Training, Training, Training

I continue to train.  And train.  And train some more.  My body has been telling me how unhappy it is with me at times.  I am learning to listen to my body.  The Horseman Training is much harder than I anticipated.  So I have modified it a bit.  And I have a confession, anything to do with cleans, squats, press or basically anything with a bar, scare the shit out of me.  I am afraid to do those things by myself.  And unfortunately, a lot of the Horseman training is based on using the bar...A LOT.  I wish I had a workout partner for the hours I work out.  I may have to modify my training times to see if I can have friends work out with me...somewhere.  More thought will have to go into this.

Nutrition.  Holy balls nutrition.  I truly suck at this.  A LOT.  I have gotten to the point that I avoid eating in order to avoid messing with my insulin and working out.  Instead, I need to learn to understand my body better.  Understand its needs and how it can synthesize and break down products.  With my increased activity, I need to cut back on my insulin intake.  Instead, I take too much and hours later my blood sugar crashes...while I am in the middle of a workout.

I am thankful that one of my coworkers is also a T1D and he is equally as active as me, if not more so.  He and I have talked and bounced ideas off of one another.  He advised eating at least 4h before I plan to work out so that my bolus insulin is not peaking while I am exercising.  He also recommended I read Think like a Pancreas by Gary Schneider (https://www.amazon.com/Think-Like-Pancreas-Practical-Insulin-Completely/dp/0738215147

Think Like a Pancreas: A Practical Guide to Managing ... www.amazon.com DiabetesMine.com, 2/21/12 “Think Like a Pancreas covers essentially anything and everything you’d need to know about living with diabetes.” About.com, 3/1/12

).  I will definitely look up this book and read it.  I told him of my frustrations in not finding an endocrinologist who understands a diabetic that exercises regularly and participates in back country, distance, endurance activities.  We both lamented on the fact that doctors we have interacted with have not shared their vast knowledge with us on diabetes, its effects on the body, current studies and products in the planning stages, with us.  Very frustrating.  So I shall take it upon myself to learn these things.

I was telling my coworker of my interest in the Continuous Blood Glucose Monitoring System.  He stated the FDA is working on a closed loop system with an insulin pump and a CGM that communicate with one another to adjust basal and bolus insulins as needed.  He stated they are programmed with a specific algorithm in order to act like a synthetic pancreas.  How awesome is that?!  I did learn that a CGM does not measure blood glucose in real time as I had previously thought.  Coworker advised it still has about a 20min lag and that it must be supplemented by our regular finger pricking systems to make sure the CGM is properly calibrated.

My blood sugars are embarrassingly abysmal.  WTF.  I had such good control for so long and then bam!  I kind of stopped caring as much.  And I can link it directly to all the issues I had earlier this year with my insurance refusing to renew any of my prescriptions and basically telling me they did not care about my health.  They cared about saving money.  And something in me switched.  If the people and companies that are supposed to care to keep me healthy don't, why should I?  I need to flip that switch back.  I need to have better control.  This is ridiculous.  There is a Facebook group for T1D GRTs.  One of the members mentioned the Fit with Diabetes Challenge.  Upon further investigation, I came across Dr. Sheri Colberg and her work with T1D athletes.  I shall definitely look into her works, especially, The Diabetic Athlete's Handbook (2009). 

After my Team RWB GORUCK Leadership Camp, I became truly inspired and wanted to become more involved in the leadership level of my local RWB Chapter.  I have been a member for almost 2 years now, but basically attended events and gave the leadership feedback, but had not been involved in the decision making, advertising process.  Well, you are now looking at the new Communications Director/Captain for Team RWB in the Treasure Valley.  Woooo!  I have so many ideas all the time.  Sometimes I cannot write them all down before I think of new or different ideas.  I am so excited!  My current project is assisting the Boise VA with their Veteran Stand Down event (http://www.va.gov/homeless/events.asp) later this month.  I got permission from my work place to ask for clothing donations for homeless veterans.  So far, after only a week of having the donation boxes in place, my coworkers have donated so many things!  I am so proud of my work place.  They truly are a great group of people.  And I helped spread the word of Team RWB to them as well.  Win!!

On Friday I tried one-arm push-ups for the first time in basically...ever.  Man, not easy stuff.  I admit that I started out merely doing the shoulder shrug.  Just moving my body and shoulder up and down rather than bracing my body weight totally on my one arm and bending it.  Eventually I did manage to bend my elbow a bit.  Progress!  Hey, progress is progress, no matter how incremental.  I'll take it.  Gives me a goal for the next time I do them.

I signed up for a 10K in February and a half marathon in March.  I would really like to participate in the Bataan Memorial Death March on March 19 at White Sands Missile Range, NM.   Who wants to be on my 5-person heavy-rated (i.e. wearing a 35lb ruck) civilian team for the 26 mile trek through sand dunes?  Anyone?  Anyone?  This would be perfect training for my GORUCK Heavy in May!  I need to continue mountain biking for as long as possible to keep it as a good form of cross training.  It saved me when I did the Race to Robie Creek earlier this year.  Fuck that was a hard half marathon.

I also tried on some shoes since a pair of mine are utterly thrashed.  I am usually a fan of Nike's because they tend to be more narrow in the ankle and have a higher arch.  But I have been wanting to try the Solomon Trail Crosses.  Glad I tried them on.  Hell no.  Shit rubs horribly against my right ankle.  My left ankle was fine.  I tried on the shoes after doing a 7mi ruck hike in the foothills.  So my feet were nice and swollen and I had 2 pairs of socks.  The shoe that I really liked was the Brooks Cascadia, size 9, WB.  Yes!!  Now I know what I need to save up for.

I feel like I am slacking as of late.  I am doing more weights than cardio.  I have never done this before and have measured my physical fitness levels based on cardio endurance and less on weight lifting abilities.  I am still searching for a healthy balance.  I will find it.  But it will take time.  I know that in addition to need to correct my nutrition issues, I need to address my sleep habits.  I need to go to bed earlier and sleep more to give my body more rest time.  All things I know I suck at currently.  And needed to get down on (proverbial) paper to remind myself of them.

Still handling Dad stuff.  Still alive.  Barely.  What a horrible situation.  And made worse by the family resorting to strife.  Yeesh.  Dying should bring families together.  Not tear them apart.  For my peace of mind, I do not think about it.  I have compartmentalised and distanced myself.  And it works for me.  I will be returning in Nov to see my parents.  But it will mostly be there for my mother.  My father is past needing me at this point.

And, just for shits and giggles because I find this gif hilarious...and do enjoy watching Game of Thrones- here you go.  Enjoy!