About this episode
Charlie Catalano, an ultra runner with type 1 diabetes, shares his journey into the sport and his experience running the Tahoe 200. He discusses the challenges of managing his diabetes while training and racing, including monitoring his blood glucose levels and adjusting his insulin intake. Charlie emphasizes the importance of thriving (not just surviving!) with a chronic illness and finding support within the diabetic athlete community. He also highlights how he strategically used race cutoffs to his advantage, maximizing his care, sleep, and fueling during the race. Charlie shares his experience of participating in the Tahoe 200 race, a 200-mile ultra-endurance event. He discusses the importance of self-care and rest during the race, as well as the strategy of allowing oneself more time to rest in order to maximize performance. Charlie emphasizes the beauty of first-time experiences and the sense of accomplishment that comes with completing a challenging race. He also reflects on the impact of ultra-running on his perspective on life, highlighting the belief that one can do hard things and the importance of commitment and perseverance. Charlie shares his future race plans and expresses gratitude for the support and inspiration he has received from the ultra-running community.