The month of July came and with everything but training. I could blame about a million different things, but instead, I will just blame myself. Is there a possibility that I could have fit in more running? Of course. Will I still be able to run 13 miles in November? Absolutely! I did run a couple 5k's and took a few short runs here and there, but nothing impressive.
As August has quickly gotten underway, I'm dedicated to stepping it up quite a bit. And not just stepping up the mileage, but also focusing on diet and diabetes control. My goal for November is not only to run 13 miles, but to do so while maintaining a healthy and regulated blood sugar. If you read my Broad Street story, you know that I did not accomplish my goal entirely on the first try.
My mantra this time, "Make it happen." No more excuses, no more distractions. Life is crazy and busy and full of events and celebrations and good news and bad news, but if you let the crazy overtake the healthy, then you're just crazy. So, make it happen. Within the confines of the law, of course. I always worry that if someone actually reads this and takes my advice, I am obligated to disclose the fact that one should not break the law or sacrifice their morals to achieve their dreams. If a reader has a dream to buy a new car, I can't take responsibility for someone robbing a bank to "make it happen". Dreams don't typically come true in jail, as far as I know.
First step in making it happen was to run this morning. Check! 2 miles down and it felt pretty good. Second - Need to find a 1/2 marathon training app for my phone. I will update on what I end up using. Third - (this is not a goal just something to add) - I also discovered a new fun snack/recipe today. It's very complicated so get ready...
Cinnamon raisin english muffin toasted with muenster cheese. Seriously yummy whether you melt the cheese or not. Low in calories and a decent mix of protein and carbs, and clearly, a gourmet dish. I could probably live on english muffins if I had to. The nooks and crannies get me every time.
So, as summer quickly comes to a close, I dare you to self-evaluate and determine if there is something that needs to change. Call it a mid-year resolution. Once you decide what needs to change, make it happen!!! There's a million excuses as to why it will be really hard to accomplish but only one that proves 100% that you should go for it.
You deserve it.
Thanks for reading!
Monday, August 5, 2013
Tuesday, June 11, 2013
The end of Down Time...
Not that I really had any down time, but running has not been my main focus for the last month. Not for long. My plan is to start training in July for the Disney Half Marathon in November.
What better way to get motivated than to win a contest!
Last year, I found a really cool company called Image 3D. They take your photos and put them on a view master reel. Remember those things that you look though and pull the yellow lever to see the next picture!? Yes! Super cool, right??? They are inexpensive for Christmas presents and people love them! You can put 7 images on a reel and they will send you a view master as well.
They recently held a contest for customers to tell their story in 7 pictures or one reel and the winner gets a $100 gift card to their online store. I LOVE to win contests. I really don't care what the prize is, I just love to win stuff. Though could seriously give me a can of beans and I would be thrilled. Strange, yes, but I am who I am.
I decided to enter my running story from Broad Street and as it turns out, I'm a finalist! This is where you come in. I need you to vote for my story. It's super easy, you can tweet it, comment on facebook or comment on their blog.
Here's the link, so get to it! Thanks :)
http://image3d.com/blog/2013/giveaways/steph-tomko-storytelling-giveaway-finalist/
And while you are voting, I'm going to spend some time in Boston with the family and then it's game time, people. No more fooling around. I think this round of training is going to need a chart or something very official. No ambulance stops in November. 13.1 straight. That's my goal. Thanks for helping me achieve it!
What better way to get motivated than to win a contest!
Last year, I found a really cool company called Image 3D. They take your photos and put them on a view master reel. Remember those things that you look though and pull the yellow lever to see the next picture!? Yes! Super cool, right??? They are inexpensive for Christmas presents and people love them! You can put 7 images on a reel and they will send you a view master as well.
They recently held a contest for customers to tell their story in 7 pictures or one reel and the winner gets a $100 gift card to their online store. I LOVE to win contests. I really don't care what the prize is, I just love to win stuff. Though could seriously give me a can of beans and I would be thrilled. Strange, yes, but I am who I am.
I decided to enter my running story from Broad Street and as it turns out, I'm a finalist! This is where you come in. I need you to vote for my story. It's super easy, you can tweet it, comment on facebook or comment on their blog.
Here's the link, so get to it! Thanks :)
http://image3d.com/blog/2013/giveaways/steph-tomko-storytelling-giveaway-finalist/
And while you are voting, I'm going to spend some time in Boston with the family and then it's game time, people. No more fooling around. I think this round of training is going to need a chart or something very official. No ambulance stops in November. 13.1 straight. That's my goal. Thanks for helping me achieve it!
Sunday, April 28, 2013
ONE WEEK!!!!! AHHHHHHHH!!!!!
All of sudden, the race is one week away. ONE WEEK.
I have to admit that my "training" was not as disciplined as I would have liked, but I think it proves that if you are not a super dedicated fitness person that sets a schedule and sticks to every detail, you can still achieve a pretty big goal. While I still need to achieve said goal, I'm pretty confident and actually a little excited!
I FINALLY attached the Continuous Glucose Monitor. So, yay, I have something in addition to my insulin pump attached to me at all times. At least I'm never lonely :)
I was very intimidated by this thing. VERY INTIMIDATED. Gave birth twice, diabetes for over 30 years, a few minor surgeries here and there and still very intimidated. The injector thing looks like something from Total Recall (if you are old enough to remember that movie). I felt like Arnold Schwarzenegger, minus the mystery love child, everlasting accent and brief political stint. But I did it! And other than the fact that it wakes me up at night when my blood sugar is low (which I know is actually a good thing), it's pretty cool. Ok, not necessarily cool, but useful.
In the midst of training for this race, I managed to start a small cake business out of my home as well. Oh, the irony. The CGM is also really good for this, because when my hands are covered in buttercream frosting, there's a slight risk that a finger stick may be inaccurate. The CGM lets me know with a button press if my blood sugar is trending up or down or stable. The glucose readings are not 100% accurate (margin of error is about 25 mg/dl either way). But since I'm infamous for letting my blood sugar drop into the 30's before realizing it, that margin of error is irrelevant.
