ERIC:
I have a suggestion for you.
KATIE:
Should I be afraid? Sounds ominous for some reason…
ERIC:
I meant to get back to you on this. Nothing to be afraid of! :-)
My suggestion is nothing bad. It’s actually one of the best things I think you can do for yourself.
I have really invested myself in finding out everything I can since I started running. I have learned so much, and it has helped me tremendously in multiple ways.
First of all, I have learned so much more about the running part than I used to know. About different energy systems and the different physiologies used when running. About the mechanics, fueling, recovery, training, racing. Different metrics that can be used. How to look at heart rate and pace, and what those things can show.
The other thing I have learned so much about is the BG management. I have studied it and worked on it, and I am comfortable with all of those aspects now.
So anyway, I know I mentioned this to you before. But the single best thing I ever did for running was to spend some money on my Coach Cliff Scherb who I think I told you about.
He is a T1, has done triathlons, is quite knowledgeable in training and also in diabetes management. I have never listened to and taken the advice of an endo - ever! But I have listened to Coach about it, because he really knows his stuff.
So if you think about this as an investment - you can pay him for a few months and learn as much as you can. He can setup training for you for the half. And it isn’t like the cut-and-paste training programs you find online, it is legitimate custom build training that is made just for you.
But it isn’t just training for that one race and then you have nothing to show for it. During that time he will teach you more than you could ever imagine about your BG management. You ask as much as you can, learn as much as you can, just invest yourself in the education. After a few months, you can decide if you think it is worth continuing or not.
But either way, you will learning more from him in a few months than you could imagine. I think you will get more out of a few months with Coach than you ever have with any endo or doctor. It is not just an investment in a single race, it is an investment that can help you for the rest of your life as a runner.
I have spend money on my kid’s activities. Their piano lessons, their trumpet lessons, soccer teams, pole vault lessons, karate class, on and on. Paying for coaching is the first time I spent money on myself since I got married, and it was so well worth it!
Just wanted to share that thought with you.