I just read my friend Scully's blog today about running a 5k race to help raise money for the JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation). She talked about some of the misconceptions that surround Juvenile (aka Type 1) diabetes. Namely that it only happens to kids.
It often does. There are hundreds and thousands of children diagnosed with diabetes while still in diapers. It's absolutely awful and I can't imagine the stress on the families as they tried to keep blood sugars under control for little ones that can't tell you when they don't feel right. Or young children in grade 1 who would rather run around than check their sugar and eat a snack.
But reality is that Juvenile Diabetes is very poorly named. Type 1 diabetes can strike at any age. It struck me at 28. It strikes people at 40, 50 and 60. One day we're fine. The next, we're drinking water like crazy and weight it dropping off at an alarming rate. In a few short weeks or months, we end up at the doctor's office or hospital and receive a diagnosis that will change our lives forever. Type 1 diabetes. Insulin-dependent.
Nothing we could do about it. No way to stop it once it starts. No cure. A life sentence.
I'm not sure how I feel about the fact that Type 1 diabetes is focused mostly on children. From a fundraising perspective, it's probably more lucrative because kids have a certain appeal that adults don't. Kinda like baby seals. People are drawn to the idea that it's a disease that affects children and they feel compelled to donate. I'm ok with that because a cure for one is a cure for all (I hope).
But those kids grow up...and they don't outgrow diabetes. On top of that, plenty of adults are diagnosed with it too and it's no less traumatic to be diagnosed at 28 rather than at 2.
When those adults go to run a 5k race to help raise money for JDRF, they're going to feel left out because the focus is going to be on the kids.
It's ok to focus on the kids - but not at the expense of everyone else.
Good for you Scully. You ran a great race, had a fabulous finishing time and helped raise money to find a cure for everyone - no matter how old they are.
Saturday, April 30, 2011
Friday, April 29, 2011
One Step at a Time
Week one of my pre-marathon training training is almost at an end.
The goal: get used to running 5 days per week so marathon training is not such a shock.
Here's how it went.
Saturday was my regular long run and I did 10k. Felt pretty good despite (or perhaps because of) having just come off a week's vacation.
Sunday we went cycling. We survived the cold, rain and wind and I'm fairly sure my legs were thankful for the cross training but they couldn't actually tell me that because they had gone completely hyperthermic.
Normally, I would run Tuesday and Thursday evening and then the cycle would resume on Saturday. In an attempt to get a head start on marathon training, I started increasing my mileage and the number of days I run.
This week, I ran 5k on Monday, 8k on Tuesday and 5k on Wednesday. Not much more mileage than I'm used to but more days on my feet than I've ever done before.
Monday felt fabulous. Tuesday felt pretty damn good too. Wednesday my legs told me in no uncertain terms that they had enough. I did a very very slow 5k with the goal to just keep moving and warm them up. But my shins and feet were acting up and there was just no energy left in them.
Thursday I did not run. I went to see my chiropractor who made my shins feels a whole lot better. Today, Friday, I will not run but this afternoon is my regular massage which should limber things up a bit.
Oh, and I walked around in my Vibrams for about two hours every day. They feel wonderful and I have to force myself to take them off. I'm just super-paranoid about overdoing it.
All in all, not too bad for week one.
The plan for next week is run Saturday (12k), cycle Sunday, run Tuesday (10k), Wednesday (5K) and Thursday (8K). Despite how it may seem, I do not always have the luxury of having a chiropractor AND massage therapist work on me every week. Most weeks, it's just me and my legs taking on the world. So far, they're motivated to perform and not too overwhelmed by what I'm asking of them.
So far...
The goal: get used to running 5 days per week so marathon training is not such a shock.
Here's how it went.
Saturday was my regular long run and I did 10k. Felt pretty good despite (or perhaps because of) having just come off a week's vacation.
Sunday we went cycling. We survived the cold, rain and wind and I'm fairly sure my legs were thankful for the cross training but they couldn't actually tell me that because they had gone completely hyperthermic.
Normally, I would run Tuesday and Thursday evening and then the cycle would resume on Saturday. In an attempt to get a head start on marathon training, I started increasing my mileage and the number of days I run.
