Stepping up

Hello.

So it's November already - this means I have 171 days to go until Marathon Day - it still feels ages away but I know it's going to come round quickly.

As the title of this post suggests, I'm making an effort to step up my training slightly this week.  I'm targeting 2 runs this week, both with longer distances, though nothing too outrageous just yet.

I did just over 1.5 miles on Monday night - a cunning ploy to try avoid answering the door to Trick or Treaters.  I felt really good after it - no real pain at all which makes me cautiously optimisitc (although I'm been here before so I'm still erring on the side of caution).  And I only managed to get heckled by two lots of kids dressed up as who knows what.

My plan for this week is to go out again tomorrow night (Thursday) which will mean 2 runs in 4 days.  Under normal circumstances I'd have left it an extra day or so but family commitments mean I can't.  That will put the total number of training miles at a huge 5.  It feels somewhat pathetic saying that but there's still a long way to go yet, and the groundwork I put in now will pay off later.

I also created my fundraising page for next year.  Normally I wouldn't like to put a jinx on it, but there was a prize draw to win accomodation in London for the marathon and some running gear if you set on up before November.  If you want to take a look it's here - somewhat imaginatively titled Andy Runs The Marathon 2012 Perhaps I should leave the PR to some of you eh?

I'm running for two charities - Diabetes UK and The Children's Hosptial Charity in Sheffield.  Choosing a charity is difficult but it's a lot easier to pick something close to your heart (as diabetes obviously is).  The Children's Hospital Charity allow you to specify where your money will go to and I'll be donating it towards diabetes work for children.  I can't really begin to imagine how a child copes with this and so I feel like I'm doing a little bit to help with this.  You can read more about each of them by following these links: Diabetes UK and The Children's Hospital Charity

Please don't take that as a subtle hint for donations. I think it's far too early for that and I'd hate to disappoint all of you as well as myself if the worst should happen.  Besides, I'll be far more explicit when I want your money...

Diabetes-wise, things have been going well.  As half of my weekend was spent out in various shops (Meadowhall and IKEA) I ended up eating out twice which was nice but obviously at odds with my diet and a bit of a struggle when it came to insulin.  I overcalculated a touch on Saturday so had a low blood sugar episode but did better on Sunday which was good.  I think I've only had one high reading since my last post (12.4mmol) but I can pinpoint that being due to indulging in a test slice of freshly made parkin.

I thought I'd just talk briefly about what low blood sugar means for me.  When I get low blood sugar (or hypoglycemia) I always get warning signs which is good news.  Without those I could have dangerously low sugar levels and possibly collapse - not an ideal solution for anyone.  My hands start to shake a bit and it gets difficult to concentrate on what I'm thinking or saying - it's a bit like your brain turning to cotton wool.  I occasionally get a feeling a bit similar to an adrenaline rush and I'm very conscious of my heart beating which is quite odd.  More recently I've noticed that my nose gets cold.  All in all, it's not very attractive to witness.  Plus I get quite short tempered which doesn't help.  During the day this I can cope OK but when your body wakes you up at 2am and your shaking, correcting that hypo is a lot more challenging.  I'm not sure if this is the same for everyone - I assume it differs a little bit from person to person.

I've probably taken up quite a lot of your time so I'll end it there.  As always, I'm on Twitter (@BroomOwl) for a general natter or you can contact me on broomowl@gmail.com.  If you're interested in learning more about my charities, they're also on Twitter (@DiabetesUK and @tchcharity).

Thanks for reading - I appreciate you giving up your time

Take care

Andy

The first step is the hardest

I didn’t mean for the title to sounds all Cat Stevens like, but I said those words to someone the other day and I’ve inadvertently been singing them to that tune ever since.  All I meant was that getting yourself out of the door in the first place is the worst thing about running.

I went for another run on Monday (6 days since the last run) – same route, same time and I didn’t really feel much pain off the back of it.  I had a bit of an ache in the joint yesterday but it wasn’t as bad as I thought it would be.

So obviously I’ve now got a part of me that thinks I can go out and run a few times a week and step it up a level.  I think that the more reserved and cautious part of me is winning and I’ll try for another run on Friday or Saturday instead.

If that goes well I might look at slightly upping the distance but keep the running to once every 4 or 5 days in the short term.  I’ve got one eye on the more rigorous training plans that I’ll need to get into after Christmas but I think I need to take it slowly and possibly revise my strategy for running as I go.

I’m fully convinced that I need a run/walk strategy to get me round all 26 miles, but I suppose the tricky bit is understanding what that ratio will look like.  Obviously I’d like to run as much as possible but I may end up walking a fair amount.  I suppose that will reveal itself as the weeks go on.

