tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3072215704114487022024-03-12T21:32:17.012-07:00Alberta Diabetic GirlJocelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17825610151695325022noreply@blogger.comBlogger103125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-307221570411448702.post-60943725441528053382015-06-04T14:53:00.000-07:002015-06-04T14:53:00.811-07:00Coronation Triathlon 2015<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Sunday May 25, 2015 was my first triathlon of the season. I signed up for this race again for two reasons. 1. - I loved the race last year and will likely do this one every year; and 2. - It was exactly six weeks out from my 70.3 (half ironman) and I wanted to get an idea of where I am at when it comes to racing.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">It turned out to be a pretty great race for me. I was disappointed in the run, however I am okay with this given it was so hot outside. Last year I finished this race in 2:02:43. I wanted to try my best to get under 2 hours. My training has been going very well and I have been training hard. Going into the race I was a bit fatigued from my 70.3 training, however was raring to get out and see what I could do. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I got up at silly o'clock and got ready to go. My blood sugar was at 6.8 when I got up which I was fine with. Bolused 75% for my breakfast and headed out the door by 5:45am. Transition was closing at 6:45am so I wanted to be there in plenty of time to set everything up. Got to the race site in plenty of time, met up with Linda and we got our transition areas set up. We lined up to get body marked, met up with Tammy and headed into the pool to wait. I estimate my swim to be between 19 and 22 minutes and was not due to start swimming until almost 9:30am. Long time to wait.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">An hour before go time I tested my blood sugars and was a bit high at 10.2. I was feeling nervous and knew that this was the reason. I dialed back my basal by 50% for 2 hours. I saw Tammy and Linda off on their swim and sat and watched everyone swimming. I started to get excited and was ready to race. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Here is how it played out.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><u>The Swim - 1,000m</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I have been swimming a consistent 3/week since the middle of February. I feel stronger in the pool than ever before and have definitely improved my form and speed. I stood in line until it was my time to hop into a lane and swim. Before I knew it I was in the water and swimming. The pool was a 50m pool which I prefer over the 25m, more time to get into a groove. I kept a consistent pace and passed a couple of people in the water. My adrenalin was certainly running high and I felt good! I got out of the pool and headed out to T1. The run from the pool to T1 goes up a grass hill and then down into a parking lot. My swim was 19:20 and the time shows 20:52 to include T1.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><u>The Bike - 26km</u> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">A quick blood sugar check before getting on the bike showed 9.4. I ate a couple of honey stingers and was off. I love this bike course. It is a 4 loop course where you get to go down and back up Groat Road in Edmonton. Groat Road is fun and I felt much more confident on the downhills this year. All of my hill training proved that it was paying off when I passed lots of people on the way up. I had fun during the bike and pushed hard. It was however starting to get really hot outside. When I finished my fourth loop and headed to transition I saw that the temperature was 26. It was going to be a hot run! I was delighted that when I got to T2 a bunch of my friends and Ryan were there cheering for me. Gave me a great boost! After hopping off my bike it was a good 200m or so back to my spot. My bike time was 50:02 and the time shows 51:52 to include T2.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><u>The Run - 8km</u></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I checked my blood sugars before taking off for the run and they were at 12.7. WTF? I took half a unit of insult and was off. This is where things did not play out the way I wish they could have. The first 4km were not too bad and I kept a consistent pace of about 5:10/km. It was hot out! I drank water at the aid stations and dumped water on my hat to keep my head cool. At the 4km turnaround my stomach felt bloated and a bit off. The heat was definitely getting to me. The last 4km has a large portion that climbs uphill and I did end up taking a few small walk breaks. I was overheating and bloated right up. It felt a bit like a slog. I picked up the pace for the last 1km and was so happy to see the finish line and hear my name. I ran hard and crossed over, finishing the run in 43:52, two minutes slower than the year before. I was happy to see Ryan, give him a hug and then chugged some cold water. My blood sugars had climbed to 14.9, I took some insulin and increased my basal rate by 50% for 2 hours (3 hours later I was down to 5.5). </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I ended up finishing the race in 1:56:34, a big PB over last year for me. I was 14th out of 52 women in my age group which I am very pleased with! Looking back I know I could/should have pushed harder in the run. I let the heat and the voice in my head get in the way a bit. Overall I am super happy with the race. It was a big confidence booster in getting me ready for my 70.3. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Stayed tuned for the next race!</span>Jocelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17825610151695325022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-307221570411448702.post-33932528326285670112015-05-15T15:06:00.004-07:002015-05-15T15:06:53.999-07:00D-Blog Week Day 5: Foods on Friday<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Today we are to talk about food and share either what we ate in the last couple of days, a recipe or meal idea. I decided to share my go to meal after a hard workout session. I crave this after a good, long sweaty workout and rarely deviate. It is simple but delicious.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">2 eggs & 1 egg white, whisked</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">1/4 cup cheese (I like feta)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">chopped onion</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">chopped pepper</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">chopped zucchini</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">spinach</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">salsa</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Grill up the veggies, except for the spinach, together. Add in egg mixture. Add Spinach once half way cooked. I like to cook mine so there is absolutely no goo left (gross). Throw salsa on top and voila - delicious!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I will usually have this with an apple and some almonds. Satisfying and tasty!</span> <br />
<br />Jocelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17825610151695325022noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-307221570411448702.post-33016727979065665422015-05-14T09:11:00.001-07:002015-05-14T09:11:19.706-07:00D-Blog Week Day 4 - Changes<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Today’s topic is Changes. <i>Today let's talk about changes, in one of
two ways. Either tell us what you'd most like to see change about
diabetes, in any way. This can be management tools, devices,
medications, people's perceptions, your own feelings – anything at all
that you feel could use changing. OR reflect back on some changes you
or your loved one has seen or been through since being diagnosed with
diabetes. Were they expected or did they surprise you?</i></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small;">The obvious change I would like to see is for Diabetes to disappear overnight, never to return. That would be my ultimate dream come true. Since that is unlikely I had to think hard about what bothers me most and how I would like to see it change. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small;">I would like to change peoples perceptions and attitudes towards the disease. On that note, here are the top things I would love to never hear again:</span><br />
<ul>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Are you sure you have Type 1 diabetes? Weren't you a bit old to get that?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Is it because you ate too much sugar?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Sorry, I would offer you a piece of this but I know you can't eat it.</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Can you eat that?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small;">So does that mean you can never eat sugar again?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small;">So your insulin pump must be great, does everything for you!</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif; font-size: small;">Did you hear that eating lots of cinnamon might cure you?</span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">My friend's aunt had her leg amputated and went blind because of Type 1 diabetes, you need to be careful.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Does that mean you can't have kids?</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I read about cleanses you can do that will cure you.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">You make it look easy, it must not be too serious.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">You must have the bad kind if you need to use needles.</span></span></li>
<li><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">I could never be diabetic, I am scared of needles and hate blood.</span></span></li>
