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It seems I'm mostly the only one now posting any notes in Notey's workout thread. I don't need to do that there, but I continue to do so because I would like to see more participants on the message boards here to think about becoming more active. Perhaps I should explain my interest in that.

While I was never a complete couch potato, I had become more sedentary over the years. I suppose it reached its nadir in 2004 when my right shoulder was a complete mess from being afflicted with frozen shoulder. I went through my days with 2 shots of NPH and using R for corrections, trundled away at my computer and desk at work. Although I suppose I did finally get one positive step forward physically when in March of 2004 I was able to quit smoking for good.

But I was not in good shape. The big turning point came in August 2005 when my best friend from childhood had come back into the area to visit his mother and contacted me about going out to play a round of golf. That got me going. I began going out once or twice a week, and walking the courses I would play. The right shoulder was good enough to let me swing the clubs.

But it wasn't until September of last year that I decided it was time to switch to MDI. Yeah, I know, stupid of me to stay with NPH/R for so long, but I suppose it's a reflection of how it is so easy for all of us to get comfortable with routines. I had shaken free of the routine of being mostly inactive with golfing, but I had remained in a comfort zone of 2 shots and eating on schedule.

Switching to MDI was huge. In November last year, I began thinking of doing something I had never done really. In school, I had always been a slow kid. Always one of the slowest in the 50-yard dash. I didn't run. I wasn't a runner. Getting diagnosed with type 1 diabetes at age 15 became another roadblock to any thoughts I may have had to take up running to improve fitness. The constant downward push exerted by NPH on the blood sugars made extended physical activity troublesome, as many of the longtime diabetics here probably well know.

Last November, I began running. With the increased freedom offered by MDI, running became an opportunity to explore new territory. It was beautiful to become aware of my body in this new way, to gain a bit of release from the constant grind all of us go through with the blood tests throughout the day. Instead of the constant presence of blood sugars and insulin activity, I could know learn about how my body felt in motion, footfall after footfall, breath after breath.

I started falling in love with running. Unfortunately, due to my inexperience and lack of consideration on my part, I ran too much too soon too hard. On the 21st of December last year, I had to pull up on a run with what at the time I thought was an ankle sprain. The pain and discomfort grew worse over the next two weeks. X-rays on the 4th of January revealed a complete transverse fracture of the distal tibia and I'd spend the next 6 weeks in a cast.

It wasn't until April 21st this year that I was able to step out on to a high school track, walk a few laps, run one, walk a few more laps, run another lap, and begin trying to run again. There is a goal in mind for this: the half-marathon event at the Philadelphia Marathon on November 18th this year.

So sometimes I find myself thinking about how it is I've reached this point here, right now, when I was up early this morning so I could go out and enjoy a run of 2.75 miles on a wonderfully cool July morning. Seriously, the early morning runs can be incredibly beautiful, to be out there, to be alive and moving. So this morning, I put in another few miles on this road to November 18th and Philadelphia.

Along the way, I've seen my resting heart rate which was at 70 to 72 bpm in late April now go down to around 60 bpm. I've seen marked improvement in my fitness as measured with an estimate of Vo2max using my performances in 5K races:

* May 5th, 37:35, VO2Max: 23.4
* May 20th, 35:37, VO2Max: 25
* June 16th, 34:28, VO2Max: 26.1
* July 4th, 32:00, VO2Max: 28.5
* July 21st, 29:35, VO2Max: 31.3

It's a tough draw of the cards for those of us who have become diabetic. I'm not such a cuddly sort that I'll say, "Oh yeah, I'm okay with it" because it simply wouldn't be true. I'm not in denial about it which is good, but I certainly don't enjoy the relentless nature of this condition.

I'm just not going to let it stop me here. I began running and discovered how beautiful it can be. Life is a lot more interesting and involving when one is in motion and not at rest behind a desk, at the computer, or watching television.

I hope that maybe some who pass through here will read this and consider possibilities.