. 

Hopefully you'll discover some of the missing links which can help you to acheive the sub-8 and even sub-7 HbA1c.

Rob


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## Steff (Jun 20, 2011)

Julia a massive welcome to the forum from me lovely to hear from you and a huge well done a fantastic feat x


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## Copepod (Jun 20, 2011)

Welcome Julia, in cyberspace as well as real life 

I was just going to post latest update to say you've done it, but guess that's not really needed now!

Not surprised the medics pulled the T1D person with swing from 30mmol/l to 2mmol/l - what on earth were they doing?!? Guess we'll never know.


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## Nyadach (Jul 20, 2011)

Hi Julia...great ride! As a matter of fact I am very curious about how you coped with the doses etc, since that ride is one of the things I'm busy training for next summer (hopefully). Am currently going on a eat my way along method on a rough 3cp per 10 mile depending on effort if no change of dose before a ride. And major drops in the Novorapid if I am planning something much longer. The Lantus though is a real annoyance to planning for longer rides, but well...working on that currently.

So pumps, they worked out well for a ride like this?


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## Julia (Jul 21, 2011)

Hello again nyadach,
So you are a downhiller AND a roadie...interesting!
I would recommend a pump for something like this. I cannot claim to have perfect blood sugars, infact I had a couple of readings over 20 and a couple under 4. Not ideal, but generally better than expected. The great thing about this ride was that I did the same thing for 9 days. Starting at between 7am-8am and riding for 8-10 hours. I generally found I needed no reduction in breakfast bolus, despite starting within 90 mins of breakfast bolus. Had 50% reduction in basal during day sipping approx 150ml energy drink per hour. Any extra food gave 50% bolus during day.
Experimented with doses after finishing ride. Every day had 35g carb "recovery drink" within 20mins of stopping and then stopped temporary basal. Found only needed to bolus 15g for this recovery drink. Unfortunately had to completely guess carbs in evening meal (lots), and than ran 90% normal basal overnight. 
Luckily even if readings not great, felt fine and if a little high took correction & drank more water+electrolytes and if less than 6mmol/l drank more of the horribly blue poweraide the company supplied us. Carried a fair few jelly babies the length of the UK which didn't get eaten. 
If you want any further details/specifics let me know, although I am very aware I am not a very good role model (determined that next HbA1c will be less than 8!...)


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## Nyadach (Jul 23, 2011)

Yeah, I try and do both road and the hills.

Thanks for the great info though, I was very curious about it as when I did the C2C really hit the wall hard on it due to having a load of issues generally not having right doses, so didn't help at all with it (was on 3x my current daily insulin intake in both bolus and basal at the time). Was pretty much making it all up as I went along though as hadn't found any advice back than (hadn't found this forum as well sadly or it would of been a great help). I really got hit quiet hard after about the first 45-50mile, and I pretty much started chain hypo's with 4 in a row over a period of an hour while in the middle of nowhere on a little dirt trail in the woods trying to get back to somewhere a little more civilised...not good. Was shovelling carbs in like something silly to pretty much no avail it seemed. Although after that and got a proper meal down me, and a couple of hours later I seemed to of over compensated/not given the earlier food time to react and it came back and hit me as I ended up throwing up in a hedge...not a good afternoons ride that  

Sadly for most the ride was pretty much bouncing from 3-20mmol for the entire thing. Although did find later on that basically nibbling flapjack (highly recommend the flapjack from the lil old lady in the cafe on the top of Hartside) the entire way seemed to work as more constant carb release through the ride than I was at the start with the mountain of Lucozade I was carrying.

These days the riding is much more predictable really or seems to be in the shorter/mid distance runs, although really need to gather more info I suspect on how longer runs and recovery food is necessary more on me. But also since I've got access to a consultant again (he went spare about the earlier doses) and he put me on DAFNE which has helped no end and got me into DAFNE targets, and thus the current idea of wanting to try JOGLE sometime to see how far I can push things. 

Your comments on the pump has been great at convincing me I should try it at the next consultation as you've answered all my daft bike related questions that none of the healthcare folks are able to which it fantastic  And really guess it's time for me to get off Lantus due to it lingering in me for far to long for easier tweakage on longer rides...but figure that'll probably something I can discuss with the doc's at my next pump discussion with them. Thanks again at good luck getting your next HbA1c under 8


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## katie (Jul 26, 2011)

Welcome to the board, Julia 

I've just checked back in here for the first time in a while because I'm considering a ride from Bournemouth to Cornwall (err, not quite as far as you!), so I will be really interested in reading about your journey.

Edit: Just realised you have finished the ride, congratulations! I will actually read all the posts properly now


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