This week, I ran 5k on Monday, 8k on Tuesday and 5k on Wednesday. Not much more mileage than I'm used to but more days on my feet than I've ever done before.
Monday felt fabulous. Tuesday felt pretty damn good too. Wednesday my legs told me in no uncertain terms that they had enough. I did a very very slow 5k with the goal to just keep moving and warm them up. But my shins and feet were acting up and there was just no energy left in them.
Thursday I did not run. I went to see my chiropractor who made my shins feels a whole lot better. Today, Friday, I will not run but this afternoon is my regular massage which should limber things up a bit.
Oh, and I walked around in my Vibrams for about two hours every day. They feel wonderful and I have to force myself to take them off. I'm just super-paranoid about overdoing it.
All in all, not too bad for week one.
The plan for next week is run Saturday (12k), cycle Sunday, run Tuesday (10k), Wednesday (5K) and Thursday (8K). Despite how it may seem, I do not always have the luxury of having a chiropractor AND massage therapist work on me every week. Most weeks, it's just me and my legs taking on the world. So far, they're motivated to perform and not too overwhelmed by what I'm asking of them.
So far...
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Hot Stuff
There's just no way around it.
I am one hot chick.
Bedroom window open all winter, comforter tossed to the side, running in -20 without gloves kinda hot.
My internal microwave oven makes me ideally suited to running in Canadian winters. I love it. Better yet, I have it all figured out. I know what to wear with every five degree change in temperature and in every sort of wind chill, snow, and icy condition. I know my layers and we work well together.
The problems start when the temperate gets to be above zero.
At plus five, I'm in shorts. At plus ten, I'm in shorts, a t-shirt and a vest and, by plus fifteen, I'm in shorts and a t-shirt. Period.
Things would not be a problem if Canadian summers peaked at plus fifteen. But they don't. They have been known to hit plus thirty-five with some nasty-ass humidity thrown in for fun. This does not stop us from running hours every Saturday morning or doing hill repeats or interval training. The heat-loving people in my life may disagree but I find it absolutely brutal.
I am not one to run around in my sports bra (between my insulin pump and surgery scars - a bare midriff would take me a wee bit too far out of my comfort zone). So I'm stuck running in shorts and a t-shirt. No matter how hot it gets, there are just no more layers to remove.
I'm excited for spring. I'm excited to see the buds on the trees and feel the sun on my skin. But I'm also well aware that the days of running in comfort are rapidly coming to an end...at least until October when things start to cool off again. So for the next six months I am going to be one hot steamy lady...
...and not in a good way!
I am one hot chick.
Bedroom window open all winter, comforter tossed to the side, running in -20 without gloves kinda hot.
My internal microwave oven makes me ideally suited to running in Canadian winters. I love it. Better yet, I have it all figured out. I know what to wear with every five degree change in temperature and in every sort of wind chill, snow, and icy condition. I know my layers and we work well together.
The problems start when the temperate gets to be above zero.
At plus five, I'm in shorts. At plus ten, I'm in shorts, a t-shirt and a vest and, by plus fifteen, I'm in shorts and a t-shirt. Period.
Things would not be a problem if Canadian summers peaked at plus fifteen. But they don't. They have been known to hit plus thirty-five with some nasty-ass humidity thrown in for fun. This does not stop us from running hours every Saturday morning or doing hill repeats or interval training. The heat-loving people in my life may disagree but I find it absolutely brutal.
I am not one to run around in my sports bra (between my insulin pump and surgery scars - a bare midriff would take me a wee bit too far out of my comfort zone). So I'm stuck running in shorts and a t-shirt. No matter how hot it gets, there are just no more layers to remove.
I'm excited for spring. I'm excited to see the buds on the trees and feel the sun on my skin. But I'm also well aware that the days of running in comfort are rapidly coming to an end...at least until October when things start to cool off again. So for the next six months I am going to be one hot steamy lady...
...and not in a good way!
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
The Best of the Best
I bought myself a running hat in Boston. It's black and says Boston on the front in bright beautiful kelly green. On the back it says "Wicked Fast Runnah" and one can't help but say it with a Boston accent. I love it.
