Ten Eight Fifty

"Only 26.2 miles to go!" - so says the banner as you leave the London Marathon Running Show at ExCeL in London.  Only.

Most of my blog posts end up forcing some slightly tortured metaphor into a comment on living with diabetes, but not today.  Diabetes is shit, hard work and makes nearly everything more complicated that it could possibly need to be.  There endeth that lesson for today.

The beginning

Training for the marathon has been a rollercoaster and then some.  Having put aside the shock of actually getting through the ballot in the first place, I vaguely rediscovered my love of running, only to end up with pain in my knee that slowed me down quite a lot.  Having managed that, I found some of my old rhythm, but pulled a calf muscle at the start of what ended up being a 10 mile run and took most of December off.

It's fair to say training was as up and down as most of the routes you can find to run around Sheffield.

January came and brought with it new trainers that immediately fixed the burning pain in my shins, and then training got pretty serious.  I had a plan (of sorts) though I daren't write in down for fear of jinxing myself further.  I'd not opened the London Marathon magazine I got in October because it felt too scary to properly face up to it.  Instead I stuck to three runs each week, trying to find routes around London (and Taunton and Liverpool) while I was away with work and sticking to a long run on my old routes while I was at home.

The middle

I think the sweet spot will always be training up to about 16 miles.  It's over half-marathon distance, but it's not so ridiculously far that you dread lacing your shoes up to train.  Once I got to 18, 20 and 22 miles, I'd pretty much fallen out of love with it, and that sense of self-righteousness/smugness that came from doing 12, 14 or 16 miles was replaced with a mix of loathing and nausea.

But something unexpected had happened... I'd somehow managed to do those long distances, up hills and through the countryside at a pace faster than my best time over a marathon course.  By blind luck, will power and some sense of training, I'd actually done something pretty positive.  Doing it, and doing it well seemed like a real possibility!

But nothing is really that straightforward and it all fell on it's arse pretty soon after that.  The start of my first full week of tapering began with a pleasant 8 mile stretch along the Norfolk coastline.  I'd picked up my fifth and sixth blister by this point so was managing pain and discomfort in a variety of ways already.  A couple of days later I went out to repeat the same route - after all it's rare you get to run by the beach in Sheffield.  And then something went.  Not with a bang or crash, but with a twinge and a "ah bastard" muttered under my breath.

I walked/limped the last three miles home, convinced that I'd blown it, that six months of training, pain and sacrifice had been washed away like the tide on the beach.  The last three weeks have been filled with ibuprofen, Deep Heat, massage, phyio and acupuncture - anything to get me ready.  What's been missing is running, and with that comes doubt.

The end

The marathon is three days away and the build up to race day is like the build up to your exams at school.  "Have I done enough?", "What if I just tried a bit more?", "I don't think I'm ready" - all that stuff floods your mind and really it becomes a battle of your own mental state, not your physical one.  I've been preparing myself for the worst because I'm a glass-half-empty person a lot of the time.  It's easier to imagine the bad stuff than the good stuff.  It's easier to think that my leg will give way inside the first mile, rather than think that if I get to Tower Bridge and the halfway point, I've done the worst of it and it's running home from there.

The physio has narrowed my pain down to tight hamstring in my right leg, but is supremely confident that if I'm sensible and leave Mo Farah to run his own race, I'll get round mine.  And she's right. Of course she is.  No it won't be pain free, but it wasn't going to be anyway.  It'll hurt, but I can make it from start to finish.

This is me

What's been hardest to stomach is that fact that I'd put myself into an improbable position that at a month before my 38th birthday I could have run a personal best for a distance I'd not seriously considered until six months ago, didn't really start training for until four months ago, and that I last did 5 years ago.  That's gone now - I know that - but as we're all our own worst critics, I can't stop beating myself up for it, even though it's completely out of my control.

Too many people have put their faith in me for me to not make it round.  Too many people have donated their money to a cause and a charity I care so desperately about for me not to finish.  Too many of my colleagues will be around the course on the day to cheer me, the other 145 Diabetes UK runners, and the other 40,000 people for me to fail.  I might fall a little short of my own standards or expectations, but theirs are the ones that count the most.

Only 26.2 miles to go...

I'm raising money for Diabetes UK because I've lived with Type 1 diabetes for something like 17 years and it's crap.  I manage it pretty well, but it's devastating condition that can lead to sight lost, lower limb amputation and a whole host of other dreadful things that nobody should have to live with.  If you'd like to donate to them, you can do so via my fundraising page, and please believe me that every pound makes a massive difference.  While I work for Diabetes UK, I have no control over how your donation is spent.

 

If you want to follow my progress on the day, you can download the London Marathon app and track me using bib number 10850, or look out for updates before, during and after on my Twitter

Back again

I've dusted off my password and come back to write something.

If you've been keeping up-to-date with any of my social media, you'll know I'm running the London Marathon in just under five weeks.  Whilst this post is loosely based around that, it's also some thoughts on change.

I was in a similar position seven years ago as I prepared to line up for my first ever marathon.  Back then it was all unknown territory for me - how do you run 18, 20 or 26 miles?  How do you do it whilst managing a health condition like Type 1 diabetes?  How do you keep going when it's easier to give up?

Thankfully I managed to find answers to all those questions, and now I find myself reflecting on what's changed, and what's stayed the same since 2012.

Well, I'm still not built for running so I'm fairly sure my training schedule isn't keeping Eliud Kipchoge or Mo Farah awake at night.  And of course I still have diabetes to contend with, which is very much the added X-factor when it comes to long distance running (for me at least).

What's changed?

Of course lots of things have changed too.  For my first marathon, insulin pens were my treatment regime and so reduced basal injections the night before and the morning of the run were vital for keeping my bloods under control.  Looking back now, it seems pretty crude, but it definitely did the job.  By 2014, for my second marathon, I'd switched to a pump and the added level of finesse to tweaking basal rates was hugely helpful.

Technology has come a long way since then, and so this year I'll line up with a flash glucose monitor sending my blood sugar readings to my watch every five minutes (assuming it holds up under a sea of Bluetooth interference).  That should help even more as I should be able to ward off any signs of low blood sugar a long time in advance.

