May Fitness Report

So, um, it's the end of May and I should probably confess talk about how things went this month in the exercise department.

It all comes down to perspective really. 

Ask me how my running went? Go on. Ask me! 

Well, I ran 12 times. I put in a total of 12 hours and 45 minutes and I ran a total distance of 116km. 

Not to shabby if you ask me. 

Cycling, well, that wasn't quite as impressive. My weekends have been pretty packed and I've had to miss two out of four Sunday rides. So I cycled twice, for a total of 3.25 hours and a distance of 68km. Not great really. Ideally I should have done twice that much. Especially considering I don't tend to ride on the trainer once it gets nice out. 

Swimming, well, that was downright awful. I swam twice. Period. In 31 days. A total of 6450m. That's it. 

Why? Well I have lots of excuses that are all, in and of themselves, reasonable but when they are all squeezed into one month, they begin to sound rather pitiful. I'm tired (wah!), I have early morning meetings (double wah!), I have to run 22k the next day so I should sleep in (suck it up). 

The sad news about swimming is that a) our pool will be closed for several weeks in June for maintenance and b) the local open water options have not even warmed up to 60C yet. So they are not even options. Which means that June isn't shaping up so nicely in the swimming department. 

On the other hand, I did manage to play 7 golf games (63 holes in total) which means I walked for 16 hours and logged 40km doing it.

Out of 31 days, I managed to do something on 21 of them. In fact, some days I did two different things. Not my best month but not my worst either. Definitely heavy in the running department which I'm happy about and I got to spend a ton of time outside on the golf course which also makes me smile. 

I do need to focus more on the swimming and cycling which should be easier now that the half marathon training is done. Just in time for tri season! 

A Rose by Any Other Name...

Psst! It's me. Zip. The fitbit.

There seems to be some trouble brewing in my house and I'm not sure what to do about it.

Rose arrived about ten days ago and has been hanging around ever since. Don't get me wrong. She's nice and all.

It's just that, well, she's a little bit too nice. If you know what I mean.

When it was Dexter, Lucky and I, we were a team. You know. We all worked together to help Céline and make sure things were moving along tickity-boo. We kept her active, helped keep the blood sugar monsters at bay and chatted it up when we had a few quiet minutes.

Rose arrives and, immediately, Dexter and Lucky get put into the diabetes cupboard. That part is ok. I mean it makes sense right? Rose can do on her own what Lucky and Dexter did together. So I get it. And so do they. No hard feelings eh?

So here's the problem.

Yesterday morning, I overheard Céline and Doug chatting. Doug was asking how Rose was. Which was weird because he didn't usually ask about Lucky and Dex. But, clear as day, I heard him say "and how is Rose this fine morning?"

Céline answered "ok, I think, she was quiet last night".

To which Doug said "I think she likes me. She kept coming over to my side of the bed last night."

What!?!?

Then, if you can believe it, it got worse. Later that morning I was sitting in my nighttime spot in the office. Doug was shaving and Céline was in the shower. Which means that Rose was sitting on the counter of the washroom sink. I could not see her but I could hear what was going on.

"Rose is winking at me. I think she likes me!" announces Doug.

"Well, you are pretty cute" replied Céline. She didn't seem to mind but I sure did.

We all have jobs to do and, as far as I can tell, nowhere in Rose's job description does it say to flirt with the boss' boyfriend.

I cannot wait until race day this weekend. That will give me 2 1/2 hours of uninterrupted time with Rose to give her a good talking to.

She should know better!

Half Marathon Lessons

I have run 10 half marathons. I'll be running my 11th on Sunday. Each one was exactly 21.1 kilometres long, despite what my Garmin has told me. Apparently I weave a lot in some races. Probably at the end when I'm rather tired.

Ten races that were all 21.1 kilometres long. I had similar training plans for each of them, give or take a speed workout or a long run distance.

Each race taught me a unique lesson or two that has made subsequent races both easier, and harder, to run.
Easier because I learned a little more about what to expect. Harder because I know a little more what to expect.

Run for the Grapes in 2008 - I learned that I can indeed run a half marathon. And I can run it with diabetes! Take that diabetes gods and other non-believers!!

Ottawa in 2009 - I learned that, just because it's hot outside, I don't need to drink an entire glass of water at each water station. I also learned that, when you start to feel really nauseated during a race where you have been drinking a lot of water, drinking more water will not help. I ended up finishing the race extremely hyperhydrated and, in hindsight, should have sought medical attention. I did not. I showered and went out for breakfast instead but was too ill to eat a bite. I am alive to tell the tale. I now drink moderately in races...just like I do on any long run. I learned to be smart, listen to my body and respect the fine balance it is trying to maintain.

Run for the Grapes 2009 - I learned that I am a pretty consistent runner and that my pace time does not vary much. My time was nearly identical to my first half, one year earlier. I think I expected to somehow knock off 15 minutes but I didn't even knock off one. I was not ok with that then. I'm ok with it now and pride myself on being a metronome.

 

Grimsby 2010 - this was the half-marathon that I was the least prepared for. I signed up on a whim and I went in hoping to survive and maintain some shred of dignity. I had no other expectations other than I didn't want to embarrass myself in front of my (then) new boyfriend. It is my fastest half marathon and I have not come close to beating that time since. Apparently having a handsome man waiting at the finish line in the middle of February is a bit of a motivator.

Cleveland 2010 - in this race, the marathoners and half marathoners start at the same time. As I neared the finish line a huge cheer erupted from the crowd as the marathon winner came roaring up behind me. We crossed the finish line at the same time (2:22:22). He had run twice the distance and looked much better at the end than I did. This is where I learned yet another lesson in humility. This was also the first race where I was running a half marathon while Doug was running a full marathon at the same time. I finished mine as fast as I could so that I could go stand at the finish line and stare down the street watching for his familiar stride. I learned that waiting for someone you love to finish their race is a lot harder than running your own.

Run for the Grapes 2010 - I was nursing shin splints and wasn't expecting much. I just wanted to get the race done so I could take a few weeks off. My sister and Doug had decided to ride the course on their bikes and keep me company. I learned that having people out there on the course to support and encourage you isn't embarrassing as I expected it would be. It gives you strength when you don't think you have any. Having your parents waiting at the finish is also pretty sweet and having your father run the last few meters with you is the best.

Niagara Falls Women's Half 2012 - this was my 'comeback' half after having been off for over two months due to my marathon training-induced stress fracture. I had completed a conservative training plan and just needed to cross that finish line without pain to show myself I could still be a runner. It was probably my best half because I had removed all 'performance' pressure. I just wanted to run it and enjoy the fact that I was running again...and I did!