I feel like I’ve got a good handle back on my diabetes control now.  I had a check up appointment at the hospital last week and the specialist nurse and I both agreed that things seem to have made a noticeable progression since I last went to see her.

We talked about how difficult it can be when you’re eating out (or eating something where you can’t get a good idea of the carb content of your food).  I think I’ve started to get better at estimating that now which is a real bonus.

It takes away a lot of the guilt regarding “treats” (well, it takes away the diabetes guilt, not the diet guilt).  A couple of cases in point from the last week or so:

1. My wife and I had both had a pretty long, stressful day last Friday so we decided to get a chinese takeaway.  Whilst I can’t remember the exact figures, I know I managed to keep my blood sugar within normal limits before and after and into the next day.
2. My parents came over for Sunday lunch and I’d baked a Victoria sponge type cake for dessert (with reduced sugar jam of course).  I managed to get away with a small slice and keep my sugar below 7 which felt like a real achievement

It’s not always that easy of course and to a lot of you, it probably seems crazy to be so pleased about managing a takeaway and a cheeky slice of cake.  And I completely understand that.  I almost feel ridiculous making such a big deal about it, but it does represent a big step for me.  It also means that I don’t have to feel chained to my diet and a small set of meals just to keep my condition in check.

Going back to my tightrope analogy from a few weeks back, I learned something new recently that I’ve never known in 10 years of being diabetic.  1 unit of (fast acting) insulin will reduce your blood sugar by 3mmol on average.  That’s a bit sciency, but if you consider that I’m trying to keep my level between 5 and 7.5, it shows how easy it can be to miscalculate and fall low and need to correct a wobble.  I might talk more about that next time.

Finally, I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who reads this.  I know I’m supposed to be talking a lot more about the marathon training and that’s slow going at the moment.  But I’m finding that talking about diabetes for a few paragraphs once a week helps to keep me focussed and determined and so I wanted to say thanks for allowing me that and for taking the time to read it.  I really appreciate it.

As usual, drop me a line on Twitter (@BroomOwl) or to broomowl@gmail.com if you fancy getting in touch for a chat about anything (marathon/diabetes related  or not).

Thanks for reading – take care

Andy

Something to write home about

Hello again


Today marked an important step on the long road to London.  I went for a run!!


I say run.  In fairness it was more of run/walk (as advised by the physio) but I still got my running gear on and went out in the wind and the rain and did some running.  And while it was only just over a mile - going out and doing it was psychologically big for me

The route - cheers GoogleI

The question now is whether or not going out was a good idea.  The physio and I agreed it should be if I took it steady.  And I definitely did.  I've got a bit of a dull ache at the moment but I get that from time to time.  I'm not naive enough to think it's unrelated but I'm equally not going to be so pessimistic to think that it will be a problem.  I had a similar pain after each physio appointment so I'm going to continue to focus on the positives.


I won't be doing any more jogging until the weekend now (at the earliest) so hopefully I can continue with the exercises to loosen the joint and things will get gradually easier.


Diet-wise I've been plodding along.  It's been one of those funny weeks where we've had friends visiting and things so I've not been able to be as strict as I normally would be (I even chanced a sliver of lemon meringue pie at my mum's the other night) but I've been steadfastly sticking to the salads during the week.


I haven't weighed myself yet but I imagine I'll be hovering around where I have been for the last two weeks.  I'm feeling good and I think that's one of the most important things to consider.  I'll lose more weight as I gradually increase the training over the next few months.


Finally, a quick diabetes update.  Things are feeling like they're returning to normal now.  Blood sugar levels are generally in the 4-7 area although the feeling of being on a tightrope is still there.  Even after all these years I'm still amazed by how even slight changes in routine can have such an affect on my blood sugar levels.


I sometimes get the feeling that I'll never be able to control that mystery factor  and every now and again, I'll get an unexpected reading.  I think that's just part of my life and not panicking when it happens is the best thing I can do.


I've got a follow up appointment with the diabetes nurse on Friday morning.  I've probably not done everything she asked me to do but I think it's difficult to try and prescribe a method of living your life to someone else.  But perhaps that's for another blog.


If you fancy a chat then you can find me on Twitter (@BroomOwl) or drop me a mail on broomowl@gmail.com You'll be pleased to hear that BlackBerry have sorted themselves out so I'll have no problems getting back to you.


Thanks for reading - I know a lot of you make the effort to have a look and I really do appreciate it.