'Score one for older and wiser...'

I've also not managed to defy the aging process and so I'll head off a month shy of my 38th birthday and feeling every single day that I've aged since last time.  It's clearly affected my memory as well, because I'd forgotten how unrelenting the training is to be able to run/walk/shobble/stagger over 26 miles.  That said, the wonder that is Facebook's "on this day" feature told me my recent 20 mile run was 30 mins faster than my first attempt over that difference way back in 2012.  Score one for 'older and wiser' there I think...

I've changed jobs since my last effort too, and so there's an added layer of tiredness to factor in beyond a) the actual training and b) being nearly 40.  I'm usually travelling around the country once or twice a week, so earlier starts and fitting runs in early before work, or after a long day have become the new norm - but a manageable norm.

'How do you keep going when it's easier to give up?'

For me, the big question was the last one I posed at the start... "How do you keep going when it's easier to give up?".   Of course, that's really a life question, not just a running one, though it definitely applies when you're feeling sick after 18 miles.

It's invariably a diabetes question too, and I guess the answer is really the same for everything - "I don't really have a choice".  It's not a cure for Type 1 I'm desperately after, it's a day off.  It is utterly relentless and at times it's all consuming.  The advent of technology I celebrated a few paragraphs ago also brings with it some tougher aspects.  If it's hard to switch off from a chronic condition when you're connected to an insulin pump, it's basically impossible if everytime you unlock your phone, there's a blood glucose reading staring you in the face.

Sometimes it's OK.  Sometimes it's mocking you for a bad decision you made a few hours earlier.  But it's always there.  I've long thought that diabetes has me so tight in it's Stockholm Syndrome-like grip that I'd be lost without it in my life.  But when that's all said and done I'd take a 24 hour respite in an instant.

So... how do you keep going when it's easier to give up?  I guess the answer is 'by any means necessary'.  On marathon day, it'll be the promise of a medal (and my first bit of proper junk food in months).  With diabetes I fundamentally don't have a choice and it's remembering that I'm doing the best with the tools, knowledge and wisdom that I've got.

Anyone can have a bad day, and we'll always be our own worst critic, seeing ourselves in a crueller light than anyone else ever would.  I'm not going to compare my finish time to anyone else's, and I won't do the same with my health.


I'm running the London Marathon on Sunday April 28th for Diabetes UK - a charity very close to my heart for a lot of reasons.  If you'd like to support them by sponsoring me, you can visit my JustGiving page to donate, and to get regular updates on my training as the day approaches.  Despite working for Diabetes UK, I have no say over how your donation is spent.

6489

So this is my final blog post anywhere before Sunday's Yorkshire Marathon attempt.

I say attempt because that's exactly what it is.  Despite all the training and hard work that's lead me up to this point, there's absolutely no guarantees of anything and I need to carry this determination over the start line and around York to get me to the end.

That's not to say I don't feel prepared because I think I am.  Definitely more so than I was two and a half years ago in London.  I've paid a lot more attention to my diet and training and I've focused on more than simply just logging miles.

I said recently that almost every day this year has been a lead up to this race.  Whilst I know I don't have anything to prove to anyone, I still feel like I owe myself something - that the first time I did a marathon wasn't really a true reflection of what I might be capable of.

I boldly said at the start of the year that I could knock an hour off my last time (5:30:41) and I still think that with some good conditions and a little bit of luck, that might be possible on Sunday. I think 4:45 is a more achievable time but I'm not going to put any pressure on myself to do anything until 18 or 19 miles in.

Experience tells me that the last 7-8 miles are the hardest and I'm hoping I can put myself in contention with something I can personally be proud of at that point.   If not, then maybe it just wasn't my day and whatever happens, I'll be glad to get round.

I read somewhere recently that running a marathon has become "normalised" to some degree.  Back in 1981 when the first London Marathon was staged, running 26.2 miles was a rare thing that few people outside of elite athletes even attempted.  My dad doing the 1989 marathon was what hooked me in from an early age.

Nowadays there are so many opportunities open to people that want to go that full distance (which I think is fantastic), but what I think it means is the effort that goes into preparing for a marathon gets lost.  Basically it's incredibly hard work for your average Joe like me. 

To give you some idea of what it takes to get to the start line, I've run 507.33 miles so far this year - roughly the distance from Sheffield to John and I've spent 86 hours, 16 minutes and 25 seconds training.  It's a huge commitment and it's very tiring.   But compare that to 2012 when I'd logged just under 195 miles (and just 36 hours running) it's a huge step forward.

Whilst running is mostly fun (and running in a big race with a big crowd is almost certainly the closest I'll ever get to being a rock star), it also has it's downsides.  It can be very painful, at distances over about 18 miles it can make you want to be horribly sick and you can ache in places you never knew existed.

Of course I have to manage diabetes alongside all that too which makes it a little more complicated.  I'm hoping I've had enough practice this year to have a clear strategy set out, and I'm hoping the jelly babies I'll be scoffing every few miles won't make me throw up (though you never can tell.

In short, I'm not taking anything for granted, but I'm hoping I can get round in a reasonable time and do so without injuring myself!

In 2012 I spent the day before the race watching The Hunger Games at the Odeon in Leicester Square.  This year I'll be at a networking day for Diabetes UK (conveniently held in York) meeting volunteers and other local group members, before having dinner and an early night.  It's good to have something to take my mind off it all and I'm hoping there'll be a lot to think about which will distract me whilst I'm running the next day.

Going to York is very much like going home, as I lived there for 10 years, and the start/finish will be at York University where I studied for four years.  I'm hoping it'll be a great weekend all round.

Finally, I just want to thank everyone who's supported me in one way or another.  I've received a lot of encouragement from friends and family and it's been great to see so many people generously donate to Diabetes UK.  I've raised £635 so far and I'm really hoping I can make it to £1000 before the end of the year.  I won't tell you all again, how much good that money will do (check any of my last blogs to see what I mean) but trust me, it really will make such a huge difference.  If you want to donate, then please visit http://www.justgiving.com/broomhead or text BROO81 10 to 7007 to donate £10.

I'll see you all on the other side with the verdict on how it went.

Thanks for reading.

