Run, Karla, Run!

Anne Hospod ran the New York City Marathon for Team Diabetes.

Runners and charities are like peanut butter and jelly. They just go together. In 2006, runners raised $714 million for charity. Like screaming for ice cream, I’ve run for charity, you’ve run for charity, we’ve all run for charity.

A good friend of mine is a regular charity road warrior. She’s out there year after year, running races and raising money. Tomorrow, Anne Hospod is turning 27, which mean’s she’s been living with Type 1 diabetes for 23 years; she was diagnosed just after her 4^th birthday.

“When I was diagnosed at the age of 4, I remember that my parents were convinced that by the time that I was 20 I would be cured,” Anne says. “Sadly, research has yet to find a cure. I want to show kids that even though there might not be a cure right now, they have every reason to live a healthy, fulfilling, and exciting life.”

So Anne has teamed up with 11 other diabetic runners to raise money for Insulindependence, a charity based in San Diego that promotes healthy diabetes living through motivating kids to exercise, eat well and accept their chronic condition. They organize adventure trips for teenagers throughout the U.S. and pair diabetic professional triathletes with young kids who have diabetes for a special “Triabetes” challenge.

“Growing up with diabetes is difficult,” Anne says. “I would have loved to have a role model that showed me that I could complete triathlons and marathons.”

So she has joined Glucomotive, Insulindependence’s running and walking club for people with diabetes. They’re competing in the Ragnar Relay Great River Run, a 24-hour and 193-mile race from Winona to Minneapolis, Minn. On August 20^th, they’ll set out with over 200 teams in a race around the clock.

Team members run three legs each, ranging from 3-8 miles. While not running, teams travel in vans to tag in and out of the race in a leapfrogging pattern. There are also competitions for best costume and best van decoration, so Team Glucomotive has decided on Scooby-Doo and The Mystery Machine.

Anne’s teammates are all pretty extraordinary people. They range in age from 20s to 50s, and have Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes. Collectively, they have over 70 marathons and countless other races (including Ironmans) under their belts.

Jerry Nairn runs as part of Insulindepence's "Triabetes" challenge.

Anne’s teammate, Jerry Nairn, a 51-year old from Chandler, Ariz., has been an insulin-dependent Type 1 diabetic for over 35 years. He also has over 50 marathons and five ultramarathons to his name. Of the hundreds of races he’s run, he has over 140 finishes in the top ten of his division. At the other end of the spectrum is Corinne Knutson, 28, who will be completing her very first running race in the relay.

As athletes, diabetics must take extra care in their diet and training.

“I sometimes give myself up to 6 injections a day,” Anne writes. “I sprint at the start of my training run in order to raise my glucose level just the right amount. I run hills to stress my body and get a boost of adrenaline. I leave the pizza crust on the plate. I still cannot believe how much sugar is used in pizza crusts!”

Anne and her teammates are not alone. Diabetes is a national health epidemic—23.6 million Americans have the disease according to the American Diabetes Association. Another 57 million Americans are pre-diabetic. And one recent study concluded that the number of Americans living with diabetes will double in the next 25 years, and associated healthcare costs will triple to $336 billion dollars annually.

If you would like to donate, please visit Anne’s link.

And if you are raising money by running for another worthy cause, please feel free to post the link below.

Karla Bruning is an award-winning journalist and running nerd. She has completed three marathons, trains with the New York Harriers and is a member of New York Road Runners. Follow Karla’s “Notes From a Running Nerd” at RunKarlaRun.com, Facebook and Twitter@KBruning. To listen to an interview with Karla, check out The Marathon Show, available for streaming or download on BlogTalkRadio and iTunes.