Gearing Up for 26.2
Morgan, Mike, Jody, Beth + Tom were members of the 2019 Beyond Type Run team running the TCS New York City Marathon. Beyond Type Run is sponsored by Dexcom and Tandem Diabetes Care.
It’s back! After a pandemic hiatus, Beyond Type Run is once again taking on the TCS New York City Marathon, as 50 runners with type 1 diabetes show the world what people with type 1 diabetes (T1Ds) can do. Applications are now open to join the 2021 Beyond Type Run team.
Need inspiration? Read these interviews with some of our 2019 team members, who shared their training tips, lessons learned and motivation with us in the days leading up to our last marathon. Read more about the 2019 team and find more marathon stories here.
Morgan Russell
Tell us a little about your training plan and routines that you’ve been following up to this point.
My training plan consists of five days of running per week, one day of biking and then one day of rest. Each week I have at least one run focusing on speed work, another that is a long run to build up my endurance and the rest are easy to get the mileage in. I’m hovering around 40 miles per week, and my longest run has been 20 miles.
What has being on a team of other T1Ds through this process been like for you?
It has been a really great motivator knowing there are so many of us training for the same thing. Even though we’re all at different levels, everyone has been very supportive and I love all of the excitement that everyone brings to the table. We are not alone in this beautiful process.
What is your fuel of choice?
Pre-run, I try to eat at least three to four hours before heading out. If I need something right before I go it’s usually some sort of fruit or bread and peanut butter. Long runs I keep all of my food the same. I eat oatmeal or chia seed pudding, topped with berries and banana, and sometimes granola, along with two slices of peanut butter toast and a glass of almond milk. I make sure to wake up three to four hours before my long run to get all this in. As for post run fuel, I eat whatever I cook up in my head while I’m out on my run. Whatever I crave is what I eat, and I make sure it’s something healthy.
Aside from the marathon itself, what are you most looking forward to doing in New York City?
Mike Greenberg
Has training been different from what you had imagined? How so?
I imagined it would be hard, and it is, but maybe for different reasons than expected. Yes, there are some grueling runs, but the more exhausting aspects are mental. Getting out and running four days per week, early morning before work, or late at night in the dark. Again, and again, and again.
What have you learned about yourself and your body that might have surprised you?
That I can run 16 or 18 miles (the farthest I’ve run so far), and feel pretty good! And that I’d sweat 3-5 lbs off on those long runs in the summer. And that I prefer running without music—so much nicer not to have headphones in my ears, and have my thoughts free. And that the void of no music would be filled with songs I play in my head anyway—and that so many of those songs would be from the children’s musical “Dear Edwina, Jr.” Seriously.
Who have been your biggest cheerleaders?
My wife, Tamar, and kids, age 7 and almost 4, are probably my biggest cheerleaders. Tamar started running as well during my training, shadowing my workouts and creating a complementary Instagram account. My kids have both joined me for portions of shorter runs. It’s such a joy to have my daughter cling to me and assert that she’s “running with daddy!” I’ve also had some friends join me on different training runs, and their company is certainly appreciated! My mother and siblings encourage me, though seem a bit worried too—I don’t blame them. With diabetes, fear of complications is my frenemy, and a great motivator to be as prepared as possible.
Aside from the marathon itself, what are you most looking forward to doing in New York City?
Jody LeVos
What has being on a team of other T1Ds through this process been like for you?
It’s been so inspirational to see others with T1D out there putting in the miles, dealing with the same types of challenges that I face (and that people without T1D cannot possibly understand), and running their own best paces, distances and times. Having a common goal and common challenges has bound us together, created a sense of community, provided instant cheerleaders and supporters and allowed us to have space to ask each other questions and get advice. I’ve never really trained for an event with a team before, and I love it! I hope we stay connected long after we’ve run these 26.2 miles together.
How have your friends and family responded to your journey?
I like to think that perhaps I’ve played a small role in inspiring my older son (age 11). He has run a few 5Ks with me in the past, and this year he joined the Cross Country team at his middle school. He was the first person to put his name on the sign-up list… Beyond my son, most others in my family believe I’m crazy for opting to do these events, yet are incredibly supportive. My husband refers to himself as being my “equipment manager,” and knows that, for me, it’s always about pushing the limits and picking something even harder or scarier to try next. “Do one thing every day that scares you.”
Beth Kiurski
Tell us a little about your training plan and routines that you’ve been following up to this point.
I have been following a training plan from my Garmin watch. I have been following it about 80 percent. Life gets hard and I can’t get in every run, but I try and do what I can when I can. It includes about five runs a week. I also try and do one day of cross training however that happens, sometimes yoga, sometimes biking.
What is it like balancing training and normal day-to-day life?
Tom Duffy
What have you learned about yourself and your body that might have surprised you?
I have learned that if I make something a priority, I will find a way to get it done. Family and work are my top priorities, but training is my third.
What is your fuel of choice?
I use UCAN super starch as my pre-run fuel. It really helps keep my blood sugar stable during my long runs. I also always have skittles in my pocket in case I start to go low.
Do you have any goals for the marathon you’d like to share?
I don’t have any time goals for the marathon—I just want to finish! The next few weeks I am going to dial in my diet and make sure I am stretching properly. The runs are really starting to get long and I am doing my best not to have any injuries.
Aside from the marathon itself, what are you most looking forward to doing in New York City?
I am very excited to meet my teammates. We have gotten to know each other on social media, but it’s going to be great to meet them in person!
Learn more about the 2019 TCS New York City Marathon Beyond Type Run team here.
The 2019 Beyond Type Run Team running the TCS New York City Marathon was sponsored by Dexcom and Tandem Diabetes Care.