</ul>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">As I was typing this list I could feel my blood pressure mounting. The list could actually take up pages upon pages. I know that all of the above sound so cliche and we have all heard them before. It is amazing that people think and say these things. I do my best to try and educate, but sometimes I want to just drop kick people. I particularly get mad when people suggest I try certain diets to cure myself, or assume I cannot eat certain things. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">There are so many misconceptions about Type 1 diabetes and it is extremely frustrating. I think that as people living with the disease, we often try to hide how serious it really is. It is hard to admit sometimes, but this disease is very serious and we are all responsible 24 hours a day, every day, to keep ourselves alive. It never gives us a break and is always at the front of our thoughts. </span></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: small;">Change is definitely needed! </span></span>Jocelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17825610151695325022noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-307221570411448702.post-22104928453331693912015-05-13T18:53:00.001-07:002015-05-13T18:53:49.469-07:00D-Blog Week Day 3 - Clean It Out<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
<o:AllowPNG/>
</o:OfficeDocumentSettings>
</xml><![endif]--><br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:EnableOpenTypeKerning/>
<w:DontFlipMirrorIndents/>
<w:OverrideTableStyleHps/>
</w:Compatibility>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:LatentStyles DefLockedState="false" DefUnhideWhenUsed="true"
DefSemiHidden="true" DefQFormat="false" DefPriority="99"
LatentStyleCount="267">
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="0" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Normal"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="heading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="9" QFormat="true" Name="heading 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 7"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 8"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" Name="toc 9"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="35" QFormat="true" Name="caption"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="10" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" Name="Default Paragraph Font"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="11" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtitle"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="22" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Strong"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="20" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="59" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Table Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Placeholder Text"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="1" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="No Spacing"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Revision"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="34" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="List Paragraph"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="29" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="30" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Quote"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 1"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 2"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 3"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 4"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 5"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="60" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="61" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="62" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Light Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="63" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="64" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Shading 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="65" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="66" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium List 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="67" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 1 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="68" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 2 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="69" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Medium Grid 3 Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="70" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Dark List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="71" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Shading Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="72" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful List Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="73" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" Name="Colorful Grid Accent 6"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="19" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="21" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Emphasis"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="31" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Subtle Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="32" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Intense Reference"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="33" SemiHidden="false"
UnhideWhenUsed="false" QFormat="true" Name="Book Title"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="37" Name="Bibliography"/>
<w:LsdException Locked="false" Priority="39" QFormat="true" Name="TOC Heading"/>
</w:LatentStyles>
</xml><![endif]--><!--[if gte mso 10]>
<style>
/* Style Definitions */
table.MsoNormalTable
{mso-style-name:"Table Normal";
mso-tstyle-rowband-size:0;
mso-tstyle-colband-size:0;
mso-style-noshow:yes;
mso-style-priority:99;
mso-style-parent:"";
mso-padding-alt:0in 5.4pt 0in 5.4pt;
mso-para-margin:0in;
mso-para-margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:11.0pt;
font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif";
mso-ascii-font-family:Calibri;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-hansi-font-family:Calibri;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;}
</style>
<![endif]-->
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">Today’s topic is Clean it Out. <i>Yesterday we kept
stuff in, so today let's clear stuff out. What is in your diabetic closet
that needs to be cleaned out? This can be an actual physical belonging,
or it can be something you're mentally or emotionally hanging on to. Why
are you keeping it and why do you need to get rid of it? </i><span style="mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">I like the idea of
keeping my diabetes in a closet! It would be ideal to shove it away in a dark
closet in the basement and forget about it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>However so far this is not possible (if it is let me know).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">I am not too bad at
keeping my supplies in order. I have enough lancets to last me a lifetime and at
least 6 glucometers lying around.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I can
pretty much guarantee that nearly every corner of my house has a used test
strip lurking (seriously – those things get everywhere).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My fridge is stocked with the insulin I need
for a month at a time and I have extra lantus pens just in case.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">The one thing I do
need to clean out – the clutch I carry around that has my strips, lancet,
glucometer and tube of glucose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>From the
outside it is a pretty purple clutch with that fits perfectly in my purse.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>However look inside and it is pretty
horrendous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There are blood spots
everywhere! It looks like I drag my pricked fingers across it each time I test.
I have a bad habit of just throwing my used strips in the bag when I am out and
about to dispose of later.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am sure if
a stranger peeked inside they would be horrified and maybe be sick in their
mouth just a little. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;">Maybe now that I
have shared this with the online community I will do something about and clean
it out! (When I get around to it, sometime, in the next year or so…).</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2TGuV1W2jwY/VVP__lp29SI/AAAAAAAAAac/GOzl1FbrgT8/s1600/IMG_1117.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-2TGuV1W2jwY/VVP__lp29SI/AAAAAAAAAac/GOzl1FbrgT8/s1600/IMG_1117.JPG" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; mso-bidi-font-style: italic;"><br /></span></div>
Jocelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17825610151695325022noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-307221570411448702.post-84889892029659833262015-05-12T18:16:00.003-07:002015-05-12T18:19:21.927-07:00D-Blog Week Day 2 - Keep it to Yourself<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #755a2a; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;">Today’s topic is Keep it to Yourself. </span><i style="background-color: white; color: #755a2a; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;">Many of us share lots of aspects of our diabetes lives online for the world to see. What are some of the aspects of diabetes that you choose to keep private from the internet? Or from your family and friends? Why is it important to keep it to yourself? </i></span><br />
<i style="background-color: white; color: #755a2a; font-size: 16px; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><br /></span></i>
<span style="color: #755a2a; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;">I would say that I am pretty open with most things related to Diabetes. I share stories of good experiences and bad. I am happy to talk to anyone about it and never feel the need to hide my disease. This morning while I was swimming, alone with my thoughts, I thought about the one thing I rarely, if ever, talk about or share. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #755a2a; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #755a2a; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;">Ever since I can remember I have for some reason felt the need to appear strong and together, even when I am not. I have always had a hard time expressing the negatives I feel deep down as I don't want to burden or worry anyone. A lot of the people in my family have so much on their plate and I don't want to add to it. So that brings me to addressing this topic briefly. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #755a2a; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #755a2a; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;">The one thing I rarely share is how scared of this disease I really am. Plain and simple it terrifies me. I know this sounds somewhat dramatic and I assure you it is not something I dwell on 24/7, but deep down it is there. </span></span><br />