Another positive, and the whole reason for this CGM to begin with, is that I can run with it in an armband and be able to see what my blood sugar is doing while I'm running. It takes a lot of stress out of a long run or any long day of anything, for that matter. I highly recommend it if you are like me and tend to get wrapped up in doing something (cakes, running, Father of The Bride marathon). I sometimes just forget to test and bolus.
My longest run to date is 8 miles. I ran in Ocean City, MD last weekend and definitely confirmed that I don't love to run. It's a great workout and I always feel like I accomplished something when I'm done but I don't love it. I followed that run with a 5k the following morning. I ran my best time in the 5k and realized that all of this work has actually made me faster and more fit. It makes me feel good. Plain and simple.
I'm also really excited to run this race with my best friend. Not my husband, even though he is my best friend too. He pretty much does everything faster than me. Running, reading, cleaning, thinking. I like to take my time with most things and this race will be no different :)
My best friend, Jenn has selflessly neglected to train hard for this race (she ran a half-marathon last year) so she can run with me. She gets credit for that and for introducing me to my husband, which she will gladly accept any gratitude at any time for either.
With 7 days left, I really had to plan out my final training plan and details for a successful race. So, like any accomplished and focused runner, I agreed to make a 3 tier Bah Mitzvah cake for 75 people. I'm certain that that is what the majority of the other runners are doing this week.
As this final pre-race week begins, thought I would share a couple insightful thoughts about running:
1- I highly recommend setting a fitness goal for yourself, no matter what kind of shape you are in or how much time you have.
2- Don't talk yourself out of anything you want to achieve. You can do it if you have kids or a job or an autoimmune disorder. You might not be the fastest or the fittest but if you show up, you're achieving part of your goal already.
3- I do not recommend starting a cake business, or any type of business while training for your first long race. Cake takes a long time to bake and decorate, especially if your cakes are as awesome as mine (shameless plug to like Sweet Daisy Cakes by Steph Tomko on facebook).
4- If you have no interest in running, then set a small goal. Give up something that is unhealthy. Even if its the whipping cream that DD puts in their coffee...that stuff will sneak up on you!
5- Don't put fitness before your family. While its important to run those miles, your kids need your more, so make sure there is balance.
6- Speaking of balance...that is what I revolve everything around. Balance your diet, balance your stress, balance your time. If you have a bad day, just make up for it the next day. It's not ALL or NOTHING. There is a healthy in between that works just fine.
7- and finally, HIGHER your standards. Stop settling for whatever is easiest or most convenient. There are a lot of people who can't do what you can do, so go do it. Do more. Accomplish more. Be more. You will thank yourself for it. Trust me.
Happy final week! If you don't hear from me much this week, its because I'm running and baking. But not at the same time. I think.
Special thanks to all of the people who have sponsored me for this run, I would not be running without you! (literally, since there was a minimum fundraiser amount!)
If you didn't donate and you have extra money laying around, you can still sponsor me but I've already raised what I need to. I would love it if you donated to another charity instead. Here are the links for both:
Steph's page
http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/DetermiNation/DNFY11National?px=31184056&pg=personal&fr_id=42087
Heart of Hope page
http://www.carasheartofhope.org/donate/
Thanks for reading!
I have to admit that my "training" was not as disciplined as I would have liked, but I think it proves that if you are not a super dedicated fitness person that sets a schedule and sticks to every detail, you can still achieve a pretty big goal. While I still need to achieve said goal, I'm pretty confident and actually a little excited!
I FINALLY attached the Continuous Glucose Monitor. So, yay, I have something in addition to my insulin pump attached to me at all times. At least I'm never lonely :)
I was very intimidated by this thing. VERY INTIMIDATED. Gave birth twice, diabetes for over 30 years, a few minor surgeries here and there and still very intimidated. The injector thing looks like something from Total Recall (if you are old enough to remember that movie). I felt like Arnold Schwarzenegger, minus the mystery love child, everlasting accent and brief political stint. But I did it! And other than the fact that it wakes me up at night when my blood sugar is low (which I know is actually a good thing), it's pretty cool. Ok, not necessarily cool, but useful.
In the midst of training for this race, I managed to start a small cake business out of my home as well. Oh, the irony. The CGM is also really good for this, because when my hands are covered in buttercream frosting, there's a slight risk that a finger stick may be inaccurate. The CGM lets me know with a button press if my blood sugar is trending up or down or stable. The glucose readings are not 100% accurate (margin of error is about 25 mg/dl either way). But since I'm infamous for letting my blood sugar drop into the 30's before realizing it, that margin of error is irrelevant.
Another positive, and the whole reason for this CGM to begin with, is that I can run with it in an armband and be able to see what my blood sugar is doing while I'm running. It takes a lot of stress out of a long run or any long day of anything, for that matter. I highly recommend it if you are like me and tend to get wrapped up in doing something (cakes, running, Father of The Bride marathon). I sometimes just forget to test and bolus.
My longest run to date is 8 miles. I ran in Ocean City, MD last weekend and definitely confirmed that I don't love to run. It's a great workout and I always feel like I accomplished something when I'm done but I don't love it. I followed that run with a 5k the following morning. I ran my best time in the 5k and realized that all of this work has actually made me faster and more fit. It makes me feel good. Plain and simple.
I'm also really excited to run this race with my best friend. Not my husband, even though he is my best friend too. He pretty much does everything faster than me. Running, reading, cleaning, thinking. I like to take my time with most things and this race will be no different :)
My best friend, Jenn has selflessly neglected to train hard for this race (she ran a half-marathon last year) so she can run with me. She gets credit for that and for introducing me to my husband, which she will gladly accept any gratitude at any time for either.
With 7 days left, I really had to plan out my final training plan and details for a successful race. So, like any accomplished and focused runner, I agreed to make a 3 tier Bah Mitzvah cake for 75 people. I'm certain that that is what the majority of the other runners are doing this week.
