The final countdown

Training miles completed this week: 15
Total training miles completed: 223
Training miles left: 9
Training runs left: 2

Hello again

I'll start with an apology this week.  I didn't write a post last week and that was essentially for no other reason than I was sulking a bit about not running.

A day or so after my 20 mile run, I started to feel a bit of pain in my foot so I took a conscious decision to miss a run and let it heal a bit.  There's obviously no point running for the sake of it - an injury this close to the marathon needs to be looked after.  I thought I could miss one run and be back out to properly start my tapering.

Unfortunately I got a migraine which floored me for about 4 days (I think I've mentioned these before) and so I ended up missing another training slot.  That left me feeling a bit downbeat about the whole thing and I didn't feel that blogging any of that negativity would be particularly cathartic.  But I'm back now with my penultimate blog before race day.

I've managed 3 runs this week totalling 15 miles which is encouraging.  I did 4 miles last Thursday and followed that up with 5 and 6 miles.  It's a bit of a twist on the taper plan I had in mind, but I need to bear the injuries in mind and so I've opted for an extra shorter run rather than doing, say, 12 miles and reducing down after that.  I just need to make sure my legs still worked and I'm happy to report that they do.

Skipping the two runs last week has meant I've developed a bit of a complex about being underprepared.  I'm not sure how much of that is the "to be expected" pre race nerves, and how much of it I really believe.  By the time I get on a train to London at the end of next week, I'll have already run 232 miles - equivalent to about 9 full marathons.  I'd like to think that stands me in good stead but at the same time I have a nagging doubt that having done no great distance for a few weeks will be a bit of a set-back.  Hopefully it's the former.

I think nerves are natural at this stage.  I'm venturing into the unknown in more ways than one.  Obviously I've never run a marathon before and equally, I'm running on a route I'm wholly unfamiliar with.  I've also not run with anyone in this sort of race environment for about 17 years (The Rother Valley 10k for those of you in Sheffield).  All this is easily overcome I suppose - I'd just not really considered all these factors until recently.

I'm going to have to focus on my pace in the early miles - I don't want to set off too quickly and burn out too soon.  I know the first 5 or 6 miles can be done at around a 10 min/mile pace and I should hopefully be able to replicate my 11.5 min mile (ish) time to 20 miles.  That gives me a good guide to where I should be and when.  As I've stated all along though, as long as I get round before the medals run out (6pm) then I'll be ecstatic.

I'm considering Google-mapping the route before I set off.  I'm not sure if that's a bit OTT or whether I'll genuinely feel calmer for having visualised the route at least once before I set off.  In all likelihood, I'll probably get bored/frustrated after 2 miles of trying, but it could be worth a shot.


There's been some movement on the fundraising this last 2 weeks which is excellent!  Current total is £837.50 which is another £130 since I last blogged.  The generosity everyone has shown has been incredible!  I do still have some more donations that I've been promised as well so I hope I'll be able to get very close to the £1,000 target.  If you're thinking about donating then please know that even a couple of quid will make a difference - you can click on the subtle fundraising link above, or the less subtle one at the end of this post to donate.  Again, I can't thank people enough for what they've already done - I couldn't have wished for more. 

As always, all money that I raise is being split equally between Diabetes UK and The Sheffield Children's Hospital Charity - two very worthy causes. The Children's Hospital money will be going to help fund a summer camp for children with diabetes which is very worthwhile.

I'll blog next week after my last training run which in itself feels like quite an emotional milestone.  I'm going to do a bit of a "Marathon Training by numbers" post which will either be a bit interesting or not half as fun as I thought it would be - who knows?

As with the running, I feel a bit rusty with the blogging so hopefully this has been a moderately interesting post for me to return with.  As I say, I'll try and sum everything up next week and perhaps talk about where this blog goes after the marathon is all done, because to be perfectly honest with you, I don't have an answer for that just yet.

Thanks for sticking with me today and if you've been with me since the start, thank you for making it this far.  I really appreciate all the support you've all given me.

Take care and have a good week

Andy

You can donate at any time by clicking on this fundraising link

200 up

Training miles completed this week: 20
Total training miles completed: 208
Training miles left: 30
Training runs left: 6


Hello again - thanks for taking the time to drop in.


This week saw another 2 big milestones in my quest for the marathon.  I completed my longest run on the training programme (20 miles) and also saw me break the 200 mile mark overall.


All this came at a bit of a price as I've picked up another niggling injury which means I'm going to be taking it really steady over the next few weeks.  The summary above says another 30 miles over 6 runs but it's increasingly likely that I'm going to just do 3 runs to minimise the risk of any serious injury.  I've worked too hard over the last few months to not get to the start line and now I feel mentally prepared to take on the full distance - I just need to be physically able !


The 20 mile run went really well which was something of a surprise.  I was convinced after my 18 mile horror show that I would struggle a lot but it wasn't really the case.  I think I've probably perfected a decent run/walk strategy which conserves enough energy for the latter parts of the run and I've also got a good understanding of how my blood sugar will react and what insulin doses I need on the day.


I managed 20 miles in 3 hours 53 which felt good.  A 12 minute mile pace would be 4 hours so I'm still to do a run that's over that pace which is encouraging.  Again, I'll stress that my finish time isn't important to me, but knowing my pace so I can predict where I'll be and when is key so having that understanding is good.  I also managed the last 6 miles in 72 minutes which makes me think I can complete the course in about 5:15.


My 'shin splits' (or whatever that particular pain is) were still uncomfortable during the early parts of the run (the part with the most hilly terrain) and I've picked up a pain very similar to the one that forced me out of the Sheffield Half Marathon 4 years ago, but this time in my left foot.  I'm hoping it's a bit of bruising and nothing more but I'll keep the weight off it and only run when it feels right.


Doing that 20 miles has convinced me I have a strategy to complete the marathon and still be standing afterwards and that has to be a hugely positive thing.  If you weren't familiar with my starting position when I went into this training, this introduction blog post will give you an idea of how far I've come.


My final marathon pack came in the post this week and it contains all the details you need to register, get to the start, and know what to do at the end.  You have to go to the EXCEL Centre (Custom House) in London to register and pick up your running number and timing tag.  I'm doing all that on the Friday before the marathon so I can hopefully have a day or so of rest in London before the race.


