Update

Well it's been a long time but I have a few announcements to make:

1. I have decided to run in the San Diego Marathon June 1, 2008
2. I will continue to run to raise funds for diabetes research and a cure for Breast Cancer
3. I am adding Pancreatic Cancer to my list of charities I will run

I hope you will join me in my efforts.

Happy Holidays to all.

Success

What a wonderful race - my official time was 5:21 which I understand was better than Katie Holmes and a personal best for me- I also ran the entire race without stopping - no walking - no breaks 26.2 miles straight

I would like to thank everyone who donated and all my sponsors - your support was wonderful and greatly appreciated

I also want to thank my family - can't tell you what it meant to me to see you during the race

I have also decided to keep my blog going and use it as tool to help others with diabetes take better care of themselves - although I have never considered myself a patient advocate there are issues that need to be addressed - I am particularly interested in improving patient education for people with diabetes and their families

Finally I have decided to run more marathons and keep raising money for diabetes research - hopefully I will inspire others to join me and we can become a force for diabetes

In the next few days I will be posting some pictures from the run - until then Thanks to all your support is appreciated

Fast forward 24 hours and it will all be over expected for the post race carb load. No matter how many marathons I have run it always amazes me that all the hard work comes to a head.

As everyone knows tomorrow is not just a special day for me it's a truly special day for Debbie and I as we will be celebrating our 23 wedding anniversary.

For Sam and Dan it will be there 22nd birthday.

It's difficult to express in words how important my family is and what they done to help me reach my goal. Special thanks has to go to my amazing wife who has put up with me for 23 years. Deb has never doubted me and has been behind me every step of the way. I know there will come a point during the race when I will need some extra inspiration and my thoughts will turn to Deb and I will have no problem finding what I need.

I also want to thank all my sponsors and everyone who has donated. You have restored my faith in the true goodness of people.

Well that's it and the next time you hear from me it will all over - thanks to everyone

The Countdown Begins

The city is vibrant with runners and the anticipation is building. Picked up my number this afternoon and had a great dinner with Dex4 one of my many sponsors. Ran (excuse the pun) into several first timers tonight and being the veteran I felt like the wise sage dispensing advice to the newbies. It brought back great memories of my first marathon and the joy I felt crossing that finish line.

Tomorrow is stay off your feet day and do as little as possible - plan on spending the majority of the day watching college football with my son at the ESPN zone in Times Square while my wife and daughter will hit the New York shopping scene.

Will hit the hotel room early, try and fail to get a good nights rest - maybe this marathon will be different but I doubt it - it really doesn't matter as you get so hyped up by race day that you feel like leaping the Empire State Building

The Countdown Begins

Almost counting the hours

Well the work is now done and all systems are go. I think it really hit me today when I printed out the boarding passes for our flight tomorrow (technology is great when it works). You realize race day is close but as the day approaches you start to realize that months of hard work are about to be put to the ultimate test.

Here are some things I hope to accomplish on Sunday:

1. Finish- Although I have run three marathon the primary goal is to cross that finish line.
2. Personal Best Time - Not being an elite athlete with no chance of a medal - setting a personal best becomes a great goal - shooting for 5 hours or under.
3. Run 26.2 Straight - I know if I can get to mile 18/19 with no walking I will push all the way to the finish line without stopping - I have trained for this type of race - lets see if it works
4. Kiss my wife and hug my kids - without them there is no way I could do this - this is truly a team effort

Next time you hear from me I'll be in the Big Apple

Counting The Days

Thanks goodness I have been busy with work as these days leading up to race day can drive you crazy. With each passing day I get just a little more anxious. Spoke with a friend of mine today who's also running the race and I can tell the feeling is mutual.

The biggest obstacle at this point is controlling my excitement - I learned this from my first marathon I was so hyped up that I think I ran the first five miles in record time - only to pay for the fast start at mile 20 -controlling the emotion and sticking with a solid pace prevents burn out and really helps as the miles begin to add up

The weather forecast continues to look good - only a few days away CAN'T WAIT

Gearing Up

Another race day tradition is set, it's just as important to look good as run well - so with each marathon I buy gear specifically for race day - this is one reason I watch the weather forecast so closely - thankfully the forecast continues to improve with the chance of rain decreasing and nice cool temps - actually if the forecast holds up this will be my first marathon with temperatures above 45 degrees - this is a new experience for me and one I'm looking forward too.