Niagara Falls International 2012 - One year earlier, I was supposed to be running the full at this race. I signed up for the half because I had decided not to try for a full again but I needed, deep down, to run that route and cross that finish line. I did and it felt like I had beaten back a few demons in the process.

Tel Aviv 2013 - I trained all through the Canadian winter for this race. Countless times I imagine running towards that finish line with my little sister and her husband cheering me on. Instead, they cancelled the full marathon and moved the half marathon ahead two hours because of the 40+ degree weather. I suddenly found myself running in lethal temperatures, inhaling sand, surrounded by runners speaking Hebrew, not English, with an insulin pump full of insulin that was slowly cooking itself into uselessness. I changed my game plan before the gun even went off and ran conservatively. I had salt tablets, I drank water, I checked my blood sugar like a hawk and I walked as needed. I crossed that finish line after weaving through runners lying all over the ground and sidewalks receiving medical attention. I found my sister who had been terrified after seeing everyone coming in and hearing all the sirens. It was my slowest half but my proudest because I ran smart, took my time, and finished strong.

Niagara Falls International 2013 - I loved this race so much in 2012 that I signed up to do it all over again. I knew what to expect and I had survived Tel Aviv so I went in a little cocky. I struggled through the last kilometres. My ears were completely plugged and I was experiencing the breathing difficulty that comes with that. I spent the afternoon on the couch unable to eat due to nausea and fell into bed exhausted. I learned to never ever feel overconfident about a race. A race needs to be treated with respect no matter how many times you've done it before.

Niagara Falls Women's Half 2014 - I am not injured and I am not sore. I am tired, more than I want to be. I am in a wedding the following weekend so I cannot get injured on this run...nor can I have tan lines from a race day sunburn because it will ruin those wedding day photos. I have put in the training but, this time, I am not overconfident about it. I just know that, if I trust my training, and run smart, I will be fine. I want to run this race the way I ran it two years ago. For fun...because I can.

Run for the Grapes 2008 - my first half

 

Ottawa 2009

 

Run for the Grapes 2009

 

Run for the Grapes 2010 - finishing the run with my dad!

Niagara Falls Women's Half 2012

 

Niagara Falls International 2012

Tel Aviv 2013

 

Niagara Falls International 2013

Insert here: Niagara Falls Women's Half 2014

Sunday's Race

So I have a half marathon to run this weekend. On Sunday morning at 8am.

I've done all the training for it. In fact, I've actually done all the training for it. Not just most of the training for it.

I did all of the long runs - building up to 22k before tapering back down.

I did the Tuesday/Thursday morning runs, putting in 7-9k twice a week. I missed two of those I have to admit and blame that entirely on the rain.

It's been, surprisingly, the easiest half marathon training I have ever done.

Easy because all of the long runs went well. Easy because my blood sugars behaved. Easy because I wasn't battling injuries.

The thing about this training that I think made all the difference was that I didn't really have time for it. I didn't have time to train and I certainly don't have time this weekend to race. From start to finish, I have forced myself to make time for it.

I have to squeeze in 2+ hour runs on Saturday mornings on time to be showered, dressed and presentable by 11am for family brunches and wedding showers. I had to drag my running stuff to cottage weekends and fit in a quick long run before everyone else was up and ready to start the day. Gone were the lazy Saturday post-run afternoons of lounging on the couch or the back deck, re-hydrating and resting my legs. Instead I was forcing my tired feet into dressy sandals or standing on them for 8 hours while helping prepare food for wedding showers.

It's been a wild few months. As much as I would have loved to have a few extra hours on Saturday mornings, I don't begrudge the training for a second. It kept me sane, gave me quiet time to gather my thoughts and work out life's little details. Most of all, it kept me fit and healthy.

This Sunday I will be running a half marathon. It seems surreal because I haven't had much time to think about it. Which means I haven't have too much time to fret about it or worry about the logistics. Instead, I'm just going to fit it into the already busy weekend and treat it like a regular long run...with a medal at the end.

Best news of all? I have absolutely nothing planned on Sunday afternoon.

Yet...

Good News Bad News

Good news: I have the most wonderful and much needed sister weekend at a lovely little cottage.

Bad news: I did not have one moment in which to write a blog for Monday.

See you all on Tuesday!

Working out my Stubborn Muscles

I stopped at Sobey's after work yesterday to pick up a few groceries. Sobey's is not my usual grocery store location but it was right beside where my last appointment of the day ended so I figured a bird in the hand...

I need 3 things so I grabbed one of those hand baskets instead of a cart.

I went to the produce section and grabbed the cucumber, the red pepper and the fennel I wanted. I spotted some lovely looking avocados that would be ready to eat by Saturday so I grabbed two of those. The bananas I saw next were that perfect shade of yellow/green so I grabbed a bunch.

Then I saw lemons and limes so I tossed two of each in the basket because I go through those like they're going out of style and I had decided to make one of my famous veggie/grain/legume salad for my dinner. The dressing is needs fresh lemon juice AND zest.

Onions! We finished the last one the night before with our steak so I tossed a fresh bag in.

Then Doug texted in response to my earlier message to ask for bagels. No problem!

And since I was in a different grocery store than I was used to, I decided that I might as well wander the aisles to see what else they had.

A piece of salmon to complement my salad ended up in the basket. So did a box of my favourite cereal. And a bag of Skittles for my sister. And some of the cheese we like and couldn't find last week at our regular store. Oh, and some broth because we were running low and I wanted to simmer my grain/legume mix in it.

You can imagine how, at this point, my shoulder felt like it was being wrenched out of its socket as I lugged the overflowing basket of groceries up one aisle and down the other.

When I finally made it to the check out line, the lady in front of me in line, who had much less than I did, actually offered to let me go first. I politely declined and joked about it being my upper body workout.

And then I laughed. There was a day when I was not as strong as I am now. And I would have grabbed a cart so I didn't have to carry a basket full of food. Now I actually have some upper body strength so I grab a basket and then stubbornly lug it around even though it's way too heavy and there are carts within easy reach.

*sigh*

Guess I don't need to work out my stubborn side. Those muscles are in fabulous shape.

Just ask Doug.

He'll tell you all about it.

Lalalala! I'm not Listening.

Apparently smoking isn't as bad for you as we used to think.

Not that it's less bad than we thought it was. It's just that the latest research points to the fact that, apparently, having a poor diet is worse for you than smoking is.

So smoking may have gone down a notch on the bad for you scale even though it is no less bad for you than it was before.

