The members of Team Novo Nordisk and the Team Type 1 Foundation are an inspiration to so many.  Over the past year I have had the honor of being able to interview, shadow, and develop relationships with members of the two groups.  I can say that what you see on the news, social media and at races is real.  The work that these individuals put in to change diabetes is truly amazing, I have always said this "It's not about the bike!!" that statement has been and always will be the truth.  

Phil Southerland was profiled on CNN this past week.  Phil is my hero, I could write for days how he has motivated me to be a better person.  I could then write for a few more days how he has motivated me to take control of my diabetes and in turn help others live a successful life with diabetes.  Phils story is nothing short of amazing and CNN did an amazing job of getting the readers digest version of Phils life and dream in an amazing article and almost two minute video.  CLICK HERE to read the article and view the video)  The work that Phil and his amazing wife have done for diabetes is deserving of an award but that would be pointless, they don't want trophies or dinners to honor them, they want to change the diabetes world.  They have changed the world and will continue to do so!!

Team Novo Nordisk development team members helped children in the great city of Athens, Georgia realize how great life is with a bike!!  I don't have all of the details, I'm just going off of a Facebook post but in the picture below you can see how happy these children are to have a bike.  In the picture you can get an idea of the mood if you look at the cop or Team Novo Nordisk member Brais Dacal.  The smile on the cops face says it all, the gift of a bike will change the lives of these children.  It will also motivate Team Novo Nordisk members, they will not forget this moment.  Knowing Brais personally I know that he got on his bike for his afternoon ride and had a bigger smile than usual because of giving the gift of a bike to a child.  That smile won't just be present today, it will be on his face as he races in the rain with his muscles sore and his body wanting to give up.  The memory of helping those children will be on his mind, that memory will propel him and help him to win a race!!  The athletes of Team Novo Nordisk are not just changing the diabetes world they are changing the cycling world!!

After a couple month break from my CGM I'm happy to say the CGM has returned.  After testing out the Freestyle Libre I learned just how much I needed a CGM in my life.  After some fun chats with insurance and other minor issues everything is back to normal.

The CGM return comes at a perfect time as I prepare for a 50k.  My blood sugars have been great while running but post run I have missed the ability to see my blood sugar every five minutes.  Having the CGM back will allow me to better manage my blood sugars post training or race run.  It will also be nice to see what my blood sugar is doing while I'm asleep, obviously this is an area that gets most of my attention.  My blood sugars before bed and when I wake up have been in range, but what are they doing overnight?  That interests me the most and being a nerd I will study my blood sugars overnight as well as my sleeping quality with Sleep Cycle app.  

Looking at my blood sugars and sleep quality is not the end of my crazy blood sugar study.  What works best for me on the bike and while I'm running?  Do I need Gatorade because it has sugar or am I ok with Nuun and a healthy hydration alternative.  Do I need the Clif Bar or baby food? (Yes I use both) What keeps my blood sugar level while I'm working out?  That is very important.  It is also very important to know what my blood sugar is at while hiking with my children.  Yes I know my blood sugar before and after a hike without the CGM but again being able to know every few minutes is even better.  If I'm on the lower end of my range do I need a small snack or is my blood sugar trending up?  I will know this now!!  I'm excited to have my CGM back and I'm excited to get back to my blood sugar OCD mode!!

After an almost forty mile bike ride yesterday and walking nine holes of golf I decided to take a rest day today.  Why? To make it even tougher tomorrow.  I could have very easily ran my goal of eighteen miles at the 50k course today, it''s in the 50s with no wind and the sun is out.  That sounds like a perfect day to go for a three hour run and learn the course.  For most yes it does but I'm wired a little bit differently.  I have no idea what the weather will be like in three weeks but I want to be prepared if it is cold and raining.  That is why I will run tomorrow, showers, possibly heavy rain, lots of wind and a temperature just around 50.  I like the challenge, I might be a little crazy but if I run well tomorrow and on race day if it is 60 and sunny I know I can run no problem because I ran when it was cold and rainy!!

