Ginny Eaton
June 28, 2010
I am not sure why, but it takes me forever to get myself together and motivated to go work out. For some reason I dread doing it, even though when I am doing it (except maybe the running) and after I feel great! You’d think after awhile I would make the connection between feeling great and motivating myself to work out, but nope. To some degree I am almost glad I have to set my temporary basal an hour and a half before I exercise, since then I have to do it.
June 21, 2010
I’ve had some ups and downs in training lately. Not horribly up or horribly down though, so that’s good I guess. One nice thing was that I got to ride in Bike the Drive/Tour de Cure with other WILD women. Jennifer, Lorrie, Susie, Catherine and myself all met at the start. It was great getting to meet them, and really nice being able to ride that distance with people. I was able to keep up with them for about the first 9 miles or so. I hadn’t ridden my bike that far yet (30 miles). And I passed a ton of people!
May 30, 2010
I am so looking forward to Camp WILD in Boulder, CO this year. I'm excited about getting face to face time with team members, coaches and medical professionals. I've developed a list of questions all centered-around training because this season has been a mix of joy and frustration. I'm turning 40 this year and this season has come with a few health changes. Changes I can't decipher or validate but I know are present so the camp comes right when I need it! Although this training season has been tough I feel lucky to say this experience has made me look at other sports like cyclocross and obstacle course racing so I look forward to using what I learn at camp as a template for the new sports I will attempt later this year. Even the tough times bring about change and the opportunity for new adventures!
Erin Neville
May 28, 2010
Well, I did my first 10km last weekend. YEAH!!! It was a great event, the biggest I have competed so far with about 2600 participants in the 10k. The day was pretty amazing with sunshine and little wind. It turned out to be our warmest day so far so it was quite hot with the temperature around 24 C or 74 F. Yeah I know this temperature might be laughable down south but it was really warm here. Give me a nice 9 C or 48 F any day.
May 12, 2010
You are working out harder and longer than you ever have before.
You are experiencing some of the lowest “lows” you’ve had in years!
You have lowered your basal rate on your pump, and are setting more temporary basals than ever before.
You are making better choices about what to order when you are eating out.
You start feeling guilty for not exercising on one of your days off.
You’ve had your first glass of chocolate milk in over 30 years and are considering buying “Gu” for the first time.
You’ve gotten great advice on where to wear your sensor so you get accurate readings.
You’ve switched your workouts to outside and have seen deer, baby geese, and terns while running or biking.
You have already gotten sunburn this year (and you live in Chicago!).
You’re inspiring your friends to run and bike more.
You’re endurance is increasing.
You are really enjoying yourself!
Anna Calderella
May 5, 2010I am a Type 1 diabetic, I suffer from allergy induced asthma and (more importantly) I am an athlete. This is the time of year that I have never been able to be outdoors because it would really affect my breathing. (I live in El Paso, Texas and we have 80 mile an hour wind gusts until late May!) So I have figured out that swimming is the perfect spring time activity for me. I have been swimming for 5 hours a week and I love it. I joined a swim class to force me to get into the pool because it is a lot easier for me to sit on the couch and watch The Real Housewives of New York. In the last month of swimming I have started to notice how much better I can breathe. I have not had to use my inhaler and that is amazing. I have had the opportunity to do drills which have helped me make my stroke more efficient and I have been swimming for an hour and a half two times a week which has helped me to build up more endurance. I am starting to get a little excited about doing an Olympic Triathlon in August! I love training and I am going to enjoy myself for the rest of the summer.
Demauri Malin
April 30, 2010My name is Demauri Malin, Type 1 diabetic, 22 years and counting. It seems it was just yesterday my diagnosis walked through the door of my perfect little world. I took the bull by the horns and became a pain in my parents butt. Literally I decided I couldn't eat at restaurants and had to exercise at the most difficult times. My parents didn't mind the thumping of my feet to aerobic videos at midnight after I returned from work. Later in life I became less strict and discovered what being flexible meant while keeping my diabetes in-check. I did great for a short time on shots but quickly my numbers became a health issue as I longed to become more active, pushing my limits, I measured my individual goals of athletic success against my non-diabetic team mates.
Erin Neville
April 25, 2010Hello! My name is Erin Neville and I am 34 years old and have had Type 1 diabetes for 32 years. I’ve been a pumper for almost 10 of those years and will NEVER go back to needles – I love my pump! Last summer I knew a few people that were training for a sprint triathlon and it peaked my interest. I knew nothing about the sport of triathlon but began investigating the different options of participation. I began getting more information and then decided it was something that really interested me and I made the plunge to commit to doing a sprint this summer.
