Time for another blog stat report.
In the past month, Running on Carbs had 7,109 visits. That's probably not very much for some bloggers but that sure seems like a lot to me. I think many of them even came on purpose which is super nice of them.
Most visitors, by far, come from the United States which rang in at 3367 visits. France was second at 1833. Canada, a distant third, at 865 and Ireland (!) was fourth at 183. As a 50% French-Canadian, 50% Irish lassie who lives right next to the US border, this seems pretty perfect to me.
The best part of blog stats? The searches people did that brought them to my blog.
Here's the latest roundup of searches topics that resulted in another random blog hit.
- how tough my feet got
- strawberry down the rabbit hole 1
- running on spoons and lupus
- watermine tattoo
- eat carrots get hiccups
- carrots hiccups
- carrots give hiccups
- raw carrots and hiccups
- poutine
There appears to be a rash of eat raw carrots get the hiccups going around.
Who knew that a post about how carrots give me hiccups would end up being one of my most popular blogs?
And did you notice? Not one search about running, triathlons...or diabetes.
Bizarre.
Showing posts with label blogs. Show all posts
Showing posts with label blogs. Show all posts
Wednesday, June 10, 2015
Tuesday, June 24, 2014
Friends for Life 2014
Yesterday I wrote about green bracelets. They are apparently a pretty big thing in the Type 1 world.
The first time I heard about them was when I read about people attending the Friends for Life Children With Diabetes conference in Orlando. They wrote about how emotional it was to be there and spot all the people wearing green bracelets.
People just like them who, while they might look different on the outside, shared the same faulty pancreas. People just like them who, no matter what their job, their background or their favourite tv show, all need to inject insulin just to stay alive.
People who wear that green bracelet understand like no one else what it feels like to be high. Or low. What it feels like to have to eat when you don't want to. They know all too well that sharp pain when the insulin needle hits a nerve. That burning sensation that we feel sometimes when the insulin is going in. The frustration we feel when we are judged by the word 'diabetes'.
For the past few years I have read about people's experiences at the Friends for Life conference.
This year, for the first time, I won't just be reading about it.
I'll be writing about it.
One week today, on Canada Day no less, I'll be en route to Orlando for the four-day conference. When I get there I'll be one of the people wearing that green bracelet. I'll be making conversation with complete strangers simply because they are wearing one too.
I will see, and maybe even meet, some of the Diabetes Online Community powerhouses whose blogs I read every day. I will see a few friends I have already met, on-line or in person.
And who knows, maybe someone there actually reads Running on Carbs and might think it's kinda cool that they get to met the Canadian girl who paints her nails before races, wears a Fitbit who writes blogs and who plays golf with a handicap of 47.
I'll bring my fountain pen to sign autographs just in case.
The first time I heard about them was when I read about people attending the Friends for Life Children With Diabetes conference in Orlando. They wrote about how emotional it was to be there and spot all the people wearing green bracelets.
People just like them who, while they might look different on the outside, shared the same faulty pancreas. People just like them who, no matter what their job, their background or their favourite tv show, all need to inject insulin just to stay alive.
People who wear that green bracelet understand like no one else what it feels like to be high. Or low. What it feels like to have to eat when you don't want to. They know all too well that sharp pain when the insulin needle hits a nerve. That burning sensation that we feel sometimes when the insulin is going in. The frustration we feel when we are judged by the word 'diabetes'.
For the past few years I have read about people's experiences at the Friends for Life conference.
This year, for the first time, I won't just be reading about it.
I'll be writing about it.
One week today, on Canada Day no less, I'll be en route to Orlando for the four-day conference. When I get there I'll be one of the people wearing that green bracelet. I'll be making conversation with complete strangers simply because they are wearing one too.
I will see, and maybe even meet, some of the Diabetes Online Community powerhouses whose blogs I read every day. I will see a few friends I have already met, on-line or in person.
And who knows, maybe someone there actually reads Running on Carbs and might think it's kinda cool that they get to met the Canadian girl who paints her nails before races, wears a Fitbit who writes blogs and who plays golf with a handicap of 47.
I'll bring my fountain pen to sign autographs just in case.
Monday, January 6, 2014
Running on Carbs Returns
Hi folks! Happy New Year and welcome back after a two week hiatus.
It feels like a lot longer than that in some ways and yet, as vacations often do, it sped by much too quickly. Ready or not, it's Monday January 6th and I'm back to blogging, back to work and back to my pre-work, 5:30am swim workout.
All after having stayed up way too late last night watching the first episode of Downton Abbey Season Four.
Actually, let's be honest. There is no way I'll be able to survive a 4:50am wakeup call after going to bed at 11pm. So my swimming career resumes on Wednesday.
Actually, let's be honest. There is no way I'll be able to survive a 4:50am wakeup call after going to bed at 11pm. So my swimming career resumes on Wednesday.
Even with a bit of a sleep-in, heading back to work on less than 8 hours sleep after two weeks off should guarantee an interesting day full of misplaced pens, dropped books and forgotten details. Thank goodness for green tea.
The last two weeks were a wonderful mishmash of quiet time with Doug, family gatherings, friends new and old, delicious meals, red wine, television shows, leisurely magazine reading, trying new recipes and, despite all odds, getting in almost daily workouts.
