Jennifer Ahn
July 31, 2010
I have felt a little stressed out and less motivated of late. This often happens to me after a year of accomplishing something, then working on that same goal for the subsequent year. I started running a couple years back and felt rejuvenated by a new form of exercise. I felt like I had to go out and run. I ran my first 5K and felt great. I felt like I really accomplished something with that training, even though it was a 5K. The following year, I trained for a half marathon. This was exciting to me as well as it was a new distance. I felt motivated by this goal and was inspired to keep working at that goal. Last year, as most of you know, I did the Longhorn Half Ironman. Again… a new goal established with motivation to keep working at it. I had signed up for a few half marathons to help train. But, my motivation to actually run the runs was a little lacking. But, I ran them as they were part of the training.
July 13, 2010
Yesterday I participated in the Boulder Peak triathlon for the second time. Last year, this was my first Olympic-distance triathlon, and thus an automatic PR (personal record). I’m happy to say that yesterday I also PR’d at this distance.Last year’s race was kind of a disaster, blood-sugar-wise. This was the race where my meter read over 500 in T2 (after the bike), and I wasn’t sure if I should do the run or go to the medical tent. I’m even happier to note that yesterday’s race did NOT repeat this pattern, and that the various strategies I worked out with the medical team later last season are serving me well now. Was my blood sugar perfect? No way, even with the meticulous babysitting. However, it was MUCH better than last year.
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June 28, 2010
So, one of the women I work out with asked me this week – 'How did you ever become a couch potato?' Well, I was NEVER a couch potato – easy answer, right? The more difficult answer is why did it take until 34 years old to figure out that I could be a better non-couch potato. First, let me explain why she assumed I was a couch potato.... Last April I had knee surgery for the THIRD time on the same knee. Two ACL reconstructions and two meniscectomies later on that same knee – all results of being ACTIVE – I decided that it was time to drop some of my 195 lbs off my body. I found the following information right before I had my (hopefully) final knee surgery.So, how was I going to change this?
June 21, 2010
We just finished a fantastic Camp WILD weekend, where instead of those traditional camp customs of swimming, volleyball, and making s’mores over a campfire, we engaged in swimming, biking, and running, with a lot of diabetes education and sports psychology thrown in. It was nice that Boulder was looking particularly lovely this weekend.
June 1, 2010
1. first non-car commute to work of 2010
2. first use of pink duct tape
3. first having to STOP skiing due to DKA symptoms which resulted in #4 - boooooooo
4. first insulin pump set change in ski area parking lot
5. first full lap non-stop in a pool while breathing **this is SUPER important and led to #6
6. signed up for FIRST EVER triathlon
May 30, 2010
Founder of Team WILD, Mari Ruddy, was recently interviewed by Jessica Apple, over at ASweetLife.org. Mari continually inspires, and continually works to get our Team WILD, and the ADA Red Rider Program, messages out there. Click here to read the amazing article.
May 27, 2010
Tucson’s Tour de Cure came and went in late February and my excuse for not doing it was that I hadn’t ridden since the 70.3 last October as all my training had been concentrated on a half marathon in late January. While training for the 70.3 last year, I had opportunities both in Tucson and San Antonio to ride with Edy. When Edy fell and fractured her pelvis and wouldn’t be able to ride in the San Antonio Tour de Cure, I wanted to be there for her and ride for her. Riding away at the start and seeing Edy standing there with her sparkly cane was difficult and that’s all I’m going to say, but knowing she would be at the end of 55 miles gave me motivation to have a great ride. I rode with the team formed by the practice where Edy is the CDE--Diabetes and Metabolism Specialists of San Antonio. Also riding for the team were Dr. Rodriguez; Jeff, Edy’s son; Joe (a nurse); Baldwin (also a nurse); and Akia, Baldwin’s young son.
May 26, 2010
Listening in on the coaching call the other day, I was thinking to myself how it seems like people’s motivation to get going on the work-out plan is altered from last year. Perhaps it’s because the fear of doing the event is not as apparent. Many of our team are returners from last year… thus; the novelty of doing a half Ironman is not as scary. I guess that is what pushes people to strive for goals that are bigger and better. The new things for this race are likely not the distance but the challenge of the new location.
May 15, 2010
Last week was a week of “firsts” for me. I went on my first cruise, first trip to the Bahamas, and the first time in 25 years of having diabetes I was told “no” because of having diabetes. I was on the cruise lines private island, and attempted to rent snorkeling gear. After honestly answering the medical questionnaire, the employee declined my rental because I was on insulin. I attempted to persuade them why it was completely safe for me to snorkel. “No, company policy mamn.” I was furious, and crushed. It was the first time in my life I felt like diabetes was a disability.
