Costa Crashes, Gym Spikes & Lantus Fights: Life Training with T1D

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In this episode of We Are T1D, Mike and Jack return with their rawest fitness-focused episode to date. This week’s episode explores the chaos of low blood sugars in public. It also covers late-night highs at home. It digs deep into what it really means to be training with T1D.

If you’ve ever tried to lift weights while your blood sugar is crashing, you’ll relate to this. Have you wondered whether your basal insulin is working against you? Then this one’s for you.

💪 Mike’s Gym Kickstart: Heavy Lifts & Low Carbs

Mike’s back in the gym and loving every second of it. After weeks of being off work, he’s embraced a new routine:

Meal prepping everything
Lowering carb intake
Tracking every session with the “Heavy” app
And setting a goal to hit a personal best every visit

The result? Improved blood sugars, more energy, and a surprise stat—he hadn’t bolused for over 19 hours and was still in range. That’s the power of low-carb, high-effort.

“I’m in range, I’m happy… watch it go high now just to be a bitch.” – Mike

🧃 Meanwhile, Jack’s Riding the Rollercoaster

While Mike’s thriving, Jack’s been facing the classic T1D slump—levels all over the place, especially at night. He describes a frustrating pattern:

11pm hypos (even with small treatments)
Followed by 3am highs, reaching up to 21 mmol/L
And the mystery of why his Lantus just doesn’t seem to be helping

Despite being active during the day, especially at work, Jack’s evening routine has been tough—and he’s ready for a change.

🔁 Jack’s Lantus Flip: A Bold Experiment

After noticing these consistent overnight swings, Jack’s decided to flip his Lantus injection from night to morning. The idea?

Shift basal activity to match his midday lows
Flatten his 3am glucose spikes
See if this timing change can finally bring some overnight control

He’s holding off until the weekend to trial it safely. No basal for 24 hours might cause some highs—but it’s worth the risk if it works.

“If it’s the basal making my body do mad shit, flipping it might fix it.”

🍦 Costa Hypos & Painting Tunnel Chaos

The lads met up recently with Mike’s son Riley—and surprise, surprise: double diabetes carnage.

Mike hit a 2.9 mmol/L hypo just as Jack walked into Costa. Jack, meanwhile, had already bolused for a cappuccino… and started going low himself.

Mike wandered aimlessly, craving ice cream.
Jack tried to order coffee while talking to Hypo Mike on the phone.
Riley calmly sketched while both lads dipped and climbed.
Paprika crisps were opened.
Blood sugars spiked, crashed, spiked again.

“They saw me coming – £4 for an ice cream! Lidl would’ve saved me!”

🏋️‍♂️ Training with T1D: Gym Spikes & Leg Day Lows

Both hosts talk honestly about how working out impacts their levels—especially strength training.

Mike shares how he accepts gym spikes, especially after leg day. He refuses to try and stay perfectly in range during workouts because the stress makes it worse.

Jack adds that big muscle groups like legs massively increase insulin sensitivity—hours later. So the hypos creep in long after the workout ends.

“Legs just make you sensitive for hours… it’s a nightmare.”

📊 Time in Range Check-In

As always, the lads compare stats:

Mike: 74% in range, but with 17% lows.
Jack: 72% in range, steady but battling late-night chaos.

It’s clear they’re both putting in the work—but in different ways. Mike’s working on training and nutrition, while Jack’s fighting basal timing battles.

🎙 Favourite Moments from Episode 21

📈 “You’re just switching it 12 hours… maybe that’s all it takes.”

💉 “I haven’t injected for 19 hours… and I’m still in range.”

🎨 “Painting in the tunnel with two T1Ds going low is peak chaos.”

🍕 “Riley offered me pizza while I was high… and I said yes.”

📣 Call to Action: Got a Story or Tip?

Jack is looking for advice from the community. Have you tried flipping your Lantus dose?
Or maybe you’ve managed gym hypos like a pro? Either way…

📩 Email us: wearet1dpodcast@gmail.com
🌍 Visit: www.wearet1d.com
📸 DM us: @t1d_mike | @t1d_jack

👕 FITT1D Launch Coming Soon

Mike also confirmed that the long-awaited FITT1D gymwear drops on 1st September. If you live with T1D and lift heavy weights, this brand is for you. It’s also for you if you just lift yourself out of bed every day.

Follow the launch:
Instagram: @fitt1d
Facebook: facebook.com/fitt1duk
See blog post here