Journey to 26.2 (Part 1)

Many strides, kilometres, thoughts pass in the initial starting stages of a 26.2. What is a 26.2? For those not familiar with running jargon; 26.2 is short for Marathon. Roughly 26.2 Miles, 42.2 Kilometres. 1 Year Ago; The 2017 Colfax Marathon was my 26.2 debut. I had no time to think of what to expect or pre-26.2 jitters as I was constantly in running / life mode.  For most runners; participants; this is not new. Add on the layers of being a Type 1 Diabetic & numerous other conditions anemia, hemophilia, vertigo & my time was in a literal vacuum. I had no time to think about it; I’m constantly preparing the body for conditions.

So this is where the journey to 26.2 begins;.........

24k of Type 1 Endurance

Stride after stride I felt stronger & quicker; glancing at my Dexcom monitor strapped on my upper left arm: blood sugar 67 & falling double arrows.  Arms swinging like a pendulum; I took a big swig of water & glanced at my other vitals on my watch: pulse 110 / 39.01 minutes / 4.3 miles into a 5 mile race. On the outside, I was calm, powerful & a running Diabadass passing runners in the final stretch. Inside, my sugars were depleted, pulse quickening, & dry mouth; (Hypoglycemia) for me! I realized I needed to finish this race fast or.................