Completing the 2021 New York City Marathon with the Beyond Type 1 Marathon Team
Beyond Type 1
Beyond Type 1 is a non profit organization devoted to changing what it means to have diabetes. While the name of the original organization is Beyond Type 1, it actually supports all aspects and types of diabetes. From partners and parents of diabetics to Type 2 diabetics this organization raises money and awareness.
The first time I heard about Beyond Type 1 was when they came out with their Bike Beyond documentary. Beyond Type 1 put together a team of 20 people with Type 1 Diabetes for a bike ride across America, ~4200 miles. It was beyond inspiring. I mean, here I was training by myself. Running and biking. Doing ultra cycling events. I felt so alone. And then there was this documentary, showing me that there is an organization that supports people with Type 1 in pushing the limits. Nothing has ever been so empowering.
In August of 2021, while training for the One Day Ride Across Michigan, I received an email from Beyond Type 1 offering me a position on their marathon team. I was excited and so proud! But also terrified! This would be my first marathon, and I was in the midst of training for a 150 mile bike ride, not a marathon! But if diabetes teaches you anything, it teaches you resiliency and flexibility. So the day after my 150 mile bike ride I went out and bought a pair of sneakers, and built a training plan.
“You can do anything, but you have diabetes” is a reoccurring mantra in my life. A message conveyed not out of malice, but fear. I was so excited to find a place and community that had a different message. “You can do anything, because you have diabetes.” This was the message I saw in that documentary, and this was the message the CEO of Beyond Type 1 had for us when he met the 2021 Beyond Type 1 Marathon team.
The Beyond Type 1 2021 Marathon Team
In total there were about 42 people with Type 1 diabetes on our team. There were people who had diabetes for less than a year, and others with over 50 years with diabetes! There were people who had never run a marathon, and others who were working to qualify for the Boston Marathon.
To check out the bios on my teammates check here.
The first time we all had the opportunity to meet was at a brunch on November 6th. I had picked up my bib on Friday, and the reality that I was running a marathon settled on me. At the brunch our Team Captain, Tiana, as well as the CEO of Beyond Type 1, Thom Scher, spoke to us. Their speeches and meeting the team allowed me to grasp the significance of what we were doing. As a group of people with Type 1 we were showing the world that we can do something that many people cannot! Not only can we do it, but we can do it BECAUSE of diabetes. We had all fundraised, raised awareness within our communities. Now it was time to show the world what we can do.
We were able to meet representatives from our sponsors: Tandem, Dexcom, and Asics. We received gear from our sponsors: Rhone, Kilter, Lauren Bongiorno, Ultima, Revel, and iFit.
Race Prep
Pockets, pockets, pockets! Pockets are the key to success for any person with Type 1 diabetes. So I chose a Brooks zip up vest (4 pockets), and a pair of Brooks running tights (3 pockets). This was essential for carrying all the carbs and my phone. Because of the zip of vest, I was unsure if I wanted to pin my number to the vest in case I decided to ditch it during the race. So I used a Nathan running belt, which also stored Gu packets conveniently.
My carb intake during a run is approximately 15-20 g of carbohydrates every 2 miles. For a marathon this totals about 262 g of carbohydrates. Which ended up being 4 bags of Skratch/Honey Stingers, and 7 Gu packets. The NYC Marathon offers water and gatorade at every mile marker, but without knowing how much gatorade is offered I could not depend on that alone for carbs.
For anyone who uses a continuous glucose meter you know the woes of peeling tape. I use the Dexcom sensor which lasts for 14 days, without extra tape it starts to become loose around day 10-12. Well, of course the night before my sensor was ratty and loose. Usually this is a moment of “Oh no”. My insurance doles out exactly the number of sensors necessary for 3 months, and replacing the sensor early means that I will be short a sensor at the end of the month. Thankfully Dexcom provided me with an extra six months of supplies! So I replaced my sensor the night before the race! And reinforced it with a Peelz NYC themed tape, provided by Beyond Type 1 in my gear bag!
I went back and forth about replacing my Tandem insertion site the night before. My husband and I discussed it, and came to the conclusion to keep it. Replacing a site early is a little bit of a lottery. A new site can often not work, and require replacement within 24 hours of placement. You try and minimize the likelihood of this happening by replacing sites within 2-3 days, and rotating sites.
I decided not carry replacement supplies for diabetes on me. With the Gu, Skratch, and Honey Stingers I had a lot on me already. So my husband carried them with him as he met me along the course, plus I knew that the Beyond Type 1 Cheer group would have a Glucometer with them. Worst case scenario I knew that I had dialed in my carb system, and if the system failed I would make a new plan.