And did you know that sitting is the new smoking?

So if the old way of thinking was that smoking was the worst for you, followed by a bad diet and then sitting, is the new way of thinking that sitting is the worst, followed by bad diet and then smoking?

These are the things I think about while swimming at 5:30am.

The whole thing started as I saw a hair drift by under me as I swam. I don't usually see anything in the pool when I swim other than water and other swimmers. Thanks at least in part to my non-prescription, semi-fogged goggles that I look through.

So I saw that hair and then I wondered what else was floating in the pool that I didn't see. And whether it was bad for me to be swimming in the pool so much. Whether the benefits of swimming were somehow diminished by the damages of immersing myself in a hair-filled, cootie-infested chlorine bath.

Then I got all grossed out and tried to change the subject in my head so I didn't start gagging.

And so the subject changed to other things that were bad for me. Like smoking which I don't do so it's not really causing me harm but it is bad for me and therefore I would never take it up.

But sitting is the new smoking and I sit on the couch at night blogging about my healthy lifestyle. Which might not be as healthy as I think it is because a good part of my week is spent either swimming in a chlorine-filled pool or sitting on my duff.

That's about the point at which I got back to the wall after my 400m pull and was told that we were going to do 50m sprints. Thank heavens for tough workouts - they keep me from thinking too much.

Introducing Rose

There is a new kid on the diabetes block. She recently arrived in Canada and, just last Friday, showed up on my doorstop.

Her name is Rose and she is a lovely pink Animas Vibe pump. She been riding around on my belt since Sunday evening. We're still getting used to each other but I think she will be a wonderful addition to my diabetes arsenal.

Let me explain how Rose came to arrive into my life.

Many of you probably know that I usually wear a green Animas Ping pump named Lucky. Lucky arrived on the scene a while ago now and, thanks to his waterproof nature, has made a huge difference to my swimming routine as well as on triathlon days. No longer having to remove my pump when I swim is pretty sweet and very helpful when it comes to blood sugar management.

Here is a picture of Rose (top) and Lucky (bottom). You'll notice from the tubing that Lucky was still attached when this photo was taken. 

Lucky is also pretty cool because he can be remote controlled using my One Touch Ping glucometer. Which means that on weekends like this past weekend when I wore two different dresses over two days, he can be hidden under the dress and there is no need to dig him out when I need to bolus.

Back in November the Dexcom was released. Dexcom is a Continuous Glucose Monitor (CGM) that is separate from Lucky. Mine is named Dexter and, since the moment he arrived, we've been inseparable. He shows me what my blood sugar is doing, he alerts me if I'm high or low or when I'm climbing or dropping too quickly. He has made a huge difference in my diabetes management and, after only six months, I can hardly remember life without him.

Smile for the camera Dex!

So I have a waterproof insulin pump that I can remote control when I need to. I have a Dexcom that keeps me on top of my blood sugars. What more could I possibly need?

Not much, I thought, until the new Animas Vibe pump came out.

The Vibe is different than the Ping and there are pros and cons to each of them. Both of them are waterproof which is critical to my lifestyle. The Ping, or Lucky, has the remote control feature I mentioned which, when I first got it, didn't seem like that big a deal. After having it for a while, I realized how convenient it really is and what a difference it can make when you need to keep the pump tucked away under your clothes.

The Vibe, aka Rose, does not have the remote control feature. But she makes up for it by having the Continuous Glucose Monitor built right in. With her, there is no need for a separate Dexcom device. One touch of a button and you can see one of six different CGM screens. It's pretty sweet.

This is the 3-hour screen. I can also see what my BG is doing over 1 hour, 6 hours, 12 or 24 hours or I can just see the current BG reading, an arrow showing me where it's headed and the amount of insulin on board (IOB) 

So how did I end up with Lucky and Rose? Well, about six weeks ago now, you might remember that I did a presentation for Animas as a conference for diabetes educators. It went really well. One thing led to another, we exchanged a few phone calls and I ended up signing a contract with Animas. I agreed to do more presentations like the one I did, as well as attend local, and not so local, events. In exchange, I would be signed on to their Animas Heroes program and I would receive a new Animas Vibe pump. A pump that would make a big difference in my ability to stay on top of my blood sugars during sporting events. No need to leave Dexter tucked away during a swim because he is not waterproof. No need to add more weight to my running belt by bringing him with me. Now the CGM is build right into the pump and, at any point during a workout or race, I will be able to look down, see what's happening and make decisions as I go.

So Rose arrived on Friday and, after my weekend of fancy dresses, I revved her up and hooked her on. I have three weeks until the next wedding weekend when I'll need to wear Lucky again so I can remote bolus as needed. But, for the moment, Lucky's in the cupboard and Rose is hanging out.

What about Dexter you ask?

Well, I'm guessing I'll be wearing Lucky a lot during the summer months because of all the sundresses I'll be sporting. So he'll get to be my wing man as usual. When Rose takes the stage though, he'll end up in the cupboard with Lucky.

He's not particularly happy about that but I'm hoping he'll learn to see it as a much deserved vacation.

Zip and Mighty Mouse Spend the Weekend Together

Hi kids!

It's Zip. The Fitbit.

I have had the strangest weekend. It was super relaxing which I guess is good considering it was a long weekend. Apparently relaxing long weekends is what people do.

On Friday, we didn't do very much. No early-morning swims because there was an after-work golf game on Friday AND a long run on Saturday. Unfortunately, the weather took a turn and the golf game never happened. So Friday was a really quiet day. So quiet in fact that Céline didn't even upload my data at the end of the day.

She was probably too embarrassed by the less than 1000 steps she took. 

On Saturday, we got up early for our run. I've learned that it's taper time now so we only had to run 14k. Funny how just a few weeks ago the thought of running 14k would have caused my circuits to seize up and now I'm getting all snobby about it.

Like, omigod, we're only doing 14? What's the point? We might as well just stay in bed. Who only runs 14k? That's like for the last generation Fitbits. Losers. 

Anyway, so we ran 14k and it went well. She's like a freakin' metronome. Every time she uploads her Garmin data, her pace is always, and I mean always, 6:30min/k. Doesn't seem to matter whether we're running 7k or 22k.

I'm hoping to talk her into some speed work after the half marathon but I haven't pushed that yet. I've learned that she's not a big fan of being told what to do. She does, however, enjoy a challenge. 

Anyway, so we finished the run, she stretched, iced her shins, drank her chocolate milk and then showered. Nothing out of the ordinary so far.