As this final pre-race week begins, thought I would share a couple insightful thoughts about running:
1- I highly recommend setting a fitness goal for yourself, no matter what kind of shape you are in or how much time you have.
2- Don't talk yourself out of anything you want to achieve. You can do it if you have kids or a job or an autoimmune disorder. You might not be the fastest or the fittest but if you show up, you're achieving part of your goal already.
3- I do not recommend starting a cake business, or any type of business while training for your first long race. Cake takes a long time to bake and decorate, especially if your cakes are as awesome as mine (shameless plug to like Sweet Daisy Cakes by Steph Tomko on facebook).
4- If you have no interest in running, then set a small goal. Give up something that is unhealthy. Even if its the whipping cream that DD puts in their coffee...that stuff will sneak up on you!
5- Don't put fitness before your family. While its important to run those miles, your kids need your more, so make sure there is balance.
6- Speaking of balance...that is what I revolve everything around. Balance your diet, balance your stress, balance your time. If you have a bad day, just make up for it the next day. It's not ALL or NOTHING. There is a healthy in between that works just fine.
7- and finally, HIGHER your standards. Stop settling for whatever is easiest or most convenient. There are a lot of people who can't do what you can do, so go do it. Do more. Accomplish more. Be more. You will thank yourself for it. Trust me.
Happy final week! If you don't hear from me much this week, its because I'm running and baking. But not at the same time. I think.
Special thanks to all of the people who have sponsored me for this run, I would not be running without you! (literally, since there was a minimum fundraiser amount!)
If you didn't donate and you have extra money laying around, you can still sponsor me but I've already raised what I need to. I would love it if you donated to another charity instead. Here are the links for both:
Steph's page
http://main.acsevents.org/site/TR/DetermiNation/DNFY11National?px=31184056&pg=personal&fr_id=42087
Heart of Hope page
http://www.carasheartofhope.org/donate/
Thanks for reading!
Saturday, March 30, 2013
Game on...seriously, this time
I'm going to be completely honest. Up until now, I felt like training was really cool but not necessarily that important. So the weeks that went by (like last week) that I couldn't run more than one day didn't seem that terrible.
Well, all of sudden it's going to be April on Monday. And all of a sudden, there are only 36 days until Broad Street. It's time to get serious, people. Unless someone is barfing and unable to go to school or childcare at the Y, there are no excuses. GAME ON.
Also, it seems like the weather is going to break next week. I find it very annoying that the one year I set out to achieve a goal that is heavily reliant on the weather, there is snow in late March and the groundhog is still whining about being inaccurate.
So that's it. Weather better, spring break over, hips still hurting (but I'm 35, waiting on that one will not help).
Motivation comes much easier to me if there is something cute and free to go with it, so I found a great blog with free calendar printables. I printed a calendar for April and plan on writing my mileage goal on each day and tracking what I'm doing for the next month.
Here is the link if you need a calendar! There is lots of other free stuff too!
http://theorganisedhousewife.com.au
It's also do or die with the continuous glucose monitor. I've gotten so close so many times and now I have to stop procrastinating. I also found the receipt from LAST YEAR that showed that I spent $352 out of pocket on the stupid thing and haven't used it once. Procrastination. ugh.
Off to run 3 now, old achy hips and all!
Happy Easter!!!
Well, all of sudden it's going to be April on Monday. And all of a sudden, there are only 36 days until Broad Street. It's time to get serious, people. Unless someone is barfing and unable to go to school or childcare at the Y, there are no excuses. GAME ON.
Also, it seems like the weather is going to break next week. I find it very annoying that the one year I set out to achieve a goal that is heavily reliant on the weather, there is snow in late March and the groundhog is still whining about being inaccurate.
So that's it. Weather better, spring break over, hips still hurting (but I'm 35, waiting on that one will not help).
Motivation comes much easier to me if there is something cute and free to go with it, so I found a great blog with free calendar printables. I printed a calendar for April and plan on writing my mileage goal on each day and tracking what I'm doing for the next month.
Here is the link if you need a calendar! There is lots of other free stuff too!
http://theorganisedhousewife.com.au
It's also do or die with the continuous glucose monitor. I've gotten so close so many times and now I have to stop procrastinating. I also found the receipt from LAST YEAR that showed that I spent $352 out of pocket on the stupid thing and haven't used it once. Procrastination. ugh.
Off to run 3 now, old achy hips and all!
Happy Easter!!!
Wednesday, March 13, 2013
Busy Busy Busy
The funniest thing about this whole adventure is what is going along with it!
I definitely consider myself a diabetic, for obvious reasons.
I'm not sure if I would call myself a "runner" yet. I'm excited for this race and I do enjoy running a little (not that much). But I feel like you have to this innate need to run in order to call yourself a runner. I don't have that.
My last label that I'm considering is a "baker". I make cakes for people. So many that I have another blog (www.mysweetdaisycakes.blogspot.com) about those and a recently started facebook page for my little cake biz called "Sweet Daisy Cakes".
So, when you think about it, a Running Diabetic Baker is kind of a hilarious trifecta. There are days when I'm making buttercream after a run and testing my sugar as I'm testing the frosting to make sure its perfect! This occasionally results in perfect buttercream and not-so-perfect blood sugars, but I'm working on that.
Ok, back to running. On Sunday, my husband and I decided to run a 5k in Milton, DE. It was the inaugural St. Patrick's Day run and was followed by beer and a parade, so we didn't need much motivation and the kids loved it. Thanks to my wonderful mom we were able to leave the kids on the sideline while we ran our best times! I was able to run under a 10 minute mile and finished 102 out of 187 and 13th in my age group. My overachiever husband finished 26th overall and 7th in his age group with just over a 7 minute mile...but his legs are way longer than mine...ha ha!!!