I'll be starting from the Blue start at Blackheath at 9:45am on April 22nd.  This is where most of the mass runners will start but everyone from the other 2 start areas will merge together by about mile 3.  I think this first 3 miles will be a bit tricky due to the sheer volume of runners on the course.  I'm guessing that this will take a bit of time to get through but hopefully I'll get into my stride as soon as possible after that.


For a look at the course map, click on this Interactive Map


There's been a lot more fundraising money in this week which is good news!  Current total is £707.50 which is more than £130 in the last week alone.  The generosity everyone has shown has been incredible!  I do still have some more donations that I've been promised as well so I hope I'll be able to get around £800 in total which would be a really amazing.  Again, I can't thank people enough for what they've done.

As always, all money that I raise is being split between Diabetes UK and The Sheffield Children's Hospital Charity - two very worthy causes. The Children's Hospital money will be going to help fund a summer camp for children with diabetes which is very worthwhile.


I'd also just like to say thanks again to the virtual running club on Twitter - you all give me a lot of motivation to keep going when it always seems easier to stop.  Thank you.


I'll sign off this week with a quote a good friend of mine gave me from her marathon finisher's t-shirt from a few years back: You see impossible. I see the finish line. Impossible is nothing.   That'll be at the front of my mind over the next few weeks now.  25 days and counting.


Thanks for reading - I'm not sure I do enough to express how important your support is.

Take care

Andy

You can donate at any time by clicking on this fundraising link

Self doubt and inner voices

Training miles completed this week: 22
Total training miles completed: 172
Training miles left: 47 + taper off period
Training runs left: 10

Hello - happy Wednesday

Arduous, brutal, crushing, exhausting, punishing and tortuous.  I think I used the word 'grueling' last week to describe how running 16 miles felt.  These new words are more appropriate for how 18 miles feels.

I managed the distance in a not-utterly-unacceptable time of 3hrs 35minutes - essentially a 12 minute mile average.  But the actual run was possibly the most agonising thing I can remember doing.  The first 9 miles was OK (1hr 37mins) but the second half was best summed up using one of the words above.  I got to about 15 miles before I really felt like it'd beaten me - legs felt heavy, ankle felt stiff, agonising pain in my back and persistent cramping in my calf put me on the verge of tears.  I was in no fit state to really measure but I think I ended up running about 100 yards at a time and walking for distances inbetween.

I got in and for the first time actually said "I don't know if I can do this" out loud.  Fortunately, my incredibly understanding wife was able to talk some sense into me.  The doubt was there for a few minutes though and it didn't feel good. 

I'm absolutely under no illusions now about how difficult this is going to be, no misconceptions about how painful it will be or how mentally exhausted I'll be when I get to the end.  Making myself run when my mind is telling me I can't is beyond draining.  It goes against all sense and logic but I need to keep going now.  There are 38 days left until the marathon - that's not long at all and I need to stay focused until then.

Whilst that 18 miles gave me plenty to think about, there were a few positives that came out of it, and they need to be mentioned as much, if not more, than the battle with my demons.

Firstly - I actually finished the distance.  I may have walked a lot more than I would have liked, but I did it.  If I had to walk another 8 miles then I (probably) could have done.  Secondly, where I was convinced last week that I'd possibly brusied the bone in my foot, I managed the whole distance without even so much as a slight jolt of pain from that injury.  That's really encouraging.  Finally, for all the training I do, I know I can't replicate the actual event itself.  I'm hoping the crowds, the change of scenery and running alongside other people is going to give me a boost that I'll be able to put a decent performance in one the day.

For those considering backing me to win it (or to finish inside 5 hours) you might be best advised to keep hold of your money...

I think one of the reasons the run was so tough was that I got my blood sugar levels completely wrong at the weekend.  They were at a similar level when I set off to what they were the previous week.  But the level didn't drop at all as I expected and I managed the entire run without a single jelly baby to keep me going.  Whilst I may have hit the wall at around mile 15, I don't feel like I ever really got into a decent rhythm and I think my sugar levels might have something to do with that.  I've got 2 big runs left to try and sort that problem out.  Worst case scenario is that I have to test my levels around London, But I'd like to avoid that is possible.

More fundraising money has come in this week which is good news!  I've finally got a paper sponsor form to carry around, and my wife is drumming up support in here office as well.  Current total is £545 and I'm hoping I can break the £700 barrier before April 22nd.  I've given my close friends and family enough time to think about donating and now I'm actively calling that money in so I hope I'll be able to report another increase next week.  A number of people that follow me on Twitter have also pledged to donate which is incredibly kind of them.

One of the things that's really struck me is how unwavering the support has been for what I'm doing, particularly from people I've met perhaps once or twice, and in some cases, not at all.  Their belief and encouragement has been fantastic, and their willingness to donate money on the scale they have is out of this world.  It's that kind of thing that really keeps me going as the end comes into sight.

As always, all money that I raise is being split between Diabetes UK and The Sheffield Children's Hospital Charity - two very worthy causes. The Children's Hospital money will be going to help fund a summer camp for children with diabetes which is very worthwhile

I'd also just like to thank Ellie from Diabetes UK and Tonya from Sheffield Children's for all their help this last week - they do a great job deserve to be well recognised.

16 miles this weekend before a psychologically huge 20 miles the weekend after.  I can vaguely remember looking at those distances on the plan back in November and thinking how far away they were and how incredible it was to think I could manage those distances. 

The end is in sight now and I'm detemined not to let anyone down.

Thanks for reading - your support is incredible

Take care

Andy

150 not out

Training miles completed this week: 21
Total training miles completed: 150
Training miles left: 69 + taper off period
Training runs left: 12 (inc taper period)

Hello again

This last week has seen a couple of milestones fall by the wayside.  Firstly, as this week's title suggests, I completed my 150th training mile.  It sounds like a lot but I guess having that spread out over a fair few months it's probably not quite as fanfare worthy as it seems.

The other milestone was ticking off a 16 mile run on Saturday morning.  This one is important for a number of reasons I think.  Firstly, it's the furthest distance I've ever managed and I'm not hobbling around in agony so that's promising.  Secondly, I've now got an idea of how much the full distance is going to hurt and I know I can cope with the aches and the pains (to a degree) so that's good to know. I managed it in a respectable 3 hours, which, considering how I felt after about 7 miles, was a more than decent time. Finally, I managed the distance with good control of my diabetes.

