I see Diabetic Marathoners....

Call me paranoid, but I've noticed a bit more diabetic marathoning news of late...

Last week was the NOVA Marathon Challenge show, which I recorded, but did not watch until last night. For some reason, I thought this was a series, not a one-time airing.

The concept was to take 13 couch potatos and see if they can finish a marathon in nine months. Well, the only one who failed was the Type 1 diabetic. Riddled with stress fractures, she says:

Despite visits to several types of doctors, no one has been able to discover the reason my legs will not heal. There is, however, a general consensus that my diabetes may be a contributing factor. After 25+ years of diabetes, it is likely that I have impaired circulation in the microscopic blood vessels, especially in the lower extremities. This poor circulation could impair the healing of my bones.

To which I say, blah, blah, blah...

That could've kept me in a bad mood, but in this week's Parade magazine has a feature article on Missy Foy, the first Type 1 diabetic to qualify for the Olympic marathon trials, and one of the Top 10 fifty-milers in the nation. (Check your Sunday paper for the feature - my Parade always shows up on Saturday. No, I don't know why.)

Stress fractures, schmesh fractures. I heart Missy Foy.

Comments

  1. Anonymous10:58 AM

    While I suppose it's /possible/ she was more prone to stress fractures because of reduced circulation, I am guessing the reason she got them is overuse.

    I am not being funny either. The truth is, going from gooey to marathon in 9 months is an asinine undertaking that should have been avoided if the coaches were at all knowledgeable.

    Sure, it's possible, but I don't think most good coaches would recommend it.

    ReplyDelete
  2. erika11:44 AM

    Hi Marcus,

    I found your blog searching for info on Missy Foy. I was recently diagnosed with Type 1 in March while training for my first marathon. I ran the Akron Marathon on Sept.29th and I'm ready to tackle another, but I'm desperate to find info on how to control my blood sugar in the process. Your blog is a welcome site and I'm looking forward to reading more. Oh, and I loved the post about being a minimalist runner. I feel like I need a backpack to hold all the crap I need for a 10 miler...let alone 26.2. It's crazy...

    Take care,
    Erika

    ReplyDelete
  3. Unknown7:15 AM

    Nathan,

    I couldn't agree more - there are lots of reasons for stress fractures.

    Erika,

    Congrats on the marathon - what a great accomplishment! The fact that you did it so soon after being diagnosed is amazing - first year's definitely the hardest. Will look forward to keeping up w/ your blog.

    M

    ReplyDelete
  4. Eric Gervase4:54 AM

    So Nate... what are you trying to say? I went from gooey to marathon in 9 months. Are you calling me asinine? Wait.. I have two stress fractures now. Point taken.

    ReplyDelete

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