A recap of my 5th ironman- its a bit long, bear with me.
This ironman I refer to as the backwards ironman, where normally it is hard to get through the marathon my last 4 1/2 hours (the marathon) felt the best out of the 14 + hours it took to finish. I had no dark moments, sure it was still hard work I mean it is a marathon but I had such a good time on my run. I got to talk to so many friends and family on my way. However, the race sure as heck did not start out that way and it could have very easily gone completely in the other direction. The swim and the bike were very tough and I almost had to end it early. I’ll get to the race but wanted to start with a bit of a back drop, after all ironman is more than just race day, it is a journey that often lasts a year.
THE SIGN UP – CAVING TO PEER PRESSURE
Looking back to September of last year I had just finished IMMOO 2015. I was hearing that a ton of people were signing up for 2016. I wanted nothing to do with it. NOTHING. Well clearly that didn’t hold. The last straw was working the lifetime fitness half marathon with Lynn Flentye and Dave Athans, those two knew how to put the pressure on! I caved and went home and signed up. I didn’t tell anyone… not even Tom. Poor guy.
Fast forward to November of 2015. I find myself with a condition called frozen shoulder. Apparently if is very common for female diabetics and to get this on the left arm. I checked all the boxes. I had hardly any mobility in my left arm. Sleeping, changing, opening doors and other normal functions were quite painful. In January 2016 I finally got around to visiting Dr. Dylan Drynan at Activebody Chiropractic. I have been a patient of Dylan for about 15 years (as long as I have been in Chicago basically). I always joke that my relationship with him is the longest I’ve had with a boy :). I underwent weekly very painful Active Release Technique, Graston and dry needling sessions on my shoulder. I don’t remember a time that I didn’t have bruises from his treatments. As time marched on I was doubting whether or not I would be able to get to the start line. According to Dr. Drynan and what I had read there was no easy cure or set time frame.
Meantime, I had also signed up for my 3rd Dirty Kanza – a 206 mile gravel race in Kansas in June. I was able to do a lot of road and gravel cycling in preparation for this race. See my race report here. FINDING YOUR LIMIT – DK200 2016
Once Dirty Kanza was over it was time to focus on ironman. I still had not swam one stroke since 9/13/15 at ironman Wisconsin.
Following DK in June I attended Diabetes Training Camp with my favorite WILD ladies. I really cannot say enough about this camp. It is 5 star. They told me this camp would be life changing. I will admit I was skeptical but now I am a believer! I met so many special people at camp and I basically got to run, bike and swim every day while being guided by the best coaches and diabetes experts out there. A special thanks to Dr. Matt Corcoran for caring so much about his camp attendees to actually send me a text wishing me well and for having the vision to realize that there is such a huge need for people like myself to assist with the everyday challenges of having Type 1 diabetes as well as the additional challenges that participating in sports adds. I really feel the need here to thank in no particular order – Carrie Cheadle – sports psychologist and author of On Top of Your Game who made every effort to give me more confidence as I participate in these sports (not an easy task), Rick Crawford and Jon Fecik for your expert cycling and triathlon coaching, Grant Curry who opened himself up to the group with the most exquisite thought provoking lecture exposing vulnerabilities that many T1’s can relate to but never talk about and my partners in crime out on the rides Conor Smith and Roberta Morgan. I would highly recommend it! Check it out here:Diabetes Training Camp
pancreasskickers at DTC
It was at DTC that I jumped in the water for my first swim in over 8 months. I didn’t really hang with the group because I knew I wasn’t going to be able to keep up but I was able get to the other side of the 50 meter pool! After several lengths of the pool I started to become a little more optimistic that IM may still be on.
Continuing with therapy I started to jump in the water a little more I logged a grand total of 3 hours of swimming in June. As Dr. Drynan continued to work on my arm I finally was able to get a decent enough stroke in. With the ability to swim I was now all in. This left me 2 1/2 months to train.
Once the decision was made I also signed up to be part of the Riding on Insulin team. The on course support and the other athletes just can’t get any better. If you are thinking of signing up DO IT! I can’t adequately describe the feeling as you go through the course and hear go ROI! I wear the ROI kit with pride. The endurance team was started by Michelle Page-Alswager and although it started out by something sad it has grown into something awesome through her vision. Find out about the team here: RIDING ON INSULIN
I am happy to report that I was able to raise over $3,000 for the charity and counting! This was my second year racing as part of this team. Again, if you plan on racing in 2017 please consider racing for this team.
