The half-marathon training continues… limps on, more like. My body repeatedly tells my brain this was not wise. Sheer stubbornness forces me on.
It heartened me to read of another type 1 saying her training veered between 20-mile runs that went well and three-mile runs that floored her. We juggle not only the effort of running with balancing blood glucose levels.
Too high and running turns into an activity that resembles wading through waist high treacle. Too low, and your calves seize up as your body goes on a glycogen hunt. Either way, both states bring you to a grinding halt.
Magic formula
The magic formula that is running with diabetes is akin to Google’s most complicated search algorithm. Factor in sleep, the previous few days’ average blood glucose levels, where you are in your cycle (if you’re a woman), what you’ve eaten, how much insulin you have on board, how much food you need before running, what foods provide the best fuel sources, how far your blood glucose levels drop and by what time spent running…
If you can work it out, you’re better at this lark than I am.
Exercise affects us not just at the time but for up to 24 hours afterwards. And if you’re exercising for more than an hour at a time, it becomes trickier to work out what you need to do with insulin and food.
Pilates and yoga
Bouts of activity that last half an hour to 45 minutes are relatively easy to manage. If you want to do more exercise than this, you can break your activities up—a walk in the morning and an easy jog in the evening, say. And plenty of Pilates and yoga thrown in for those nice stretch and flexibility benefits.
My vow is post September 30, I’m never doing a run longer than a 10k and my weekly runs won’t add up to more than nine miles, if that. Dear reader, I make myself accountable here.
Meanwhile, September 30 (the half-marathon date) hurtles ever nearer. Yikes!
Diabetes Diet 
All the best Emma. I’m in awe. I don’t like running. I don’t jog. At best I walk. You have my respect.
Not sure about the hashtag though 😂
I hope you don’t have the runs 😂
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Thanks Gary! I borrowed the hashtag from an American group on Instagram. I think ‘the runs’ maybe doesn’t have the same meaning there it does in Australia and the UK…?!
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I expect not 😃
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Hi Emma,
Keep going, you will do great! I too am training for a half M, it takes place this Saturday. I am not that well prepared to be honest, but did my final run last night which was my longest at 17km. Decided to run home from work, it was tough but the fact that I don’t feel awful today is a positive and my legs don’t hurt and no stiffness. I think this must be a good sign.
I have been doing my runs very low carb and I think I am not fully there yet in terms of my body getting used to this. I feel fairly lethargic and I get the heavy calves you mention. Last night was very interesting, my starting BSL was 7.3 and it dropped gradually to 4.3, which was after about 10KM. Then it started to rise, so I guess my body made its own glucose at that point. I had no insulin on board at that point I believe, as my lunch time dose should have run its course. I found that very exciting, in that I know now that I should be able to run the half M without any external glucose sources. Of course I will carry dextro just in case, but plan to go for a large protein meal Saturday morning and very limited carbs (maybe an avocado) and keep the insulin dose low. There might be a protein spike pre race, but hopefully I can start at BSL between 5-6 and it will be very interesting to see if again the BSL drops to 4.3 and then rises again. I thought you might find that interesting.
I am planning a 1hr 45min, but it might be more like a 2hr run. In my last two races of 11 K & 14K I was averaging 5 mins 20s a KM. Not very fast, but fast is not my goal. If I keep at it, maybe that time will keep coming down while still enjoying the run. We shall see.
Good luck with your run and I look forward to the update.
Eddie
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Eddie, I promise you, you’re better prepared than I am… I’ll be delighted if I manage it in two and a half hours. Why don’t you report back or link back to your blog here when you do your half-marathon? Good luck with it. Emma
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I will let you know how I get on here. I am not much of a blogger myself, just like reading others.
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Great, please do… and if you’re tempted to write us a guest post, we’d love that. Especially as you’re doing this low-carb. I’ve had to up my carbs for running.
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Yeah that would be really cool, I would be interested in that and it would help keep me motivated to keep at it. LC running is definitely not easy, but Dr.Ian Lake and Dr. Carrie Diulus are T1s and doing it also. I am not much of a writer though 🙂
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We could do it as a Q&A – I send you a list of questions, you send me the answers and I turn it into an article that you’re free to use too wherever you want. Emma
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Yeah great, lets do that.
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I’m not a runner, but I enjoy a walk!
I do wish you good luck Emma.
All the best Jan
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Thanks Jan. I’m sticking to walking post 30-September!
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