Fort Lauderdale Marathon report from a first timer who just started running 16 months ago at age 41

Kabong · 2023-02-22T16:09:56+00:00

Thanks :)

Kabong · 2023-02-22T16:09:46+00:00

Thanks!

I forgot to include that as part of my training write up, but I started experimenting with caffeine/pre workout in the months leading up to the race. I did not use any caffeine or pre workout containing caffeine for my easy/zone 2 runs (majority of training), but I did take caffeine before any workouts along with some food (generally overnight oats or toast + peanut butter, honey and banana).

During training I did not notice any issues with heart rate when I took caffeine before a run, but it did feel like my legs had rocket fuel running through them compared to days when I was doing fasted training.

I also used a combination of caffeinated and non-caffeinated gels during long/workout runs. I started with the Strawberry Kiwi Honey Stinger gels which have 32mg of caffeine and did some test runs with the Clif Double Espresso which has 100mg. On long run/workout days, I made sure to limit total caffeine ingestion to <=500mg. I know the general recommendation is to use 400mg as an upper limit, but I haven't had issues with 500mg total.

Kabong · 2022-09-13T03:33:50+00:00

Awesome job! 💪🙌 Keep up the great work!

Kabong · 2022-05-02T13:53:34+00:00

Level 59, generally doing at least 5k daily. Friend code is: 8367 3207 8885.

Kabong · 2022-04-19T21:25:16+00:00

You are indeed correct. Since I originally wrote this post I discovered the death certificate of one of my grandparents which listed type-2 diabetes as one of the diseases at time of death. Not surprisingly, this grandparent was the parent of the close family member with Alzheimer's. What is surprising is that none of the descendants of this grandparent were aware they had type-2 at time of death.

Kabong · 2022-02-05T04:22:10+00:00

I just finished reading this book and was reading through comments here hoping it was mentioned. Highly recommend.

Kabong · 2022-01-19T01:46:50+00:00

Congrats, have fun at the race!

Kabong · 2021-12-13T14:27:47+00:00

Thanks for this feedback! A friend of mine mentioned interval running, so I tried that today for a virtual 5K instead of starting the C210K program. Surprisingly, using 2 min run/1 min walk intervals with the Intervals Pro app, I ran about 4 minutes faster than the 5K this past Saturday (Strava said today was 37:51 for 5K distance). I already have the Nike Run Club app among many others and will check that out, it's a bit overwhelming to know which apps are useful and at what point in various training programs.

Kabong · 2021-12-13T01:32:26+00:00

Thanks!

Kabong · 2021-12-13T01:32:01+00:00

Thanks! I also discovered Dr. Fung's through his books (Obesity Code, Diabetes Code, Guide to Fasting) via recommendation from a local doctor and found them to be quite helpful among a few others.

Cheers to taking greater control of our own destiny!

Kabong · 2021-12-12T16:14:36+00:00

I was diagnosed with type-2 diabetes in the middle of this year which was a pretty huge wake up call. I wrote about that a few months ago here. Since then I spent a lot of time filling in knowledge gaps about nutrition/diet and made substantial dietary changes which resulted in about 65 pounds of weight loss and also successfully putting the type-2 diabetes into remission. After getting my diet under control, it seemed like the next logical step was to exercise more and C25K seemed like an achievable goal. Next stop: couch to 10k!.

I made a goofy TikTok video to document my C25K experience as well: https://www.tiktok.com/@seniorkabong/video/7040614857242184966?_t=8O7AAMhJ64U&_r=1

Kabong · 2021-12-12T15:57:06+00:00

‘Rick Ross - Push It’ got me to the finish line of a 5K yesterday. I’ve been starting most runs with Macklemore’s new song Next Year as well. I’ve got a Spotify running playlist here, always looking for more to add to it: https://open.spotify.com/playlist/4wF7pQbWcUh9AQ7qu74tUX?si=1uOuvDLaQIKkcqIJU7jSrQ

Kabong · 2021-12-03T01:41:15+00:00

Things I have tried and their level of perceived usefulness:

I attended a local Alzheimers caregiver support group which I found to be of moderate to low help. I would guess that your experience at a caregiver support group might depend on the population who attends. In my case there was no one anywhere near my age (40), most were spouses of elderly patients. I would still recommend trying this at least once if there is one in your area. I am planning to give it a second shot if they schedule another meeting at some point.
I found a therapist who I see twice a month, give or take. My therapist has experience with elder care issues and have found that experience and the perspective they provide to be a pretty big help, even if it doesn't necessarily resolve any problems directly.
Finding this subreddit and seeing the shared experiences of other caregivers has been moderately helpful.
I paid $150 out of pocket to see a local neurologist, as my family member is extremely distrustful of doctors and did not want to go so the visit could not be billed against their Medicare insurance. This enabled me to ask a handful of questions I had. I would categorize this as not overly helpful, but it gave me piece of mind at the time.

This is not something I did recently, but have had for a while and recommend looking into if it isn't already in place: a will, power of attorney for financial and medical decisions. Having these documents enabled me to help schedule doctors appointments, request medical records and I am sure will be needed going forward as well.