I am also pleased to report that donations are coming in more rapidly as race day approaches - thanks and keep it coming - tell your friends, co-workers, family members basically anyone you can think of - see you tomorrow

The hardest week of all

All I can do now is wait - with no running this week that's all I can do other than check the weather forecast each day - frankly it's easier when I'm running- I have lots of nervous energy as the big day approaches - between eating pasta and drinking lots of water ( a race week ritual for me) - there's not much else to do

I have mentally run the race several times - trying to visualize how I will be doing at various points during the race - this is actually not as easy it sounds especially when you consider I have never run the NY race only Chicago

This may seem hard to believe but running the race is the most enjoyable experience and not all that hard - I know baring something unforeseen that I can run the 26.2 miles - I'm sure the NY fans will be as helpful as everyone at the Chicago Marathon - there's something very special when people who don't even know you encourage you to keep running -there is just something special about running through a major city and NY is one great city and I can't wait to be with 40,000 other runners sharing this great experience

Race Week is Here

Well yesterday was my last tune up run and I feel great. Hard to believe that the race is less than 7 days away.

Thought you might be interested in some stats - since I started training way back in June I have run over 450 miles - spent over 100 hours training - cut nearly 2 minutes per mile off my average pace and now have a 35 inch waist - FYI before I started running marathons I had a 40 inch waist

What I'm most proud of however is all the money I am raising for charity - this has been one joyous ride with the best to come Sunday when I cross the finish line - forecast improving looks like the rain will hold off

Good news and bad

According to Weather.com the early forecast for race day is a mixed bag, 62 degrees which is great but the possibility of rain which is not so great. As long as it's not a thunderstorm, rain really doesn't bother me. One of my best training runs came on cool rainy day - which is another reason I run even if it rains- you just don't know what race weather will be like so you better train in all kinds of weather

The biggest problem with rain as you probably guessed is footing, especially when your running on pavement. Not being familiar with NY I can only rely on my experience of running in the Chicago Marathon when it snowed, that's right one year it was so cold that it actually snowed during the race.

I like the temp - 62 is almost perfect not to hot and not too cold

Let's hope the temp doesn't change and the rain holds off

Never thought of myself as Type 1 or Type 2

cRead an article in the Wall Street Journal today that basically said there should be another classification for diabetes - not just type 1 or type 2 but now type 1.5 - to me this is stupid idea and have no idea why people are wasting their time and money even thinking about such things

I have never thought of myself as type 1 or type 2 and to me it really doesn't matter - I am person with diabetes - I am doing the very best I can to manage my life, family, business and my diabetes - I really don't care what they call it I just want them to work of finding a cure so others won't have to deal with it

Carb loading and diabetes

In the weeks leading up to the race, marathon runners go through a process called carb loading. Simply put carbs provide the fuel our bodies need to run 26 miles. For a non-diabetic the major risk is weight gain - for a person like me who has diabetes carb loading has an added concern - since carbs breakdown to sugars - I must be very careful during the carb load that my levels don't get to far out of whack.

Weight gain can also be an issue since I follow a routine of not running the entire week before the race.

The last few weeks I have been running less frequently and shorter distances. This process keeps me fresh but also allows my body to heal up before race day.

I'm not too concerned as I have trained longer for this marathon than the past three. I feel good and look forward to great race. So far so good on the weather front but as everyone knows this can change dramatically. My fingers are crossed but no matter what I will run and do my best.

Thanks and keep it coming

As race day approaches it's great to see everyone responding and making donations. Believe it or not knowing their are people who are willing to donate their hard earned money inspires me. I don't care if the donation is $10 or $1,000 it's great to see that people do care and are doing something about issue they are passionate about.

I truly hope that one day I can run for another cause because someone found a cure for diabetes, breast cancer or Crohn's.

So take a bow all of you who have donated and encourage others to follow your excellent lead.

Just Two Weeks Away

First, let me apologize for being away for so long. Thankfully my training is coming to end and race day is quickly approaching. During this last phase of training my runs are less frequent and shorter. I have begun carb loading which for me means pasta and more pasta.

As I approach race day I also begin mental preparation for race day. In my past three marathons I have always walked at some point during the race. This year my goal is try and run the race without taking a break. I figure if I can get to mile 18 without stopping I should hit my goal.

I am also beginning to watch the weather in NY. It's been unseasonably warm here is Chicago and my biggest concern is not if I can finish the race but what the weather will be like. Although I have trained in warm,even very hot weather running a race in really warm weather is a another story. My hope is race day will be a nice and mild 60 degree day with a mild breeze.

It's hard to believe the big day is almost here.

Welcome Bayer

Although it took awhile to get everything done Bayer is know officially a sponsor. As you probably guessed by the pictures Bayer's speciality is blood glucose meters. What makes Bayer's meters unique is that unlike most meters they don't require the user to enter in a code for the test strip or insert a chip when the open a new box of test strips.

