Wednesday 9 October 2013

September 2013 Training Wrap-Up

Nearly a week late with my September numbers.  September was a good month for me, training and fun wise.  Ryan and I went to California for a week and had a fantastic vacation!  We went to a Stanford College football game, spend a few lovely days in Sonoma County in the cutest bed and breakfast, drove down the coast and then spent three glorious days in San Fransisco.  My second time to the city and still so much I want to see.  I did a lot of walking during the trip but no actual training. Despite that I still got a solid month under my belt.  I have been having some pain in my right butt, hip and knee area when running.  Because I am stubborn I have kept running on it, however finally decided to make an appointment with a physiotherapist. I am pretty sure it is my piriformis or IT band and it happens only with this leg.  ART and massage do help but this time around it is not getting better.  I want to nip it in the butt (literally) so I can get back to some longer distance running. 

I got a few nice long rides in on my road bike and participated in the Fall Harvest Ride.  It was a 65km ride and there were about 300 participants.  I had lots of fun riding with so many other people!  I love the fall colours while being out on the bike, just beautiful.  I will be sad when the snow flies and Little J will be staying inside.  I have decided to get myself a trainer so that Little J does not feel abandoned.  I have joined a registered spin class and am doing two classes a week.  Although they are about 90 mins each, they kick my butt each time.  The intervals and hill climbing are perfect for training. 
 
Now for the numbers:
 
Hours of training = 34.8 hours
Bike (including Spin) x 9 = 339.2 km's
Run x 9 = 97 km's km's
Swim x 4 = 8,850m
Weights/tabata/core= 6 hours 30 minutes
Rest days =10

So far October is off to a good start and I have done some short runs and spent time on the bike and in the pool.  I have been making an effort to stretch a lot more and also to get more strength training in.  Biking and swimming do not irritate my leg so I won't be surprised if this month is spent on these activities and not so much running.  I don't want to end up really injured!  Happy October!

Friday 4 October 2013

Two Years

I wrote this 3 weeks ago and finally tweaked it today...

Two years - Sept 7, 2013

Hard for me to believe that two years ago today I was diagnosed Type 1 Diabetic. That day is still very raw and real in my mind, not sure if that will ever go away. In some ways I feel like I have been diabetic my entire life. I find it hard remembering my days before regular finger pricks, counting carbs, bolusing for food, suffering with lows and highs. I think the reason for this is that it is so time consuming it has become a routine. In other ways I still feel like this is still all so new to me. Not a week goes by where I don't have to adjust settings, where foods that were okay the week before no longer cooperate with my blood sugars. I have been really low (like 1.4 low) and not felt too bad and I have been a bit low (like 3.5) and felt like I was done for. Not sure I will ever get used to the desperation that comes with having a low blood sugar. The ultimate panic and need to surface from a dark place where everything trembles and words cannot form. When everything is in slow motion and all you want to do is either fall asleep or eat the contents of your fridge. I have learned that pretty much every Type 1 diabetic suffers lows on a weekly, if not daily, basis. Let me tell you straight up - they are hell. And let's not forget about the high blood sugars. The feeling of lethargy that sets in, the thirst, the need to pee, the inability to think straight, the extreme exhaustion and the feeling of guilt. Yes, guilt and shame is such a huge part of living with this disease. Every time I see a high number I feel so guilty, so ashamed. What did I do wrong, what could I have done better and a big one is what consequence will I suffer down the road.

All of this seems very doom and gloom so far, so lets get to the positive things about being Type 1 diabetic (and yes there are quite a few positives). A big one for me and something I have heard from manyT1D's is that I am very in tune with my body. I know what foods make me feel good and what makes me feel bad. The motivation to stay healthy and active is huge. Every day I run, bike or swim and this benefits me in all ways. It makes my mental state much more calm than it usually would be, helps my blood sugars stay stable and makes me sleep so much better. Balancing the activity is a challenge on its own - high blood sugars after intense activity and then crashing lows. Having my pump and being able to set temporary basal decreases is a life saver.

The one thing I have struggled with over the last two years is opening up to others. To the outside world I appear to breeze through dealing with Type 1 diabetes. I hate for people to see me at my most vulnerable and am used to be the strong one. I have problems talking about my disease and often hide it. I have been having lows whilst at work and while being out in public with others and have hid it well while inside I am crumbling. This is my goal for the next year, accept my disease and stop hiding the bad times, as they unfortunately occur regularly.

The last two years have been the biggest adventure of my life. I have travelled the world and lived in different cultures yet nothing has challenged me this way. Being in charge daily of your life or death is a daunting task, but two years in I am ready for the challenge.  Every day I hate this disease but then have no choice but to embrace it.  I cannot change my reality....I can only live with it.