<span style="color: #755a2a; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #755a2a; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;">I find that when I try to vocalize this fear the response I get is usually along the lines of "But you are so healthy" or "You take such good care of yourself". While these things may be true, Type 1 diabetes often does not pay attention. Since been diagnosed three and half years ago I have suffered with a lot. Insulin Neuritis which rendered me pretty much incapable of functioning, two emergency cataract surgeries and damage to my teeth and gums. I still experience pain in my feet, numbness in some toes, my teeth are an ongoing project and since diabetes is a pretty big jerk, celiac disease was invited to the party as well. All of this contributes to my fear of what is going on inside and what may happen in the future. On top of this are the regular daily fears of a person living with Type 1. Fears about going low in the night and not waking up or going low while running/biking/swimming and not being able to help myself...and the list goes on.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #755a2a; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #755a2a; font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;">That is about all I want to write on the subject for now as it causes me anxiety and I really don't want to hear "It'll be okay". I find it easier to focus on the positives and when the fear creeps in, give myself the time to feel it, think about it and move on.</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #755a2a; font-family: PT Sans;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="color: #755a2a; font-family: PT Sans;"><span style="background-color: white; line-height: 25.6000003814697px;"><br /></span></span>Jocelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17825610151695325022noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-307221570411448702.post-20678761123529092002015-05-11T14:31:00.003-07:002015-05-11T14:31:35.974-07:00D-Blog Week Day 1: I Can<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P5ldZKQnVCQ/VVD7feypbzI/AAAAAAAAAaI/lTmP5K2R6UQ/s1600/250x2505%5B2%5D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-P5ldZKQnVCQ/VVD7feypbzI/AAAAAAAAAaI/lTmP5K2R6UQ/s200/250x2505%5B2%5D.jpg" width="200" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I am excited to participate in this year's Blog Week. I have had every good intention of blogging more and then.... well, I don't. So here we go!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Today’s topic is I Can. <i>In the UK, there was a diabetes blog theme of
"I can...” that participants found wonderfully empowering. So lets
kick things off this year by looking at the positive side of our lives
with diabetes. What have you or your loved one accomplished, despite
having diabetes, that you weren't sure you could? Or what have you done
that you've been particularly proud of? Or what good thing has
diabetes brought into your life? </i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I love this topic as it is so positive. As a person with Type 1 diabetes I have found that often the positives get shoved aside to focus on the negatives. Don't get me wrong, there are a hell of a lot of negatives, but surprisingly a lot of positives as well. I have accomplished and learnt so much in the last three and a half years and could write forever. However today I choose to focus on what I am in the middle of accomplishing now. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I still think back to when I was diagnosed and my first Endo told me that I would have to give up my passion for long distance running and triathlon. I was devastated. Even talking about it now is hard. I then suffered terribly with Insulin Neuritis which made even walking difficult. I truly hit rock bottom. As things in my nerves improved and I found a new medical team I started the slow road to running again. I began to see a light and kept running towards it.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Fast forward to today, May 2015. I am seven weeks out from my first Half Ironman! I hired a coach who has put together a training program for me. Each week she uploads my workouts and away I go. The training has been aggressive (for me) and has certainly pushed me out of my usual comfort zone. I was nervous going into this not knowing how I could handle dear diabetes, but so far so good. There is always that extra challenge, sometimes things go a bit sideways, however I can always pick-up where I left off. If you would have told me 10 years ago that I would be training for this race I would never have believed you. </span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I think that the fact I have Type 1 is what is driving me to do this. </span>I want to prove to myself that I can do this. You know what? I CAN! </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i> </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i><br /></i></span>Jocelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17825610151695325022noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-307221570411448702.post-45603200061250312332015-03-11T10:13:00.000-07:002015-03-11T12:37:06.293-07:00Running Low<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I am into week four of my half ironman training plan and so far so good. I have been putting a lot of miles in the pool, on the treadmill and road and on the bike! It is definitely a challenging schedule, but I am loving it. I find that I like being pushed and I am already seeing improvements in my performance, particularly in the pool.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I have only had a few lows during and after training which I am pleased about. My insulin requirements have decreased due to the increase in activity, which has also resulted in losing a couple of pounds. Luckily over the last few years I have been learning a lot about how my body reacts to intense activity and have found things that work for me - most of the time. Of course since Diabetes is generally a total ass, it likes to throw me curveballs to try and catch. Last week I had such a curveball thrown. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I can usually feel a low coming on during exercise and can treat it before it gets out of hand. Usually a few glucose tabs and swig of juice and I am good to keep going. Last week I had one of those weird lows that crept up on me with weird symptoms and hit me pretty hard. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I was about 20 minutes in to my 45 minute recovery run. I was feeling great and just chugging along at a nice and easy pace. My blood sugars before the run were where I wanted them to be, I had no insulin on board and had decreased my basal by 50% for 1.5 hours. So there I was, running along listening to my play list when I started to notice my legs felt kind of numb. They were moving just fine, I just could not really feel them. It was like they were fuzzy. I remember thinking in my mind, wow this is kind of nice, running without really feeling my legs. Then I thought about how ridiculous that was and it was likely a sign something was not right. As all of you know that have had low blood sugars, the thought process can slow down and we don't always make great decisions. I knew something was not quite right, however I just kept running because.....why not? After nearly 5 minutes of this I realized that I was sweating a ridiculous amount for the effort I was putting in. This finally convinced my sugar deprived brain to stop and test. 2.6 mmol - ack! I got off the treadmill, treated the low and waited it out. By then I was shaky, dizzy etc. all of the fun stuff. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I only had 15 minutes left of the run to complete and could have easily called it a day. Nope! My stubbornness, and by then anger at having stupid Diabetes, had me back on the treadmill after I was recovered and I ran the final 15 minutes. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I now know that if my legs start to feel numb or fuzzy I should stop and test! Anyone else experienced this kind of low symptom?</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GFdajqadOpY/VQB27RxiCFI/AAAAAAAAAZc/bKeVgyDIkkM/s1600/sweaty%2Brun.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-GFdajqadOpY/VQB27RxiCFI/AAAAAAAAAZc/bKeVgyDIkkM/s1600/sweaty%2Brun.jpg" /></a></div>
Jocelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17825610151695325022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-307221570411448702.post-13637994763866648562015-03-04T08:50:00.001-08:002015-03-04T08:51:22.063-08:00I want to play! Things about me..<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I first read this over on Scully's <a href="http://canadiandgal.blogspot.ca/" target="_blank">blog</a> and then a bunch of other blogs. A great way to post somethings you may or may not find interesting, as well as get the writing bug in gear. Here goes.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>1. Four names that people call me other than my real name:</b></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">1. J or Aunty J</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">2. J Bird or The Bird</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">3. Pickles (Ryan's name for me. Not sure where it came from)</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">4. JAM (my older brother has always called me this)</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b style="line-height: 18.4799995422363px;"><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b style="line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">2. Four jobs I’ve had: </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b style="line-height: 18.4799995422363px;"><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">1. I consider all of the weekends of endless chores on the acreage growing up as my first job</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">2. Working in a pub in England (best job ever)</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">3. Working as a waiter at a Conference Centre (had to wear a tux, hated the job, lasted 3 weeks)</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">4. Paralegal</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>3. Four movies I’ve watched more than once:</b></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">1. Annie - absolute favorite (the original, not this new age Annie where Jamie Foxx is Daddy Warbucks - WTF?)