Popping in for a Quick "Hello"

Wow, that "summer" went fast!  (The quotes are because I think we had less than 10 sunny days the entire summer.) There's a lot I could write about right now, but we're back to school today.  The first day went great; Things 1 & 2 were very happy when I got home.  I knew Thing 1 was excited and happy; he has had the same teacher for 3 years now (it's a combined 3/4/5 classroom) and he knows what to expect.  Thing 2 was anxious about having a new teacher, but she reported that she LOVES her new teacher.  Whew!  Things 1 & 2 go to a small school, only about 80 kids, so they know everyone in their classes except for a few new kids to the school this year.

Anyhow, I have 10 minutes before bedtime.  Here's tonight's train of thought:

• How are Pubsgal and fast food restaurants alike?  Saw a great article on the Mills Peninsula blog, about portion sizes, by one of their nutritionists. The link includes a video segment.  Here's the link: http://www.mphsblog.org/2011/05/portioncontro/.  Here's an interesting fact regarding restaurant portion creep:  The child-size portion at fast food restaurants today? "That was a standard adult-size portion 20 years ago." This is timely, because the panicked ranting & raving post I drafted back in January and never published, about not having an "Overweight" BMI anymore?  Well...same situation, plus a few more pounds.  It's not so much about the number on the scale or BMI number anymore as it is about as feeling physically uncomfortable in my own skin, never mind my pants!  And I swear I thought of that before I started listing to Lynn's interview on Two Fit Chicks and a Microphone, in which she talks about becoming physically comfortable in her own skin, and that discomfort being a sign to rein things in.  Anyhow, my food plan is to weigh and measure portions and to use the My Fitness Pal tracker daily.  I've been enjoying this tool, because I swear, its search finds EVERYTHING!  I hardly have to enter any new data. My other goals are to stay under my quite reasonable calorie allotment, eat healthy things I enjoy, and limit my starches and sugars to only the MOST worthy items and quantities.  Oh, you know, all the stuff that worked before when I did it consistently. ;-)  Updated fitness goals to follow:  right now, I'm rebooting my running with C25K in preparation for the Pumpkin Run in October, hoping hula class will survive the new school year, but I need to figure out a new strategy for getting more strength in there.

• Speaking of running:  ALL events at the Half Moon Bay Marathon were sold out before I had a chance to register!  How RUDE!  But before I could get too "pouty puffer" about it, I submitted a volunteer application. Turns out that I'll be working at the Maverick's aid station, and then helping at the start/finish line.  I always wanted to volunteer for an event, so this is a great opportunity!  (With riding my bike to and from the event locations and helping out, I'll probably burn as many calories as running my 10K. And my volunteers' t-shirt will be free.  :-)  If you're interested in volunteering, here's the link: http://halfmoonbayim.org/event/volunteer/.  They need help for the race expo on the days preceding the event, not just event day itself.
  

• Speaking of sports and events:  Diabetes Hands Foundation will be having a fundraising party at Sports Basement in Walnut Creek on September 10, from noon until 2 p.m. (It's Thing 1's 10th birthday, so I can't go, but maybe YOU can!)  According to organizer Emily Walton, "We will be screening our fundraising videos, offering food and drinks, and you will receive a coupon for 10% off everything you spend. Sports Basement will also donate 10% of everything you spend to DHF! They have great TRI gear, trust me, I shop there all the time!" Event details on the TuDiabetes web site: http://www.tudiabetes.org/events/583967:Event:2160403.
  

• And speaking of triathlon and fundraising:  Can the woman who kicks Type 2 diabetes' ass on a regular basis help kick blood cancer's ass too?  If anyone can, Foodie McBody can!  She joined Team in Training and is going through an amazing, "stress-citing," and inspiring journey in triathlon training.  Read all about it here: http://foodfoodbodybody.wordpress.com/ And here's her donation page: http://pages.teamintraining.org/sf/Marine11/sitoo6.

 Sheesh...how did 10 minutes turn into 1 hour?  I had better post this and get to sleep now....

I'm Back (With Photos and a Race Report!)

Thanks, everyone, for your kind comments and understanding regarding my bloggy break. It was great to disconnect for a little while, although kind of hard at first. For awhile now, I've been feeling a bit overwhelmed by trying to keep up with the social networking whirl (in addition to the craziness of life in general): Twitter + Facebook + social networking sites + blog reading + blog commenting + oh, yeah, guess I'd better update my own blog once in awhile...oh my. Definitely need to scale back a bit. So when my iPhone had zero service during the first few days of vacation, I felt it was a sign that I really needed to completely disconnect and pay attention to my family and to enjoying our vacation.

"Vacation?!?"

Yep, you read that right! We went to the beautiful island of Kauai! We are total Hawaiian island addicts. When I'm getting a blood draw or having my blood pressure taken or trying to fall asleep at night, I retreat to my happy place: I see the swaying palm trees and blue-green water; hear the trees rattle, the waves splash, and doves coo-ing; smell the breeze with its scent of plumeria and sea; feel the balmy air; taste a fruity rum drink. (When I'm in spin class or on the treadmill, though, it's the opposite: I envision the aptly named "a'a" lava fields on the Big Island on the road between Kailua-Kona and Hawi. ;-) I might even chant "Ko-NA! Ko-NA" under my breath. Thank goodness spin class has really LOUD music.) We try to get out there every couple of years or so. It had been almost two years since our last trip, so we were more than ready. And to think, before my first trip nearly 20 years ago, I scoffed at Hawaii as being too touristy and overrated. I stood utterly and humbly corrected from day 1. Yes, it has its touristy parts. But, for me, it nearly always lives up to its reputation of being a place of beauty, wonder, and the most fun ever. Well, there was one exception: on a trip 10 years ago, we did have one miserable night wandering around Kona in the heat and vog (fog+volcanic fumes), having elected to bump our flight in lieu of first class tickets on the red-eye later that evening.