For those of you who know what Coles Notes actually are, here are the Coles Notes version of the holidays.
In the Kitchen
We hosted my family for a pre-Christmas dinner and tried our hand at blue cheese scalloped potatoes, stuffed tomatoes and a ham. We rocked it all. Thankfully we had a lot of leftovers because they descended again the next evening after their power went out.
The ham bone was then transformed into a very delicious French Canadian split pea soup that kept us warm during the oh so cold days after Christmas.
On another cold night we attempted a shrimp jambalaya from my Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Cookbook which was tasty but a little too labour-intensive for my liking. Way too much standing by the stove and stirring to make sure the rice didn't stick.
We then made a homemade pasta sauce using an army of oven-roasted cherry tomatoes, parmesan cheese and a wee bit of cream. The roasting tomatoes smelled fabulous and the sauce was assembled in minutes. It was delicious and went very well with the steak Doug made. The only problem was that Bubba Gump's idea of four servings looks a lot like our idea of eight servings so we ended up with a lot of pasta and sauce.
Keeping Fit
Over the holidays we started almost every day with a bike or a run. It was nice not to set the alarm and to get up whenever the sun started shining into the bedroom. We ran a lot - on warm days with clean streets, through snowstorms and on snow and ice-covered roads.
I also happily headed down to the basement several times to ride the bike and even managed to bend those crank arms twice. In those two workout alone I did 580 squats. Insane.
We ran the Boxing Day ten mile race in Hamilton. I went into it not expecting to do anything other than run the thing and have fun doing it. Little did I know what was about to happen. It turned out that changing up my running route back in November and adding a few hills to every run made a difference. I ran stronger than I have in a long time. As I approached the 9k mark of the race and easily ran to the top of the nastiest hill of the route, I began to think I could actually PB. I had run the race twice before and did it in 1:45:something and then last year I did it in 1:42:42. I did some quick math and figured that, if I did not stop at all AND if I managed to keep each of the last 7 kilometres under 6:20 min/k, I could finish the race in under 1:40:00. I pushed hard. I ran into the wind and refused to yield. I ran up and down the smaller hills and refused to slow. The closer I got to the finish, and as each kilometre's time beeped on my watch, the more realistic my goal became and the more I refused to give in. I hated the thought of backing off and then seeing a 1:40:something on the clock at the finish.
As I ran the last kilometre up a gentle but tiring uphill, I spotted the finish line and then, as I got closer, I spotted the time clock. I saw it change to 1:39:00 and I picked it up a bit. I crossed the line at 1:39:25 and, for the first time in my life, knew what it felt like to dig deep and pull off a time that didn't even look like an option when the gun went off. It's been over a week and I'm still grinning about it!
I also headed back to the pool twice last week after a month of dry land work. I swam 1700m the first day back and felt it in my arms, back and abs for two days afterwards. I rested up and then went back last Thursday and did 2000m, feeling stronger already. I signed up for the next Masters class on the way out, knowing full well that the first few sessions are going to be rough. I'm rested now and ready for another few months of tough workouts. Triathlon season is fast approaching and I want to be at my best. Which means sucking it up for a few weeks and finding my swimming fitness again.
Other Bits and Pieces
I had an appointment for a hair cut and colour a few days ago. I was looking through my magazines for a photo of a hair colour I liked. I found this one and brought it in with me.
In the Kitchen
We hosted my family for a pre-Christmas dinner and tried our hand at blue cheese scalloped potatoes, stuffed tomatoes and a ham. We rocked it all. Thankfully we had a lot of leftovers because they descended again the next evening after their power went out.
The ham bone was then transformed into a very delicious French Canadian split pea soup that kept us warm during the oh so cold days after Christmas.
On another cold night we attempted a shrimp jambalaya from my Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Cookbook which was tasty but a little too labour-intensive for my liking. Way too much standing by the stove and stirring to make sure the rice didn't stick.
We then made a homemade pasta sauce using an army of oven-roasted cherry tomatoes, parmesan cheese and a wee bit of cream. The roasting tomatoes smelled fabulous and the sauce was assembled in minutes. It was delicious and went very well with the steak Doug made. The only problem was that Bubba Gump's idea of four servings looks a lot like our idea of eight servings so we ended up with a lot of pasta and sauce.
Keeping Fit
Over the holidays we started almost every day with a bike or a run. It was nice not to set the alarm and to get up whenever the sun started shining into the bedroom. We ran a lot - on warm days with clean streets, through snowstorms and on snow and ice-covered roads.
I also happily headed down to the basement several times to ride the bike and even managed to bend those crank arms twice. In those two workout alone I did 580 squats. Insane.
We ran the Boxing Day ten mile race in Hamilton. I went into it not expecting to do anything other than run the thing and have fun doing it. Little did I know what was about to happen. It turned out that changing up my running route back in November and adding a few hills to every run made a difference. I ran stronger than I have in a long time. As I approached the 9k mark of the race and easily ran to the top of the nastiest hill of the route, I began to think I could actually PB. I had run the race twice before and did it in 1:45:something and then last year I did it in 1:42:42. I did some quick math and figured that, if I did not stop at all AND if I managed to keep each of the last 7 kilometres under 6:20 min/k, I could finish the race in under 1:40:00. I pushed hard. I ran into the wind and refused to yield. I ran up and down the smaller hills and refused to slow. The closer I got to the finish, and as each kilometre's time beeped on my watch, the more realistic my goal became and the more I refused to give in. I hated the thought of backing off and then seeing a 1:40:something on the clock at the finish.
