August 10th is a day I will never forget. Four years ago, at the age of 33, while I was on vacation visiting my parents, something just didn’t feel right with me. I couldn’t explain it but I just felt scared and sick. I had no idea what was wrong…the whole, long story is here…but I ended up in the hospital and was diagnosed with rare, late-onset Type 1 Diabetes. Being diagnosed with Type 1 as an adult is rare in the sense that Type 1 is typically diagnosed earlier in life; the condition was once referred to as juvenile diabetes. Type 1 Diabetes is an autoimmune disease. It has not proved to be genetic and I did nothing wrong to get it. But maybe the most important point to make is that there is no cure. In order to live, I must inject myself with insulin 5 – 8 times a day. While your body balances out the food you eat with the insulin you need and the energy you burn like a well oiled machine, mine is a thousand times more complicated. And that’s before I thrown running into the mix of things!

MY NAME IS COREY AND I’M A RUNNER WITH TYPE 1 DIABETES.

I started running years before I became a T1D so I never once thought about not running after getting diagnosed. I quickly learned it wouldn’t be as easy as I had imagined. Learning to balance out my blood sugar with running, weather conditions, time of day, food intake and more was overwhelming to say the least. There were many, many tears of frustration but I loved running so much, I wasn’t going to let it deter me from trying to figure out how to manage it all. I was living in Trinidad at the time and resources were almost non-existent. So, the first thing I started was a very detailed running journal, which I highly suggest for everyone not just those with a medical condition. I would write down everything – how much sleep I got, the weather and time of day, exactly what I ate and my mood. Then immediately after my run or workout, I’d write as much down as I could remember, especially when I felt weak or slow or tired. This information was invaluable because I was able to see patterns and those patterns helped me figure out what affected my blood sugar. Lifting weights and speed work make my blood sugar go up, so more insulin is necessary but long runs and yoga make my blood sugar go down, less insulin and snacks or gels are necessary. If it’s hot and humid outside, it’s a challenge to keep my blood sugar up and stable but when it gets cold and grey out, I can easily run into the double digits without worry. But weather is just one of the factors I have to think about while running…

Preparation and planning is key for a good experience.

Having T1D, I can’t simply go out for a run at anytime. I need to be aware of what I have eaten and how much insulin I have on board. It’s taken me 4 years but I now know exactly what I need before, during and after my run. What do I eat? Boring as they are, regular oats (1/3 cup or packet). Oats raise your blood sugar slowly and give me plenty of energy for a long run. While running, I sip on a mix of sports drink and water, the perfect combination for me is 2/3 water and 1/3 sports drink which I put in my Osprey hydration pack. I LOVE my pack and can’t imagine running without it these days, it hold all my gels, drinks, insulin, cell phone and emergency items to allow for worry-free running. I also make sure Dex is ready to go, aka the most important guy in my life. No, it’s not my husband, it’s my CGM.

Photo: Paul J Roberts / RobertsSports Photo. All Rights Reserved

My Continuous Glucose Monitor is a life-saving device that I wear on the back of my arm (switching back and forth bi-weekly). Dex has a sensor that I inject just under my skin (it doesn’t hurt), that reads wirelessly to a small beeper like device and tells me my blood sugar every 5 minutes without me having to poke my finger. It buzzes me and beeps (sometimes annoyingly) to warn me of a high or a low blood sugar. I’m a worrier by nature so Dex relives the added stress caused by this horrible disease.

Once all of the goodies are in pace, the running can begin! I NEVER, repeat NEVER, go out for a run without at least 2 gels/gummies. I know if I got something wrong and my blood sugar started crashing, my fuel is going to save my life. If my blood sugar gets too low, too fast – I could pass out or in extreme cases, I could go into a coma or die. I’ll have a gel after my first 4 miles and if my blood sugar is holding steady, as a result of keeping an eye on my CGM, I will delay the second and subsequent gel as long as I can, normally 5-6 miles later. About 90% of the time, the run goes well and I’m fine. The other 10% is interrupted by stopping, drinking OJ at a nearby gas station or just heading home on the bus. I never let those moments bother me anymore though because I’m just happy to be running!

Since my T1D diagnosis, I have completed 12 half marathons, handfuls of 10k’s and 5K’s and last month my 1st trail marathon. My trail marathon was actually featured in this month’s Outdoor Fitness magazine (so cool) if you’re interested in checking it out.

I always describe my T1D as my baby, a baby that is always with me and very needy. However, my “baby” will never grow up or go away to college, it will be with me until (hopefully) one day in my lifetime, they find a cure!

Thanks for letting me share my story Charlie, hope you’re enjoying your fabulous adventure! 

You can follow my training, travels, recipes and my crazy expat life over on my blog, Learning Patience. Find me on Twitter or Instagram and I’m @coreylearn5 on Snapchat

Thank you so much Corey – I hope you found her post as fascinating and informative as I did. I think this will make me appreciate how easy it is for me to get up and run without too much stress, I will certainly try not to take it for granted in the future. Feel free to leave comments or questions for Corey below.