So anyhow, here are a few scenes from our trip this time. Hurray for our kids' school district for scheduling a week of vacation at a time when all the other schools in the nation are having only Presidents Day!

View from the patio of the hotel snack bar, overlooking the Hikinaakala Heiau (sacred site, dedicated to the rising sun) and the beach at Lydgate Park.

Thing 1 enjoying the sun and sand at Tunnels Beach, on the north shore (where the surf is beautiful but generally much too rough for swimming during the winter months)...

...likewise Thing 2...
("South Pacific" was filmed in Kauai. Did she just wash that man right outta her hair?)

...and Mr. Handsome-and-Handy and myself!
(I'll be keeping this man in my hair, thank you very much!)

Our hotel was ideally situated, right next door to the beach and the large playground. The main buildings are a bit old, but the duplex cottages were just right for us. We fixed our own food for most meals, eating out about once per day. It's not the sort of place we'd have stayed at without kids, but it was perfect for a family vacation.

The weather there was cooler than we're used to in Hawaii, but compared to just about anywhere else in the country, the 70s were looking pretty inviting. It wasn't too cold to swim, although the ocean water was warmer than the hotel pool! We did lots of swimming at the beach at Lydgate: it has a boulder-enclosed pool of ocean water, refreshed by surf breaking over the rocks. This time, it was 4' at its deepest, and it still had lots of fish. (Not quite the variety I saw last time, but it was a different time of year.) Things 1 & 2 are much better swimmers now, so they finally got to see what Mom's enthusiasm was about regarding snorkeling. Thing 2 didn't take to it much, but Thing 1 enjoyed herding the fish.

We took a little trip up to the north shore, which gets more rain and is typically more tropical-looking than the rest of the island. The beaches are reputed to have pounding surf in the winter, and this year was no exception. We saw a surfer go out at Tunnels and come back with a broken board. Crazy. We enjoyed the sand and had fun exploring the dry cave across the road. (Got a brief peek at the wet cave further down the road; the lot was packed with cars.) For swim time that day, we chose Anini Beach. It's supposed to have great snorkeling and the surf breaks way out on the reef, so the beach doesn't have a lot of wave action, but there was this wicked current parallel to the shore. It was like trying to swim against a quickly moving river. Humbling, because I consider myself to be a strong (if not fast) swimmer. Thank goodness it was shallow enough to stand up and walk through, and it was going parallel to shore rather pulling people out to sea. I only saw one shy little pufferfish lurking in the rocks, but they're my favorites, so that worked.

Health-wise, I did pretty good. I didn't track foods and ate a little more than usual, but I also moved around quite a lot. I did have a few bites of totally worthy items my family was eating: Hula pie, Lappert's ice cream, some ridiculously fudgey cake, bakery macadamia chocolate chip cookie. (At restaurants we shared desserts, because they served such enormous portions.) Overall, my blood glucose numbers were generally good and my weight stayed the same, so I'm content. (Today's a1c will provide a good summary of how the last three months went overall; the meter provides valuable "snapshots" in time, but the a1c provides a more accurate picture of the average.)

Oh, and at one restaurant in Kapaa that has one wall of the building completely open air and facing the beach, we saw whales in the distance. Mostly little puffs from their blowholes, but we also saw them breaching! I've always wanted to see that, and I wished we'd brought the binoculars, so that we could have seen them more closely.

Race Report: Captain Cook Caper - the 5K that turned into 10K! (2/20/2010)

Isn't it funny? While I fully enjoyed the delights of the week, one of my favorite parts of vacation was the opportunity to run a 5K race in Kauai. I had packed my running gear, and idly hoped that there was some sort of running race during our trip out there. Lo and behold, when I cracked open the Hawaiian Airlines magazine during our flight and perused the events in Kauai, sure enough, there it was: a fun run! The "Captain Cook Caper." (Don't you just love that name?) 2K, 5K, and 10K distances! Hurray!!!

Next time, though, I should wish a little more specifically for the race to be closer: the race was an hour's drive, and on-site registration opened at 5:30 a.m. YAWN!!! I was up at 4:30, got dressed and slathered on bug repellent and some sunscreen, and headed down to Waimea. Driving in Kauai at that hour can be a little maddening...well, at any hour really; you really have to watch the speed limit signs, because they seem to change from 25 mph to 50 mph and points in between every half mile or so. Not much scenery at that hour, either. But I made it to Waimea Plantation Cottages and paid my registration for the 5K. I decided to run the 5K instead of the 10K because I had a sprint triathlon the following weekend. I received my 2nd most treasured race t-shirt*...and oh, thank goodness: there was coffee, and lots of it! It was an incredibly starry morning...I wandered around and enjoyed the view upward until it was time to go. (*What's my most treasured race shirt? I was wearing it: my See Jane Run 5K's "I Run for Chocolate and Champagne" technical shirt...it's a great conversation starter at races, and so functional.)

Race organizers 'fessed up that there were more on-site registrations than they had expected, and there was not enough shuttle bus space to the starting lines. They mentioned something about driving people to their cars after the race, so I figured as one of the latecomers, I should do my part and drive myself out there.