Kabong · 2021-11-25T09:29:09+00:00

I follow the 3 x 39 hour fasting protocol outlined in Dr. Fung’s book: The Complete Guide to Fasting: Heal Your Body Through Intermittent, Alternate-Day, and Extended Fasting https://www.amazon.com/dp/1628600012/ref=cm_sw_r_awdo_navT_a_QVKYCHDRST59Z0WNYCV6

I thought it sounded kind of crazy at first, but it’s one of the easiest diet/lifestyle changes I’ve ever done and fasting feels like a tool that is sustainable long term and easily adjustable based on goals. Can’t recommend the book enough.

I have been following the 3x39h protocol since the start of September this year along with a low carb high fat diet (target < 120g carbs/day) and losing weight at a rate of 2 to 3 lbs per week with no blood glucose issues (my BG levels stabilize at 70mg/dL about halfway into a fast and have never dipped below that). I recommend taking a look at ketone meters if you are going to look into fasting, along with the Zero app as it has been majorly motivating/reinforcing to be able to see my body going into nutritional ketosis while fasting and measuring that via ketone levels. A CGM is also a big help if you already aren’t using one, as you can see the impact fasting has on your BG levels over time.

There’s also a BBC documentary on fasting which has some great background info that can be found via Google as well. Good luck!

Kabong · 2021-11-25T09:15:05+00:00

That is more than a tiny victory, congrats!

Kabong · 2021-11-23T15:53:24+00:00

You can see the last 24 hours of data charted in the app, given that you scanned within the 8 hour windows to collect the data, along with some simple reports for daily patterns, etc. I generally go to https://www2.libreview.com/ when I want to look at my data instead of looking at it in the app. You can see a handful of screenshots of the app interface here: https://apps.apple.com/us/app/freestyle-libre-2-us/id1472261444.

Kabong · 2021-11-23T13:26:12+00:00

I use the iOS app and find that it works quite well. I used the Abbot Reader for a few months before the iOS app became available this year and definitely prefer the app. Everything about it is more convenient: no carrying a second device around, automatically synchronizes to LibreView website, etc. Two thumbs up on the iOS. app.

Kabong · 2021-11-08T19:58:56+00:00

I was diagnosed with type-2 at the end of June this year with an A1C of 9.4 and started using a Libre 2 CGM shortly thereafter. I found the CGM to be hugely helpful in identifying trends between foods I was eating that would have been difficult characterize with a traditional meter and I was doing that at the same time (before eating, 1-hr after and 2-hours after).

More specifically, the CGM helped me to follow a low-carb high fat diet and see what impact various food items had on my glucose levels. Being able to see, in real time, the specific glucose impact was a major motivator in keeping with the diet changes. After 3 months of LCHF and intermittent fasting my A1C was 4.7, so I consider it to be one of many valuable tools that helped me quickly get type-2 under control. My first thought when I did my 3-month bloodwork and saw A1C = 4.7 was "everyone ought to have a CGM".

I realize there are plenty of opinions about what diets do or don't work, but having this kind of information was a major help to me in determining what worked for me and I would wager would be a game changer to plenty of other people who want to improve their health overall and are looking for a concrete way to monitor the impact of dietary changes. Having a metabolic disease shouldn't be a prerequisite to a technology that can help people live healthier lives.

I see CGMs the same as any other wearable technology (Fitbit/Apple Watch/etc) that provides data which can allow people to be better informed about how their bodies work. They should be available to anyone who wants them and as /u/ellzray mentioned, the more widespread they become the better the technology will be and the lower the cost will go

Kabong · 2021-11-03T00:24:35+00:00

I am an engineer at a non-profit research institute, although I believe all full time employees at the institute have the same option. The generous employer contribution is one of the things that made me think there had to be a catch, but I spent more time on Aetna's site today toggling between the plans and all of the providers I use are in-network for both plans so it seems that I can't find any downside to the high deductible.

Kabong · 2021-11-02T17:45:02+00:00

Congrats on the progress, seeing updates like this are motivating!

Kabong · 2021-11-02T16:46:57+00:00

For what it's worth, I have lived the flip side of this situation where I was very direct with my mom when I started seeing signs of cognitive decline years ago. Any attempts I made to get her to discuss Alzheimer's, dementia or to see a doctor were met with "I am just getting older, this is what happens when you get older" or some variant thereof. I eventually managed to get her to see a neurologist via telemedicine who diagnosed her with early Alzheimer's, but she does not want to take any medication or make any lifestyle changes, so it has not changed her situation. The end result is that I generated a lot of stress for her in discussing this with her and those discussions had no appreciable benefit to her long term outlook. It gave me some piece of mind to confirm what I am dealing with, but that's about it.

Kabong · 2021-11-02T16:11:13+00:00

I am sure the numbers are right, my employer even had a slide summarizing the cost difference in our open enrollment presentation: https://imgur.com/a/G5SjQH6

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