Andy

Reasons to be cheerful

The Yorkshire Marathon is 20 days away now and I’m now fully focused on the last nine (NINE!) training runs before the big day.

 

I did my longest run yesterday – 22.2 miles – which is the furthest I’ve ever done in training and the second furthest I’ve ever done in my life.  The time of 4 hours 10 was a little outside what I’d hoped, but nothing too demoralising so I felt pretty pleased with it all things considered.  I didn’t push hard at all to be honest – didn’t tackle any of the major inclines on my route as I was trying to leave a bit of energy for the later, more gruelling miles.

 

I got to about 19 miles before I really felt like I was struggling but, that said, a lot of the last 3 miles was uphill which I took at a walking pace.  I’m also having to do these longer runs with a backpack carrying spare water as I can’t convince people to set up impromptu water stations for me around Sheffield.  Losing that bit of weight might make a difference.

 

I’ve decided that while a sub 4:30 marathon might still be a remote possibility for me, a lot of that will come down to conditions on the day.  You can train, plan and prepare as much as possible but sometimes things just won’t quite click and you’ll not get the performance you wanted.  Conversely, you can feel under-prepared and go out and have a great run.  I’m prepared to accept that unknown factor so I’ll just take it as it comes.  I feel confident I’ll beat my last time (5:30:41) and I’m quietly confident I can do sub-5.  Anything after that is a bonus.

 

This coming weekend will be interesting as I’m doing 20 miles on Saturday followed by another 6 on Sunday morning as part of the Great Yorkshire Run.  After that it’s some swift tapering before Race Day.

 

I’m also feeling pretty pleased about my weight for once as I’ve finally managed to get below 180lbs for the first time in about 5 years.  It’s fair to say that marathon training whilst dieting has played a major part in that, but I’m now looking to  just try and maintain this new weight.  It feels strange actively trying to find extra calories to eat (rather than avoid!) but I’m hoping it’ll build up my energy stores over the next few weeks and maybe make those last few miles a bit more bearable.

 

My diabetes seems to be behaving itself as well with all my post run blood glucose levels being in a ‘normal’ range.  I’m having to scoff most of a bag of jelly babies throughout the course of a long run but it seems to be paying off.  Hopefully that’s going to continue without incident.  It’s an added variable I have to take into account on each run and the longer I can keep it well controlled the better.

 

Finally it’s been a pleasing week from a fundraising perspective with people generously donating another £30 to take the total raised to £215 so far.  There’s still a long way to go to the £1000 target but it’s great to see the notifications come through about new donations – it really is an added incentive to get out and run.

 

I read something recently discussing how running a marathon had become ‘normalised’ because of the number of events and the number of people signing up for each one.  I think that is true to a large degree because it is a lot easier to find an event that it was 15-20 years ago.  But what that doesn’t do is normalise the amount of work that goes into preparing for running 26.2 miles.  It’s still an incredibly hard slog and the support that comes in from friends, colleagues and family makes a real difference.

 

As you probably know by now, I’m raising money for Diabetes UK so they can help to support the millions of people living with diabetes on a daily basis.  Diabetes is a chronic condition that directly affects more than 4 million people in the UK (and over 30,000 in my home city alone).   There’s also an estimated 700,000 people who may have undiagnosed diabetes at present, and seven million adults are currently at risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

 

The money I’m hoping to raise will pay for 20 qualified assessors to help people at risk understand what changes they can make to reduce their risk and be able to live a long and healthy life.

 

If you feel like you can spare a few pounds to help this incredibly worthwhile cause, please visit http://www.justgiving.com/broomhead or text BROO81 + your donation to 70070 (e.g. BROO81 5 to donate £5).

 

As always, thanks for reading.

 

Andy

 

Rainswept

The most intense training week I've probably ever had is finally behind me...and I actually feel pretty good about it.

If you remember from last week, I was planning on 2, 3, 4 and 5 mile runs this week, using the shorter ones to try and have some actual speed and the longer ones to translate that into some pace over more miles.

Family and charity commitments over the next week or so meant I actually had to pull one of Week 4's runs forward into this week so I had an additional 6 mile effort in there too, making it 20 miles for two consecutive weeks which is something to be pretty proud of!

To say I've done 5 runs in 7 days (something I've never attempted before) I feel pretty good and my times have reflected that.   My average pace across the last 20 miles is 9:26 minute miles compared with an average of 10:13 for the previous week.

I know for most people, they aren't anything amazing to write home about (and I look at others on Twitter who are training for the same race and they're a lot faster).  The one thing about marathon running is that for 99% of people entering you're only really racing yourself - it doesn't matter how everyone else does so I'm trying not to pay too much attention to other people and just focus on doing what I'm doing.

I talked last time about how conditions are something you need to bear in mind when running and managing your diabetes.  This week the weather has given me a fair few challenges, varying between warm sunshine and monsoon rain.  Fortunately I've managed to take most of that in my stride (pun unintended).

The most difficult run this week was the 6 miler this morning (Sunday).  Having been out four times already meant I was pretty tired but I'd had one of those nights with my diabetes that meant it was all the more difficult to motivate myself to get going.  I'd replaced my cannula just before bed as the adhesive had lost its usefulness but this is something you should generally avoid because if you put the new one in wrong and you don't get insulin properly, it can be pretty catastrophic and you're unlikely to know during the night.

For some reason I still don't understand, the new one only lasted about 20 minutes so I was still up at nearly midnight putting a third cannula in (and sticking it down with surgical tape to be certain).  To make sure I was going to be OK, I set an alarm for 1:30am to get up and check my blood glucose (which was fortunately OK).  I then had a hypo at 5:30am so I was up again to eat and raise my blood before I set off to run.  That's a fairly good (but thankfully rare) example of a diabetes rollercoaster - highs and lows and the physical strain of dealing with everything in between too.

Thankfully I managed to get round in a pretty decent time and made it home in the rain before it properly bucketed it down.

Next week is relatively easy, two runs and some non-impact/strength work. I'll be doing 5 miles tomorrow (Monday) and then 12 miles on Thursday after work.  That definitely won't be fun as I'm not a huge fan of doing my long runs midweek, but needs must this time.  The distances are going to start getting bigger pretty quickly now so the next 6 weeks are crucial now.