But enough about carbs and diabetes! What about music?!?! What about the race plan??
In talking with my friend Linda she recommended KEXP’s Runcast! Sitting in bed, less than 24 hours before the marathon, I took a quick listen. AND IT WAS PERFECT! A mix of unique tunes to keep me occupied and positive thoughts to keep me going. Check it out here.
This was going to be my first marathon and I needed some guidance. I knew my goal pace. I knew my goal finish time. But how does that fit into this race course? Thankfully googling “NYC Marathon” lead me to the Dashing Whippets “TCS NYC MARATHON 2017 STRATEGIES FOR SUCCESS”. This was remarkably helpful. They do a great job of breaking the race down into mileage groupings, and general goals.
The Race
If you ever have the chance to complete the NYC marathon I highly recommend taking the Staten Island Ferry. It is a great experience! Not only is it easy to get to, but the Ferry ride is beautiful! You see the city, Lady Liberty, and have a great moment to chill out and enjoy the view.
Once at the start the team members in the 5th wave were able to meet up before our start! We were able to relax, laugh together, and share last minute tips. Tension was low, and I was full of enthusiasm by the time we had to go to our corrals. In a moment of serendipity we found ourselves camped out next to a group of moms of type 1 diabetics walking for their children. I think both groups felt a lot of emotion in that moment. I thought of my own mom, and her constant support of me in my endeavors despite her constant fear of some complication related to diabetes. I was so grateful to meet these women, and to have them see the Beyond Type 1 Marathon Team. So that they could see what their children are capable of, what a wonderful future they have with diabetes.
Running the NYC marathon is a party! People told me that the “entire city comes out and cheers for you” and it is true. Every road is packed! I highly recommend putting your name on your chest, duck tape a name tag or make a personalized shirt. People want to cheer you on, and if they see your name they will! At times I felt like I was alone, and then a perfect stranger called my name out and I felt like I was on top of the world!
And then there are the signs! If you want to laugh read the signs people come up with. Mario cart themes, jokes, politics, etc. It will keep you amused all 26.2 miles. I will warn you that the mileage on most of these signs is wrong! And most mileage people call out to you is wrong. But other than that! Enjoy!
Mentally the cheering and signs are supporting you whether or not you realize it. But once you hit the Queensboro bridge and its’ quiet suffering, you will realize how much you depended on it. The climb is long, and there is little relief in the downhill. This was the hardest portion of the race for me. It was the only portion where I was tempted to start walking. But I am happy to say that after the Queensboro bridge there are the largest crowds, and you quickly recover your mental strength.
Part of how I prepared myself for this run is breaking it up into pieces, counting and countdowns. The most obvious being mileage and bridges. Beware! There is a sneaky little bridge between the 1st and 2nd bridge! It is the Pulaski Bridge!! I found myself completely lost in my count, and disoriented geographically. A quick glance at my official map helped, but that mental hit was big. If I am honest this is probably why I felt so beaten on the subsequent Queensboro bridge.
You find that as the race progresses the portions of gatorade get smaller and smaller, one reason I was very happy to have brought my own carbs. The water is plentiful though! I was lucky and did not experience any lows. I did not allow my blood sugar to go below 140 mg/dL, and turned off my pump whenever I spotted a down arrow. I was eternally grateful to the Dexcom Garmin App which made this easy to assess, along with my pace. When my Tandem Insulin pump was on it was in activity mode, though I know others who run with it in sleep mode.
After passing over the Madison Ave Bridge you will feel the energy change. This marks about 21.6 miles. The crowds swell, and the cheering returns. The next thing you know you are rounding the 24 mile corner into Central Park, and it is on. At this point I chose to leave everything on the table, and negative split in a big way. It was a risky choice, in hindsight. A lot of runners are slowing, and there are some uneven shoulders to the road. Be careful of your navigation and footing on the central park roads. Additionally, this choice led to the first muscle cramps of the entire marathon.
The finish is glorious! Enjoy the people, and enjoy the vibes! Take plenty of pictures of you in your poncho with your medal!
Post Marathon Reflections
I have done many events that I am proud of, but none will ever compare to this marathon. I am so grateful for the opportunity to be a part of the Beyond Type 1 Marathon Team, and proud of my community for donating over $3,000 on my behalf to Beyond Type 1. Check out my donation site here!
One of the best parts of participating in an event like this is being able to compare and contrast methods of diabetes management. Moving forward I am going to try working out with my pump in sleep mode, a lot of my teammates were doing this. They felt it minimized the large drops experienced, and I would love to have a system that was lower maintenance. While my method of turning off and on the pump worked, it was a little bit of distraction.
My one regret is not taking more photos!!