I arrived a few minutes before the start, just enough time to snap a few photos. And then, it was ON! The race was along the highway, which bordered a beautiful stretch of beach most of the way. The sun rose as we ran. Lots of families and friends ran together, talking and laughing along the way, so fun to see and hear. I felt so strong in this race, and incredibly grateful to be racing! In Kauai! On a beautiful day! Does life get any better?

I kept pace behind this one fast guy for probably the first mile, then he started pulling ahead. I passed people, got passed, chugged along. I think it was around mile 2 when it started seeming like we'd never get to the finish. But then, we neared the grounds of the resort. I wasn't sure how much to pour it on, not knowing exactly where the finish line was. I kind of wished I'd kicked it up a few notches when we got to the grassy area. Some people stopped running when we got to the driveway, but I kept running until I passed a guy that said, "Walk! This is the finish!" Oh. Okay. I'm glad I tracked it with my RunKeeper app; when I stopped it after the finish, it was 31:56. My best time (post-age 40) was 31:55 in the See Jane Run 5K last spring, so this was at least equal, if not better by a second or two. Either way, I felt fantastic. And hungry! It had been several hours since I had eaten. Luckily, the resort restaurant was having a race day special breakfast buffet. I ate an embarrassing amount of bacon and these little spicy sausages, along with some eggs (meh) and a dab of hashbrowns (meh) and some fruit (oh holy yum, it tasted so sweet and good).

So I waited around after breakfast for results, but it turns out they were planning to post them at the festival around noon that day, and I wasn't going to be around. The race officials said that the results would also be posted on the West Kauai Business and Professional Association web site; I'm a little bummed that they haven't been posted there. (Silly of me, I know, because it was a fun race and I know I ran well, for me. I'm just racing geek enough to be into the results.)

After awhile of waiting around some more for the awards announcements, which were running late, I started feeling antsy to get going back. The race staff was busy and I felt kind of silly to ask about getting a ride to the car, actually, since it was a lovely morning and the car was only 3 miles away. Plus, I had eaten a breakfast worthy of a full day of manual labor. Definitely had to move some more. So I hoofed it back, a combination of jogging and walking, which took about 40 minutes, and enjoyed the gorgeous scenery back to Kapaa.

At the 5K starting line.

Sun not quite up yet...much of our run was along the road, with a view of this beautiful beach.

The race finish was at the Waimea Plantation Cottages, on these beautiful grounds.
The lobby is that building in the distance.

"Um, excuse us, did you say something about a sprint triathlon?"

Yes. Yes I did. I completed the 2010 Stanford Treeathlon last Sunday (2/28). Unfortunately, I don't have time at the moment to do justice to that thrilling tale. So stay tuned for the race report later this week!

Pillar Point Run 10K: The Race Report!

(Thanks, everyone, for the congrats on my "tweet"-style posting yesterday!)

Oddly enough, the big question of the day wasn't, "Can I finish a 10K race?"

Nor was it, "Will I finish last?" (Small race, so I was almost positive the answer would be "yes.")

No, it was, "How many bottles of Metromint can I snag without feeling rude?"

The Pillar Point Run was my first foray into 10K races. The event featured a 10K, 1/2 marathon, and a family fun run to benefit the Coastside Infant Toddler Center. The event itself is well-organized, although I would have liked to see a little more information on the beneficiary's web site.

Unlike Saturday or today, Sunday gradually transitioned (can't really say "dawned") from dark to gloomy. I ate my oatbran-protein pancakes with peanut butter and sugar-free syrup...and 1/3 a glazed chocolate donut. (Heh, funny side note: my spellchecker caught "donut" and suggested "donuts"...I guess one donut or less does not compute!) I rode the 3.25 miles to the race location at Pillar Point Harbor, and a fine coat of thick mist coated my glasses along the way. As I arrived, the half marathon was just starting, so I had about a half hour until the 10K race.

Lovely day for a run!

But thanks to Mr. Robert E. Nylund and his submission on Wikimedia Commons, here's what the harbor looks like on a nice day! And no matter what the weather, it's always a good place to get fresh dungeness crab!

I saw a woman I knew from my mom's club days--she was there with her little guy for the family fun run--and she made me laugh with her tale: she was visiting her sister, and they decided to run a race. She had a new baby, and she didn't have her jogging stroller, but they figured the snap-your-carseat-in variety was fine for a taking-it-easy 5K. Toward the end, they went to pass this guy, and he bellowed, "No way are two MOMS WITH A STROLLER going to pass me!" And it was ON! My friend only stopped sprinting when she realized that the wheels of the stroller were shimmying too much to be safe for the baby. (Her sister did pass the finish line before He of the Fragile Ego, though.)

I was laughing so hard I didn't hear the call for the 10K, and scooted into the back of the pack just as they shouted "Go!" (Whew!)

Here is the grand starting line!

Being a very small field, I quickly found myself bringing up the back of the pack. I kept chanting to myself, "Run your own race...run your own race..." to keep from getting discouraged, but soon I fell into a good running rhythm. I have the runner who stayed just ahead of me the whole time (whom I'll call "Pace Lady") to thank for that; she kept a good, steady pace going for the entire race.

The course is an out-and-back course, and it follows the area's coastal trail; it's nice and flat, and my favorite run. Although you see the same up-close things (houses, trees), the greater back-ground view is different: mountains and distant cliffs on the south-bound direction, different mountains and harbor on the north-bound. And who gets tired of watching the breaking waves? In a way, I'm glad it was a grey day, because I would have been too tempted to stop and take a bunch of pictures along the route!