After her showers she started doing strange things. She went down into the basement to get a red bag. With wheels. It was kinda cute actually and complimented my green colour quite nicely. She started putting clothes and shoes into it. She packed some of her earrings and necklaces and she grabbed her makeup and her hair dryer. She packed some Larabars and even grabbed some of her diabetes supplies. They all went into the red bag. Then she took me off, placed me on the desk, carried her red bag downstairs...and left. Doug, the nice guy that she lives with left too. He had a black bag.

They didn't come back FOR ALMOST 30 HOURS!!!!

They took Dexter with them. Lucky went too. I was all alone in a super quiet house and there was no one for me to talk to.

Oh, except for that little mouse. He came out after they left and started dancing around in the kitchen. Silly thing slipped and fell into their sink. The sides were so high and slippery that he was stuck in there until they got home again and rescued it. We chatted a bit while we were waiting.

He seemed really scared that he would get in trouble but I told him that Céline was really nice and would probably rescue him by putting him into a tupperware container and letting him outside. Turns out I was right on all counts except the Céline part. She was the one that spotted him but it was Doug who did the catch and release thing. It was her idea but she said that her hands were full and asked him to do it.

Personally I think she was freaked out about finding a mouse in her sink but didn't want to admit it. 

Anyway, so they came home finally. Wherever they were seemed to be fun and exhausting. They collapsed on the couch for the rest of the evening.

Monday morning, as it turns out, was a holiday. They slept in a bit and there didn't seem to be any exciting exercise on the horizon. Céline headed out to see her family after breakfast to play with her wickedly adorable nephew. Even me, a mere Fitbit, knows the cutest, smartest and strongest baby in the world when I see him. Then, just as I was settling in for a quiet day on her hip, she headed home, put on what I've learned is her golfing outfit, and we headed out again...

...for an 11k stroll around the golf course. We played 18k together. Man, she's really getting better. She was hitting some pretty great drives and even hit a few that were farther than the ones by those boys she plays with. They seemed impressed and I flashed a little grin their way.

After the game, we grabbed a quick dinner and headed home again for a bit of couch time before bed. Such a strange weekend. It was nice to have a bit of time off but I'll be glad to hit the pavement again on Tuesday morning.

We're supposed to run 7k. Maybe I'll try to sweet talk her into 8k. 

I also need to talk to her about writing a blog entry about Rose. She's the latest addition to our little family. She's super cute, a lovely shade of pink and is giving Dexter a bit of a complex. 

But more on that tomorrow...

D-Blog Week Day 5 - Diabetes Life Hacks

It's day five already in D-Blog Week. It's going by way too fast!

Today we are supposed to talk about the fun or interesting tricks we have discovered along the way that make our diabetes management a little easier.

No medical advice of course.

Just little stuff we've figured out.

1. I love the thigh thing. That little black leg holster that I use when I'm wearing a dress and want to hide my pump. It sits 3/4 of the way up my thigh, the pump is tucked in, I can remote bolus as needed and no one is the wiser.

Tip: it does NOT work so well if you are wearing nylons. I did that a few weekends ago when I needed to be all dressed up. Instead of looking all ladylike in my outfit, I looked rather gauche as I tried to surreptitiously hike up my 'holster' every two minutes as it slid down my nylon-covered leg. It took away from my ability to look classy while offering friends glasses of champagne and plates of hors d'oeuvres. So don't wear it over nylons. And yes, it does come with a clip that is supposed to help secure it to your underwear. If anyone can figure out how to make that work while wearing nylons, let me know.

2. I have a rule that every time I wake up in the night to use 'the ladies', I must check my blood sugar. I've learned enough times that when I wake up at night, there is often a reason. Highs, lows, climbing, dropping. Sometimes I really just need to use the ladies but, for the extra 15 seconds it takes to check, it's worth it to avoid problems later. So I check. Problem is that I use a glucometer that does not light up in the right places. I can see the screen quite well but I cannot see the test strip and certainly can't line up the blood drop with the tip of the test strip without making a bloody mess (ha!).

Tip: I turn on my pump light and use that to light up the test strip. Put test strip in glucometer, prick finger, squeeze finger, turn on pump light, aim blood drop at test strip, blood is sucked in, glucometer beeps and pump light goes out. Easy peasy.

3. I have a waterproof pump now but it wasn't always that way. I also have Dexter who is not exactly waterproof. On long runs that are often sweaty and sometimes rainy, and during triathlons when everything I'm wearing is soaked through from the swim, I have learned to waterproof my not so waterproof equipment.

Tip: Before long runs, before rainy runs and certainly before triathlons, non-waterproof pumps can be wrapped in two layers of saran wrap and then tucked into a ziplock bag in order to protect it from the elements. Dexter is also a ziplock bag kinda traveller. Those little snack-sized bags are just perfect for fitting diabetes paraphernalia.

4. Glucometers freeze in cold weather. Long runs in the winter used to mean that I could not test my blood sugar for, sometimes, several hours.

Tip: carry the glucometer and test strips as close to your body as possible. If still frozen when you go to use it, use the ol' trick of putting it between your thighs and squeezing tight. It's just about the warmest part of the body, especially while running, so it only take a few seconds to warm that puppy up enough to test. It falls in the category of 'not particularly classy' but runners do all sorts of bizarre and not so classy things so no one even looks twice.

5. Electrolytes are a great thing to have during long periods of exercise. Many people bring electrolyte drinks with them on long runs and bike rides and sip as needed. Unfortunately, the drinks usually have a lot of carbs which is fine when the diabetes gods are behaving but not so fine when they're not. I have learned the hard way that carrying a water belt loaded down with liquid that you can't actually drink because you're high is the very definition of frustrating. Not to mention dehydration-inducing.

Tip: use an electrolyte drink that does not contain any carbs (ex. Nuun). Carry a solid form of electrolyte (ex Edisks) that you can take as needed or not take as needed. That way you can drink when you want to, not just when the diabetes gods tell you that you can.


Links to other people's tips and tricks can be found here. 

D-Blog Week Day 4 - Mantras and More

Yesterday's D-Blog Week challenge was to talk about what brings us down about diabetes. Today's D-Blog Week challenge is to write about how we get through a tough diabetes moment, tough day or overall tough time. Are there mantras we fall back on? Other tricks we use?

I read once in a running magazine that a lot of elite runners have mantras that they repeat over and over again to themselves when things get tough. They use this to focus, to move beyond the pain and to find a way to keep moving forward.

After reading the article I decided to try it. I picked something I thought wasn't too hokey since I already felt kinda silly about the whole idea. I settled on "You've got this".