GO ROI!!!!
TRAINING PLAN:
I didn’t have one. Although I wanted to do well I didn’t want to work so hard that I gave up fun things in the summer. Most notably- concerts, cubs games and my niece and her boyfriend spending a few days with us. I planned my workouts around my schedule and didn’t give up my social life entirely. I think I struck a good balance. Let’s face it I am an age grouper and my chances of making KONA are tiny.
Don’t get me wrong I still did a lot of work. In general:
SWIM: I didn’t swim enough. I did several 2.4 mile swims but did not augment that much with other swims during the week. I swam on average 2 x per week.
BIKE: 4-5 hundred milers.. including Swedish days, Madison loops 3 different days and Race across Wisconsin (180 miles). Other 1-2 x a week.
Run: 2-3x per week – 1 long run ramping up to 18 miles, weekly track workout for about 5 weeks and 1 other run of varying distances.
I thought about getting a coach but given the short time frame I never really got around to it. If I do another I would definitely get coached or try to follow a plan.
As I was looking at my Strava account to write this, I had thought that I did a lot more than I really did! Find me on Strava and you will see.
RACE WEEK
The weekend prior I got to hang out with one of my favorite people.. Chris. We decided we would visit Katie’s grave site for her birthday so we brought flowers, shared some champagne and looked at pictures and memories with her. We went for lunch after, it was just a nice way to spend the day and I know it would have been Katie approved!
On labor day, the Monday prior to the race the Trimonsters were getting together for one last long lake swim. So for confidence I decided to do it with them. I swam 3 long miles in pretty tough conditions. It was grueling to say the least. It was all I could do to now jump out of the water and walk back. It was fun hanging out after at Café Olivia. I really enjoyed the chatter and it took my mind off of what loomed ahead. Even Dave Athans made an appearance!
The next day my parents arrived. I was excited that they were going to be able to spectate again this year. At 83 and 81 I wasn’t sure if they would want to spend the day out on the bike course again but god bless them they stuck it out to the end once again. I hope I have their stamina at that age.
I worked Tuesday and Wednesday and packed Wednesday night and Thursday morning.
We drove up on Thursday. Tom dropped me off at Monona Terrace while he checked into the hotel with my parents. I needed to take my wheel to the Trek repair shop because it had blown earlier that day IN the car! It turns out there was a large gash in it. I had just had new tires put on too! $80 later I left with a new tire and tube. Which I will admit made me a little nervous. Getting a flat is always a big concern for me because I just don’t have the practice. I can do it I’m just not fast! I picked up my race packet and was pleased to see the bag this year was pretty cool! I walked back to the hotel to meet Tom and my parents. That night we went to the ROI friends and family event. I chatted with athletes from last year and new athletes. It was great to finally meet people in person from our facebook page.
TEAM ROI
Friday I met the ROI group and we went for a short swim in the lake. The water felt warm and fresh. I couldn’t help but notice my arms felt very tired. I was worried that I still hadn’t recovered from my Monday 3 mile swim. I ended my swim early. We all went out for brunch and shared in our anxieties and questions. The big question was where to position yourself for the swim. Last year I thought I was in a good spot but was definitely not. It felt like I was being pummeled to death, I had trouble breathing and was panicking big time. This year I vowed this was not going to happen I was going to stay way back.
after swim brunch with the ROI crew
I got back to the room and went through my bags for probably the third time. Like last year I kept everything simple. Here is my list and notes. I packed some additional cold weather clothes in my t1 bag just in case the temperatures dropped. It called for mid 60’s coming out of the water but you never know. I did NOT want to be cold on the bike.
Later Friday my sister and her husband flew in to Madison from Toronto. On a whim I looked at flights thinking they’d be 100’s of dollars but surprisingly it was affordable! I really wanted her to see what ironman was all about. It is such a huge part of my life and you can’t really understand what it is all about unless you witness one in person. I knew without a doubt that she would be blown away by the whole thing. What I wasn’t expecting was the reaction of my brother-in-law Tom. His enthusiasm was so sweet.
