Running Cures Diabetes

Sorry for the sensational headline but this is really how I feel sometimes. Ok, well running doesn't really cure diabetes, at least not type 1 like I have. However, based on what happened tonight, I sure do like what running does for me in my fight against the disease.
I came home from work and wanted to decide if I should eat first or go running. The plan was to run an easy 4 miles to let my legs recover because I have a long hard race coming up in 2 days. Anyway, first things first, I tested my blood sugar. 252! I guess I shouldn't be so surprised, it is the day after Halloween and there was way too much left over candy at the office. I thought I counted everything correctly but even an extra piece or two can easily add up to a high reading like this.

So that settled it, I was going running.

Normally I eat some fast acting carbs before a run but not today, not with a reading of 252. Plus I wanted to see how much it would fall while I ran.

I headed out the door and was back in about 28 minutes. I washed my hands then tested again. 63.

So as little as a half hour of running brought me down about 200 points. I'm not saying that 63 is a safe place to be or that it should be a goal or anything but it sure was great to know that I didn't have to sit around with high blood sugar waiting for and insulin injection to bring it down. The best part is that I didn't even have to take any extra insulin, I just went out and did something I love to do anyway. Plus I got to enjoy a nice snack after the run to bring me back up to a safe glucose level.

It is little victories like this that keep me going for another day. I run to beat diabetes and in turn diabetes fuels me to run even harder.

Wish me luck in my race this weekend.

The Best Running Store

In case anyone is wondering, Shu's Idaho Running Company is the best running store in town.
They really know their stuff. They will get you into the right shoes, which can make all the difference, especially for beginner runners.

Stay tuned for my race report from last weekend's North face Endurance Challenge.

Running with Diabetes

Great article from a pro marathoner with Type 1 on my Team:

http://www.teamtype1.org/2012/10/some-other-reasons-for-running-with-diabetes/

 

 

Great Workout

Great workout tonight, 6 x 1 mile with 3 minutes rest in between. I started at 5:30 pace and worked my way down to 5:20 then blew out the last one at 5:10 just for good measure. I went into it with a blood sugar of 123 and still had about 1 unit of active insulin bolus. I had 30 g of carbs and hit the road. No eating the whole time and I finished with a blood sugar of 83 and I don't think I went anaerobic the whole time except maybe the last 30 seconds of the final set.

It is nice to finally see how good of shape I'm in now that the air isn't so smokey.

I ready to start crushing some races for Team Type 1.

Longest Run Ever.

I know a lot of people have been on much longer runs than this before and it is nothing special but I've never really been a long distance guy. I will be running my first marathon soon so I've been upping my mileage lately. On Saturday I was feeling so good that I added an extra 15 minutes to my run and ended up going for 2 hours and covering 17.8 miles.
See my route below.

Average pace of 6:45, which includes the first few miles warming up at about 7:30 pace, means that I was doing something near 6:30 by the end. I was breathing comfortably the whole time, just focusing on getting in some miles and not pushing the pace. I would call it talking pace but I always run alone so there is no one to talk to.

 

It was at 6:30 AM and I tested at 108 before the run. I had some Gatorade and a gel and headed out the door, I ate again every 30 minutes and went through about a liter of water. I got a little low at mile 7 but I still had plenty of food with me at that point. I was 84 at the end and had burned about 2000 calories. I enjoyed taking them all back in for the rest of the day.

My previous longest run was 16 miles back in January, this record won't stand as long. I should beat it in just a few weeks.


This Saturday I will do a race in the hills to get me ready for the Endurance Challenge in Atlanta in October. I'm hoping to get a new shipment of glucose monitors soon, they make long runs like this much easier.

A1C = 6.2

I'm getting closer to my goal of 5.9

I think I like Diabetes

The weirdest part of the relay experience was that even though I tested more frequently than normal that day, I didn't mind it at all. I don't know if it was because I was around other diabetics or just because I was fighting for a cause that day or what. Maybe it was because we were talking about running and diabetes and other related stuff all day. I didn't really know it at the time but I was actually enjoying the disease. I have always wanted to get to a place where I don't mind having it or maybe that I'm just not sad about it anymore but I never thought that it would be possible to actually enjoy it. Ever time I talked to one of the kids or one of the moms about how I manage my blood sugar, they were always so impressed that it gave me a good feeling of accomplishment and made me want to keep working at it.

While the race was happening I was just going with the flow, testing a bunch because it was necessary. But then when I got home, the next morning I had to do my normal first test of the morning and it kind of hit me that life was back to normal now and I have to keep doing this every day. The first test of the day still does this to me a little bit because I'm just coming out of dream land and coming back to the reality that I'm diabetic. Then later that day I was talking to my wife about diabetes and she said something to the effect of not wanting our daughters to get it. I wholeheartedly agree that I don't wish this disease on anyone especially my own kids but it also made me realize that my wife didn't really get it. I have always known that people who don't live with this disease really don't understand the challenges it poses but now I also realize that they also don't understand how awesome it can be.