Lisa Krakel
April 25, 2010This is my first time to join a team for any purpose. I joined Team Wild because I hope to learn some blood glucose management tips that will enable me to do whatever I want to do whenever I want to do it.
I am one of those LADA folks, having gestational diabetes with a late in life (40) pregnancy and then being diagnosed with full-blown Type I 4 years later. My youngest son was diagnosed with Type I at age 10.
I have been on a paradigm pump for 7 years. I like it except that little bubbles get in the reservoir and wreak havoc with my control. I constantly check for them now and prime often. I have a CGM, but have not had much luck with it even being close to the meter’s readings, so do not use it.
I receive care and support from my endocrinologist, Dr. Kathryn Weber, and CDE Kathy Jennings, both with Kaiser Permanente. I have also received education and help with setting my basals from Integrated Diabetes and Gary Scheiner, an online resource.
I love being outdoors. I live in the foothills of Colorado. I have a Golden Retriever who keeps me motivated to get out and hike after work most days of the week. In the winter hiking means strapping on the snowshoes or cross-country skis. Weekends allow time for full day excursions. My goal is to backpack 5-10 days at a stretch.
I live near a rec center and have begun swimming a couple of days a week. I also use video tapes/DVDs for AM exercise. I like Streamline Fitness by Karen Voight for strength training using hand weights. I like Jane Fonda’s New Workout for isometrics and stretching.(This one is so old it’s getting hard to find.) I like David Swenson’s Short Forms Yoga,15, 30, and 45 minute Ashtanga routines.
I would not describe myself as an athlete. Running is plain ole’ hard work for me. I found out I could run a 5k after coaching an after-school Girls on the Run team.
I am appreciating the sharing of experiences and knowledge that Team Wild affords me.
Ginny Eaton
April 18, 2010
My name is Ginny Eaton, and I am 31 years old. I live in Austin, Texas, and have had Type 1 diabetes for 23 years. I was vaguely athletic growing up; I was always active played sports, but never very competitive.
I re-started running about 2 ½ years ago, but really felt like I lacked information about dealing with exercise and diabetes, and just how to train for longer distances. Last October while driving home from a course at the Wildland Fire Academy I heard a piece on NPR about Team WILD. I had really been feeling isolated lately and desiring to meet others active people with diabetes, so hearing this was a breath of fresh air! I emailed Mari and was super excited about learning more. When the time came to sign up, I admit I was nervous about committing since my schedule can be kind of crazy. After talking to the coaches and educators, and listening in on some of the conference calls, I realized how much information I was going to be getting, and how much I could learn by joining the team, not to mention the physical challenge of participating in triathlon training, something I had never done before.
This past week was my first official training week with Team WILD. My running session went well, I was training with my usual running partner and I have to admit I think I laughed more during the drills than execute them well, though laughing is good exercise right? I also had my first swimming session this past Wednesday, living in Texas I thought I could just do this portion of the training in some of the many outdoor pools in Austin. Well, I got down there, and after putting my feet in the pool, realized how cold it felt, it didn’t help that it was kind of chilly (for Texas) and threatening to rain. It totally reminded me of my swimming lessons as a kid up in Massachusetts. I remembered walking with my mom to the beach with a sweatshirt on and getting in the seemingly freezing cold sound to have my swim lessons. If only I knew how that experience would return in adulthood! Once I got going, I didn’t feel the cold, and it felt good to be swimming with a goal in mind.
Incorporating diabetes management into training is something I am really interested in learning more about. I get really frustrated with fluctuating blood sugars when I am trying to exercise, for instance before running a 10K last Sunday morning, my continuous glucose monitor (CGM) just kept saying my blood sugar was dropping, and dropping and dropping, not what I wanted to see before running 6 miles! I ate 2 kid cliff bars, and some glucose tablets, and then realized I needed to just not look at my CGM for a little bit while my blood sugars stabilized. Once the run started I felt a little rough and nervous the first mile and a half, but then saw my blood sugar was rising (kinda fast too). I decided to wait it out more, since I was running, I figured I should see where it was going before acting too hastily. Once I really got going, it mellowed out. Around mile 3, I was just losing motivation, but saw someone cheering on their friend who also had diabetes. This really inspired me and lifted my spirits (if only they new they inadvertently cheered for someone else too!) and I felt awesome for the rest of the run. This made me realize how important it is to be part of a group like Team WILD that understood what dealing with diabetes is like.
Catherine Murphy
April 11, 2010
My name is Catherine Murphy and I am 42 years old.I live in Chicago,but am originally from Ireland. I have had type 1 diabetes for 3 years. My introduction to triathlon happened a few years ago when I went to a triathlon to support some friends.
