Finding my running feet

Alexa Holtzhausen discovers her passion for running despite being diagnosed with diabetes.

I was officially diagnosed with insulin-dependent diabetes in August 2008 after a lifetime of on-and-off encounters with insulin irregularities. At birth I was taken to the Red Cross Children’s Hospital to have half of my pancreas removed as it was producing too much insulin.

During primary school I needed medication for low blood sugar levels, and in high school I became diabetic and needed to inject myself with insulin because my sugar levels were too high — despite the fact that I was not overweight and there was no history of diabetes in my family.

When I was in my final year of high school I had a jaw operation to improve my overbite, and my jaw was wired shut for eight weeks. During this time I had to live on protein shakes and liquidised foods, and I lost 15kg as a result. This drastic weight loss meant I no longer had to inject myself, as my small pancreas could cope with digesting the amount of food I was eating in relation to my body mass.

I regained a healthy amount of weight over time and for seven years I lived a normal life, not having to take any medication. Until last year, when I noticed that my sugar levels were starting to increase again. I went back to the doctors and knew there was no way I’d be able to escape diabetes (and the complications that come with it if not well managed) unless I made some permanent lifestyle changes.

Doctors had told me that exercise was vital in managing the disease as I had never been overweight but my lifestyle was quite sedentary. I joined a gym, completely unaware of the new passion I was about to discover: running! I started by doing 20 minutes on the treadmill and two months later I did my first 5km time trial outdoors. Running on the road was a whole new experience and challenge for me and I absolutely loved it.

I gradually built up my speed and distances and took part in a few 10km trail running races before completing my first half-marathon in October. I would never have thought that I could run 21km, but I loved every minute of the race and finished it feeling fantastic.

I was a bit concerned about my sugar levels running low while training on insulin, but thanks to my healthy diet of low-GI carbohydrates, dairy, plenty of protein and vegetables, my strength and stamina have increased dramatically over the past year. I am as fit and active as any other person and I’m not going to let diabetes get in the way of my running goals — so full marathon, here I come!

Motivational tips:

- Don’t let diabetes hold you back when it comes to exercise. You may need to take some special precautions, but regular exercise will do wonders for your health and happiness.

- When running or training, ensure that you always have a glucose sweet and cellphone with you. If you feel shaky, stop immediately, have your sweet and call someone to collect you.

- Train in moderation. Start off slowly and gradually build up your fitness levels.