Carlsbad Marathon etc.

I haven't done much of anything for almost two weeks. This seems like a good time to catch up on blogging about things that happened recently.

 

Starting Friday I will be on a road trip vacation to Northern California to visit my favorite daughter and the world's cutest grandson. I may be even more detached from this blog than usual.

I realize that there can be no "regular readers" of a blog that doesn't have writing regularly updating it, so I really do want to keep up my blogging.

On January 24th, I did the Carlsbad Marathon as part of the huge Glucomotive presence at that event. It was another fantastic experience for me, as every Glucomotive event I've done has been.

I drove out to the coast with my brother Jon, and the first thing we got to do Friday night when we called and asked how we could help, was to go pick up Kerry Kuck from where he was staying and bring him to the first gathering of the weekend.

Kerry is a courageous and amazing blind marathoner with type 1 diabetes.

  

That was just the first of many things from that weekend I will remember forever. Saturday, we had breakfast on the beach with many of the PWDs and diabetic supporters in town for the race.

 

Sunday I ran the Carlsbad marathon, my 50th lifetime marathon, and crossed the finish line with Peter Nerothin, type 1 diabetic, Ironman, ultramarathoner, founder of InsulInDependence, Triabetes, and Glucomotive, and John Moore, type 1 diabetic, Ironman, marathoner, ultramarathoner, and Amy Flores, a type 1 diabetic doing her first half marathon.

It was a special moment to share with Peter and John, friends of mine for a while, but being there with Amy made it just magical, she was so excited about the new directions her life is going.
Then following the race we went to a barbecue hosted by type 1 diabetic surf hero Matt Besley and his family, to celebrate our accomplishments and watch a little playoffs football.

 

The weekend was just packed with fun. It was hard to finally decide that it was over and Jon and I had to start back.

I'm looking forward to the next adventure.

Oh, yeah. I already had the next adventure at the Desert Classic Marathon on January 30th.

But that's another blog post...

Pay No Attention To That Man On Oprah

Let me put these two disclaimers right up front.

First: I am not a doctor. I have no other medical background than being a diabetic for close to 36 years, and keeping my eyes open for information that might help me survive. I read the occasional article on the subject of diabetes.
If I was going to do a show about diabetes, I would have to bring in experts, like maybe an endocrinologist.
I am not an egotistical, know-it-all cardiologist who can glibly and confidently talk down to a studio audience and millions of home viewers.

Second: I didn't watch the Oprah Diabetes Show, America's Silent Killer. I only learned a little about it from friends and went to her web site to try to get a transcript. She is selling transcripts for $20. I didn't think it was right that I should pay $20 to her just because my friends were so incensed by her show that I wanted to see what they were so upset about.
So I did the next best thing and read the article on her web site. I figure this is fair, since it would be much easier to make this article accurate than a verbatim transcript of the show. My statements about the show are based on the articles about the show and the videos on the web.

So, somehow Dr. Oz did this whole show focusing on type 2 diabetes without mentioning insulin resistance. Bob Greene talks about it, and seems to understand it, but not Dr. Oz.
Dr. Oz also did not mention carbohydrates except to say that sugars are also referred to as simple carbohydrates. Neither did he mention the glycemic index.
There was no endocrinologist on this show about diabetes.
I know that if you, like me, have been discussing diabetes with other diabetics you find this hard to believe. How did they do a whole show? What did they talk about? How did they avoid subjects like these?

The American Diabetes Association lists the 10 most prevalent diabetes myths. The Oprah show actively reinforced four out of ten.
I will edit and summarize:

Myth: If you are overweight or obese, you will eventually develop type 2 diabetes.
Fact: Most overweight people never develop type 2 diabetes, and many people with type 2 diabetes are at a normal weight or only moderately overweight.

Myth: Eating too much sugar causes diabetes.
Fact: Type 1 diabetes is caused by genetics and unknown factors that trigger the onset of the disease; type 2 diabetes is caused by genetics and lifestyle factors.

Myth: People with diabetes can't eat sweets or chocolate.
Fact: They are no more “off limits” to people with diabetes than they are to people without diabetes.

