HypoActive

Early July saw long-term HypoActive contributor and type 1 diabetic Dan Seller fly up to the Gold Coast for a stab at the Gold Coast Marathon - Australia’s fastest event of this kind.

Dan rode with all HypoActive’s first six M2M teams before moving his noble bicycle slightly to one side and focusing on his feet. He’s been trying to fit a tough running training schedule into his busy week for a couple of years now, with ever improving results.

Last year Dan plunged head first into the Melbourne Marathon and clambered past the finish line after 4hrs 22mins. Dan’s descriptions of the way he felt after the event would have anyone seeking medical help, but he was by no means deterred.

This year’s lure of the big run in palm trees and mid-winter sunshine was too much for him and early on the Sunday morning of 4th July saw him joining with over 5,000 other runners in the 42.195km distance.

Was Dan the only type 1 diabetic taking part in the event? We don’t know, but he was certainly the only one proudly sporting a HypoActive running singlet and he was even prouder with his finishing time when he finally crossed the line.

Dan’s finishing time was 3hrs 57mins and came with a huge feeling of success and achievement to have broken through the 4hr benchmark barrier.

Dan has a Medtronic Paradigm insulin pump, which he was able to wear comfortably and adjust on the run. He altered his basal rates several times during the event, responding to results coming from the sensor signal from the Medtronic Minilink continuous glucose monitor he also wore. Dan had his Abbott FreeStyle Lite blood glucose meter to back-up his cgm and tested four times whilst running. This isn’t very easy, in fact, and he did drop the meter at one point, having to turn around and pick it up.

Dan’s lollybag remained untouched during the race even though he knocked 25 minutes off his previous marathon time. I tried my hardest to get him to hop on a bike and come for a ride with me in the glorious (and rather hilly) Gold Coast Hinterland the following day, but he wasn’t having any of it. He was, however, able to go for a short walk in the park without too much discomfort.

I asked Dan if he planned to do another marathon at any point and there was a deathly silence. Finally, and very carefully, he said, ‘I’m not saying no.’