I headed out for a long tough run and, when I got to the big hill more than 2/3 of the way through the run, I started to struggle. I immediately said "you got this" and continued to repeat it, timing each word to go along with each pounding step I took.

It worked! And I made it up the hill fairly easily. I was impressed. These mantra things are pretty cool!

Problem is that I'm not really a mantra kinda girl. So I forget to do it when things get tough. Or I start doing it but get distracted by how tough it is and forget to keep the mantra going. Or I am already struggling up the hill so trying to focus on getting up the hill AND repeating a mantra seems like more work than it's worth.

So I can tell you that mantras work because I tried one once and it did. I can also tell you that I don't use them.

When it comes to getting through a tough diabetes time, I've learned to ride it like a wave.

When I was a kid, we used to go to a water park that had one of those wave pools. The pool would be lovely and calm and then, all of a sudden, the alarm would go off and then wave after rolling wave would start at one end and move across to the other end.

The first time I was in there, I had a complete panic. I did not know what was happening and, although the pool was full, there was no one with me that I knew. I fought the waves, I choked, I sputtered, I finally made it to the side and grabbed on to the edge when the wave brought me high enough. Then I was stuck hanging there looking rather foolish when the wave passed by and the water dropped. My entire body was out of the water for a few seconds and I was too afraid to let go. Wave after wave battered me while I hung on for dear life until the alarm sounded again and the waves stopped. I fell back into the now calm water and sheepishly scuttled away.

The second time I went in the wave pool, I refused to panic. Instead I let myself float on top of the water as the waves rolled by. It was hard to keep calm but, after the first few waves passed, I realized that I would be ok. I might be afraid and I might not really like it but I would be just fine if I stayed calm.

That's how I have learned to handle most tough situations in my life. When I'm sad, I don't fight the waves of sadness, I let the tears flow and then, when they're done, they're done. When I'm angry, I work through the anger, say what I need to say, and then I'm done. When diabetes pisses me off or frustrates me, I let myself be frustrated or pissed off. I stomp my feet and utter a handful of swear words as needed.

But I don't stay there any longer than I need to.

Because as much as it's cathartic sometimes to scream and cry and let the emotions run wild, it's not a healthy place to stay. For me or for anyone else around me.

So I go back to the happy, calm, life-loving person that I prefer to be and get on with my day.

You've got this.

Links to other blogs about today's topic can be found here is you're interested. Go ahead and click - there are lots of great stories being posted by some pretty amazing folks. 

D-Blog Week Day 3 - What Brings Me Down

Today's D-Blog Week challenge is in honour of Mental Health Month. We are tasked with writing about the emotional side of diabetes and how we cope with it all.

I can probably count on one hand the number of times that I have felt sad about diabetes. I can probably use the other five fingers to count the number of times I have felt depressed by it. 

Those are not emotions that resonate with me when it comes to my diabetes. 

The emotions that I struggle with when I'm having a hard moment, a hard afternoon or, heaven forbid, a hard day are: 

frustration

and 

anger

"How dare you! How DARE you! HOW DARE YOU!!" 

"How dare you keep me up half the night with ridiculously high blood sugars for no apparent reason when you know full well I wanted to get up early to go swimming. Go swimming to help keep YOU happy so that my blood sugars will be better behaved. Instead, I skip my swim, stay in bed for another 90 minutes and still head to work looking like death and feeling like hell" 

Asshole. 

"How dare you ruin my run. How dare you behave predictably week after week, long run after long run and then, for no apparent reason, decide to send my blood sugars skyrocketing on one random Saturday morning run. You make me take insulin on a run even though it scares me to bolus during exercise. You make me drink all of my water when I'm still 10k from home and it's not enough to handle the dehydration. In fact, I am so dehydrated that I have to go into a stranger's yard and beg them for water so that I can make it home in one piece. Because that's not embarrassing. Because that's not frustrating. Because if I had known you were in such a pissy mood I would have stayed in bed instead of heading out to run 20k and having to walk half of it."

Asshole.

"How dare you force me to eat hundreds of useless calories because you decided that I was going to be low all day no matter what I did. How dare you do it on a day when I am outside, away from home and grocery stores so that I am forced to consume bag after bag of fruit chews. Which have zero nutritional value, empty calories AND make me feel like dirt after having eaten 8 bags of them in one afternoon? Why was I so low? No logical reason that I could figure out." 

Asshole. 

"How dare you rear your ugly head during intimate moments. How dare you make me afraid to walk down the aisle and stand next to my sister at her wedding because I don't want to have a low, embarrass myself and distract from her moment. How dare you frighten my parents by giving me a terrible low the one time, THE ONE TIME, I ever left the house without any form of sugar on me, forcing my father to sprint to the nearest store for juice while my mother sat beside me and watched helplessly."

Asshole. 

Living with diabetes is kinda like working with a colleague who, if you let them, will drive you to hurl yourself off the roof of the building or come in one day carrying a loaded weapon with a mad look in your eye. 

The only way to survive diabetes is to find a way to work together. 

Most days, I can do that quite well thank you very much. I'm good at ignoring things that annoy me and tuning out the noises I don't want to hear. I'm good at feeding the lion so that he stays quiet in his cage. 

Sometimes though I lose my shit for a few minutes. I cry at the kitchen counter out of sheer frustration. I rail against the gods because sometimes I try so hard and it doesn't seem to matter one whit. These moments usually happen in the evening when I'm tired and they usually end with me curling up in bed wrapped up in warm, loving arms and falling asleep with tears still hanging on my eyelashes. 

I wake up in the morning to a pair of slightly worried but lovely blue eyes looking at me. 

"How do you feel this morning baby?"

And I don't even have to pretend. 

"Better, thanks" I say with a smile. 

Ready to take on the world again.

(The links to other writers' D-Blog posts for today can be found here)

D-Blog Week Day 2 - Poetry

Today's D-Blog Week challenge: compose a bit of poetry about diabetes.

*sigh* poetry is not my strength. 

But diabetes is all about pushing ourselves outside of our comfort zones so here goes nothing.

We get stronger 

It scares me
I pretend that it doesn't
It hurts sometimes
I try not to flinch
I have been doing this for 4,148 days now
You would think it would be easy

But it's not

It motivates me
I don't let it become an excuse
It stays in full view
I wear my pump with pride
I have been doing this for 4,148 days now
You would think it gets easier

But it doesn't

We just get stronger




(Psst! The links to other posts for today's D-Blog Week topic can be found here. )

D-Blog Week Day 1 - Change the World

It's hard to believe that it's D-Blog week again.

