Shelby Dillingham is an ultrarunner, multidisciplinary artist, and Type 1 diabetic who recently completed the Tahoe 200.

Diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes at just seven years old, Shelby has spent most of her life managing a condition that never gives her a day off.

Running entered her life during the pandemic. What started with a simple running plan eventually became a 50K, 50 miles, 100 miles, and ultimately 200 miles around Lake Tahoe.

In this episode of Pushing Horizons: Step by Step, Shelby shares what it really takes to manage Type 1 diabetes while running ultramarathons and why the 200-mile distance has become the place where she feels she belongs.

We talk about the technology behind managing her diabetes, including continuous glucose monitoring and an insulin pump, and the additional planning required when spending several days on the trail.

Shelby also takes us inside her Tahoe 200 experience from recovering from tendonitis just weeks before the race to managing her diabetes, relying on her crew and pacers, dealing with sleep deprivation, and reaching one of the most frightening moments of her race when she ran out of water while her blood sugar was high.

But this conversation goes far beyond one race.

Shelby talks about losing her job shortly after finishing her first 100-miler, using running to navigate difficult periods of life, avoiding burnout, finding community through ultrarunning, and why she doesn't want running to become her entire identity.

For Shelby, ultrarunning isn't simply about pushing farther.

It's a commitment to herself.

A way of building self-trust and continuing to show up—not just for the athlete she is today, but for the seven-year-old girl who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes and could never have imagined that one day she would run 200 miles.

✅ Topics Covered:

✓ Tahoe 200
✓ Running 200 miles
✓ Type 1 diabetes and ultrarunning
✓ Managing blood glucose during endurance events
✓ Insulin pumps and continuous glucose monitors
✓ Training with Type 1 diabetes
✓ Returning from injury
✓ 100 miles vs. 200 miles
✓ Ultrarunning mindset
✓ Mental resilience and self-trust
✓ Crew and pacers
✓ Running through the night
✓ Ultrarunning community
✓ Avoiding burnout
✓ Identity beyond running
✓ Finding gratitude in hard things

Keywords: Shelby Dillingham, Shelby Dillingham ultrarunner, Tahoe 200, Tahoe 200 Endurance Run, Type 1 diabetes runner, Type 1 diabetes ultrarunning, diabetic athlete, running with diabetes, 200 mile ultramarathon, 200 mile race, ultrarunning, ultramarathon, trail running, endurance running, endurance athlete, insulin pump running, CGM running, Dexcom running, ultrarunning mindset, mental resilience, Tahoe ultrarunning, women in ultrarunning, running podcast, ultrarunning podcast, Pushing Horizons, Pushing Horizons Step by Step