I'll finish, as always, with a mention of the fantastic work that Diabetes UK do and why I'm raising money for them.  Living with diabetes isn't an easy thing to do a lot of the time.  Having a self managed chronic illness  takes a lot out you and knowing there's someone there who can support you is an incredible help.  Diabetes UK offer that help and support to millions of people like me who need it and to say it makes actually living life easier is a huge understatement.  If you can spare anything to help me reach my £1,000 target for 2014, then please visit http:www.justgiving.com/broomhead - I'm incredibly grateful for your support.

Thanks

Peas in a pod

So that’s week two out of the way and my first 20 mile week since late January/early Feb.  As usual, it had its ups and downs with a pretty good 5 miler followed up by a pretty atrocious one, all rounded off with an average 10 mile run at the weekend.

 

While I was out and about, it struck me how many similarities there are between running and having diabetes:

 

·         They’re both unpredictable.  Take my two 5 mile runs.  The first was excellent – one of the fastest I’ve done in months, and my 7thfastest time of the year.  I came back feeling really pleased and confident that I had finally started to get to a place where I could push on and start to make some serious progress.  The second of those runs a few days later was abysmal.  I’d prepared in the same way I usually do – checked my blood, had a couple of jelly babies to stop my blood going low while I was running, had a few puffs on my inhaler to help my breathing and did a few (albeit brief) stretches.  After 3 miles I was a wreck – with an aching back, pain in my left side and I couldn’t catch my breath (and worse still, my inhaler I carry with me had run out).  Now I’ve been running long enough to know things like that will happen without any obvious reason and having diabetes can be the same.  You can have one day where your blood glucose readings are pretty much ‘perfect’ and the next day, you’ll do exactly the same things, weigh your carbs out as usual and your blood glucose levels will be bouncing around between painfully high or sickeningly low.  Being able to accept that and try and again the next day is key.

 

·         They’re both affected by many things.   Obviously things like the terrain, route and weather will affect how you run.  Running uphill on uneven ground will definitely yield different results to running on a nice flat, even path.  Well it definitely will for me at least.  Diabetes is very similar.  Insulin absorption is affected by temperature (it absorbs faster when it’s warm) so you need to think about how your body will behave differently in the heat of summer compared to cooler days.  A lot of people with diabetes will tell you that they have more hypos in the summer.  Even the time of day has an effect on the amount of insulin you need.  Many people have different insulin to carb ratios at different times of the day and a lot of people also see a rise in blood glucose in the morning, which may mean they need more insulin first thing.  Foods with higher fat content will affect the rate at which carbohydrates are absorbed into the bloodstream which means you need to adjust the way in which you administer insulin.   Being aware of the things that are going to affect you is important.

 

·         They both require proper planning.   I foolishly underestimated the weather on Saturday morning as I set off for my 10 mile effort.  It was overcast and a bit breezy so I set off in a t-shirt with a litre of water, thinking I’d have some to spare by the time I got home.  After about 6 miles, the sun had broken through the clouds, it had got a lot muggier and I was rationing my water to make sure I had enough to get me through the last mile.  I got home cursing myself for not starting with an extra half a litre and a running vest.  A lot of my life is given over to planning how to manage diabetes.  I went to a wedding on Saturday night and stayed over in a nearby hotel.  Fortunately it was little over an hour away from home so I decided not to take my usual bag full of spares and supplies, but still made sure I had a couple of spare cannulas and my inserter with me just in case.  I’d refilled my pump with insulin after my run that morning so I knew I’d be OK for insulin (a full pump will last me at least 3 days).  Really I should have packed a spare vial, a couple of reservoirs for the pump, plus all the kit in case the pump failed and I had to revert to pens.  I took a chance that being relatively close to home meant I’d be able to sort it out fairly quickly if anything went seriously awry.  That said, I still forgot extra blood testing strips so had to ration them a bit.  Not great when my evening readings started to go high and I wanted to keep checking!  Prior planning will affect performance.

 

·         They’re both tiring.  This might be an obvious one in some sense but it’s definitely a big similarity.  Obviously running make you tired and running on a muggy summer’s morning makes you extra tired.  Thankfully my legs recovered pretty quickly after this 20 mile week.  It’ll get harder as the weekly miles increase (and I know I’ll start to feel the longer runs when they start!)  Having diabetes is quite frankly exhausting sometimes.  Not so much physically, but mentally it can take its toll.  A lot of the self-management becomes second nature after a while.  You keep your medication and supplies in the same place, you can almost test your blood without looking and inject or use a pump as a reflex.  But as I mentioned in another post I wrote for Diabetes UK, it can be difficult to switch off from diabetes.  You constantly have to consider whether you have enough insulin to get through the day, when the battery on your pump will run out, how many carbs are present in a biscuit that someone brings into work…. The list feels never ending, and having to manage all that information in your mind 24/7 takes its toll.  If you ask people with diabetes what they want more than anything, I’d wager the most popular answer to that question (besides “a cure”) would be “a day off”.  We all know what it’s like to be tired and being able to manage that as best we can is all we can do.

 

I could go on and on with that list, but I’ve rambled a fair bit already.  This week is supposed to be an “easy” week to let your body adapt to the training.  I’m mostly going to adhere to that philosophy but I might stick an extra run in so instead of doing 2, 4 and 5 miles, there’ll be an extra 3 miler in there to help me try and rediscover that confidence I had at the start of last week.  I can also use the shorter runs to focus on pace and the longer runs to practice holding  steady pace for longer distances.  It all depends what I can fit in really.

 

Finally, as always, a word about why I’m doing all this (besides the promise of a medal at the end of it all!)  I’m raising money for Diabetes UK who are the leading charity who care for and campaign on behalf of all people with diabetes in the UK.  As you may know, I’m involved in some of the work they do already by writing a monthly blog for their site as well as being chairman of the Sheffield Group of Diabetes UK.  The work the charity does benefit millions of people across the country who can struggle to manage their condition and have their voice heard when it comes to getting the appropriate level of healthcare and support.  I’ve had diabetes for 13 years and still rely a lot on the support they offer – these services are so valuable for people who have either type of diabetes, regardless of how long they’ve had it.