As I ran the last kilometre up a gentle but tiring uphill, I spotted the finish line and then, as I got closer, I spotted the time clock. I saw it change to 1:39:00 and I picked it up a bit. I crossed the line at 1:39:25 and, for the first time in my life, knew what it felt like to dig deep and pull off a time that didn't even look like an option when the gun went off. It's been over a week and I'm still grinning about it!
I'm not exactly grinning here but I'm pretty happy and very proud!
I also headed back to the pool twice last week after a month of dry land work. I swam 1700m the first day back and felt it in my arms, back and abs for two days afterwards. I rested up and then went back last Thursday and did 2000m, feeling stronger already. I signed up for the next Masters class on the way out, knowing full well that the first few sessions are going to be rough. I'm rested now and ready for another few months of tough workouts. Triathlon season is fast approaching and I want to be at my best. Which means sucking it up for a few weeks and finding my swimming fitness again.
Other Bits and Pieces
I had an appointment for a hair cut and colour a few days ago. I was looking through my magazines for a photo of a hair colour I liked. I found this one and brought it in with me.
The colourist and my hair dresser liked the photo so much they convinced me to try the cut as well as the colour.
So for the first time since Grade Nine, I have bangs! And my hair turned out a lot redder than it looks in the photo. A tribute to my Irish 'roots'.
I also took advantage of the Boxing Week sales and bought some boots that are pretty fun, a few sweaters...and may have splurged at the Coach Boxing Week sale.
Dexter and I came through all the holiday feasts and are still friends. He kept me in line and helped me prevent highs and lows before they happened. In fact I am proud to say that I had several 'no hitters' during the holidays. No hitters are days when I don't hit the high or the low line on my Dexcom graph (high is set at 12.0 and low is set at 4.0). I've also figured out an overnight basal rate that seems to be working well. Once I settle in and my dinner insulin has left my system, I flatline until the morning (which sounds awful but, in blood sugar speak, it's not - trust me).
Other than that, I have a bunch of goals set for 2014 and a few more in the works.
Those, my friends, will have to wait until tomorrow.
It's good to be back - I've missed you.
Thursday, July 25, 2013
Reaching Out
Yesterday was a very interesting diabetes day.
I started writing my blog pretty innocently back in January 2011. I had no secret ambitions. No plans for world domination. I just wanted to reach out a little bit and see if anyone reached back.
They did and I have made some pretty amazing friends and learned a lot of diabetes tips and tricks. I also like to think that I may have helped a few people along the way...and perhaps helped dispel a few diabetes myths.
Yesterday, I was asked to write an article for a newsletter that is distributed pretty widely in my field. It's a newsletter aimed at direct support workers who support people who have a developmental disability.
I was asked to write an article about supporting people who have diabetes.
I am honoured and excited by this challenge and can't wait to flex my writing muscles.
I was still grinning from that new when I arrived home after work to discover a FedEx envelope waiting for me.
From Animas.
With a thank you card and a CD of pictures from the photoshoot we did a few weeks back.
Later this year I will be featured in their Animas newsletter.
Neither of these honours would have happened without diabetes and neither would have happened if I hadn't decided to be open, honest and very public about living life with type 1.
I'm so glad I reached out.
I'm even more glad that people reached back.
I started writing my blog pretty innocently back in January 2011. I had no secret ambitions. No plans for world domination. I just wanted to reach out a little bit and see if anyone reached back.
They did and I have made some pretty amazing friends and learned a lot of diabetes tips and tricks. I also like to think that I may have helped a few people along the way...and perhaps helped dispel a few diabetes myths.
Yesterday, I was asked to write an article for a newsletter that is distributed pretty widely in my field. It's a newsletter aimed at direct support workers who support people who have a developmental disability.
I was asked to write an article about supporting people who have diabetes.
I am honoured and excited by this challenge and can't wait to flex my writing muscles.
I was still grinning from that new when I arrived home after work to discover a FedEx envelope waiting for me.
From Animas.
With a thank you card and a CD of pictures from the photoshoot we did a few weeks back.
Later this year I will be featured in their Animas newsletter.
Neither of these honours would have happened without diabetes and neither would have happened if I hadn't decided to be open, honest and very public about living life with type 1.
I'm so glad I reached out.
I'm even more glad that people reached back.
Here is a small sample of the photos Animas sent me. It's pretty odd being in front of the camera instead of behind it but I'm happy with the results.
Friday, November 30, 2012
The Loop
I was contacted by Medtronic a few weeks after the Global Heroes weekend and asked if I'd like to be a guest blogger for their blog: The Loop.
Of course I said "yes!".
So today's blog entry is one more click away.
Of course I said "yes!".
So today's blog entry is one more click away.
Monday, May 14, 2012
D-Blog Week Day 1: Find a Friend
The diabetes blogging world is a multi-layered place where around every corner and behind every door lies another treasure. The DOC is alive. It pulses and throbs and, once you've discovered it, you can almost feel it growing and evolving as more and more people join its ranks. You have the veterans who have been here for years, the teenagers who have figured out the ropes but haven't been here long enough to be 'famous' yet and the toddlers who are still getting their feet wet.
