How to Start Running With Type 1 Diabetes (What I’d Do If I Were Starting Today)

If I had Type 1 diabetes and wanted to become a runner today…

I wouldn’t start by worrying about pace.

I wouldn’t obsess over heart rate zones.

I wouldn’t spend hundreds of dollars on shoes or download the perfect training plan.

I’d start by learning one thing:

How my blood sugar responds to movement.

That single lesson will teach you more than any training app ever could.

Running Came Before Diabetes

I wasn’t diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes until I was 26 years old.

By then, running was already part of who I was.

Diabetes didn’t make me stop loving running.

It made me wonder if I was still allowed to.

Running had always been my outlet, and after my diagnosis it became incredibly important for me to figure out how the two could coexist.

I wasn’t willing to give up something I loved.

I just wasn’t sure if I was supposed to keep doing it.

Starting Again Was Scary

When I got back into running as an adult with Type 1 diabetes, I honestly felt like it was something I probably shouldn’t be doing.

Not because my doctor told me I couldn’t.

Because I was afraid of what everyone else would think.

I worried people would see my insulin pump and immediately assume I was taking unnecessary risks.

I wondered if they’d think I was irresponsible for training for a marathon.

For a long time, I kept my diabetes mostly to myself.

Then I joined a local running club while training for my first marathon.

Eventually, I told someone I had Type 1 diabetes.

The response?

Exactly what I expected.

“Are you sure you should be doing this?”

Followed almost immediately by…

“Have you told anyone?”

Neither question came from a bad place.

People were concerned.

They cared.

But what I heard was something very different.

I heard:

“Maybe they’re right.”

“Maybe I shouldn’t be here.”

Here’s What I Wish Someone Had Told Me

Yes, You should be here.

You absolutely can become a runner with Type 1 diabetes.

Every runner becomes a student of their own body.

As a runner with Type 1 diabetes…

You simply have one more subject to study:

Blood sugar.

That doesn’t mean you can’t run.

It means your training includes collecting data.

If I Were Starting Today…

I’d keep it incredibly simple.

I wouldn’t sign up for a marathon.

I wouldn’t even worry about running very far.

I’d spend my first week becoming a scientist.

Step 1: Start With Walks

Take a 10–15 minute walk at about the same time each day.

Consistency makes it easier to notice patterns.

Step 2: Pay Attention to Your CGM

Notice:

• What was your blood sugar before you started?
• Which direction was your trend arrow pointing?
• What happened during your walk?
• What happened 30 minutes afterward?

There isn’t a “right” answer.

You’re simply learning how your body responds.

Step 3: Always Carry Fast-Acting Carbs

Even if you think you won’t need them.

Building the habit early means you’ll never have to wonder later.

Step 4: Keep Notes

You’ll start noticing things like:

• Morning workouts behave differently than evening workouts.
• Running before breakfast feels different than running after lunch.
• Heat changes everything.
• Yesterday’s workout can affect today’s blood sugar.

These observations become your personal instruction manual.

Don’t Chase Perfect Blood Sugars

One of the biggest mistakes I see is waiting until diabetes feels “perfect” before starting.

Here’s the truth:

There is no perfect.

Even after 13 marathons, I still have runs where my blood sugar surprises me.

I still have runs that don’t make sense.

I still learn something new.

The goal isn’t perfection.

The goal is understanding.

The Best Runner You’ll Ever Study Is You

There are guidelines.

There are recommendations.

There are things that generally work.

But your body will always be your best coach.

Learn it.

Trust it.

Adjust when you need to.

You Belong Here

If you’re newly diagnosed and wondering whether running is still possible…

It is.

If you’ve always wanted to become a runner but diabetes makes you nervous…

You can.

Don’t let one conversation—or one person’s fear—convince you that your body isn’t capable of extraordinary things.

I’ve now run 13 marathons with Type 1 diabetes.

I’ve had amazing races.

I’ve had terrible races.

I’ve had blood sugars that made absolutely no sense.

And if I could sit beside the version of me who had just been diagnosed, this is what I’d tell her:

Don’t stop running.

Learn your diabetes.

Learn your stride.

Keep showing up.

One day you’ll realize they were never competing with each other.

They were learning to work together.

The finish line isn’t reserved for people with perfect blood sugars.

It’s for the people who keep showing up anyway.

And I hope one day, I’ll see you there.