Following on from my dietician appointment, we'd discussed monitoring my blood sugar while I was running to understand what I'll need to do to be at my bets come race day.  My figures looked like this:

Start: 22.1mmol (high but I'd eaten a decent breakfast and had a slightly elevated level from the night before)
8 miles: 8.0mmol - ate 4 jelly babies
12 miles 9.6mmol
14miles 5.6 - ate 4 jelly babies
Finish (after cool down etc) 6.4mmol

To be honest, I don't think I could have wished for it to have been any better than that.  Obviously I can't use one run as a guide and I'll be testing over the next 3 weekends as well, but it seems the "1-2 jelly babies per mile" advice that I read seems to hold out OK.  I'll monitor that going forward.

I did an easy 5 miles tonight but managed to do it in a record 50 minutes flat - knocking another 3 minutes off my best time for the distance.  Over the past fortnight I've got it down from 55 to 50 minutes so I'm very pleased with that.


I've been struggling over the last week with running.  Not in a physical way per se (although the aches after the long runs are a challenge).  It's the mental aspect of it which is now daunting me.  I'm confident I'll survive the course now - I've run enough to know that I think.  I don't think I've been prepared for how emotionally draining the training gets over the final few weeks.  Getting myself into the mindset of running long distances, and having the inner strength to keep myself going is a lot harder than I'd imagined and I'll really need to work on that between now and the race.


I think that's part of the reason I ran so quickly tonight - I wanted to blow away a few cobwebs and try and motivate myself.  

I've been wanting to go out and do a few extra runs over the last week or so - nothing major - just an extra couple of miles a week but I've stopped myself because I'm scared I'll overdo it and injure myself.  I found the 16 miles tough at the weekend and I guess that's to be expected at the best of times, but when I remember what I've been through to get here, coupled with the fact that a basic training schedule should be 3 runs per week, I think I should be pleased overall.  I feel confident I can finish the distance now and that's a great boost.

Nothing much happening from a diabetes poiint of view which I suppose is good news really.  I've been having a few higher readings in the morning of late but if I'm a bit stricter about testing my blood sugar a couple of times before bed then I should be able to eradicate those.  I've probably also been suffering from the effects of eating leftover birthday cake from my daughter's party but that contributing factor has now been dealt with...

A bit more fundraising money has come in this week which is good news!  Thanks to those that contributed this week, and another thank you to everyone who's put their hand in their pocket so far.  I'm now exactly halfway to my £1000 goal so, with a little over 6 weeks to go, there's a big push to get as close to the target as possible.  I had some incentives put my way this week, in that a couple of people have pledged £30 each if I get my time below 4:48 for the marathon.  As I've said all along, my time isn't important to me, but if I'm through mile 25 and that time is in sight, it should give me the motivation to get over the line.   As always, all money raised is being split between Diabetes UK and The Sheffield Children's Hospital Charity - two very worthy causes.

As I suggested over the last few weeks, the closer I get to April 22nd, the more I might shamelessly beg you for a few quid, so if you can spare anything at all, please click on the fundraising link above and donate.  I'll be eternally grateful if you do.

I'll leave it there for this week - got a big 18 mile run ahead of me on Sunday.  Hoping it goes as well as last weekend.

Thanks, as ever, for taking the time to read this - your support is incredibly important to me.

Have a good week

Andy

Don't stop me now

Training miles completed this week: 17
Total training miles completed: 129
Training miles left: 89 + taper off period
Training runs left: 16 (inc taper period)

Hello again - with 53 days to go until the big race - things are really starting to get serious.  

Last Friday saw me complete my last evening distance run (12 miles) in a pretty respectable 2 hours 11 minutes - an 11 minute mile pace.  It felt really good to do and it was my first run in what I'll actually wear for the marathon in April (unexpected heatwaves aside).  It was also very tough towards the end but I made it home relatively unscathed which is always the target.  I got my first blister but I'm not going to complain as it took more than 100 miles to appear.

I have to confess that when I got home, the thought of going back out and doing it all again (plus another 2 miles) was far from appealing, but I'm hoping that was more psychological as I'd paced myself for 12 miles and not 26.  We'll have to see how that goes over the next few weeks.

I did 5 miles tonight in 53 minutes - a best for me over that distance.  I was really surprised when I got in and saw that as I felt like I'd not paced myself properly and had very little energy while I was going round - particularly around 3.5 miles.  I guess the training is paying off and I'm able to work a bit harder than I expect.  Shorter distances afford me some leeway as well but the longer routes need to be a lot more disciplined.

The remaining weeks are very much a pattern of long run/short run, building up the distances as I go.  This coming weekend marks an important milestone for me.  It'll be the first run I've done under proper "marathon conditions" (i.e. up early ish and running from about 9:30am).  It'll also be the longest distance I've ever run and should give me an opportunity to banish the demons from 2008.  It feels as though the training has been building up to this run and I think it'll give me a massive boost physically and mentally if I can make it through intact.

I've got a bit more of an interesting diabetes update this week.  I realise my definition of "interesting" may be different from yours but...

I had an appointment with a diabetes specialist dietician last Thursday and it gave me a good chance to discuss what I eat now (and when) and what I should be eating to give me the best chance of getting round whilst managing my conditions.

What we found was that when I eat before running, my blood levels don't raise as much as she was expecting.  This could point to too much insulin (although I've tested previously and ruled that out to a degree).  She also said that what I'm currently eating for lunch (some salad leaves and grapes effectively) isn't really enough and I need to be eating more carbs and protein to build up muscle and improve glycogen stores for when I run.  She also mentioned that if I eat a few jelly babies every mile then it could reduce my chances of 'hitting the wall' at around mile 18 so that's good news.

We came to the conclusion that I really need to focus more on a running diet rather than trying to lose weight.  I've been trying to balance the two to a degree and I think it's more successful to shift my focus to running for the next two months and hope that the exercise will lead to some weight loss, albeit at a slower rate.

I've now started to incorporate rice cakes and fish/cheese into my lunch and I'm looking to switch to more chicken and pasta combos in the evening - particularly before a big run.

