Long and Winding Road

Day 5 (Let's Get Moving) of Diabetes Blog Week.

Captaining the Pancremaniacs and sporting my Red Rider jersey last year, in the cold rain

I have never considered myself an athlete. As a kid, I wanted to sit in the shade and read all summer. I played t-ball because Mom thought I should, I took swimming lessons because drowning in the ponds near home would have been really awful, I took tennis lessons because my parents liked to play (and didn't figure out I liked it until I was almost done with high school). I ran track in junior high, very badly (but with an amazing coach who encouraged my participation). I really never developed a competitive streak when it comes to physical activity. And until I started my current job, my attempts to make exercise a regular part of my daily life were sporadic and short-lived.

When I started working for a "healthy way of life" company, I started using the gym membership that came with it. When paired with insomnia, I found it really easy to be at the gym at the crack of dawn five days a week. When I made some changes that banished the sleeplessness, I found myself staying in bed rather than trooping to the gym in the dark. But I realized that I missed how regular exercise made me feel: stronger and fitter. I also knew that regular exercise would be a key component in reaching my goals for diabetes management. So, I signed up for a fitness class taught by my favorite trainer at the club. I go three days a week: Mondays are a combination of strength and cardio training, Wednesdays are all cardio (heart rate zone training) and Fridays are strength and core work. Each one seems to affect my blood sugar a little differently. I've been struggling with patterns that are opposite what I'm used to seeing with exercise. I'm really hoping that Shaun (the CGM) will help me figure out how to make adjustments and reduce the rollercoaster effect.

I am also looking forward to learning a whole bunch about me, my diabetes and exercise through the WILD 101 class (?) I just started with Team WILD. We had our first conference call on Tuesday and are all set up with calendars that give us a workout schedule and where we can record our exercise, BG and food. Today, instead of my typical sleeping in on a Thursday morning, I got up, went for a short gentle walk and then went through the stretching routine coach Nancy sent us. I've needed to stretch more/better for a long time. Having the guidance was a huge help and I felt much better afterward. I'm actually looking forward to having a 5+ day/week routine.

I think I might be becoming an athlete in spite of myself....