Go to the mobile version of this Web site.

Login | Contact Us | Site Map | Paid archives | Electronic edition | Subscription Questions | Extras

Home › News › Local News

Diabetic plans to be an Ironman

Athlete faces 'balancing act' in Wis. triathlon

By Bill Scanlon, Rocky Mountain News (Contact)

Published August 20, 2008 at 11:37 a.m.
Updated August 21, 2008 at 1:33 a.m.

Text size  

More Local News

More stories »

John Moore is pumped.

So much so, that the Centennial man is going to haul his lean body and his insulin pump through an exhausting 12-hour day at the Wisconsin Ironman Triathlon in Madison on Sept. 7.

There, he'll swim 2.4-miles, bicycle 112 miles and then run a marathon . . . or so he hopes.

Unlike most of the other 2,000 competitors, when he's hungry, he won't be able to just pop a banana or a tube of Gu into his mouth.

Getting too much blood sugar is just as dangerous as having too little for people with Type I diabetes, Moore said this week.

"I'll be eating as much as I possibly can," Moore said. "But if my blood sugar is really high and I've been out on the course for eight hours, I can't eat a Power Bar without my body going into a hyperglycemic situation that ends the race.

"Part of what makes this so tricky is that this is an all-day event," Moore added. "The body is doing something it's not used to, and problems can arise. It's a balancing act."

Moore is one of 12 people with Type I diabetes entering the Madison Triathlon as a way to help doctors learn about the effect of strenuous exercise on those whose bodies can't produce insulin.

People with Type I diabetes depend on shots or an insulin pump and a careful diet to keep their blood sugars in balance. Without that balance, blood vessels in organs and nerves can be damaged, leading to kidney failure, blindness, amputation and a host of other problems.

Challenging old notions

Denver Broncos quarterback Jay Cutler found out early this year that he has Type I diabetes, but he's confident it won't interrupt his football career.

Some doctors say strenuous exercise can be life-threatening for those with Type 1 diabetes because as intensity rises, the athletes risk dramatic swings in blood glucose levels.

The Triabetes project is challenging the conventional view that moderate, predictable lifestyles are best for people taking insulin.

Doctors and scientists hope that the Triabetes project will teach them more about blood glucose control and diabetes management in patients who want to lead a more active life.

They'll use the findings to develop a new interactive online computer program giving diabetics another tool to manage their disease.

The 12 athletes will be filmed for an upcoming special on the Discovery Channel.

Each of the 12 will mentor a diabetic child. The youngsters will cross the finish line with their training buddies.

The project is funded in part by Johnson & Johnson and managed by Insulindependence Inc., a San Diego-based nonprofit.

Disease not an obstacle

Moore's entire life has been a testament to "Yes, I can," rather than "I'd better not."

He was diagnosed at age 4. His father, a physician, made sure John got the best care.

But that was the end of the coddling.

"It was never posed to me as anything that would stop me from doing anything," Moore said this week.

"My parents never gave me an opportunity to look at my diabetes as an obstacle. It was always just my mother asking me, 'Do you have your sugar with you?' "

Moore played soccer in college and has run "a couple dozen" marathons.

For fun, he has run 70 miles in Death Valley as a support runner for friends who ran the entire 135-mile Badwater Ultramarathon.

What about doctors' worries that strenuous exertion can be extremely dangerous?

"I don't think anyone is going to tell you that exercise isn't a good thing," said Moore, who just got his MBA and is looking for a job.

"It's good for everyone. Of course, there are complications associated with competing in a 12-hour race."

Moore, who moved to Colorado from New England seven years ago, hopes to finish the Wisconsin Triathlon in about 111/2 hours.

"My focus is on being an advocate for people with diabetes," Moore said. "I'd like to be a role model for kids growing up with this.

"I want them to know it's not a death sentence. It's just a different way of living."

scanlon@RockyMountainNews.com or 303-954-2897

Types of diabetes

* Type 1 diabetes occurs when the body's immune system destroys the insulin-producing cells of the pancreas (called beta cells). Normally, the body's immune system fights off foreign invaders such as viruses or bacteria. But for unknown reasons, in people with Type 1 diabetes, the immune system attacks various cells in the body. This results in a complete deficiency of the insulin hormone.

* Type 2 diabetes, often called non-insulin dependent diabetes, is the most common form of diabetes, affecting 90 percent to 95 percent of the 21 million people with diabetes. Unlike people with Type 1 diabetes, people with Type 2 diabetes produce insulin; however, the insulin their pancreas secretes is either not enough or the body is unable to recognize the insulin and use it properly. This is called insulin-resistance. When there isn't enough insulin or the insulin is not used as it should be, glucose (sugar) can't get into the body's cells. When glucose builds up in the blood instead of going into cells, the body's cells are not able to function properly.

Comments

  • August 21, 2008

    9:45 a.m.

    Suggest removal

    Kinetic1 writes:

    Please remember to put the PERSON in front of the disease. He's not a diabetic. He's a man WITH diabetes.