After a couple of drinks I went to the athlete dinner. I always love hearing the inspiring stories. I ate a small plate of pasta, veggies and a baked potato. The ROI team took a group picture with Mike Reilly the famous IM announcer. Afterwards, I met my friends Hootie, Ryan, Dave, Lynn, Jacob etc… from lifetime fitness at the Great Dane a popular watering hole in Madison. My sister, Tom and bro-in law Tom (yes they are both Tom’s) met me there. It was so great to see everyone and let loose a little. If anyone knows how to take the edge off of ironman it is that crew! They can party with the best and still compete like rockstars.
Saturday I did a final bag check and took my bike for a spin to test out the gears and the new tire. I racked my bike and dropped off my transition bags. I also stopped to get a little ART on my back and my shoulder.
With everything dropped off we all met for a late lunch on the square. As I ate I received a call from Robbie Ventura who is always enthusiastic about everything. He reminded me how strong I was and to have fun and keep smiling. The VQ crew were all coming up on Sunday after their sub 5 race. Once back at the hotel, I added a second insertion site and covered all sites with my new Grif Grips for fun and to help keep them adhered to my body. I chose purple butterflies!
RACE DAY
Previously I had set up a basal profile for race day which I activated as well. My rates were as follows:
Midnight – 5am 0.6 units ending 2 hours prior to swim – rate same for sleep
5am – 8:30am 0.2 units – for the swim – reduced for swim
8:30 am – 1:30 pm 1 unit – for bike – increased 25% for bike
1:30 pm -8:30 pm 0.3 units – for run – decreased 50% for run
8:30pm – midnight 0.8 units – post race
My alarm went off at 3:30 3 ½ hours before race start. I ate 2 peanut butter and banana sandwiches on whole wheat and took a full bolus of 5 units. I also made a bottle with ultra hydration from skratch and slowly sipped it.
I laid in bed for a while after that but couldn’t sleep so got up. I put my kit on and gathered my bags. Carol and the Tom’s got up and came with me. We were able to get a hotel shuttle to close to the start. I dropped off my special needs bags and walked back to transition. I filled my aerobottle with water and skratch and just water in a bottle on my frame. I put 2 cliff block packs in my bento box with my dex receiver. I decided to carry the dex so that I could hear any bad BG alarms I never really look at it unless I have a reason. I took the bike to the mechanics who pumped my tires to 110. On to transition I put a cold redbull and coke in my transition bags. I saw Lynn who’s bike was next to mine she said they were meeting at 6:30 for a picture. It was a cool temperature outside but with the wetsuit on I was warm enough. I stuck a gel in my sleeve. We walked down to the path to look for them but didn’t see them. As I approached the swim chute I felt I needed to use the bathroom again so crossed the river people and left Carol and the Tom’s on the other side in the mayhem. Luckily I was able to shimmy my way back to them. I almost cried thinking I was not going to say a proper good-bye to them. I tested my blood sugar at 210 and was pretty happy with that. Despite this I decided to eat some of my kind bar. I took a full bolus earlier so there was a chance there was still quite a bit of insulin on board. I had been caught a couple of times with low blood sugars during a swim and it is not pleasant. I handed everything back to Carol and Tom’s and hugged them good bye. We were all in tears.
I slowly made my death march into the water.
THE SWIM
I got into the water. I do love the water, I am a Pisces after all. I don’t love being in the water with 2,499 people. I slipped back and hung out with some people for a while then slowly headed towards the ski ramp but still far back. I floated, I kicked and I swam a bit. I felt ok. I watched the stream of people still coming down the chute this is what I warned about the stream of people coming in towards the buoys from the side. I watched. The gun went off and everyone took off I stayed back and cautiously moved forward. I kept moving forward and as I moved I held back when someone was coming my way and I had plenty of room the entire way. I knew I started to relax when I was able to pee. I made it to the first turn buoy and although you are supposed to MOO I didn’t I just wanted to get this over with. I felt tiredness in my arms again I was regretting the 3 mile Monday swim that week. I made it to the next turn and faced the sun. On Thursday at the expo I had bought new acquasphere goggles with dark lenses. They were large an awesome. I am so glad despite the rule of not wearing anything new on race day that I decided to wear these. And seriously there is nothing like the feeling of the new goggle suction. Nothing was coming in these puppies.