5k's are a really good way to get in shape, if you ask me. They are fun, there are usually giveaways and sometimes free beer, there are a ton of different people at different fitness levels, and there is no competition so it's not intimidating. So if you need a goal, this is the perfect time to start working because there are a ton of 5k's now through the fall. Go to races2run.com and you'll find information.
I also ran 5 miles on the treadmill yesterday! It took me 51 and 1/2 minutes and I felt pretty good after! I had to back down my speed on the last two miles but I ran the whole time and realized that Eminem is a really good motivator when you are 3/4 of way through a run/workout. I added "I'm Not Afraid" to my playlist and I don't regret it. I also found a pretty sweet t-shirt that reflects my feelings for my running playlist oh so perfectly. Best part is that it's from a little shop in Philly called Print Liberation (http://store.printliberation.com). I love shopping local small businesses and I love it even more when they come up with stuff like this!
I definitely consider myself a diabetic, for obvious reasons.
I'm not sure if I would call myself a "runner" yet. I'm excited for this race and I do enjoy running a little (not that much). But I feel like you have to this innate need to run in order to call yourself a runner. I don't have that.
My last label that I'm considering is a "baker". I make cakes for people. So many that I have another blog (www.mysweetdaisycakes.blogspot.com) about those and a recently started facebook page for my little cake biz called "Sweet Daisy Cakes".
So, when you think about it, a Running Diabetic Baker is kind of a hilarious trifecta. There are days when I'm making buttercream after a run and testing my sugar as I'm testing the frosting to make sure its perfect! This occasionally results in perfect buttercream and not-so-perfect blood sugars, but I'm working on that.
Ok, back to running. On Sunday, my husband and I decided to run a 5k in Milton, DE. It was the inaugural St. Patrick's Day run and was followed by beer and a parade, so we didn't need much motivation and the kids loved it. Thanks to my wonderful mom we were able to leave the kids on the sideline while we ran our best times! I was able to run under a 10 minute mile and finished 102 out of 187 and 13th in my age group. My overachiever husband finished 26th overall and 7th in his age group with just over a 7 minute mile...but his legs are way longer than mine...ha ha!!!
5k's are a really good way to get in shape, if you ask me. They are fun, there are usually giveaways and sometimes free beer, there are a ton of different people at different fitness levels, and there is no competition so it's not intimidating. So if you need a goal, this is the perfect time to start working because there are a ton of 5k's now through the fall. Go to races2run.com and you'll find information.
I also ran 5 miles on the treadmill yesterday! It took me 51 and 1/2 minutes and I felt pretty good after! I had to back down my speed on the last two miles but I ran the whole time and realized that Eminem is a really good motivator when you are 3/4 of way through a run/workout. I added "I'm Not Afraid" to my playlist and I don't regret it. I also found a pretty sweet t-shirt that reflects my feelings for my running playlist oh so perfectly. Best part is that it's from a little shop in Philly called Print Liberation (http://store.printliberation.com). I love shopping local small businesses and I love it even more when they come up with stuff like this!
My advice this week is to find what makes you feel invincible (and make sure its legal and relatively healthy) and put it into action or put it on a t-shirt or BOTH!
Happy Wednesday!
Monday, February 25, 2013
Such a Big Deal
A few setbacks to my training and progress but nothing major. We had the barf bug sweep through our house impacting all four of the family at some level. So the day I felt good enough to run, the 3 year old was not. And so on and so forth.
I did run outside for the first time and managed to pick the coldest windiest day ever, which resulted in a weak 2 mile run and major pain in my chest, but I did it! woo hoo!
As I'm typing, my screen is significantly blurry since I just returned from the eye doctor. Just a check-up. But for my fellow diabetics, you know this is always a stressful appointment as you wait to hear if this stupid disease has had any impact on your vision that you haven't already noticed. Luckily, I have two healthy eyeballs that will stay that way if I keep the big D in check.
What I found particularly entertaining about this doctor visit was the way my optometrist tried to drop some diabetic knowledge on me. First, he compared me to a Type 2 diabetic. And no disrespect to the Type 2's out there but there's a BIG difference. Then, he decided to let me know that as long as I keep my blood sugars controlled, I can live my entire life with no complications! Breakthrough! I never knew that!!!! That said, I should have expected this input since this is the same doc that told me that the best way to get pregnant is to stop worrying about getting pregnant and just do what you gotta do to make it happen. I'm still having a hard time understanding why he's an optometrist and not a brain surgeon, but I will save that question for my next appointment.
Now, you may be asking why I keep going back to this doctor if he's essentially a tool? And my answer to that is I'm not entirely sure but I think it's due to intrigue and convenience. I'm always anxious to see what he's going to school me on next and he's in a network of doctors that gives me very easy access to specialists in the event that I ever need one. I also have a weird guilt thing about asking to see someone else in the practice. I have a lot of weird guilt issues but I'll start that blog another time :)
The point of my mention of the doctor's appointment, though, is that these appointments always remind me that while I live with this disease every day and it's a part of my life, I can't forget that it's a big deal. All of the little parts of diabetes, when separate, disguise themselves and little details that are easily attended to. It's a pain to test my blood sugar, but it's not that big of a deal. It's annoying to have to be aware of every thing I eat, but it's not that big of deal. But when you take all of the small pieces of the puzzle and put them together - BOOM - big deal. Losing your vision, heart disease, nervous system failure, kidney failure. Big Big Deal.
So, if you are battling a health issue, whether it's diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol, cancer, immune diseases, etc., don't forget that it's a big deal. Don't take a few days off from being healthy or improving your health because you deserve it. You owe it to yourself keep at it full-time. And if you have happen to fall off the wagon due to some evil carb-heavy culinary delight, don't forget to jump back on as quickly as possible. Because you are worth it and that's what you deserve. And if you don't believe that, then talk to the people that love you. They will remind you.
Back to running tomorrow.
Peace out.
I did run outside for the first time and managed to pick the coldest windiest day ever, which resulted in a weak 2 mile run and major pain in my chest, but I did it! woo hoo!