Today I was able to celebrate "Sharkys" third birthday with him and "Minnie".  I knew it would be a very special day with a lot of smiles but what I didn't expect were a few tears.  I'm very emotional and as the day went on I kept getting these little reminders that no matter what I'm doing my son or daughter are always with me and always helping me.  I can only hope that I'm helping them and that I'm on their mind no matter what they are doing.

This morning after opening presents I headed to the bathroom, Sharky was right by my side smiling and saying "me too".  He would try the bathroom which for a three year old that is being potty trained is a half hour adventure.  My fatherly way of helping is to try and make him relax with a video to take his mind off the task at hand..no matter how crappy it is!!  To help him I was on Facebook and checking out a video posted by Flanders classics on Team Novo Nordisk, he saw the bikes and quickly said "bikes" I then went to my trusty favorite Team Novo Nordisk YouTube video, which is below.  While watching it he smiled and said "Daddys team!!"  Each time he saw a close up of a rider he said "that not daddy, where daddy?"  All I could do was laugh and think that he and I have the same dream.  When the runners came on I jokingly said "that might be daddy...one day"  it was at that time he lost attention and asked for Thomas.

Later in the day it was off to a Day with Thomas.  "Sharky" loves Thomas and his birthday was all about an amazing blue train.  Beyond seeing my son and daughter smile and have so much fun seeing and riding on Thomas it was once again the little things that brought me to tears.  My phone has my running songs and a kids section that I filled with their favorite songs.  A few of these songs are from Thomas and a couple have made it onto my running mix so that I can have a huge smile on my face while running a 50k.  What I didn't expect was for my son and daughter to start dancing while one of those songs came on this afternoon.  This is the same song that motivates me to keep going when it hurts and when I want to quit.  

What does all of this have to do with diabetes?  A lot, my kids are my life and that makes diabetes my life.  Seeing a three year old and almost fiver year old laughing and being kids motivates me each and everyday.  To be the best father I can and live a long life I must take proper care of my diabetes.  My kids may never run a 50k with me or ride a bike 50 miles but they're the ones that get me through those tough days.  They are the ones that help me when my blood sugar is out of range, they're are the ones that make me wake up with a smile and act like a kid.  Seeing life through the eyes of a child is the best thing in the world!!

Today was a normal work day, but my mind was definitely in another place.  It started at 6:02am as a fellow employee asked why I was at work, "Why aren't you running today?"  I played it off and said I'll get my run in later today.  All day the Boston Marathon was on mind, I wasn't worried about who won, I was more worried about a friend and other TNN members.  Checking their times every hour or so I was beyond impressed with their times but also a little upset knowing that at least one of them was upset that he didn't PR.  It was also nice to text Kate back and forth all day as she followed the same runners and was beyond impressed with the times that they ran.

As I made my forty five minute drive home from work it all hit me, I have about one month until my first 50k.  One month until I realize a dream, one month until I torture myself mentally and physically.  I will never share why running a 50k means so much or helps me so much but I will say that this has been a dream of mine for almost two years.  As the 50k came up at Easter I started to think about how I got here and how everything including my body has changed.  I went from a stocky cyclist with big legs to a true runners build.  Am I runner? I don't know.  Am I trail runner? YES!!  I don't have the speed, I mean if I ran a marathon I'd finish just under four hours.  Go back to September and I placed 5th at a 20k trail run and 12th at a 30k.  My time isn't the best but mentally I can push on and that is the name of the game when it comes to endurance running.  Knowing how to run the course and when and where to attack is huge, it isn't always the guy that can run a five minute mile that wins.  

What I have learned about myself and my diabetes while training is amazing.  Preparing for a 50k has made me learn and more confused about diabetes.  It's funny how complex the body is.  From insulin to food intake you can't really read a book and learn how to run a 50k with diabetes.  Much like when I first got on the bike it is a lot of trial and error, I have had blood sugars in range while training.  I have also had to walk sections or even sit down because I have been below my set range.  I have learned how important hydration is while running and I have learned that the body is not happy without fluids.  

