Fighting Back Step By Step Marathoner Well-Prepared To Deal With Her Diabetes

Ellen Kessler laughs now about the San Diego Rock ‘n Roll marathon, which she ran in 1998. It was no laughing matter at the time, however.

The run started 45 minutes late, race-time temperatures were in the high 80s and the first two aid stations were without water. It was a “perfect Chamber of Commerce day” for everyone but the runners, says Kessler, who overcame the obstacles to finish in 7-1/2 hours.

“They don’t give you a medal for crossing on a stretcher,” laughs Kessler, who’s enthusiasm for life spills over into her everyday language. She prefers “Heck, yeah” to a simple “yes ”and punctuates her words with “Oh, slick!” and “Super!”.

Kessler prepares for her next race, the June 25th Kona Marathon in Hawaii, with just as much enthusiasm. Her level of preparedness rivals that of any Boy Scout.

Neither heat nor time nor the challenge of diabetes slow down her determination.

Kessler, diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes 16 years ago, pays careful attention to the details that translate to a goal of finishing in 6 to 6-1/2 hours. A registered nurse who works full-time as a pharmaceutical representative marketing a diabetes medication, Kessler carefully considers all aspects of her training, including physical needs related to blood sugar regulation.

On training runs she wears a fanny pack, which contains a meter and strips to measure her glucose levels. She carries sources of concentrated carbohydrates too: glucose tablets and “Power Gels” - flavored pudding-texture carbohydrates that are easier to ingest while running than the chewable glucose tablets. Both require water, which Kessler will carry with her in Hawaii. An insulin pump, taped to her abdomen and checked every 45 minutes to an hour, will help her regulate blood sugar levels. Kessler is attuned to the symptoms of low blood sugar: tiredness, sweating, fast heartbeat - which are also symptoms of overexertion.

Kessler’s training since last December has been consistent, with short runs during the week and longer ones on weekends. She increases the distance one mile per week and has advanced to completing 12 miles in early April. She monitors her heart rate for the longer distances by wearing a monitor and alternates her weekend runs with group runs at Manito Park and Mission Park. Some of her training is with Team Diabetes, a group also preparing for Kona.

As part of the Team Diabetes Kessler hopes to raise $3500 for funding further diabetes research. By early April she raised $2100. She says the American Diabetes Association plans to send 27 people from Eastern Washington/Northern Idaho to the June marathon; more than 1,200 people in the continental U.S. are expected to fly to Hawaii for the race. Kessler’s friend and physician, Dr. Carol Wysham, will run the marathon.

Kessler’s diet has some modifications, too. Through consultation with a registered dietitian, she changed the carbohydrate and protein components of her diet. She has lost weight since starting training and works to increase her vegetable servings at mealtime.

Through trial and error, Kessler has figured out how to combine eating with running. She takes a bolus (a dollop of insulin) before her meal, which might be a breakfast of toast with peanut butter. She turns off her insulin pump for the first hour of running. During the run she will ingest a little of the Power Gels - a “nip here and there” she says, and at the end of the run she takes another bolus to help regulate her blood sugar levels for the next few hours.

Her biggest training concern is that because she is a slow runner she pushes it.

“I figure it’s better to be safe and take a little longer,” says Kessler, who doesn’t want to be a poster child for low blood sugar.

She has some recommendations for other runners with diabetes.

Be prepared, she says, and look out for the unexpected, as lack of water in San Diego proved. Gauge how many gels you will need. Bring extra strips for testing insulin. Wear a medical alert bracelet, have identification on you and let fellow runners know you have diabetes. Carry a cell phone during training runs.

“My goal to finish is a big thing,” says Kessler, who encourages people to contact the local American Diabetes Association if they would like to contribute to the Team Diabetes cause. “It is a privilege to do this and I’m lucky to be able to do it.”