[Scratch]

So, ummm, anyhow, I'm a type 1 diabetic of over 23 years now and since I got my wake up in August of 2005, I've made some changes to physical activity levels and just like such a change can be very good for any normal person, it certainly seems to be beneficial to me and having type 1 diabetes. The big challenge with being T1 is taking care of that metabolic function in a such a way that it ends up mimicking closely as possible what happens to a normally healthy person's metabolism when subjected to the physical stress of exercise and then the subsequent recovery period.

For a bit of history, August 2005 was when I began getting active. 2004 was probably one of the worst years of my life physically, my right shoulder was a mess and going through the worst stage of frozen shoulder or adhesive capsulitis. It began thawing in 2005, enough so that when an old friend visited the area and contacted me with a suggestion that we go golfing, I unearthed the old set of clubs, shook the dust off them and went out for 18 holes.

Since then, I've been working on getting in better shape. That's the biggest thing, you've got to be willing to put the work and time in. Do that and over time you will get in better shape most likely.

In August of 2005, walking 18 holes and pull a cart with my clubs behind me would pretty well gas me.

In November of 2007, I ran 13.1 miles. On May 4th, I ran a 10 mile race at slightly better than 10 min/mile pace. This last Saturday, May 10th, I ran 1 mile, then did 100 pull ups, 200 push ups, and 300 squats, then ran another mile in 51:28.

I've got some goals in mind for the rest of the year. We'll see what I do and what happens. If you stop in here to read this, feel free to ask me why I'm doing what I'm doing and I'll see if I can explain it.

But the most basic goal is to push my physical limits to new places. Cuz it's kind of fun somehow.

[Scratch]

This morning, I got up early to do an exercise to help my leg strength along with overall body strength.

Squats. I didn't figure out and take on the good painfulness of squatting until late Februay this year. Oh well, it's a learning process. I've been borrowing an idea from the squats and milk program. If you break that down to its principles, it's pretty basic -- put a whole lot of stress on your whole body especially the big quadricep muscles, then feed your body a good protein source like milk, and you'll probably see some muscle growth. I've put on about 5 or 6 pounds this year.

So I warmed up with some lighter weight squats and then I went after my target weight for 20 reps, 155 lbs.

It gets painful. And you will breathe hard. When I finished off the 20th rep today and unloaded the weight, I just dropped to the floor and it took about a minute before I felt decent enough to peel myself up.

About 5 minutes later, I did some plyometric style push ups, clappers, 2x12.

Then I had some eggs and milk for breakfast.

This afternoon I'll see about running a few miles, whatever my legs can handle. When I started doing heavy squatting and deadlifting in March and April, I had to cut down on running a lot. Squatting and deadlifting will tucker you out, especially the legs.

[Scratch]

Deadlifting this morning, not with the heavy sorts of deadlifts for me, 140 lbs, 10 sets of 2 reps each to emphasize rapid hip extension every 50 to 60 seconds apart.

Also each day so far this week since Monday I've been working on get in some reps with one arm push up form. I say that because I'm not to where I can do perfectly good form with one arm push ups, I need to spread my feet out behind me and I tend to lose a good plank position, but I just try to get a good number of total reps done on these days that I do them, numbers greater than a total of 25 reps. Doing so is all about the nervous system learning which is an important aspect of strength training.

[Scratch]

Did some upper body work for pushing and pulling strength, went heavy on it.

Weighted pull ups, +40lbs, 5x3

Bench press:
3 @ 110 lbs
3 @ 120 lbs
3 @ 130 lbs
3 @ 140 lbs
2 @ 150 lbs (previous PR)
1 @ 155 lbs
1 @ 160 lbs

I think all the one arm push up practice the past couple of weeks paid off some dividends this morning with the increase in the bench press.

Plan to run this afternoon, see what the legs can do, hopefully the legs will feel better than they did on Tuesday where I was hampered by the hard squatting session in the morning.

[BrianSCohen]

Scratch,

That is awesome. You have made great progress on your fitness. I bet your seeing some real benefits in your health markers and in how you feel.

