Brain Damage

I am pretty sure that something is going wrong with my brain training for this ironman is tripping me out.

I keep thinking to myself "Dave you need to go for a run" or "Dude drink some water, you don't want to be dehydrated" Seriously who thinks like this? "Do I have my running gear with me?" "Maybe I'll stumble into someone who wants to go for a run" I feel like an addict. From what I can see it is only going to get worse. There seems to be this whole subculture of weirdos who run all the time and try to stay in great shape. They have all their own gear and lingo and I assume they think they are the coolest people out there like every other subculture, but tights and short shorts? yeah. Can some one please help me before this crazy running thing takes over my life and I become one of them?

Dave Did a Duathlon

After reading my brother's comments on Wide Open, I just had to give him some credit. since he called me a warrior I'll just have to let everyone out there know that he is a true hero. Heros do amazing things like save the same idiot's life over and over and over again. They also see and pull the potential out of people like me when no one would consider it. Nate has been pushing me to take care of myself for years, which had to be hard when I was refusing to listen. Anyway two Novembers ago he signed our friend Skud, himself and me up for an adventure duathlon. It almost killed me. My blood sugar was all over the place and I even cramped and fell off my bike during the race. After being roped into this Triabetes Ironman by Steve Ahn I decided we should try the duathlon again this past November. This year's race started out so much better. Skud gave me a heart rate monitor as a prerace gift. It was a great excuse to slow down. My heart rate seemed a little high, but when you are running and biking up a mountain it seems normal to be working hard, right? So, the first hour was great and the second hour wans't so bad. My blood sugar during the entire 5 and a half hour race was between 89 and 132! But, by the third hour I was hurting. Wait, something besides my diabetes was slowing me down? Sweet. Apparently I have much to learn about how to keep my body going for hours at a time. Loading up on gels and powerbars and gatorade did a fine job on my sugar, but my muscles were trying to cramp from the fourth hour on. And we just kept pushing. I never had a wreck and I told my son Elias that we have to have helmets in case we wreck. Well, as Icrossed the finish line and pulledinto the parking lot both of my quads locked up and Elias got to see me use my helmet. I laid there for at least 5 minutes totally immobilized and hurting, bad. Nate and Skud wandered off to try and find something for me to drink. Finally a racer from another team that had obviously finished much earlier came to my rescue. All I needed was a massage.

Beautiful Eyes

I went to the eye doctor yesterday and Dr. Sullivan was confident that my eyes look great. I've been praying for them a ton recently because so many diabetics that I know are having trouble with their eyes. It's not that I didn't use to pray for them much- I have just stepped it up a bit-

Honestly I can't imagine having a disease like this and not praying for myself, sounds crazy. Say what you want but my eyes are doing great after 28 years with diabetes, and it's not like I have been taking any other protective measures seriously until recently with all this new exercise and sugar testing. The doc said that the exercising is already paying off because my vision has actually improved since last year.

Can things get better?

Yes, I swam half a mile this morning. I'm starting to feel less like I'm about to drown all the time.

No but really look at my pretty eyes!

Wide Open (Tear Jerker ) see my bros comments

I've been a diabetic since I was 2 and there are tons of great reasons to train for and do this Ironman. Most of those reasons involve the people that have helped me deal with this disease.
I am opening up this blog for comments. How has living with a diabetic affected all of you?
How would it change us if we could build an artificial pancrease? Isn't that what this is all about?
I love all of you thanks for being here for me.

I RAN FOR 2 HOURS!

MORE ON THIS LATER, BUT I RAN FOR 2 HOURS THIS MORNING.
THAT'S LIKE 10 MILES!
I'M SO PUMPED
Check my comment for the details and the link to the triabetes sight for the reason why I am doing this to myself.

What's up with my Heart Rate?

My good friend Skud gave me a nice timex watch and a heart rate monitor before a race we were in back in November.

I think my average heart rate during the 5 and a half hour race was around 160.

Since then I've done a little research but much of it contradicts itself.

The past two runs I've taken have been a little disturbing because I ran with different groups of people and they were both concerned with how high my heart rate stays.

How high is too high? What am I supposed to do about it?

Just as a guess- I will get all kinds of different advice on this and just pick the one I like best.

Don't we have a team Doctor? Maybe I should talk to him.

Triabetes Triathlete

I would like everyone to know how great I feel.

I have gotten into a workout groove.

I ran with John and Steve on Saturday about 5 or 6 miles (till my knee started hurting)

I got on the bike trainer for an hour on Sunday afternoon.

I took a break on Monday.

Tuesday Morning I swam until I wanted to drown- at least 20 minutes?