VISTA 2 – SMOKEY LENSE
I still felt pretty good and new that I was on the home stretch. Or at least in my mind it was the home stretch. As I swam I was counting the buoys I thought I was getting close but then I saw the color switch from yellow to orange and I wondered what that meant but I could only think that meant half way. Oh my fucking god only half way. As I swam kayakers were following along. So much so I felt like the last swimmer being followed. I wondered how I could possibly be so lucky to have so many kayakers around me. That last stretch home felt like the longest swim ever. Longer than the 3 mile swim I had done on Monday.. I had no strength. My arms were rubber. The worst part is hearing the announcers from so far away.. feeling close but not being close. I FINALLY made it to the end of hell. Also known as the long leg. They had warned us of the coming home leg and how much longer it was than the going out leg. I turned in and again had the company of my own kayaker.. my own personal guide. How long was I? I could see the swim out getting closer and closer and I knew I was done and was happy. I have no idea what happened and my Garmin cut out at the far end of the swim and didn’t record anything on the gps on the long leg.
T1
I crawled (honestly) up the swim out and could barely stand up. I looked at the clock holy shit 1:58. How could that have happened? 3min 100’s!!! in my training OWS I had been clocking 2:30 100’s and had felt surprisingly strong and felt my swim fitness was pretty close to the prior year. I am not sure what happened but I was out and it was done. I just had to keep going. The worst part of the day was over or so I thought. As I regained vertical stability I had enough of my wits about me to say hi to Molly from ROI and Kathy Ziegert a fellow team wild girl. I hadn’t seen in ages as well as Lyndsay in her bright pink shirt. I beamed at them.
The wetsuit peelers took off my wetsuit and I was on my way into T1. I saw Sally and said hi.
My volunteer helped me with my things. I figured it was in the low 60’s but knew it would get warmer I opted for my thicker socks (regret) and my arm coolers and warmers. I tested my blood sugar and was happy at 210 which meant although I was a bit high I had guessed right on my basal. I took some of the espresso cliff gel that I had in my wetsuit just to give me some flavor and taste in my mouth. My cycling shirt was prepacked with food, spare tube and co2 and all my diabetes stuff (tester, syringe and insulin and wipes). I put it on over my tri-top. I sprayed on suntan lotion and covered my face. Helmet on I ran to my bike in my socks. The bike racks were empty. I was 2,351st out of 2,881 athletes .. not sure how many actually started but lets just say I was pretty close to the last few on the bike.
T1 time 15:35 minutes a T1 PR!
THE BIKE
I started off down the helix and saw my friend Jeff Terao at the mount line. Its always great to see him as he is always so enthusiastic and has such a big smile it was a great way to start my journey. I had not even the slightest bit of nerves heading out on the bike. I started off easy as I always do. It was truly a wonderful sunny day, life was good. I expected to finish the bike at least 15 minutes faster than prior years. I was much much stronger. I passed Sally a little ways in she asked if the swim was long, I honestly had no idea, I didn’t even look. As I arrived in Verona one of the houses was playing Prince and I hoped that they would still be playing it as she passed… knowing how much of a fan she was. As I passed fireman’s park I knew that the meat of the course was coming. Everything was truly great… then BAM!!!! I don’t recall exactly where it happened but at some point I started to experience excruciating knee pain in my left knee with each pedal stroke. I tried to massage it with my hand. It was similar to IT band pain only it was on the inside of my knee. The pressure and pain were incredible I grimaced with every pedal turn. I had ridden thousands of miles this year with no such knee pain, EVER. I had experienced some pain in my right knee while running but not the left. The only thought I had was that I had new cleats put on a few weeks prior, possibly after several hundred miles in the wrong position the damage was now showing? I thought just keep pedaling surely it will go away! I felt disappointed I kept losing momentum on the hills and only could put pressure on my right leg. I had half the power going up the hill. The left leg followed but it was painful. I also had difficulty getting into aero because the angle seemed to worsen the pain in my knee. With some momentum and continued pedaling it eased up slightly. I arrived at Mt. Horeb and enjoyed the crowds. Despite the pain, the hills did not feel particularly hard, it was frustrating to say the least.
I tried to keep to my nutrition plan which was similar to last year. I had a couple of cliff blocks with water and sipped skratch on 15 minute increments… sometimes my timing wasn’t great but it worked. I arrived at Barlow, the infamous new hill on the course. Yes it was steep but nothing I couldn’t handle in good circumstances, with every pedal stroke my face seethed with pain. I made it.
