Mar 12

Back in Action

By Cary cycling, diabetes, exercise, Running No Comments »

…or how I’m getting back in action.

Current Situation

  • 179 lbs-ish (not happy with, but has been hovering around here for a while)
  • 8 min/mile @ 4 miles (basically can do without any training)
  • 2 hour half marathon (done in July 2011 with minimal training)
  • Not terribly active (what we are rectifying)

Short Term Goals

  • 170 lbs (5% loss over current)
  • 7 minute mile @ 4 miles (12.5% better than current)
  • 1:45 half marathon (12.5% better than PR)
  • Prepare my actual goal for a sub 4 hour NYC Marathon and reseting the rest of my goals.
  • I also would like to set a goal of a single track mile; I have not done one in a very long time (my prior PR was around 5:05 growing up); I would like to see what happens.
  • Lowering both my resting and exercise heart rate 5-10% (this should just happen)

Execution

  • DO SOMETHING EVERY DAY.  NO MATTER HOW LATE OR EARLY IT HAPPENS. 2x DAYS ARE OK!
  • Crossfit starting in March 2x/week for a month in the evenings should shed fat from the surface and build strength that will help this whole process
  • Get weekly mileage climbing upwards; figure on doing more weekend and after work runs in addition to quick morning runs
  • 1 bike ride a week as cross-training (not hard to do with the JDRF Ride Season quickly approaching)
  • Food: stop snacking after dinner.  Probably where  I pick up the worst of my excess eating (how abnormal of me)
  • Start working on some good tunes for the iPod

Thoughts

  • Do I want to stay on the OmniPod for this? Or get agressive in using Lantus+OmniPod? Or back to Lantus-only? Probably OmniPod+Lantus.
  • The reduction of my 4 mile pace has a lot to do with loosing the 5% body weight; since it’s harder to run fast with a lot of weight. So I guess we will see how ‘a’ changes ‘b’.
  • I’m not big in to diets, I just eat whatever I want.  Just need to be conscious about quantity and place limits.
Sep 24

Running Performance YTD

By Cary diabetes, exercise, Running No Comments »

Not great times — but I truly have not put any time in to actual training this year.  Everything needs to start changing quickly — two marathons in November.  And then in 2012 I will actually train and attempt to put down a legitimate attempt at the marathon.

 

 


Race Date Distance (miles) Net Time Pace/Mile Overall Place Gender Place Age Place
17-Sep-11 4 0:32:09 8:03 978 978 167
21-May-11 13.1 2:00:58 9:14 3228 2075 460
17-May-11 3 23:12 7:44 1042 861 177
10-Apr-11 6.2 53:47:00 8:40 3774 2790 514
26-Feb-11 4 37:05:00 9:16 2362 1582 303
Sep 06

Running Road Races

By Cary diabetes, Running No Comments »

I am in the process of building a marathon training plan for myself given 10+ weeks to the Brooklyn Marathon where I will be going for a true first marathon time (pre-emtive goal of sub 4 hours).  In building a training calendar it has actually been rather difficult to fit training in around sailing and cycling.  My schedule is still in the works.

Current road race schedule for the rest of 2011:

Sept 17 – 4 miler
Oct 30 – 5 miler
Nov 6 – NYC Marathon – 26.2 miles (potentially running as an Achilles International Guide)
Nov 20 – Brooklyn Marathon 26.2 miles
Dec 17 – 15K

 

Jul 11

Beating the Heat – Safety

By Cary cycling, diabetes, exercise, Running, sailing No Comments »

Heat safety is something I am acutely aware of on a personal level.  As a diabetic athlete, it is of even greater necessity because I can use my senses to identify low and high BGs.  However, when high heat temps, and high humidity hit my BG sensitivity is thrown out the window.  This is because I am constantly thirsty, always a little tired and may or may not have a heat headache.

I found this guide made by Gatorade for the NFL (and football players in general):

Beat the Heat – Gatorade

It’s a pretty good guide and very informative using football references to make their points on heat safety.  The points are quite clear — prevent, prepare, hydrate, and plan.  I have to admit, my plan for heat stroke would obviously not to hit that point, and to be aware enough before that point to seek professional help, since I usually train alone.  But for preventing, knowing the symptoms are key.  One thing I did not realize is that it can take 10-14 days to acclimate to warmer conditions.  However, the biggest point is to hydrate regularly and properly.  Replacing electrolytes and sodium (and sometimes carbs too) seem like a no-brainer these days, but it was not too long ago when that was not as common knowledge.

Personal Story
As a kid, I once had the unfortunate experience of an ambulance ride and ER visit.  During the summer months of June, July and August from a young age, we learned how to race sailboats.  All day, every day; with a break at noon on land for lunch.  One day I passed out during lunch.  An ambulance was called, and the people around me knowing I was a Type 1 Diabetic, the EMTs instantly administered Glucose via gel under my tongue.  However, by this point I was already coming to (since I was being fed Coke from the fountain).  Upon being admitted to the ER, I learned that I was both dehydrated AND had low sodium.  A disastrous combination – with a slightly low, and at that point in the ER I was trying to lower my BG after way too much soda and Glucose gel while they got fluids into me by IV.

Learning Experience
Stay hydrated, watch the color of your urine.  And make sure you urinate regularly.  And test frequently (like I really needed to say that).

Jun 29

Nerves of Sugar

By Cary cycling, diabetes, exercise, lifestyle, Running, sailing No Comments »

http://blogs.fasterskier.com/krisfreeman/2009/12/02/nerves-of-sugar/

As a diabetic I have to balance the “fight or flight response” on my own. I get nervous before a race and release sugar just like everyone else. Unfortunately my regulatory system is broken and I have to give myself the appropriate amount of insulin. This is where things get tricky.  How nervous I am affects how much sugar I release into my body:  more Nerves equals more glucose . The difficult  part is there is no real way to monitor how nervous I am.

-Kris Freeman, 12/2/2009

This post by Olympian Kris Freeman really gets me thinking.  How to monitor your nerves to find out how much the natural release of sugar into your body? It’s not just elite athletes like Kris that have this happening, this happens to me all the time on the bike, on boats, or even heading into a big meeting.  Your body has a physical response to a mental stimulus. 

I personally have found some correlation in the length of time I spend “nervous” – basically preparing and how long/how high the BG can go.  In sailing, there is a half hour-to-fifteen minute period to the start where I will spike.  When cycling or running, it really depends how long I am waiting around to start.  The more time spent standing around, the higher I will go (the more time I have spent thinking rather than doing).

It would be interesting to see if any breathing or relaxation exercises have any effect.

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