I knew nothing about triathlon, but was instantly hooked. The atmosphere as everyone was getting into their waves to get ready to start was electric. As I watched every one jump into the lake 
I thought to my self "I am going to do this next year". But there was one small problem, I did not know how to swim and I had never been to a gym. I had not run since I was maybe 12 years old. Gym culture in Ireland was not very strong back then. I joined a swim class and the gym at work. Then after countless trips to the pool/gym and the following year I completed 2 sprint distances triathlons.
The next year I was diagnosed, I had no idea until that point what diabetes was and what a life with diabetes entailed, it has been an education. I will say that I now exercise more and have a much healthier diet than ever before.
I heard about Team Wild at my local DESA meeting last year and decided to join. Already the support is impressive. Here is a community of people that you can email a question to and receive advice, encouragement and support all in one email. My personal goal is to become a more confident swimmer, and that's the area I will probably work on more. When I get more confident with that I will be happy to tackle longer distances.
Lee Langill
April 10, 2010
My name is Lee Langill. I am 44 years old, and have had type 1 diabetes for the last 32 years. I live in Chicago and am a stay-at-home mom to a wonderful 6 year old boy named Aaron. I also have a daughter Mallory who died 2 years ago at age 7 from Cystic Fibrosis. My husband and I have been married for almost 20 years (June 3rd is our 20th anniversary).
Right after my daughter was born, I was swimming laps in the pool one day, and said to myself, “I’d like to do a triathlon within the next 10 years.” My husband and I were swimming a mile 3 mornings a week, so I knew I had that part covered. I just had to learn how to run – I figured anyone could ride a bike.
Over the next 7+ years, I slowly worked my way toward that goal, but without much success. I spent a lot of time living in hospitals when my daughter was an inpatient, and even more time taking care of her at home. Whenever I did get a chance to exercise, however, it was a great source of stress relief.
After Mallory died, I knew I needed some kind of outlet, and I heard about a Lazy Man Triathlon at a local YMCA. This is where you do an Ironman Triathlon in terms of length, but you have 6 weeks to complete it. I finished in 5 weeks and felt a little sense of victory. We moved the next year, and started going to a new YMCA. I told the fitness director there about the Lazy Man Triathlon, and she thought it was a great idea. When she announced she wanted to organize one, I signed up again.
When I learned that Team WILD had a training/coaching component for women who wanted to do a sprint distance triathlon, I was really excited. As I talked the idea over with my husband and my friends, I realized that it had been 10 years since I had first voiced my desire to complete a triathlon. What perfect timing, I thought, and I signed up.
I am so excited about all the support and encouragement I am able to get from Team WILD. Just knowing there are other women who have some of the same goals I do, and are trying to accomplish them is encouraging. They are an amazing source of information and support!
I had to call on their knowledge just the other day, when I needed a new swimsuit. I had gone swimming with my husband and son last week, and had felt pretty good about the workout I was able to do, considering I hadn’t been in the pool for about a year. That good feeling quickly vanished though when the man that was swimming a couple of laps away told my husband that I needed to buy a new swimsuit.
I was immediately suspicious, and wondered why this man was looking at me so closely from 2 lanes away. When I got into the locker room later, however, my suspicion turned into embarrassment, and horror. He was right! My suit was indeed very, very thin in places. I threw my suit in the garbage, came home and asked Team WILD where I could find long suits. They answered within the hour; I placed my order, and received my new suit today. Now I’m ready to hit the pool again (although I won’t be going swimming on a Friday afternoon at 2pm again any time soon)!
Hello From Texas
| Posted in Christie , Multisport , swimming , type 3 | Posted on 5:49 PM
Christie Caldarella
April 7, 2010
My name is Christie Caldarella. I am 61 years old and have two daughters with Type 1 diabetes. My oldest daughter Anna, is a triathlete and has been encouraging me to get into better shape. Sooooo I am in training! My first race will be the Danskin Woman's Triathlon in Austin, Texas in June. I am also hoping to be in good enough shape to do The Rattlesnake Sprint Triathlon in Denver this summer. Back to my training. 
I have always been a walker but I have now started to jog. Swimming is the real challenge for someone who does not like to put their face in the water. I started taking a swimming class and my coach says that I should be ready by June. My swim class is Monday and Wednesday evenings and Tuesday and Thursday at 6 am. The class is filled with a bunch of young people and I feel like a drowning rat. I have been told that my sidewalk cruiser with its big seat and straw basket won’t cut it and just bought my new bike. It is a Scott SUB40. It feels really good and I love it. I am so sore and sleepy. It isn’t easy trying to keep up with my 33 year old daughter.