Myth: If you have type 2 diabetes and your doctor says you need to start using insulin, it means you’re failing to take care of your diabetes properly.
Fact: Using insulin to get blood glucose levels to a healthy level is a good thing, not a bad one.

Concerning the other six myths, except for the first one, Dr. Oz did not address them. The first Myth on the ADA web site is:

Myth: Diabetes is not that serious of a disease.

The Oprah show seemed to be concentrated on sensationalizing the complications of diabetes to the extent that it seems it spent more time on that than on prevention, diagnosis, and treatment. They called it America's Silent Killer, after all.

I went through the article counting up things I knew to be wrong. I marked off 25. For example:

"Most diabetes is preventable," he says. "It is treatable, even reversible."

No, diabetes is treatable but not "reversible."
TYPE 2* diabetics can often control their blood sugar through diet and exercise. But if they discontinue the regimen of diet and exercise to control the diabetes, the high blood sugars, and the complications, will return.
The diabetes is not "reversed." They are not cured. They have simply found a way to control their diabetes.
They have found an effective treatment. They have reversed the symptoms of diabetes.
If they discontinue the treatment, the symptoms of diabetes return. This is the difference between diabetics and non-diabetics.
Note that the difference is not obesity. The difference between a diabetic and a non-diabetic is that behaviors that don't cause high blood sugar in a non-diabetic do cause high blood sugar in a diabetic.

*Why doesn't he say TYPE 2 when referring to type 2 diabetes and diabetes when referring to all diabetes?

"There are two types of diabetes: type 1 and type 2."

This very article contains reference to gestational diabetes, which is not type 1 or type 2.
In addition, there are many people with diabetes who are not easily put into either category of type 1 or type 2 diabetes.

Type 1 diabetes, formerly known as juvenile diabetes, affects 10 percent of Americans diagnosed with diabetes. "[You're] not making enough insulin."

Not making enough? Most type 1 diabetics make absolutely no insulin. Before the full onset of the disease, there may be a "honeymoon" period during which a type 1 diabetic produces a trace of insulin.
Some people make very little insulin, and that is one way someone might not fit into either category of type 1 or type 2.

"That's generally from genetic reasons because your pancreas just doesn't work correctly,"

Generally from genetic reasons?
The pancreas just doesn't work correctly?
Is this wrong, or just dumb?
Let's just say it. I don't think Oprah's viewers are too dumb to understand. Does Dr. Oz?
Type 1 diabetes is usually caused by a person's immune system malfunctioning and killing off the insulin-producing cells in the pancreas.

Type 2 develops from lifestyle issues.

There is always a genetic component in type 2 diabetes, just as in type 1. It is not just caused by lifestyle choices.
Remember the ADA says, "Most overweight people never develop type 2 diabetes, and many people with type 2 diabetes are at a normal weight or only moderately overweight."

"[Patients] have a lot of belly fat and the like, and they have enough insulin," he says. "But it's not listening anymore...."

No, insulin resistance, however it is caused, is not the only cause of type 2 diabetes. Many type 2 diabetics are not producing enough insulin. In fact, many type 2 medications promote the production of insulin for this very reason.

Diabetes, particularly type 2, is the fastest-growing disease in history because of one thing—sugar.

Obesity is a problem, and the rise in type 2 diabetes is related to the rise in obesity. But sugar is not nearly the sole cause of all of these problems. That's ridiculous.

At this point I have to break off quoting Dr. Oz. He is wrong on generalities. He is wrong on specifics.
He is so full of crap on things I actually know something about, that I don't believe him on anything I don't know about.

The whole Oprah diabetes show was a giant, steaming pile of misinformation and mythology, stereotypes and sensationalism.

Oddly enough, Dr. Ian Smith and Bob Greene were apparently able to discuss diabetes sensibly, without any falsehoods, stereotypes, or myths, to make it clear when they were talking about obesity, type 2 diabetes, or diabetes in general.
So it can be done, even on Oprah.