</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">2. Mary Poppins</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">3. Dead Poet's Society</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">4. Rocky Horror Picture Show (never ever gets old)</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">...I like movies with singing!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b style="line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">4. Four books I’d recommend:</b></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">1. Lord of the Rings (favorite of all time)</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">2. Lonesome Dove<a href="http://www.richroll.com/"></a></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">3. Anything by Bill Bryson (technically not a book, but I could not choose just one)</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">4. Into Thin Air<a href="http://thebloggess.com/"> </a></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>5. Four places I’ve lived:</b></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">1. Holmes Chapel, Cheshire, England</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">2. Manchester, England</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">3. Edmonton</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">4. St. Albert</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>6. Four places I’ve visited:</b></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Only FOUR!? </b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">1. Australia</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">2. Greece</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">3. Ireland</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">4. Germany</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
</div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>7. Four things I prefer not to eat:</b></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">1. Tapioca Pudding (blech)</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">2. Soggy Cereal</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">3. Liver</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">4. Anything with Gluten (have no choice but to not eat this)</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>8. Four of my favorite foods:</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">1. Tomatoes</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">2. Cheese</span></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">3. Dark Chocolate</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">4. Big salads</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>9. Four TV shows I watch</b></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">1. Parenthood (guilty girly pleasure)</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">2. Sons of Anarchy</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">3. Walking Dead </span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">4. Game of Thrones</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>10. Four things I’m looking forward to this year: </b></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">1. Half Ironman in July (eek)</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">2. Summer Camping</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">3. Going to Vegas next week (yahoo)</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">4. Having fun doing the things I love<b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>11. Four things I’m always saying:</b></span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">1. Basil and Kasper - get inside (mainly at 2:00am when they need to go outside and sniff stuff)</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">2. Can you turn the TV down?</span></div>
<div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18.48px;">
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">3. It's hot in here </span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="line-height: 18.4799995422363px;">4. I love you </span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Feel free to copy and paste this! It's entertaining to write and read.</span>Jocelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17825610151695325022noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-307221570411448702.post-39320952250011176242015-01-20T09:47:00.000-08:002015-01-20T09:47:43.285-08:00A New Year with New Goals<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Happy Belated New Year to everyone! I was struck down with the flu just after the New Year and have spent a good portion of 2015 recovering. I am back to normal now and looking forward to the year ahead. Ryan and I are heading to Mexico this coming weekend for a week of sun and sand, however when I get back things are going to get real. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I registered for my first Half Ironman (eek) in July, 2015. Just typing that made my stomach do a back flip. This winter I have been working very hard at my strength training and have spent a lot of time on the bike, on the treadmill and in the pool. After last seasons successful triathlon season and realizing how much fun I had, I decided I was ready for my next big challenge. The race is the Great White North and takes place in Stony Plain, Alberta - where I grew up. I am putting the finishing touches on my training plan and once I am back from vacation it will be full steam ahead.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">If I am completely honest with myself, the thing that scares me the most about this is my diabetes management. So far I have been pretty successful in managing my sugars during exercise, however I certainly have not embarked on a 6+ hour training day. I know that as I train a large part will be my diabetes management and if I am consistent and remain determined, I should have a good plan in place for the race day. I have been reading blogs of fellow T1D's who race long distances and am gathering some good tips! Please feel free to chime in with any tips or experiences of your own.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I plan on doing a Friday wrap-up each week to summarize not only my training but experiences with the 'betes throughout the training. Hopefully it will not only be a good log for me, but may help others who are contemplating a longer distance race.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">See you all when I get back from the beach :)</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OYdvXok9ZEI/VL6S3sVk2JI/AAAAAAAAAYs/DNjgIxft5V8/s1600/Riviera-Maya-2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OYdvXok9ZEI/VL6S3sVk2JI/AAAAAAAAAYs/DNjgIxft5V8/s1600/Riviera-Maya-2.jpg" height="200" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />Jocelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17825610151695325022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-307221570411448702.post-26952471570201196162014-12-24T09:12:00.001-08:002014-12-24T09:12:29.082-08:00Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">My New Years resolution is to start blogging more! I have so many posts to finish and look forward to getting back to it. Have a fantastic holiday season!</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AsoETANYh6k/VJrz7RvIeNI/AAAAAAAAAYY/N359VaIzXIg/s1600/basilkasperchristmas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AsoETANYh6k/VJrz7RvIeNI/AAAAAAAAAYY/N359VaIzXIg/s1600/basilkasperchristmas.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />Jocelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17825610151695325022noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-307221570411448702.post-80087651125149689212014-11-03T10:36:00.004-08:002014-11-03T10:37:48.331-08:00CTV 2 Primetime - Raising Awareness of Type 1 Diabetes<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Here is the full version of the CTV 2 clip.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">http://www.albertaprimetime.com/Stories.aspx?pd=7006</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Was such an exciting project to be part of. The actual ADF event took place last weekend and I shall post about that shortly!</span><br />
<br />Jocelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17825610151695325022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-307221570411448702.post-10561916608157725982014-09-24T09:21:00.002-07:002014-09-24T09:21:15.365-07:00My TV Clip<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dybJA6br8Z6b8w0b2iTRAV5QWTh4yFv68q_xhZiOXMP0JOPKxDYpe8mPAsgUGJsjUxIhD_2vCRWhsbTftWMWQ' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">A small clip from the interview I have been working on with CTV2 and the Alberta Diabetes Foundation. Their campaign is Dispelling the Myths of Type 1 Diabetes. The full interview will be out this Friday (September 26) at 6:00pm on CTV2 Alberta Primetime. Excited! Also, how weird is it to see yourself on TV? Do I really sound like that?</span>Jocelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17825610151695325022noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-307221570411448702.post-21374754175159192542014-09-02T18:01:00.000-07:002014-09-02T18:01:07.319-07:00The Halloween Howl & The Alberta Diabetes Foundation<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">About a month ago I was contacted by a friend and previous colleague to see if I would be interested in helping to organize a fundraising run for the Alberta Diabetes Foundation (ADF). The event is to be held on Saturday October 25, 2014 in Edmonton and is in the spirit of Halloween (it is also held in Calgary on Sunday October 26). It is called the Halloween Howl. 2014 marks the 4th year for this particular fundraising event. They had been following my blog and asked if I would be willing to do a short five minute talk prior to the run. The topic to discuss is "Debunking the Myths of Type 1 Diabetes". They want me to talk a bit about the fact that I was diagnosed later in life, and despite this, have continued with my athletic goals. Of course I said yes!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Firstly, what is the Alberta Diabetes Foundation? </span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">ADF exists because they are not afraid to take risks in the diabetes research they fund.</span> Canadians have always been very innovative in diabetes research, starting with the discovery of insulin. A big breakthrough happened in Alberta when ADF funded the first successful islet transplant after other fundraising organizations refused to do so. ADF continues to fund research here in Alberta with the ultimate goal of finding a cure for diabetes. </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The ADF works together with the world renowned Alberta Diabetes Institute to allocate funding where and when it is needed most. This helps to ensure that important diabetes research and projects are not stalled. The ADF is able to fund research projects in their early stages, therefore filling the gaps left by traditional granting organizations. 2014 marks two monumental milestones for ADF. It is the 25th anniversary of the foundation funding the first islet transplant and the 10th anniversary of the Alberta Diabetes Institute.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The ADF have many fundraisers throughout the year and I am excited to be part of this one. Participants can either enter the 3km/5km fun run or walk, or register for the 10km competitive timed run. There will be prizes in the 10km run for the top three finishes in the categories of adult male, adult female, youth male and youth female, as well as prizes for the best costumes.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I plan on running the 10km race and have a costume in mind (cannot tell). I am excited to speak in front of the participants a bit about my journey so far. I also get giddy at the thought of being around a bunch of people with diabetes :). </span><br />
