Heart Rate Experiment – Part 3 – The Protective Powers of my Glucometer

It has been a week and a half since I started this experiment and I’ve run seven times. Each run has been different, and thankfully, my heart rate has not gone anywhere near 200 in any of the seven runs.

Yesterday afternoon I ran a 6 mile easy pace run with a friend. I checked my BS before starting and it was a little low – 87. I ate something and headed out. After about a mile, I could feel my blood sugar dropping.  I was sluggish and slow but my HR didn’t exceed 135. After a couple of miles I stopped to drink and check my BS -74.  That is way too low for running, but still, my HR was under 130. I ate a halva snack (14 grams of carb) and continued my run.

I ran most of the run at a steady pace watching my HR monitor and wondering when my HR would shoot up. It didn’t. I sprinted the last quarter of a mile and my HR went up to 166, but it went right down once I stopped.

I checked my BS one more time when I got home. It was 74. The halva had definitely saved me from a serious low which may have sent my HR way up.

I’ve learned (the hard way) that running with a glucometer is critical. I’ve also learned that knowing my BS level and having the ability to check when feeling weak or slow are very important parts of a good run. And the longer the run, the more important this is. It also seems that the glucometer, at least mine, has protective powers. I’ve been high and low but not once since starting this experiment has my HR been anything but normal.

So either all I need is my gluco-buddy in my pocket for a good run, or maybe, just maybe, paying closer attention to my BS levels before and during my runs is more important than I thought.

Michael Aviad

Michael Aviad is co-founder of ASweetLife. He was diagnosed with type 1 diabetes in 2002. Michael was born in Santa Barbara and grew up in Jerusalem. He studied law and after passing his bar exam went on to get an MBA with a major in finance. Michael worked for many years as an economist. He and his wife Jess, also a type 1 diabetic, have three sons. Michael loves to run and is always training for the next marathon.

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