Hi,

I’m 46 yrs old, type 2 diagnosed 2005 and also have ADPKD (both run in family).  I’m fit and run 1/2 marathons.  I went to a Medical Sports Center to have tests done to measure my VO2max (shows how well heart and oxygen exchange is working while you run) and various other tests.  We have lots of heart problems in family and I have 3 major risk factors for heart disease and wanted to make sure my heart was OK.  I love running, but don’t want to drop dead while doing so.

Anyway, my heart is fine (yippee!!), but there was one interesting result.  Among other things, they tested how much carbohydrates versus fats I use for energy while running.  I use more fats and less carbohydrates than a “normal�?runner.  This could be because I’m on a low carb diet and my body has learned to use fat.  It could also be simply because I’m diabetic.  My BS tends to go up while I run (for “normal�?runners it goes down) and it’s tricky for me to decide what to eat before and during a long run.  I’ve done lots of testing and just when I think I’ve figured it out I get a really high BS.  There is very little information out there about type 2 and long distant running (there’s lots about type 1) and even less out there about PKD and exercise.

I feel very grateful for my good health and work hard every day to stay healthy.  But sometimes I feel lonely and have nobody to talk to and share experiences about type 2 (not to mention ADPKD) and running.  Even my Doctors don’t have much to say.  I feel like I’m on my own to figure things out.  Now and then I get down (not quite depressed), but I’m really doing well compared to many folks which makes me feel worse (guilty) about feeling down.

Thanks for listening.