Running down diabetes:

Athletes train for Iron Man

event and documentary
By Marie Freeman
freeman@wataugademocrat.com

Three local athletes soon hope to prove that, although they have diabetes, diabetes doesn’t have them. The trio plans to prove it by participating in the Ironman Wisconsin triathlon in September.

John Moore, Steve Ahn and Dave Shack committed last September to a year of training with nine others with type 1 diabetes scattered around the nation.

They will be the subjects of a study under the care of top endocrinologists and physicians but will also share the spotlight in a Discovery Health Channel documentary, which will follow their progress throughout the challenge.

For those without diabetes, the 26.2 mile run, 112 miles of cycling and 2.4 miles of swimming competition is an extraordinary stretch, but for a diabetic, it becomes more than a challenge — it’s a constant, delicate battle of balancing insulin regulation while under physical duress.

Doctors have typically warned diabetic patients from intense athletic activity for years because exercise can increase the body’s sensitivity to insulin, making blood glucose management more complicated for people with diabetes.

But these athletes are hoping to break new ground.

Moore, an Appalachian State graduate student and veteran marathon runner, hopes the study and documentary will highlight the issues he has faced ever since being diagnosed with the disease when he was four — it’s an opportunity to detangle a few diabetic mysteries.

“The issue with people with diabetes is we don’t have the luxury of what and when to eat,” he said.

“We are always trying to solve what has become known as the ‘Diabetic Equation,’ finding a solution to a multi-variable mess. No one has come up with an ideal solution. No real study exists, which nails down for each individual trying to solve the equation. If we had 200 less extra decisions a day based on our blood sugar levels, then our lives would be less complicated.”

The idea of incorporating type 1 diabetics into the Wisconsin Ironman was the brainchild of Michelle Alswager, a mother of a child with diabetes and the executive director of JDRF Western Wisconsin who brought together the athletes, physicians and Andiamo Productions to film the process.

Alswager contacted Moore last May. Moore convinced Ahn, his neighbor, who then convinced Shack, a fellow teacher, to join. And now, with a solid friendship developed, they workout and motivate each other.

Shack said he has never been much of an athlete, describing himself as an “off-the-couch” Ironman participant.

“I’m the person there to inspire others. If I can do this than anyone can,” he said.

Each triathlete has a customized training schedule to help him get where he needs to be.

Shack currently maintains an eight-hour exercise week and will max out at 24 hours a week closer to the competition.

“I was very alone in my diabetes for years and this has opened me up. I was a bit bitter but now know I have people to talk to about how they manage their disease,” he said.

“Steve and John have motivated me to keep up. When I work out, I have to say to myself, ‘Just keep going. Don’t stop,’” he added.

Moore is no stranger to marathons.

“I like the fact there is a diabetic aspect, there is an extra difficulty so anyone who sets a goal can do it too. This is more of a mindset than anything else,” he said.

For Ahn, the obstacles in training as a diabetic athlete for an endurance race are not nearly as difficult as he first imagined.

“Now that I have decided to do this, I’ve become more disciplined in controlling my blood sugar and check whenever I have a concern that it may be out of range — which may be five to 10 times a day,” he said.
“My control is now the best it has ever been.”

The guys aren’t nervous about having their every move documented by the Emmy-winning Andiamo Productions crew nor being prodded and probed by scholars and clinicians using the latest scientific technology to track and analyze the athletes’ bio-data.

“We hope the Triabetes’ findings will aid in establishing new standards in diabetes management techniques as well as to establish an online social network,” Moore said.

“None of us are going to win. But our definition of success is having 12 people finish the race. It makes a collective statement that this isn’t about the individual, it is who we represent which is 21 million people in the U.S. with diabetes,” he said.

Both Ahn and Shack maintain blogs to track their progress at triabeticdave.blogspot.com

Those who wish to contribute to the effort can send donations to Insulindependence Inc., 7770 Regents Rd., No. 113390, San Diego, CA 92122-1967.

Types of Diabetes
Type 1
Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body’s own immune system destroys the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas (called beta cells).
Normally, the body’s immune system fights off foreign invaders like viruses or bacteria. But for unknown reasons, in people with type 1 diabetes, the immune system attacks various cells in the body. This results in a complete deficiency of the insulin hormone.

Type 2
Type 2 diabetes, often called non-insulin dependent diabetes, is the most common form of diabetes, affecting 90 percent - 95 percent of the 21 million people with diabetes.
Unlike people with type 1 diabetes, people with type 2 diabetes produce insulin; however, the insulin their pancreas secretes is either not enough or the body is unable to recognize the insulin and use it properly. This is called insulin-resistance. When there isn’t enough insulin or the insulin is not used as it should be, glucose (sugar) can’t get into the body’s cells. When glucose builds up in the blood instead of going into cells, the body’s cells are not able to function properly.
Source: WebMD.com