Successful Run!

Case ran the Bolder Boulder today in 70 minutes with Mom and Dad by his side.  He did a great job running the whole way except for a few stops to grab an ice pop, to jump and lay down in a baby pool filled with cold water, to run through hose water spray at a few houses, to check his sugar which was good, thankfully, and to drink water and pour it over his head.  It was a great, fun run which we hope he will do next year.  Kurt ran with a video camera and grabbed some shots here and there which we will post soon.

Longest Run so far!!!!!!!!!

I ran 5 1/2 miles on Tuesday and it was so hot out and it was really hard.  Good thing we brought water!  I think it was the hardest so far.  I ran with my Mom and my Dad.  My Dad said it was easy but my Mom and I thought it was hard.

Running With My Dad

I have been running with my Dad.  He is a fast runner.  I enjoy running with him and he gives me a good workout.  I think that I will do good in the Bolder Bolder.

4 Mile Run!!

Case ran his first ever four mile run with his Dad this weekend.  He had a great run but was quite tired afterwards!

Finally Another Run!!!

We finally made it out running yesterday!   It was a beautiful day, warm and sunny.  We went three miles around two little reservoirs making it a nice and peaceful run. Although neither of us had tons of energy, it felt good to accomplish it regardless.  Tomorrow’s forecast is 10 inches of snow, so we’ll see what happens to our running.  We are looking forward to a productive April!

No Running This Past Week

We’ve had a long week of no running because Case hasn’t been feeling well.  It’s not diabetes related, it’s been a stomach virus.  He slept a lot over the weekend which is unlike him.  But thankfully he woke up this morning, felt like eating and seemed back to his normal self.  Our plan is to run today after school on a new path near our house that’s really beautiful.

Eating Before Runs to Avoid Lows

Case wears a bag around his waist, while running, which carries his diabetes supplies.  He has a meter with strips to test his blood sugar and some fast acting sugar in the event he is low.  This should be enough for our short runs but we’ll have to add to it when we are running for longer periods of time.  Our biggest issue right now is finding the right fast acting sugar to eat before a run when he is on the low side that does not cause cramps when he is running.  We went out on our long run today but turned around a few minutes later when his cramp wouldn’t go away.  He drank juice before he started out because he was a little on the low side to start a long run.  I would love to hear what others eat before they run and how you get around this problem!

Blood Sugar Testing Before Running

Case and I ran our “long run” today of 2.5 miles in the pelting down snow causing our eyes to sting.  Whew!  It’s been a cold and dreary winter here in the suburbs. It’s rare for the snow to remain on the sidewalks and trails for more than a couple of days. The snow has yet to melt this winter making running more like an obstacle course to avoid the mud puddles and ice patches.

Every time we go for  a run Case tests his blood sugar to make sure it is within range.  He was 84 before this run which is a little on the low end so he had a big glass of juice and off we went with more juice in his pockets.  When we returned home he was only 70 so we didn’t do a very good job with his blood sugars this time.  The exercise has a big effect on lowering his numbers.  Hopefully we will be able to predict what to do for the runs in the future so that he’ll be able to finish the big race coming up!  Next post I’ll show the paraphernalia we bring with us on the runs to manage the diabetes.

“Barefoot” Shoes

Today Case ran in his Vibram barefoot shoes for the first time.  We are trying these “shoes” to prevent injuries and be more effective runners.  Research now recognizes barefoot running as beneficial to one’s body due to the heel strike avoidance.  Case said his feet were sore while he was wearing them so it will take some time to build up the mileage.  I thank my brother Paul and friend Annie who did diligent research in the form of running, reading, and taking classes to learn more about barefoot running.  

Training with Kiwi

This was a cold and snowy run, but the first with Kiwi making it much more fun.  Case did great despite the lack of motivation getting out of the house. But who could blame him!  We are currently running 1.5 miles and plan to increase this weekend to stay on track.