Friday, January 20, 2006
Team Diabetes Canada
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!!).
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!!).
# posted by FreddyBeachPete @ 1:35 PM 
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