Take care


Andy

Walking a tightrope

The title of this post relates to an idea I’d had a few days ago that I thought might be interesting to talk about.  Since then a few things have happened so this may turn out to be a ‘double feature’ blog post.  I’ll do my best to be succinct where possible.

It struck me recently that being diabetic is very much like walking a tightrope.  I talked briefly about blood sugar levels last time and since then I’ve been giving it a fair bit of thought.

I’ve noticed that since I came back from holiday that even the slightest miscalculation with my insulin dose would lead to a high blood sugar reading which has made me feel like I’m wobbling (to continue the analogy).  I think I’d perhaps forgotten how much hard work it was to really stay on top of the condition and as soon as the wobbles crept back in I started to feel angry and frustrated.  Of course that doesn’t help and I think over the last 48 hours or so, I feel like I’ve regained the control I had pre-Las Vegas.

Perhaps I shouldn’t have been so naïve about how long it would take to readjust my diet, insulin and blood sugar control (even after just 5 days away).  I think the tightrope analogy works because adjusting from a minor blip (blood being 9.2mmol when you’re aiming for 7.5 say) is an easier adjustment than trying to correct yourself from a real wobble (e.g. 14mmol).  You end up over or under-compensating and it takes a lot more resolve to stay balanced.

I’ve been a bit harsh on my diet as a result of that this week.  I did some baking with my daughter last weekend, getting her to help make some wholemeal scones.  We used a rabbit shaped cutter which kept her interested but now they have to be referred to as ‘bunny cakes’.

I treated myself to a couple of these after my stir fry the other night and ended up with the 14mmol reading I talked about above which shocked me quite a bit.  As a result I’ve cut down on carbs more than I already had done.  I still have my stir fry, but I’ll either have noodles with it or I’ll have a bunny-cake afterwards – not both. 

I think part of that dietary strictness has evolved from last week’s lack of weight loss which disappointed me more than I probably let on.  I’ve also been feeling ‘fat’ this week too (not helped by a 3 day weekend and a pie at football on Saturday) so I’ve really been trying to reign in unnecessary calories.

Moving away from the diabetes/diet and into the training, I had physio again on Tuesday and I’m happy to be able to report that it’s reasonably good news.

She was pleased that I’ve had no real discomfort in my foot for the last two and a bit weeks (save the time spent flying) and apparently the movement in the joint is better than it was when I first went back in August.

We then had a fairly frank chat about training and she’s advised me to up my swimming a bit for the next few weeks but then I should be OK to start some light run/walk training!  This is obviously good news although I’m mindful of being in this position 12 months ago so I’ll definitely be taking it steady.

For those of you who haven’t done the London Marathon (and I’m not totally sure of my reader demographic yet so forgive me), what happens when you get a place is that they send you a magazine with lots of tips and advice, including example training plans based on your target.

The most basic one is “If your goal is just to get to the finish line”.  To be honest, my immediate goal is just to get to the start line but in any case, that’s the plan I’m going for.  Since the injury, I’ve revised my ambitions for the marathon quite a bit.  I’d always wanted to beat my dad’s time and my sister’s time but I think that’s beyond me now.  Getting round will be more than enough for me.

At any rate, the plan they give you is a 13 week training plan that you should have completed about 4 weeks before marathon day (April 22^nd 2012).  But that plan assumes you can do 30 minutes of easy running, with the odd walk break in there if you need it, and suggests a 4-8 week “base training” programme before you jump into the main plan.  A quick bit of calendar-maths means that I’d need to start that 8 week base programme in 2 weeks time so the physio’s advice was welcomed with open arms.

So all in all, it’s looking cautiously positive.  No more formal physio for the time being – just a call in a month to see how things are going.

I’ve talked a lot today so I’ll end it there I think.  Thanks for sticking with it all the way to the end.

As always, if you want to get in touch for a chat about the themes of this blog or anything else, then you can always drop me a line on broomowl@gmail.com or find me on Twitter (@BroomOwl).  Sadly I’m one of the ‘millions’ being affected by the BlackBerry problems (though I’m in the minority that aren’t claiming it to be life-threatening) so my online life is a bit limited at the moment so if you do get in touch, and I take a while to get back to you, I’m not ignoring you, I probably just haven’t got your message.

Thanks for reading

Andy

Looking forward

Hello – thanks for stopping by.

First of all – apologies I’ve not posted for a couple of weeks.  Obviously being on holiday was a factor in that, and I wanted to make sure I had something meaningful to talk about this time.

