Run Success Hurrah!

Cobden-Mousehole-Bitterne

After Sunday’s almost complete fail I decided that the most likely cause of my panic attack symptoms was the increased blood pressure medications I had started taking the night before. In my head, being prevented from running in order to take some pills seems completely wrong, so I decided to go back to the previous dose, which I appear to be able to tolerate. My health is clearly improving anyway, and running can only help that. I have been having to reduce my insulin requirements over the past two weeks – novorapid is now down by about 40% and lantus down by an astonishing 60%. I’m now on such a low dose of lantus that, pretty soon, I’ll be spraying more into the air with my pre-injection airshot than I will actually be injecting!

The strategy appears to have worked. I went for a somewhat tentative run on Tuesday and managed a shortish two and a half miles. I’m still very slow in comparison to ‘the old me’, but you can’t hurry these things, plus I’m older, I broke my leg and I have diabetes! The run was fairly uneventful and pleasant – weather was conducive, being coolish and overcast, with a slight drizzle. I think the Scots describe such weather as ‘dreicht’! Had a couple of days off, then went for a three miler yesterday, again no real dramas!

Today, I decided that I should put Sunday’s demons to rest and tackle those hills again. This time, no sensations of panic (not that I felt panicked before, just the symptoms of such) and I was really surprised at how good my breathing was up the first hill. Given that the hill is at a gradient of over 30% I was pleased to discover that my pace had also improved on this section, now heading towards 11 minutes a mile. My legs were a slightly different matter, as they were still a little tired from yesterday, but a few weeks ago they would have been so tired I would hardly have been able to walk – so certainly progress there! I didn’t run as far as I had intended because I started to get the little twinges in my right calf that have put me out of action in the past, so I cut the route short. Still very challenging though, and very pleased with it!

Run-Fail-Why?

Run - fail :(

I was all set this morning for a good run of around four miles or so up and down some of the local hills – blood sugar was at a good starting point (9.3mmol/l – 167 mg/dl), legs had recovered from Friday’s run, I had food in my belly and the weather appeared good, overcast and a little humid, but dry. However, within half a mile of setting off I felt absolutely awful! For some reason, as soon as I set off I felt a surge of adrenalin course through my body. Adrenalin is fine if you’re a sprinter, but for long distance, aerobic running it’s something that you only really want when you need to pass the runners in rhino costumes at the end of a marathon to save you from humiliation! The effect of this was to make my heart start racing, my breathing to become por and erratic, and the muscles of my legs to fill with lactic acid, making them instantly weak and devoid of energy. Within half a mile, I felt I had no choice but to stop running and try walking for a while whilst I recovered. By now, I was feeling very hot and light-headed. After I had recovered a little I tried running again, but very quickly the sensations came back and I took the decision to turn round and return home.

I absolutely HATE giving up on a run! It’s this stubbornness that has got me to the end of many a race, often miles past the point where something was telling me I ought to stop – most notably in The Hague half marathon in 2008, the year of my diagnosis. I’m sure that, had I known my blood sugar levels during that race I would have been flagging down the ambulance – but I made it! So what happened this morning? It has taken me a good hour or so to feel fully recovered, although I still feel a little light-headed. My blood sugar had remained largely unchanged at 9.6 (173) on my return so it wasn’t a sudden rise or fall in that. Thinking about it, I appear to have suffered all the symptoms of a panic or anxiety attack, but with no discernible cause.

The only thing I can attribute it to is that last night I took the first increased dose of my blood pressure medication, so I’m wondering if the symptoms were a result of a sudden rise then fall in my blood pressure at the start of my run. I’m tempted to go back to the old dose of medication, as I know my blood pressure has been improving and I suspect the slightly high reading the doctor took last Thursday was high partly due to the anxiety of having it checked. Given the huge changes in my blood sugars and insulin requirements over the past couple of weeks, it’s perfectly reasonable (in my head!) that I might also be getting a significant improvement in blood pressure that simply wasn’t indicated in the single test performed by the doctor. However, since I don’t have any equipment to accurately test my BP at home – I have a wrist monitor that invariably shows the same figures! – this can only be speculation. I’ll have to weigh up the options of whether it is worth ignoring the doctor’s advice and not increasing the medication.

So annoyed that I couldn’t complete my run!

Ups and downs – hills and blood sugar!

Cobden-Glenfield

I’ve managed to get out for 5 runs in the past 8 days, which is a huge improvement over my previous efforts. Not running very far, as yet, but the runs are challenging nonetheless, involving some very steep ascents and descents that test the legs and lungs! I’ve come to the conclusion that I run much better on such varied terrain. This shouldn’t come as a surprise to me, as most of my early running days were on the big hills of Sheffield and the Peak District, but I think I had started to forget this and have been, until recently, only running through the park where the terrain is only ever so slightly undulating.

Cobden-Mousehole-Peartree

This fact was proven to me in the fourth of my recent runs. For the previous three, I had run a demanding and varied hilly course and had thought that to then run on the flat would be a piece of cake – far from the truth! I found it much harder, not so much on the heart and lungs, but on my legs which quickly tired and left me aching for two days afterwards. It seems I’m much better suited to the effort and challenge of a hill, followed by the relief and recovery of crowning it and running down the other side. I think I also get a bit bored now running through the park as I have done the same route countless times over the past 10 years, so the change is very welcome!

Riverside Park-Mansbridge

My fitness is improving accordingly as is, I hope, my health. I had a visit to my doctor this week and there has been an improvement in my blood pressure, although it is still a little on the high side so my medication has been increased slightly. I also asked about my recent retinopathy scan and the worrying news that I now have ‘moderate diabetic eye disease. The doctor had a letter that provided more detail – apparently, what I have is still the background retinopathy reported last year, but the specialist had observed deposits rather closer to the macula than might be hoped for. Really, it’s the luck of the draw as these deposits can form anywhere on the retina, it just so happens in my case that they are potentially threatening the one area that is chiefly responsible for central vision. I don’t know yet if I will require any treatment for this, so I have an anxious wait until my aapointment at the eye hospital comes through.

Cobden-Midanbury-Woodmill-Riverside Park

There has been another, rather profound effect on me from my increase activity levels – my blood sugar levels have started to drop at such a rate that it has been hard to keep up by lowering my insulin doses. Two nights in a row I was awoken with hypos of 2.1 mmol/l (38 mg/dl) and 2.7 mmol/l (49 mg/dl), despite having snacks before bed. Thanks goodness I woke up! I have been lowering my basal insulin (lantus) as well as lowering my meal boluses (novorapid), but still battling lows so the effect of the exercise is even more profound than I can predict! I seem to be just about getting it right now, having reduced my lantus from 8 units to 5 and being very sparing with my meal bolus. My total daily dose is now around 30 units, with my basal comprising less than 20% of the total – normally, the split should be around 40-50% of TDD! Perhaps I’m nearly cured!