I started blogging in early 2011, not long after I discovered the blog of Dave Hingsburger, a disability advocate. His frank, thought-provoking daily musings inspired me to begin chronicling my own journey. I decided to focus my blog on diabetes and running - two topics that are near and dear to my heart and that wouldn't tread too closely to things that are best kept out of social media (namely work).
After writing my blog for a few weeks, it occurred to me that maybe, just maybe, there was someone else out there writing about diabetes and running.
So I Googled the terms diabetes + running and...
...everything changed.
I found Scully (aka Canadian D-gal). I still can't believe that the first blog I found was written by a type 1 runner who lived less than an hour from me and was training for her first Around the Bay at the same time I was. I whipped off a quick hello and, in no time, met my first T1 friend ever. We've shared a pile of adventures already and I feel honoured to know her.
Scully's blog was the jumping off point for me. I clicked on the blogs she had listed on her site, I clicked on the people who commented on her blog. I clicked on their links, and then their links' links. I discovered a world of people all connected, or perhaps I should say united, because of Type 1 diabetes. I found athletes, parents, teenagers, seniors, advocates - all struggling with and overcoming their own daily diabetes challenges.
I found Jeff - who I originally thought was a bit crazy with all of his reports on cycling, swimming and running that he was posting. 'Man this guy is HARDCORE' I thought when I first started reading his blog. Now I look to him for advice as I try to balance my own running/cycling/swimming schedule. The guy is a wealth of knowledge, has a wicked sense of humour and loves everything French. We met up in real life a few months ago and he's even cooler in person. Smart as a whip but needs to work on his curling skills a bit...
I found Pearlsa - a fellow Canadian albeit a few hours behind. Every time she posts I click on her blog never knowing what I'm going to find. She posts recipes, she posts reviews of diabetes products. She posts funny little stories, beautiful quotes and gorgeous pictures. Her blog is rich with colour and makes we want to cross the country and join her for tea.
I found Lindsay through a weird twist of fate. She was chosen as one of last year's Medtronic Global Heroes. So was one of my good friends John. They met up, John told me about her and I jumped on the Lindsay bandwagon. I love her stories of people she spies on public transit. I love reading about her trail running, her hiking adventures (and misadventures) and her relay races. She also loves the colour orange - which makes her very cool in my books.
There are twenty or thirty diabetes blogs that I check each and every day. Some educate me, some scare me, some inspire me, but I have not found one that I have not connected with in some way. The fact that nearly 200 people have signed up for D-Blog week is staggering. Apparently I'm still a teenager in the DOC - I've been around long enough to learn that I have way more to learn.
I started blogging in early 2011, not long after I discovered the blog of Dave Hingsburger, a disability advocate. His frank, thought-provoking daily musings inspired me to begin chronicling my own journey. I decided to focus my blog on diabetes and running - two topics that are near and dear to my heart and that wouldn't tread too closely to things that are best kept out of social media (namely work).
After writing my blog for a few weeks, it occurred to me that maybe, just maybe, there was someone else out there writing about diabetes and running.
So I Googled the terms diabetes + running and...
...everything changed.
I found Scully (aka Canadian D-gal). I still can't believe that the first blog I found was written by a type 1 runner who lived less than an hour from me and was training for her first Around the Bay at the same time I was. I whipped off a quick hello and, in no time, met my first T1 friend ever. We've shared a pile of adventures already and I feel honoured to know her.
Scully's blog was the jumping off point for me. I clicked on the blogs she had listed on her site, I clicked on the people who commented on her blog. I clicked on their links, and then their links' links. I discovered a world of people all connected, or perhaps I should say united, because of Type 1 diabetes. I found athletes, parents, teenagers, seniors, advocates - all struggling with and overcoming their own daily diabetes challenges.
I found Jeff - who I originally thought was a bit crazy with all of his reports on cycling, swimming and running that he was posting. 'Man this guy is HARDCORE' I thought when I first started reading his blog. Now I look to him for advice as I try to balance my own running/cycling/swimming schedule. The guy is a wealth of knowledge, has a wicked sense of humour and loves everything French. We met up in real life a few months ago and he's even cooler in person. Smart as a whip but needs to work on his curling skills a bit...
I found Pearlsa - a fellow Canadian albeit a few hours behind. Every time she posts I click on her blog never knowing what I'm going to find. She posts recipes, she posts reviews of diabetes products. She posts funny little stories, beautiful quotes and gorgeous pictures. Her blog is rich with colour and makes we want to cross the country and join her for tea.
I found Lindsay through a weird twist of fate. She was chosen as one of last year's Medtronic Global Heroes. So was one of my good friends John. They met up, John told me about her and I jumped on the Lindsay bandwagon. I love her stories of people she spies on public transit. I love reading about her trail running, her hiking adventures (and misadventures) and her relay races. She also loves the colour orange - which makes her very cool in my books.
There are twenty or thirty diabetes blogs that I check each and every day. Some educate me, some scare me, some inspire me, but I have not found one that I have not connected with in some way. The fact that nearly 200 people have signed up for D-Blog week is staggering. Apparently I'm still a teenager in the DOC - I've been around long enough to learn that I have way more to learn.
