June 7, 2006
Matt Vogel

If you've ever flown or driven coast-to-coast, you understand the enormous size and diverse terrain of the continental United States of America. On June 13, Insulin Factor member Phil Southerland and his Team Type 1 riders plan to ride their bikes from California to New Jersey in the 3,053 mile Race Across America. Southerland has spent over a year assembling a first class team of riders, support crew, and sponsorship partners. Each rider has type one diabetes and wants to prove that people with well controlled diabetes can accomplish anything they wish. Southerland hopes this point will be emphasized when his team wins first place in their race category.

For more information about Team Type 1 and their Race Across America, go to www.teamtype1.org. You can also read the Team Type 1 blog. I had a chance to talk with Phil Southerland and asked a few questions about himself, his team, and the race:

When were you diagnosed with diabetes?
I was diagnosed with type one diabetes when I was 7 months old, almost 24 years ago.

How long have you been riding?
Since I was 12 years old. Back then, with the older insulins, I'd have to give a shot, ride 2 hours, and then eat a Snickers bar. For longer rides, I'd eat two of them. I started racing seriously at 15. I started as mountain bike rider and slowly transitioned to a strictly road rider. A few of my accomplishments include: Florida/Georgia St. Criterion Champion, Athens Twighlight Junior Champion, FCC Criterion Champion at the University of Georgia, and 8th Place at the Junior National Criterion Championship. My best race was when I finished 9th at the 125 mile South Florida National Championship in the hot July sun. I was also the top American in the 8 day, 800 mile Tour of Ireland.

Are you a professional cyclist?
No, I'm a Category 1 road racer. I would turn pro only if I could be part of a diabetes team.

When did you start Team Type 1?
The idea started on a 295 mile bike ride home for Christmas. I didn't own a car and during the ride I had a lot of time to think. We started assembling the team last summer. Goal #1 is to win Race Across America with the fastest 8 person team. Goal #2 is to prove a point that people with diabetes can do anything, if we take care of ourselves. When we win the race, we can do it better. Better means making small adjustments (blood glucose, insulin, nutrition, hydration, rest) to maintain to control.

Has diabetes ever gotten in the way of your sports?
No, it's actually helped me every step of the way. I pay much more attention to my nutrition, which keeps me one step ahead of the game. If I don't take care of my diabetes properly, there are dire consequences. On the third day of the Tour of Ireland, I bonked in the race and lost some significant time. I didn't reduce my Lantus enough, which caused a severe low. That morning, my team mates woke me up with some juice and Hammer Gel. When I felt good enough to test, my meter read 16. The next two days on the bike were rough, but days six, seven, and eight were strong. Realized the mistake, learned from it, 6, 7, 8 were fine. I realized my mistake and learned that I have to stay one step ahead of my body. Pre-planning is the key to successful diabetes management.

What is your full-time job?
I do financial services for Mass Mutual. Financial planning is a lot like diabetes management. If you make small contributions early on, you will ensure short term and long term value.

Why Race Across America?
I did the 100 mile JDRF Carmel Valley ride last May and finished first. I decided I would like to send a message to America. Instead of just riding across America, let's race across America.

How long has this taken to plan?
We wanted to do it properly, so it's taken a solid year of planning. Creating a budget, recruiting riders, and finding bikes were just a few of things we had to do. We want to thank the sponsors who believed in our mission and took a chance on us early on: Litespeed Bicycles, Zipp Wheels, Hammer Nutrition, Rudy Project, Zero Gravity Brakes, and Target Training Coaching System. We'd also like to thank Abbott Diabetes Care. This winter, Abbott Executive Holly Kulp promised we would receive the funds we needed, even if it was from her own pocket. If it wasn't for Abbott, Team Type 1 wouldn't be doing this race. The Weather Channel, dLife, and Insulin Factor have helped with publicity. Our sponsors understood the idea and saw the good it would do for all people with diabetes.

Have you done anything like this before?
This is a whole new animal to me. I haven't done something that's required so much specific training or logistical planning. Most bike races are pretty simple: show up, race for an hour or more, and go home. There will be two people riding at all times. Each pair will ride in shifts, rest for eight hours, and do it again for 3053 miles. With weather permitting (tailwind hopefully) we should finish in five and a half to six days.

How long have you been personally training/preparing for the race?
Training started in December. I had a setback in January with an Achilles heel injury and was off bike for 6 weeks. Marc Anderson, Rick Crawford, and the entire Target Training Coaching System crew have been instrumental to our preparation. They have given us a plan for solid, consistent training and nutrition plan for optimal performance.

What are the stats for the Race Across America route?
We start in Ocean side, CA end in Atlantic City, NJ. We'll race for 3050 miles with approximately 130,000 feet of elevation gain. The route will start out hilly, stretches flat across the plains, then West Virginia will have a lot of hills. At the finish line in Atlantic City, you can put your money on Team Type 1.

How do you manage your diabetes?
I take an average of nine shots a day of Humalog and Lantus. I use the Freestyle Flash and average 19 tests day. I believe it's real important to know where BG is and where it's going. This is the best way for me to stay in good control and prevent a small problem from being a big problem.

What's your HbA1C?
It's 5.2, which is my best result ever. Everything has been very consistent for the past 3 months (diet, exercise) and when training so much, I have to pay more attention to my BG's. Improved on what was a great A1C.

What kind of support will you have during the race?
We'll have 8 riders, 4 bike mechanics, 10 drivers, 2 masauses, 1 dietician, 3 cooks, 1 nurse, and 1 clinical technician… 35 people total. We're also doing an investigational study with Dr. Bruce Bode using the Navigator Continuous Glucose Monitor (this device is not approved by FDA). We would like to see how extreme exercise affects BG and the body. My experience with Navigator has been fantastic. I'm looking forward to finding my best BG for optimal wattage output. Using Navigator, I've been able to cut testing from 19 times/day to 5 times/day. It's allowed me to take a step back, but still have great control.

How do you expect to make diabetes adjustments on the ride?
I'll make day-to-day adjustments on own. I know my body best. I'm currently taking 14 units of Lantus per day. This will drop to 7-8 units per day by the end of the race. I will also use a lot of fuel from Hammer Nutrition at the right time.