Running With DiabetesMissy Foy, recent was 33 years old when she was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes. She went through the “Why me?” phase, as many newly diagnosed people do before they start to really learn about diabetes. Missy was diagnosed not long after she had started to run competitively, as well, so she really believed diabetes was going to stop her winning a national title as she set out to do. She was also told by a number of people that she would have to give up running. Missy set out to prove them wrong and show other people with diabetes that they could also be a world class athlete if they managed their diabetes correctly. Through practice runs and careful monitoring, Missy has come up with a plan to manage her blood sugars during her races. Missy has devised this management schedule for herself. You should work with your diabetes team to devise your own plan for your particular activity. She says: “My coach and I do a lot of checking as far as how my blood sugar responds to different paces, different distances, different times of day, so that during a race I’m not having to check. We’ve already figured out what I need. We try to think of everything. I disconnect from my pump whenever I race. At the level that I’m racing, every little advantage counts. As an example, I missed making a world team by two seconds in a marathon. So I don’t have time to check my blood sugar while I’m running, to fool with an insulin pump, to have anything extra on my body that’s going to annoy me. I give myself a shot of regular insulin—regular seems to last just about the right amount of time—just before a race. Also, I have these special chocolate chip cookies, and I’ll usually eat two or three of those. I’m already fairly insulin-resistant in the morning and so it doesn’t take a whole lot of loading up on carbohydrates for me. And my coach tells me all the time that I have the biggest tank of gas of anybody he knows. Ever since about a year after I was diagnosed, I’d say my A1Cs have ranged from somewhere between 5.8 and 6.3.” Missy on dLife TV
Missy Foy’s Accomplishments
Recently, Missy joined the Board of Directors at Diabetes Exercise and Sports Association. She has also worked in medical research for the last fifteen years with the Durham, NC VA Medical Center and with Duke University. Currently, she is also completing work on her PhD with a research focus on the history of diabetes care and health outcomes. Missy hopes that her work on the Board of Directors will help DESA achieve goals of expanding its connections with a growing diabetes community, enhancing the experiences of DESA's members, and creating new and innovative ways to provide information on exercise and sports participation for people with diabetes. Missy is an active participant on DESA's electronic bulletin boards and hopes that members will continue to offer opinions and ask questions of Missy and other Board members through the bulletin boards. Click Here to browse our secure, on-line store for a complete selection of diabetes books at 22%-50% off their cover price. You can also download our Diabetes Mall 2008 Catalog, email our Order Form, or call us at (800) 988-4772. |
