Finding my groove...again.

Admittedly, I have been lazy for several months. Lazy as in couch potato lazy. Over the winter I didn't really do anything active. I am embarrassed to say that most of my spare time was spent watching old TV shows and movies on Netflix. I'm sure some of it had to do with running high blood sugars for several months pre-diagnosis, but most of it was from lack of motivation on my part.

For a couple years before diabetes I enjoyed running very much. I was never a running pro competing in marathons or anything like that, but I enjoyed getting out on a nice day and going for a nice run. No matter how bad a day I was having, running always made me feel better about everything. It helped me to clear my head and I used to solve a lot of life's problems out there on the pavement. Now that I feel as though I have gotten my health back on track I've been contemplating getting back into running. Obviously, I've been a little nervous about it too. I've heard alot about the challenges that can be involved in trying to manage blood sugars during physical activity as well as afterwards. I was also a little nervous because I was literally starting from square one again, and that can be a horrible feeling. But, I figured I'll never know how my body would respond unless I just got out there and gave it a whirl. I also knew it was going to be a key part of staying healthy with diabetes.

I decided I needed a short term goal to keep me motivated. I signed up for the Canadian Diabetes Association "Run for Diabetes" 10K on September 3rd. The most I've ever ran in an actual race is 5K, but I absolutely loved it so I am confident that with the right amount of training that I would be able to complete a 10K by then. I am also happy to be fundraising for a cause that is now close to my heart. I'm hoping that the fact that I actually have diabetes will resonate with people and I'll be successful at meeting my fundraising goal.

Some time ago, I downloaded an iPhone app called "10K Runner". It's a couch to 10K running program that's 14 weeks long with 3 runs per week. The app is $3.99 on iTunes and the reviews were all really good so I took a chance and downloaded it. I find I need a program to follow otherwise I will head out the door and run wild throughout the neighbourhood with no real purpose. I also like this app because it does a lot of the work for you (well, except the running part). Once you start it up, you can listen to music and a voice will chime in telling you when it's time to walk or run. I calculated out the training program and figured the absolute last day that I could procrastinate any longer would be May 28 in order to complete the program by race day.

So, this morning I woke up to a beautiful day! I had gotten a really good sleep and figured today was as good a day as any to start running again. I decided that throughout the next couple weeks I'm going to experiment with my insulin and blood sugars when I go for a run. I'm going to eat exactly the same thing pre-run but alternate how much insulin I take. This morning I tested at 7.1 mmol/L (128 mg/dl). I ate a banana and took no insulin; typically I would need 2 units. I then headed out for my run with my iPhone in hand...and that's it. I can hear all of you PWD's out there cringing. I know this was irresponsible. I should have had at the bare minimum a couple glucose tablets with me, as well as my meter. My excuse is that I have no where to put this stuff. I must invest in a running belt or Tummietote ASAP. Regardless, I went through my run and felt great! It was a pretty easy run and I was back home in 30 minutes but it sure felt great to be back out there! I had no feelings of a low coming on and was eager to get back inside to check my blood sugar.

Here's what I saw when I tested post run:

Overall, I was happy with that number (that's 198 mg/dl for my American friends). A touch on the high side for my liking but that's easily corrected. I'd prefer to be a bit high after a run rather than too low. Seeing this number also boosted my confidence too. I have a lot of anxiety about having lows, especially when I'm in situations where I can't easily walk away and fix them. I hate having to explain them to people. I know that it's important that I educate the people around me about them, but I haven't quite gotten there with it yet.

Day 2 of running is tomorrow. I'm going to do the same run and I'll eat a banana again and take half of my normal insulin and see how it goes. This time I'll take some life support with me though!