WHEN MOST PEOPLE RECEIVE A DIAGNOSIS OF DIABETES, their response usually isn’t to sign up for a 42-kilometre run. Not so for Kelly Caldwell. When the 24-year-old from Calgary found out in 2002 that she has type 1 diabetes, she determined that the disease was not going to put a dent in her very active lifestyle. Not only did she run her first Team Diabetes marathon in Amsterdam just one year after her diagnosis, this spring Caldwell will run a second fundraising marathon for the Canadian Diabetes Association in Rome.
An important part of being smart when you have diabetes and are extremely active is extra monitoring to ensure your blood glucose levels stay in the target range. Caldwell monitors herself every 45 minutes toan hour when she’s running, as well as before and after a run.The longer the run, the more she tests.“Right away I made a conscious decision not to ask‘Why me?’ or say ‘Poor me,’ ” she says. “I really think that diabetes isn’t something that limits you.You can do what you want to do, play the sports you want to play – just be smart about it.”
When Caldwell runs, she carries a water bottle in her backpack along with her monitor, syringes, needles, vials of insulin and instant sugar in the side pockets. She simply stops by the side of the road and tests herself, although in winter the monitor can sometimes get too cold to function properly. While testing takes time off the race, she says it’s worth it.
In the beginning stages of training, it is important to test more often to learn how your body reacts to different things, different routines, different lengths of exercise. “Testing a lot while trying anything new is crucial,” says Caldwell. “This way you learn how your body reacts and will know what to expect. It’s important to be really aware of your body and glucose levels. If you document what happens during a 5 K run, then in a month you’ll know what’s going to happen during a race.”
Triathlete Jim Molyneux, who has type 1 diabetes, concurs. “You’ve got to be really careful,” he says.“When you train, you try out everything because you don’t want any surprises. You’re constantly experimenting to see how much sugar that sports drink and those supplements have and how much glucose you need at a particular time.”
An athletic accountant, Molyneux was 46 in 1996 when he first started competing in triathlon sprints, which consisted of a 750-metre swim, 20-kilometre bike ride and five to eight-kilometre run. Because of his extreme activity level, Molyneux needs to test his blood glucose 15 times a day and takes four insulin injections daily. The Inglewood, Ontario, resident has competed in two Ironman races (3.86-kilometre swim, 180-kilometre bike ride and 42.2-kilometre run) for Team Diabetes (2001 and 2003), raising $120,000 for the Canadian Diabetes Association in the process. “It’s a tough disease,” he says, “and anything I can do to get exposure and raise funds for it, I will.”
After the race
Late-onset hypoglycemia (low blood glucose), which can occur six to 24 hours after exercising, is one of themost dangerous threats for athletes with diabetes. That’s why it is imperative to test frequently. “If I do an extreme workout, I usually test in the middle of the night (to detect any major changes in blood glucose),” says Molyneux. “Another tip is to eat a longer-lasting snack before going to sleep, such as a bagel with peanut butter, which slows down the glucose going into your system.”
Caldwell’s advice to would-be athletes is to talk to your healthcare provider before significantly upping your activity level because your medication needs may change as your fitness level improves and your body fat decreases. In particular, your insulin needs on the day of major events, such as a marathon, should be discussed with your healthcare team.
“You have to build up and know how your body reacts to long-distance running,” says Caldwell, “but it is completely doable for just about anybody.”
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