Seeking orienteers and MMs with Type 1 diabetes

[NicolaJ]

Hi there, I hope you don't object to me posting here - the board was recommended to me by someone at diabetessupport.

I'm a freelance journalist and I sometimes write for Sweet magazine (http://www.sweetmagazine.org) which is a healthy living/lifestyle magazine for diabetics. I write for the well-being pages and - as I'm very sporty myself - I tend to interview sporty diabetics. Although I've interviewed a couple of professional sports-people, most tend to be amateur/weekend warrior.

I'm looking for new people to interview and think that a orienteer or MM would be great. Are there any UK-based Type 1 diabetics here?

The interview and resulting article are designed to be an inspiring piece about managing diabetes as someone who does sport. Or, if you struggle with managing the balance, what the challenges are and how you've tried to overcome them.

Anyway - to cut a long post short! - if there's anyone on here who is type 1, and would be interested in being interviewed for the magazine, can you get in touch?

Many thanks to all. Nicola

[Gross]

Hi,

If it's any use I know an elite athlete who has competed at World, European, World Military Champs etc who fits the bill.... send me a mail at gordonross(at)inbox.lt and I'll forward your details and see if she is interested in helping.

[Mark T]

I have been orienteering for over 30 years with type 1 diabetes and competed in several MM. I could write a book on the different ways I have tried to control my blood sugar with no help from the NHS Drs. If you do sport they don't want to know unless your Sir Steve! Who probably pays big money to get the best advice.

[madmike]

I suspect Sir Steve got his advice from his lady wife - Lady Dr Ann Redgrave - also the rowing team's doctor and not a bad rower in her own right!!

[Copepod]

For everyone else with type 1 diabetes, there's useful advice and case studies at http://www.runsweet.com
Actually Sir Steve Redgrave has type 2 diabetes, although treated with insulin, by pump, which is very unusual, and certainly not funded by NHS.

[Gross]

Di is in touch with Nicola now so maybe something will come of it....

[AndyNash]

I can't pretend to be an elite orienteer, so if you can bag the lady Gordon Ross has suggested I think that would be better!

However, if it's of use I've been a Type 1 diabetic for 28 years, and have orienteered for most of them (although over the past five years I've been increasingly distracted by other activities). I've never been elite, but would like to think of myself as a competent club runner.

My diabetes has never been a big obstacle for the level of orienteering that I've wished to do. I usually run courses of a similar length and at a similar time of day (late morning), so I generally just repeat what I've found (through trial and error) has worked in the past. This involves cutting my insulin in the morning, drinking Lucozade half an hour before starting, and eating Kendal mintcake on the way round, especially on longer courses. The negative effect of the Lucozade on my tooth enamel can be reduced by following it with a swig of milk.

Running at different times of day, common at large events, is more awkward, but again I usually sort this out via a mixture of blood testing and food / drink. Lucozade is really good for a quick blood sugar boost - the only problem is that taking on too much fluid shortly before a race can mean it doesn't sit comfortably in the stomach. But if I have the Lucozade too early then my sugars are likely to get very high, which is the greater of two evils.

As indicated, usually this works, although sometimes I get it wrong. However, luckily I have a good awareness of when my sugars have dropped (the key sign is that I feel low on energy), so although it occasionally impairs my performance I've never needed help from anyone during an event.

However, on very long events it does get harder. I successfully completed one C class (25km and 15km) at the annual Capricorm Mountain Marathon in 1996, coming 2nd. However, when I tried the B class (30km and 18km) in 1998 I wasn't able to keep my sugars up on Day 1 and retired. But if I had done it regularly I'm sure I could have found a way through experimentation.

But having sugars going up and down all day does cause tiredness, so I probably get more tired after an event than a non-diabetic of equivalent fitness, and this is exacerbated by the fact that my sugars are liable to keep dropping for about 24 hours afterwards, often interrupting my first night's sleep after an event. Because of this extra tiredness I think it would be harder for me to train at the level required of elite orienteers. But should I wish to train to an elite level, it might be possible to overcome this through detailed analysis and experimentation with diet and insulin. Certainly, as you know, diabetics are quite capable of achieving sporting prowess.

So, in summary, I do not feel diabetes has been a hindrance to the orienteering I've wished to do, and I've had little trouble sorting out the dietary / insulin balance. But had I wished to do more training with an aim of becoming elite, I think it would have made it harder. But even that might have been possible with experience. A bigger obstacle in that respect might have been that I doubt I've got the natural physical strength of some of the top runners.

Andrew Nash, M21, Southampton Orienteering Club

[NicolaJ]

Thanks Pat - I've replied to your PM

[Gross]

Di hasn't heard from you