Quote:
Originally Posted by Keni  Hey Scratch,
I just posted my first thread on this site today asking about info on running a half marathon. Someone told me to search for this thread to read more. I just read that you did a half marathon. IMPRESSIVE!!! Any word of advice for a 28 year old female..type 1 for 10 years who is determined to run a half marathon this year???
Thanks.. |
Hi Keni.
It's good that you've found DF, I've found it helpful over time in picking up useful information for living with what we have to live with.
I looked at your profile and it says that your most recent HbA1c was 11%. Based upon that as well as my own experience in running my first half-marathon last November, I'm going to suggest seeing this as a long term type of goal.
Let me put it this way -- it was in August 2005 that I started towards getting in shape. I didn't run my first half-marathon until November 2007 -- about two and a quarter years of time. I mean, it could have been accomplished sooner I suppose as I didn't think of running one as a goal until the fall of 2006, but I am fairly happy that running one took some time to get to and perhaps more importantly it was a sort of specific resultant goal of the broader goal of getting in better shape.
Getting in better shape meant not only getting stronger and cardio type of activity, it also meant getting my blood sugars well controlled and profiling my metabolic needs along with how to handle those using the tools of Lantus, Novolog, and gobs and gobs of test strips.
But it can be done. 4 years ago at this time I was a diabetic who almost never tested his blood sugar, used 2 shots of NPH, R as needed, and the old meal plans of yesteryear to get through my days.
You got to work at it though. Sometimes I hate working at it, but let me tell you that nearing the finish of the half-marathon last November was one of the most profoundly beautiful emotional experiences of my life, some of which was due to knowing how much work had gone into it and having it pulled it off.
It was a valuable learning experience for me along with improving my general health. My doctor is amazed at the changes in my bloodwork and physique.
Again, though, try to think long term here. I suspect a more reasonable goal for you, at least in terms of this year, is to work on bringing your A1c down and begin running some. You might even want to first spend a couple of months using walking. Believe me, I got a lot of walking done from 2005 to 2006 with golf and walking the golf course. I believe that was a valuable building block. The great Finnish distance runners of the past used walking as part of their basebuilding regimen in the late winter.
But you could easily build to running 5Ks and 10Ks this year. Those will provide useful goals and learning experience.
Yeah, you can do this. I'm a bit leery of the idea that you could do a half-marathon this year, but I think with having it as a goal in mind you can achieve one in 2009.
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