Hoping for another, longer run tomorrow, I’m already feeling a lot healthier and have much more energy, although I’m still a little on edge when going to sleep at night because of those hypos as they were the first night ones I have had for several months.

Running the Southampton Alps!

Cobden-Mousehole-Peartree

I’m starting to get into a bit more of a routine now with the running, with three runs in the past four days. I had to take yesterday off as my legs were a little on the sore side from Thursday and Friday’s runs. It seems I may be getting a little addicted to the challenge of big hills at the moment. I could have gone for a relatively fast and flat run through the park alongside the river this morning, but I had a route in my mind that was an extension of last weeks ups and downs, but without the unintended loop back due to the map inaccuracies. This would take me on a wider loop, which turned out (as you can see in the pictures) to be almost heart-shaped!

Why all this determination to get back running again? Well, apart from the fact that I have the Great South Run to run in October, I got a bit of a shock the other day. A week ago I went for my annual diabetic retinal scan. After they’ve taken the pictures you have to wait to see if they will send you a letter. Getting the letter is not good news – at my hospital they only send you one if they have found something of concern. Unfortunately, on Thursday, I got the letter. It said that I have ‘moderate diabetic eye disease’, which is a worsening from the ‘background retinopathy I was told I had last year. My first thoughts were that I was going blind and I’ve only been diagnosed two years – how can this be happening to me? My HbA1c has been practically perfect since I got things under control, with numbers of 11.8, 6.8, 5.2, 5.4, 5.6 and 5.6 (the frist number was diagnosis, the one after about six weeks later). What do these numbers mean? Well, ideally, the HbA1c should be below 6.5 in order to minimise the damage that diabetes can do to the small blood vessels – particularly those in the eyes and kidneys. With my numbers I am well under that figure.

So, why has my retinal scan shown deterioration? The answer is more than likely the high blood pressure I have been suffering for several months now, as this is also a big factor, alongside diabetes, in determining how healthy or otherwise your eyes are. So, it’s a warning to me that I have to get the BP down so no further damage is done. As things stand, it is unlikely that I will need treatment, just more regular eye checks. The problem may even improve if I start looking after myself better. So, that is my aim – I already have very good blood sugar control, now I need to take every possible step to make sure my blood pressure is perfect!

Cobden-Glenfield

A lot of the steps I will be taking currently seem to involve running up huge hills! I’m happy to say, though, that I have seen a rapid improvement already in my pace around these hilly courses. Thursday’s run was 11 min/mile pace, and Friday’s 10 min/mile pace over the same route. Today’s run was slower, but I’m building more distance already, so now up to 3.1 miles (5k). I’m sure I could have managed a much quicker and longer run if I had opted for the flatter route! Main thing is not to get injured. My legs are not as young as they used to be, so can take a little longer to recover – I need to resist the cravings for endorphins and make sure I take rest days. Might not be too difficult, given the weather that is being forecast!

Thank you Mr Map – not!

I was itching to get out for my run this morning – I had the route running through my head all of yesterday and was looking forward to the challenge. Back on Monday I reconnoitred a route that would involve even more monstrous hills than the ones I ran last Sunday, which now appear positively Lilliputian by comparison!

It’s still fairly early on in my efforts to get back to running decent distances, so I was a little apprehensive about how things might go. The start of the run took me up the same road as last week, but this time instead of turning off I kept running upwards. I had a quick glance at my Garmin as I reached the crest of the hill and saw that it was exactly half a mile. Gradient on this section was 14%, which may not sound much, but go out and find such a hill and you’ll understand that such a hill would not be found in Holland! More was to come. I was happy that my breathing was good - I have a good sense of how to pace my efforts, whatever the terrain, after 30 years of running experience.

The hill was followed by an even steeper descent. Many people might imagine that, slow as the climb might be expected to be, surely you would make up time on the descent, but that’s not quite true. Going up stresses the muscles of course, but the main limiting factor is the heart and lungs – you have to be able to take in enough oxygen to feed those muscles. Going downhill, however, brings a different set of problems. You can recover your oxygen debt as gravity assists your downward trajectory, but the impact stresses on muscles and joints is far more extreme. Over three times your body weight will be the impact force with each footfall, and given that I am currently heavier than I have ever been, this is considerable for me at the moment. I also bear in mind that my leg once snapped due to such stresses and that tends to temper my pace!

I then had a flattish stretch, just a slight incline before coming to what I expected to be my biggest challenge – a huge uphill section that was at an incline of 28%! I was struggling towards the top, I will admit, and thankful for the subsequent flat section before running steeply down again. I had expected that that would be the end of my need to run skywards, but not to be! I had taken a quick glance at a map beforehand, and estimated that I could escape the traffic of the main road over the last section by running down a side road, connecting to another road at the bottom and then having a flat remaining run home. Stupid map! Significant detail had been omitted (as I discovered later when looking online), meaning that I now had little choice but to run back up to the summit of the original hill that I had started from, this time from the opposite side. On this side of the hill the incline was 22%, so a real lung-burster at this stage! A final long descent then brought me home.

I was very pleased with my achievement. Although it again appears slow, the hills involved were huge and yet I still managed to keep going all the way. I’m sure that, as my fitness improves, I will be moving much faster up them so my overall pace will improve considerably. The run has given me great confidence to start extending future runs – just hope I can stay injury free for the duration! Love those endorphins! Hoping my legs won’t suffer quite so much as they did last week! Blood sugar levels weren’t bad – 8.1 mmol/l before (146 mg/dl) and 9.4 mmol/l after (169 mg/dl).

Apologies for no poetry lately – the Muse has deserted me for the time being! I have one or two ideas though, so hope to include a few over the coming week. Please look back through the archives!

Getting better, slowly!

My legs have finally recovered from Sunday’s hills sufficiently to tackle another run this morning. Thought I would try a slight extension to my recent runs through the park. I’m not worrying about times at the moment, apart from time on my feet, as I need to get some stamina and endurance built up. Going into oxygen-debt by running faster than I can currently sustain is pointless, so I just ran the route I intended, staying well within my aerobic capacity.

Things were fairly quiet – it’s strange how so much of the road traffic disappears when the school holidays start, I can only imagine (not having kids) that much of the rush hour congestion is caused by over-protective two-car parents driving their little darlings to the school gates rather than let them burn off any precious calories with a bit of a walk...

The air was cooler than of late, and still, meaning that I quickly began to heat up. The riverbanks were exposing their muddy banks, dark brown dotted with white where seagulls foraged for worms amidst the traffic cones and shopping trollies. Actually, it’s not that bad, the river is pretty clean. It’s very tidal, so when the tide is out just a narrow channel remains, revealing just how shallow the river is, despite its broad expanse. As I ran the Sun began to burn off the cloud cover and I began to heat up some more!