For reasons I never understood meter companies never seemed to understand all the steps involved to check glucose levels. This really shouldn't be a difficult process as it's something a person with diabetes does four or more times each day. Being a pump user I check my levels between 6 to 10 times each day. So why in the world would anyone who makes a meter want to add steps to the process. Thankfully Bayer understands and has two meters that require no coding- just insert the test strip - apply some blood and get a reading - now what could be simpler than that.

Welcome aboard Bayer, thanks for your support and keep making things easier for those of us with diabetes.

Thank goodness I'm running NY

After seeing what happened in the Chicago Marathon I consider myself both lucky and fortunate to be running in the NY Marathon. I'm also wondering what I would have done had I decided to run Chicago this year. On the one hand I'm not sure I would have even run. Running a marathon when your diabetic is hard enough, add in temperatures nearing 90 degrees and it becomes dangerous.

On the other hand after training for over 18 weeks and feeling in great race shape it's hard to say no. The question becomes do I want to be brave and make a go of it or do I want to be sensible and wait until next year? My wife said knowing me that I would have run and she's probably right.

I am hoping and praying that I don't have to make this decision for NY. According to my research the average temp on Nov 4th in NY, the day of the marathon, is around 60 degrees which would be perfect race weather. But then again, I'm sure the average temp in Chicago for October 7th wasn't 88 degrees.

No matter what all the runners who did run Chicago and even those who didn't should be congratulated. Speaking from experience I know just how much work goes into running a marathon for an average person. The families too should be congratulated as they too make sacrifices. It may look like the runner is all alone on the course but running the race is a family effort.

Why running can be so great.

Let's face it everyone has had bad days when nothing seems to go right. Or days when your in box seems to grow like someone has thrown gas on a fire. Even when your really busy the work day can take alot out of someone. That's what makes running so great.

You slip on your head phones, tune out your troubles, forget about all things you didn't get done today and just run. This to me is one of the greatest things about running. This is also why I like running at the end of the day rather than mornings - the run has a cleansing effect - just washing away the work day. You come home, cool down, write your blog, take a shower and have a relaxing dinner with your wife.

I get to enjoy the added benefit of knowing that with each run I'm doing something positive with my diabetes.

Well that's all for this week as tomorrow I head to IU to spend the weekend with my lovely daughter and her sorority sisters.

Great to be back

Sometimes when you haven't run, even for a few days, you miss it. That's how I felt today. Had a nice long run on Sunday and then because of work was unable to run again until today. Even though I was away it felt great to be back and running.

This weekend is the Chicago Marathon and for anyone in the area I encourage you to get on down to the city and cheer the runners on. Looking it at the forecast it will be unseasonably warm here with temps approaching 85 degrees - this is quite different as I never run a Chicago Marathon where the temps made it over 50 - one year it actually snowed during the race. Like we say around here if you don't like the weather just wait a few minutes it's sure to change.

Besides the marathon, the Cubs (unless they sweep or get swept) have game four of their playoff series against the Arizona Diamondbacks - now that I think of it having 85 degree weather the first weekend in October and the Cubs in the playoffs are two truly unusual events- haven't checked the lunar cycle but a full moon and Bears victory over the Cheeseheads would make the day complete

As for me I will be spending the weekend down at Indiana University with the lovely daughter- it's Dad's weekend and I can finally go as I am not running Chicago this year - it's also her senior year which makes it even more special

See you tomorrow

Confidence

Back in the explorer mode today as I continue to look for new places to run or at least new routes. It struck as I was running today that I really had no idea how far I was going to run and I really didn't care. Whether the run was 8 miles or 16 I knew I wasn't in any danger of not making it. Simply put all this training has given me the confidence I need to run solid race.

Today's run was truly fun for me as I've had alot on my mind, children and work will do that, and it allowed me to clear my head a little. That's one of the hidden benefits of running and also one of the dangers. Sometimes you get in such a zone that you start to lose yourself in the run only to be awakened by a very alert driver honking their horn when you run into traffic. Yes this has happened to me in the past which is why I do my best to avoid major streets.

The weather is also getting great for running, nice and cool. While I'm sure we'll get one or two more 90 degree days, Chicago weather you gotta love it, fall is approaching.

Well that's about all for today - have a great start to your weekend- after all tomorrow is Friday.

Setting a personal best

Although I have never been overly concerned with speed and what time I run the race in - I would like to set a personal best in New York. So far I'm pleased with what my average pace has been. The big concern as I head for the home stretch is to avoid any major injury over the next few weeks.

Basically I am race ready and have just one more long run (15+ miles) left to do. After that each week leading up to race day is nice easy runs and nothing longer than 10 miles. I will not run at all the week of the race and let my body heal up.

Thanks to all my tools I will have enough information prior to race day to plan my insulin delivery rates.

So for now I'm just enjoying myself and trying not to get over anxious.