I wore it running on Saturday. It did not take me long to recognize the irony of mon nouveau chapeau. One would expect to read "Wicked Fast Runnah" on the back of a hat of a runner that blows by you. In my case, most of my running friends got to read the back of my hat as they blew past me. Wicked fast runnah indeed!
I'm ok with my pace - but it is kinda funny.
On Sunday, I joined the Runners' Edge cycling group for our weekly ride. As per usual, I kept up but just barely. Again, I'm ok with that. I figure it's better to hang out with people with whom I have to struggle to keep in sight. That way I'm pushing myself harder than I would otherwise. But man, every Saturday run and Sunday cycling is a lesson in humility.
Every once in a while it's important to step back a bit and get some perspective. I hang out with runners and cyclists. They are a strong, fit, kick ass group of people. Within that group there is a range of abilities. But the least able person can still run. Or cycle. Without collapsing from a heart attack three minutes in. They are tough as nails, boundary-pushing, courageous athletes. The least fit person in my fitness world is fitter than most people on the planet.
I need to remember that when I feel twinges of envy watching runners pass me on the hills, during intervals and, let's face it, on long flat stretches of road. They may be faster than I am but, damn it, I can still run 10k, 20k, 30k. I have a super healthy diet, I can run for hours and cycle up the Park Road Hill...and I do it all in spite of my faulty pancreas.
So I will wear my Wicked Fast Runnah hat with pride. Those people I do pass may be impressed and those that pass me will be amused. Either way, it's a really cool hat.
I wore it running on Saturday. It did not take me long to recognize the irony of mon nouveau chapeau. One would expect to read "Wicked Fast Runnah" on the back of a hat of a runner that blows by you. In my case, most of my running friends got to read the back of my hat as they blew past me. Wicked fast runnah indeed!
I'm ok with my pace - but it is kinda funny.
On Sunday, I joined the Runners' Edge cycling group for our weekly ride. As per usual, I kept up but just barely. Again, I'm ok with that. I figure it's better to hang out with people with whom I have to struggle to keep in sight. That way I'm pushing myself harder than I would otherwise. But man, every Saturday run and Sunday cycling is a lesson in humility.
Every once in a while it's important to step back a bit and get some perspective. I hang out with runners and cyclists. They are a strong, fit, kick ass group of people. Within that group there is a range of abilities. But the least able person can still run. Or cycle. Without collapsing from a heart attack three minutes in. They are tough as nails, boundary-pushing, courageous athletes. The least fit person in my fitness world is fitter than most people on the planet.
I need to remember that when I feel twinges of envy watching runners pass me on the hills, during intervals and, let's face it, on long flat stretches of road. They may be faster than I am but, damn it, I can still run 10k, 20k, 30k. I have a super healthy diet, I can run for hours and cycle up the Park Road Hill...and I do it all in spite of my faulty pancreas.
So I will wear my Wicked Fast Runnah hat with pride. Those people I do pass may be impressed and those that pass me will be amused. Either way, it's a really cool hat.
Monday, April 25, 2011
The Battle Plan
I feel like I'm preparing for battle. The marathon and I will be facing off in a mere six months. The official training starts on June 20th. That gives me until then to do what I can to prepare.
My goal: to start my training feeling strong and healthy with no lingering injuries. I've learned from experience that I will be struggling to get through the end of the training because my shins, calves and feet will be pushed beyond their limit. Hopefully, with some pre-training preparation, I can keep the injury monsters at bay.
First off, thanks to the Boston Expo, I have two shiny new pairs of running shoes. Normally I can only afford to buy one at a time. I wear them for all of my runs until they are completely dead and then I buy another pair. This time around, I'm going to be alternating between two pairs. As my marathon friends tell me, that gives the shoes a chance to bounce back after each run before I use them again. So I've cleverly numbered them 1 and 2 and I will be switching between them all season.
