Training Tips
Adapting football training around Type 1 Diabetes
By Ellen Jones · 5 min read
No two sessions are really the same
Full-time training means constant variation — a high-intensity double session, a tactical walkthrough, a recovery day, a gym session. Early on, I made the mistake of preparing the same way for all of them. It didn't take long to learn that doesn't work.
Now I think about each session on its own terms: how long it is, how intense, what time of day, and how I'm already feeling walking into it. That takes more thought than just turning up, but it's made a real difference to how consistent I can be.
Talking to coaching staff, early and often
One of the more useful things I've done is make sure the people planning my training know I might need to adjust mid-session — not as an exception, just as part of how I train. Coaches who understand that in advance make it much easier to manage in the moment, rather than it feeling like an interruption.
If you're a young athlete reading this: it's worth having that conversation with your coach before it's needed, not in the middle of a session when it's harder to explain.
Learning your own warning signs
The biggest shift for me was learning to trust what my body was telling me during a session, rather than only trusting a number. Fatigue, focus, coordination — they all give early signals, and over time I've learned to read mine faster.
That's taken years, not weeks, and it's still not perfect. If you're newer to this, be patient with yourself — the pattern recognition comes with repetition, not all at once.
Two sessions that look identical on the training plan can feel completely different in your body. Plan for the session you're actually about to do, not the one on paper.
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Everything here is general — a coaching session with Ellen is where it gets personal to your training, your diagnosis and your goals.