The other change I need to make is to reduce my insulin doses before and after a big run.  I have two types of insulin that I take (Background insulin twice a day, and quick acting insuling before each meal).  The exact amounts I need to reduce these doses by aren't clear yet and I'll need to experiment to understand what is best for me.  As a result, for the next few weeks, I'm going to have to take my blood sugar meter with me whilst I'm running to monitor my levels.  This should give me a guide ot managing my condition whilst I'm running.  Hopefully I won't crash too spectacularly this weekend!


It's all down to a combination of numbers now - mile times, sugar levels, insulin reduction percentages, carbs per mile to keep my sugar levels correct - it feels a bit overwhelming sometimes but it does come down to training and numbers - something I can conquer if I put my mind to it.

I'm going to stop blogging on my weight loss for the time being as it's not really my primary focus.  I'll still have a weekly weigh in, and I'll mention it occasionally, but it's not something I'll live or die by until May now.

No further fundraising at the moment - I've hit a bit of a plateau at the moment which is frustrating, but a number of people have pledged to donate before the race so I'm hoping I can still get close to £650 before I run.  I know £1000 was always ambitious but trying to get as close as possible remains my goal.  As always, all money raised is being split between Diabetes UK and The Sheffield Children's Hospital Charity - two very worthy causes.

If you've been following my progress for a while and would like to donate, please do consider giving just a couple of quid.  I know charitiable donations are often very personal things and so people rightly prioritise things that mean the most to them.  Every pound I raise will help and so please consider having one pint less this Friday night and clicking on the fundraising link above instead - it would mean a lot to me.

Thanks for sticking with this until the end, I appreciate it's been a bit long winded this week and I can be a bit boring at times, but hopefully it's given a bit of an insight into how things are going and what changes I'll need to make to get round the distance in April.

Your support has been fantastic and I'll do my best not to let you down.

Take care

Andy

Moving on up

Training miles completed this week: 16
Total training miles completed: 112
Training miles left: 106 + taper off period
Training runs left: 18 + taper off period

Hi and thanks for stopping to have a read.

It's been a good week this week - something I'm really pleased to be able to say after the last couple of weeks.

I've done 16 miles since I last blogged (and actually 21 in the last 7 days) and I'm not feeling too worse for wear for it.  Friday night saw me finally get through the 10 mile barrier, which I did in 1hr 53 which is just over an 11 minute mile pace.  Remember that I'm forecasting about a 12 minute mile average so getting through 10 miles inside that time is encouraging.  Here's the route:

It was definitely the most gruelling run and the first time I've really got home and thought "that hurt".  Fortunately, a shower and a sleep seems to be enough to get me back on my feet.

I ran 6 miles last night in 66 minutes.  I was more than happy with that as I'd done it after a 4:30am start and a return trip to London.  I'm feeling the aches and pains a bit today but it' be foolish to expect anything else given the amount of training I've done.

This coming Friday marks the end of my evening distance runs.  I'll be doing 12 miles that night and then all my long runs after that will be done during the day at the weekend.  That's partly to get accustomed to race conditions, and partly because I can't reasonably run 16+ miles on Friday night and still find time to eat.

I recently finished reading The London Marathon by John Bryant (a Christmas present) and I've never felt so inspiried and terrified at the same time.  The book is a history of the race mixed with notable performances of elite and "fun" runners.  It also highlights (on several occasions) the amount of physical stress your body goes through when actually running the marathon.  Whilst I won't bore you all with endless quotes and references, two of the things I've read have stuck with me and reminded me how important it is that I take it steady in the build up and on the day:

1. Running a marathon is approximately 32000 paces.  Couple this with your (average) body weight and you can put up to 500 tons of pressure through your feet and up your spine during the race

2. Linked to the first point, it's said that you can be up to 1cm shorter at the end of the race than at the start due to the compression of the discs in your back as you pound the streets

I'll be taking it very steady I think.

Managing my diabetes has been a bit of a rollercoaster this last week or so.  I'm finding my morning readings are higher than I'd like and this is difficult to control when I've run the night before.  I'm eating to replenish my energy levels and then going to sleep so it's difficult to understand whether my insulin doses are correct.  During the day I'm pretty normal but over night it's a bit trickier.

Obviously diet, running and diabetes are a tricky threesome to manage and so tomorrow I have an appointment with a diabetes specialist dietician at the hospital to discuss what I should be eating and when, how to adjust my doses and what, if anything, I can do to try and avoid hitting "the wall" towards the end of the marathon.  I'll talk about that in next week's post.

Not too much to report from a fundraising perspective this week - no new donations have come in so I'm still sitting pretty on £482.  As the big day approaches (59 days to go!) you may see me being a bit more active in terms of asking for donations so I'll apologise for that up front.   All money raised is being split between Diabetes UK and The Sheffield Children's Hospital Charity - two very worthy causes.

My weight has also stayed constant this week (perhaps the two are linked...) at 188.6lbs.  I'm not going to complain too much about that really.  I feel fitter and slimmer and that's probably the most important thing when all's said and done.  I also maintain the belief that your diet and weight loss have a lagged effect and all that takeaway from a fortnight ago has negated this week's running.  Hopefully I can drop another pound or so next week.

As I mentioned earlier, I was in London yesterday for a meeting.  It gave me a good chance to do a bit of a recce of the mile 17 to 19 stretch of the course around Canary Wharf.  What struck me the most was when I look at the course map, I never really visualise any of the surroundings other than the really famous landmarks I know (Tower Bridge at mile 13, Cutty Sark (as it is) at mile 7, Buckinghma Palace at the end).  Seeing the route as just a normal road just under the DLR tracks made it all seem a lot more real than it has done before.

For some reason, when I do look at the course map, the distance never really looks that far.  I can't explain why, though it's probably the soothing blue line that weaves around London that makes me think it's all going to be OK.  And I'm sure it will be OK, just a bit painful along the way.  I'm really excited to be doing it and while the weeks seem to pass quite slowly, I know it'll be here before I know it.

Head down and focussing on 17 miles next week now.

Thanks for stopping by to read this.  I know I say it every week, but the encouragment and messages I get really do mean a lot to me.  You can find me on Twitter (@BroomOwl) if you want to get in touch.

Take care - have a good week

Andy

Back on track

Training miles completed this week: 5
Total training miles completed: 96
Training miles left: 127 + taper off period
Training runs left: 20 + taper off period

Hello

It feels like a very long time since I wrote the last post, though it has only been a week as usual.

