bad bicycle ride

This wasn't how this was supposed to go, ending at 5 miles. I had intended 13.



Aside from dealing with traffic, the ride started off fine. However, at mile 3, where the long, flat, fast part was supposed to start, my blood sugar plummeted. My mistakes were numerous: I had overcorrected for a blood sugar high about an hour before (takes a while for that to bring you low); I failed to bring anything to eat, much less something sugary, like power gel; I'd failed to bring a sports drink with sugar in it, like HEED; failed to bring MONEY with which to buy a candy bar, even. And, of course, didn't have the emergency glycogen shot thing with me. Stupid, stupid stupid.

So there I was, 3 miles from home, dealing with hypoglycemia, and getting worse as the minutes ticked past and the only transportation to get me home would be my own two legs, either on the bike or not. This, my friends, is what constitutes the beginnings of an emergency.

I had to trust that with a little rest, I could continue on and get to the subway. I slowly biked the next two miles and caught the subway at 95th street and 4th ave. Getting the bike down the steps was harder than it should have been. My bike is heavy and I was getting weak. I rested on the subway car and eventually, it deposited me at 36th street. By this time, my perception of things around me was beginning to warp a little. It took me a second to realize I was walking my bike too close to the edge of the subway platform, for instance. I struggled to get the bike up the steps and out of the subway. I slowly pedaled the last five blocks home, then left it outside while I went in to find something sugary. Even though I have small cans of ginger ale and individual servings of OJ specifically for blood sugar lows like this, I couldn't remember. I ransacked my cabinets and refrigerator for anything VISIBLE that would get my sugars up. I ended up sucking down a big swallow of old Hammer gel, then some straight agave nectar (yuck). Sat and munched on some figs. Felt better after awhile.

I did take my blood sugar reading after getting in the door. 41. Way, way too low.

I hope tomorrow goes better.