Friday, February 3, 2012
My Promise
I write a lot about myself in this blog.
When I started back in January of 2011, I wasn't sure where it would take me. In fact, I didn't even know if it would last a month. And yet here I am over a year later, dutifully writing five posts a week about what it's like to run, swim and live with diabetes. Along the way I've made a few new friends, learned much more than I expected and discovered the camaraderie of the Diabetes Community.
Sometimes I think I share too much. About the people in my life, about the things in my head. Other times I think I don't share enough. That I'm not being fair to people who tune in every day for updates. You see, I share in my blog the way I share in Facebook. Certain themes are an open book. I will write about running without holding anything back. I will write about diabetes and I never fudge the numbers or exaggerate the stories. I write about what happened - period. When it comes to exercise and diabetes you get the good, the bad and the ugly. Because I think those two themes deserve 100% honestly. To do anything less is unfair to the people who read.
Other topics are kept well protected. They never make news on my Facebook wall. They never make even a mention in my blog. Not because they're bad, not because I'm ashamed or hiding stuff. Just because I'm very protective.
Of the people I love the most.
Of their privacy.
And therefore of my privacy.
I'm sure a lot of bloggers censor what they write - I sure hope they do anyway. Not every reader out there is good and kind and they should not have unfettered access to our lives. I don't think the world at large should have access to my innermost thoughts or my life's challenges. So I censor.
Dear readers - you don't know what you don't know so you don't know how much of my life I share and how much I don't. You take what I write at face value and you comment and return day after day to see how I'm doing, to learn a little more and to perhaps find some inspiration for your own lives.
My promise to you: I promise that, while I may not write about every part of my life, the things I do write about will be honest and true.
You deserve nothing less.
And thanks for coming along for the journey so far. It's an honour to be in such fine company.
xoxo
Céline
When I started back in January of 2011, I wasn't sure where it would take me. In fact, I didn't even know if it would last a month. And yet here I am over a year later, dutifully writing five posts a week about what it's like to run, swim and live with diabetes. Along the way I've made a few new friends, learned much more than I expected and discovered the camaraderie of the Diabetes Community.
Sometimes I think I share too much. About the people in my life, about the things in my head. Other times I think I don't share enough. That I'm not being fair to people who tune in every day for updates. You see, I share in my blog the way I share in Facebook. Certain themes are an open book. I will write about running without holding anything back. I will write about diabetes and I never fudge the numbers or exaggerate the stories. I write about what happened - period. When it comes to exercise and diabetes you get the good, the bad and the ugly. Because I think those two themes deserve 100% honestly. To do anything less is unfair to the people who read.
Other topics are kept well protected. They never make news on my Facebook wall. They never make even a mention in my blog. Not because they're bad, not because I'm ashamed or hiding stuff. Just because I'm very protective.
Of the people I love the most.
Of their privacy.
And therefore of my privacy.
I'm sure a lot of bloggers censor what they write - I sure hope they do anyway. Not every reader out there is good and kind and they should not have unfettered access to our lives. I don't think the world at large should have access to my innermost thoughts or my life's challenges. So I censor.
Dear readers - you don't know what you don't know so you don't know how much of my life I share and how much I don't. You take what I write at face value and you comment and return day after day to see how I'm doing, to learn a little more and to perhaps find some inspiration for your own lives.
My promise to you: I promise that, while I may not write about every part of my life, the things I do write about will be honest and true.
You deserve nothing less.
And thanks for coming along for the journey so far. It's an honour to be in such fine company.
xoxo
Céline
Monday, November 21, 2011
Just One Of The Crowd
I met some cool people this weekend. Some were athletes. Some were moms. Some were high school or university students. One was six years old with a green belt in Tai Kwon Do and another was a lawyer by day and a jazz singer by night.
All have one thing in common.
All have Type 1 diabetes.
Mount Sinai Hospital hosted the Annual Type 1 Diabetes Update on Saturday. Doug and I made the trip up to see what it was all about.
It was pretty cool actually. Walking into a room full of diabetics is pretty awesome. Little kids, seniors and everyone in between was there - rocking their insulin pumps. In fact, sitting in the auditorium during the presentations, I kept hearing the familiar beep of an insulin pump and it felt oddly comforting.
One guy I met, a marathoner and triathlete, was diagnosed two weeks ago. We chatted for a bit and I assured him that yes, he can still do the things he loves but no, he probably won't go for runs or bike rides without stuffing his pockets full of carbs. We laughed about how much easier it is for girls to have diabetes - they can stuff all their paraphernalia into their purses. What do guys do with all their stuff anyway??
Animas was a major sponsor so they had a cool display with their new insulin pumps. The pumps were submerged in large tubes of water - a pretty effective demonstration of their waterproofness. It got me thinking. When I had to decide on the pump I was going to get two and a half years ago - I weighed the options. Here's what it came down to: Animas was water proof and Medtronic had the option of a continuous glucose monitor. I didn't really see how waterproof was important given my lifestyle at the time and a continuous glucose monitor sounded pretty useful.