UPDATE: It's been suggested, and it seems like a good idea, that all of the blogs on this topic include a link to comment to Oprah. http://www.oprah.com/ownshow/plug_form.html?plug_id=220

Let's Roll

One of the problems with being slow to blog about what happens in your life is the fact that other things come along.
I have been intending to write about the Carlsbad Marathon weekend for two weeks now. I did start a blog post, but didn't get very far. But something else happened Wednesday that demands my attention today.

Jesse Alswager passed away at the age of thirteen, after 10 years of fighting type 1 diabetes. When I say fighting, I don't just mean like all of us type 1 diabetics fight, with finger stick blood tests, injections or infusion sets, CGMs, counting carbs, thinking through the metabolic effects of every meal, every bit of physical activity, everything....
What I mean is that he was fighting like he was in a war.
When Jesse was diagnosed at the age of three, his mother, Michelle Alswager, declared war on the disease, and she took her son into battle.
Jesse raised thousands of dollars for the cure, a cure he will never enjoy. Michelle, as a member of the board of directors for several diabetes foundations and eventually an executive at the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation was involved in raising millions.
Jesse met governors, Congress members, First Lady Bush. Politicians loved to be photographed with him and talk about him.
I never met Jesse. I wish I had the chance to thank him. He did a lot for me.

One of the things that Michelle Alswager did to raise funds for the cure was the JDRF Ride for the Cure. She met type 1 diabetic athletes, and learned how they were overcoming the challenges of the disease.
Michelle became a cyclist, then a triathlete, then an Ironman. Some time in 2006 she came up with the idea of a type 1 diabetic triathlon team, and a documentary about how they could train for and complete an Ironman.
That was how Triabetes began.
Triabetes has had a profound effect on my life, and I know that it has touched many more diabetics out there.
When I first heard, it knocked the wind out of me. It was more than a little discouraging personally, to learn that the inspiration for Triabetes had died. The inspiration had died. Yeah, that's how I felt.
And it was heart-breaking to think that Michelle Alswager, who had worked to spread hope to people like her son, people like me, suffering from type 1 diabetes, had lost her son.
For several hours this was a hope-crushing thought for me.
But now I've decided that it's part of this war. I've been around for the war, but mostly on the sidelines. I have not yet begun to fight.
I have to take to the battlefield now.

This has been true for the past couple of years, but I would like you to take notice of it now. There is almost always a link on the left hand side of my blog to some diabetes-related charity. Right now it is the Tour de Cure for the American Diabetes Association, but that will change. There will always be something.
If you read my blog, please consider, every few weeks, clicking one of the links and making a donation. This request is my first tentative step.
Tonight I'll be swimming, thinking of Jesse. Tomorrow I'll run. In March, I'll ride for the ADA. Later this year I'll ride for the JDRF.
Next year I'll complete an Ironman.

Anne is in contact with the Alswager family and will post information about memorial services and how to express condolences on her blog.

UPDATE: There is a memorial site for Jesse at: http://www.caringbridge.org/visit/jessealswager

What It's All About

I had a fantastic time at the Carlsbad Marathon this past weekend, and I want to write it up soon, but that's not happening today. Today my Mom called me and read me something out of the latest edition of Diabetes Forecast Magazine.
What's better than getting written up in Diabetes Forecast Magazine as I was a little over a year ago? When someone writes a letter like this to the editors:

Last year I sent in a letter inquiring about diabetic marathoners and how they trained for their success [Mail Call, March '09, p. 13]. Tracey Neithercott's article "Success!" [Dec. '08, p. 61] about runner Jerry Nairn and his training program was very inspiring, and the advice was worthwhile.

I wanted to follow up to let you know that I just completed my first sprint triathlon. What a thrill! It was hard swimming in a lake with 800 other competitors, then biking 10 miles, and running 3 miles, but I overcame the obstacles and accomplished my goal. I am hooked! I love my fitness level now and my blood sugar control. I am more aware of my body and I am taking care of it.

I truly appreciate the "Success!" article, as it led me to believe that I could dream.

Dena Linda, Houston

Yeah, that makes me pretty happy.