 

If you can spare anything at all, please help me try and raise £1000 ahead of the Yorkshire Marathon in October by visiting  http://www.justgiving.com/broomhead and donating whatever you can.

 

Thanks

 

Andy

 

1 week down

Eleven weeks left to go.  I’ve done a little over 18 miles this week without any real ill effects so I think that’s probably got to be a success.  I have learned a few things so far though:

 

·         Training in the summer for an autumn marathon is harder than training in the winter for a spring marathon.  As you’re almost certainly aware, it is HOT out there at the moment and this has obvious impacts for anyone thinking of running middle to longer distances.  Plenty of fluids are a must so I’m lugging (at least) a litre of water around with me each time I go out.  The heat has an impact on my diabetes as well.  Insulin is absorbed more rapidly in the heat so it can lead to hypoglycaemic episodes if you’re not careful.  Basically, it means I can end up with too little sugar in my bloodstream and that can cause dizziness and disorientation – not good when you’re miles from home!

 

·         I am still embarrassingly overweight.  I tipped the scales at 199lbs this morning – now a good 12-14lbs heavier than I’d like to be.  This is bad for three main reasons.  Firstly there’s the unflattering sight of an overweight man in his (near) mid-30s lumbering about in a running vest.  No-one wants to see that.  Secondly, it’s obviously not good for your health to be overweight – avoiding some sort of heart attack while I’m running is fairly high up on my to-do list.  Finally, it’s a lot harder to run carrying a load of unnecessary weight.   I’ve resolved to fix this problem so hopefully I’ll be able to report a downward trend in my weight over the next few weeks.

 

·         I definitely need to pay more attention to warming up and cooling down.   It seems like an obvious thing to say but it’s something I tend to ignore for the most part.  A lot of that is down to time pressures.  Fitting in 3 runs a week around a job, family life and my commitments to the local Diabetes UK group mean I’m usually up against it so warming up is the thing that’s sacrificed.  I’ve felt a few twinges while I’ve been out this week and I’m going to be more diligent in doing some warming up and stretching before running now.  There’s no point in skipping on a warm up only to get injured is there?

 

This week will be my first 20 mile week for quite some time - at least 6 months if not longer.  I feel like I’m starting to get more mentally focused on what lies ahead of me which is good.  Towards the end of last year, I was running regularly and I felt a lot better physically than I had done for a while.  Hopefully I can drop a few pounds this week and string a few confidence boosting performances together over this week.

 

My ultimate target of a 4:30 marathon means I need an average mile pace of 10mins 18secs over 26.2 miles.  In 2012 I averaged 12min 35secs a mile so it’s a big challenge to come down by 2 minutes a mile.  At the moment I’m certainly in the right area (between 9:55 and 10:20 typically) but I’ve not done more than 10 miles for quite some time!  The next few weeks will be crucial I think.

 

Finally, another mention of the charity I’m running for.  Diabetes UK work tirelessly to support people of all ages with both Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes.  They run events across the country, offer risk assessments and support voluntary groups across the UK.  Whilst diabetes is estimated to affect around 1 in 12 people in the UK, Diabetes UK rely on donations to ensure they can continue to help people.  I’m trying to raise £1000 this year which would be enough to send two families on a Care Event weekend, allowing them to learn more about how to manage diabetes and understand the impacts it can have on family life.  If you can spare anything at all, you can donate at http://www.justgiving.com/broomhead

 

Thanks

 

Andy

 

286 to go

It feels a bit strange blogging back on Hoverboards.  I know it’s been a long time since I posted here, and whilst that hiatus was never planned, life and other things got in the way.  I do still blog at least once a month over on the Diabetes UK blog site, but I somehow never found the time to come back to where it all started.  Until now.

 

I’ve returned to talk about a familiar theme – running.  In just under 12 weeks, I’ll be lining up at the start of my second marathon, this time in my native Yorkshire as I put myself through the mill for 26.2 miles.  I realise that blogging about marathon training is nothing new here but I’ve returned to it for a couple of reasons.  Firstly, being able to approach this race with an element of hindsight after my endeavours in London in 2012 is helpful.  Surely I’ve learned something from that process right?  Secondly, whilst some of my battles remain the same (unsurprisingly I still have type 1 diabetes, I still struggle with my weight, I still get shin splints….) some of my circumstances have also changed.

 

For the time being (until December at least) I’m now using an insulin pump rather than my old regime of two separate pens for injections.  Overall I think the impact on my quality of life over the last 18 months since getting the pump has been incredibly positive and I’m hoping I can transfer that into my running.  I’m also starting from a different place physically than I was before.  Last time I hadn’t run for a long time and I was starting out with one mile runs to get up to a decent level of fitness.  This time I’ve covered just over 220 miles so far this year, having done 450 miles in 2013.

 

I’m also being a bit more ambitious with my target this time round.  I’d desperately love to run under4:30 (knocking an hour off my London time) when October rolls around.  I know that’s incredibly aspirational but it’s good to have it in mind while I’m training.  I know I’m not built to run quickly – my frame, weight and fragile shins mean it’s pretty much impossible that I’d ever run under 4 hours so I’m setting myself a target that is potentially in reach if everything goes well over the next 3 months.  This year is also the first year that I’ll have done both a half and a full marathon in the same year.  That’s not necessarily something incredible in itself, but for an average Joe, it’s something worth celebrating.

 

The title for this post relates to my training plan.  All being well I’ve got 286 miles to run between now and crossing the finishing line in York on October 12th.  By the time I get to the start line, I’ll already have covered the equivalent of 19 marathons this year (although mercifully that’ll be over 9 months!)  As before, this blog will really serve two purposes.  Firstly, it’s a great way for me to document the training journey and have something to look back on that stretches beyond logging numbers in a spreadsheet.  Secondly it’s to share the highs, lows, pains and successes that doing something like this will give you.  For every race there’s countless hours of training, and for every ‘perfect’ training run there’s an equally atrocious one that makes you wonder why you bother.  Being able to communicate those highs and lows is great motivation for me.