Anna Caldarella
April 2, 2010
My name is Anna Caldarella. I am 33 years old and I am a Type 1 diabetic. I went to Austin to watch my friend in the Longhorn Ironman 70.3 race last October and while he was checking out the first transition area I saw a group of women getting ready to swim. I noticed that one of the ladies had an OmniPod taped to her arm. I wear a OmniPod and I got really excited to see a diabetic women competing in the race. When I got a chance to read a race booklet I figured out what TeamWILD was all about. I cheered for you girls, and I found it very inspiring to see other diabetic athletes! I have always been the type of person to keep this disease to myself. The fact that I joined the team is a really big deal and has helped me to get away from the denial that I have been living in. So I am very excited to start my second race season and I feel that this is just what I needed to become a stronger more educated and PROUD diabetic athlete.
I wanted to take this opportunity to give you some information on a core strength and conditioning program that I really believe in called CrossFit! CrossFit is not a specialized fitness program but a deliberate attempt to optimize physical competence in each of ten fitness domains. They are Cardiovascular and Respiratory endurance, Stamina, Strength, Flexibility, Power, Speed, Coordination, Agility, Balance, and Accuracy. I have been doing CrossFit for almost 3 years and I have to say that it has made a huge difference in the way I have decided to live my life. I went from not being able to do a pushup or pull-up to not being able to keep count of them! The CrossFit prescription is “constantly varied, high-intensity, functional movement.” CrossFit is, quite simply, a sport-the “sport of fitness.”
Example of a WOD (workout of the day)
10-9-8-7-6-5-4-3-2-1 reps of the triplet:
Chest-to-bar pull-up
Box jump, 30 inch box
GHD sit-up
You can see what CrossFit is all about by watching this video.
March 29, 2010
Lyndsay Riffe, CDE, RD found a great article that she wanted to share. It’s a great reminder to reach out and ask for help and support. Just another terrific reason to join Team WILD!
Informational Meetings for 2010 Teams
| Posted in information , WILD | Posted on 5:33 PM
February 13, 2010
Are you interested in joining a team, but want to learn more about Team WILD?
Team WILD will be holding INFORMATIONAL MEETINGS via conference call on the following dates. Talk directly with our Coaches, Medical Staff, and athletes from last year's Longhorn 70.3 Triathlon Team to learn more about Team WILD!
Each Session is 30 minutes in length.
Informational Meeting Dates/Times:
1. Thursday Feb 18, 5:30pm PST/8:30pm EST
2. Saturday Feb 20, 1pm PST/4pm EST
3. Saturday Feb 27, 1pm PST/4pm EST
Conference Call Phone Number: 712-432-1699
When prompted, enter Code 687989 followed by the # sign.
Please contact info@teamwild.org or solsen@teamwild.org if you have any questions about the Informational Meetings.
Nancy Eastman
February 3, 2010
The winter months can be brutal for training. Rest assured 
you can keep on track during the winter doldrums! Keep in mind this is off-season training, and you are allowed and even encouraged to do the things you love…I mean other then swim, bike, run. Hiking, skiing, snowboarding or snowshoeing are great alternatives for getting your core base training in. Heck…you may have so much fun it won't feel like a workout at all! Then there is the added benefit of the sunshine and fresh air. It can help clear the mind so you can focus on tasks at hand.
Here are some more tips to get you through the winter training months:
- If you go to a gym and are tired of the same old routine, try mixing it up a bit. Look around…there are a number of different ways to get cardio in. Running stairs, jumping rope, rowing machine, jumping jacks…just think, you can combine all of them and create your own circuit training routine!
- Try a class you've never done before. Spinning, yoga, pilates, or even a boot camp class can give you something to look forward to.
- Dance! I know someone (who shall remain nameless) who travels quite a bit, and dances in her hotel room. Good exercise for the mind, body and soul! Close the shades so the neighbors don't talk:)
- Get new music!! And don't forget about music you grew up listening to. (I love the 80's! Helps me feel young.)
- Meditate. Start with 5 minutes a day at first, then build up. With music or without, set a timer, and escape the craziness of life. I, for one, have a hard time with this one. My mind doesn't shut off. That's why they call it "practicing" meditation. It takes practice to clear your mind.
- Last one…and this is a biggie….set a goal!! Small or big…but set a goal. Team WILD is handing you one, and it's one with incredible support. Starting in March you can be on your way to achieving your goal with women who get it!
Sunday, January 31, 2010
Come join the fun! Team WILD is now accepting women of all ages and abilities to help spread the word that women with diabetes are a force to be reckoned with! Get out there and show ‘em what you’re made of!! What are the perks you ask?? Have you always wanted a team of coaches? Well, we have that covered! Along with our coaching we have top notch CDE’s, and dietitians that will get you to that finish line with a smile! Remember, you can recruit a friend without diabetes to be a Type 3 supporter!
For more information, please go to our website, www.teamwild.org.
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