Meet Naomi: Running Strong with Latent Autoimmune Diabetes in Adults

Diabetes is part of my life, but it is not the limit of what my life can become.

Living with autoimmune diabetes requires constant attention. Every day I monitor my glucose levels, count carbohydrates, calculate insulin doses, and make adjustments around exercise, food, stress, travel, and the many other factors that can affect blood sugar. Diabetes is always present, but I have decided that it will not prevent me from pursuing the life and goals I want.

My journey to the correct diagnosis was not straightforward. I was initially misdiagnosed with type 2 diabetes. I started medication, lost weight, and followed my doctor’s orders for two years until I had to go the emergency room where I was hospitalized with diabetic ketoacidosis. After many tests, including a diabetes autoantibody panel and evaluating my remaining insulin production through my beta cell function, my doctors determined that I was living with latent autoimmune diabetes in adults, or LADA, a form of type 1 diabetes.

Receiving the correct diagnosis not only gave me answers, it also determined the treatment I received. The correct diagnosis affects treatment, education, access to technology, and a person’s ability to manage diabetes safely. Advocating for the correct diagnosis is lifesaving.

Fitness was already a part of my life prior to the diagnosis. I practiced CrossFit around five days a week and tried to continue after being diagnosed with diabetes, but I struggled to find a comfortable balance between managing my glucose and keeping up with the fast pace of the workouts. The frequent changes in intensity made it difficult for me to predict how my glucose would respond, and treating a low often meant losing my pace in the workout or having to stop altogether. I didn’t want to stop my active lifestyle, so I decided to try running. It helped lower my glucose and its steadier pace gave me more time to recognize changes and treat a low without necessarily stopping my run. What began as another form of exercise gradually became a new passion.

After receiving my LADA diagnosis and beginning insulin therapy, I had to relearn how to exercise safely. Running with diabetes requires much more than putting on a pair of sneakers. Before every workout, I consider my glucose level, insulin on board, carbohydrates, hydration, distance, intensity, and the supplies I may need along the way. During a run, I continue making decisions based on glucose information that can change from one mile to the next.

The process has not always been easy. I have treated lows during workouts, adjusted plans because of unexpected highs or lows, and experienced moments when diabetes felt mentally and physically exhausting. 

Shortly after my LADA diagnosis, I had a race number for a local 10K but did not feel prepared or confident enough to participate. I was still learning how to fuel my body, manage insulin, and trust myself again.

That missed race became part of my motivation. Approximately one year after receiving my autoimmune diabetes diagnosis, I completed my first marathon in Paris. I have also improved the race times I achieved before my diagnosis, and I am now preparing to run the Berlin marathon. Every finish line represents much more than an athletic accomplishment. It reminds me that diabetes changed how I pursue my goals, but it did not make those goals impossible.

Today, I share my experience as a Puerto Rican marathon runner, content creator, and diabetes advocate. I want people to understand that diabetes does not have one appearance or one story. Someone can look active, healthy, and strong while managing a serious condition every hour of the day.

Diabetes is part of my life, but it is not the limit of what my life can become. I will continue running, traveling, advocating, and showing others that a diagnosis does not mean giving up on the dreams that matter to you.