I'm also starting to get my feet and calves used to my Vibrams. The goal is to be able to do my two weekly 5k runs in them to help strengthen my feet and calves. I'm treating them like just another type of training. Hills build endurance, intervals build speed and Vibrams (I hope) build strength. I have no aspirations of ever running super long distances in them - I just want to use them as a way to get stronger.
Next step - track my running. I have a Garmin which I love but the only thing I use it for is to check my pace and distance while I run. I don't log my runs, I don't keep track of any improvements in my speed and I don't even wear the heart rate monitor so I have no idea about max heart rate. I just like knowing how fast I'm going at any given moment. Doug gave me his über-detailed running spreadsheet that will help me track runs, distance, pace and even wear on my shoes. Fabulous!
I'm making a point of fitting the short recovery runs into my schedule. I ran 5k this morning and it felt great. I ran smooth and easy and found myself back home in just over 30 minutes. I've entered the run into my shiny new spreadsheet and feel ridiculously proud of myself.
Diabetes-wise, I'm going to experiment with food on long runs. I understand the value of gels but my stomach can only handle one or two before I begin to feel decidedly nauseated. If I'm going to be running for about 5 hours, I had better figure out a plan. I'm thinking fig newtons and dates might be good options. So I'll start experimenting with them to figure out:
- how to carry them without completely squishing them
- when and how many to eat to keep my blood sugar stable and
- whether they will provide enough energy to keep me going
Rumour has it that running is 10% physical and 90% mental. In my case, I think it's 10% physical, 20% diabetic and 70% mental. On the bad days, it's more like 70% diabetic and the problem is that no amount of planning will guarantee a good run. This summer I will be entering uncharted territory in terms of distance and time spent running. The only way I know how to deal with that is by making sensible, yet flexible, plans. I'm not one to stress about a missed run, a forgotten Garmin or a bad diabetes run. Having a plan designed to keep me focused, fit and healthy, I can better handle the challenges that I will face over the next few months.
Stay tuned folks - I'll keep you posted on all things Vibram, diabetic and marathon-related.
My goal: to start my training feeling strong and healthy with no lingering injuries. I've learned from experience that I will be struggling to get through the end of the training because my shins, calves and feet will be pushed beyond their limit. Hopefully, with some pre-training preparation, I can keep the injury monsters at bay.
First off, thanks to the Boston Expo, I have two shiny new pairs of running shoes. Normally I can only afford to buy one at a time. I wear them for all of my runs until they are completely dead and then I buy another pair. This time around, I'm going to be alternating between two pairs. As my marathon friends tell me, that gives the shoes a chance to bounce back after each run before I use them again. So I've cleverly numbered them 1 and 2 and I will be switching between them all season.
I'm also starting to get my feet and calves used to my Vibrams. The goal is to be able to do my two weekly 5k runs in them to help strengthen my feet and calves. I'm treating them like just another type of training. Hills build endurance, intervals build speed and Vibrams (I hope) build strength. I have no aspirations of ever running super long distances in them - I just want to use them as a way to get stronger.
Next step - track my running. I have a Garmin which I love but the only thing I use it for is to check my pace and distance while I run. I don't log my runs, I don't keep track of any improvements in my speed and I don't even wear the heart rate monitor so I have no idea about max heart rate. I just like knowing how fast I'm going at any given moment. Doug gave me his über-detailed running spreadsheet that will help me track runs, distance, pace and even wear on my shoes. Fabulous!
I'm making a point of fitting the short recovery runs into my schedule. I ran 5k this morning and it felt great. I ran smooth and easy and found myself back home in just over 30 minutes. I've entered the run into my shiny new spreadsheet and feel ridiculously proud of myself.
Diabetes-wise, I'm going to experiment with food on long runs. I understand the value of gels but my stomach can only handle one or two before I begin to feel decidedly nauseated. If I'm going to be running for about 5 hours, I had better figure out a plan. I'm thinking fig newtons and dates might be good options. So I'll start experimenting with them to figure out:
- how to carry them without completely squishing them
- when and how many to eat to keep my blood sugar stable and
- whether they will provide enough energy to keep me going
Rumour has it that running is 10% physical and 90% mental. In my case, I think it's 10% physical, 20% diabetic and 70% mental. On the bad days, it's more like 70% diabetic and the problem is that no amount of planning will guarantee a good run. This summer I will be entering uncharted territory in terms of distance and time spent running. The only way I know how to deal with that is by making sensible, yet flexible, plans. I'm not one to stress about a missed run, a forgotten Garmin or a bad diabetes run. Having a plan designed to keep me focused, fit and healthy, I can better handle the challenges that I will face over the next few months.