Thankfully, I wasn’t overwhelmed with dogs on the run, just a couple of mongrels more interested in the saliva-soaked balls that their owners were casting around for them to chase. It seems that modern dog-owners have cottoned on to just how gross a dog-spit drenched tennis ball is, so they no longer throw them by hand, but employ some kind of plastic launcher – such are the advancements of modern civilisation…

My legs were rather heavy over the last half mile, but that means that they managed the previous two and a bit without too much distress, which is an improvement as it means I’m gaining a stronger base. I’ve found in the past it takes me about three weeks to get back into being able to run a regular 5-7 miles, although as I’ve got older it does seem to be closer to three weeks rather than two! I’ve wondered about the diabetes too, whether that is having an effect on my endurance and recovery, or if I’m just finding that an easier thing to blame than the fact that I’m not the Spring chicken I used to be!

Levels were 7.9 mmol/l (142 mg/dl) before the run and 7.3 mmol/l (131 mg/dl) afterwards, which I was pleased with. I don’t adjust my insulin before the run, although I know of some people that either take none or at the very least reduce it by a considerable amount. For me, the effect comes afterwards, so that’s when I change my ratios – although it’s a completely subjective, finger-in-the-air adjustment, based largely on instinct and experience. I’ve also taken to injecting about 15 minutes before eating, as I’ve discovered that I often spike early, however GI-conscious I’ve been with my food choices. This morning’s readings indicate that I got it just right. 362 calories burned, but I’m not shifting any weight at all. I’ve got a doctor’s appointment next Thursday to see if my blood pressure has improved – if not, I’m likely to be threatened with more medication, which I’d really rather not have, so hoping staying off the booze for the past couple of weeks, plus the exercise, will have me nice and steady at 130/80e

GSR Training update

Well, my poor leg muscles were totally wrecked after Sunday's hilly run! Why oh why did I choose to live in a two-storey house - the steps are pure torture! Interestingly, my left ('good') leg was significantly more sore than my right ('bad') leg. I've noticed this in the past, and can only presume it is because I tend to favour that leg and make it do more than its fair share of the work since breaking the other. So, I had a couple of days off from the running, despite my desire to get out there - it would have been folly, and embarassing! I did, however, go on a recce on Monday, seeking out even more monstrous inclines for future runs. I went on a wider three mile circuit of my home which involved some truly challenging hills that dwarfed those I ran on Sunday - definitely something to attempt in the near future, and something that I know I could extend for 10-15 miles around town now that I know where the new route fits into place. Rather shamefully, some of these local hills, less than half a mile from home, were new to me despite living in the area for nearly 11 years - I guess I've never had any reason to go off in that direction, and maybe been put off by the steepness!

I was hoping to have been recovered sufficiently by today to attempt a gentler run through the park, but the soreness, although diminished, is still there. Instead, I decided to join Gay Gasper (in the picture) on her 15 minute abs workout and followed this up with an 8k exercise bike session - both being low-impact. OK, I know that's not a lot, but it's something, and hopefully it will help keep my blood sugars in line, as they have been improving after last week's climb. Hoping for a run tomorrow!

Up hill, down dale!

OK, I’ve been laid up again with a muscle strain, so getting back into running is coming in fits and starts. When I was younger I would probably have just run through such an injury, but it’s surprising (or maybe not!) how much it focuses your mind on recovering fully when your femur once snapped at mile 23 of a marathon. I think the problem stemmed from the fact that I have a big nail going through my leg from front to back, about three inches above my knee – this has created a lot of internal scar tissue and altered the physiology of the leg somewhat.

Anyway, excuses over! I have been feeling a little jaded with running through the park – beautiful though it is – and fancied tackling something a little different today. A couple of days ago I was walking down one of the steep local hills, of which there are many around where I live, and I saw a girl running up on the other side. I was impressed. I don’t know what the actual gradient is, but it is steep, and it reminded me of my time in the Peak District when I too could run up such a precipitous climb! So, in an attempt to recapture my youth (that’s early-30s!) I decided I would go on a tour of the hills in the neighbourhood.

Starting from home, the first half mile was entirely, and heart-thumpingly, uphill. I had no preconceived notion of how I might cope, just concentrated on managing my breathing and running at the edge of my aerobic capacity. I knew it would be slow, but hey – this was my first such run in a while, and a course I had not previously tackled. I didn’t want to be a heaving, panting wreck after the first five minutes! Surprisingly, I managed to reach the first turn without too much distress, and suddenly I was descending quickly down a road whose steepness on the opposite direction impacted a completely different set of muscles and joints, or so it seemed! A pretty road with trees and large houses, nicely shaded and peaceful.

Eventually emerging at the bottom I took a short turn right, then right again to run upwards again, not quite achieving the ascent of the first climb, but not far off. A left turn down as I broached the brow of the hill, then another left and back down a road running parallel to the one I had just wheezed my way up. I was impressed I was still moving at this point, but decided to finish off the run with a little roundabout run to extend the route a little further and finally reaching home and blessed sanctuary for my bursting lungs and heavy legs.

Slow, and not that far, but not bad for a first attempt, so I’ll definitely be adding (and probably extending) it to my repertoire of routes, with every intention of stepping up the pace in future and smashing my rather embarrassing current personal best! After a shower and a short rest I then repeated the entire route, this time with my camera to record for posterity!

Distance: 2.09 miles (followed by a walk of the same distance!)
Time: 23’ 07”
Weather: warm and cloudy.
BG before: 10.4
BG after: 9.8
Ascent: 429ft
Descent: 386ft

Running convergence!

I managed another run this morning. My head wants to get back that feeling of running fast and freely o’er hill and dale, although my legs are protesting that that was probably twenty years ago now. One of my favourite runs used to be down the Rivelin Valley, out of Sheffield and into the Peak District, up a steep forest trail bordering the reservoirs and then up on the top of the world for a fast, gravity-assisted descent. About six miles for that one, a lot of it at six minutes a mile. I used to relish the huge hills – flat is boring and doesn’t test your range sufficiently. There’s nothing like the sense of achievement of racing past a group of fully kitted out, lycra-clad cyclists on their expensive bikes with hundreds of gears, and seeing their faces grimace and eyes grow wide with astonishment. Broaching the brow of the hill and beginning the descent such a sweet relief after those last few oxygen-sapping yards and feeling the power return to muscles, heart and lungs!

OK, just a memory at the moment. Despite my head wanting all that, my legs are still a little bit heavy and sore from my previous run, although I have been able to negotiate stairs without any involuntary groaning, so there’s hope! It was nice and cool when I got up at 6:30 am, but the air temperature rapidly rose and became increasingly humid. Despite opening every window and door in the house, there was little air movement, and it draped around me like a moist, heavy blanket. Outside there was a slight breeze, but as I started out this seemed to disappear. I can only surmise that the breeze was blowing in the same direction I was running, and at the same rate – around six miles an hour.

