Big lessons earlier this month, both running and diabetes. Neither to be underestimated, the simple things seem to catch me out – if you have the patience read on to see if there is anything in it for you.
A busy summer with events has meant that it has been hard to get in to any routine, both my training and to a large degree my diabetes has taken a back seat. Both have suffered as a result – in many ways I look forward to the winter when I can slide back in to a routine.
Cartmel 3 peaks
A few weekends ago I was keen to get out for a long run, I mistakenly thought there was an event on locally the Cartmel 3 peaks (Howbarrow, Hampsfell and Humphrey Head) a little 22 miles.. by the time I realised it was the following weekend I had in my head that I was running.
A few tweaks, added a bit more food and another water bottle and lunch with the kids I was off. Great day out on many new paths I didn’t know. 5 hours of running and I was back in Cartmel pleased that I could pull off 22 hilly miles with little training.
Humphrey Head
The following evening as I set off with the local running club for a gentle run up Humphrey Head. Half way up I got the shivers and sweating more than what the temperature and effort I was exerting suggested. For most diabetics I think it’s fair you want to manage it so that whilst people know, it doesn’t interrupt everything you do. It is with that thought I asked my 3 other runners if they mind for me to stop and check my blood. 2.6 oh shit! we were a good 15 mins from the road.. sorry guys got to head back, one of the other runners called a partner to give me a lift.. was not much conversation from me as I jogged with a sense of purpose to get to somewhere useful before I fell over.
Quaffed some food and climbed in my car checked blood 7.4 – can’t really describe how cheesed off I was. 22 miles yesterday, yet couldn’t manage 3 tonight, I really am useless at this (maybe that is a little harsh).
WHY.. well I need to turn my insulin pump right down around 30-60 minutes before I start running. When I’m running especially at high heart rates it’s like someone has put the foot on the accelerator pedal. I only turned the pump down JUST after I started running.
The second reason is that after the 22 mile run the day before my body is a lot more sensitive to insulin so the ratios I normally use kind of go out of the window for a few days. I’d eaten just before running and put in the normal amount.
Hey hoo – next time..
Ultimate Trails 100K
The following Thursday morning an opportunity came about for me to to run in the Ultimate Trails 100K race on the Saturday. I figured that at my normal pace I should be able to crack it in around 18 – 19 hours – the event started at 6.00 am so I figured that I would finish about midnight.
The thing was on Sunday I had a train to catch at 10.50am. I was helping out on an event with Richard Whitehead, a double leg amputee paralympian who was running from John O’Groats to Lands End. In summary turning up in a mess and hobbling whilst it may be funny was not really an option I had to be running on all cylinders.
Photo Credit Ultimate Trails / James Kirby
I had a bit of a fitful nights sleep in the back of the car, kept needing the loo – 4.30am came around, porridge, tea and I was on the start line at 6.00am. It felt a more respectable pace at the back than the Lakeland 100, overtaking a few people especially on the descents.
The route headed from Brockhole – Garburn – Nan Bield – Bampton – Howtown and Patterdale, well that was the first 50K the second 50k had its twists and turn over to Borrowdale.
I’ll cut this short.. I went for a tumble down to Mardale, proper superman job. Didn’t know which way was north for a good 10 mins. Grateful to the runners who stopped. Got my head together and ran on soon realising that the cut offs were getting tight – I was ticking along at an OK speed but clearly not fast enough.
Mental calculations started going around my head, at Howtown that I knew I was not going to finish this event until the small hours, as it was I was getting close to a few cut offs.
I sacked it at Patterdale – 50K in. There was a 50 km version it’s just I did the wrong one. Returning to registration I did get cold again, shame thought I may have solved that one.
I set off home for a good nights sleep and ready for another week on Richard Whiteheard RUNS Britain.
Just for the record cause there is a bit of grumpyness going on about this event, I thought it was great – lots of marshals, signage was not silly but appropriate and cleared following last runner, all good…
Not so good – should have issued a proper map, food ran out on a few feed stations – and race organisers need to realise that racers need to get on top of food early in the race not later – biscuits, flapjack and jelly babies won’t get the back markers around. But all easily changed and no doubt they will be on top of this for next year.
Blood sugar (green) v Heart Rate (red)
From a diabetes point of view I thought I had this nailed… but I didn’t – I had a shocking night before the event with some low blood glucose readings and whilst I went in to the event high – in effect for the first 3 hours my sugars were heading south. I suspect when I fell I my blood sugar was around 5 ish, I was also a little dehydrated.
From there on it was a case of getting food in when I could and holding on to hope I could make it around. As ever on these things it was my undoing.. I need to be about 10-15% fitter so I can turn down the Heart Rate and get proper food in.
Trend showing blood sugars and showing low sugar night before the event.
Another blog to follow – what happened when I followed Richard Whitehead to Lands End.
