I AM a Triathlete

Just a quick note to state the obvious, but I have recently realized and accepted that I am a triathlete. I am not a runner who dabbles in two other sports. I am not a swimmer looking for more open water racing opportunities. I have been specifically training for this sport for almost 10 years. I plan to continue doing this sport for a while more. Additionally, you don't have to be an elite athlete or age-group goddess to qualify. I realized that this makes me a full fledged Triathlete! Cool!

Caveat: Just so that I don't create confusion. I am a Glucomotive captain next year. I am not a "runner". I am a triathlete building on and developing my run skills!

Shout out to Bob!!

I have to send thanks to Bob Marley this week. I was more behind than usual in my trip preparations on Saturday. As I was driving to work about 3 hours before my international flight to retrieve some forgotten paperwork, I turned on the radio. The station was playing Bob Marley 24/7 for the weekend--totally centered me! If I has listened to my regular fast paced electronica, my head would have exploded.

At the end of the day, all I need to travel is my insulin, ID/Passport, and cash/credit cards. I was a little worried about this trip, however, because I am a 5'10" female in Asia. If I am missing critical work clothes, finding replacements could be a challenge.

***News Flash*** If you are interested in following a Type 1 as she sails the Florida Keys solo, check out the following Erin Spineto's Blog: Erin will be tackling this trip in the next few weeks. Another example of how relentlessly awesome Type 1's are!!!

Bring it on February....

I was so ready to be done with January. Bring it on February, I think that I can take you!

What I really wanted to post about was the wonder of caffeine. I took a hiatus from artificial sweeteners in November. The problem is that my old friend Diet Coke was my primary caffeine supplier. I have been fuzzy ever since. Ahh, the clarity of caffeine. I have rediscovered the technicolor focus of caffeine with the help of black tea and the occasional diet soda. It is amazing. I am still trying to limit artificial sweeteners as much as possible, however, I haven't really seen a stabilization or lowering of my sugars which was the point of my experiment.

I also wanted to throw a shout out to my Triabetes family. I saw many of them in Carlsbad for the Carlsbad Half/Full Marathon in January. You all have a special place in my heart and continually challenge me to be a better Type 1, a better athlete, and a better person. THANK YOU.

Just call me Grace...

OK--I have a marvelous spill or two every year. This week, it happened. I tripped on seemingly nothing and took a glorious fall in the middle of a public park. Yes, it was amazing. The funny thing was that this was a great run. I was going a good pace for me. I had a low early in the run, but caught it quickly and was able to recover rather well from it. Sheesh! Nothing like running with blood running down your leg for the last few miles.

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On a better note--thanks to everyone who came

out to the Honolulu Dawn Phenom last weekend. It was the best turnout yet. We enjoyed a fun run/walk around Lanikai Loop in Kailua, Hawaii. Next month, we will start from the same place but climb up a nearby trail up to some pillboxes. Come out and join us if you are in the area!

This weekend is the Carlsbad Marathon/Half-Marathon weekend with the Insulindependence crew. I am really excited to meet up with some of my Triabetes teammates and the other fabulous people that I have met and been inspired by through iD. Hopefully, this will be a turning point for a good 2011.

Ugh, 2011 is starting with a whimper...

January 2011 has been nothing but trouble so far. As I was running long this weekend I was thinking about how I feel that my blog messages should always have to have a silver lining. Maybe this one will, but we'll see how it goes.

1. Diabetes Sucks: I don't care how you look at it, there is nothing positive about chronic lows during runs, 300+ days when you can't move or have to go home from work early, passive endocrinologists who are not interested in their Type 1 patients. I hate it.

2. Life Can Suck. I am currently pretty directionless--there are no clear paths for me right now. I don't know if I can afford to stay in Hawaii over the long term and need to make decisions as a result of that. I have had the experience in 2011 to cry myself to sleep as a result of life's disappointments. I haven't done that in a very long time and don't care to repeat it.

3. Ironman. Not finishing Ironman Western Australia in 2009 has really set me back mentally. I am scared to even start Ironman St. George. I do not want to see another finish line that I might not cross. I do not want to put the emotion, time, and work into something that I might fail at.

What's next? I don't know. I hope that things get better. Heck, it's only January. I am getting the opportunity to travel next month for work (...in the middle of training for an Ironman). I am applying for new jobs in new cities in order to find new direction. Maybe it will work, maybe it will not. My friend told me this morning that you cannot claim defeat until you have really tried. Since it is only January, I am not claiming defeat since I am still trying.

Next week, Carlsbad with the Insulindependence crew!

Year In Review

I might be getting ahead of things by a few days, but wanted to look at what happened this year. I challenged myself this year to do things that I wasn't comfortable with. I really wanted to start with a fresh attitude and new outlook. This seems to have worked out well. I went out on a catamaran with my friend Cynthia on New Year's Day and swam with fish--I realize that is not too crazy, but for me something that I do not like and typically avoid....you have to start somewhere. I tried to learn how to surf. I went to Korea. I went out my first date in 12 years.

The best thing that I did by far this year was to link up with the Triabetes crew. This was scary. I didn't like to admit my diabetes to myself let alone talk to other people about it. I have gained so much through this program, and am glad that I took the chance. I have learned a lot and have met some amazing people. The best lesson that I learned is that living with diabetes involves more than insulin. It is a mix of nutrition, lifestyle, attitude, and insulin. I have been doing a lot of this for years, but am now more mindful of what I am doing.

Next project for 2011, "be happy." I don't think that it is necessarily hard to be happy, but many times it gets lost in the mix of daily stressors. I have set my sights to try to proactively capture happiness and hold on to it when times get tough.

Getting on the Training Bandwagon Sans Diet Coke

Holy crap, I quit drinking Diet Coke and gave up all artificial sweeteners this week. Whoa, it's been really easy, but really hard at the same time. I don't really like things with artificial sweeteners, but I thought that they were the best option given the fact that I had the 'betes. I have read and heard anecdotally that artificial sweeteners can actually raise or at least mess with your blood sugars. I decided to see if this was true and took the plunge. I really don't miss anything, but I have been really tired and out of sorts. Hopefully, those feelings are temporary and my sugars are good (or even improved?)

Started to get myself mentally in the game for training for St. George this week. Consistency and strength building is the name of the game for me right now. I feel that I am getting back on the training wagon in good time.