Initially, the Sun was hidden by cloud, but a few minutes in began to shine bright and strong, so I braced myself for the accompanying heat which duly obliged. Quite a few dog walkers this morning, but tame animals more interested in the thrown balls and smells not discernible to my impressively large olfactory organ. That was until I remembered one of the most feared aspects of running through this park on a hot and humid day. Remembered is not the right word – rudely reminded is better. About a half mile into the park the rich, pungent stench of the sewage treatment works based on the opposite bank of the river filled the air around me. Bad enough trying to breath in this hot, humid soup of a summer’s day, but when the air is permeated with that fruity, sickly, gut-wrenching aroma it becomes a challenge of Herculean proportions. Well, maybe that’s a bit of an exaggeration, but it did smell bad!

The smell did spur me on though, in an effort to escape its influence, although it did entail a mental battle between trying to breathe deeply whilst at the same time suppressing the urge to seal my mouth and nostrils. At that point a girl I had seen running the other way ran past me on her return. A girl!!! OK, I know it may sound a bit sexist but I don’t like being passed by a girl when running, especially when it appears that she is actually running quite slowly. If she looks slow, how slow do I look?!! She does look rather young and athletic though, so I am a little more accepting of my failure to keep pace. If telepathy were possible I’d want to say ‘OK, you passed me, but I bet you don’t have a broken femur, heart attack and diabetes to think of as you skip along the path!’ Well, I didn’t really have a heart attack, and my femur broke six years ago, but I still think she should consider these factors before smirking about her triumph!

And the convergence? One thing that always amazes me is when you can go out on a run in different circumstances, varying the route to keep things interesting, and feeling differently about your perceived speed and relative tiredness – and post exactly the same distance and virtually the same time! Not remarkable if you run the same route, but this morning’s run was quite a bit different at the halfway stage and finishing portion, but it was exactly the same distance, run 14 seconds faster (possibly due to slightly different terrain) and expending exactly the same number of calories (332 – surely at least another pound lost?). Blood sugar behaved – 8.9 mmol/l (160 mg/dl) at the start and 8.3 mmol/l (149 mg/dl) at the finish. If I didn’t use hardly any energy, why do I feel so exhausted?!!

Back on Track

Starting back very much at square one with the running. It’s been a difficult year, starting off with very cold and treacherously icy weather, through a decent early spring, then injurt and the heat of summer. OK, that’s the excuses out of the way! I suppose I can blame the diabetes to some extent as well for removing the spontaneity from my running, but really it’s been largely a lack of motivation. My New Year challenge of 1000 miles and 1000 kilometres looks totally unfeasible at the moment, so I’m just going to do what I can and see where I stand at the end of the year.

So, despite the warnings of a very hot day, off I went this morning for my first real run in a couple of months! I wasn’t expecting to break any land speed records or astonish the watching crowds of park-goers with the brilliance of my athleticism, but just hoped that no-one would really pay much attention to the shambling, fat 50 year-old wheezing along the path…

Although the air temperature was warm, the Sun remained hidden, only starting to shine through the cloud cover as I neared the end of the run. That helped, as bright sunshine does sometimes make me feel a little nauseous which can affect my breathing. I felt slow much of the way round, but was pleasantly surprised to see my average pace at the end – bordering on jog/run pace, rather than amble/jog as I had expected. Just 2.5 miles in total in a little over 25 minutes, but it is early days yet and I need to build up some strength and stamina in my legs again. Not forgetting, of course, that I am currently carrying more weight than I am used to, and it’s not in a rucksack on my back so I can’t just leave it at home!

The park was quiet, generally, which was good as it made me feel less self-conscious which I always do when I’m not at peak fitness. There weren’t too many dogs, most of them were small, and all of them well-behaved, so no quick adrenaline bursts to set my heart racing beyond its limits! I was aware that, the further I ran out through the park, the further I would have to come back, but I pushed on, deciding to bear the consequences by perhaps doing a little walk/run on my return. As it turned out, I managed to keep going, although it did rather feel as though my legs were buckling from under me during the last half mile! The good thing was that my breathing was good, suggesting a good background cardiovascular fitness.

I recovered quite quickly, considering the heat, although thankful that I didn’t have to talk to anyone for five minutes or so whilst I stopped panting! I might try and get a battery for my heart rate monitor that goes with my Garmin Forerunner today, so I can see what’s happening to that. I used to have a resting heart rate of around 40 bpm at my fittest – it’s currently around 60 bpm, so it will be interesting to see if that comes down over the coming weeks.

Blood sugar was an unusually high 11.0 mmol/l (200 mg/dl) before the run, which was around 2 hours after breakfast – I’d normally expect around 8 mmol/l. On returning from the run it had come down to 7.5 mmol/l (135 mg/dl), so maybe it was good I started so high or I might have hypoed on the way back. Goodness knows what adjustments I might have to make to my meal bolus, and possibly basal insulin over the coming days and weeks! 332 calories expended, which must be at least a pound in weight – surely?!!!

Great South Run 2009 the final 200 metres!

Forgive the pained expression on my face, but all these were taken on the final straight and I was literally on my last legs!

Great South Run – the Aftermath...

Well, after nearly three days my muscles, joints and feet have more or less returned to normal and I can finally walk up and down stairs without emitting involuntary groans! After every run I always have an eagerness to get back into training so that I can do better next time. I think it’s partly due to the sense of achievement and the feel-good hormones produced by the day that restores some of the jaded feelings that can sometimes start to get a grip, especially at this time of year. My plan is to go out for a short run tomorrow just to give my legs a stretch.

I had been nervous on the day that I might pull a muscle early on. This year, much like last year, I have been feeling strong but fragile, and it’s hard to relate to the earlier years of my running career when I was quite happy to stride out across the steep and uneven terrain of the Peak District at what would now seem to be prodigious speeds. I’ve certainly slowed down a lot since I broke my leg in 2004 (I was particularly slow that year!), and the recent health upsets of the diabetes and myocarditis have also had an effect. I’m not convinced yet that age has much to do with it. Interestingly, I am now back to my original weight that I was at in 2006, before it steadily started to decline due to the suspected slow onset of diabetes – completely unnoticed by me. I had noticed the weight loss, 30 pounds over two years, but couldn’t attribute it to anything.

Last year when I ran the GSR I weighted about 40 pounds less than I did this year. I was very lean, now I am somewhat flabby around my middle, whixh is something I wish to rectify. It’s also a lot of extra weight to be carrying around, and has a greater imact with each footfall on all my joints – not a good thing long term. This year during the run I was troubled quite early on by increasingly sore feet, with painful soles and my toes gradually going numb. Whether this is due to anything sinister to do with the diabetes I’m not yet sure – I certainly hope not. It might just be that I need to replace my running shoes because their cushioning has gone – sometimes we suspect things might be diabetes-related when the more obvious answer is staring us in the face. I will try new shoes tomorrow. One thing I was pleased about was that I got no blisters from the run. Blisters are a little scary as a diabetic, because of the dangers of infection. Even though my control is pretty good, when your blood sugars are less controlled than a non-diabetic person infections can persist longer and can have more serious consequences.