I'm nervous about the 50k, I have put tons of pressure on myself.  The best part is that I have no pressure from anyone else, the 50k I'm running isn't a huge event.  My family and friends think I'm nuts and don't understand why I'd want to run a 50k and I love that.  Kate understands why I'm doing it and has been nothing but supportive and motivating.  The next month will be great, I'll be nervous but I'll be ready!! 

For runners all over the world the Boston Marathon is the marathon that they dream about.  Boston stands as the best of the major six marathons (Boston, New York, Chicago, London, Berlin and Tokyo) because of the history and the fact that it doesn't have a lottery to gain entry.  With no lottery that means that runners must finish another marathon in a time of 3hrs and 10 minutes or less, that is for ages 35-39 for anyone younger than 35 you have to run a time of 3hrs and 5 minutes to qualify.  Obviously that is no easy feat.  Boston also has hills, one in particular, heart break hill which will make the strongest runners question why they are running the marathon.  

That is just the race itself, the Boston Marathon is a holiday for so many New England families.  Families that go to the marathon because their parents brought them when they were kids and they want to have their children experience the marathon.  For the people of New England the Boston Marathon is the Super Bowl!!  

This Monday as the gun sounds to signify the start of the 121st Boston Marathon three members of Team Novo Nordisk will be running the worlds greatest marathon.  Benny Madrigal, Casey Schwenk, and Stephen England will be the three  members running the 26.2 mile course inspiring people living with diabetes all over the world.  On Sunday Team Novo Nordisk published an article in which they interviewed each of the four runners. (Click here to read the article)  

All four runners are an inspiration to myself and so many like me that know what it takes to run a marathon with diabetes.  Best of luck Benny, Casey and Stephen!!!  We are all rooting for you!!

Over the past year or so I learned a lot about myself and about life.  When it comes to my diabetes and my health endurance running has helped me learn so much about both.  I know my body a lot better than I ever have and that helped a lot the past two days.

Late Monday afternoon I was not feeling good at all, my stomach was off and I was very weak.  Kate and I would go to dinner and I was unable to eat anything and was very quiet.  When we arrived home I did my usual bedtime routine and headed right to bed.  I would be up at midnight and 2am to get sick.  After each I would test my blood sugar and see that I was in range, on the lower end but still in range which was good.  Tuesday I got to know my bed a lot better, I would only get out of bed to use the bathroom, have some soup and to call work.  Tuesday night I had some help from Kate and her mother motivating me to go to the emergency room to get some fluids.

I was planning on going Wednesday morning and told I should go sooner rather than later which looking back makes a lot more sense.  The hospital was a diabetes adventure, from a nurse asking me why I didn't take humalog when I got sick at 2am to another nurse bringing me a regular coke for a beverage while I got fluids.  It was interesting to the least, but knowing my body and my diabetes helped me standup for myself and get the proper care that I needed.  All of my blood work would come back normal and after a liter of fluids I was feeling much better.

Today with temperatures in the 70s I wanted nothing more than to go for a nice fifteen mile run that I had planned earlier in the week.  Yes I could have gotten that run in but what would it have done to my body?  I'm sure I'd be feeling like crap and sick again later next week.  A couple days off will not kill me, if anything it will help me and keep me on pace to run my first 50k in just over a month.  

Six years ago I was honored to share my diabetes story with the students of Westerly Middle School.  I remember being very nervous that middle school students wouldn't listen to my story and get nothing out of it.  Three years later I found out that people listened, I received an email from a student asking if I would be his mentor for his senior project.  For three years I have been honored to see students not only raise money for diabetes research but to also raise diabetes awareness throughout the high school.

This past September I was approached by a student that is a senior in high school that wanted me to be his mentor.  My first question was why, this question caught him off guard.  As he looked down at the floor he said "When I was diagnosed with diabetes you came to speak at the middle school just a few weeks later.  I loved hearing you speak and it made me feel that everything would be ok."  I quickly got a tear in my eye and jumped at the opportunity to help Dylan.  

For the past seven months Dylan has been working to plan a diabetes awareness day at the high school.  This Thursday he is having a wear red day for diabetes at the high school.  On top of that Dylan is training to ride in the Rhode Island ADA Tour de Cure.  I couldn't be prouder of Dylan, the amount of time he has put in to this project is amazing.  