Hello everyone. I'll admit it; I've been a bit of a slacker with my blogging responsibilities. I missed April entirely and I'm lat for May. Why? I guess I really didn't think I had much, if anything, to say. Well, now I do, so here goes.
First, let me introduce myself. My name is Lorrie DiCesare. I'm almost 47 years old, which I can't believe, live in the Chicago land area with several other WILD women, and have been living with Type 1 diabetes for almost 31 years. I was on the half Ironman team last year for which was a complete blast. Yes, the training was hard and time consuming, but it was an incredible experience. I met so many wonderful women and the coaching and support was awesome, I just couldn't pass up another opportunity to do it all again.
May 9, 2010
Years ago, before I really ran, I’d try it every now and then. I’d walk some and then jog some and jokingly called it ‘wogging’. When I got serious about trying to run, I still did a little walking, but my goal that first season was to run the Bolder Boulder 10K without any walking (besides water breaks and checking my blood sugar).
LOWS
So, I've been waking up low almost every day since I've become more committed to training. I'm no dummy and watched my CGM graphs for a few days and decided a lower basal rate for me from 3am to 6am was going to help. I did this and was waking up with a BG (blood glucose) of 103, 95, etc for about a week and now I'm back to 50s upon waking. I have my CGM plugged back in but it's only been a few days so no changes quite yet other than breakfast immediately upon waking! Ah, diabetes rears it's ugly head once again! Next struggle for me.... swimming. I've started taking Total Immersion swimming lessons to help with that struggle!
This past weekend, I revisited Austin, the place of the inaugural Team WILD event, Longhorn 70.3. I watched an inline speed skating marathon, the Texas Road Rash (what a great name), which my friend was competing in. I thought going 20 mph on a bike was not a bad pace during a race. But, imagine going 20 mph on skates. What a fun event to watch. Too bad I don’t have coordination on skates or it may be a fun thing to try for cross training.
Although I’ve been cycling for years, I had never had an accurate bike fitting until a few weeks ago. The folks at Bespoke in San Francisco evaluated me and my bike to maximize my efficiency, comfort, injury prevention and performance. Cyclists of all abilities can benefit from a fit to reduce wear and tear on the body from the repetitive nature of cycling and promote cycling longevity. Those were my goals. They assessed my shoe fit and foot alignment and then hooked me up to a Retül system, which recorded my position in motion, alignment and gait used while pedaling to create a realistic picture of my actual pedal strokes and body position when I’m out on the road. The computer images showed me my pedal strength on each side just like the drills that Yoli has us doing! From this and an overall body positioning and bike geometry assessment, they told me I could improve my fit and gave me options for changes to increase the strength of my pedal stroke and relieve stress and reduce injury. I have a Specialized Dolce which is designed for a women’s frame, but based on the recommendations, they reduced the width of and reach to my handle bars, adjusted my seat back and adjusted the position of my shoe cleats. I also got new pedals to as I had always had some problems getting in and out of my old pedals. What a difference! I love my bike even more now even though it set me back some $$. So the bike fit is highly recommended, especially if anyone is having aches and pains after cycling.
I hope that helps someone out there, and
Keep the Rubber Side Down
This is the new national slogan for the American Diabetes Association. I like it, though I don’t tend to like words like stop, but that’s another story. I have been asked by the American Diabetes Association to be the 2010 National Tour de Cure spokesperson, so I’m thinking quite a bit about what Stop Diabetes means to me. Being the National Tour de Cure spokesperson means that I will be interviewed by about 15 or 20 radio stations next week, and I am featured in a press release that goes out nationwide all summer, promoting the various Tour de Cure rides around the country. Thus, I need to have on the tip of my tongue what Stop Diabetes means for me.
Karen Rogers
April 17, 2010
Hello everyone and welcome to the 2010 triathlon season. After participating on the 70.3 team last year, I look forward to the season and making this journey and finish better. How do I make this happen when, for the past few months, activity has not been my top priority?
Participating in a half-day triathlon training camp seemed like a good way to get me going again, so off I head for Tubac, Arizona. In the pool for our favorite swim drills, I’m reminded I still look forward to the end of the pool instead of the bottom and don’t rotate much. Definitely things I’ll be working on in the next few months. After a dip in the hot tub to warm up, we were off to do the run drills. Same drills as those Yoli provided, but nice to have feedback on ways to improve.