Stay tuned folks - I'll keep you posted on all things Vibram, diabetic and marathon-related.
Saturday, April 23, 2011
Lucky Number Five
First run in eight days today. Apparently when I go to Boston to see a marathon I don't actually need to run. I can just let everyone else run for me. I filled a travel bag with good intentions: running clothes for all weathers and I fully planned to run three times while away. Well, life happens and sometimes running needs to take a back seat.
I'm not training for a race at the moment so that pressure was off.
Doug wasn't running either after his marathon so that motivation was gone too.
So I tossed any feelings of guilt into the ocean and enjoyed a week's vacation.
We walked a lot - does that count??
We left Cape Cod yesterday morning for the long drive back to Canada. Ten hours it took to get home. Just the right amount of time for legs to swell, feel full of lead and laugh hysterically at the very idea of running.
Runners' Edge at 8am helped get things back on track. I had no idea what my legs would feel like but it was great to be back. Great to see people, share Boston stories and feel that motivation that comes from running with friends.
The run went fairly well actually. My blood sugar behaved which is pretty impressive after a week of not running. My legs held up and my body persevered in spite of the incredible wind that had us almost standing still at certain points. It felt harder than I would have liked it to feel but is was fun!
I'm now in the process of slowly, very slowly, breaking in my Vibram Five Fingers. My goal is to build up to being able to run 5k so that I can wear them for my two shorter runs during the marathon training clinic which starts in June. So today I'm wearing them around the house for an hour or two as I putter with laundry and other post-trip tasks. Pretty freakin' sexy if I do say so myself.
A strange, amphibious, alien-like kinda sexy.
Poor Doug - between my five fingers, recovery socks and recovery tights - he's a brave soul indeed.
Marathon training apparently requires that we run five times per week. I've trained for half marathons and a 30k race only ever running 3 times per week plus a Sunday bike ride. Seemed like enough for me plus I have other things to do and fitting in three runs was enough of a challenge. FIVE?? Plus a bike ride? Some quick mathematical calculations tell me that I will have one, count it, one day off per week. For four months. Is this crazy? It sure as hell feels crazy...
Then again, so has every other running challenge I've undertaken. I've learned to just keep running as the voices in my head tell me how crazy I am. Carry on little soldier.
So I start this week with four runs and a bike ride. And a bit of time each day walking around in my five fingers. Maybe next week I'll try a ten minute five fingered run to see how it goes. Then fifteen, twenty and, soon enough, I'll be up to 5k and five runs a week.
Just in time for marathon training to begin.
Absolutely freakin' crazy.
I'm not training for a race at the moment so that pressure was off.
Doug wasn't running either after his marathon so that motivation was gone too.
So I tossed any feelings of guilt into the ocean and enjoyed a week's vacation.
We walked a lot - does that count??
We left Cape Cod yesterday morning for the long drive back to Canada. Ten hours it took to get home. Just the right amount of time for legs to swell, feel full of lead and laugh hysterically at the very idea of running.
Runners' Edge at 8am helped get things back on track. I had no idea what my legs would feel like but it was great to be back. Great to see people, share Boston stories and feel that motivation that comes from running with friends.
The run went fairly well actually. My blood sugar behaved which is pretty impressive after a week of not running. My legs held up and my body persevered in spite of the incredible wind that had us almost standing still at certain points. It felt harder than I would have liked it to feel but is was fun!
I'm now in the process of slowly, very slowly, breaking in my Vibram Five Fingers. My goal is to build up to being able to run 5k so that I can wear them for my two shorter runs during the marathon training clinic which starts in June. So today I'm wearing them around the house for an hour or two as I putter with laundry and other post-trip tasks. Pretty freakin' sexy if I do say so myself.
