Train(ing) Keeps a Running

September 17^th, 2010:  Feel like I have successfully rebounded in the training program.  Targeted a 140-142 pulse rate for the eight mile jaunt last Sunday and as it was rather hot, which made me assume another miserable pace.  However, I checked my watch at mile six and calculated a sub ten minute pace, and gladly accelerated, finishing at a 9:40 pace.  Not spectacular, but for a tentative first long run in recovery mode I was encouraged

With this long trot under my belt, I will certainly attempt a brisker pace for next Sunday’s nine miler.  I was on the road for work this week, which means I was back in Dayton, Ohio.  Didn’t pack along the heart rate monitor, but it was like the old days where I just ran hard.  For Wednesday’s run I was scheduled for forty minutes and decided to visit some back roads I hadn’t been down in six years (when we lived here I ran several times over lunch each week).  Of course I got a bit confused, but had tested my blood before setting out and was packing along a snack so enduring an additional ten minutes to get back was acceptable.
I cannot reinforce how vital it is to prepare for contingencies if you are a Type I diabetic.  Things constantly don’t go as planned and it is vital to equip yourself so that can deal with the unforeseen.  Sooner or later the unexpected will confront you, and so long as you are packing effective remedies, diabetes won’t block your path.

There are two dietary supplements I’ve purchased to assist my long runs.  My doctor recommended RecoverRite, a powder you mix with water and chug after a long run.  It is supposed to stock your body with essential proteins and such to repair muscles aggravated by the stress.  My wife, who has this incredible wealth of knowledge on food, read the ingredient list on the label and told me I could probably just slurp a glass of milk and save some serious money…but I had already purchased the giant economy size vat of powder.  It definitely hits the spot after a long run and I hope it helps mold my body into a running machine.

Hammer Gels are the second supplement.  These are packets of glycogen, the fuel your body needs to keep humming during long hauls.  I’ve come to appreciate there is a distinction between nutrition and fuel: nutrition being inputs your body utilizes to build a better beast, and; fuel is simple energy to get past the task at hand.  Simple carbohydrates (e.g., sugar) are anathema to diabetics, because it quickly raises you blood sugar levels and generally carries little nutritional value (which is why they are also referred to as “hollow calories”).  But when you are running long distances, simple carbs are fuel to drive muscles and Hammer gels struck me as easy to tear open and ingest while plodding along, each packet containing enough calories to keep going but not so much that it would spike my blood sugar levels.

I planned to hit the Hammer an hour into my run last week, but had also chowed down a pack of peanut butter crackers before taking off and my head was in a good place so I opted out.  Tested my blood after completing the run and it was 84, so quite encouraging.

Regardless, preparation is paramount and I will continue to pack along Hammer gels now that my training runs are getting up there.