I had brought some good luck charms with me to deal with some tough times. The angel around my neck, which was a necklace that Chris gave me so I could have our angel Katie with me at all times. My bracelet which my niece Fiona had given me for being her sponsor. She looked up to me it was an honor to be chosen by her. The bracelet had a charm of St. Anthony who would guide my way. My coin given out at DTC reminding me to find my courage and lastly I had written down the words of Terri Fox which were displayed on the screen at the athletes’ dinner. “ITS NOT A BAD DAY IT’S A CHARACTER BUILDING DAY” which seemed very appropriate to the day I was having. I recalled seeing Terri Fox run through my home town in Canada with his prosthetic leg. He ran from coast to coast to raise money for cancer. It may seem silly but I believe, all these things gave me strength along the way. Before long I arrived at Midtown Rd where all the ROI crew were. I particularly remember Molly running after me, Shannon and Danni yelling for me, I am sure there were many others! Despite the pain and knowing I wasn’t at my full potential I still grinned from ear to ear. I was alive and outside riding my bike on a beautiful day with many of my closest friends. Once I got through midtown I was that much closer to the “red barn” aka the “trimonster” tent. I knew my mom, dad, tom, carol and her tom would be there as well as many others. I got excited. As I approached the turn to the red barn, I slowed right down and soaked it all in. I high fived my family and smiled. It was magical. I saw Chris and I secretly whispered to him that my knee was killing me. I was also excited to see my friend Steve who I had no idea was going to be there! Bless him, he surprised me! This is IRONMAN!
I also took my time through Verona and soaked in the crowd there. I decided not to stop at special needs and continued on to the second loop which was the easier one. As the day went on it got a bit windier on the bike. Around the half way mark I ate a chocolate chip Lara bar and I continued to eat my cliff blocks and sip on the skratch. My blood sugar was on the low side but on the bike I prefer that as long as it didn’t drop too low. It is a fine balance to keep. At each aid station I refilled my water and skratch and had a salt stick electrolyte replacement pill. As I continued on I noticed that there seemed to be a lot more spectators at various locations than previous years. It was energizing. I even heard some good old Canadian bands on the course! Rush and Loverboy! When I could I sang out loud! I apologize if you had to hear that.
As I finished the Mt. Horeb climb for the second time I saw Marcia and Lauren from the team, it was good to see familiar faces. I also stopped for a pee break. In races past I would just go on the bike but I am so much more civilized now. Getting through Witte and Garfoot roads was tough on the knee and I found myself near in tears with the pain at some points but before I knew it I was nearing Midtown again then back at the red barn I slowed down and high fived my parents and brother-in-law Tom ran with me to give me a chips 0’hoy cookie it was delish!
As I arrived at the stick I had to do some soul searching. What if the knee pain carried into the run? I felt like I was doing enough damage riding with it. Do I really have it in me to walk a marathon just to finish an ironman? I wasn’t really sure. This is not a knock on people who do walk, in fact it is a kudos to them to just keep going for so long. I also didn’t want to do any further damage but was I just using that as an excuse. On the other hand the thought of DNF’ing killed me. As I was thinking through this, of course I hear a loud yell “Gillian” and sure enough it was little Lynds with her pink shirt. Just what I needed!
Total bike time : 7 hours 7 minutes (sigh) Personal Worst
Total estimated calories 1,260 / carbs 330 or 180/hr/ 38/hr plus a couple of pieces of banana.
T2
I made it up the helix, again the hlls/the helix were not hard just painful which made believe that I could have done really well. I saw Carol and April and at that point was feeling pretty down about my knee. I walked into transition and was helped by a volunteer named Katie … how awesome.
I sat in the chair and opened my diet red bull and sucked it down. I tested I was 125. I had really nailed my blood sugar to this point. I took off my bike jersey which felt like a ton weight had been lifted off of me! I slathered my feet with Vaseline and put on my sox and shoes (my old tried and true Hoka’s Stinson 3’s). I rubbed my knee with biofreeze and I transferred my “to carry with me always baggie of diabetes stuff” from my bike jersey into my tri top pocket (the same tri-top from the swim) and put in a packet of marguerite cliff blocks. On with the visor and the race belt and I was on my way. As I was exiting I saw a lady by a massage table. I jokingly said can I have a massage. To my shock she said that is what I am here for. So I thought WTF lets do it! So I asked her to massage my knee. She said that I would likely be able to run. Woo hoo!.
As I left the confines of the cool Monona Terrace I saw Emilly who sprayed me with sun tan lotion. I also munched on a kind bar as I walked towards run out. Unfortunately I dropped most of it!