Rock 'N' Roll Arizona Marathon

I got a text message from one of my brothers yesterday asking if I had won the Rock 'N' Roll Arizona Marathon that morning. He knew that I was untrained and unmotivated, even though I had agreed to do it months ago, and I had gone to the expo.
My reply said that I had won my own private little race, a 16 mile run followed by a 7.5 mile walk back to my car. I had warned everyone, Sandra, who organized the pace group leaders, and Jennifer, who was sharing duties with me to lead the 4:15 marathon group, that I probably was not going to be able to complete the distance in time. I was told it would be all right if I did the best I could, so that's what I did.
For myself I didn't really want to run this marathon. I knew I wasn't ready. But Jennifer wanted me to help her, or at least spend some time running with her again. We used to run together quite a bit.
And once I started, I really wanted to finish for the people we were there to support, the runners trying to hit their PRs or make their BQ times.
My legs were aching and sore from about 8 miles on, mostly calves and quads, but also my hips a little bit. I had an ultra-marathon-like soreness building up as we passed 12 miles, and I knew I couldn't make it in 4:15. I could always gut it out to the finish, but I didn't want anyone to be following me while I crashed and burned. So I handed my sign to Frank, a friend who seemed to be steady and strong on the pace, and I stepped off the course at mile 16.
I put my long sleeve shirt, which I had worn for the colder, starting miles, back on over my official pacer tank top, and started walking the course. I took a shortcut back to the finish area where I was parked, and cut off a little under three miles, or I would have had the marathon distance. As it was, I covered 16 miles in 2:36, and 23.5 miles in 5 hours.
I hope, but I'm not sure, that I helped some of the other runners out there by being there as long as I could. If Jennifer wasn't there to carry through to the finish, I wouldn't have even tried.
Blood sugars were fine all day. I was at 107 about 30 minutes before the start, and had a half a bagel right before the start. I had gels as scheduled during the run, and when I stopped at 16 miles, I was at 106. My blood sugar could have safely been a little higher, but it was never an issue.
I'm not calling this a DNF because I wasn't registered, and it wouldn't have counted as an official marathon if I had finished. For some reason this year, not all of the pacers were given free registration. This is the fourth year I've been a pacer at this marathon, and the first time they've done it this way. Anyway, for me it made it easier to do what I had to do, drop out.
If there's a silver lining, this experience this weekend may have been good preparation for next weekend, the Carlsbad Marathon. That will really be my 50th official marathon. I would love to be in better shape, but I can take my time and finish feeling good.

Here we go again...

I started last year with three marathons in three weeks, and I'm starting this year with the same three marathons, one after the other. The difference is that last year I was at least a little bit prepared before I started the set. My total running mileage for all of December was 13.
Oh, well, I'm not going to be setting any new personal records this month. I hadn't planned to do this, but this is the way it played out.
I had agreed to be a pace group leader, for runners trying to make it in 4:15, at the Rock 'N' Roll Arizona Marathon, as I have for the past three years. I was sick much of the time for the past six weeks, but this marathon is coming up this weekend, on the 17th.
I am running the Carlsbad Marathon on the 24th as part of the massive Glucomotive presence there, probably about 50 runners, many of them diabetic.
Then diabetic mountaineering legend and Ironman Sebastien Sasseville and diabetic Ironman Brian Foster will be in town for a conference and will run the Desert Classic Marathon while they're here on the 30th. I could hardly not show up for that event, and as long as I'm there, I might as well run the marathon.
It really seems as if I have no choice. I wonder how so many people avoid running marathons.

Havasu Falls

Well, I can't leave this blog just sitting here like this. I've been thinking about blogging, and things I should comment on. I even uploaded a bunch of pictures from a hike my son and I took down to Havasu Falls back on November 29th of last year, but I never got around to writing anything about it.

Anyway, please enjoy these pictures.

 

Snow! Something we hadn't seen for a while. It had us thinking it would be very cold in the canyon, but it wasn't.

 

At the rim of the Grand Canyon before heading in.

  

Passing the Havasupai village on the way down.

 

Francis shooting some video from the edge of one of the smaller waterfalls along the way.

 

Havasu Falls from above.

 

More video of falls.

It was a long, exhausting, fun, beautiful day. If you're ever on your way to the Grand Canyon, and you want some company, let me know. I need to spend more time there.

Happy New Year, everyone!