<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
<w:WordDocument>
<w:View>Normal</w:View>
<w:Zoom>0</w:Zoom>
<w:TrackMoves/>
<w:TrackFormatting/>
<w:PunctuationKerning/>
<w:ValidateAgainstSchemas/>
<w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>false</w:SaveIfXMLInvalid>
<w:IgnoreMixedContent>false</w:IgnoreMixedContent>
<w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>false</w:AlwaysShowPlaceholderText>
<w:DoNotPromoteQF/>
<w:LidThemeOther>EN-US</w:LidThemeOther>
<w:LidThemeAsian>X-NONE</w:LidThemeAsian>
<w:LidThemeComplexScript>X-NONE</w:LidThemeComplexScript>
<w:Compatibility>
<w:BreakWrappedTables/>
<w:SnapToGridInCell/>
<w:WrapTextWithPunct/>
<w:UseAsianBreakRules/>
<w:DontGrowAutofit/>
<w:SplitPgBreakAndParaMark/>
<w:DontVertAlignCellWithSp/>
<w:DontBreakConstrainedForcedTables/>
<w:DontVertAlignInTxbx/>
<w:Word11KerningPairs/>
<w:CachedColBalance/>
</w:Compatibility>
<w:BrowserLevel>MicrosoftInternetExplorer4</w:BrowserLevel>
<m:mathPr>
<m:mathFont m:val="Cambria Math"/>
<m:brkBin m:val="before"/>
<m:brkBinSub m:val="--"/>
<m:smallFrac m:val="off"/>
<m:dispDef/>
<m:lMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:rMargin m:val="0"/>
<m:defJc m:val="centerGroup"/>
<m:wrapIndent m:val="1440"/>
<m:intLim m:val="subSup"/>
<m:naryLim m:val="undOvr"/>
</m:mathPr></w:WordDocument>
</xml><![endif]--><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">If you are
interested in participating in this event, please check out the website at <a href="http://www.albertadiabetes/">www.albertadiabetes</a>foundation.com</span>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Another very cool thing that happened, which I shall detail in my next post, is that CTV news contacted me and asked to interview and film me for a piece they are doing on primetime! How exciting is that?</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QF0DlRtN6a8/VAYxhoVvJhI/AAAAAAAAAWI/dEZEdJ7uCsc/s1600/howl-logo-570x256.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QF0DlRtN6a8/VAYxhoVvJhI/AAAAAAAAAWI/dEZEdJ7uCsc/s1600/howl-logo-570x256.png" height="143" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Jocelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17825610151695325022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-307221570411448702.post-19029013682326220982014-08-18T15:11:00.001-07:002014-08-18T15:11:50.600-07:00St. Albert Triathlon 2014<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Just over a week ago I participated in my third sprint triathlon of the year, the St. Albert Triathlon. I do love this race, not only because it starts about six blocks from my house, but because it is so well organized! My training up to this race has been pretty consistent, been spending a lot of time on the bike and in the water. My main goal was to finish in under an hour and a half, and I did that! My official time was 1:25:05, a personal best for me! Lets break it down.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Woke up at the crack of dawn and was pleased to see a blood sugar of 6.2. Ate my usual breakfast and was off. Got to transition around 6:15am to set my stuff up. There were mosquitoes everywhere! My swim heat was not due to take off until 9:10am so I had lots of time to relax. I watched my friends start their race, had a small snack and stretched out. My blood sugar starting the race was 8.4 with a 50% basal decrease for 1.5 hours. I was ready to roll.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>The Swim - 750m - 14:58</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I had decided to seed myself into the 15 minute heat wave, faster than the other heats I have done. In my last couple of races I have had to pass people which takes up energy so my thinking was I would rather be passed than do the passing. I ended up in a lane with only two other people and it worked out well. Swimming with faster people than me gave me the push I needed and I came in under the 15 minute mark. I felt relaxed and controlled the entire time. I know I had a huge grin on my face coming out of the pool! I ran out of the pool area and to my bike. Quick blood sugar checked showed a 6.1. Wolfed back some Nuun and a shot bloc and got ready to ride.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>The Bike - 20km - 43:07</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I really did enjoy the bike, it is a 10km out and back. You start off on a flat and then about 2.5km's in there is a huge hill you get to fly down. I loved it! From the bottom of the hill there are some rolling climbs and small downhills. Very scenic as well. I passed a few people and was passed by some of the crazy fast people. The hardest part was climbing back up the hill, I know I lost time there. I have made a mental note to do more hill repeats on my bike. The bike felt like it was done before I knew it. I dismounted, ran a ways to transition and got ready for the run. Blood sugar was at 9.3, climbing a bit which is not unusual due to my adrenaline. Swallowed my Nuun and some water and was off.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>The Run - 5km - 27:01</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">This run is hilly. It is a 2.5km out and back and there are hills the entire time. The climbs are steep and the downhills are steep. I did enjoy the run, but again I need to incorporate more hills into my training. The final 1km was my fastest and I felt great sprinting over the finish line!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I am very happy with my race. I came in 5th out of 30 in my age group which makes me very happy indeed! I know that with more training I can shave more time off for sure. The weather was great and the event was just fantastic! This is definitely one that I will do each and every year. I finished with a blood sugar of 10.8 which climbed up to 15.4 within the hour. It did come back down nicely however. I was overall happy with my diabetes management throughout.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Next up is the Banff triathlon in September which is an open water swim. I cannot wait for that! Oh....and on September 1 I shall be registering for a half ironman taking place next summer. It may be a bit ambitious, but hell, what do I have to lose?</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uDEHIbQKIv4/U_J5Ckm8llI/AAAAAAAAAVo/xs3wXSskXms/s1600/St.%2BAlbert%2BTriathlon%2B2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-uDEHIbQKIv4/U_J5Ckm8llI/AAAAAAAAAVo/xs3wXSskXms/s1600/St.%2BAlbert%2BTriathlon%2B2014.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Cd0rl94Ezwo/U_J5FulkOTI/AAAAAAAAAVw/2PvbLA3iGBs/s1600/St.%2BAlbert%2BTriathlon%2B%232.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Cd0rl94Ezwo/U_J5FulkOTI/AAAAAAAAAVw/2PvbLA3iGBs/s1600/St.%2BAlbert%2BTriathlon%2B%232.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I-vQXBuiseE/U_J5KK0c8mI/AAAAAAAAAV4/qkjRrPkbZ5k/s1600/St.%2BAlbert%2BTriathlon%2B%233.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-I-vQXBuiseE/U_J5KK0c8mI/AAAAAAAAAV4/qkjRrPkbZ5k/s1600/St.%2BAlbert%2BTriathlon%2B%233.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />Jocelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17825610151695325022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-307221570411448702.post-88117946565615774782014-07-22T14:01:00.002-07:002014-07-22T14:02:00.245-07:00Leduc Triathlon 2014<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">This past Saturday I participated in the Leduc Triathlon, sprint event. I had been registered in the Olympic event however two weeks prior to the race I came down with bronchitis and it put me on my back for over a week. I made the decision to cut my distance back to the sprint and in the end I was happy with this decision. The race went very well and I am quite pleased with the result</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">When I got out of bed Saturday morning at 5:00pm it was raining. I was not due to start my race until about 9:20 so was not too worried. Transition was closing at 7:30 so I wanted to get to Leduc in plenty of time to set everything up and watch the Olympic participants start. My blood sugars were 6.2 which I was very happy about. This is the first race where they have been in range first thing in the morning. I ate my breakfast and only bolused for 3/4 of the meal. I packed up my stuff, put the bike in the car and slithered into my brand new tri-suit. By 6:00pm I was on the road and off to the races.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">When I got to the race site it was drizzling but not too badly. I set up my transition area and made sure I covered everything with a towel in case it rained. In hindsight I should have covered it in plastic. I made my way inside to the pool area and waited, and waited. They were running an hour behind. Luckily my blood sugars were behaving nicely and at 9:30 I set my basal rate back by 50% for 2 hours. Here is how it all went down.