Overall, I was very happy with the run. I wished that I had managed more preparation so that I could have achieved what I believe I am capable of, but I turned up, did the job, and survived a 10 mile run off the back of a longest training run of 5 miles! Still waiting for the ‘action shots’ of the day, which I will put up when they arrive.

Great South Run 2009

The day started off with a few last minute decisions – what to wear and whether I wanted to take anything with me that needed to be left at the baggage drop. The forecast had been for a wet and windy day just a few days earlier, but this had now been revised to sunny and breezy, so I decided that I wouldn’t need my thermal top or sweatshirt, or my raincoat, so if I could manage to carry all the other necessary things on my person that would be more convenient. I wasn’t happy last year leaving my blood monitor and insulin pen at the baggage drop as it seemed so chaotic and largely unsupervised – you just left your bag in a big room with everyone else’s and, although only runners were allowed access to the room and runners are generally honest and trustworthy, anyone could have just walked off with what is vital equipment to me but worthless to them.

So, I managed to cram my Aviva Nano meter, finger-pricker (why do they make them so big?), half a dozen test strips (to save carrying the bulky pot they come in!), my insulin pen and three needles, money, railway tickets, house keys, and a dozen jelly babies into my tiny back pocket and waist belt (a Spibelt). I have larger ‘bumbags’ but they tend to bounce around when running whereas the spibelt doesn’t.

One thing that was causing me stress was trying to decide what and when to eat. As I had to travel around an hour and a half to the race, and also be sure to arrive there in plenty of time, I decided to leave my breakfast as late as possible before setting off. The problem would be that the insulin I injected with the meal would be more or less exhausted long before I was, and I wondered if this would affect how I felt towards the end of the race. I still had my ‘background’ insulin, so hoped that would be sufficient. I took a banana with me, but didn’t really want to be injecting more insulin shortly before the race in case it made my levels drop too low. I’m sure things would be far more straightforward on a pump. I don’t normally have to worry about things like this as my training runs have been within a couple of hours of taking my insulin and – due to injury sustained at the beginning of September – all much shorter.

As I set off for the train station the weather was very pleasant – completely different to last year’s more typical autumn rain and cold. There was quite a strong breeze though, which did chill me a little and I did wonder if I should have worn my thermal top. Too late to worry! I nearly made an error at the station when I was waiting at the wrong platform, but a kind gent asked where I was going and told me the correct one. On the train I got into conversation with a woman who was running the race for the first time and raising money for the Alzheimer’s Society. I was able to reassure her and describe the course so she would know what to expect. The conversation made the journey pass very quickly.

Once we had arrived in Portsmouth there was a twenty minute walk to the start area on Southsea Common. There were thousands of cars parked on the grass – I didn’t envy them trying to get out later! As I approached the seafront the wind became stronger and blustery, plus there was quite a chill to it so I was starting to feel cold. I knew that, once the race got underway, I would quickly warm up so I wasn’t too worried. I joined a huge queue to use the portakabin toilets, taking about 25 minutes to reach the front. By this time it was practically time for the race to start so I found my way amongst the huge throngs to the start section for my wave of runners. There were three waves in total, and I was in the middle wave which meant that they thought a lot of people would run slower than me! I tested my blood before the start and was showing at 9.7 mmol/l, which I thought was a good level to be starting at – not too low or too high. If it had been too high, I don’t know what I would have done as you’re supposed to wait for it to come down before starting exercise.

At last we were underway! I knew the course pretty well, having run it twice before, so had a good idea how far the various landmarks were along the course. The first one to be reached was the Spinnaker Tower, about a mile along, followed by the Historic Dockyard where HMS Victory and the Mary Rose are situated. My pace was very gentle as I was nervous about causing a reoccurrence of the calf injury that had caused me to miss so much of my training the previous month. This year I felt under much greater pressure to finish. In previous years my sponsors had all been family and friends who had known me for years, but this year a lot of the sponsorship had come from new friends I had made on the forum. With this in mind I wanted to pace myself slower than in training as I had twice the distance to cover. The first three miles came in around 35 minutes ad felt fairly effortless. The Sun was very bright though, and in amongst the crowds of runners there was less of a breeze to cool me so I was happy to come to the first drnks station. I walked for a little while as I’ve found that trying to drink and run doesn’t really agree with me – I take in too much air ad it can affect my breathing if I’m feeling the need to belch!

There really were people of all shapes and sizes all around me – some petite young women and some huge men providing the widest contrast. As is my usual practice, I found an attractive young lady to run behind – it always makes the journey more pleasant! I got slightly annoyed by several runners who were clearly much faster than their start position had suggested, and they dodged and weaved around and in front of people which was very distracting. There’s an interesting section of the course where you run for half a mile down one side of a dual carriageway and then up the other side. This means that you can get a really good idea of how many people are in front of you and, as you come up the other side, the surprisingly large number of people behind you.

The good thing about the Great South Run, is its length. At ten miles in total you find yourself very quickly at the halfway point. From there it is just a case of picturing the ever declining distance to the end. By now I was thirsty again, but the drinks station at 5.5 miles was only providing sports drinks. I didn’t want to risk drinking half a litre of fast-acting carbs with all the consequences of that for my blood sugar levels, so had to pass by. It would have been better if they had provided more water for people in my situation. As we approached six miles I got a pat on the back from a young lady who congratulated me on running for such a good cause. She was off and away before I could ask her, but I’m guessing she was either a Type 1 diabetic herself or knew someone who was. I did spot a couple of other JDRF runners on the course, plus one or two Diabetes UK runners. The best supported charities in my ‘local’ group appeared to be Cancer Research, Leukemia Research, Alzheimer’s Society and Macmillan Nurses.
As seven miles approached I was desperate for a drink. I felt like walking but decided to keep going until I got to the water station, then I would sit down and take my blodd sugar levels. I couldn’t tell whether I was dropping low although it did feel like it. The problem, of course, is that most of the hypo symptoms are how you feel anyway when running – sweating, heart racing, light-headed etc.! I sat down at the side of the road with my water bottle and tested – 5.7! I was quite surprised, but pleased because with only three miles to go I felt sure I would be OK. To be on the safe side, I ate a couple of jelly babies to top up the levels.