First and foremost, it's been good to get back out running.  The last week and a half has felt very frustrating and being back out tonight for a steady 5 miles felt really good.  I managed the distance in 56 minutes which is consistent with every other time over that route.  My foot started to feel a bit stiff towards the end but I think that's to be expected really.  Rest for the next day or so before heading out for a big distance on Friday night.


I've adjusted the distances on my next couple of runs to avoid doing too much too soon and leaving myself open to a possible setback.  Instead of 14 miles this weekend I'm going to conquer the 10 mile barrier instead and push on from there. I think that having been out of action for a little while will mean my ankle is a bit stiffer and I just need to be sensible.  I'll still have done more than 200 miles of training before April so I think erring on the side of caution is probably best.

It's been a slightly up and down week from a diabetes perspective, but sadly it's all self inflicted.  The weekend mostly consisted of takeaway (I had a rare weekend to myself whilst my wife went to visit some friends) and as I've mentioned a few times, insulin doses tend to be a bit of guess work.  I think those indulgences, coupled with a lack of running meant the last few days haven't been quite as controlled as I'd like but I'm close to a return to normality.

Fundraising has gone pretty well again this week which is nice considering I've felt very lazy and done little that should encourage people to donate.  We've added £55 to the total since last week bringing it within touching distance of halfway at £482.  I've got a few friends and family to lean on yet as well so hopefully I can make the push towards £600 in the next couple of weeks.  As a reminder, you can visit the fundraising page by clicking on the link.  All money raised is being split between Diabetes UK and The Sheffield Children's Hospital Charity - two very worthy causes.

Given my takeaway indulgences this last week I'm somewhat surprised to have lost another 1.4lbs to be down to 188.6lbs overall.  I do, however, remain sceptical about getting weighed after running so if there's little change (or a pound goes back on) next week I won't really be too shocked

A final word before I leave it for this week... There are only 66 days left until race day now so I'm inside the final 10 weeks and I think the hard slog is really going to start - there are some huge milestones coming up. The furthest I've ever run (training or event) is 15 miles.  That was 4 years ago and that was the distance that lead to my foot getting injured.  In the next 5 weeks alone, I'll be going beyond that distance 3 times (16, 18 and 20 miles) and that's quite a scary thought for a number of reasons. 

Firstly, making those distances is psychologically important for me.  If you've been with the blog from the beginning then you'll know that all the training and diabetes control has been a series of steps and small progressions to get me to this point.  Getting out running at all was the first step, gradually upping the distances until I got through 3 intensive weeks at the end of January was another.  Doing 10 miles this weekend will be the next one.  After that, I need to prove to myself that I can run these long distances without my body giving up.

Secondly, the 20 mile run at the end of March is critical for so many reasons.  It's the longest run of the training plan and it means that understanding mile times, my ability to pace myself properly and my ability to perfectly control my diabetes will be tested.  If I can manage that distance and still be standing (metaphorically at least) then I'll know I can go to London and give a good account of myself which is all I want to do.

I'm not ashamed to say I'm scared or nervous because I am (and because I think it's probably quite natural given the circumstances) but I've come this far and I'm determined to do it.

Thanks, as always, for taking the time to read this - it's great to have so much support.  If you do have even a couple of quid going spare, then please consider donating it using the link above - it's not even the price of a pint these days (so I'm lead to believe) and it would make all the difference.

Take care, and have a great week - I'll speak to you next week

Thanks

Andy

Sacrifices and good news

Training miles completed this week: 12.5
Total training miles completed: 91
Training miles left: 155 + taper off period
Training runs left: 24 + taper off period

Hello and thanks for taking the time to read this week's post.

I've been deliberating whether to write this post for a few weeks now and I've decided to give it a shot.  I'm a bit worried that it won't sound quite right and I'll end up coming across as a bit self-aggrandising.  I hope regular readers and those who know me would back me up in saying that's not how this is meant to be.

The trigger for actually writing this came from an advert of all places - specifically this one:

I suppose it struck a chord with me because, whilst I knew that training for a marathon was no mean feat, I'd never really understood the actual extent of what it takes until I started doing it myself.  I've got friends who've run the London Marathon, and my sister and my dad have both done it too, but I've never really grasped the enormity of the challenge until very recently.  The line in the above that says "I am all the days you don't see" pretty much sums it up for me.

The thing is, that it's not really me that's making the sacrifices - it's my family.  At the moment, my wife has to put our daughter to bed on her own twice a week while I'm out running and as I start getting above 12 miles in the next few weeks, I'll be taking large chunks out of our weekends to prepare.

Whilst I do make sacrifices of sorts (getting up early for weekend runs, not getting home til 9pm some nights) I'm doing that voluntarily.  My family take the extra burden to let me do this and I think that aspect is overlooked as much as "all the days that you don't see".  I hope I've articulated that in a decent way.

Back to running and I've banked a decent 12.5 miles this week.  A 7.5 mile run last Friday night was a good test and despite feeling a bit of a twinge in my thigh muscle and feeling like I'd lost a lot of energy after 5 miles, I still put in a respectable 80 minute time.  Going back to last week's post again, I'm not setting out to run any of these distances in a "good" time - I'm setting out with the hope of getting back in one piece.  I'm keeping an eye on the mile times, but only as a reference, not a target to beat.  Fortunately that twinge in my thigh subsided quite quickly and I've not felt any additional pain in my foot yet.

It's been cold in Sheffield this week but the 5 miles last night felt pretty good.  A solid 55 minute time with no reaction afterwards is good.  I think it's a sign of how far I've come that when my wife asked me how far I was going I replied "only 5 miles".  In September, doing a mile filled me with fear and now 5 miles doesn't feel like much. 

I had my diabetes review at the hospital today and had some really good news! My long term blood sugar level (used in essence to monitor how well you're managing your condition) has dropped from 10.1 to 7.4 since August which is very pleasing.  I know it may not mean much out of context so I've handily got a picture (below) which might illustrate it better.

You should be able to pick out roughly where 10.1% is using the top scale and roughly where 7.4% is too.  Basically moving from red to green is the good new story of today!

I'm hoping to get to see a specialist nurse or dietician about running the marathon with diabetes as the consultant felt that would be the best approach.  Hopefully I'll get to do that sooner rather than later as there's some big distances coming up soon.

