Winter was late arriving in the Washington, DC area, but it's finally here. By late yesterday (Tuesday), winds were blowing, skies were gray and the temperature continued to fall. Not the best conditions to lull one away from a fire-warmed living room and into the cold for a drive in the dark to a chilly locker room and then into the pool for a long swim. But, I have made a commitment to myself. And, the evening held a surprise for me — a personal best in terms of amount of time and distance swum in one session. (personal best, that is, of the last two decades).
90 minutes and just over 2 km (1.25 miles) — with a few breaks during the 1.5 hour practice to talk with others on the team in my lane and to sync our routines.
The distance and time were remarkable for me. But, even more so was the ease with which I achieved those numbers. Three days earlier I could barely make 1/2 the time and distance and was short of breath while experiencing muscle fatigue and light headedness.
Granted that swimming twice of week will naturally lead to improvements and greater endurance. But, in just three days? It was a proverbial "day" and "night" difference.
Significant in difference were the glucose readings. On Saturday, I began to swim with a blood sugar reading of 95. Tuesday, I was at 138 — just below my own targeted ceiling of 140 and at the edge of going from normal to hyperglycemic (high blood sugar). 90 minutes later, 85 (well below my own lower target of 100).
Obviously, in 90 minutes my glucose dropped considerably (for me). Yet, no discomfort, no pain, no complications I experience every time a drop of that magnitude occurs. What made the insulin-adrenaline interaction work in this case? And what does this say about the target glucose level I need to achieve before exercise?
As always more questions than answers. But, at least, a direction to follow.
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