About to Start Running

[spear1021]

I was diagnosed as Type I eight years a go and I turn 45 next month (October). I have a four year old daughter I figure I should get into shape and fit. It's my lack of fitness that's important as my weight (at 11½ st.) isn't too bad (I'm 5'10").

I've got a six mile course mapped out, which I plan on tackling (eventually!) 4-5 times a week. So I'll start off doing ½ a mile to begin with, and once I'm comfortable doing that add another ½ mile, and when I'm comfortable doing that... I figure if I stick to building up by ½ a mile a month I should be able to gradually work up to the full six miles during the course of a year.

And now the tricky stuff. I usually take lunch at around 1pm with an average BG level of 5.0 (and I take 8 units of NovoRapid) and when I next test myself at around 5:30-6:00 it will have dropped to 3.5-4.0, occasionally lower but by the time I feel the onset of a hypo I’m almost home so I can easily treat if. My wife usually works evenings so it's just my daughter and myself during the evening so I need to carefully avoid having a severe hypo after the running.

What would be the best way of adjusting what I eat for lunch and my insulin to minimise the risks of a severe hypo?

 

[ElyDave]

1) I think you should be able to get up to 6miles/10k more quickly than you think, General rule of thumb, add 10% per week to avoid any ramp-up issues, that should apply to both any run and the weekly total. So if you do 5 runs of 1/2 mile in week 1, you could add another half mile safely in week two either as an extra run, or make one run longer. Listen to your body as well, won't let you down.

2) if you are going from 5.0 at lunchtime and then dropping by tea time, you need to take a look at your dosage, basal rates to start with before trying to adjust dose for exercise. Are you on MDI or pump? If MDI are you carb counting and adjusting your dosage?
My first point of call would be a basal rate test. Split your day into three 8 hour periods, no carbs for 3 hours before, no insulin for 5 hours before. Test every two hours, BG should be able to stay steady, not changing by more than about +/- 1.0. I can give more detail if you want?

 

[Nezelette]

I was diagnosed as Type I eight years a go and I turn 45 next month (October). I have a four year old daughter I figure I should get into shape and fit. It's my lack of fitness that's important as my weight (at 11½ st.) isn't too bad (I'm 5'10").

I've got a six mile course mapped out, which I plan on tackling (eventually!) 4-5 times a week. So I'll start off doing ½ a mile to begin with, and once I'm comfortable doing that add another ½ mile, and when I'm comfortable doing that... I figure if I stick to building up by ½ a mile a month I should be able to gradually work up to the full six miles during the course of a year.

And now the tricky stuff. I usually take lunch at around 1pm with an average BG level of 5.0 (and I take 8 units of NovoRapid) and when I next test myself at around 5:30-6:00 it will have dropped to 3.5-4.0, occasionally lower but by the time I feel the onset of a hypo I’m almost home so I can easily treat if. My wife usually works evenings so it's just my daughter and myself during the evening so I need to carefully avoid having a severe hypo after the running.

What would be the best way of adjusting what I eat for lunch and my insulin to minimise the risks of a severe hypo?

I am no diabetes expert as I have just been diagnosed myself, but I can make running suggestions
It's great that you have decided to start running. It's a wonderful, therapeutic form of exercise, and the freedom it affords makes it very attractive for many of us: no timetable, no gear apart from a pair of trainers, can be done anywhere...

My main suggestion would be to vary things a little. While you are building up, you'll probably be fine, but after that, doing the same 6-mile course 4 or 5 times a week will quickly grow boring. In addition, you are more likely to get injured if you do the same thing all the time (same speed, same foot strike, exact same muscles used repeatedly, etc.) I suggest you try to break down your week into different kinds of runs. Even if you stick to the same route (which I don't particularly recommend), you can add great variation that way!
For example, in a week, you could run:

• One 6 mile (or shorter) "tempo" run (at a decent speed, basically).
• One slow 6 mile (or longer) run, where you stay in your "aerobic" zone and feel very comfortable running.
• Intervals (can be around the same course, but ideally shorter): lots of possibilities here, but this is great to work on speed and give you High Intensity Training. For instance, run 1 minute (fast) - walk 1 minute; or run 400 meters, then walk and repeat; or, my favourite, "pyramid intervals", run 1000m, walk, 800m, walk, 600m, walk, 400m, walk, 200m, walk. Always run fast for intervals.
• Fartlek - or "play" - Just make sudden, random speed changes during your run, so your body gets used to acceleration and to recovering while running.

It motivates me a great deal to have a specific goal in mind for each run, otherwise, let's be honest, running can become pretty dull (especially around the same route). I also recommend that when you start, you try to run-walk-run a few times instead of just going for one 1/2 stretch every time. It teaches your body to recover.

Finally, I will pass on what my wonderful (running coach) friend said to me when I started: "Never jog, run!" Often it is much more fun and rewarding to add some speed! You are better off running fast and stopping off to walk as often as you want, than shuffling along for miles on end (although that is useful too, but not 4 times a week). You will loose more weight and become a better runner that way. I went from complete, unfit beginner to placing in local races within one year thanks to this regime. I hope it helps you too!

 

[Bebo321]

Great advice above.
Only thing I would add is to take a look at www.teambloodglucose.com and for added motivation consider joining the Sporty Type 1 FB group. I think @ElyDave knows everything there is to know about managing BGs with running, so well worth taking on board anything he says.

 

[Wurst]

I do the majority of my exercise pre breakfast , the dawn phenomenon prevents me from hypoing. I do alot of cycling and have restarting running after 4 months out with an Achilles tendon injury. Back up to 10 km's within the 1st week of resuming now to improve speed.

 

[DiabeticDani]

I've just done the DAFNE course and they advise you to cut your lunchtime insulin by 50% if you are going to exercise within an hour of eating then check your BG during and after exercise. Take your hypo treatment with you when you run and take it slow to begin with.

As ElyDave said, if you are always hypo by the evening your basal rate or insulin to carb ratio at lunch time might need to be changed - even without adding in the exercise.

Good luck!

 

[tim2000s]

I guess the basic question is do you carb count and have you done DAFNE?

 

[phoenix]

Have a look at http://www.nhs.uk/Livewell/c25k/Pages/couch-to-5k-plan.aspx It's a structure that a lot of people have found useful for getting to the first 3 miles in 9-10 weeks.
To the previous advice on post exercise hypos, also remember to take glucose with you during the exercise.