I started in a similar timeframe, albeit with more focus on the stength training. I found Starting Strength:Basic Barbell Training to be an excellant beginning program. It has very good discussions on proper form and provides a well proven program for starting out. I have done the squats and milk, but found that I could only do it a few times before I become burned out. Remember that you are supposed to do 20 reps with your 10 rep max, resting at the top as needed.

Good luck

[Scratch]

Originally Posted by BrianSCohen

Scratch,

That is awesome. You have made great progress on your fitness. I bet your seeing some real benefits in your health markers and in how you feel.

I started in a similar timeframe, albeit with more focus on the stength training. I found Starting Strength:Basic Barbell Training to be an excellant beginning program. It has very good discussions on proper form and provides a well proven program for starting out. I have done the squats and milk, but found that I could only do it a few times before I become burned out. Remember that you are supposed to do 20 reps with your 10 rep max, resting at the top as needed.

Good luck

Yeah, at some point I should go ahead and get Rippetoe's book and I'd also like to pick up a couple of Ross Enamait's books and go through them all for reference, better understanding, more ideas, etc.

I'm definitely in much better shape than I was a year ago and my most recent bloodwork was pretty nice, a 5.7 A1c and 76HDL/92LDL. Some of that is due to the exercise, some of it is also because as I've gotten more involved in exercising and making improvement, I have found it valuable to improve my diet.

A hospital here in the area has a May festival thing and a 5K run called the Dash for Diabetes as part of it and I did it again yesterday. It wasn't my fastest 5K, a tough hilly course and my legs felt a bit sluggish yesterday, but I was happy enough getting it done in 28:57.

[Scratch]

This morning I did some deadlifting, which has become one of my favorite lifts. It's a pretty basic challenge, lift as much weight as you can. It's important to keep good form with a deadlift, since it's a lift that will work the erector spinae muscles in an isometric contraction and that's hugely important because the job of the erector spinae muscles is to keep the spine stable -- as in not moving and swaying about.

My challenge this morning was to work up a one rep max with the deadlift.

3 x 160 lbs
3 x 200 lbs
3 x 215 lbs
2 x 225 lbs
1 x 235 lbs
1 x 240 lbs, previous PR
1 x 245 lbs
1 x 250 lbs
1 x 255 lbs, fail, could barely get the weight off the floor and could feel that I wasn't going to be able to get it up with good form.

When I checked my blood pressure last night, 122/70, the machine also measured my heart rate at 53 bpm.

I may or may not run this afternoon. The weather's a bit cranky almost, cool and damp. I'll see how I feel about when I get ready to leave work today.

[BrianSCohen]

Scratch,

Good job on the deadlift. It is a really good compound lift. You are right tho, it is very important to keep sound form as the weight increases. There is a really good discussion of the lift at CrossFit Journal: A New, Rather Long Analysis of the Deadlift, by Mark Rippetoe - Nov 06 CFJ. I also found the description in "Starting Strength" very helpful. As the weights get heavier and heavier, it will be harder to grip. You will probably find that you will have to use a mixed (over/under hand) grip or use straps soon.

[Scratch]

Yeah, I've often gone plumbing in Crossfit's video section to help me figure stuff out as I go along. Crossfit is an excellent resource. I go to a mixed grip right now once I go up over 210 lbs in the deadlift, makes a difference with feeling secure that the bar won't roll out of the grip.

This morning I put time in with power cleans. First I just loaded up a bar with 65 lbs and executed form with that weight, then I went after them with 95 lbs. 10x2x95 lbs. Can't be afraid to work on this and since the power clean is another great compound movement that works multiple joints and emphasizes the development of power through hip extension which is something I need to work on.

My glutes were and are a weak area. Weaknesses are funny things, we often want to turn our backs on such areas but they are great opportunities really if we go after them. If you ignore them they will likely remain weak areas. And weaknesses don't have to be that way. Just got to work on them.

[BrianSCohen]

Power Cleans. That is great. I have been doing rows as a poor mans substitute. The power clean is a core the starting strength routine. I've shied away from them in my gym which does not seem very supportive of olympic style lifts. There are no bumper plates or lifting platforms. I've always been afraid of a missed lift causing an event that will live in infamy. I suppose I could just keep the weight managable and give it a go.