Not a lot of people out and about, but as Pace Lady and I got to about 2.5 miles, we started seeing other runners coming back the other way and cheered them on. It made for nice camaraderie. There was no shortage of aid stops...I think there was one about every mile in the 10K. I didn't stop, though, because I was toting my own bottle of coconut water and it kept me going. I felt fantastic until about mile 4.5, then I felt a little funny, so I ate a glucose tab. Around that time, odd songs kept popping into my head...there was the "Chihuahua!" song (thanks, Thing 2!)...and then, the "Rum and Coca-cola" song...really, I couldn't have thought of anything better? What's worse, I started puffing out the songs in time to my steps; luckily Pace Lady had pulled ahead enough to not hear me. I thought she was giving it her final kick and was going to lose me, but then, I started thinking "quick feet! quick feet! one two, one two, one two" and I managed to pick up my pace a bit and pull up behind her again. Yeah! When we reached Surfer's Beach, I felt that surge of happiness, that "yep, I'm going to make it!" feeling. I wasn't able to go much faster, but we kept a steady pace past the RV lot and behind the breakwater, past the boat launch and Sam's Chowder House, through the parking lot, and OVER THE FINISH LINE! WOO HOO!!!

I walked around a bit, because I could feel my legs starting to cramp up a bit. Walking and stretching helped. I found Pace Lady and admired how *easy* she made the race look; we chatted about the race a bit and I asked her to take my picture. I found the two ladies whom I'd passed, and we all congratulated each other on finishing.

The "Woo Hoo!" post-race grin

Well, I must say the post-race swag was great! They had Odwalla bars and bottles of Metromint, fresh fruit, and these fruit-flavored bottled smoothies. There was also the traditional t-shirt, and Metromint bags to boot! I milled around a bit, called Mr. Handsome-and-Handy ("You're done already???"), stopped for a bit of gelato at a place I'd heard rave reviews of but hadn't been to yet (OMG, so worthy!!!), and then I biked home...on the trail I just ran!

Overall, I'm really happy with the result of 1:09:16. I was hoping to finish in less than 1:30; it was a generous estimate, granted, because I hadn't been training much for the race and I wasn't sure how the longer distance would play out. I'm delighted that I was able to keep my 5K pace the entire time. I'm not sure why, but this felt a lot easier than the Theta Breakers 5K! I wonder if it has to do with getting a proper warm-up. Races in which I've felt really good (Pumpkin Run, See Jane Run and Tri, and this one), I've either ridden my bike to the event or participated in warm-up exercises; whereas races to which I've driven but not warmed up (other than walking around), I didn't feel as good during the race. It seems counter-intuitive that expending energy before a race would be helpful, but it seems to work for me. I really like the 10K distance for racing, so I think I'll be doing some more of those in 2010!

"What Do You Do?"

Recently, Fitness Surfer asked for my advice for a friend of hers with prediabetes.

I'm not a medical person [BIG OL' STANDARD DISCLAIMERS APPLY!], but I'm happy to share what's been working for me. Naturally, your mileage may vary and you should discuss with your doctor, do your own research, etc.

Type 2 diagnosis itself sure put the wheels in motion for me. Being diagnosed made it mandatory for me to get myself back to good health. What I didn't realize at the time was that the disease symptoms themselves were working against me: I felt tired and fuzzy-headed a lot, and that made it hard to feel motivated to exercise and to eat properly (which involves a bit more effort and clear-thinking than eating whatever, whenever).

But what do I do, specifically? Here's a list:

I monitor my blood glucose levels and strive for normal blood sugar levels.

If you kinda sorta suspect that you *might* be at risk for diabetes, it is tempting to keep your head buried in the sand about it. (I did. Bad idea.) Not everyone who is overweight, obese, or
morbidly obese develops type 2 diabetes; from what I've read, there are other factors involved.

That said, I would recommend getting screened. I had been reluctant to let a doctor test me, but I did a health screening at my local drugstore and it confirmed that I had diabetes. (I had the
HbA1c test, which shows the "average" of the past few months, not just the fasting blood glucose test.) I also had a pretty awful cholesterol panel and low bone density.

Faced with these facts, I didn't feel like I had a choice: I needed medical help. I suppose I could have ignored it, or researched it and tried to control it on my own. But without a blood glucose meter, I knew I would be flying blind...and would possibly *become* blind if I wasn't successful. I went to my doctor, and got a prescription for a blood glucose meter; this tool tells me how what I eat affects my blood glucose levels, by giving me a "snapshot" of my blood glucose level at the time of testing. I was instructed to test once in the morning before eating, and once after one of my daily meals, between 1-2 hours after the meal. I ended up testing more, to see how certain foods affected my blood glucose levels, and sometimes when I felt not quite right.

Yes, that means it's now part of my permanent insurance record. Yes, it meant a lot of hassle and stress and appointments at first. But boy, if I could bottle up the feeling of "Before" vs. "Now" and let people try it, the difference would astound them.

So...what's a "normal blood glucose level"? Surprisingly, it's subject to debate. The American Academy of Clinical Endocrinologist levels (http://www.aace.com/pub/pdf/guidelines/OutpatientImplementationPositionStatement.pdf; it's the 3rd page.) recommends a Fasting/Preprandial of Fasting/Preprandial of less than 110 mg/dL and a 2-hr Postprandial of less than 140 mg/dL (source: http://www.phlaunt.com/).

I exercise at least 30 minutes/day, 5 days/week. It doesn't have to be super strenuous (although it usually is now, because I'm training for a sprint triathlon). I aim for mix of cardio and strength.

