Remarkable Runners: Kerry Kuck

liz@coloradocolfaxmarathon.org — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 05:13:00 GMT

Kerry Kuck and Rocky Mountain Road Runner Hillary Schubach compete in a
4 mile Trophy Series race at the Bear Creek Bike Path near Denver, Colorado.

Kerry Kuck is 50. He started running when he was 13 to control his Type 1
Diabetes. He can recall running at night to reduce high blood sugars.

Athletes with Type 1 diabetes are in a catch-22: exercise, in moderation,
can improve blood glucose management. But long, high-intensity exercise can
send blood sugars plummeting down to dangerously low levels. Kuck never
thought he could run more than a 10K until he joined the Rocky Mountain Road
Runners in January 2007 and Achilles Track Club of Denver in March of 2007.
With the help of these 2 organizations, Kerry was able to make longer and
faster training runs.

With the help of a new, high tech device called a Continuous Glucose Monitor
(CGM), Kerry is willing to attempt his first full marathon, the Oklahoma
City Memorial on April 27, 2008. It will be followed by the Colfax
half-marathon on May 18.

Kerry's first half marathon was the 2007 Colfax, which he completed in 2:13:43. During that half, Kerry had to stop twice for blood sugar tests using the traditional finger stick and meter method. This year, thanks to his new CGM, stopping for finger stick tests shouldn't be
necessary.

But the diabetes isn't Kuck's only challenge. He's also totally blind.

Kuck trains with his guide dog, Audi, a yellow lab who loves to run. The two
run 3-1/2 to 5 miles a day together. Audi can get Kuck into shape, but
it's a human guide that he needs for the longer training runs and for the
races.

That's where the Achilles Track Club comes in. The Denver chapter of
Achilles was formed last March to help disabled people participate in
mainstream athletics like the Colfax Marathon. Volunteers from Achilles do
training runs as well as races with a tether to Kuck to keep him safe and
weave around obstacles.

"Finding a guide is hard when you're running 22 miles," Kuck said. "It's
extra work for the guide. With Audi, I can run an 11-12 minute mile. A human
guide allows me to run much faster."

Kuck has been training with runners from Achilles, Rocky Mountain Road
Runners and with Nick Sterner and members of the AIR Foundation (one of the marathon's terrific charity partners).

"Running blind is the easy part," Kuck said. "It's running with Type 1
diabetes that's hard. And finding a human guide, sometimes that's hard."

Colfax Marathoners

Remarkable Runners: Kerry Kuck