{"id":29849,"date":"2012-08-21T14:28:30","date_gmt":"2012-08-21T18:28:30","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=28981"},"modified":"2016-01-08T07:28:25","modified_gmt":"2016-01-08T12:28:25","slug":"omnipod-put-to-the-test","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=29849","title":{"rendered":"Omnipod Put to the Test"},"content":{"rendered":"

After using a Medtronic insulin pump since 1995, I did something I never thought I\u2019d do: I switched pumps.\u00a0 On December 15th<\/sup>, 2011, I went into \u00a0unchartered territory and began to use the OmniPod.\u00a0 OmniPod is a tubeless \u201cPod\u201d style pump made by the Insulet Corporation.\u00a0 www.myomnipod.com<\/a> It is smaller than a normal pump and can be worn on the stomach, arms, lower back, buttocks or legs. So far so good. I have been extremely happy with the Omnipod \u00a0and require less insulin than I used to because I never detach.\u00a0 I feel that my work outs are better now and I am more comfortable in my daily routine.<\/p>\n

In April of this year, I decided sign up for run my first \u201cMudder\u201d race called the Rugged Maniac.\u00a0 www.ruggedmaniac.com<\/a>. The Rugged Maniac is a 5K mud run full of military-style obstacles, designed by British Special Forces.\u00a0 These included steep inclines, 8 foot walls that need to be scaled, 12 \u00a0and 30-foot ladder climbs, 6-foot over-under barricades, 3-foot tunnel crawls, rope climbs, barbed wire crawls, mud slides and a 3.2 mile track covered in thick mud.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

The Rugged Maniac took place on July 15th<\/sup>, so I had a few months to prepare with the Omnipod.\u00a0 Some people train for this type of event in terms of \u201cWill I finish?\u201d or \u201cWill I have the strength or stamina to complete the obstacles?\u201d\u00a0 I approached my training much differently.\u00a0 I knew the distance was manageable.\u00a0 I knew the obstacles were going to be challenging, but doable.\u00a0 The wild card for me was, Would my pod be able to handle the mud<\/em>?<\/p>\n

On the day before the race, I put on a new Pod and moved placed it my lower back, \u00a0not on my stomach where the previous one had sat.\u00a0 Normally, I would used my arms next (I alternate sites systematically) but I skipped them on this rotation. I did this because I felt that the back was the most secure spot to place the pod.\u00a0 I hoped no one would bump into it there, and that other equipment wouldn\u2019t catch on it and rip it off.\u00a0 I\u2019ve had a few experiences in the gym where I was doing exercises and due to my negligence, my pod got caught on a piece of equipment and ripped off my arm.\u00a0 I wanted to avoid that.<\/p>\n

For three full months I had nightmares about my pod coming off during the race.\u00a0 My wife said to me one morning at 3 a.m., \u201cWhat is the worst that happens? It comes off?\u00a0 Big Deal!\u00a0 You put another one on after you clean up post-race. Go to bed!\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

Well, the race started, I ran, and I got MUDDY!\u00a0 Everything was fine until I had to crawl under barbed wire into a four foot mud pool.\u00a0 My heart sank a bit.\u00a0 I was really worried that the pod would not survive and if it did, the site would somehow get infected. To me, the fear of having something go wrong, like an infected site, and having to go to the doctor all over a stupid race was really messing with my head.<\/p>\n

I completed the race with my pod still attached. After I showered, I asked my wife look at the pod and give me her impression. \u00a0How bad did it look? \u201cIt looks normal,\u201d she said.\u00a0 \u201cThe tape is a bit browner, but everything else looks okay.\u201d\u00a0 I asked her if she could see fluid or water in the pod window.\u00a0 She told me all she saw was the normal condensation that she\u2019s seen before after I\u2019ve exercised.\u00a0 Still in panic mode, I asked her to be a 100% sure that she saw no mud in the window.\u00a0 I even yelled at her to check.\u00a0 She looked at it one more time and said really loudly, \u201cOh My God!\u201d\u00a0 I started to get a bit queasy.\u00a0 She then laughed and told me I was being ridiculous.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I was relieved, and at the risk of sounding like an ad for OmniPod \u00a0I think it\u2019s an incredible device.\u00a0 I even sent a letter to them thanking them for making such a sturdy product.\u00a0 I knew the pod was waterproof up to 25 feet, but now I know officially that the pod is \u00a0mudder-proof.\u00a0 I have since taken it in the ocean to boogie board, have been white water rafting with it, in and out of tubes in a water park, and I even took it in the Delaware River for some pretty cool Yolo boarding.<\/p>\n

I can\u2019t wait until my next race, the Spartan Race.\u00a0 www.spartanrace.com<\/a> It is another mudder, but it\u2019s a 10K.\u00a0 This time around, though, when I train I won\u2019t be worrying about whether or not my pod can handle the mud. I will be saying to myself, \u201cThe pod will be fine, train for strength and stamina so you can finish.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

I have been extremely happy with the Omnipod and require less insulin than I used to because I never detach. I feel that my work outs are better now and I am more comfortable in my daily routine.
\nIn April of this year, I decided sign up for run my first \u201cMudder\u201d race called the Rugged Maniac. The Rugged Maniac is a 5K mud run full of military-style obstacles, designed by British Special Forces. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":79,"featured_media":41723,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"image","meta":{"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[1437,1457],"tags":[381,1117],"yoast_head":"\nOmnipod Put to the Test<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"The Rugged Maniac took place on July 15th, so I had a few months to prepare with the Omnipod.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=29849\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Scott Richard\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"4 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=29849\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=29849\",\"name\":\"Omnipod Put to the Test\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/#website\"},\"primaryImageOfPage\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=29849#primaryimage\"},\"image\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=29849#primaryimage\"},\"thumbnailUrl\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/mud1.jpg\",\"datePublished\":\"2012-08-21T18:28:30+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2016-01-08T12:28:25+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/#\/schema\/person\/caacb997b10125f70b4a8b8e7f54f8b5\"},\"description\":\"The Rugged Maniac took place on July 15th, so I had a few months to prepare with the Omnipod.\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=29849#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=29849\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=29849#primaryimage\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/mud1.jpg\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2012\/08\/mud1.jpg\",\"width\":642,\"height\":429,\"caption\":\"Omnipod Tested\"},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?p=29849#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"Omnipod Put to the Test\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/\",\"name\":\"ASweetLife\",\"description\":\"The Diabetes Magazine\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/#\/schema\/person\/caacb997b10125f70b4a8b8e7f54f8b5\",\"name\":\"Scott Richard\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/asweetlife.org\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2f0e532e19de43d1acfe3c14b266dc58?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/2f0e532e19de43d1acfe3c14b266dc58?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Scott Richard\"},\"description\":\"Scott Richard was born in Miami, Florida and grew up in Houston, Texas. 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