I suppose the immediate good news is that I’ve not really felt any pain in my foot for a couple of weeks now (the most notable exception being on the flight home).  I think that’s quite a good sign really, especially when you consider the amount of walking I did while I was away.

I’ve also been swimming another couple of times this week which is quite handy.  It’s good to get the exercise and it gives me time to focus on what this is all about.

I’m not seeing the physio again until next Tuesday (11^th) but I’ve got some more physical exercises to do in the interim (think jumping up and down holding a football…) so hopefully I’ll get the go ahead to run somewhere next time!

I got my marathon acceptance letter and magazine through the post while I was away. I’ve not opened it yet as I don’t want to start getting ahead of myself by looking at all the training plans and reading all the articles about how hard it’s going to be - I’ve got a fairly good idea of that already…

The most difficult thing this last week or so has been getting my blood sugar back to some semblance of normalcy.  I was keeping an eye on it while I was in Las Vegas, but didn’t test it as often as I would at home.  As I may have posted before, trying to maintain a correct blood sugar level if you eat out for one meal is difficult, so doing it for a week is nigh on impossible.  Even the advice you get in clinic is “use your best guess” when eating out.

Having recovered from crippling jet lag by drinking an unhealthy amount of caffeine and sugar, I thought it would be easy to correct my sugar levels over the weekend and be back on track immediately.  It’s not been quite that straightforward but I think I’ve just about got a handle on it again.  I’m probably 1 to 1.5 mmol above where I’d like to be but nothing too concerning. (Educational segue – blood sugar levels should be around 4.5 to 7.5mmols (or so I was always told) and I try to average about 6 ish.  I’ve been around the 7.5 to 8.5mmol level for the last few days but that’s not too bad – I’m probably being harsh on myself).

Anyone who follows me on Twitter may have also spotted that I dipped into the low end of the blood sugar spectrum on Monday night just as I got to Hillsborough Leisure Centre.  Fortunately I managed to find a few rogue jelly sweets in my bag and got through it OK.  I’ve also been waking up early (4am) feeling a bit on the low side these last few days, but I’m managing to get back to sleep until my alarm goes off.

I think it’s a pretty natural part of adjusting from eating a very different diet for a week (not to mention eating at irregular times and flying messing with my insulin doses) so I’m fairly happy that things are back under control.

Weight wise, I’m still at 198lbs.  I’m tempted to feel bad about that and hammer my diet even more but the truth is I eat so few calories for 5 out of 7 days I can’t.  Plus I know being on holiday affected my weight so I think I just need to continue doing what I’ve been doing and I’ll continue to lose it.

I’ll post an update next week to let you know how the exercises have gone, what the physio says and whether or not I can be trusted to run even just a mile or so.

As always, thanks for reading.  At the risk of sounding like a teen drama series, if you want to get in touch for a chat about the themes of this blog, then you can always drop me a line on broomowl@gmail.com or find me on Twitter (@BroomOwl).  Of course if you want to chat about something else, that’s equally welcomed and encouraged.

Take care

Andy

A mini-update

Hello again


I'd set today aside as the day I'd write another post, convinced I'd have lots to say and things to update you with but I realised this morning that's probably not the case.


Don't get me wrong, I could easily spout for a page or so about all things great and small, but I know that wouldn't be fair to you as readers and so I'll attempt to be concise.


I'd chosen today specifically as I'd had my diabetes check up and I'd had physio straight after.  I thought there'd be a lot more bloggable information than there probably is but I'll give you the highlights and try to explain what this means for the training.


Diabetes appointment went really well - they seem to be pleased with the progress I've made since I decided to sort my life out a bit.  I won't get a definitive answer as to how it's going (i.e. a blood test) until December but I came away feeling positive and with a few tips to bear in mind.


Physio went OK too which is about what I expected.  I've had four appointments now but I've seen three difference physios in that time so I feel that my continuity of care (for want of a better phrase) isn't quite there.  They work incredibly hard and I'm very grateful for the time they give me, but it would be nice to see the same person every time.  I think that'll settle down soon though.


They've continued to advise me to stay away from impact exercise, so running is still off the table in the short term but I'm hoping for the go ahead to do some light jogging (or even brisk walking!) next time around.  I think the swimming I've been doing has helped a bit, but I actually feel like I've had more pain this last week or so than I have in quite some time.   Perhaps that means my joint is starting to free up a bit.


If you dip into my tweets from time to time, you'll know I'm going away for a few nights this weekend - specifically to Las Vegas.  It's somewhere I've always wanted to go so I'm very pleased I've finally got the chance.  I'm not sure what it means for the diet but I'm going to enjoy myself but without resorting to excess - I think that's what a holiday is supposed to be about.  I'm also looking forward to taking some (hopefully) impressive photos to remember it all by (this is my Flickr account).