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>The Swim - 750m - 15:21</b></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I felt pretty good during the swim and my breathing was in sync. The only issue I did encounter was that the two other people in my lane had clearly not calculated their times correctly. I ended up lapping each of them twice and had to slow down a lot in order to pass them at the end of the lanes. This is the frustrating part of doing these races in the pool. All in all I did enjoy the swim and felt excited getting out of the pool. I know I can swim this distance faster and for my next race I am going to seed myself in a faster wave.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Transition 1 - 2:23</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Once I got out of the pool, I had to run out the back doors, up a slight hill, down the hill and then over the parking lot (which had some gravel) to my bike. It was just over 350m running barefoot. Interesting to say the least. Oh, and it was pouring rain. I managed a quick blood sugar check, was at 7.2, ate a shot bloc, changed into my bike shoes and helmet and was off. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>The Bike - 20km - 42:90</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The bike course was a two looped course, 10km per loop. It was raining pretty hard at this point but on the way out the wind was at my back. I pushed hard and really had to slow down around the corners. I witnessed a few people bail on their bikes due to not slowing down enough. I certainly did not want to do that! I enjoyed the ride and smiled and sang the whole way. Was a great feeling. I was happy because I knew that if I had not had to slow down due to the rain on corners I would have easily gotten a better time. I pushed hard when I could and it felt great. I ended up passing 23 people on the bike which gave me a great ego boost. I dismounted successfully (saw a few people bail while stopping) and started the awkward run in bike shoes to transition.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>Transition 2 - 1:47</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">This transition was pretty uneventful. Ryan and his mom were there cheering me on which made me excited. By then everything was soaking wet and I hopped around a bit to get my running shoes on. Quick blood sugar check showed 9.4. Drank some Nuun and was off and running.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><b>The Run - 25:04</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I have to say that I really enjoyed the run. It was a 2.5km out and back through a pretty treed reserve area. I kept a steady pace the whole way and could not believe how quick it seemed to go. I sprinted the last 200m or so to the finish. Seeing Ryan and his mom cheering me on made me go faster :) They took my chip off, gave me some water and I was done. I finished with a blood sugar of 8.2 (which later spiked up to 13.0) and was happy with that!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The race took me 1:27:24 which I am happy with. I know that if it had not been raining this could have easily been a sub 1:25 for me. I ended up finishing 8th out of the 31 women in my age group. I loved doing the event in my tri-suit, it was so comfortable and stayed in place. I am happy that I made the decision to do the sprint and am looking forward to my next race in two weeks.</span><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4OECDH1T_hc/U87Q9lxigYI/AAAAAAAAAVQ/6IOabBb9sJ0/s1600/Leduc+Triathlon.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-4OECDH1T_hc/U87Q9lxigYI/AAAAAAAAAVQ/6IOabBb9sJ0/s1600/Leduc+Triathlon.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />Jocelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17825610151695325022noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-307221570411448702.post-80261171517384299372014-05-28T15:26:00.002-07:002014-05-28T15:26:50.477-07:00Coronation Triathlon 2014This past Sunday I took part in my first triathlon of the year. This race has been around for 30 years and something I have always wanted to do. The distances were longer than the other triathlons I have done - 1km swim (in a 50m pool), 26km bike and 8km run. Over the winter months I worked hard on gaining strength and muscle as well as regularly biking and running, with a bit of swimming thrown in. <br />
<br />
I did not sleep great the night before the race and was up at 4:45am to get ready. I felt quite lethargic and a blood sugar check showed a high of 13.7. Figures! As I would not actually be starting the race for some time, I took a full correction and was out of the house by 5:30am. Grabbed a coffee on the way and got to the race start by 6:00am. By 6:30 my sugars were at 12.0. I had no choice but to eat my breakfast and bolus for it, fingers crossed. Checked in, set up my transition area and then wandered around with my friend Linda before go time. Checked my blood sugars every half hour and the numbers were not impressing me at all. A half hour before my swim I was hovering at 14.2. Made the decision to bolus half a unit and hoped they would come down during the swim. No temporary basal set which made me a bit nervous. Silly diabetes!!<br />
<br />
I had no real time goal going into the race and thought I would be happy
with a 2 hr 15 min finish. You can imagine my excitement with my
2:02:43 min finish! Lets break this down.<br />
<br />
<u>The Swim</u><br />
<br />
I will be the first to put my hand up and say that my swim training has kind of sucked. I have been concentrating fully on running, biking and strength training. I swam about three times per month. Not enough! However I was still pretty happy with the swim. I felt like I seeded myself well and overall I felt strong. I had to pass a few people which slowed me down as I passed them at the end of the lane. I finished the swim in 21:15. My results show 23:15, this includes my way too long transition time of 2 minutes. After hopping out of the pool you had to run outside, up a small hill (with thistles!), back down and to the bike. I managed to get my bike helmet and shoes on pretty quick, however testing my darn blood sugars was a task. The first test I did not have enough blood, the second one worked. 8.1, perfect! Threw back a shot block and ran to where I could mount my bike.<br />
<br />
<u>The Bike</u> <br />
<br />
The bike course was four loops up and down Groat Road. It was pretty cool to be out on the bike on a road I would otherwise never ride on with traffic. The way out was all downhill and then a climb back up. I am definitely much stronger on going uphill than I am downhill. I have to work on getting over my fear of crashing, lol. My top speed going downhill was 43km/hr and I think I screamed a bit, ha ha. I powered up the hills and passed quite a few. Looking back, I could have pushed even harder however I was trying to save some energy for the run. I finished the bike in 56 minutes, results show 58:05 to include transition. I dismounted at the line and then you had to run a ways with your bike to get back to transition. I did not like that part as it added to my transition time. I changed shoes, put a hat on and tested my sugars. 10.0. I was happy with that and took off for the run.<br />
<br />
<u>The Run</u><br />
<br />
Just like anytime I run off the bike I felt like I was barely moving, my legs felt heavy! The run went down Groat Road into McKinnon Ravine and then back up. 4km out and back. The run was pretty uneventful and I really enjoyed it. I felt strong and did not have to walk. My favorite part was the end, as you were about 150 meters from the finish there were a lot of people cheering and the announcer calls your name. I felt on top of the world! I was shocked to see that I had finished the run in 41:24. A pace of 5:11/km. It felt like I was going much slower than that. Again there were parts of the run I could have pushed harder, but I was enjoying it so much! <br />
<br />
After I finished Ryan was there to give me a big hug. I was so excited about how well I had felt the entire time and was super happy with my blood sugars! I finished with a blood sugar of 8.4, a bit on the high side but much better than being low. I bolused a correction as I always do after intense exercise and went to find Linda. Big hugs and high fives all around. There was not much I could eat after (all gluten stuff) so I packed up my stuff, grabbed a huge coffee and headed home to eat.<br />
<br />
This was a very positive race experience for me. I felt strong and have definitely become fitter over the last 6 months. I had a great time and felt very happy with my result. I know I can push a bit harder and that makes me feel good. I felt pretty good about my diabetic management, except for the high blood sugars beforehand. This prevented me from taking in as much fuel a I would have liked. I am already excited for my next one (which will be an Olympic distance). Here is a picture of me after the race :)<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Uzmxk0xsMJ8/U4Zh1mN1rYI/AAAAAAAAAUs/J3gLSa6GT1k/s1600/Coronation+Tri.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Uzmxk0xsMJ8/U4Zh1mN1rYI/AAAAAAAAAUs/J3gLSa6GT1k/s1600/Coronation+Tri.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />Jocelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17825610151695325022noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-307221570411448702.post-41373547737948321452014-05-16T09:34:00.003-07:002014-05-16T09:34:45.681-07:00D-Blog Week Day 5: Diabetes Life Hacks<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E-ZW8QaELbg/U3Y6GEOpj_I/AAAAAAAAAUY/hD4WTMu_Ph4/s1600/13848270005_2f28c2982f_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-E-ZW8QaELbg/U3Y6GEOpj_I/AAAAAAAAAUY/hD4WTMu_Ph4/s1600/13848270005_2f28c2982f_o.jpg" height="39" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i>Share the (non-medical) tips and tricks that help you in the day-to-day