Race Report

JDRF Rutherford Relay

May 12^th 2012

Rutherford County Tennessee

We were scheduled to start the relay at 8:45 AM and I volunteered to be the first runner. I woke up at about 6:30 and tested at a good level. There was so much testing that day that I can’t remember all of my numbers. I ate 2 packets of instant oatmeal and a half a bagel and had some water. I took about 30% less insulin than normal to cover those carbs because I knew I would be running about the same time my blood sugar would be peaking. I tested at 170 about 10 minutes prior to the start but still ate my normal gel because I didn’t want to eat during the run. It worked out perfectly. The combination of insulin from breakfast and the running brought me right back to normal. I ran 3 more times over the next 4 hours and tested at 109, 109, and 78 before each run. I ate about 30 to 45 carbs and some protein between each run for recovery and drank a lot of water. Each of my remaining legs were about 2 miles and I ran them at about 5:30 to 5:45 pace. I didn’t tell Matt about the 78 glucose reading because he probably wouldn’t have let me take my turn. Instead I just ate some fruit snacks and had some Gatorade. Plus it was only a 2 mile stretch that I was planning on running hard so I knew I would be fine. I had a snack with me the whole time just in case and I looked at my CGM a couple times on each run. Overall it was a very successful day managing my glucose levels, especially since I have never practiced running multiple times in a day.

On the racing front it was a successful day as well. I ran hard from the beginning and held of another fast team where the guy wanted to run 5:45 pace for the first 5 mile leg. He only had to run two legs that day so he was really pushing the pace. I was only planning on running 6 minute pace to save more for later in the day. I couldn’t let him beat me though, this day was going to be all about Team Type 1 Sanofi and all about Diabetes. So I held a small lead the whole way and handed off to Benny who easily pulled away and built up a big lead. In that first leg, I had already caught up to a couple runners who had started 15 minutes before us and as the day went on we just continued to catch runners and pull further and further ahead. By Benny’s third run (leg 12 of 15) we had caught the team who had started first and we never looked back. We set a course record that will be hard to beat and that even includes the last two miles where we jogged together as a team at a comfortable pace.

Our best success of the day though was the way we got to interact with people affected by diabetes. All along the course from the beginning to the aid stations to the end, there were people who either have diabetes or know someone who does. We talked to some moms who are learning how to care for active young boys with Type 1. I talked to the photographer who said his daughter is Type 1 and she is thinking of becoming an endocrinologist. At checkpoint 11, Matt was just about to hand off to me and one of the kids yelled out “Hey, cool pump!” I turned to look and there was a young boy showing me his pump which was the same model as mine. I quickly gave him a high five and then him and a bunch of other kids gathered around and we took pictures. Right then, Matt came flying in and passed off the relay baton to me so I had to take off running and the kids were super exited to see the racing action.

Everyone I talked to was very impressed with our speed and our commitment to managing our health. Every team saw us run past them that day and then we cheered them all back in at the finish line. We had a great time bonding as a team in the van but we also had some great conversations with people about diabetes and the success you can have with the right motivation.

Longest diabetes survivor dies.

Here is a lady who was diagnosed at only a few days old right when insulin was first becoming available. She lived to 81 and held the record for longest living with the disease. Good inspiration to prove that it can be done.
http://www.theprovince.com/health/Banting+diabetes+patient+dies/6347280/story.html

This is our team.

Here is a new promo video for my team. I think I am in it but only for a brief moment. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlhewmxB2DE

Not too shabby

I couldn't have said it better myself.

Here is a nice post from someone on my team.
She has lived with the disease for much longer than I have so she does a much better job explaining how it really works.
http://tripeej.com/2012/01/24/whats-it-like-to-have-diabetes/

Back To Basics

Ever since my last race I've been really struggling. I gave myself a few weeks of nice easy runs with no pace or mileage requirements to make a nice break between last season and next. The problem is that I don't look forward to my run anymore. I think of it as just something that has to be done.
It doesn't help that it is below freezing most nights when I head out. It also doesn't help that on Saturdays I run for about 15 miles which makes my legs tired for the next several days.

I can handle the inconvenience of cold weather and boring dark winter running because I know the results will be explosive speed once I start waking up my muscles again in the spring. The real problem is that I haven't been keeping my blood sugar as controlled as the weeks leading up to the race.

I don't know if I'm just getting lazy or if it is just that my body is adjusting to the less strenuous workouts. Either way, I need to get it figured out.

I think I will try just getting back to basics. Testing more often and getting precise carb counts at every meal.

Maybe I'll switch it up to morning runs or something just to get jump started again.

Yeah, that's it. That's a great idea. Look for me on the streets at 5 AM.

First burgers of 2012

I have always loved burgers, but now I love them even more. They are easy to count the carbs and they burn slowly.
And they are delicious of course.