Lyndsay Riffe
April 16, 2010
Last week was an off week. I had an extra busy work week, and was still dealing with the aftermath of a move. (Unpacking and organizing seemed so much more worthwhile than going to the gym.) Thanks to Team WILD, I have a new appreciation for sticking to a training schedule. This dedication however brings guilt when life gets in the way of following the plan.
I was stressing about what to write in my blog, and mostly how to turn a disappointing week into a positive message. Yesterday was a beautiful day in Chicago ( 80+ degrees, sunny, and a nice breeze.) I decided to put the blog and all other work on hold, so I could get my run in.
Karen Lipinsky
April 9, 2010
Our magnificent nutritionist and CDE, Marcey, has asked us all to think about goals that we have for the season. I’ve given this a lot of thought, and have come up with the following. These will need some refining, but I can continue to work on them…
1. The Branson 70.3
My big goal race this year is the 70.3 in Branson, MO on my birthday in September. Because who doesn’t want to go to Branson, MO for her 45th birthday? I want to have a good day, which will necessitate a ton of training and preparation. Right now, I’ll measure success as having a smile on my face at the end of the race. Perhaps closer to the race I’ll come up with time goals.
Nancy Eastman
April 7, 2010
We all know there are highs and lows in life, 
but that phrase has even deeper meaning in a diabetics life. When the spin cycle starts, and your life feels like it's squeezing all the water out, the blood sugars start to rise. There it is….a low (life moment) and high (blood sugar). Then consequently, for me at least, when life is grand and the planets are aligned…BAM…there is your high (life moment) and your low (blood sugar).
Karyn Brown
March 31, 2010
I am Karyn Brown and this is my 2nd season with
Team WILD. However, last year I was on a relay team and joined the team about 6 weeks before the race as a cyclist. I had a blast and LOVED my team!
However, I am NOT a runner nor a swimmer. I ran more than 10 years ago and then was in a pretty bad head-on accident and after several months of physical therapy… 16 weeks of non-weight bearing? – I went to an orthopedic surgeon and as I explained my LOVE of running she explained how many of her patients were there to see her because they run. She continued on to tell me that she would not be comfortable treating me if I decided to continue running. So I turned to my other LOVE – telemark skiing (I even got married on my skis- and had a torn ACL on my wedding day)! After she performed 3 knee surgeries for injuries due to skiing – on my right knee, 2 ACLs and 2 meniscectomies – I went in for my final follow up for the last surgery in April 2009 and she said ‘ you know what? I went running this last weekend and it was GREAT! I need to stop telling my patients not to run.’ So, that ‘sounded’ like permission for me to run?
Lyndsay Riffe, CDE, RD found a great article that she wanted to share. It’s a great reminder to reach out and ask for help and support. Just another terrific reason to join Team WILD!
Jennifer Ahn
March 28, 2010
Hello Team WILD blog readers!!
I have the honor of writing the first blog of the season. My name is Jennifer Ahn. I am a returning Team WILD 70.3 member from last year. This team was such a motivational asset in my completion of the ½ Ironman last year, I could not imagine doing a long-distance race without them. Last year, I was able to finish the race but had issues with calf pain during the run and felt I didn’t give it my best effort. So, this year, I would like to complete the race in less than 7 hours by running the ½ marathon part. I know I can do it with the wonderful support of the women on this team.
Now to my blog… I had told some of the team that I was doing an Omnipod insulin pump trial. Some of the women wanted to know how it went… hence, the birth of a blog.
Are you interested in joining a team, but want to learn more about Team WILD?
Team WILD will be holding INFORMATIONAL MEETINGS via conference call on the following dates. Talk directly with our Coaches, Medical Staff, and athletes from last year's Longhorn 70.3 Triathlon Team to learn more about Team WILD!
Each Session is 30 minutes in length.
Informational Meeting Dates/Times:
1. Thursday Feb 18, 5:30pm PST/8:30pm EST
2. Saturday Feb 20, 1pm PST/4pm EST
3. Saturday Feb 27, 1pm PST/4pm EST
Conference Call Phone Number: 712-432-1699
When prompted, enter Code 687989 followed by the # sign.
Please contact info@teamwild.org or solsen@teamwild.org if you have any questions about the Informational Meetings.
Come join the fun! Team WILD is now accepting women of all ages and abilities to help spread the word that women with diabetes are a force to be reckoned with! Get out there and show ‘em what you’re made of!! What are the perks you ask?? Join now and get a reduced rate for our signature 70.3 race in Branson. Always wanted a team of coaches? Well, we have that covered too. Along with our coaching we have top notch CDE’s, and dietitians that will get you to that finish line with a smile! Remember, you can recruit a friend without diabetes to be a Type 3 supporter!