Thursday I encourage all students at Westerly to wear red and to donate any money that they can to Dylans project.  All of the money goes directly to the American Diabetes Association and will be used for diabetes research.  I'm also sharing this to try and get this to be a town wide, state wide and hopefully worldwide event.  I ask anyone that reads this to wear red on Thursday, if you do wear red if you could post a picture to social media with #redfordylan that'd be great!!  Using the hashtag and posting a picture will have others asking what it is about and we can share Dylans fundraiser and in turn that will raise diabetes awareness!!

I can't thank Dylan enough for all that he has taught me over the past seven months.  I have never been a part of a senior project where the student works so hard to achieve his goal.  It has been an honor to help him and he has set the bar very very high for those that want to take part in a diabetes senior project!!

Two years ago I began my transition from being a dedicated cyclist to trying to become an ultra runner.  I had the honor to interview Team Novo Nordisk member Stephen England at the New Jersey marathon and from that point on I set my mind on running an ultra marathon.  As I interviewed Stephen I was motivated by how he took control of his diabetes and didn't let diabetes stop him from running, at that time Stephen was just starting to go to the crazy endurance races.  Stephen wasn't happy with running a 50k, he has since run numerous 50 mile and 100 mile races.  

For the past two years Stephen has been helping me prepare for my first 50k, which I will be running in May!!  Stephen hasn't given me a training plan but has given me the secret gift that every endurance runner needs, belief!!  Stephen believes in me and believes that I will have no problems running two 50ks in three weeks.  Stephen and I shared our life story with one another as we walked around the grounds of the New Jersey Marathon expo, in that we found out why we seek running ultra races.  That may sound like nothing but when you're talking with someone you just met and you're both having tears run down your face you form a bond very quickly.  Stephen gave me motivation as Kate and I met up with him at the NYC half marathon expo two weeks ago, making suggestions on training and how to run my first 50k.  As Kate and I left the expo I said to Kate "It's nice having a guy like that to help me as I train"  to which she responded "You're lucky to have someone like that helping you, he's a great guy and I can see why you want to run a 50k for him"  

How does someone who wants to run an ultra find all of the insider secrets from a training schedule, to diet and everything else that goes into ultra marathon training?  You can't just go to a local running store and find a guy like Stephen England to help you...or can you??  For those in the New York City area that are interested in running ultra marathons you have the opportunity to listen to Stephen England and two other local ultra running experts as they share their secrets.  A rep from Salomon running (thee go to company for ultra runners) will also be on hand to help you choose all of the right gear for an ultra marathon.  

I will do my best to try and get down to this amazing event!!  If you are interested in attending or would like to learn more please click here!! 

It has been two weeks since the NYC half marathon and I'm just now feeling like myself. The past two weeks have been tough, I've felt like crap and because of that haven't been the happiest person. Although my blood sugars were in range for the most part I was still pissed that running a mile had me wheezing.

On Wednesday I figured I'd try the bike and get back to my first love. I'd just ride and enjoy it, no watch. Just ride and enjoy being on the back roads. I'm not sure if that helped make me feel better but since that day I have been my old self and could breathe normally. Last night a good friend sent a text asking if I was in the mood to run a 5k Sunday morning.

Im happy I said yes to the invitation!! I would turn the 5k into a 10k, running the course 45 minutes before the race just to see how my body felt. It felt great and as I finished my warmup in 25 minutes (was hoping for 30 minutes). I decided I'm going to try and go all out. The first mile was completed right around seven minutes. I was breathing fine and felt good, I'd try my best to PR. Unfortunately the course was hilly and I'd finish just over 23 minutes but I felt great and was expecting a time of 21 minutes as I approached the finish.

Im officially back on track and this race helped my mindset tremendously. I was scared that the 50k in May wouldn't happen if I didn't get better. Now I'm feeling strong and determined to finish two 50ks in three weeks. A lot can change in until then. Right now I will enjoy staying in range and my performance today. Tuesday it's back to the trails and then the bike on Wednesday!!