On a fundraising note, it's been another good week as I've managed to add another £100 to the total - taking it to £357 so far - more than a third of the way there.  I just need to find another 65 friends who have a tenner to spare to make the target now!  In all seriousness, people have been incredibly generous so far and I never even dreamed I'd have raised this much by January!  I'm still committed to making up any shortfall via a company donation, but it would feel even better to add money on top of the £1000 if I can reach the target.  As a reminder, you can visit the fundraising page by clicking on the link.  All money raised is being split between Diabetes UK and The Sheffield Children's Hospital Charity

A final mention on my weightloss target.  It's felt like another good week of eating sensibly and the Weigh-In has me at 191lbs (a loss of 1.2lbs since last week).  I think that's decent as I'm still slightly suspicious about last week's weigh in - 8.4lbs lost in 3 weeks is good - another 11 to go though!

I'll leave it there for this week - appreciate that's been a long post so thanks for sticking with it and for indulging me a bit at the start.  Once again, your continued support means a lot to me so thank you very much.  The blog passed the 1000 view mark last week - I never thought we'd get that far so that was a pleasant surprise.  I appreciate you all taking the time out to read this.  I won't let you down.

Have a good week and take care

Andy

P.S. Other brands of trainers are available etc etc - I'm not endorsed or sponsored by Asics - the advert just struck a chord with me.

We're not in Kansas any more

Hello and welcome to my first post of 2012.  I hope you all had a good Christmas and New Year.  Apologies if this is a bit of a longer post than usual - I do appreciate that I'm more suited to brevity...


With only 108 days to go until marathon day, I'm going to start each new blog post like this:


Training miles completed this week: 9.5
Total training miles completed: 47
Training miles left: 199


It's as much as a reference for me as anything else, but it saves you reading the whole thing if you're in a hurry... The mathematically minded among you will probably notice that by the time I line up, I'll have banked nearly 10 marathon's worth of training miles.


The official London Marathon 13 Week Training Plan kicked in on January 1st (although I actually started on New Year's Eve).  As I've mentioned a few times, they provide you with a few plans depending on what your goal is.  Given my circumstances, I've opted for the 'Just-to-get-round plan' which, in practice is the 'Just-to-get-to-the-start plan'


Under this plan, you get a schedule of 3 weekly runs.  The overwhelming problem is that I can't physically manage 3 runs a week - certainly not of any great distance.   That's become apparent recently with the amount of time I'm needing to recover.  Whilst I'm not getting the same pain as I've had previously, the aches are becoming more profound and I don't want to do myself any further damage.  The physio exercises do help a bit though.

Instead I've modified their plan into a 2 runs per week schedule, taking the longest 2 of the three runs and adding a little on to the other one.  I might post it as a separate entry so you can see what's coming up.  I'm going to run each Wednesday and Saturday so I've got 32 more runs before I line up at Blackheath on April 29th.  That feels like a long way off yet, but I know it isn't.  If you're interested, there's an interactive map of the marathon route

As part of my preparations, I've now got a hotel booked for three nights from Friday 27th April.  The non-refundable nature of the booking just adds an extra incentive!


Last Saturday I got up and did, what looked on paper, to be a fairly straightforward 4.5 mile run.  What actually happened was that my "local knowledge" conned me into forgetting how unforgiving a couple of hills were and it felt like an incredible slog getting round. I managed it in 52 minutes (just inside my target 12 minute mile pace).

Tonight, I'd learned from that "mistake" at the weekend at chose a flatter route to do 5 miles.  Given the howling winds and rain, I managed a respectable 56 minute time.  However much I may have been seeking a bit of sympathy, I actually really enjoyed it.  It was the first run I've done with music as well and it didn't affect may pace one way or another which was very pleasing.  I also discovered that my running top isn't as waterproof as it looks, so that was fun...

A to B and back again...

With regards to my diabetes, Christmas was as I expected it to be really.  A few highs, a few lows and a bit inbetween as well.  The effects of a sneaky couple of After Eights is not to be taken lightly.  I had a check in with the specialist nurse at the hospital yesterday and she's happy that I'm doing the right things on my own.  I've got an annual review at the beginning of Feb where we'll start to really see how much progress I've made.  As long as my blood sugar is trending downwards, I'll be happy.  I'll have a blood test that works out my blood sugar levels have been over 3 months (as opposed to the tests I do at home myself). Christmas will have affected the results of that test a bit but we'll wait and see what happens.

I'm back on my diet proper after Christmas (where I think I only put on about 3lbs) so I'm confident of a normal return to blood sugar levels very soon.

As an aside, I've realised that as well as pacing myself with running and "hydration strategies" I'm going to have to pay a lot more attention to my blood sugar levels before and after running.  I need to monitor what the distance is doing to me and making sure that I don't go low when I'm 6 miles from home.

Finally, you all know I'm fundraising for Diabetes UK and Sheffield Children's Hospital Chairty but whilst I'm not asking for your money (just yet!) what I am after is your fundraising ideas if you have any.  These are a few that have been suggested so far. I'm not sure I can manage them all but I'm prepared to have a go at just about anything to raise money:

• Raffle
• Finishing time sweepstake
• Have my legs waxed (and apparently ask for extra donations if you want to tear the strips off yourself)
• Bag packing at a supermarket

If you've got any more, or would like to throw your support behind any of the above, then please let me know.  As I understand it, packing bags at a supermarket is lucrative for charitable donations but I have the feeling you need a fair few people to make the most of it.

I'll leave it there for now - you've been very patient if you've made it this far, for which I'm grateful as always.  This blog managed just over 750 views between 9th September and 31st December and I'm very thankful for each and everyone one of those.  I'm hoping that I can encourage others to spread the message about what this training is like for me and how much it's going to mean to achieve something I've wanted to do for over 20 years.

As always, you can find me on Twitter (@BroomOwl) or drop me a line (broomowl@gmail.com) if you'd like to get in touch.

Thanks for reading and I hope that 2012 is a great year for you.

Take care,

Andy

So this is Christmas...

The eagle-eyed amongst you have probably spotted that I've been naming most of my recent blog posts after 'appropriate' song lyrics so this title should come as little surprise.


This is the penultimate post of 2011 so I'll be firmly on topic for today.  Next week's will be a bit of a mix of training progress and a 2011 review/2012 preview.


