Hi all,
Im type 1 diabetic
Have been since i was 11 and now im 27
No complications yet
Have started training for the London Marathon
Iv been running from anywhere between 3 miles and 12 miles at a time
I wondered if anyone had any tips for running, good control over diabetes, diet especially?
Many thanks
Jason
Good man, well done indeed. Sounds like you're already well on the way.
Firstly, dip into the exercise thread on here plenty of people to help and may be more likely to read there, and I'd also suggest have a read of my blog - I did a 40-miler earlier this year and explain my methods in the blog.
If you're not already doing so, test, test and test again to make sure you understadn the effect of exercise on your BG. Personally I go with 5km which works out around 25-30min for me depending on the race/training run.
Learn how to manage insulin reductions, you'll definitely need it for the marathon and longer training runs, both basal and bolus need reduction. For me, for a long-run or ride day, I'll start with a reduction in basal from 3.5 to 1U, bolus will be cut to 0.5U whatever the breakfast which is normally around 45g carbs.
Learn your carb needs over time, goes along with testing. Eat during your runs, gels, carb drinks, also some slower release stuff, based on your testing. Little and often is best in my view. I've worked out myself that I can work on about 30-40g per hour, with appropriate insulin reduction, as i've trained for years to boost my fat burning metabolism. You may find that you need more.
Lastly for the short version - beware exercising too soon after a meal while bolus is still active, your BG will drop like a stone, so you may need more carbs.
As for the training, it's the pace that kills not the distance. Work your way up to about 20-22 miles easy paced, but don't forget your speedwork, it helps towards the end of the race when you're getting tired.