Yesterday I went for about a 5 mile run in the barely above freezing rain. It was one of the best runs I've ever had no knee pain at all. I felt pretty strong. and my blood sugar only dropped to 46- no wonder I felt so good.

This morning I got up at 5 and got on the trainer for 45 minutes. If I had known there would be no school today I could have gone longer. I just went slow and kept my heart rate around 140.

I think you got this but in the past 3 days I have swam, biked, and run.

Its like training for a Triathlon or something.

Life is good.

A visit to the Doctor

I scheduled a visit to the eye doctor.

I know it's supposed to be one of those normal things that diabetics do, but

I don't like going to the doctor.

I hate going to the doctor.

Not that you doctors out there are bad people, I'm sure most of you are great. I've even had great doctors. I just don't like seeing you in your offices.

I'm always concerned that there will be some new bad news.

That I should have somehow prevented by doing all those things the doctor always tells you to do.

Keep your sugar down.

Take care of your feet.

Test your sugar more often.

Do a better job counting your carbs.

Please pay on your way out and come see me again soon so I can tell you the same things and ask you for another $300.



Now that I am actually starting to take care of myself it seems like I would be excited about going to the doctor.



For some reason I just don't want to go.
But I'm not just a diabetic. I'm part of Team Triabetes. (Just sticking the name in there)

Off my butt and into the pool

I've smelled like chlorine all day. What a great smell. I have been running and biking a bit, but not as much as I probably should.

I just have those mornings when an extra hour of sleep seems like the right thing to do.

I think I need to post my workout schedule and somehow let people know what I do everyday.

That might help,

Anyway I'll tell you what did work this morning.

I met my friend Jake before work- not so easy to skip a workout when someone else is meeting you.

Today was my second swim in the pool and it's been a while since the first. I had no idea it was so hard. I got winded after just 25 meters, and only swam 50 without stopping just once.

Jake tried to tell me I would have to swim an equivilent of about 80 laps to... blah blah blah... and I just quit listening.

It would be nice to find a pool I can legally swim in without paying anything.

I'd let you know where I swam this morning, but then I'd have to kill you. (also illegal)

By the way, tomorrow I am running with a few friends. Can't back out.

Did I mention I'm a member of Team Triabetes?

I am

Lowboy

I'm supposed to be running right now.
Lowboy showed up and I just don't care.
I'll try to chase him off and run later.
More on Lowboy later- he is my nemisis.

A quick Intro

Before we get too deep into this whole training thing, I'd like to let everyone know where I'm coming from.
I'm a life long diabetic- age 30 diagnosed at 2
I've been somewhat athletic my entire life.
I tried to play football in high school but diabetes got in the way-not to mention i stunk
I wrestled and was ok most of the time for that sport.
I never liked running
I went mountain biking a few times as a kid.
I've never been on a road bike except to test one at the store the other day.
I grew up on a river wakeboarding and skiing. You have to be able to swim if you don't wear a lifejacket all the time.
I taught myself to snowboard in college and go every chance I get- about once a year.
So I used to be in decent shape but I have never attempted anything like this.
I couldn't pass it up. Steve made it sound like such a great oppurtunity and I was questioning in my mind and out loud with Emily (my amazing wife- dude I seriously swam upstream on that one-which makes me think I can definately swim flat for 2.4 miles) and Emily pulls an Adrian and goes "Dave you can do this." I'm too much of a dedicated Rocky fan for that not to work.
So now I'm in. I am going to do the Ironman.
Because...
diabetics can
my family needs me to be healthy
those insurance companies need to see how much stuff we really use
I will eventually run my big mouth about my views on research
I am sure God has me here for reasons I can't even forsee
I'm In

I'm Bigger Than Before

So, Thanksgiving went pretty well.
I got on my mountain bike twice the day before and rode for about half an hour each.
Thanksgiving Day I ran with my brother, Nate, for over an hour.
The day after Thanksgiving I went on a bike ride that lasted over an hour and incluede some brutal hills.
I'm sure I burned more than a days worth of calories there, but
I also ate a ton and went to watch Appalachian win their first playoff game of the year on Saturday instead of working out, sorry.
At this point in my training I need to work on the discipline, huh?

Thanksgiving

I worked out the morning before thanksgiving and I plan to work out the day after thanksgiving so I'm thinking that since tomorrow is Thanksgiving ... well
It's not ok to forget that I'm a diabetic for a day is it?

Ok, well on days like tomorrow I just figure being a diabetic is all about doing a little extra math.

Have a great Thanksgiving,

Dave

How does this thing work?

I'm about as good at blogging as I am a triathlete.
at least practice makes you better.