I'm a bit sketchy on my dates this week (blame the impending chaos of Christmas) but I think I've run twice since I last updated this - 6 miles in total.  I had a mostly very pleasant 2.5 mile jog round Centre Parcs (Sherwood Forest) on Saturday morning.  It would have been completely pleasant had I not accidentally run through a bush at the side of the road and cut my face.  Whilst this is apparently amusing, I didn't see the funny side at the time.


Tonight I've done 3.5 miles (a new best distance) in 39 minutes which is just inside a 12 minute mile time.  Here's the route:

I managed my most sustained period of running to date as well which was pleasing.  I managed all the way from the start marker (above) to practically the Crown & Cushion pub.  It's not that far (just over a mile) but it represents a lot to me which is good.  Being able to take that impact without needing a break is good and hopefully over the next few weeks I'll be able to improve on that.


I've got 3 runs left before January and I'm hoping I can get a decent 4 mile run in before New Year.  My fundraising page tells me I've got 123 days to go before the marathon.  I truly believe that if I keep chipping away at it, I'll get there no problem!


Being diabetic this week has been....challenging.  As you probably know we had a long weekend at Centre Parcs this weekend.  That basically involved eating out for 3 meals a day for the better part of 4 days.  It also meant more indulgences that a) I'm used to and b) should have.  I roughly managed my blood sugar OK.  By that I mean I probably did as best I could given how difficult it was to find time to test my blood and make an educated guess about what I was eating.  I managed a horrifying 20mmol on the Saturday morning, and swung the other way to 2.7mmol on Sunday night.


As I've probably mentioned a few times, it can be quite frustrating when you're not exercising the amount of control you should be and that was certainly true this weekend.  I also 'confirmed' something that I've suspected for a little while, which is that a bad diet, even for a short time, leads to migraines.  I was in tears with pain on Sunday night which is probably the worst I've been for a long time.  I also know that once it's started, it's a good 3 or 4 days before it subsides properly.  It's just even more of an incentive to eat properly I guess.  Apologies for that segue...


I shall sign off there for this week.  To summarise, running - good, diabetes - OK, diet - causes migraines.


Thanks ever so much for all your support and kind words since I started this blog, you're all incredible and I truly thank you for all your encouragement.  Hopefully I'll do you all proud next year.  Remember you can donate (or invite others to) at the fundraising link above.   I know the charities don't affect a lot of you personally and I wouldn't dream of asking you to support something you didn't want to.  But if you know anyone who might like to then please feel free to share the link to the blog.


I hope you all have a fantastic Christmas and a good break from work if you're taking one.


Merry Christmas


Andy

Inhaler

Hi - thanks for stopping by to read.


I'll start off with an apology - I feel like the last couple of (on topic) posts have had little variation of substance and it's unfair of me to expect you to keep reading if I'm not going to try to keep to a standard.  I'll be making a more concerted effort going forward.


This week has been a 3-run week and I've managed 7.5 miles since last Wednesday.  I was feeling somewhat under the weather last week so I did a smaller, 1.5 mile route just to keep some momentum.  Fortunately my man-flu had mostly subsided by Saturday morning and so I went for my longest distance to date and did 3 miles - something I repeated this evening.

Saturday morning was OK as things go.  I'd forgotten my inhaler before I left (I have mild asthma on top of everything else) and it was incredibly icy.  I managed the route in 40 minutes which felt OK considering the circumstances.  I wanted another crack at it without the ice slowing me down and did the same route in 37 minutes tonight - roughly on track for 12 minute miles.


The problem is that I feel like I'm my own worst enemy sometimes.  I got about a mile into my run tonight before I started with stitch again.  I'd been round Leeds Christmas market after work tonight and naively thought that a German sausage then wouldn't hurt before I came home to go running.  What I neglected to tell myself is that it was still only a couple of hours before and that being in a different city doesn't actually make a difference.   I need to be a lot stricter and more disciplined with myself because silly things like that don't help.


The good news is that I'm starting to believe that I can actually make it round 26 miles if I continue to be sensible.  I'm not usually low on self belief, but I'm wary of jinxing myself a bit with this.  When I'm out running, I feel like I can actually do it and that sort of belief is pushing me on.


I'm taking a lot of care when I run and I'm getting better at measuring my stride so I'm not coming down off a curb onto my bad foot and I'm not pushing off with it going back up a curb either.  I'm also starting to feel like I can open up my stride a bit and push myself a bit more.


I've had a bit of a roller-coaster week diabetes wise.  I had a work Christmas do on Friday and I had a decent reading before bed (6 ish if I remember correctly) but it was 20.5 when I woke up Saturday morning!  In trying to correct that I ended up going low three times that day and I've felt like I've hit peaks and troughs since then rather than any real stability.   I mentioned a few weeks ago that I was sort of anticipating this with Christmas coming up.  I just need to work extra hard to keep it in check over the next few weeks now.  If I was consistently getting high readings I'd be concerned but it's just a product of the time of year I think.  Hopefully I can keep it relatively under control.


I've also finalised my fund raising page on Virgin Money Giving today - you can see it here: AndyRunsTheMarathon2012  I also gave myself the first donation to kick start it.  I've talked about the charities a fair bit over the last week or two so please feel free to skip back a few posts and read up about the work they do.  I wanted to just briefly talk about my fundraising goal before I sign off.


My aim is to raise what I'd like to think is a relatively modest amount of money for each charity - namely £500 each.  It's not a lot in the scheme of things as far as the charities themselves are concerned (for examples, it's only about 12% of the funds The Children's Hospital need just to run their diabetes camp for kids for one summer - let alone the rest of their projects) but it's a target I think I can achieve.


I worked out that if every one of my Twitter followers gave £2 (less than the price of a pint as I understand it) then I'd reach my goal with money to spare.  I'm not for a single second suggesting that I'd expect or even ask that they would, but it's just an illustration of why I think it's achievable.  I've put £50 in myself to start and hopefully that'll grow and grow over the coming months.  I'm committing that my company will make up any shortfall to the £1000 total but I'll also put in £500 extra if I can raise more than £1000 in total.  I know Christmas isn't the best time to discuss these things, especially given the current financial climate, but I wanted to just talk about my goals for fundraising and given you my honest viewpoint on what I'm trying to do.


This has been a bit of a longer post than I'd anticipated so I'll leave it there.  I need to rest my foot a bit as the aches, whilst not crippling, are worse after a run and I could do with my feet up for half an hour before bed.