 

As I do every year, I’m raising money for Diabetes UK, with this year’s target being £1000.  Following on from my half marathon exploits earlier this year, I’ve already raised £115 which is very pleasing.  I also did the Fun Run with my 4 year old daughter at this year’s Sheffield Half Marathon.  I’ll also be doing the Great Yorkshire Run in September and (hopefully) the Sheffield 10km in October too.  Whilst I run primarily for the personal challenge/satisfaction and health benefits, I try and raise money as well – mostly because I don’t know how to do it any other way.

 

Anyone who knows me or has the (mis)fortune to chat to me on Twitter probably knows how important Diabetes UK is to me and millions of other people with diabetes of any type.   I’ve been fortunate to have the opportunity to get personally involved with the Diabetes UK voluntary group in Sheffield and I know first-hand how much of a difference the support of others can mean to people living with diabetes every day.  If you’d like to donate, then anything you can spare will be gratefully received.  Visit http://www.justgiving.com/broomhead to make a donation.

 

Training starts tonight with a gentle 4.5 mile run.  The basic plan is to do three runs a week with one longer run included.  Anyone who followed my 2012 training will remember that there came a point when three runs a week became too much – I’m hoping that’s not the case this time.  My longest run so far this year is 13.2 miles but that’s all going to change in the next few weeks!

 

If you made it this far then thanks.  I appreciate that a blog about running and chronic illness isn’t the sexiest of combinations.  I’ll be interspersing it with the odd snippet of something else to try and keep it interesting.  Having lived in York for 10 years, I’m really looking forward to being able to do a marathon there so hopefully I’ll be here in 12 weeks’ time with a picture of a finisher’s medal as a reward.

You can find me lamenting my weight and extolling the virtues of bacon on twitter @broomowl
 

Take care

 

Andy

Exercise

This blog first appeared on the Diabetes UK blog site on March 26th 2013

Like many people, I have a love/hate relationship with exercise.  And like many people, I suspect I'm not the only one who finds the hardest part of it is actually getting up off the sofa in the first place.

My particular weapon of choice when it comes to exercising is running.  I remember thinking when I got diagnosed that it was the end of my dream of running the London marathon.  I couldn't see how I could manage something as complex as diabetes whilst doing something as gruelling as a marathon.

Thankfully my specialist care team at the time helped me see that diabetes doesn't have to be a barrier to things if you don't let it.  Whilst I'm sure he might already be one of the most famous diabetics, Sir Steve Redgrave is someone that probably personifies that attitude more than anyone else.

Training for a marathon is a pretty tough business as you can imagine and adapting that regime to take into account diabetes makes it that little bit more complex.  I started by working out a plan for how often I could expect to run.  I suffer from a few other, less glamourous, conditions (mild asthama and shin splints) that hampered me a bit but it gave me a place to start.

After that, I was back speaking to my specialist care team and trying to understand what effect my training plan would have on me.  This was back before I'd been on a DAFNE course so a lot of the information felt brand new (despite how long I'd been diabetic).

The upshot of it all involved running with one pocket full of jelly babies and the other with my blood glucose tester packed in a little plastic zip-lock bag so I could monitor how I was responding to the exertion.  Happily I found I could do about 10 miles before I needed an energy boost and that 4 jelly babies would get me about 4 miles.  That made running on the day a lot simpler!

I learned a few important lessons from that training which I think can apply to any kind of exercise you're thinking about:

• Always have fast acting carbs with you.  I learned that one pretty quickly after having to abandon a run when I went unexpectedly low
• Speak to your care team before you try something new, be it a marathon or any kind of physical activity. The hour I spent with a dietician made a world of difference
• Monitor your BG.  I found that even having pretty good control before I started training, my routine mean things changed (e.g. my sensitivity to insulin at certain times) and monitoring is the only way to understand that
• Don't be afraid to adjust your doses.  While I was on my two insulin regime, I'd never appreciated I could adjust my basal insulin (nor did I know by how much).  If you're doing lengthy exercise, this could help
• Do some research - websites like Runsweet are packed with information and tips for all kinds of exercise
• Make the most of the opportunity.  I was incredibly well supported and raised £1500 when I ran the London marathon.  If you're taking on any kind of challenge, then encouraging people to sponsor you can provide extra motivation for you whilst raising money for good causes.

I think the most important tip is to find something that works for you.  I know that running isn't for everyone but I genuinely believe that  20 minutes of something a couple of times a week not only makes you feel better but can have a significant impact on your quality of life as a diabetic.  I finished the year on an exercise bike in front of the TV as I couldn't run comfortably and that was just as good as dong miles on the pavements.

I'm happy to report that I completed the marathon last April in a respectable, if not earth shattering 5 hours 30 minutes (about 30 mins slower than I would have liked).  My plans for this year are a little more modest, but do include some unfinished business with the Sheffield Half Marathon in May (an injury training for that race in 2008 set me back a lot) as well as four 10km races.

As always, I'm raising money for DiabetesUK and The Children's Hospital Charity in Sheffield (specifically to raise funds for a summer camp for children with diabetes).  I'm aiming to raise £500 this year and if you'd like to contribute, you can do so by visiting my fundraising page (note all money is split 50/50 between the two charities)

2012 Review

Well the end of 2012 is almost nigh.  It's usually nice to look back over some of the highlights of the year and ponder what there is to look forward to in the coming year.

I'm going to go through a few of my highlights of the year and then review my New Year's Resolutions I set myself in January.  I'll do another blog in the first week of January to do a bit of a 2013 preview.

A personal highlight of mine was finally running the London Marathon in April.  You can read about that in more detail by checking out the post-run blog post.  It had been an ambition of mine for over 20 years and the feeling of achievement as I crossed the line was incredible.

Mile 25

In May, we flew out to Krakow for the wedding of some friends of ours.  The entire day was wonderful and we had a great time.  I'd never been to Poland before but had an amazing time.  We'd managed to rent an apartment right on the Old Town Square and saw so much of the city in just a week.  I also did a day trip to Auschwitz which was an incredible but very sobering experience.  If you're looking for a city break holiday, I'd definitely recommend Krakow.

Saint Mary's in Krakow

I managed to see some incredible gigs in 2012 and picking the best isn't easy.  One of many highlights was the Watch The Throne tour in Manchester over the summer.  To see two of the world's biggest music stars in Jay-Z and Kanye West together on stage for over two and a half hours was incredible!  Watching Pulp play a home town arena show to over 12,000 fans was also pretty special and a great way to round off the year!