As I'm typing, my screen is significantly blurry since I just returned from the eye doctor. Just a check-up. But for my fellow diabetics, you know this is always a stressful appointment as you wait to hear if this stupid disease has had any impact on your vision that you haven't already noticed. Luckily, I have two healthy eyeballs that will stay that way if I keep the big D in check.
What I found particularly entertaining about this doctor visit was the way my optometrist tried to drop some diabetic knowledge on me. First, he compared me to a Type 2 diabetic. And no disrespect to the Type 2's out there but there's a BIG difference. Then, he decided to let me know that as long as I keep my blood sugars controlled, I can live my entire life with no complications! Breakthrough! I never knew that!!!! That said, I should have expected this input since this is the same doc that told me that the best way to get pregnant is to stop worrying about getting pregnant and just do what you gotta do to make it happen. I'm still having a hard time understanding why he's an optometrist and not a brain surgeon, but I will save that question for my next appointment.
Now, you may be asking why I keep going back to this doctor if he's essentially a tool? And my answer to that is I'm not entirely sure but I think it's due to intrigue and convenience. I'm always anxious to see what he's going to school me on next and he's in a network of doctors that gives me very easy access to specialists in the event that I ever need one. I also have a weird guilt thing about asking to see someone else in the practice. I have a lot of weird guilt issues but I'll start that blog another time :)
The point of my mention of the doctor's appointment, though, is that these appointments always remind me that while I live with this disease every day and it's a part of my life, I can't forget that it's a big deal. All of the little parts of diabetes, when separate, disguise themselves and little details that are easily attended to. It's a pain to test my blood sugar, but it's not that big of a deal. It's annoying to have to be aware of every thing I eat, but it's not that big of deal. But when you take all of the small pieces of the puzzle and put them together - BOOM - big deal. Losing your vision, heart disease, nervous system failure, kidney failure. Big Big Deal.
So, if you are battling a health issue, whether it's diabetes, high blood pressure, cholesterol, cancer, immune diseases, etc., don't forget that it's a big deal. Don't take a few days off from being healthy or improving your health because you deserve it. You owe it to yourself keep at it full-time. And if you have happen to fall off the wagon due to some evil carb-heavy culinary delight, don't forget to jump back on as quickly as possible. Because you are worth it and that's what you deserve. And if you don't believe that, then talk to the people that love you. They will remind you.
Back to running tomorrow.
Peace out.
Monday, February 11, 2013
Feeling It...
With my husband out of town for 6 consecutive days, I was presented with a bit of a challenge with my progress. Lack of sleep. When he travels, I don't sleep much. I am exhausted by 8pm and then by 9pm, I'm hit with a anxious second wind that keeps me up until midnight. This is typically followed by the dog barking to be let out at 3am or a child crying due to the non-existent wind. Miraculously, I was still able to run this week. I even managed a Saturday run, which is just unheard of in my world!
Running update
One very exciting thing happened this week. I actually felt good while I was running. This may sound bizarre but its very true for me. I am a generally fit person. I'm 5' 3.5" tall (I usually get a snicker from the nurse when I add an extra 1/2 an inch, but when you are short, it counts!) and around 127 pounds. I would say that I'm strong but not fast. I guess endurance is my strong suit but speed is not. That is a lot of information to share, but my point is that, no matter how strong or fast or fit you are, if you keep making your body do stuff, your body will adjust eventually and what hurt a lot at first, will get easier and easier and you may actually find yourself wanting more (that is very unintentionally dirty sounding).
On Saturday I ran 4 miles and I found myself wanting to run further. I couldn't because of an impending 3 year old floor hockey game, but it was a really good feeling to want to keep going. It made me feel like 10 miles is actually possible. Not that I didn't think it was possible before. Now I also feel like it's possible.
Diabetes Update
From a diabetes perspective, I'm really looking forward to sending blood sugars to my endo's office this week. They are much more predictable now that I'm running regularly, and I haven't told them I'm running Broad Street yet and I know they are going to be excited for me! Also, my next 3 month appointment is 2 days before the run. I have an amazing endocrinologist. He's happy and supportive and loves my kids.
Diabetes Challenge
One Type 1 challenge that I'm constantly facing is recording my blood sugars when I test. It's a habit that I never got into as an adult (unless I was pregnant) and after downloading apps and trying notebooks, I still struggle with it. And while my meter and my pump have a memory, it doesn't really help if there are no patterns to look at. So that will be my goal for this week. To record before every meal, minimally. Hopefully at similar times each day. So I'm going "old school" and filling out the sheet from the office. Gotta start somewhere!
Have a great week!!!
Thursday, February 7, 2013
I forgot one thing...
I am the type of person that gets REALLY excited about the prospect of a new challenge. I get REALLY REALLY excited in the beginning and I do things like start blogs and buy new gear and join groups. AND THEN, I remember that I have two kids and a husband that depend on me for a lot of stuff!
So, this week has flown by but quite a few good things have happened. I started running on the indoor track at the Y and am now enjoying that much more than the treadmill. Next goal is to get outside but it's still just too cold for me.
I'm getting the hang of my blood sugars before and after working out but I still haven't hooked up the Continuous Glucose Monitor, which seems to be something that is very easy to avoid.
I've officially suffered my first running injury (snicker, snicker). I decided last Thursday to drop my son off at pre-school and head the Y for a quick run before I ran to my daughter's school to volunteer. All of this craziness entailed showering at the Y. Now, the locker room at the Y deserves an entire blog post to itself, so I won't go into detail about that, for now.
