Redding Marathon

So today I thought I would start off my training for triabetes with a bang, the bang of a gun that is. I ran the Redding marathon in Redding California. I was in Redding for the weekend for work, I had gone to a diabetes support group on Saturday (two of them in fact) and when i saw there was a marathon that same weekend i thought 'how could i not do it?'

Althought the course was said to be beautiful, the course was a bit daunting. (See above.) It looks easy, but don't let it fool you. Even though the course was considered downhill, if you look closely there are lots of little uphill and downhills. Over the course of 26.2 miles those little up and downhills add up.

So I started off on the wrong foot (of course) I over calculated the carbs I ate for the dinner the night before and ended up with a low right before bed. And what do you do when all you want to do is go to sleep? RIGHT! OVERCORRECT!

So i woke up at 3am with a 333 BG (not off to a good start). I corrected and went back to bed. I got up at about 5am (3hours before race time and bolused for my meal) I had come down to 172 which was better then before. I waited about 45 minutes before eating, and had come down to about 123 but was back to about 222 with about 15 minutes before the race. I took a very samll bolus 0.15 to try and bring it down a little...

...which ended up being to much, i should have done nothing. About five miles into it I had come down to 50, which was making the 7:30 pace I was running (normally a coversational pace for me) feel like sub 6. I had about 70 grams of carb total and was back to 122 at the 10 mile mark.

I had been running with a guy I met on the way to the start. He was trying to qualify for Boston and needed a 3:15 so I thought that would be a great pace. we agreed to give it a shot but not old back if either of is fell apart.

We lost contact at around mile 15 or 16; he had stopped to use the bathroom (you would too if you had too) and we never hooked up again. I was able to real in about 10-15 people during the last 10 miles and finished in 8th overall - not bad for little training.

The course was absoultely spectacular, there are some photos (thanks to the Redding Marathon website of what the course looked like.

8 3/7 114 Brian Foster 34 M Glenmoore PA 03:17:17 7:32