Already.

This is D-Blog week's fifth birthday and it is the fourth year that I've been participating. I missed the first year because, back then, I didn't even know that the Diabetes Online Community existed. Something I find hard to imagine now after four years of being an active participant.

The idea of D-Blog week is for diabetes bloggers in all shapes and forms to write about the same topic. Each day we get a different topic to write about. We all post a link to our blog here and then we can read all sorts of different perspectives on the same topic. It's great. I have enjoyed writing about most of the topics presented and I love finding new bloggers out there.

So Happy Birthday D-Blog week. I'm looking forward to celebrating all week.

Today's topic is 'Change the World' and it challenges us to write about any topic that we might be passionate about when it comes to diabetes.

I don't really have one diabetes passion.

I think I have two.

Both have to do with teaching people, myself included.

The first thing that really gets me excited is talking to diabetes educators about what it's like to be on my side of the table. Talking to them about what it's like during the other 364.5 days of the year when I'm not sitting in their office getting state of the art diabetes support.

I have had two opportunities now to speak to a group of diabetes educators and both were wonderful experiences. I talked about the darker side of diabetes and stressed the important role that the Diabetes Online Community plays in many people's lives. Both presentations ended with a ton of questions from the audience which was great. But I think my favourite part was watching their eyes tear up when I talked about some of the very real fears that we have to wrestle with every day. And then watching their eyes light up when I gave them some ideas about how to make the most of the small amount of time we do get to spend with them every year.

I would LOVE to do more talks like that.

The other thing I'm really passionate about is showing others, as well as myself, that diabetes is the best damn motivator there is.

Diabetes, if you let it, can be overwhelming, depressing and scary.

Diabetes, if you let it, can also be the motivation you need to try new things, rid your life of the negative stuff and say yes to adventures.

Diabetes can make us afraid or diabetes can give us courage.

It's our choice.

It's a choice that can't be made once. It is one that we need to make every day. The second we wake up. Even if we wake up shaky and sweaty at 3am or wake up dry-mouthed and super high when the alarm goes off.

Most days, I make the choice to be brave and strong. To say yes to new things and to keep the negative stuff at arm's length

Some days I don't do that as well as I'd like.

But my passion to show others that it can be done is what motivates me to do it myself.

And every day is a new day.

How will you face today?

Me. All Seven of Them.

Yesterday morning I didn't want to get up to run.

I mean I really didn't want to.

I hit snooze...three times.

I was tired. I was warm and cozy. I could easily and happily slept for another 90 minutes. I almost did actually...

...until that little voice in my head started chirping.

"Saturday's run will be easier if you run today".

"You'll feel better at work if you run".

So I got up, groggily pulled on my clothes and stumbled out the door.

And I ran 7k. And I felt a little better with every step. And my mind, as usual, started wandering.

I thought to myself "I hope she's happy!"

And then I thought, who is 'she'?

She, as it turns out, is me. Except it's not the Thursday me who was running as the sun woke up. It's the Saturday me. The one who will be grateful that Thursday me got up and went for a run even though she didn't want to.

Of course that got me thinking about how many decision we make that won't affect us today but they will affect us tomorrow. Or the day after. Or the day after that.

So many times I make decisions to exercise because of what happened the day before or what is happening the day after.

Last weekend the Sunday me got up and went for a bike ride in gale force winds because Saturday me had gone for a 22k run and needed her legs flushed out a bit.

And Monday me took the morning off because Saturday me had run 22k and Sunday me had cycled in a hurricane and they were tired.

But Tuesday me got up to run because she knew Wednesday me would have a hard time convincing herself to get up and go to the pool if she didn't. And then Thursday me got up to run so that Saturday me would have an easier time of it. And finally, Friday me is grateful because Thursday me got up to run and, while running, came up with this idea for Friday me's blog.

What a great team we make eh?

A Day in the Life

Here is what yesterday looked like between 7:30 and 19:00.

For those of you who aren't used to looking at a day's worth of blood sugar readings, this day actually wasn't too bad...other than that wee spike around noon. 

Let's walk through this so you can see what a day in my life looks like. 

When I got out of the pool after my swim, I was a little low. You can see that by the little red dots on the far left of the picture. 

I was hovering at 3.9 which isn't actually that low but I treated it anyway since I had just been swimming and I had to get in my car to drive home. 

I had two Dex 4s to help with the low, got home, bolused and had breakfast. 

After breakfast I headed to work and my blood sugar climbed the way it usually does after eating. It didn't spike too quickly or too high. 

By 10am, I was in a meeting. I glanced at Dexter every once in a while and he was slowly going down again but the drop wasn't too dramatic. I waited until I was 4.5 and, since I was still dropping, I decided to eat a Clif bar that I happened to have in my purse. 

The meeting was ending in a few minutes and I was heading into another meeting a few minutes later so I decided not to bolus for the Clif bar until the first meeting ended. I figured that would give the Clif bar a chance to kick in and give me a chance to see if the bar was enough to stop the blood sugar drop. 

I left the first meeting, stopped at the ladies room, refilled my water, walked downstairs to the other meeting room, went in, chatted with people, took my coat off, set up my stuff and got ready to start that meeting. 

I forgot to check how my blood sugar was doing and I forgot to bolus for the Clif bar. 

That would not normally have been a problem because I always put Dexter on the table beside me during meetings so he would have started vibrating as soon as my blood sugar started spiking. 

Except this time I left him in my coat pocket which was draped over the back of my chair. Which also wouldn't normally be a problem except I had just eaten a Clif bar that I didn't take insulin for. 

The gods were conspiring. 

I ran the meeting from 12pm until 1pm. I sat around chatting afterwards for a few minutes and then I gathered my stuff, put on my coat and headed to the car. Just as I sat down in the car my pocket started to vibrate. 

Arrgh!! 

As you can see from the graph, one Clif bar took me from 4.5 to 15.5. Think about that for a minute. Anyone with a functioning pancreas would have stayed steady as their body digested the 40 carbs worth of snack. Without a functioning pancreas, 40 grams of carb causes a huge spike in blood sugar that I am helpless to prevent without insulin. 

No wonder I was thirsty. 

I bolused for the high, headed back to my office, bolused for my later than usual lunch, waited 15 minutes and then ate. 

My blood sugar steadily dropped and I watched it like a hawk. When I got the sense that it might drop too low again, I ate my apple which I had not bolused for. That was enough to stop the drop and level me out for a bit. 