After showering on this particular Thursday, I opened my locker (picture top and bottom 1/2 lockers with thick plastic doors) and then dropped something. I bent down to get it and stood right back up and immediately heard the crack of the corner of the locker door on the back of my head. That was not as loud as me yelling a "not-so-family-friendly" word several times. Luckily, I was by myself. Well, assuming that I wasn't going to lose consciousness and assuming that people were not walking to the door to the locker room and turning on their heels upon hearing the crazy lady yelling obscenities. After sitting for a moment and finding a grape sized lump on the back of my head, I proceeded to finish my routine while chatting with the seniors and acting like I didn't want to start crying in pain. Still made it to Meg's school on time and pop two Advil on the way.
Most runners twist something, tweek something, pull something. Not me. I just sustain minor head injuries after showering. And while I know this is not a "true injury", I just thought I would convey a little bit about myself by telling a story that is just so typical for my life and quite possibly the reason I have never been a competitive athlete. Grace is clearly not my middle name.
Following the "locker incident", we had a crazy busy weekend that included skating competitions, school dances, first hockey games and a date night. Woo hoo! And that is when I was reminded of how life can sometimes be a challenge when you are trying to achieve your fitness goals. I was also reminded of how much I love my family and that I'm so excited to run this race with my husband that no matter how busy life can get, it can't keep me from achieving my goal!
So, this week has flown by but quite a few good things have happened. I started running on the indoor track at the Y and am now enjoying that much more than the treadmill. Next goal is to get outside but it's still just too cold for me.
I'm getting the hang of my blood sugars before and after working out but I still haven't hooked up the Continuous Glucose Monitor, which seems to be something that is very easy to avoid.
I've officially suffered my first running injury (snicker, snicker). I decided last Thursday to drop my son off at pre-school and head the Y for a quick run before I ran to my daughter's school to volunteer. All of this craziness entailed showering at the Y. Now, the locker room at the Y deserves an entire blog post to itself, so I won't go into detail about that, for now.
After showering on this particular Thursday, I opened my locker (picture top and bottom 1/2 lockers with thick plastic doors) and then dropped something. I bent down to get it and stood right back up and immediately heard the crack of the corner of the locker door on the back of my head. That was not as loud as me yelling a "not-so-family-friendly" word several times. Luckily, I was by myself. Well, assuming that I wasn't going to lose consciousness and assuming that people were not walking to the door to the locker room and turning on their heels upon hearing the crazy lady yelling obscenities. After sitting for a moment and finding a grape sized lump on the back of my head, I proceeded to finish my routine while chatting with the seniors and acting like I didn't want to start crying in pain. Still made it to Meg's school on time and pop two Advil on the way.
Most runners twist something, tweek something, pull something. Not me. I just sustain minor head injuries after showering. And while I know this is not a "true injury", I just thought I would convey a little bit about myself by telling a story that is just so typical for my life and quite possibly the reason I have never been a competitive athlete. Grace is clearly not my middle name.
Following the "locker incident", we had a crazy busy weekend that included skating competitions, school dances, first hockey games and a date night. Woo hoo! And that is when I was reminded of how life can sometimes be a challenge when you are trying to achieve your fitness goals. I was also reminded of how much I love my family and that I'm so excited to run this race with my husband that no matter how busy life can get, it can't keep me from achieving my goal!
Wednesday, January 30, 2013
Do What you Do
The Monday/Thursday posting plan is quickly going out the window. I like to talk too much and when I'm home during nap time, I have no one to talk to. So this is my outlet.
Today I did a little cross training at the Y. 20 minutes on the Arc Trainer, which is kind of like an elliptical but a little harder, in my opinion. What I like about the Arc is that I can put good music on and kind of exercise to the beat of the song since the machine is very rhythmic and you can slow down and speed up at any point during your workout. If I could, I would totally dance around the gym and lip sync to my music. But I don't want to be the crazy lady at the gym so the Arc Trainer is going to have to do. I also did a few nautilus exercises to build back and ab muscles.
While jamming on the Arc, I noticed a man in front of me on the treadmill. He was running and watching the Kathie Lee and Hoda show on the personal tv attached to his machine. Assuming that he knew that he could change the channel and watch whatever program he wanted, I found myself being proud of him for not being embarrassed of his viewing choice. That is pretty much the worst show on TV during the 10am hour but he didn't care. He was getting his fix of over 50 women drinking wine at 10am. But, for whatever reason, he is into it enough to run to it so good for him! Do what you do!
He did look at me when he got off the treadmill as if to say, "don't judge." Little did he know that I was doing just the opposite and, resisting the urge to pat him on the back and said "good job!" for shamelessly watching terrible talk TV while running.
My long drawn out point is that it doesn't matter what your "thing" is. If you are doing something to make yourself or others better, then do it! If you like wearing cut -off denim shorts to the gym, do it! If you enjoy watching Anderson Cooper sort out the problems of Honey Boo Boo's family unit while you cycle, go for it. If you are into wearing the same thing to the gym every day (talking to you, dude in the gray hoodie), then just make sure you wash said clothing item on a regular basis, and do it!
I, personally, like to fake dance on the Arc Trainer and I have to say that I'm pretty darn good at it!
Do what you do!
Today I did a little cross training at the Y. 20 minutes on the Arc Trainer, which is kind of like an elliptical but a little harder, in my opinion. What I like about the Arc is that I can put good music on and kind of exercise to the beat of the song since the machine is very rhythmic and you can slow down and speed up at any point during your workout. If I could, I would totally dance around the gym and lip sync to my music. But I don't want to be the crazy lady at the gym so the Arc Trainer is going to have to do. I also did a few nautilus exercises to build back and ab muscles.
While jamming on the Arc, I noticed a man in front of me on the treadmill. He was running and watching the Kathie Lee and Hoda show on the personal tv attached to his machine. Assuming that he knew that he could change the channel and watch whatever program he wanted, I found myself being proud of him for not being embarrassed of his viewing choice. That is pretty much the worst show on TV during the 10am hour but he didn't care. He was getting his fix of over 50 women drinking wine at 10am. But, for whatever reason, he is into it enough to run to it so good for him! Do what you do!
He did look at me when he got off the treadmill as if to say, "don't judge." Little did he know that I was doing just the opposite and, resisting the urge to pat him on the back and said "good job!" for shamelessly watching terrible talk TV while running.