The final couple of miles were tricky, with quite a strong breeze in my face as I ran along the seafront to the finish. It felt ever-so-slightly uphill, although I’m sure that was just my imagination. It’s a pretty flat course, although there are a few rises and falls as my GPS tells me that it +315/-340 overall. I struggled a bit over that last couple of miles. I wasn’t sure if it was lack of insulin playing a part or what – I just felt very queasy. I found I could run quite fast for short distances – my legs felt remarkably good – but then the nausea would force me to slow right down and walk for a while until my stomach settled. Thus, I continued in this manner to the end. As the 200 metre marker came up and with the finish line in sight, I performed a very impressive sprint, flying past many people. I guess I always have plenty in reserve but don’t like to expend it until I am sure of finishing! My final time, according to my stopwatch, was 1:57:17 which was about eight minutes faster than last year. I was very pleased to have broken two hours, and didn’t realise just how close it had been until I saw the official ‘chip’ time later in the evening. This put me a 1:59:48 – so I had only just managed to do it! Not sure why there was such a discrepancy in times as I can’t believe that my stopwatch would lose a minute a mile.

Measuring my blood sugar at the end came in at 4.8 mmol/l, still nicely within range so the jelly babies had done their job but I hadn’t under or over-treated myself. Hurrah! I will definitely be back next year, but hopefully with more training runs under my belt, and more experience of running with diabetes. Who knows? I may even be wearing a pump! I calculated later that, since I had to walk to and from the railway stations at either end I had actually done about 15 miles, which helps to explain why my legs are feeling so sore today!

Great South Run – 16 days to go!`

I haven’t been writing about my recent running as most of it has been quite short and uneventful. I’ve been trying to keep to a pace and distance that my muscles and tendons can handle without a repeat of my injury at the end of August, which really set me back. My fitness levels are good – much better than they have been for some time., and my legs are quite strong. The problem I have is the durability of my legs. I seem to be very prone to little tears and strains, so I have no choice but to curtail a run once I feel that something may be about to go wrong. If the worst comes to the worst, I’ll hop round the course! Thankfully, at 10 miles the race isn’t insurmountable for slightly dodgy limbs, a marathon would be an entirely different proposition. I’m not sure why I’m having this difficulty, it’s not something I’ve encountered in over 25 years of running regular and long distances, and at a considerably faster pace than I can currently manage. It may possibly be related to one of the medications I have been taking since diagnosis. I’ve been reading up lately about cholesterol and the tablets used to lower levels, known as statins. They are actually linked to potential muscle wastage! I will report back when I have read up on all the facts and the various schools of thought, as I am seriously considering stopping taking them. My cholesterol levels are very low anyway, maybe too low!

So…all that being said, I have just been for a run today of just over one third of the GSR distance. Weather was good for it – cloudy, cool and no significant wind to fight against! I deliberately kept to a modest pace, ever mindful that an injury now would effectively rule me out of, at the very least, an enjoyable day out in Portsmouth. I felt a little lethargic for the first mile or so, but rather than cutting things short I decided to run through the far section of the park and give myself a chance to warm up properly. There were the usual very annoying stops waiting for traffic at the few roads I have to cross. It’s a real pain having to stop and watch an endless stream of cars moving slowly past without a break. Although they could all see me very clearly, not one of them had the courtesy to just pause a moment and allow me to cross safely – sometimes I hate motorists! Having never been a driver myself I don’t really understand the obsession with cars that many people have. I think there are so many lazy people around these days. My own neighbour never walks further than her door to the car and back again, however short the journey. I used to run from work to home in half the time it took colleagues to drive who live on the same street! What a waste of time and money!

Thankfully, I made it back in one piece, and at a reasonable sort of pace. Due to my missed training I’m just hoping to complete the GSR in less than two hours – I’d had ambitions a few weeks ago of under ninety minutes!

Friday October 9th, 2009
Distance
3.4 miles
Time
33’ 21”
Calories
402
Blood glucose before (1.5 hour)
8.7
Blood glucose after
7.4

Great South Run – 37 days to go!

Just a brief update today! After Monday’s run, I thought it prudent to wait until I was feeling fully recovered before going out for another one. The last run wasn’t particularly long or strenuous, but it was the first one for a fortnight, and with my recent history and just over a month to go I don’t want any more mishaps!

This morning was bright and sunny, blue skies and a whisper of cool wind. As soon as I started the run I began to feel all sorts of little twinges, but tried to relax and let things gradually warm up. My impression was that my oxygen uptake has improved, as I wasn’t building up such an oxygen-debt on the first uphill part of the run, and I was able to breathe comfortably all the way round – no gasping for breath as would once have been the case. So, although I have missed some of my training, it thankfully does not seem to have affected my level of fitness. What is still apparent, however, is that I don’t have the same strength and endurance in my legs of former times, as they began to tire after about two miles. As I neared the end of the run I was also aware of a growing sensation of fatigue in my right calf where I had suffered the injury a couple of weeks ago, so I took things nice and gently as I approached home.

It was a beautiful morning, but the Sun is now getting that much lower in the sky and at points shining directly into my eyes. One of these days I’ll remember to wear a hat to shield my eyes! On the whole, a good run. My pace has increased slightly, which is good as it was not noticeable to me - I did not perceive that I was working harder. I do need to maintain a steady build-up, though, and not be tempted to do too much too quickly!

Thursday September17th, 2009
Distance
2.86 miles
Time
27’ 38”
Calories
337
Blood glucose before (1.5 hour)
10.0
Blood glucose after
8.1

Great South Run – 41 days to go!

Hurrah! Went out for my first run in two weeks this morning, after injuring my calf muscle last time out. I have been putting it off for a few days, still nervous that I could feel some soreness and worried that I might damage it all over again the instant I put it under stress.

For the first few hundred yards I felt very vulnerable. There was a slight soreness as the tendon stretched each time I pushed off, and I was running thorugh all the possible ways I might be able to shorten my route the moment I felt anything even remotely approaching pain. Gradually, I became more confident, although still maintaining a slow, steady pace, taking particular care on the steep downhill path that leads into the park. As I entered the park there was a young woman jogging towards me, so of course I had to increase my pace slightly so that a) she would be suitably impressed by my lithe, athletic physique, and b) so I could effect a quick getaway should her lust overtake her at the sight of my wonderful legs and she should leap upon me. I don’t actually think she noticed me, being more intent on her iPod music than my svelte form, so I was able to breathe a sigh of relief and slow my pace a little…

I decided to run the majority of my route in the opposite direction to normal, having calculated that there were more opportunities to cut the run short should anything unforeseen occur. Surprisingly, this appeared to be easier, and on consulting my GPS data after the run I discovered that there was less ‘climb’ in this direction – uphill: 82, downhill 222! Never quite sure if I can trust those figures – distance is one thing, but can the satellites really measure rise and fall of terrain so accurately?

With each step I was still wondering if I should try and attempt the whole of my ‘short’ route, but as each potential turning point came, I carried on feeling none the worse. Eventually, after leaving the park, I felt good enough to run the full length rather than cutting short by a quarter of a mile, which had been my original intention. Heart and lungs were good all the way through, but the legs felt constantly at risk from all the impact and jarring of the joints. Thankfully, the weather was cool and cloudy, so I didn’t suffer the feelings of nausea that often afflict me when the Sun is shining brightly into my eyes.