After work, the sun was shining so I drove home, grabbed a letter I had to mail and walked to the mailbox. I then walked for another 20 minutes just enjoying the spring evening. When I got home I was dropping a bit again so, as I started making dinner, I didn't worry too much about snacking on the ingredients. I figured the walk I just had needed about 15 carbs to keep me from dropping before dinner so a few pieces of pasta shouldn't be a problem. 

Apparently it was. 

Up 

Down

Up 

Down

Every day Dexter's graph looks different. Every day it tells a story. Every day reminds me that I live on a blood sugar teeter-totter where every little movement in one direction usually leads to a movement in the other. 

Up

Down

Up 

Down

Running for my Mental Health

I have trained for twelve half marathons.

I have run ten of them.

The eleventh was supposed to be the Chili Half Marathon in February but I decided that it was more important to attend a family event than race so I skipped out a few days before despite having done all the training.

The twelfth is the race I'm training for right now.

I have trained for twelve half marathons and no two trainings were alike.

Sometimes the training was tough. So tough that I lived for the easy weeks. I thanked the running gods when it was finally time to taper and I spent a small fortune on massage therapy in order to make it to the start line in good enough condition to cross the finish line.

Sometimes the training was alright. I made it through with few physical complaints but, again, I was glad for the easy weeks and grateful when it came time to taper.

Something is different this time.

I don't want to taper. I don't want to ease up. I don't want to run less this week than I did last week.

I want to run more.

I signed up for this race mostly because I wanted to run it but also because I knew that April through June were going to be crazy. Crazy with a diabetes presentation, with planning family events, showers, bachelorettes, weddings, birthdays, Mother's Day and Father's Day.

When life feels out of control, I always resort to physical activity as a way of keeping myself grounded and I sign up for races as a way of forcing myself to fit in exercise when my schedule seems to be conspiring against it.

So I signed up for this race to make sure that I didn't get lost in the craziness and that I made time to run, to rest, to eat well and to take care of myself. I didn't expect to do anything other than try to squeeze the runs in and to survive the training.

Instead, I'm loving it.

The early morning weekday runs are my favourite. Most mornings I set out to run 7k and end up running 8 or 9. It's peaceful and quiet, the mornings have been crisp and cool and the birds help me welcome the sun.

I have never ever added distance to my runs before. Ever. I usually ran the distance I was supposed to run and then gratefully stopped at the end. An extra 500m would have seemed ridiculous. Not this time.

My long-distance weekend runs have also gone well and, for the first time ever, I don't want to drop down to 18k this weekend. I want to run 22k again. Or even 24.

Maybe the stars have just aligned. Maybe I'm doing everything right. Maybe my body is working extra well right now and is loving all the activity instead of falling apart from it.

Or maybe I'm a little too stressed in several areas of my life and I need to spend a few extra minutes running because it makes all the other voices in my head quiet down for a while. All the problems seem to be solved more easily on runs. All the financial stressors seem more manageable. All the delicate juggling of family responsibilities seems easier to keep in the air.

Running.

It's good for the body.

Sometimes it's good for the mind too.

Golf and Running - Same but Different

Golf is an interesting sport.

I've discovered that the golfing community is as welcoming and supportive as the running one is but there is one fundamental difference.

When one is part of a running group, it is quickly obvious that every runner runs their own run. The fast runners quickly take the lead, the middle of the packers are in the middle of the pack and the slower runners take up the rear. Everyone runs their own pace and meets back up at the store afterwards.

In golf, you are paired with three other people. Some might be incredibly talented golfers. Others might take 6 strokes to get from the tee to the green on a par three. Many fall somewhere in between.

Unlike runners, the four golfers play together for the entire game. The player whose ball is furthest from the hole is the player who hits next. Which means that, if that player takes three strokes to cover the same distance that the others cover, all the other players wait for that player to take their three strokes before they take their turn.

If I were to compare it to running, it would be like everyone running one block and then stopping and waiting for the last person to catch up. Then they all take off and run to the next driveway. Then they stop and wait again. Then they wait some more while the last person runs across the street and back because they took a wild swing.

It is literally a game of 'no one left behind'.

For the player who sometimes takes four strokes for every one taken by a better player, it can be embarrassing.

For the player who has to wait for the others to take four strokes before they can hit their own ball, it must get frustrating after a while.

And yet the slow players use humour instead of embarrassment and the fast players use encouragement and support instead of frustration.

And all four players, together, make it from one end of the golf course to the other. When they shake hands at the end and thank everyone for the game, they really mean it.

It's nice.

The View from the Top

Psst! It's Zip. The slightly exhausted fitbit.

I spent another eventful weekend hanging with my pal Céline.

Guess what we did?

We golfed.

We cycled.

We climbed to the top of a pyramid.

Céline insists that it's a figurative pyramid, not a literal one. From my point of view, it sure felt like a real life pyramid. 

Saturday morning started off the way every Saturday morning has started off since I arrived on the scene. 

We got up early. 

Céline pulled on her running clothes and clipped me to her sports bra. She headed downstairs and spent some time with Dexter. He got dressed in his special running outfit (a ziplock bag). See, he's not waterproof and gets cranky if he gets wet. 

She laid out her Nuun, water, salt tablets, edisks, glucometer and snacks for Doug who was going to meet her en route. She put her left earbud in (right stays out so she can hear the traffic) and strapped on her Garmin. 

Out the door we went. The first Saturday we ran together, Céline ran 18k. Last weekend she ran 20k. I guessed she was running 22k this time and I was right. (Fitbits are smarter than they look you know!)

I have to say that it's a heck of a lot easier when I know how far we're going before we leave. 

I settled in for the ride and got ready to enjoy the scenery and enjoy a long chat with Dex.  

Céline started off the way she usually does. She ran well, strong and consistent. But she was slower than usual so I peaked my head out to see what was going on. 

Omigod! 

I tucked myself right back in again, shivering and terrified.  

She was running straight into a wind tunnel. Directly from Alaska. It was incessant and freezing. It took my breath away. Head down, she stubbornly carried on, straight into it, for 8k. Finally we reached the point where we turned out of it for a while. Things immediately quieted and she sped up again.

Doug met us at 11k for the first pitstop. After a quick drink, he asked Céline where she wanted to stop next. "Meet me at 3rd and 8th. I'm heading into another wind tunnel and I want to get it done before I stop again." 

The next 3k were terrible. It might have been faster to walk. Instead of running a kilometre in 6:15 or 6:20 she was running them in 7:40. I felt so bad for her but I was shaking too much to be any help. Dexter was crying. We held on for dear life, hoped she'd make it and prayed that we didn't blow away in the process. 