My long drawn out point is that it doesn't matter what your "thing" is. If you are doing something to make yourself or others better, then do it! If you like wearing cut -off denim shorts to the gym, do it! If you enjoy watching Anderson Cooper sort out the problems of Honey Boo Boo's family unit while you cycle, go for it. If you are into wearing the same thing to the gym every day (talking to you, dude in the gray hoodie), then just make sure you wash said clothing item on a regular basis, and do it!
I, personally, like to fake dance on the Arc Trainer and I have to say that I'm pretty darn good at it!
Do what you do!
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
Here's a little bit of awesome for a Tuesday
I was going to write a motivational post about why you should do what you should do. But then I saw this on Facebook. He said it all. I LOVE this kid. Kid President.
http://youtu.be/l-gQLqv9f4o
LIKE A BOSS!
http://youtu.be/l-gQLqv9f4o
LIKE A BOSS!
Monday, January 28, 2013
Happy Monday!
We are starting the week with a snow day which was not part of my plan. The good news is that my plan is to run Tuesday/Thursday/Friday anyway, so Monday workouts are a bonus. I'm embarrassed to admit that I got sucked into the Brazilian Butt Lift infomercial last year AND I ordered it! As you can probably guess, I never used it, so maybe that will be a part of this cold, rainy, icy snow day. While I'm certainly not Brazilian, I would not mind if my butt looked it it was : )
And speaking of butts, other good news is that my "fanny pack" came. I really need a cool new term for this thing since we are going to be spending a lot of time together. Maybe I'll call it the Brazilian Butt Pack (BBP). But seriously, it's perfect! It fits very snug and just enough room for what I need. Its the Ifitness Ultimate Race Belt II. I ordered it through Amazon after reading lots of reviews and this was the one that looked the best for me. It was $33.45, with shipping and PA tax, which is more than what I wanted to spend but I also wanted something that would last. There is a zipper pouch that will fit my phone tester and pump along with 5 elastic bands that will hold running gels. I will update on Thursday after I actually run with it.
Here is a pic with my pump clipped and my CGM in the pouch. My phone fits with the CGM but I needed it to take the picture. They come in black with lots of different accent color options for the zipper and such.
And speaking of butts, other good news is that my "fanny pack" came. I really need a cool new term for this thing since we are going to be spending a lot of time together. Maybe I'll call it the Brazilian Butt Pack (BBP). But seriously, it's perfect! It fits very snug and just enough room for what I need. Its the Ifitness Ultimate Race Belt II. I ordered it through Amazon after reading lots of reviews and this was the one that looked the best for me. It was $33.45, with shipping and PA tax, which is more than what I wanted to spend but I also wanted something that would last. There is a zipper pouch that will fit my phone tester and pump along with 5 elastic bands that will hold running gels. I will update on Thursday after I actually run with it.
Here is a pic with my pump clipped and my CGM in the pouch. My phone fits with the CGM but I needed it to take the picture. They come in black with lots of different accent color options for the zipper and such.
Bad news of the weekend is that I forgot to pack my CGM for the beach so I'll be working on that this week.
We made a quick stop at the Under Armor and I left with a few things for running but overall no great finds. I did get two pairs of shorts for under $8 though...woo hoo!
Now I just need to make sure that school is in session for tomorrow and week will be back on track! See you on Thursday!
Friday, January 25, 2013
It's the Freakin Weekend!
No running for the weekend...we are spending it at the beach and its 15F outside and no treadmill. The drive down was brutal. Snow, bad drivers, and more snow. I did make it to the Y this morning and ran a total of 2.5 miles with intermittent walking AND did a little weight training. I decided not to drink coffee before running today. Still confident in that decision : )
I'm slightly addicted to Luna Bars. Great for counting carbs and not a ton of calories and very yummy. They make a protein bar version but there are only 3 additional grams of protein and the regular bars taste better. My challenge right now is that I'm starting with a high blood sugar and ending with a low. 200 bg to start and 54 right after. Need to find a way to meet in the middle.
My plan for next week is to run on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. These are the days my 3 year old is in pre-school. I may try to cross-train on one of the other days but we'll see. I'm also going to try to run 2.5 consecutive miles next week on Tues/Thurs and 3 on Friday. Slow and steady.
Now to the fun stuff...heading to the Under Armour outlet tomorrow to get some new running gear...Best part of running is looking good doing it!!! And all of the health stuff and exercise too, of course :)
Going forward, I'll be posting on Mondays and Thursdays and only in between if something major happens. (like new running shoes)
Enjoy your weekend!
I'm slightly addicted to Luna Bars. Great for counting carbs and not a ton of calories and very yummy. They make a protein bar version but there are only 3 additional grams of protein and the regular bars taste better. My challenge right now is that I'm starting with a high blood sugar and ending with a low. 200 bg to start and 54 right after. Need to find a way to meet in the middle.
My plan for next week is to run on Tuesday, Thursday and Friday. These are the days my 3 year old is in pre-school. I may try to cross-train on one of the other days but we'll see. I'm also going to try to run 2.5 consecutive miles next week on Tues/Thurs and 3 on Friday. Slow and steady.
Now to the fun stuff...heading to the Under Armour outlet tomorrow to get some new running gear...Best part of running is looking good doing it!!! And all of the health stuff and exercise too, of course :)
Going forward, I'll be posting on Mondays and Thursdays and only in between if something major happens. (like new running shoes)
Enjoy your weekend!
Thursday, January 24, 2013
Big Day
Race registration...check
Order running pack (it makes me feel better if I don't have to call it a fanny pack) to hold diabetes supplies...check
Blog in progress...check
Now...what's next...oh, right...I need to run...
Keeping in mind that I have not been to the gym since November, my start was very, very slow. 5 minutes walking with incline of 5 on the treadmill (3mph), followed by 10 minutes of running at 6mph, 5 minutes at 3mph, then 10 minutes at 6mph followed by a cool down. So total of 2 miles running.