Hurrah again! Home safe and sound, but conscious that I have only 40 days remaining after today before the Great South Run. I’m also conscious that, however close the event, I mustn’t try and do too much – if I am able to run 7 or 8 miles by race day I will have no problems completing the course.

Monday September 14th, 2009
Distance
2.81 miles
Time
28’ 14”
Calories
333
Blood glucose before (1.5 hour)
9.0
Blood glucose after
8.0

An Ode to Anne-Marie

I’ve been an administrator on a diabetes support forum for a while now – it’s where I first started posting my poems and they do seem to be well received. At the end of June I happened to mention on the forum that I was going to start recording my training diary on the blog, and was asked by several members if I would be running for charity as they would be happy to sponsor me. Last year I ran on behalf of Diabetes UK, but haven’t been too impressed with them in recent months, so wanted to raise money for an alternative charity. I finally settled on JDRF – the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation. This is an organisation dedicated to finding the causes, new treatments, and hopefully one day, the cure for Type 1 diabetes. Now, I developed diabetes well into adulthood, but on the forum I have heard many stories from parents, teenagers and young adults about how diabetes has come into their lives and how they are struggling to ensure a happy healthy future in spite of it.

Type 1 diabetes is a very distressing diagnosis for parents, who then have to subject their often uncomprehending young child to regular injections and finger prick tests daily, and without respite. The condition is also increasing by 4% a year, and it can, it seems, strike any family. Research into finding a cure or methods of prevention, therefore are of extreme importance and JDRF are at the forefront of this research.

I have been extremely moved by the support I have received from the forum members, who have never met me, yet have still given generously to my fundraising appeal! I am at the current moment 80% of the way to my target in less than two weeks since launching the appeal. I decided to try and encourage more donations by setting a competition. People have to guess what my finishing blood glucose level will be at the end of the race and, as a tie-breaker, estimate my finishing time. The prizes are a copy of The Discovery of Insulin, by Michael Bliss, and two runners-up prizes of a personalised poem written by me. One sponsor, Anne-Marie, decided that she wanted the poem without competing for it and sponsored me an extra £10 to provide it! Here is the result, which she is very happy with (thank goodness, one always doubts one’s creative works!). A few words of explanation: she is a Type 1 who follows a low carbohydrate diet, is an insomniac, and is also the forum’s most prolific poster! I do have to keep her and her friend Katie in line – but it is all light-hearted fun which I think other forum members appreciate!

She’s a carbophobiac, and here’s the reason why,
Just the mention of a twiglet will send her levels high!
Potatoes, bread and pasta are to her an evil vice,
No matter what the GI is for white basmati rice!

She’s also an insomniac and cannot sleep at night,
It’s often three or four a.m. when she turns out the light!
But Katie keeps her company, for the two of them are twins –
It’s hard to tell where one girl ends and the other one begins!

She’s perfectly prolific, posting quips the whole day long,
And finds the ideal video if you’re searching for a song…
She’s filled with prawns and omelettes, and eggs of every kind –
A girl whose lips eat fewer chips, I doubt you’ll ever find!

If the forum was without her it would be a duller place,
For though she thinks that Northerner is always on her case,
He thinks she’s kind and generous, and full of good support,
She’ll be right there for anyone without a second thought!

So, here’s my ode to Anne-Marie, who used to live down South,
Admirer of the rugby men, with the occasional ‘potty’ mouth!
And should they ever find the cure, let’s hope it’s not her fate
That it consists of one huge pill that’s high in carbohydrate!

Great South Run – 58 days to go!

After being a little disappointed at my last run, I was feeling nervous about today’s excursion. When I woke the sky was grey and overcast, which was promising. We runners like the sunny weather as much as anyone except when we are out running! Ideal distance running weather is grey, cloudy, with a light breeze and possibly even a sprinkle of drizzly rain. Unfortunately, that type of weather rarely actually happens, despite Britain’s reputation – generally there is some factor that will upset the balance somewhere, like a strong gusting wind or pouring rain, hailstones, snow, sleet, or perhaps hot, blinding sunshine. Today, despite early appearances, it seemed I was in for a bit of the latter as the Sun began to break through the cloudy veil within minutes of leaving the house. Thankfully, because of the hour and the direction of my run, I wasn’t running directly into the glare, which eased things a little. I quickly became very hot though and debated through the first mile just how far I should run. Should I try and increase my pace and run a shorter route? Or stick it out and run at a more leisurely pace and put more distance in the training bank?

The tide was out, unlike the other day when the water had virtually lapped across the path, and there were broad, ugly mudflats exposed with clumps of brown seaweed drying slowly in the brightening sunshine. A group of about twenty swans were gathered by the jetty, pruning and preening, and leaving fluffy white feathers scattered around that stood out against the murky mud. I always try to keep to the side of the path away from the riverbank, but sometimes, as now, people force you to move closer to the edge, oblivious it seems to your presence and letting their yappy little dogs dodge and weave around your ankles without even a glance. I like dogs, but dislike those lazy leads some dog owners use that allow the dog to remain on leash, yet wander far beyond their owners on telescopic tethers that form hazardous tripwires across the path of unwary runners.

Coming to a potential turning point, I decide to continue out, beyond the weir and into the part of the park where fishermen flank the path. A few more dog walkers amble slowly by – westies, pugs, jack russells – all small dogs it appears this morning. Looking at their owners I decide that this is because they are more manageable and cheaper to maintain as pets for their elderly companions. On the whole, I like small dogs. We had a lovely part-corgi called Tiny, who always looked like a puppy – even when she was 18 years old!

As I reach the bridge and make my turn, my legs are beginning to protest a little. I so want to get back to the state I was in when I felt strong and fast on a run. It will come, I’m sure. I already feel an improvement in pace this morning, and hope that I will be able to maintain it to the end. Here, scattered alongside the path, are the dry, fallen branches blown down by the strong, whipping winds of yesterday. No doubt these are the older branches, less able to withstand the storms than their erstwhile neighbours, strengthened by the sinew and sap of youth.

It’s hot now, and my breathing is more laboured, and I hope for a little rest at the road crossing – alas, not to be! I have to continue straight across and upward, until finally reaching the downhill stretch to home.
Overall, it was a good run. Of a similar length to my last run, but my pace improved by over 25 seconds a mile. This may not sound a lot, and I’m still running quite slowly, but it’s an improvement so I’m happy with that, and actually the whole run has taken me two minutes less than the same distance previously. I may not achieve the six or seven minute mile pace I used to enjoy, but if I can get to around 8 minute 30 pace, I will be more than happy!


Thursday August 25th, 2009
Distance
3.66 miles
Time
35’ 10”
Calories
433
Blood glucose before (1.5 hour)
8.0
Blood glucose after
7.8

Great South Run - 59 days to go!

