Peter's Team Diabetes Triathlon (and formerly Marathon) Blog

As I prepare for the New York City marathon I am motivated by the legacy of Terry Fox. Even though he had lost a leg to cancer, he ran the equivalent of a marathon a day for the better part of a year. Here is a picture of me participating in the Confederation Bridge run to honour the 25th anniversary of the Terry Fox Marathon of Hope. I ran from the Prince Edward Island side of the bridge to the New Brunswick side (about 13K). Close to 12,000 people of all ages particpated in this fun run/walk. As always, I proudly wore my Team Diabetes singlet and along the way I talked with several people who were interested to know about Team D.

Didn't feel great today but got out for a run anyway. As often happens, I felt good once I got going and now I'm happy I went. Another beautiful day with temp just about zero but a reasonably strong breeze. I like the weekend runs because I usually get to use my son's iPod and I find it a lot easier to run while listening to tunes.

Put together the first of my fundraising request packages today and will be starting to distribute them this week. The golden rule for fundraisers is "Just Ask" so I am planning to contact virtually everyone I know to seek their support. $5000 is a lot of money for one person to raise but diabetes research and education is a great cause. I have faith that I'll be able to do it.

Yippee - the weekend is at hand. Today's weather certainly challenged my motivation - its about -20c with the windchill but I managed to work up the nerve to go out at lunch and feel better for doing so. A tip I read recently was to run into the wind on the way out for your run so that it's at your back on the way home. I followed that advice today and will attest to its wisdom.

Busy weekend ahead - skiing tomorrow and (hopefully) a 10K run on Sunday.

Almost ready to send out my first fundraising requests. My "case for support" is, I hope, compelling. With a son and a brother living with Type 1 and me living with Type 2 it's pretty obvious why diabetes education and research are important to me. The Canadian Diabetes Association already has the web donation site activated for me - anyone interested to donate this way should email me and I can explain how to access it.

So far, everyone I have told has been very encouraging about me running the NYC marathon. Hopefully that enthusiasm will translate into financial support as well !!

Did a nice 35 minute run at noon hour today. I'm still a few weeks away from starting into my formal training program. Plan is to work towards the Fredericton Half Marathon in May and then build from there to the full marathon in November.

I love the music of the Mamas and Papas, including the song that is the title of today's blog.

Another great day. Did a 5-6 K run at lunch, about 35 minutes. First half was straight uphill but interestingly, my time from the turnaround to the finish was almost identical. Weird.

Hoping to have my fundraising activities started before the end of the week. I've prepared a brochure explaining what I am up to and will have cover letters ready to go soon as well. Then they're off to the mail box and I'll be waiting to see whether they generate the level of support that I am hoping for.

Over at the Running Room discussion board (see my links) I've started an interesting exchange of ideas on the meirts of charity marathon programs like the one I have joined - Team Diabetes Canada. Many running "purists" don't like them but I for one can say that Team D has been a changing experience. Although I'm still a terrible runner, I am a persistent bugger and being active is a huge help in managing my diabetes.

Just got back from a 45 minute run. Weather is unbelievable. Hard to imagine that in January it wasn't necessary to wear a toque and gloves. Hopefully the weather stays nice so it doesn't prevent people from getting out to vote in the federal election on Monday. IMHO, if you're eligible and don't vote you'd best not complain about the outcome!

What a thrill to check the blog tonite and read the responses that I received. Thanks everyone who wrote. Keep those messages coming!

I'm a huge Seinfeld fan. For any like-minded souls reading this blog ... I wonder if during the NYC marathon I'll hear someone yell out, "You're all winners" as happened in an episode of my favourite show. I think I'd die laughing if it happened.

For those of you not familiar with "Team D", it is a program of the Canadian Diabetes Association. Participants agree to raise money and awareness for the CDA while training to run or walk a marathon or half marathon.

I first particpated on Team D in 2002, raised over $12,000 and completed the adidas Dublin Marathon (4:46:46). I was inspired to do this by my son (then 11 years old) and my brother (then 36 years old), both of whom live with Type 1 (a.k.a. insulin dependent or juvenile) diabetes. I

Living with Tyoe 1 diabetes is tough, generally involving 6 or more blood tests per day and 4-6 insulin injections per day. It also requires careful balancing of exercise with food and constant vigilence because too much or too little insulin can lead to serious complications and even death.

There is no cure for diabetes so that means my son will have to struggle to manage his disease every day for the rest of his life. I figured that training and running a marathon, even though I was a non-runner, would be difficult but that it paled in comparison to the difficulty that diabetics face. I even put their initials on my shoes so that if I tired during the run I would look down, see their initials and realize that all I had to do was put one foot in front of the other for a few more miles.

After completing that original marathon I have managed to maintain the running habit. Good thing too because in March 2003 I was diagnosed with "atypical Type 2" diabetes. Man, what are the odds? I don't have to inject insulin (yet) but I have to take a mitt full of meds every day to control the disease. Thankfully, running is a great help in managing my illness.

Ever since Dublin I've had in the back of my mind a goal of completing other marathons. Two that are of particular interest are the US Marine Corps Marathon in Washington DC and the other is the ING New York City Marathon. Problem with NYC is that entry is by lottery (100,000 applicants for 40,000 spaces) and I figured my chances were slim. Imagine my excitment then when I was offered the chance to join 24 others as part of a Team Diabetes contingent particpating in the 2006 New York City marathon on November 5th.

All that remains now between me and the marathon is $5000 of fundraising (Help!!), 8 months of training (Yikes!!) and 42.2 km/26.2 mi of adrenaline (Giddyup!!).

Yesterday I registered to be part of Team Diabetes Canada and participate in the New York City Marathon (November 5, 2006). Today I'm creating my first ever blog to help me prepare for the big event and to keep family/friends informed about my progress.