Jarvis on stage

The end of the 2011/12 football season was also something to celebrate (for once).  I was at Hillsborough to watch Sheffield Wednesday beat Wycombe to confirm promotion back to the Championship, ultimately at the expense of city rivals United.  Whilst the current season is a bit unpredictable (to be diplomatic), the wild celebrations at the end of the season was incredible.

Some people are on the pitch...

It wouldn't be right to review 2012 without mentioning the Olympic and Paralympic Games and I was incredibly fortunate to get tickets to see events at both.  I took my dad to see Olympic football at Old Trafford, my wife and daughter to see tennis at Wimbledon as well as taking in Handball at the Copperbox and Volleyball at Earl's Court.  It was incredible to see the wave of support our athletes had.  Whilst the summer gave us a lot of memorable moments, I personally won't forget the drive back from Legoland to Sheffield, to get home just in time to see Jessica Ennis in her final event.  Watching her cross the line and win gold was my moment of the Games.

Inside the Copperbox

Olympic Stadium for the Paralympics

Watching the Olympic torch go past the end of our road (and the incredible number of people that turned out to see it) really got me hooked on the Olympic spirit, and getting to hold one of the torches later that summer was an amazing feeling.

Obviously there were a few other newsworthy events in 2012 such as the Diamond Jubilee celebrations (I'll never say no to an extra day of work, thank you Ma'am), but one of the most iconic moments for me was Felix Baumgartner's freefall from space.  I told my wife it was our generation's Moon Landing, and while that might be a bit of hyperbole, I'll remember my daughter sat on my knee on the landing watching it with me on my laptop.

And so onto a review of my 2012 Resolutions...  I posted a half-year review (in that link) but it's worth doing a final summary to see how well this year went:


1. Run the London Marathon

A pretty easy one to tick off - 5:30:41! 

2. Raise at least £1000 for charity

Yes.  People were incredibly generous with their donations and I managed to raise over £1500 this year which I'm very proud of.  Thanks again to everyone who donated - it was very generous of you.

3. Get a photograph published or sold

I'm counting this one as a success.  I mentioned in the half year review that I'd done some promo shots for a great Wakefield band call Skint & Demoralised and I followed that up with the cover shot for their single "When Saturday Comes".  You can listen to and download that song here (as well as seeing the 

4. Carry on training to run the Sheffield Half Marathon 2013

I eased off the running in August after a 10k race as I was starting to feel a bit of pain.  I did however switch to an exercise bike to keep fit (and managed to lose over 30lbs in the process).  I start running again this week and I'm all ready for the Sheffield Half Marathon in May! 

5. See at least 12 gigs

I think I ticked 13 off in the end which is quite a good effort.  Obviously I've mentioned some of the highlights above, but also seeing Ladyhawke at The Leadmill in Sheffield was incredible.  Here's to a few more in 2013

6. Read at least 10 books

I think I said at the time this was a pitiful number to aim for, but at least I managed it.  If I can finish off my current book in the next few days, I'll have a clear 11 to my name for this year.  Must try harder next year!

7. Continue my blog after the marathon

This was a tricky one.  After all the effort of blogging on marathon training, I felt at a bit of a loss for what to write about.  I dabbled a bit over the summer but I feel like I've finally got back into a bit of a groove towards the end of this year.  I've also been really lucky to be able to write a monthly blog for Diabetes UK which I'm really looking forward to continuing next year

8. Support the community via sponsorship/donations etc

I'm chalking this down a success as well, though just barely.  I sponsored a mini festival a friend of mine staged for charity earlier this year.  The amount of work and effort she put in to making the day a success was incredible and sponsoring the event to ensure it could go ahead was a real privilege.

9. Expand the smaller areas of my company

This is my first failure, partially through lack of effort and partially through lack of time.  I realised that diversifying from my main business can be good, but the amount of effort required compared to the return doesn't really make it viable.  I'm having a rethink and a re-plan for next year so we'll see what comes of it...

10. Make some friends

Another tricky one.  I've definitely built up some excellent relationships over 2012 - no doubt about it.  I think what's proved trickier is to make those mainfest themselves in a non-digital environment.  I do feel lucky to count some of my Twitter acquaintances as friends but should possibly try harder to turn some of those into "real life" friendships.

So there we go - 2012 in a nutshell.  A fairly large nutshell, but nevertheless.  If you made it this far, then thanks a lot.  I hope you've had a look back at your 2012 and remembered some of the good times you've had.

I'm still pondering what 2013 might hold but I'll be back again in the first week of January to talk about that.  In the mean time, I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and have a Happy New Year

Speak soon

Andy x

5:30:41

Well I did it.

I made it over the line 5 hours, 30 minutes and 41 seconds after I stepped over the start line at Blackheath. It was a bit slower than I'd expected before I set off, but was exactly where I'd hope to be by about 18 miles.

Predictably I'd not slept well the night before.  Despite going to bed at about 9:30pm I think I saw every hour on the clock until I got up at 6am.  An impossibly crowded overground train from Charing Cross to Blackheath was OK until I got off and saw a bloke sitting on the platform throwing up.  That did not do much to ease my nerves.

The runner's area at the start

Having said goodbye to my wife at the entrance to the Blue Start it ended up being a bit of a close shave to get into the correct starting pen on time (a massive queue for the toilets was to blame)

The Blue Start - pen 7

It only took about 10 minutes to actually make it over the start line which was a lot quicker than I'd expected and after that the nerves just fell away.  I passed a fair few people in some incredible costumes early on, including someone dressed as Blackpool Tower (I think).  I also saw the brother and sister going round on stilts (who later broke the world record for such a feat).

What anyone who's run the London Marathon will tell you is that the sheer number of people on the streets shouting for you as you run past them is incredible.  The thing is, it's so difficult to articulate how much that helps.  You never want to slow down or stop to walk in front of people who are rooting for you so much.