Two and a half years later - I am a swimmer - and I really dislike the CGM so I never use it. Oh well, by the time I can get a new pump in another 2 1/2 years, the ones I saw on Saturday will be pretty outdated too. Wonder what the newest features will be then?
Saturday was a pretty empowering day. It helped me appreciate how important it is to find people like me. I hang out with runners and photographers - people like me. I have seen first hand how fun it can be to talk to people who understand running lingo and photography terms. Before this year, I had never met another person with type 1 diabetes. I did not know that the DOC existed. I had lots of people who understood lots of parts of me but, when it came to diabetes, I was pretty much alone.
Not anymore!
Hanging out with people with diabetes was pretty cathartic and it's so nice to feel 'normal'. In fact, that's the most important lesson I took from Saturday - I'm ok. I'm doing most things right and, when things go wrong anyway, that's normal. Every story that someone told had all of us nodding our heads and laughing in unison. Yep - we understood each other.
That's pretty powerful.
Oh, and guess who Scully and I got to meet?
All have one thing in common.
All have Type 1 diabetes.
Mount Sinai Hospital hosted the Annual Type 1 Diabetes Update on Saturday. Doug and I made the trip up to see what it was all about.
It was pretty cool actually. Walking into a room full of diabetics is pretty awesome. Little kids, seniors and everyone in between was there - rocking their insulin pumps. In fact, sitting in the auditorium during the presentations, I kept hearing the familiar beep of an insulin pump and it felt oddly comforting.
One guy I met, a marathoner and triathlete, was diagnosed two weeks ago. We chatted for a bit and I assured him that yes, he can still do the things he loves but no, he probably won't go for runs or bike rides without stuffing his pockets full of carbs. We laughed about how much easier it is for girls to have diabetes - they can stuff all their paraphernalia into their purses. What do guys do with all their stuff anyway??
Animas was a major sponsor so they had a cool display with their new insulin pumps. The pumps were submerged in large tubes of water - a pretty effective demonstration of their waterproofness. It got me thinking. When I had to decide on the pump I was going to get two and a half years ago - I weighed the options. Here's what it came down to: Animas was water proof and Medtronic had the option of a continuous glucose monitor. I didn't really see how waterproof was important given my lifestyle at the time and a continuous glucose monitor sounded pretty useful.
Two and a half years later - I am a swimmer - and I really dislike the CGM so I never use it. Oh well, by the time I can get a new pump in another 2 1/2 years, the ones I saw on Saturday will be pretty outdated too. Wonder what the newest features will be then?
Saturday was a pretty empowering day. It helped me appreciate how important it is to find people like me. I hang out with runners and photographers - people like me. I have seen first hand how fun it can be to talk to people who understand running lingo and photography terms. Before this year, I had never met another person with type 1 diabetes. I did not know that the DOC existed. I had lots of people who understood lots of parts of me but, when it came to diabetes, I was pretty much alone.
Not anymore!
Hanging out with people with diabetes was pretty cathartic and it's so nice to feel 'normal'. In fact, that's the most important lesson I took from Saturday - I'm ok. I'm doing most things right and, when things go wrong anyway, that's normal. Every story that someone told had all of us nodding our heads and laughing in unison. Yep - we understood each other.
That's pretty powerful.
Oh, and guess who Scully and I got to meet?
The famous Kerri from Six Until Me
Monday, September 12, 2011
The Stats
Writing a blog is a fun, thought-provoking, creative outlet for me.
I like narrowing in on something small or trivial from my day and giving it a few moments in the spotlight. I like sitting down at my laptop not having a clue what I'm going to write about and letting my thoughts wander. I proofread and hit the publish button and then I carry on with my day, happy in the knowledge that I've tossed my thoughts out to the world.
The other part of blogging that's fun is checking out all the stats. I like seeing where readers are from and how many visit my site every day. It's actually pretty consistent which is neat. I get between 50-60 people who visit every weekday and about 25 on weekends. People seem to have figured out that I take weekends off. About 70% of readers are from Canada, another 20% from the US and the rest from all over the world. Ireland is a regular visitor. So are Russia, France and Germany and the UK. Very interesting.
Another stat that Blogger lets us see is the search keywords that lead people to our blogs. Obviously, if someone types in Céline Parent + blog - they find me. But lots of other random searches lead people to Running on Carbs. Funnily enough, the word "poutine" is the most popular way that people find me. I wrote one blog about it on Canada Day and it has risen to be one of my top five entries simply because people stumble across it on their poutine internet search. "Coppertone baby" is another popular one (from my entry on running tan lines) and, believe it or not, so is "Rogue" (from X-Men).
Fifty-one percent of people read my blog on Windows, 39% read it on MacIntosh. Blackberries and iPhones are next on the list. It's fascinating stuff for someone like me who enjoys watching patterns develop.
Because I have such a stable number of daily readers, I'm assuming that they are typically the same people every day. I'm sure some people stumble upon the blog, read an entry or two and move on with their lives. Others, I would guess, check in pretty regularly.
The reason I say guess is because I don't really know. I have a few people who comment (hi John! hi Scully!) but, other than that, I really have no idea who checks in regularly and who passes in the night - never to be seen again...
...until someone says something. Like yesterday during our bike ride. A new rider came out (hi Shane!). Part way through the ride, he asked if I was Céline. I confirmed that I was. He said that he reads my blog. Really?
