Running with Diabetes
I am one of those wanna-be runners. I have been running for years—still trying to love it, but it never happens. I do it because I can. It’s pretty easy to slip on a pair of running shoes and hit the pavement for a few miles. And I do have to admit, there is no better feeling that of being done with a run.
I say it’s easy—but once I’m out there, it’s everything but easy. I struggle. My legs feel like they are so heavy. It’s hard to breath. And to complicate things, I’m a diabetic. As a diabetic, I have one more thing to worry about as I run—my blood sugar.
I have a sister-in-law that, somehow, every year always talks me into doing a half marathon with her. We never race together because she is too stinking fast, but I have found that signing up for a race helps keep me accountable and consistent with my running. And running a 5k, 10k, half marathon—and even a full marathon—is totally doable with diabetes. While training and competing is tricky with diabetes, it can be done!
It’s difficult to determine if my blood sugar is low while I’m running. When my blood sugar gets low, I feel sweaty and my heart starts racing—hmmm, that’s the same way I feel when I run. To avoid going low during a run, here is a list of what I do. These tips may help you but remember, everyone’s body is different, so please be careful! Talk to your doctor before starting a running schedule with diabetes.
Plan Your Runs
I hate scheduling things! As a mom, sometimes I just don’t know when I will be able to get out for a run. I’m not a morning person, so I don’t always get my runs in first thing even though that would be ideal.
The most important thing to do is to schedule your run when you don’t have insulin in your body. Running naturally breaks down the sugars in your blood, so if there is insulin already doing that you could be in trouble. This is why running first thing in the morning is the best. Otherwise you have to remember when you took your shoot and wait about four hours to ensure the extra insulin isn’t going to make you go low.
Mornings are also ideal if you suffer from a “dawning effect.” A dawning effect causes your blood sugar to rise in the early morning hours. Researchers believe this may be caused by the body’s natural releasing of hormones—including growth hormone, cortisol, glucagon and epinephrine—which then increases insulin resistance, causing blood sugar to rise. If I wake up and my blood sugar is on the rise, a run is the perfect way to counteract that.
Always Test Before & After
You should always, always, always test your blood sugar before you run. I like mine to be a little higher than normal. If I start a run at about 180 mg/l, I’m usually good—dropping to 80 mg/l by the time I am finished (of course this depends on how far I go). If you are lower than that, eat a snack or drink some juice before you head out. If you are higher than that, I would get your run in before taking insulin to correct the high. You may be surprised at how running will lower your blood sugar naturally.
Test again a few minutes after your run to make sure you are in range. I tend to continue to drop for a bit after I am finished, so I usually wait 30 minutes or eat a little something after I’m done running.
A CGM is always nice when you’re training for something. I like to wear a Dexcom, however my insurance has changed and it isn’t very affordable. I now reserve mine for those times when I know it will be most useful (like summer and long bike rides).
Carry Some Sugar
I always have something with me “just in case.” While the symptoms of low blood sugar are hard to detect while running, I will sometimes test if I feel off, or if my tongue starts tingling (is that a signal of low blood sugar for any one else?).
On longer runs, I will need something mid-run to keep me from dropping. I used to carry shot blocks and gu’s with me until I listened to a podcast about how horrible they are on your gut and how they should only be reserved for race day. Now I always have fruit snacks with me. When I do longer runs, I make sure I eat something with peanut butter or oats prior to my run. That way, it will take longer for my body to break it down.
Wear Some Identification
I would definitely advise running with a friend, but I know that isn’t always possible. As training runs get longer, it’s not always possible to find a partner with your same schedule and same pace. Even if you do have a running partner, it’s a good idea to wear some sort of identification so people know what to do if something happens.
For the longest time, I would just wear a plastic band. It doesn’t have any of my personal information, but at least people would know why I was passed out or acting drunk.
Even better is a gift I got from my sister-in-law. It’s RoadID bracelet. It has my name, two emergency contact numbers and my medical condition (and the fact that I’m vegetarian—I guess to prevent someone for shoving a fat burger into my mouth ;)).
So, remember to plan out your run, test, carry some sugar, and wear some identification. For those of you on a pump, you simply reduce your basal rate when you go for a run.
Don’t let your diabetes hold you back. If running is something you want to do, or if you have “run a half marathon” on your bucket list, it can be done! You just need to make sure you are taking precautions and managing your blood sugars. Remember—you can do anything anyone else can do. I’m not going to let diabetes hold me back from anything I want to accomplish. You shouldn’t either!