Within the first couple of miles there were children and adults holding out their hands for a high five as you ran past them.  The number of people congregating on the streets at pubs, landmarks, water stations and mile markers is pretty much constant the whole way round (as you enter the Isle of Dogs around mile 14 it's temporarily quieter, but not for long)

I'd arranged to see my wife at mile 6 (Maze Hill) and I had some friends coming in to see me too. Getting started so quickly meant that I got there a bit quicker than I'd anticipated but did see my wife cheering me on which was a welcome boost about a quarter of the way in

That's me in the middle - 6 miles in

I was pretty much on my own for a while after that.  I remember running through 12 miles and thinking that I'd nearly be on Tower Bridge which was something I'd been looking forward to.  I slowed down a bit as I turned the corner onto Tower Bridge Road so I could take a few seconds to remember it.  I saw Denise Lewis interviewing someone halfway over and remembered thinking that I'd expected Tower Bridge to be longer and it was pretty much over before I knew it.

I knew the first Diabetes UK cheer point was coming up shortly after and it was great to see so many people out there urging me on.  After about mile 14 it really started to feel like the mile markers had been deliberately placed further and further apart.  My times had settled into a fairly steady 12 minute mile pace which was good.  I'd done the first 5 in 52 minutes and I reached 15 in 2:55.  I'd crossed halfway on track for a 5hr finish which would have been incredible.

Me looking rough at mile 13 - courtesy of Diabetes UK

Despite vaguely knowing Canary Wharf a little bit having been there for work a few times, it really felt like I was never going to get out of there and start the long run down towards Victoria Embankment.  It'd been a little demoralising passing halfway and seeing hundreds of people running back the other way but I'd expected it to a degree.

I got to around 22.5 miles and really started to feel deflated - my feet hurt (from what turns out to a huge blister on the sole of my heel and two decidedly bruised toe nails) and my ankle had started hurting at around 18 miles.  The final thing was the heat I think.  It hadn't been very hot, but it was certainly warmer than forecast (and with a distinct lack of rain) and I just started to feel like I was going to throw up so I slowed right down for about a mile.  I just wanted to finished and for once I remained completely sensible and did the right thing.  I read all the tweets, texts, e-mails and facebook messages I'd received to try and focus myself a bit too.

I saw my Dad (who'd travelled down from Sheffield) at miles 23 and 24 which gave me a big lift and I started jogging again around then I think.  The exact events between 22 and 24 are a bit of a blur if I'm honest.  I remember one guy in the crowd giving me a massive shout and then him and his mate giving me a high five but I have no exact idea where that was.

 Me looking even rougher at 25 miles - thank you Lindsey for the picture

I'd been texting my family every 5 miles (roughly) and at 20 miles I figured I was on track for a 5:30 finish which I desperately wanted to achieve and I think that helped keep me going at the end.  I saw my wife and friends right at the 25 mile marker which gave me a great boost too - seeing familiar faces in the crowd cannot be underestimated at all.

Having got Westminster in my sights, I knew where I was and where I had to get to which gave me a final kick on.  Most of the official photographers are set up from mile 25 onwards (when you look your absolute worst!) so I headed up Birdcage Walk with heavy steps and a few feeble waves.

Applauding the Diabetes UK cheerers at Big Ben - courtesy Diabetes UK

As I hit the top of The Mall at Buckingham Palace I felt surprisingly unemotional.  I'd expected to be in tears as I hit the finish but I felt oddly relaxed.  I think it's because I'd imagined myself running the last 300 yards so many times and it dawned on me that the last 26 miles had all been about this moment.  I slightly rue the fact that a bloke in a rhino costume beat me over the line by a few seconds but he and I had been trading places all over the course and he didn't half run a good race.

I remember clapping the crowd in each of the stands as I ran down towards the line and I remember seeing people banging those plastic tubes together as I looked round.  I crossed the line and had my timing chip taken off me before getting my medal.  The finish area is a bit surreal as there's loads of vans with kitbags on, people shouting at you to move for your finisher photos and stuff.  I looked round and a woman to my right in dayglo pink just burst into tears.  I gave her a hug and told her it didn't matter now she'd finished.

The finish area looking back to Buckingham Palace

I picked up my kit and my goody bag and hobbled down to Horseguards Road where I saw my wife, my Dad and my friends and I just burst into tears.  I honestly can't explain how emotional it feels to see those you love after something like that.

(L-R) Dave, Lindsey, Tina (Mrs B), Me and Dad - thanks Jill for taking the picture

Running the marathon is an incredible experience and it's left me with so many memories.  I truly believe I won't ever forget it.  I've got photos, cheer-cards and so much memorabilia to look back on in years to come.

I owe a great debt of thanks to so many people as well.  Obviously to my long suffering wife for putting up with me throughout all my training and doing a great job of organising everything on marathon day.  I love her to bits.  Thanks also to everyone who made the effort to come and see me over that weekend and cheer me on on the day.  It meant so much to me.  Special thanks to my in-laws who took on the difficult task of looking after my daughter for 3 nights - that's incredibly appreciated and it made the weekend a lot less stressful.  Thanks also to Ellie at Diabetes UK and Tonya at The Sheffield Children's Hospital Charity for all their help as well.

And thank you to everyone else who sent me messages of support and wished me luck over the weekend.  I lost count at around 100 - I tried to respond to all of them but I'm sorry if I missed you.  Thanks also to everyone who donated - my current total is £1356 which is an incredible effort.  Thank you so much.

Finally, I don't think this post would be complete without mentioning Claire Squires.  She sadly collapsed and died on Birdcage Walk on Sunday, less than a mile from the finish.  She was raising money for Samaritans (incidentally, where my dad volunteers).  Her loss is incredibly sad and my thoughts go out to her family at what must be an impossibly difficult time.  Her fundraising page has since racked up over £366,000 which I think shows an incredible amount of public support.

Someone asked me if I'd be lining up again next year and I don't think I will.  My 'athletic' focus for 2013 will be the Sheffield Half Marathon but I'm not going to rule it out for some time in the future.

I'll probably have a bit of a break from blogging for now, but I'll be back in some form or other in a few weeks I expect.  You can always get in touch with me on Twitter (@BroomOwl) should you so desire.

Thanks for reading - I appreciate this has been horrendously long but I wanted to try and do justice to an incredible day.

Talk to you soon