[Scratch]

Originally Posted by BrianSCohen

Power Cleans. That is great. I have been doing rows as a poor mans substitute. The power clean is a core the starting strength routine. I've shied away from them in my gym which does not seem very supportive of olympic style lifts. There are no bumper plates or lifting platforms. I've always been afraid of a missed lift causing an event that will live in infamy. I suppose I could just keep the weight managable and give it a go.

At the beginning kinds of levels where it's more just form practice I think you'd likely get some benefit -- as you probably know a lot of the early benefits of strength training don't happen with increased muscle mass but with the nervous system wiring learning how to coordinate the muscle fibers in the movement. Right now if I were to look at my strength standards in other lifts presently I'm lagging behind in power clean strength. I've achieved novice level for squat, deadlift, military and bench press, but right now maybe my max clean would be 115 to 120 lbs, short of 135 lbs.

I ran yesterday afternoon because of bailing on Tuesday due to the weather. It was a bit of a strange run, my leg and the muscles felt somewhat different and I was wondering if I'm beginning to see any effects from having begun thiamine supplementation. I've begun doing so based upon the study which found that diabetics are deficient in thiamine and that there is evidence which has shown thiamine deficiency affects muscular endurance.

Since B-vitamins are water soluble and it would take ingesting huge amounts to create overdose and toxicity problems, I decided that taking a B-vitamin supplement may be beneficial, although maybe it's just like pouring more water into a sieve. Yesterday's run just may have been one of those good runs. I've just been a bit concerned at how I've often felt that my endurance deteriorates considerably faster than it should, based upon using shorter distance running times to project likely running times over longer distances. Some of that is simply training deficiency, it can take a good period of time to build equivalent aerobic conditioning between 5K times and half-marathon times.

I missed a workout this morning. Just could not get out of bed. That's okay to miss sometimes, sometimes rest is more important. Just don't want that to become a habit.

[BrianSCohen]

Scratch,

That is interesting about the Thiamine. I have been taking a super B-complex for sometime, mostly out of concern for B-12. Metformin can cause a malabsorption of B-12. I had not really noticed any fatigue. I also drink a lot of water, which might have a bad effect on my B vitamin levels. I'll have to look at that more carefully.

Although I find that strength standard chart interesting, I find it just a little off. Also as I am 48 years old, I am just not sure it applies. The exrx site is very helpful, but the information on the clean on the site is a little rough. It appears that the standard may apply to the squat clean, not the power clean. I found the videos at GAYLE HATCH :: broadband video channel to be very informative.

[Evermont]

Scratch,

I'm sure you're aware that Thiamine (B1) is just one of many important nutrients. I've read in many places that a B-complex including B1, B3, B6 and B9 are important for optimal nutrition for anybody, especially for diabetics.

You may also be aware of strong recommendations to acquire these nutrients as far as possible from natural food sources. Supplementation can be beneficial above and beyond what can be acquired through healthy eating. It can be difficult to track and sort out how much of each of the various nutrients we get from our diet. Still more difficult when we take the good advice to eat a varied diet. I'm rather convinced though from what I've learned that we want to start with nutrients from foods FIRST, then, if needed supplement.

Further, I concur with the suggestion that synergies between various nutrients including these vitamins, other vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals (many of these synergies still poorly understood) are important and so best obtained in their natural form. That is, whole fresh foods, not processed or fortified concoctions.

This list: [USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 18, Content of Selected Foods per Common Measure, Thiamin mg sorted by nutrient content] and others like it can help you find natural food sources for specific nutrients that you're interested in. You have to sort through listings of prepared foods too but even those can be helpful at times.