The biggest eye-opener for me when I went to see my diabetes educator was her "prescription" for 30 minutes of exercise 5 days/week, to help reduce my blood glucose levels. "You need to view this as being as important as taking medicine," she said. I took up running--which, ironically, raised my blood glucose levels after running at first. (However, this wasn't as much of an issue once I got into shape, and as I figured out how to fuel my body before I ran.) I needed something high impact for better bone density, but moderate exercise would have had a similar effect on blood glucose levels. I also started doing light strength exercises for upper body bone density, but developing some muscle mass also helped with the diabetes, I believe.

I became an athlete.

I was going to write, "I am becoming an athlete"...I still don't know which phrasing I prefer, because I don't know what one has to achieve to say, "I AM an athlete." I train for and participate in events, rather than it being a one-time thing. But anyway, it's more about the mentality of training for a specific goal rather than the mentality of "I'm on a treadmill to nowhere...." I wrote about this new mentality before my first 5K (other than my one high school cross country season) here:
http://oppositelife.blogspot.com/2008/10/detest-running-try-walking-5k.html

I found that having an event scheduled helped me stick to my new exercise habits. This blog entry has links to training programs for a 5K walk. I myself didn't follow the ubiquitous couch-to-5K program; I felt it was too intense for my level of fitness at the time. (Er, pretty much zero, and morbidly obese, clinically-speaking.) I set my own pace, more along the lines of the Zen Habits article "Beginner's Guide to Running" (http://zenhabits.net/2007/05/beginners-guide-to-running/). Once I did my first event, though, I was hooked! I decided to do one event per quarter. My 2009 race schedule (and reports) are down at the very bottom of the blog page, if you're curious about them.

The downside is sometimes you feel like you need to do more, more, more...but don't fall for that one. MizFit had an excellent article last Wednesday, "Overtraining: Less Can Be More." Excellent discussion in the comments, too.

I developed a food plan. Yes, for me, it meant developing portion control and other sensible eating habits.

I started with my gestational diabetes food plan, but then I did a little research online and found that a lot of people with diabetes were finding good success with lower-carb diets. (Varying from
Atkins-style low carb to more of a South Beach-style diet.) I based my food plan on the Low-carb Diabetes Diet on Prevention.com's web site (http://www.prevention.com/cda/article/the-low-carb-diabetes-plan-that-works/548c68f271903110VgnVCM10000013281eac____/weight.loss/popular.diets/low.carb.diets/0/),
although I adjusted for a little more dairy. (I like my yogurt!)
Having an understanding of food exchanges helps with this; refer to
this document for more details: http://dtc.ucsf.edu/pdfs/FoodLists.pdf

Other articles that helped me:
"How to Get Your Blood Sugar Under Control": http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/14045524.php
"What Can You Eat When You Are Cutting Carbs?" http://www.phlaunt.com/diabetes/18856280.php

At my meals, I ensure that I have a balance of protein and not too many carbs; at least one serving each per meal or snack. When I had gestational diabetes, I learned from the nutritionist that one can maintain a more even blood sugar by spreading out one's carb servings throughout smaller meals and snacks during the day and by ensuring that you eat a little of your protein when you eat your carbs. (Similar to the recommendations made by the insulin resistance diet authors.) I eat a lot of non-starchy vegetables, sometimes omitting a starch serving in favor of more non-starchy vegetables. I eat as "clean" as possible: fewer processed foods, more "real" foods. Oh, and I kicked the diet soda habit...not sure how much that helped, but I suspect it did.

I don't have any "forbidden" foods. (In fact, I just ate a tiny, totally-worth-it, chocolate-caramel truffle.) Forbidding foods totally backfires for me. I may choose to not eat or drink certain things in general (e.g., diet soda) or at certain times (e.g., Hmmm, I had a piece of bread with dinner, so I will postpone having dessert until tomorrow night.). This doesn't mean the choice is always easy and painless, though! I've had plenty of times where I thought to myself, "Oh, why can't I just eat any ol' thing I want???" I may choose to eat smaller portions of a food, so that I don't screw up my blood sugar readings. So far, that has worked for me.

I found a backup plan: the plate method.

If the above seems like way too much analyzing, try a "plate method."

Here's one: http://www.dlife.com/dLife/do/ShowContent/inspiration_expert_advice/expert_columns/rondinelli_jan06.html

Here's the Zone system version: http://www.zonediet.com/EATING/QuickStartGuide/tabid/108/Default.aspx

I find the "plate method" very useful when dining out or on vacation. I weigh and measure portions when at home, but when I can't, this works nicely.

I found some alternatives for when food cravings hit.

I was super-strict when I was working to get my blood glucose levels under control. It probably took about a month to get rid of the intense sugar-cravings. (It was worth it, because now I find a lot of the foods that used to trigger me are sickly sweet to me now.) When I got hungry in between meals, or felt like I wasn't quite satisified after a meal, I went for "free foods" that were high on flavor and low on calories: Good Earth Original tea (strong, sweet cinnamon flavor), good-quality broth (beef and chicken when I was getting used to reducing my portion sizes), lots of non-starch veggies. The occasional sugar-free candy,
popsicle, jello, or gum. (Here's the Mayo Clinic's Free Food exchanges list, since the ADA web site is not responding: http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/diabetes-diet/DA00076)

I take 2 fish oil capsules and 2 calcium+vitamin D pills per day.

I started doing this a few months before diagnosis, because my husband's doctor recommended this to improve his heart health and cholesterol. I figured it would probably be good for me, too. I believe it's helped my low bone density and my cholesterol, in combination with the other changes.

I take metformin, as prescribed by my doctor.