T2 time 13:37 minutes another PR!!!
THE RUN
It felt sooo good to be on the ground with my two feet in my cushy Hoka’s. It always does. I knew that a couple of miles in I would see the family, unfortunately they were not there yet due to traffic coming back from the bike. So I kept running. At the first aid station I pounded coke and had a few chips. I knew I was going to need sugar. Within a few miles I cut my original basal planned in half I could see it trending down. After a few miles I was happy that I had NO knee pain! I felt great. At each aid station I just ate chips drank coke or red bull, once in a while I had a bit of banana and some Gatorade I also drank the broth when it was available. I picked away at a small cliff bar since I started to feel that I had too many different liquids sloshing around in my stomach. Whatever I did it worked. I felt great the entire way. It was my strongest leg and I never once felt queasy and certainly didn’t have any dark moments. It was truly one of the best runs I have ever had. I suppose if I had been able to go harder on the bike that might not have been the case. As I finished the loop I though how much I love this run course. I love State street where there were so many friends to say hi to. I felt so grateful for all the familiar faces on the run course (Tina and Roger, Steve, Carol, the VQ crew, Jeff, Amanda.. I am sure I am missing many. I loved seeing my family out there and giving them big hugs and kisses. I loved the loud music on the path out to the far turn around IT WAS SO AWESOME! As I got into the second loop I knew I was pushing the pace a bit but with short breaks at the aid stations to eat I felt ok with that. I felt that I couldn’t and wouldn’t stop.
As I approached the finish line I started to choke up and become breathless. I turned the corner and just soaked it all in. The tears came as I fist pumped and high fived the entire way down the chute. Only those who have been there know how exciting it is. THIS IS WHAT IT IS ALL ABOUT!!! I also saw my family even although we had no set plans of what side they would be on. I jogged through the finish line and heard Mike Reilly say “Gillian Forsyth from Chicago you are an IRONMAN!!!” It never gets old. I looked at my time it was a personal worst but I was ok with that it was the best I could do on that day and I finished god dammit! Especially after thinking I might not even be able to run.
Calories/Carbs – no idea!
Run time 4hours 30 minutes 58 seconds.. An ironman marathon PR!!
Total time 14 hours 7 minutes 38 seconds I did move up over 1000 spots from my swim to the finish so I guess there is that!
Blood sugars – 5:24 am 9/11 to 5:24 am 9/12. The first yellow peak is the start of the bike. The red is last few hours of bike followed by an even run then yellow peak from post race pizza. Overall – great!
Once I was stopped, the fatigue of the run and the day caught up to me and I was a bit wobbly. I sat in a chair and could not move for a while. My blood sugar was dropping so I asked for a coke which must have turned me around because then I was able to eat some pizza which tasted amazing!
Once I was able to walk I met my family. My dad got teary eyed and was full of emotion and I gave him a huge hug. The pride in his old blue eyes was unmistakable. My eyes still tear up with I think of that moment. Once they saw me, Mom and dad were ready to go home. It is such a long day for them. The Tom’s went to get my bike and stuff then they head back to the room also. I changed and my sister and I hung out at the finish line until midnight. As predicted she got right into it and we both cried as we saw some of the challenged folks finish as well as an army officer and some of the final athletes. The finish line was alive and is probably one of my favorite places on earth. To share this with my sister made the day even more special I couldn’t have been happier.
Thank you to ALL my friends and family for all your support during this adventure.
Tom my loving partner in life who puts up with my craziness.
Mom and Dad
Carol and Tom
Dr. Dylan Drynan at active body whose hands are made of steel and without his care I wouldn’t have made it to the start line.
Chris Navin for always being there
VQ for providing great opportunities to cycle around the country and all the great people that I train with there.
TREK HP mechanics – for always being there and getting the job done
All those who cheered me from near and afar:
Tina and Roger
Carol
Steve
April
Mike Peters for his continued support and coaching
All the trimonsters – everywhere you are amazing!
Diabetes Training Camp Staff and attendees – peeps with the beeps!
My 2014 global hero brothers and sisters.
Pancreasskickers – wish you could have been there!
ROI team and spectators (esp Shannon, Molly, Danni and Linda!)
Hootie, Ryan, Lynn, Lynds, Dave & Bryant for our virtual training sessions!
Helen who I know would have been there if she could
Endurance Diabetic 