Who was it that said "slow and steady wins the race?", a turtle...my hero, the turtle...I may need to seek out a new hero.
Good take-aways from today are as follows:
1. Drinking coffee before running is a bad idea.
2. You must walk before you can run, literally.
3. I used my phone note tab to record my blood sugar before and after the run and any adjustments to my pump, along with distance and speed info. And since I use my phone for music, I recorded everything before I even got off of the treadmill.
4. Key playlist songs include "All the Above" by T-Pain and Maino (it's rap but it's awesome and the Phillies used it to warm up), "Hall of Fame" by the Script, "Run This Town" by Rihanna and JayZ. Those are just a few of my favorites.
The plan for this weekend is to get the CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitor) up and running, or should I say on and running. My goal is to run with it on in the race with my trusty fanny pack, I mean running pack : )
I also have a feeling that bedtime is going to be getting earlier and earlier, so goodnight for now!
Order running pack (it makes me feel better if I don't have to call it a fanny pack) to hold diabetes supplies...check
Blog in progress...check
Now...what's next...oh, right...I need to run...
Keeping in mind that I have not been to the gym since November, my start was very, very slow. 5 minutes walking with incline of 5 on the treadmill (3mph), followed by 10 minutes of running at 6mph, 5 minutes at 3mph, then 10 minutes at 6mph followed by a cool down. So total of 2 miles running.
Who was it that said "slow and steady wins the race?", a turtle...my hero, the turtle...I may need to seek out a new hero.
Good take-aways from today are as follows:
1. Drinking coffee before running is a bad idea.
2. You must walk before you can run, literally.
3. I used my phone note tab to record my blood sugar before and after the run and any adjustments to my pump, along with distance and speed info. And since I use my phone for music, I recorded everything before I even got off of the treadmill.
4. Key playlist songs include "All the Above" by T-Pain and Maino (it's rap but it's awesome and the Phillies used it to warm up), "Hall of Fame" by the Script, "Run This Town" by Rihanna and JayZ. Those are just a few of my favorites.
The plan for this weekend is to get the CGM (Continuous Glucose Monitor) up and running, or should I say on and running. My goal is to run with it on in the race with my trusty fanny pack, I mean running pack : )
I also have a feeling that bedtime is going to be getting earlier and earlier, so goodnight for now!
Wednesday, January 23, 2013
Today I decided to run the Broad Street Run in Philadelphia. I will raise $500. I will train for 12 weeks. And I will finish. All with type 1 diabetes.
I've never considered life with Type 1 to be too difficult. I just had to commit to it. I had to accept the fact that I would always have to pay attention to what I eat or I would suffer the consequences. And for lots of reasons, I'm thankful that I have it. I've never been overweight, I have two wonderful children that I was able to give birth to with no complications and I have an amazing husband who has learned to accept that I get really mad at him when my blood sugar is really low.
The one thing that I've always avoided is running any more than a 5k race. I've been worried about my blood sugar dropping or spiking at any point during the race and ruining the whole experience for me. Then I realized that I can do it as long as I train differently. I can't just follow a training regimen from the internet. I can't just run each day and change my diet slightly. I need to Type 1 train.
Why do I want to do this? I have a tendency to strive to do things that either I think I can't do, or that other people think I can't do. And while no one has said that I can't do this, the thought crossed my mind that I may not be able to do it and so was born my motivation.
So today is the first day of figuring out how to do it! I thought I would keep track for the benefit of those who may want to do the same thing. Ironically, I had an appointment with my endocrinologist yesterday (best endo in the business - Dr. Ripu Hundal at First State Endocrinology). My A1C is at 7.2. and all other bloodwork came back normal. I'm working at getting my A1C into the 6 range and hopefully training will help with that as well. I'm excited to see the overall effects of training to see if its beneficial to my overall well-being.
Of course, I have no medical background whatsoever so anyone reading this should know that I'm not giving medical advice in any way shape or form. Always consult your doctor before beginning any exercise program, especially if you are a Type 1 diabetic. This blog is strictly for me to record my experience and, hopefully, my accomplishments!
So today, I am going to get familiar with a few "normal" training programs and see how I may need to adjust them. I also need to find some sort of running "fanny pack" since I will need to run with a blood glucose monitor and some sort of glucose packs in case of low blood sugar while I'm running. My plan is to train with that so its normal for me on race day.
The one thing that I've always avoided is running any more than a 5k race. I've been worried about my blood sugar dropping or spiking at any point during the race and ruining the whole experience for me. Then I realized that I can do it as long as I train differently. I can't just follow a training regimen from the internet. I can't just run each day and change my diet slightly. I need to Type 1 train.
Why do I want to do this? I have a tendency to strive to do things that either I think I can't do, or that other people think I can't do. And while no one has said that I can't do this, the thought crossed my mind that I may not be able to do it and so was born my motivation.
So today is the first day of figuring out how to do it! I thought I would keep track for the benefit of those who may want to do the same thing. Ironically, I had an appointment with my endocrinologist yesterday (best endo in the business - Dr. Ripu Hundal at First State Endocrinology). My A1C is at 7.2. and all other bloodwork came back normal. I'm working at getting my A1C into the 6 range and hopefully training will help with that as well. I'm excited to see the overall effects of training to see if its beneficial to my overall well-being.
Of course, I have no medical background whatsoever so anyone reading this should know that I'm not giving medical advice in any way shape or form. Always consult your doctor before beginning any exercise program, especially if you are a Type 1 diabetic. This blog is strictly for me to record my experience and, hopefully, my accomplishments!
So today, I am going to get familiar with a few "normal" training programs and see how I may need to adjust them. I also need to find some sort of running "fanny pack" since I will need to run with a blood glucose monitor and some sort of glucose packs in case of low blood sugar while I'm running. My plan is to train with that so its normal for me on race day.
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