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