Making my way down this list of B1 sources I find whole wheat TOTAL cereal at #2. This is one rare example of a prepared food that I do eat fairly regularly. Then raw oat bran is the next thing on the list that I might add to my diet. Now skipping a lot of prepared foods and foods that are obviously not diabetic friendly (no wonder we have greater need right?), and meats (I'm vegetarian). Finally I start finding things like buckwheat flour, soy beans, peas, other beans... you get the idea. If you study the list you may notice that raw things have more, and cooked have less. This and other vitamins are clearly lost in cooking. So I lean toward raw and keep heat and duration to a minimum when I do cook for just this reason.

[BrianSCohen]

Keith,

I would agree with you that it preferable to get nutrition requirements from whole food sources. Starting at the top of the list you showed a wide range of fortified foods, but by the time whole foods start to show up the levels are pretty far down in Thiamin. Clearly it can be difficult to obtain robust sources of Thiamin just from raw whole food sources, let alone whole unfortified vegetarian sources. Personally, I just take a Super B-complex everyday. It contains 100 mg of Thiamin, which is 6667% of the RDA. It also contains 15mcg of B-12 which is 250% of RDA.

[Scratch]

Originally Posted by Evermont

Scratch,

I'm sure you're aware that Thiamine (B1) is just one of many important nutrients. I've read in many places that a B-complex including B1, B3, B6 and B9 are important for optimal nutrition for anybody, especially for diabetics.

You may also be aware of strong recommendations to acquire these nutrients as far as possible from natural food sources. Supplementation can be beneficial above and beyond what can be acquired through healthy eating. It can be difficult to track and sort out how much of each of the various nutrients we get from our diet. Still more difficult when we take the good advice to eat a varied diet. I'm rather convinced though from what I've learned that we want to start with nutrients from foods FIRST, then, if needed supplement.

Further, I concur with the suggestion that synergies between various nutrients including these vitamins, other vitamins, minerals and phytochemicals (many of these synergies still poorly understood) are important and so best obtained in their natural form. That is, whole fresh foods, not processed or fortified concoctions.

This list: [USDA National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 18, Content of Selected Foods per Common Measure, Thiamin mg sorted by nutrient content] and others like it can help you find natural food sources for specific nutrients that you're interested in. You have to sort through listings of prepared foods too but even those can be helpful at times.

Making my way down this list of B1 sources I find whole wheat TOTAL cereal at #2. This is one rare example of a prepared food that I do eat fairly regularly. Then raw oat bran is the next thing on the list that I might add to my diet. Now skipping a lot of prepared foods and foods that are obviously not diabetic friendly (no wonder we have greater need right?), and meats (I'm vegetarian). Finally I start finding things like buckwheat flour, soy beans, peas, other beans... you get the idea. If you study the list you may notice that raw things have more, and cooked have less. This and other vitamins are clearly lost in cooking. So I lean toward raw and keep heat and duration to a minimum when I do cook for just this reason.

Yes, I try to be good with my diet, good sources of protein and generally staying away from the more indulgent carbs although I'm not going to give up my indulgence of peanut butter M&Ms in the morning. Not gonna do that. I can assure you though I will not be adopting whole-wheat Total cereal into my diet with the gluten intolerance issue I have. Eliminating gluten from diet last year was the single best feeling thing I've ever done for my digestive tract and its general state of comfort. I suppose I should likely some time track and tally maybe just how much B1 I ingest through diet, but as it stands now I'm fairly confident that my diet already supplies a good amount of thiamine. I could be wrong and reserve the right to revise my assessment with the acquisition of new data.

I'm not exactly sure what to make of the study that has found this thiamine deficiency in diabetics, it's curious that it seems to have almost similar effect upon type 1 and type 2. I suppose maybe even that I'm not too averse to the idea of necessary supplementation seeing how I've been doing that for 23 years now in the process of injecting insulin. I figure at worst I'm out a few extra bucks with the purchase of B-complex vitamins in pill form and so long as I can tolerate brightly yellow pee as I excrete the excess riboflavin, I'm not likely to do any damage to myself.

But yeah, eating well is critical, over time as I improved my diet I've come to find that I enjoy eating more again. Don't know exactly why that's the case, but I find I enjoy everything I eat more than I once did -- even if it's small-size pot of broccoli, green beans, and asparagus. Tasty stuff when the tastebuds get re-educated.