The Diabetes Prevention Program study indicated that lifestyle changes plus metformin therapy can prevent or help delay the onset of Type 2 diabetes. (UCSF's Diabetes Education Online summarizes this study here: http://dtc.ucsf.edu/type2/health-management/what-trial-research-shows/dpp.html) I balked at the idea at first, but it became obvious (about 1 month after trying) that exercise and dietary changes alone were not reducing my blood glucose levels enough. It seems to work well for me, though. Metformin regulates how the liver releases sugar into your bloodstream. It requires a doctor's prescription.

No, I did not have any surgery.

I'm a wuss. From what I've seen personally, observing people I know who have had this surgery, it does get the weight off, and pretty quickly. But it's not what I'd call the "easy" way...the surgery itself is probably the easiest part, actually. Adjusting to life after surgery is extremely challenging. So I'd definitely recommend giving lifestyle change the "matter of life or death" try before going this route.

There has been a lot of press about gastric bypass surgery "curing" diabetes. But what does a "cure" look like? You might want to read this and decide for yourself:
http://diabetesupdate.blogspot.com/2009/07/real-truth-about-gastric-bypasss.html

I track everything...more or less.

I created my own health log to keep track of it all, because I was writing it all down in a notebook and that got onerous. I have a single sheet, with each day being a column, and rows that track my two blood glucose readings, my food intake, supplements/medication, water, exercise, and some misc. things (flossing, foot care, fiber intake). I've gotten a bit lax on the food tracking lately, and my weight tended to rollercoaster over the last few weeks. But when I stick to
my plan completely, I see good results.

I gained inspiration from the health and fitness online community.

So many wonderful sites; I have all of my regulars in my Blogroll.

Bloggers in this space who successfully manage their type 2 diabetes are Biz of "The Biggest Diabetic Loser" (http://biz319.wordpress.com/) and Foodie McBody of foodfoodbodybody (http://foodfoodbodybody.wordpress.com/ - she was first diagnosed with prediabetes, and then diabetes...very inspiring story and similar to my own). I also like Alan's "Type 2 Diabetes - A Personal Journey" (http://loraldiabetes.blogspot.com/), although he doesn't post as
often. I'm a dedicated follower of Jenny Ruhl and her excellent work ("Blood Sugar 101" book and web site, plus her "Diabetes Update" blog provides excellent research summaries/discussions, see http://diabetesupdate.blogspot.com/). And there's Amy Tenderich's "Diabetes Mine" (http://www.diabetesmine.com/) which includes blog + additional resources.

You'll probably see me quoting the MizFit and Cranky Fitness blogs a lot, because I enjoy their humor, perspectives, and the insightful comments they inspire.

Even before diagnosis, the tiny seed of "hey, it *is* possible" was planted by reading (and re-reading) Lynn Haraldson-Bering's story on cnn.com: http://www.cnn.com/2008/HEALTH/diet.fitness/02/08/weightloss.lynn.bering/index.html, and then reading her full story on her "Lynn's Weight-Loss Journey" blog (and she continues on her "Lynn's Weigh - The Journey Continues" blog, which sustain my "hey, it's possible to maintain, too!" thoughts).

I have lots of help from my incredibly supportive family.

This blog focuses a lot on me and my journey. But deep down, I was motivated by my desire to be as present and functional as possible for as long as possible for my family: my husband and my two children, whom you'll see mentioned as "Mr. Handsome & Handy" and "Thing 1" and "Thing 2" (ala the Dr. Seuss pranksters). My husband thought that the Healthpoint article made it sound like I was a single mom, and nothing could be further from the truth. He takes care of our home and our kids, and he cooks wonderful, healthy meals for us all. I often work late, and most of the time there's a pre-measured dinner in the toaster oven waiting for me, as well as a lunch packed for the next day. (He's also frugal, and this helps keep me out of Whole Foods! ;-) Because he handles a lot of tasks, my stress level is lower (and stress is bad for your blood glucose levels). If I make it look easy, he's a big reason why.

Anyhow, hope this summary helps, both Fitness Surfer's friend and anyone else out there who's looking for their own answers about how to deal with type 2 diabetes.

I Ran for Chocolate and Champagne!

On Saturday, I ran in the See Jane Run "I Run for Chocolate and Champagne Half-marathon and 5K." What an awesome event! Definitely worth getting up at 5:15 a.m. and driving for an hour to get there.

The Details
With a name like "I Run for Chocolate and Champagne," there was no WAY I could pass up the opportunity to run this race: I wanted that t-shirt! So I signed up many months ago.

Most of my training during the past couple of months has shifted from primarily running to preparing for a sprint triathlon in September. So I've done less running, but I've added strength (BodyPump class) and an intense spin class each week. I feel like these have really helped push me to develop more strength and endurance than I would have on my own. So I wasn't nervous about the run itself. I was nervous, however, about driving to a part of the Bay Area with which I'm totally unfamiliar and getting there in time for the race! Mr. Handsome-and-Handy gave me a tremendously nice gift: he looked up the course and showed me how to get there on Google Maps. (Highlighting key points with street views...I'd printed a map, and had a GPS to navigate with, but this prep-time ended up helping quite a lot.)

Being a Friday night at Casa de la Pubsgal, though, no one got to bed early. I laid awake for a long time...woke up several times during the night...and ended up with only 5 hours of sleep. Stress + lack of sleep raised my fasting blood glucose to nearly 20 points higher than normal! Oh great, something else to stress about! But not for long; it was time to go!

My stomach was in knots on the whole way to the event, but I found my way to there, eventually found a place to park (fortunately, lots of free residential parking), and made it to the starting area. Whew! I picked up my bib and chip, navigated the humongous line through the porta-potties, checked in my bag, and cheered the start of the half-marathon. Lots of runners going the big distance! (Nearly twice as many as were running the 5K, I later found out.) I wandered around and had a snack, got my temporary tattoo, and then participated in the energetic warmup. All while trying to find fellow type 2 diabetes & wellness blog buddy, Foodie McBody, via Twitter! (Read her excellent race report here.)