management of diabetes. </i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">This is an interesting topic. Every single diabetic I have spoken to has little tips and tricks on making living with diabetes a little bit easier. Here is a random list of my own:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i> </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i> </i>* A good place to store your waterproof pump when swimming is clipped to the front of your bathing suit with the screen of the pump facing inward. Keeps it nice and snug, no worries about it dropping to the bottom of the pool.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"> </span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">* Keep a quarter in your meter case for pump battery changes, makes unscrewing that little cap so much easier.</span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">* After a site change, leave your old site in for a couple of hours. This seems to have helped me in the highs I was experiencing after changing my site.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">* If making soups, stews or chili's in big batches, freeze them in freezer bags instead of containers and write the carb count on the front of the freezer bag. A good way to portion things out correctly, get the exact amount of carbs to bolus for and save space in your freezer.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">* When you go running and want to bring along some glucose tabs just in case of a low, put them in a snack size Ziploc bag and then store them in the side of your sports bra. Not only does this keep them dry, but it keeps them warmer so if you need to use them they dissolve faster in your mouth.</span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span><br /><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">* Store your emergency glucagon in a toothbrush holder and write the expiry date with a sharpie on the outside. They are the perfect size to hold everything you need, including the instructions.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I am heading off camping for the long weekend so will post my remaining two D-Blog week entries on Monday. Happy Friday!</span>Jocelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17825610151695325022noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-307221570411448702.post-73523136958464407282014-05-15T14:20:00.001-07:002014-05-15T14:20:14.409-07:00D-Blog Week Day 4: Mantras and More<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3yzQP_SW6-c/U3Urab5ImYI/AAAAAAAAAUI/LQUx81O1fOU/s1600/13848270005_2f28c2982f_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-3yzQP_SW6-c/U3Urab5ImYI/AAAAAAAAAUI/LQUx81O1fOU/s1600/13848270005_2f28c2982f_o.jpg" height="39" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Yesterday we opened up about how diabetes can bring us down. Today let’s
share what gets us through a hard day. Or more specifically, a hard
diabetes day. Is there something positive you tell yourself? Are there
mantras that you fall back on to get you through? Is there something
specific you do when your mood needs a boost? Maybe we've done that and
we can help others do it too?</span></i><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I would not necessarily say that I have a diabetes specific mantra. I do have two sayings that come to mind when I am facing anything difficult or challenging.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">My favorite one is "Suck it Up Princess". I have a road ID tag for my running shoe and this is the saying I have on it. I find that saying this to myself or having someone say it to me gives me the push I need to overcome a hurdle. It reminds me that I can get through tough things and that I am strong. During each marathon and triathlon when I have wanted to stop and lay on the sidewalk I tell myself this over and over. It works a charm :) I have also been known to say this to others when I know they need it. It also applies to dealing with being a Type 1 diabetic. I use this to remind myself that there are others that have much harder things to deal with.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Another thing I often say to myself, and this is in tune with a diabetes inspired project of the same name, is "You Can Do This". I have been saying this to myself for as long as I can remember. Before standing in front of my grade 4 class to read my short story for the oratorical contest, before performing on stage in a play for the first time, before every basketball, baseball, badminton or track event for the school teams, before getting on an airplane alone and traveling across the world to live and travel, before my first job interview, before and many times during each road race, trail race or triathlon I have participated in. I said it to myself over and over again after being diagnosed Type 1 diabetic. Before injecting myself for the first time, before checking my blood sugar for the first time, while suffering my first low and high blood sugars, before my cataract surgeries, before my first insulin pump site insertion, while suffering so badly with the pain in my nerves, when going for my first run post-diagnosis and I was terrified, before undergoing a gastroscopy for my celiac diagnosis. I think you get the picture.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I think my new combined mantra is going to be "Suck it Up Princess, You Can Do This"!</span><br />
Jocelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17825610151695325022noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-307221570411448702.post-46987548712909135742014-05-14T14:53:00.000-07:002014-05-14T14:53:24.896-07:00D-Blog Week Day 3: What Brings Me Down<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g_FS6-_UPiM/U3PFKISThvI/AAAAAAAAAT4/NCmetGJ6aBE/s1600/13848270005_2f28c2982f_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-g_FS6-_UPiM/U3PFKISThvI/AAAAAAAAAT4/NCmetGJ6aBE/s1600/13848270005_2f28c2982f_o.jpg" height="39" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Our topic for today is What Brings Me Down. <i>May is </i><a href="http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/may" target="_blank"><i>Mental Health Month</i></a><i>
so now seems like a great time to explore the emotional side of living
with, or caring for someone with, diabetes. What things can make dealing
with diabetes an emotional issue for you and / or your loved one, and
how do you cope? </i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">If I were to have written this post during the first 12 months after my diagnosis it would be written very differently than the one I am about to write. Being diagnosed at the age of 32 sent me for a complete 360. That first year was a complete whirlwind of emotion for me. Fear, devastation, denial, anger, frustration, confusion and a lot of sadness.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Fast forward to today. I have been a Type 1 diabetic for over 2.5 years and definitely struggle with it on a mental level, just in a different way. My emotions are not as raw as they once were, but they are deeper. I no longer feel angry at the world and I no longer pity myself. I do however have a lot of anger towards the disease, anger and frustration. I get angry when I am ready for a run/bike/swim and my blood sugars are too low or to high to go. I get angry when I cannot get a high blood sugar to come down and my head swims in a fog and I cannot focus. I get angry when I have a low blood sugar completely out of the blue and have to stop everything and wait for my insides to stop shaking and for my brain to start working. I get angry when I have to eat when I am full just to get my blood sugars up and I get angry when I am hungry but have to wait for my sugars to come down in order to eat. I get angry when I have to argue with my benefits company about how many test strips I should use in a day. I get angry that I have to practically carry a suitcase with me everywhere I go to lug all my diabetes stuff around in. I get angry that there are many people in this world with Type 1 diabetes that do not have access to the type of care I have, that some go without up to date insulin, can only test once or twice a day, have never seen a specialist.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I also feel frustrated for many of the same reasons. In fact I get frustrated when I get angry and angry when I get frustrated!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Fear is something that has worked itself inside my brain. When I go to bed every night I am scared that I might not wake up. It is usually a quick thought, but it is there. I fear what the disease is doing to me inside. I look, feel and act well, but I know that each and every day with Type 1 diabetes takes a toll on my body. I wonder what it is doing to my organs, eyes and nerves. I get scared that one of my beloved nieces or nephews may end up being Type 1 diabetic. I know there is nothing I could do to stop that from happening, but I worry about it. I worry about being a burden on my loved ones.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I also often feel exhausted Not exhaustion in the sleepy way (although the 3:30am blood sugar checks do contribute to that feeling), more of being exhausted of keeping the disease in check 24 hours a day. Not an hour goes by in my day where I don't think of diabetes. There is the many blood sugar checks a day, the 3:30am checks every day, calculating of carbs, dosing of insulin, predicting what will happen during exercise, treating highs and lows...and the list goes on. It can be very daunting.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I know this all makes it sound like doom and gloom, but it's not. These are feelings that do surface a lot, sometimes I dwell on them, most of the time I don't. They come, they pass and I move on.</span>Jocelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17825610151695325022noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-307221570411448702.post-76672619711261470202014-05-13T08:23:00.003-07:002014-05-13T08:23:54.122-07:00D-Blog Week Day 2: Poetry Tuesday<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YZnyvE4piH8/U3I17oTGAoI/AAAAAAAAATc/b1e5NRscW7A/s1600/13848270005_2f28c2982f_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-YZnyvE4piH8/U3I17oTGAoI/AAAAAAAAATc/b1e5NRscW7A/s1600/13848270005_2f28c2982f_o.jpg" height="39" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Our topic today is Poetry Tuesday. <i>This year, Diabetes Blog Week and </i><a href="http://www.tudiabetes.org/" target="_blank"><i>TuDiabetes</i></a><i> are teaming up to bring out the poet in you! Write a poem, rhyme, ballad, haiku, or any other form of poetry about diabetes. </i></span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I have always loved poetry and in my teenage years I wrote a countless number of poems. One thing I have never been very good at is writing a Haiku - so today I attempted one :)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i> </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i>Just one drop of blood</i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><i>Is all that it takes to know</i></span><br />