A few weeks ago, when I had my shins taped for the long run, a few runners asked to see the tape job that they had read about in my blog. Really?
I forget sometimes, as I'm sitting on the couch sipping coffee and writing about my day, that real people out there are along for the ride. I forget that people who know me read what I write and then they know more about me than I know about them. And I forget that people from around the world whom I have never met are checking in.
It's rather strange to think about so I don't think dwell on it too much. I prefer to just write and post. But reminders like the one I had yesterday help keep me honest. They remind me that, if people are taking the time to read, I had better take the time to produce something worth reading.
So thank you my friends. For visiting. For reading. For reminding me why I'm doing this.
I like narrowing in on something small or trivial from my day and giving it a few moments in the spotlight. I like sitting down at my laptop not having a clue what I'm going to write about and letting my thoughts wander. I proofread and hit the publish button and then I carry on with my day, happy in the knowledge that I've tossed my thoughts out to the world.
The other part of blogging that's fun is checking out all the stats. I like seeing where readers are from and how many visit my site every day. It's actually pretty consistent which is neat. I get between 50-60 people who visit every weekday and about 25 on weekends. People seem to have figured out that I take weekends off. About 70% of readers are from Canada, another 20% from the US and the rest from all over the world. Ireland is a regular visitor. So are Russia, France and Germany and the UK. Very interesting.
Another stat that Blogger lets us see is the search keywords that lead people to our blogs. Obviously, if someone types in Céline Parent + blog - they find me. But lots of other random searches lead people to Running on Carbs. Funnily enough, the word "poutine" is the most popular way that people find me. I wrote one blog about it on Canada Day and it has risen to be one of my top five entries simply because people stumble across it on their poutine internet search. "Coppertone baby" is another popular one (from my entry on running tan lines) and, believe it or not, so is "Rogue" (from X-Men).
Fifty-one percent of people read my blog on Windows, 39% read it on MacIntosh. Blackberries and iPhones are next on the list. It's fascinating stuff for someone like me who enjoys watching patterns develop.
Because I have such a stable number of daily readers, I'm assuming that they are typically the same people every day. I'm sure some people stumble upon the blog, read an entry or two and move on with their lives. Others, I would guess, check in pretty regularly.
The reason I say guess is because I don't really know. I have a few people who comment (hi John! hi Scully!) but, other than that, I really have no idea who checks in regularly and who passes in the night - never to be seen again...
...until someone says something. Like yesterday during our bike ride. A new rider came out (hi Shane!). Part way through the ride, he asked if I was Céline. I confirmed that I was. He said that he reads my blog. Really?
A few weeks ago, when I had my shins taped for the long run, a few runners asked to see the tape job that they had read about in my blog. Really?
I forget sometimes, as I'm sitting on the couch sipping coffee and writing about my day, that real people out there are along for the ride. I forget that people who know me read what I write and then they know more about me than I know about them. And I forget that people from around the world whom I have never met are checking in.
It's rather strange to think about so I don't think dwell on it too much. I prefer to just write and post. But reminders like the one I had yesterday help keep me honest. They remind me that, if people are taking the time to read, I had better take the time to produce something worth reading.
So thank you my friends. For visiting. For reading. For reminding me why I'm doing this.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Day 1: Admiring our Differences
I am new to the blogging world and even less experienced with the diabetes blogging world. Before January of this year, I had never read blogs and it never occurred to me that I could find friends out there in the blogosphere. Statistically, I knew that there were plenty of people with diabetes out there…somewhere. But, truth be told, I really didn’t know any of them. I have a few people in my life who have Type 2 diabetes but diabetes never played a key role in our relationship.
I knew no one with Type 1.
On a whim I decided to start blogging and, as a result, discovered other blogs. One here, one there. It didn’t take long for me to start clicking on other bloggers’ favourite blogs and it just mushroomed. I discovered that there is a huge, diverse, passionate diabetes community out there. We have one thing in common – diabetes.
That’s it.
That’s enough.
I started out by looking for people like me - Type 1 diabetics with a passion for running. It took a whole ten minutes to find someone my age, with a similar story, living 30 minutes down the highway. At the time she was also training for the same 30k race I was and we even use the same insulin pump (only hers is purple instead of blue). Ah-mazing! She makes me laugh, makes me think and shares some of her tricks for trying to keep blood sugars in check.
My next discovery was a father with Type 1 diabetes who has five children, two of whom also have Type 1 diabetes. I follow his daily struggles with trying to find ways to afford all of the supplies they need to stay healthy, keeping a close eye on his youngest daughter who doesn’t feel her lows and staying on top of his own A1Cs. His daily reports give me perspective when I face my own struggles with the incessant demands of diabetes - financial, physical, and psychological.
I also found some pretty hard core athletes who were blogging away about their triathlon training sessions, their crazy workouts and fabulous race times – as well as their blood sugar struggles and tricks for carrying supplies during marathons. They keep me motivated and inspired. A perfect example of if they can do it, so can I.
Finally, I branched out a bit and found others who share the same disease but who struggle with things that do not appear on my radar. The struggles so many Type 1 women face for good blood sugar control because they so desperately want to get pregnant and have a healthy child. The struggles with depression, with fear, with complications. The struggles with trying to raise a child with Type 1 diabetes.