I’ve been experimenting with Photobucket, so I hope that you will be seeing a slideshow of the route of yesterday’s run! It was a hot and sunny day, although there was a strong breeze whipping across the water that did knock me a little off balance. I’m always very cautious when running along the riverside path – don’t want to go falling in! That happened to me once when I was a teenager – I fell in the River Calder up to my neck whilst out on a fishing trip with my friend. At the time it was one of the most polluted rivers in the country, so my biggest concern was did I swallow any of that poisonous filth? Never caught any fish there, although in theory you could just catch the dead ones floating on the surface. My friend would throw in a handful of groundbait and the hit the fish over the head as they came to feed! Sorry, I digress! The River Itchen is much cleaner than the Calder was, especially as you move upstream. Beyond the weir the water becomes much calmer and clearer as it is not affected at this point by the tidal processes that stir up the mud and murk further down.

I started off feeling quite good, but quickly started to feel the effects of the heat. I wasn’t sure if I should continue and run the whole distance I had planned – a loop of 4.5 miles and a repeat of my previous run, but thought I would carry on and give it a go. I’m not great in hot weather, and it can be confusing now I have diabetes, because you’re never sure whether the heat is making you feel bad or if your blood sugar levels are dropping low. My level was 8.9 mmol/l at the start, which is pretty much perfect for the length of run I had planned, but I did have the sensation that perhaps it was falling rather faster than normal. Heat can affect levels, as can just about everything else as far as diabetes is concerned – you really don’t appreciate just how much you have to take into account, looking backwards and forwards, what you ate, when you ate, how active you were or will be. The list at times seems to factor in so many possibilities that it ends up like some impenetrable mathematical theorem - Bolus = ∑((∂x+∂y)*√( Ωz-(4xy2/3rs)≤ п(∞3)) – or some such!

I don’t like to stop and walk, even for a moment. Once you stop then it can be very difficult to get going again and even if you do, you are more likely to want to stop again soon! So, I hung on for as long as I could. I still had to get home of course, so the only really change would be that I would be going at a slightly slower (i.e. walking) pace. I decided that I should cut the run short and head back for home. The problem wasn’t so much with my legs being tired, but that the bright sunshine was making me feel rather queasy, which in turn affects my breathing. I was hoping that, when I left the park and had to cross the road, the lights would be against me and force me to wait a few moments before continuing. This was ‘allowed’ and didn’t really count as ‘stopping’ as you can’t just run out in front of traffic! Thankfully, there was a steady stream of traffic that had to pass by before I could cross, so I got my much hoped for respite before the short climb uphill and then down the road to home.

Overall, a little disappointing to have curtailed the run, and also to have run at such an unimpressive pace, but a run nonetheless. There will always be days when things aren’t quite as you planned – hopefully not on race day! As it turned out, my blood sugar levels had fallen much more than normal, with a drop of 3.5 mmol/l. Normally, I would expect a fluctuation up or down of no more than 1.5 mmol/l, so clearly the heat had had an effect!


Tuesday August 25th, 2009
Distance
3.69 miles
Time
37’ 06”
Calories
417
Blood glucose before (1.5 hour)
8.9
Blood glucose after
5.4

Great South Run – 65 days to go!

I love my Garmin Forerunner ! It’s a wristwatch style GPS that uses satellite technology to measure the distance, elevation, timings, pace and speed of my training runs. It can also measure my heart rate, but I tend not to use that option. The great thing about it is that it provides a true and accurate record of my running. Previously, I would use a pedometer to measure distance, plus my ordinary wristwatch for timings. This was prone to error, as the pedometer depends on stride length which is difficult to measure accurately, and will vary anyway with the terrain. I found I had a tendency to overestimate the distances I was running, so when it came to measured distances, like in a marathon or half-marathon, it often came as a bit of a shock to realise how generous I had been in my estimations! Actually, as the years have gone by I have fine-tuned things fairly well, and the Forerunner measurements are really not far off – experience has taught me to be more honest, I guess!

I’ve had a couple of rest days. Wednesday was far too hot for running, and yesterday my legs were still feeling a little stiff. I reckoned that if I had run yesterday I would have been running on weary legs, so thought it better to give them an extra day to recover. It does seem to have worked out, as this morning I felt quite a spring in my step as I set off. My ambition was to run further this morning. I have a route that takes me further along the riverbank until I reach a good turning point at a beautiful little stone bridge, then back along the side of a road and round to the park again. I could just turn on my heels when I reach the bridge, but I prefer the variety of landscape by coming back alongside the road. It’s not too busy a road, and it’s nice to see the changing gardens of the houses that skirt its edge.

The air was quite cool as I set off, with a light breeze which felt very pleasant. A lot of the swans on the river were still asleep, their long necks curled over their backs and resting on their wings, reminding me of those ‘quenelles’ they teach you how to make in cookery programmes. All very calming, and thankfully my breathing is also calm – not the laboured gasping of a few days ago! It’s quite a remarkable change in such a few short days, but I’m also aware that I am going very slowly, a fact confirmed as a much younger man jogs lightly and effortlessly past me. Well, I’ll never break the land-speed record, so it doesn’t really worry me. I don’t really see my running as competitive – at the speed I run these days, that would be a delusional attitude. It’s much more about seeing the improvements in yourself, knowing what you are capable of and, for me, trying to get back to somewhere like how I used to be before diabetes raised its unwelcome spectre.

After a mile or so, the Sun broke through the light cloud cover and the heat began to build. I did wonder for a moment if it would be wise to do my planned route, knowing it was something like 40% further than my earlier runs this week, but decided that as long as I stuck to my steady pace, I’d make it round – I could always walk if need be. I carry some glucose tablets with me should I feel my blood sugar levels falling, although I generally stay within range on runs of 5 miles or less. I managed to find some shade as I ran along a back lane, then further shade was provided by a line of tall poplars as I rejoined the far end of the park on my way out to the bridge.

There’s a short steep climb up and over the arch of the little bridge, then a further climb running through a sheltered path behind some houses before I reach the main road. I still felt quite good, sticking to my steady pace and enjoying a slight downhill slope before turning near the local railway station. As I turn a bend towards the student residences, a large crowd of foreign students are waiting across the road at the bus stop – I put on a burst of speed to impress them (!), and then finally return to the park.

On the whole, I was very pleased with the run. Slow, yes, but 4.5 miles, which after all is 45% or the distance of the Great South Run with over nine weeks training still to go, so I am confident I can build my strength and speed before October comes around.

I have been so thrilled to see how my sponsorship efforts have been going. After only four days I am currently at 57% of my target, thanks to the generous support of the people on the UK forum – an amazing total, and a real motivation to do the training and really do well in the race!


Friday August 21st, 2009
Distance
4.5 miles
Time
44’ 23”
Calories
532
Blood glucose before (1.5 hour)
6.9
Blood glucose after
7.6