She made it! She stopped for a drink, a blood sugar check and a snack and then headed home. The rest of the trip felt easy after that last stretch. I had no idea the wind could blow like that. And I had no idea that people actually ran in that kind of weather. 

When we got home, Céline opened the door, smiled at Doug and said "I made it to the top of the pyramid!". 

"What the eff is she talking about?" I whispered to Dexter. 

"She's training for her half marathon" he explained. "She has been adding mileage every weekend for two months now. Today was her longest run. Now she starts decreasing her distance for the next few weeks to rest and recover for the race. It's called tapering. She thinks of it as climbing up a pyramid. She's made it to the top - now it gets easier."

I thanked Dex for his wisdom (he has been with her for over six months now so he's know what's what. 

I climbed a pyramid on the weekend. 

What did YOU do?

Pushing to Frustration

When I'm flying down the escarpment on my bike, I can guess how fast I'm going and am usually pretty close.

When I'm slugging up a hill on my bike and glance down at my Garmin, I'm never surprised at my speed. It's usually pretty much what I thought it was.

When I run, I'm pretty steady and can predict my pace fairly accurately. In fact, I'm such a metronome that, as long as the wind and the grade do not change, it's not at all unusual for me to have the exact same pace for 5-6 kilometres in a row.

When I'm in the pool, it's apparently an entirely different story.

In the pool, there is no wind in your hair. There are no vibrations in the bike to help you guess how fast you're flying down a hill. The pounding of your feet in time with the music doesn't help you figure out your pace. There is no music and there is no pounding.

There is just water. And tiles at the bottom of the pool. And a black line. And the kickkickkick of my feet.

At the pool on Wednesday morning we were told we were going to do a pace workout. A workout designed to help us get used to setting and keeping a pace.

After a typical warmup, the workout on the board was as follows:

5x100m on 2:15
repeat three times

Looks easy right?

Well, it wasn't.

The idea was this: we had to pick a pace we wanted to keep for the first set of 5x100m. We had to swim each of the 100m at that exact pace.

After a 50m easy swim, we had to do the second 5x100m the same way but this time the pace had to be 1 second faster.

The third 5x100m had to be 1 second faster than the second set and therefore 2 seconds faster than the first set.

Here's how it went.

I picked 1:45 as my first pace time. Fast but not impossible and not ridiculously hard to maintain for all five.

My times for the first 5x100m were:
1:45
1:45
1:48
1:45
1:48

The second 5x100m should therefore be done at 1:44. My times were:
1:42
1:46
1:48
1:45
1:48
(so much for consistency and so much for speeding up)

The third set was to be done at 1:43. I did them at:
1:45
1:46
1:48
1:46
1:40
(the wheels fell right off during this one and I had no idea what I was doing anymore)

Bah!

One second here or there doesn't sound like a lot and, unless I'm competing to qualify for the Olympics, it's not a big deal. The frustration came from not being able to tell what my time would be. Sometimes I thought I was going fast and found out I swam a 1:46. The next one I would speed up a bit more to bring the time down to 1:44 only to find out I was 1:48. The next one I would feel tired after pushing hard and expect to be slower but find out I was faster.

I would push off the wall and go hard for 50m and then think I went too hard so I'd slow down a titch trying to finish in the right amount of time but end up slowing down too much and messing everything up.

I could not hold a pace consistently but I also could not judge my pace consistently. At times fast felt slow and slow felt fast. Other times, fast felt fast and slow felt slow.

In the pool there is nothing against which to judge my speed other than how I feel. The wind in my hair, the vibration of the bike, the rhythm of a song don't help in the pool. It's just me and the water.

Apparently it takes practice.

Good thing I like that sort of thing. It felt like a puzzle I was trying to solve and I every time I hit the wall and heard my time, I wanted another crack at it.

For any of you swimmers out there it's a fun game to play when you need to get a workout in but don't feel like pushing to exhaustion.

Push yourself to frustration instead :)

April Fitness Report

It's May 1st. Time to flip your calendars to the next page.

May, the month when the leaves will fill out on the trees, when the cherry and apple blossoms light up the orchards of Niagara and the month when the local swimming holes will hopefully begin to warm up enough so that we (perhaps!) might actually be able to swim in them again.

Before April fades too much from memory, I wanted to look back on the month that was and see how things went in the fitness department. 

April has 30 days. 

Between swims, runs, rides and walking the golf course, there were only three days out of 30 when I didn't log any form of exercise. In fact, for the first time ever, I had a few days when I logged more than one activity. That has to be a record. 

Here how things shook out. 

Running

I ran 11 times in April. I logged 12.45 hours of running and covered 116 kilometres. 

I have been training for the Niagara Falls Women's Half marathon on June 1st and my long runs this month were 16, 18 and 20k. Other than a few sluggish early morning runs, things have been going really well. My body is holding itself together nicely and I'm getting through my long runs in pretty decent shape. If things continue as they're going, I'll be logging a few more long runs in May (22k, 20k and 15k) as well as my regular weekday morning runs that range between 7 and 9k in distance. 

To date this year, I have run 381km (all of them outdoors)

Cycling

1 cycled 6 times. Twice outdoors and the other four times in my basement on the trainer. I spent just over 6 hours on the bike and covered (real or virtually) 133kilometres. 

The weather gets nicer in May so we should be cycling outside every weekend. May is also chock full of family events so we will end up missing several of those rides. I'll try to squeeze in some time on the trainer to keep my cycling legs in shape. 

To date this year, I have cycled 430km (most of that indoors)

Swimming

I swam 9 times in April and spent 11 hours in the pool. In total, I covered 25,000 metres. 

Now that vacations and other things are over for a while, it has been nice to get back to a consistent swim routine. I go twice a week minimum and three times when I can. My body feels better for it and I think it's been helpful in my recovery from all the running I've been doing. 

To date this year, I have swum 72,000 metres (all of it indoors of course)

Golf

I golfed 3 times in April. Twice we walked 18 holes and once we walked 9. Thanks to Zip, my trustee fitbit, I was able to log my steps and my distance. I spent 10.5 hours walking during those three games and covered 26.7 kilometres. 

I fully expect that number to be much higher in May as we plan on trying to get out on the course 2-3 times every week. 

April has been a really good month. I exercised regularly and consistently. As a result, my body knows what to expect, my sleep patterns are a little more consistent and my blood sugars are a little more manageable. The next 7 weeks are pretty hectic with weddings and other family events. I fully intend to keep up the exercise in an effort to de-stress, stay fit and have the energy to get through it all.