One last note, I lost anther 4lbs this week so I'm standing (proudly??) at 198lbs - it's the first time I can remember being under 200lbs for a while now so hopefully the walking up and down the Strip in Vegas will keep the weight off.


As always, if you want to get in touch or fancy a general chat, I can be found on Twitter as @Broomowl or mail me on broomowl@gmail.com

Thanks for reading.  Andy.

Compare and contrast

I’m going to talk about my contrasting approach to two important parts of my preparation, namely diet and exercise.

As I alluded to in my last post, the events of the last few years have lead to me having what would politely be described as a somewhat ‘jolly’ appearance.  I’ve usually been able to hide most of my excess weight with a cleverly selected shirt and, when discussing dieting, most people have told me that I don’t look like I need to lose weight – which is very kind, but sadly untrue.

However, the fact remains that as of the second week of August (coinciding with my first diabetes hospital review since I moved house) I was a 30 year old, 5’11” (ish) weighing more than 210lb (about 97kg for all your new money people).  All that added together puts me right on the cusp of obesity (clinically overweight at least).

What I’d lacked for the past few years was clear motivation to actually do something about it.  Moving back to Sheffield felt like a fresh start and if I’m going to run/walk/hobble for 26 and a bit miles, the last thing I want to do is to lug any excess weight around.  So after that hospital appointment I made a change.

I’ve dieted before (and very successfully – I lost over 2 stone in about 5 months back in 2008) but it came at a cost in that it made me miserable.  There are plenty of approaches to losing weight out there – a lot of them accompanied by a bit of a hefty price tag.  But really, losing weight is down to science - eat fewer calories than your body requires to keep you warm and breathing (determined by your BMI) and you’ll lose weight.

My approach to dieting is somewhat gung-ho.  I lost all that weight the first time around by carrying a calorie book everywhere, weighing all my food and recording everything in a spreadsheet.  I was fairly slim (I got down to 174lb I think) but it wasn’t sustainable and when I stopped exercising, the weight went back on.

I’m employing a similar ‘all out attack’ approach this time round, but with some concessions.  I’m not weighing my food, I don’t carry the calorie book and I don’t have a food spreadsheet.  What I have done is dramatically reduce the amount of food I eat and significantly alter the kind of food I eat.  I won’t go into the details but let’s say that salad, homemade fruit smoothies and stir fry have become my friends.

I feel better for it and fortunately the bathroom scales don’t lie – I lost 4lbs last week and 3lbs this week and I currently tip the scales at 202lb (just under 92kg).  I’m fairly proud of that given that I’ve lost it all essentially through diet alone.

That leads me to exercise (sort of).  I actually enjoy exercise so finding my opportunities limited is frustrating at the moment.  My physio told me that swimming would be a good way to get back into physical activity (and should help with my foot) and so I’ve started swimming again.

This is where the contrasting approach comes in.  I used to be a very gung-ho exerciser.  I was a member of a gym and I’d go at least three times a week and swim once a week.  This time around, however, I’m taking a much more measured approach.  Marathon training (or any kind of exercise) isn’t about doing as much as you can as often as you can.  It’s about conditioning your body to be able to gradually do more and more until you reach your goal.

It’s taken me far too long to really realise that, and it takes quite a bit of self control to actually exercise in that mindset.  I’ve set myself a target of swimming twice a week at the moment with an aim to steadily increase the distance I swim.  ‘Old’ me would have jumped in the pool and stubbornly refuse to get out until I’d done 40, 50 or 60 lengths.  ‘New’ me knows that I’ll get to that distance but I’ll do myself no favours if I start out there.  While my diet can afford to be a bit more extreme (for now at least), my approach to exercising can’t.

Looking ahead a few months, I think that I’ll have a slightly steeper training curve than I’d like (when I start running it’ll be shorter distances than I’d need) but I feel confident that I’m starting with the right foundations to get me to where I want to be (coughing my guts up on The Mall in April).

I’m also not so blinkered to know that my diet won’t have to change (more exercise require more calories) and I know that will lead to changes in how I approach my diabetes control.

But for now, I’m losing weight, exercising and have a sensible blood sugar level, all for the first time in a long time.  I’ve got another hospital check up next week and I’ll blog again after that before my long anticipated week’s holiday.

As always, if you want to get in touch or fancy a general chat, I can be found on Twitter as @Broomowl or mail me on broomowl@gmail.com

Thanks for reading.  Andy.