A strange, amphibious, alien-like kinda sexy.
Poor Doug - between my five fingers, recovery socks and recovery tights - he's a brave soul indeed.
Marathon training apparently requires that we run five times per week. I've trained for half marathons and a 30k race only ever running 3 times per week plus a Sunday bike ride. Seemed like enough for me plus I have other things to do and fitting in three runs was enough of a challenge. FIVE?? Plus a bike ride? Some quick mathematical calculations tell me that I will have one, count it, one day off per week. For four months. Is this crazy? It sure as hell feels crazy...
Then again, so has every other running challenge I've undertaken. I've learned to just keep running as the voices in my head tell me how crazy I am. Carry on little soldier.
So I start this week with four runs and a bike ride. And a bit of time each day walking around in my five fingers. Maybe next week I'll try a ten minute five fingered run to see how it goes. Then fifteen, twenty and, soon enough, I'll be up to 5k and five runs a week.
Just in time for marathon training to begin.
Absolutely freakin' crazy.
Thursday, April 21, 2011
Five Percent
Apparently the sun does shine in Provincetown. Even the locals are shocked at the weather today. Blue skies, never-ending sunshine and, if you find a spot that's sheltered from the wind - it's actually kinda warm. Not hot mind you but the wind has lost a bit of its nordic bite. Nice!
Nice day to sit on the deck after breakfast, go for a morning bike ride through town and try our luck at whale watching after lunch.
In yesterday's blog, I mentioned some facts about right whales. I have never seen one before and never been whale watching when they were in town so I was not aware of the rules. Rules change when the rights are in the bay. Ships must move slowly and must stay a prescribed distance away at all times. Not exactly humpback watching where they swim right up to the boat to check us out. But I was still excited to climb on board and feel the salt spray in my face.
According to current research, there are only about 400 right whales left. Period. Hunted down from tens of thousands to a mere handful. According to recent flights over the bay, there were just over 100 right whales right off the coast of Provincetown. Over 1/4 of all the rights in the world are swimming just outside our window. That's pretty amazing! We left the pier and, within minutes, were spotting whale spouts all over the place.
We might not be allowed to approach them but they seemed ok getting pretty close to us!
Right whales feed on copepods which are tiny little lobster-like critters that swim in huge swarms this time of year. So the whales just cruise along with their mouths open and take in huge mouthfuls of them at a time. Kinda like what people do at Mandarin buffets...
On the way back to the pier, we spotted one last whale. He was slapping his flipper over and over against the water. According to the onboard naturalist, they do this to communicate with other whales. I prefer to think that he was waving goodbye.
All in all, we saw about twenty different right whales. In other words, five percent of the world population. Ah-mazing!
Nice day to sit on the deck after breakfast, go for a morning bike ride through town and try our luck at whale watching after lunch.
In yesterday's blog, I mentioned some facts about right whales. I have never seen one before and never been whale watching when they were in town so I was not aware of the rules. Rules change when the rights are in the bay. Ships must move slowly and must stay a prescribed distance away at all times. Not exactly humpback watching where they swim right up to the boat to check us out. But I was still excited to climb on board and feel the salt spray in my face.
According to current research, there are only about 400 right whales left. Period. Hunted down from tens of thousands to a mere handful. According to recent flights over the bay, there were just over 100 right whales right off the coast of Provincetown. Over 1/4 of all the rights in the world are swimming just outside our window. That's pretty amazing! We left the pier and, within minutes, were spotting whale spouts all over the place.
We might not be allowed to approach them but they seemed ok getting pretty close to us!
Right whales feed on copepods which are tiny little lobster-like critters that swim in huge swarms this time of year. So the whales just cruise along with their mouths open and take in huge mouthfuls of them at a time. Kinda like what people do at Mandarin buffets...
On the way back to the pier, we spotted one last whale. He was slapping his flipper over and over against the water. According to the onboard naturalist, they do this to communicate with other whales. I prefer to think that he was waving goodbye.
All in all, we saw about twenty different right whales. In other words, five percent of the world population. Ah-mazing!
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