Time to line up! The grey morning fog was not going anywhere, but it was still scenic, with a line of palm trees down the road to the trail that ran along the bay. Race organizers had marked the palm trees with one's "per mile" time as a guide to where to line up; I positioned myself around the 10-minute mile, near the middle of the pack. The horn blasted, and we cheered and were off! I underestimated how long it would take for the crowd to shuffle-bounce through the starting gate and onto the course. I found myself passing people; a curious sensation! I wondered a little if I was pushing myself too hard. But then I decided to just go for it, because in previous races, I think I didn't push myself hard enough.

I loved everything that I loved about my first race. Even though I wasn't running with anyone, I felt that feeling of community with the other athletes. I loved seeing the line of people winding through the course. I loved that there were so many people of various ages, shapes, and sizes; so many people out there, giving it their best! And I love the cheering for/being cheered by all of these stranger-friends during the race; I made an extra effort this time to do so, since I still feel kind of shy. (One woman had on a tank top with the following words printed along the bottom edge: "Does this shirt make my butt look fast?" No shyness about cheering that sentiment!)

The first mile felt really fast. Just past the 1 mile mark, I started seeing runners heading back from the turnaround. Wow! I reached the turnaround point and felt heartened, got back to the water stop and thought, "Yes! I'm almost there!" But just past there, the course diverged, and I think I misjudged how far it was. I saw the finish, and it looked straight ahead, but as I got closer, I noticed that the course made a fairly large loop up into the park. The race started to feel really long at that point. I tried for a final kick once I got closer; my body was still okay with running, but it refused to sprint. OH well. I whooped a hearty "woo hoo!" as I went through the finish, delighted at knowing I did WAY better than my race in February and even the race back in October.

At the finish line, we got our chips clipped off and the wonderful medals! (My kids especially love these!)

The race after-party was nice! I caught up with Foodie McBody and got to meet her family, too. We wandered around and collected post-race swag: t-shirt, champagne flute with 3 chocolates in it (yeay, a little 70% dark chocolate wedge!), snackies, water, and the like. I hung out a little while longer after Foodie & family left, soaking up the atmosphere, doing a little shopping, and checking out the official results. (I should have done a little more *stretching*, I'm still sore today!) I felt a little twinge as they announced the half-marathon runners' names as they crossed the finish line. I didn't think I wanted to do longer running races, but that twinge made me think again: "Hmmm....maybe someday."

Race results:
New PR of 31:36! (7:53 better than my PR for 5K set in October; 14:13 better than my 3.4 mile race in February. Goal for next time? 5K in under 30 minutes!)
21/100 in my age & gender group, females 40-44
223/747 overall

Pictures!
Here are some scenes from the race...

Pre-race 80's music warm-up!

At the starting line. There were 747 people running and walking in the 5K event.

Sweet victory! We all got great race-day swag, including medals, a glass champagne flute, and an awesome t-shirt, as well as lots of free snackies.
Oh, and the cool temporary tattoos!
The cool tattoo, close-up

Best of all, I got to meet fellow blogger, Twitter-buddy, and Team MizFit member: the wonderful Foodie McBody!

This Time Last Year

On Thursday, I woke up before the alarm clock, about an hour before usual. I wanted to run! This time last year, that never would have happened. So I got up, made myself a PB&J, put on the workout clothes, and went for a trail run. It was one of those rare runs, where I felt great the whole time, and if it hadn't been a week day, I probably would have just kept on running.

Sure, it was foggy, but not misty. I passed the group camp site with a humongous tee pee set up. Saw lots of little rabbits scurrying here & there. Added an extra small loop through a neighborhood with swoon-worthy houses. Sure, some parts felt a little creaky, but I felt so strong. It was an amazing feeling! "This," I thought to myself, "is why you go to the gym. This is why you do strength training and spinning and stuff like Jillian Michaels-inspired self-torture." I finished my run in 45 minutes, delighted that the last time I had done the same run but without the extra loop, it took me the same amount of time. Improvement is a good feeling, especially when it feels so gradual in the usual day-to-day workouts.

Today, before lunch, I sat by the sparkling waterway that runs down the street from my work building, watching droplets leap back up the waterfall, like migrating salmon. I reflected on yesterday's run. "Wow. This time last year I had *no* idea that being fit would feel this good and strong. If this keeps up, well, look out, world!"

Hey! What do I mean, "if?" ;-)

"They run for fun..."

...but not on the hot, hot sun. Except maybe once in awhile. It's mostly foggy, or cool and breezy, at my son's elementary school. Thing 1 has PE class once a week. Starting in first grade, their PE teacher uses foot print charts to log their running. Each time they complete 5 miles, they get a tiny, plastic foot.

At open house last night, his PE teacher came up and asked him if he'd received his silver foot. It turns out that a silver foot means a child has run 50 miles, and his was waiting on his desk in their classroom. (Plus they get a special prize when they achieve 50 miles, other than amazing their parents.) Wow! My people aren't built for fast running--and this discourages Thing 1 a bit--but we are a persistent bunch.

If your kid likes running, or might like to try it, the Kids Running web site has charts similar to the ones they use at my son's school.