Thanks again for reading (if you made it this far) and don't forget you can always find me for a chat on Twitter (@BroomOwl) or drop me an e-mail (broomowl@gmail.com).


Take care and I'll update you in my last blog before Christmas next week


Andy

An off week

Hello!


I'd just like to say thanks to everyone who read and also messaged me with comments on the couple of music-based posts I did this last week.  You're all very kind and I've now got some new suggestions to be getting on with.


I'm firmly back on topic today though although it may be a bit briefer than usual.


I went for a 2 mile run on Saturday morning as my usual Friday night slot was occupied by babysitting.  I'm actually considering switching to Saturday mornings altogether.  Firstly, it means I can enjoy my Friday night at the end of the week without feeling like I have to get a run 'out of the way' and secondly, it'll be good to get used to running in the mornings in preparation for April next year.


It was a really good run as it happens, managed 11 minute miles which, if I was looking to pace myself, that's what I'm aiming for.  I also managed longer periods of sustained running without cramping up or feeling like I had to stop because of the old injury.  Most of all, I felt no after effects which is really promising stuff - hopefully that will all continue.


Diabetes wise, it's been a bit of a struggle for the latter part of this week as I've ben struck down with the dreaded man-flu.  What I'd forgotten is how much being even a tiny bit off colour can affect your blood sugar.  As a rule, I'll just aim to keep my readings under 10mmol while I'm ill and even that's been a struggle this week.

I couldn't explain to you why it happens, but I know that it does and so the last 3 days I've been dialling my insulin dose up a bit to try and stay in control.  It'll pass soon enough and then I imagine a short period of adjustment will follow before I'm back to normal again.  That might coincide with Christmas a bit, but that's just one of those things - no-one can help being ill.

I'm still undecided if I'll go running tonight.  I want to (which is good).  I feel better than I have done for 3 days (also good) but I can't tell if I'm really physically up to it.  It's difficult because I don't want to feel like I'm losing ground, especially as I feel like I'm already behind where I'd like to be.  On the other hand, running for the sake of it, when I don't fee right is quite plainly silly.

If I feel right later on I might do a shorter run (1.5 miles) just to get the blood flowing a bit.  I'm looking at a longer run on Saturday morning (3 miles) which will be good to get the momentum going.

I'm going to leave it there for now.  Thanks for reading - appreciate it's a bit thin on content this week but I didn't want to ramble on for the sake of it.

Feel free to give me a tweet (@BroomOwl) or an e-mail (broomowl@gmail.com) if you fancy a chat.

Take care

Andy

There Goes The Fear

Good morning.

Thanks for stopping by to read.  Hopefully I didn't alienate too many of your with yesterday's off topic musical segue.  I'm firmly back on message today.

This week has been a big week for the training.  It's the first time I've done 3 runs in 7 days which is a major step forward for me (pardon the pun).  And it's removed a little bit of the fear that I had that I was setting myself up for an impossible task.

I did Wednesday, Friday and last night (Tuesday), running 2, 1.5 and 2.5 miles.  Still no great distance but something I feel very proud of given how I felt a year ago.  I'll admit that after the Friday run I was a bit on edge.  I had a fair amount of pain in my foot and needed to properly rest up and do some exercises the physio had given me to try and loosen it up.  Fortunately there were no after effects on Saturday and I even managed a 2 mile walk to meet a friend for a drink before football on Saturday.

It was good to get a new longer distance under my belt last night too (despite the initial cold - I need to find my running gloves!!).  I was tempted to go for 3 miles but it felt like too much too soon.  An extra half mile a week feels like the right thing to do at the moment.  I've got enough time to build up to longer runs but for now I need to maintain gradual progress and not force myself into an unnecessary set back.   I do need to keep an eye on the 'official' training plan though.  I don't want to fall behind, but equally may have to adapt it to suit my circumstances.

2.5 mile route

I was talking to my Dad (my original marathon inspriation) about this and we both agreed that getting round will be an achievement in itself and that's all I need to aim for.  That takes the pressure off in a way and I think that helps a lot too.

My new training strategy is hopefully going to focus on 5 runs in two weeks (Tue-Fri-Wed-Fri-Tue) which I think will give me enough to build up over the next few months.

Things are ticking over with regards my diabetes.  I succumbed to some Ben & Jerry's ice cream at the weekend but I'd decided that after 4 days of continuous headache I needed some sugar (note - this is not medically sound advice I'm giving myself) and as such I was skirting around a slightly higher blood sugar level than I would have normally been at.

I think this is another area where I have to be realistic.  I'd love to have the confidence to tell myself I neither need, nor want anything sweet but I know the fact is that's simply not true.  I've definitely cut down significantly from the bad diet I used to have when I started this blog but which is another victory for willpower.  But I know that I'm going to give in to temptation from time to time and the key to diabetes (as with any condition) is to be able to manage it accordingly.

Christmas is becoming an ever closer reality and I'm already starting to plan out all the things I need to cook.  I'm hoping my Christmas lunch will be fairly diabetic friendly and I'm desperately rooting through recipe books for reduced sugar desserts.  And through normal cookbooks for a chocolate yule log recipe for my wife.  I think Christmas has always been a time for dietary indulgence where I'm concerned and I plan to celebrate with reasonable moderation this year.  Although if the customary Chocolate Orange from my mother-in-law makes an appearance I may have to be extra restrained.


The difficult thing I've found is managing my blood sugar after running.  Normally I'll eat dinner at about 5:30pm (when my daughter eats) but when I'm running, it won't be until 8 ish.  As I often go to bed at around 10, I'm in a tricky situation.  My insulin acts over 5 hours but peaks after about 2, so a blood sugar reading just before bed can be unduly alarming.  Take last night - it was 13mmol before I went to bed but I took a chance and didn't correct it as my insulin still had time to act.  My blood was 6.6mmol this morning so I did the right thing in the end.  Getting used to things like that still feels quite new for me.

Once again, thanks for reading.  I do appreciate your feedback and the time you take to have a read.  Apologies for the length of this post (and for getting into the science a bit too much - I'm sure it's just jargon to a lot of you so I appreciate you sticking with it).


I hope you've all got your advent calendars ready for tomorrow.  If you fancy a chat, the usual channels of communication are open - @BroomOwl on Twitter or broomowl@gmail.com


Take care and I'll post again soon


Andy