<i><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">How my day will go</span></i><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TQiy519Ya5c/U3I47Xejs3I/AAAAAAAAATo/1rUYvNuCw_w/s1600/blood-drop.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-TQiy519Ya5c/U3I47Xejs3I/AAAAAAAAATo/1rUYvNuCw_w/s1600/blood-drop.jpg" height="200" width="146" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
Jocelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17825610151695325022noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-307221570411448702.post-37396048610981233052014-05-12T10:29:00.002-07:002014-05-12T10:29:28.570-07:00D-Blog Week: Day 1 - Change the World<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3roxOoPILwQ/U3DmvEPxceI/AAAAAAAAATM/ig8svHKMw90/s1600/13848270005_2f28c2982f_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3roxOoPILwQ/U3DmvEPxceI/AAAAAAAAATM/ig8svHKMw90/s1600/13848270005_2f28c2982f_o.jpg" height="39" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Today’s topic is Change the World. <i>Let’s kick off Diabetes Blog Week
by talking about the diabetes causes and issues that really get us
fired up. Are you passionate about 504 plans and school safety? Do
diabetes misconceptions irk you? Do you fight for CGM coverage for
Medicare patients, SDP funding, or test strip accuracy? Do you work hard
at creating diabetes connections and bringing support? Whether or not
you “formally” advocate for any cause, share the issues that are
important to you. </i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">What better way to get back into the blogging groove than participating in this years DBlogWeek? I have been missing in action for too long and am itching to get back to writing. So, lets get to it!</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">There a few things I have done to advocate for diabetes awareness. I have walked in the JDRF walk and also volunteered as a panelist with a group of teenage girls discussing issues faced as a young woman with diabetes. I would like to do more however, much much more! </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">The thing I would say that I am most passionate about when it comes to diabetes is educating others about the disease. Nearly 100% of this is done through daily encounters with co-workers, friends and family. Often it is not intentional - however the lack of knowledge in general often makes me open my mouth. I love having the opportunity to dismiss myths and to educate. Sometimes statements or comments can spark a bit of a fire in my belly and I cannot help but speak up. I also have the pleasure of training with some wonderful ladies and they are always interested to hear about managing diabetes while being active.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">One thing I would like to do more of is talk about my experiences with running, swimming and biking while managing diabetes. I found the first couple of years as a diabetic extremely frustrating as I had no idea how to manage sugars while trying to do long distance training. Through the help of the DOC and a lot of trial and error, I am much more confident. I guess one way I can do this is by blogging more!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I want to thank all of you bloggers out there for being such an amazing support network. Each day I read stories and feel like I really belong to a fantastic community.</span><br />
<i> </i><br />
<i> </i>Jocelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17825610151695325022noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-307221570411448702.post-72721538965359426082014-01-31T10:20:00.002-08:002014-01-31T10:20:24.125-08:00Endo Appointment Extraordinaire<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">This past Monday morning I had my 6 month appointment with my Endo, Dr. Greg. As always I was nervous going in. I met with my nurse first and she downloaded a month of number from my pump and chatted with me for awhile about how things were going. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Enter Dr. Greg. As usual he made me feel comfortable right away and we talked for some time about how I was doing and how I was liking the insulin pump. He asked a lot of questions about my activity levels and how I felt I was managing my blood sugars before, during and after. He asked about my race plans through the year and gave me some good suggestions about when to take carbs in during the triathlons. Dr. Greg gave me the floor to talk about some of my frustrations about diabetes and how I was feeling in general. This is why I love him as my Endo, he listens and never interrupts.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">He did a quick check of my feet and said that while I do have some nerve damage, it has not progressed any further at this time. I was pretty pleased with that. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Dr. Greg then started reviewing my numbers from the past month. I am always amazed how the specialists can look at the numbers and pick out patterns. He said the only thing that really stood out was that I was having lows in the mornings, particularly the mornings after a tough training session. He suggested I reduce my basal rate starting at 5:30am instead of 6:30am and see how that goes (I require more insulin during the night due to dawn phenomenon). </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Then it came time for the big reveal. He was happy to tell me my A1C had dropped to 5.9%. He said that he was happy with this as I had not achieved it through suffering a lot of lows which is the first thing he checked for. He gave me a pat on the back and said that he did not have to see me for another 6 months.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I am very happy with the appointment and the results. This disease is not easy, but the hard work certainly does pay off!!</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Now off to Mexico for a week :) Ola!</span>Jocelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17825610151695325022noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-307221570411448702.post-29786227622665216792014-01-03T14:53:00.002-08:002014-01-03T14:53:34.479-08:00December 2013 Training Wrap Up<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">First of all - HAPPY NEW YEAR! Hope everyone enjoyed the holiday season. Mine was not too shabby. I had a few days off work and got some solid workouts in over the Christmas period. Pretty happy with the way things are going. I am enjoying doing more strength work and am feeling stronger - that is a plus! </span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Here are the numbers: </span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<br />
<div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
Hours of training = 51.3 hours</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
Bike (including Spin) x 13 = 345 km's </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
Run x 11 = 107 km's</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
Swim x 2 = 5,600 m</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
Weights/tabata/core= 18 hours 50 minutes</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
Rest days =4</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">So far the 2014 is off to a good start. I don't make resolutions, I just want to stay active and continue pursuing goals of triathlon and running healthy.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">I do have the goal of blogging more! Lots of ideas and posts started, just need to organize myself and get them done! </span>Jocelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17825610151695325022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-307221570411448702.post-47744448465458891772013-12-24T08:12:00.004-08:002013-12-24T08:12:40.537-08:00Merry Christmas<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: red;"><b><span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas!!</span></b></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-92jfEmK39NA/UrmyO6_lqTI/AAAAAAAAARs/accyudX4tYI/s1600/basil+kasper+christmas+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-92jfEmK39NA/UrmyO6_lqTI/AAAAAAAAARs/accyudX4tYI/s320/basil+kasper+christmas+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xWWW2H1euLw/UrmyTm9KnzI/AAAAAAAAAR0/IVwqVeMeju0/s1600/basil+kasper+christmas.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="239" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-xWWW2H1euLw/UrmyTm9KnzI/AAAAAAAAAR0/IVwqVeMeju0/s320/basil+kasper+christmas.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
Jocelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17825610151695325022noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-307221570411448702.post-68308082350032633952013-12-16T15:07:00.001-08:002013-12-16T15:07:16.511-08:00November 2013 Training Wrap Up<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Well better late than never! Not sure where this month has gone. Work and life in general has been very busy. We are in the depths of winter and the majority of my training has been inside unfortunately. I do usually run outside however have my limits as to how cold I will go out in. I have gotten a lot of time in on the bike (spin and little J in my living room) and quite a lot of strength training. I actually have hired a personal trainer to work with me twice a week to work on strength and core. I have noticed that the stronger I am getting the better I perform on the bike and run. I want to see how some structured strength/core will help in the upcoming race season. </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">Here are the numbers: </span><br />
<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;"></span><div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
Hours of training = 49.7 hours</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
Bike (including Spin) x 13 = 363.7 km's </span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
Run x 9 = 94 km's</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
Swim x 2 = 5,000 m</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
</span><div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
Weights/tabata/core= 17 hours 45 minutes</span></div>
<span style="font-family: Verdana,sans-serif;">
Rest days =5<br />
<br />December has been great so far and I am enjoying being able to do what I can. I am itching to get out snowboarding soon! Also, Ryan and I booked a trip to Mexico in February. I can hardly wait for some sun, sand and relaxation :)</span>Jocelynhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17825610151695325022noreply@blogger.com1