Our school district also has a great program for learning about healthy eating, agriculture, and the environment. I'm not sure exactly how much Thing 1 absorbs in HEAL class--he's not terribly communicative in general about his school days--but he always brings home a good joke from class and he tells us about the new foods they try. Last Friday: "I tried a *whole grain* today. It was good." Not like this is completely new--we get bread with whole grains--but I guess it's something completely different when you try just the grain itself. ;-)

It's very comforting to know that kids are being exposed to good stuff like this at school. Sometimes hearing the same stuff from someone other than your parents makes it just that much more credible....

"Quest for"...if not "Greatness" then "Motivation"

As I've blathered on about before, training for an event makes a huge difference in my motivation. So I'm really excited about Christie O.'s latest challenge on her Baby Tea Leaves web site: The Baby Tea Leaves Quest for Greatness! Her last challenge was a weight-loss challenge called "Hot for the Holidays"...which was fun and popular, but I was really amped by the new challenge's focus on fitness. However, the newly-converted fitness zealot in me is wondering: where the heck did all the HFH participants go? Christie left it very open-ended: choose an athletic event (or fitness goal) to train for, then do the training and enjoy the byproduct of better health and fitness. Not like people had to commit to running marathons or doing an Ironman...although, admittedly, it's easier to find events and to train in places like her Florida and my Northern California than in the more winter-bound places. But the "no rules" rider certainly leaves it open to looking for something in the spring....

Anyway, I've committed: I just registered for a 5K run on President's Day (2/16/09). I had decided, after running the Pumpkin Run, that I wanted to race at least once per quarter. This challenge was a nice kick in the posterior for getting me to find a race and to register. And I found one really close to home! I also registered for a race I'd found awhile ago, the "See Jane Run Half-Marathon and 5K". (Just the 5K...not quite at half-marathon level yet.) I'll freely admit that I chose it only for the slogan: "I run for chocolate and champagne." I can't wait to get that t-shirt! It's a bit of a drive away, so it sure wasn't for the location. Not sure what I'm doing for the July/August/September time frame, but definitely rounding out Q4 with the Pumpkin Run again. Maybe I'll be up for a 10K by then...we'll see!

That said, speaking of "fitness" and "motivation," I have to confess something shameful. Thing 2 wanted to do an exercise video with me on Sunday, and I flaked. My reason? Oh, this is so lame, I'm cringing as I type it: I'd showered late, and I didn't want to get all sweaty again. Yes, I told you it was lame. Not simply lame, but a horrible example for Thing 2, who proceeded to geek out playing multiplayer "Midtown Madness" with Thing 1 while I graded papers for Thing 1's teacher. I resolve to NOT flake on offspring-initiated fitness again!

I ran the 2008 Pumpkin Run 5K!

WOW WOW WOW!!! Where to start?!?! Words seem inadequate. I'm just not sure how to describe how exciting and fun it was, how exhilarating it felt to run in a race. I think perhaps the term "runners high" gets misused...I'm not sure if during the run is when I feel it, but it was definitely how I felt crossing that finish line. The glow is lasting all day.

The Half Moon Bay Pumpkin Run was a terrific event. The morning was foggy and cool, but hot coffee helped. There was a short kids' race (and all finishers got a goodie bag), plus a 5K run or walk and a 10K run. I highly recommend it, it's a friendly scene. There were people of all ages and sizes milling around before the race: moms and dads pushing jogging strollers, people with dogs, lots of kids, young adults, elderly people...and me, feeling excited and a little sick to my stomach, telling myself that it was just like a regular morning running, except a little longer and a little bit lighter outside. I had to run for the bathroom twice. I'm glad I rode my bike to and from the event--it's only about a mile and a half flat road each way, but it helped reduce the pre-race jitters and gave an outlet to the post-race rush.

Then it was time to run! I found a place in the back, flinched when the starting gun went off, then trotted along with everyone. There were a few people in the neighborhood outside cheering the runners, which was nice. I was toward the back of the running pack, and there were some other gals going about my pace. An older gal running with her dog had to stop once for...er...him to do his business, and detoured briefly to toss the bag, and she still passed me up.

What was really cool was looking across this huge field to the Coast Trail, and seeing this long line of runners going around the field and up the trail. I stopped and tried to get a decent shot from the back of the pack, but the photo really doesn't do it justice. I kept a comfortable pace the whole time, not knowing whether I'd feel really wiped out near the end.

Into the campground, pausing briefly at the water station, then down to the turnaround, back past the 2-mile marker (which was so cute, I had to stop and take a picture). More water, plus a few pieces of candy corn. Then onto the last street for the run back up to the school. Wait...there's the stop sign! Is it really that close?!? I thought Kelly Avenue was WAY longer! So I kicked it up a notch, made the turn, then the next turn, then put in as much speed as possible through the finish, bellowing a hearty, "WOO HOO!!!" as I crossed and went down the chute. "Wow!" I thought to myself, "that wasn't as grueling as I thought it would be. And I finished in way less time than I thought it would take!"

I stopped and had a snack, hung around through the awards, and checked out my official time: 39:29. I was 203rd out of 275 overall, and 34th/46 in the women 40-49. I know that's not going to impress any of the jocks out there, but I was utterly delighted.

Oh, I am so hooked now. I grabbed a flyer for a new year's day run over in Palo Alto. Not sure how that will fit in with our holiday plans, but I'd love to race once a quarter...and there's the choice next year, should I train to do a better 5K or go for the 10K?

Just before I left, the gal who won 2nd place in the age 70-79 division stopped and talked with me. "I'm 75," she said. "I think this is my last one." "Gosh, I hope I'm still running races when I'm 75!" I replied. I sure hope I see her at next year's run.

p.s. - I'll post pictures tomorrow...I can't find the usual controls in Blogger for adding pictures.