I read them all.
I am left humbled. Inspired. Sometimes angered. Always touched.
The best thing about diabetes you ask?
The people.
I knew no one with Type 1.
On a whim I decided to start blogging and, as a result, discovered other blogs. One here, one there. It didn’t take long for me to start clicking on other bloggers’ favourite blogs and it just mushroomed. I discovered that there is a huge, diverse, passionate diabetes community out there. We have one thing in common – diabetes.
That’s it.
That’s enough.
I started out by looking for people like me - Type 1 diabetics with a passion for running. It took a whole ten minutes to find someone my age, with a similar story, living 30 minutes down the highway. At the time she was also training for the same 30k race I was and we even use the same insulin pump (only hers is purple instead of blue). Ah-mazing! She makes me laugh, makes me think and shares some of her tricks for trying to keep blood sugars in check.
My next discovery was a father with Type 1 diabetes who has five children, two of whom also have Type 1 diabetes. I follow his daily struggles with trying to find ways to afford all of the supplies they need to stay healthy, keeping a close eye on his youngest daughter who doesn’t feel her lows and staying on top of his own A1Cs. His daily reports give me perspective when I face my own struggles with the incessant demands of diabetes - financial, physical, and psychological.
I also found some pretty hard core athletes who were blogging away about their triathlon training sessions, their crazy workouts and fabulous race times – as well as their blood sugar struggles and tricks for carrying supplies during marathons. They keep me motivated and inspired. A perfect example of if they can do it, so can I.
Finally, I branched out a bit and found others who share the same disease but who struggle with things that do not appear on my radar. The struggles so many Type 1 women face for good blood sugar control because they so desperately want to get pregnant and have a healthy child. The struggles with depression, with fear, with complications. The struggles with trying to raise a child with Type 1 diabetes.
I read them all.
I am left humbled. Inspired. Sometimes angered. Always touched.
The best thing about diabetes you ask?
The people.
Friday, May 6, 2011
Notice: D-Blog Week is Coming!
Next week is the second annual Diabetes Blog (or D-Blog) Week.
Don't worry - I didn't know what it was either...
But I checked it out and have signed up to be part of the movement. Because I think it's a great idea both for me personally as well as for the entire diabetes community. Not to mention the non-diabetes community who may just want to learn a little bit more about what all the diabetes fuss is about.
Here's how it works. There are seven days and seven blog topics. Each day, bloggers participating in D-Blog Week will write about the day's topic. Anyone interested can read the blogs and get all sorts of different perspectives from people with diabetes, people who love people with diabetes, or people who advocate about diabetes. From all over the world.
What a great idea!
The topics are pretty cool too and have already got me thinking about what I'm going to write.
Over the seven days I get to write a letter to someone or something (ex my pump) about my diabetes, share some diabetes bloopers, vent about the frustrations and celebrate all the awesome things about diabetes. Oh, and I get to take some pictures too.
There are already over 100 bloggers signed up with more joining up every day.
When I started my little blog back in January, I really just wanted a creative outlet to write. I did not expect to make new friends. I had no idea that there was such a strong online diabetes community out there or how great it would be to connect with others 'like me'. I am a lone wolf no longer and there is a great comfort in knowing that there are people who get it.
Next week is going to be informative, inspiring, heart-wrenching and tons of fun. For those of you kind folks who stop by my blog on a regular basis, my daily musings about diabetes, running and life will have a decidedly diabetic slant. I hope it provides some insight into my world and that it inspires you to check out some of the other amazing diabetes bloggers out there.
If you want more information, click on the link above or head over to Karen's blog. She's the lady behind the idea.
Don't worry - I didn't know what it was either...
But I checked it out and have signed up to be part of the movement. Because I think it's a great idea both for me personally as well as for the entire diabetes community. Not to mention the non-diabetes community who may just want to learn a little bit more about what all the diabetes fuss is about.
Here's how it works. There are seven days and seven blog topics. Each day, bloggers participating in D-Blog Week will write about the day's topic. Anyone interested can read the blogs and get all sorts of different perspectives from people with diabetes, people who love people with diabetes, or people who advocate about diabetes. From all over the world.
What a great idea!
The topics are pretty cool too and have already got me thinking about what I'm going to write.
Over the seven days I get to write a letter to someone or something (ex my pump) about my diabetes, share some diabetes bloopers, vent about the frustrations and celebrate all the awesome things about diabetes. Oh, and I get to take some pictures too.
There are already over 100 bloggers signed up with more joining up every day.
When I started my little blog back in January, I really just wanted a creative outlet to write. I did not expect to make new friends. I had no idea that there was such a strong online diabetes community out there or how great it would be to connect with others 'like me'. I am a lone wolf no longer and there is a great comfort in knowing that there are people who get it.
Next week is going to be informative, inspiring, heart-wrenching and tons of fun. For those of you kind folks who stop by my blog on a regular basis, my daily musings about diabetes, running and life will have a decidedly diabetic slant. I hope it provides some insight into my world and that it inspires you to check out some of the other amazing diabetes bloggers out there.
If you want more information, click on the link above or head over to Karen's blog. She's the lady behind the idea.
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