It all started in Shezans...

My first and, to date, only marathon was the Flora London Marathon in April 1998. I completed it in around 4hrs 20minutes.

Tomorrow (24/01) i am running the Gloucester Marathon - i am more than 10years older but am hoping to take maybe 50min-1hr off that time! (Hopefully i won't eat those words).

Thinking back where i am today started in a local curry house after a day out drinking and watching rugby with some mates. A turning point i guess you would call it - do you take the red pill or the blue pill?

In those days i was very different as we all were i guess. Out to much, drinking too much and eating bad food. Nothing that a lot of 20year olds haven't done and will continue to do. Sat in Shezans curry house one of the guys suggested that we run marathons! Hmmm so we we were drunk, eating curry and it was, of course, a great idea! As the evening progressed the plans grew grander, start with London then travel the world running marathons! It never really happened that way...

I think there were 4 of us in the restaurant and 3 of us completed entry forms. I was the only one to get in. My red pill/blue pill moment was in front of me. Train to do the marathon alone or carry on as i was. I decided to take up the entry on the basis that it was clearly something of value with only 1 in 4 of us getting in.

I set about my training programme and considering my fitness base was rubbish picked a training plan that was to get around. Not worried about finishing time more about just finishing! 

I can remember very little about the actual run that day, even what the weather was like is gone from my memory.  I remember the finish line, some friends had come down to see me finish and my dad was there (he had been trying to get around the course all day to support me and i had not seen him once!!). My finish time was 4hrs 20minutes - nothing too great but i had finished and had set myself on a road that i am still running along! 

Lots of things have changed between then and now - marriage, kids, diabetes, career, friends all have changed. 

On the eve of my second marathon i am calm and relaxed, much more so that i imagine i was all those years ago. I am better prepared and just in better shape than i was then.

One thing for sure - it won't be another 10years before my next marathon!

My diabetes story...

I submitted the following to the Diabetes UK website today as 'my story'.......

My diabetes story starts at the end of 2001 when i was diagnised with Type 1.

At the time i was working with a group of colleagues that were very fit and motivated. We used to run together at lunchtimes and at the time i was also cycling the 12-14miles each way from Bristol to Bath for work.

My diagnosis was self administered. Rampaging thirst, repeating thrush and rapid weight loss when typed into netdoctor turned up one result. A visit to the GP confirmed the situation.

The detail of the next few weeks are a blur. I remember being on tablets and trying to control it with diet - that never worked so i started the insulin treatment.

The first injection was the hardest - it was like my arm could not move! It was locked with the needle 6 inches from my stomach! Once the first one had been done it became easier and like most diabetics i rarely consider the injection or even feel it.

The one thing that never changed was that i continued playing sport. I played football with colleagues and continued running. This was all very low key stuff during the working day as i was commuting for work and had a young family, my son being 2 at the time with a daughter arriving before he was to turn 3.

All through this period sport was about breaking up the working day and socialising as most of it was with colleagues. A couple of injuries (damaged hamstring and then a knee cartlidge) meant that i gave up playing football and concentrated on running and then latterly triathlon.

It was in 2007 that i started racing with, in the May that year the Tewkesbury Triathlon over the sprint distance of 400m swim, 22km bike and 5km run. It was a brilliant event - i loved everything about and was hooked! Later that year i did the first of 3 Windsor Triathlons that i have done at the Olympic distance of 1500m swim, 42km bike and 10km run. I have also done the Blenheim Sprint Tri, London Olympic Tri (where i broke 2hr 30mins) and the Cotswold Tri.

Training for these events is great fun and has a massive positive effect on my diabetes control.  The time i have the most consistent issue is my blood sugar first thing in the morning. When i am training this improves significantly with morning readings rarely above 9mmol. I also find that, when training, the amount of insulin i need to administer reduces with the same effect. This makes the control so much simpler as the doses are smaller and easier to predict.

Training also means that i manage to control my weight with that having been consistent at 70-72kg for the past 6 or 7 years.

What i learned from having diabetes is that it needn't stop me doing anything that i want i just need to be better prepared than my non-diabetic training buddies. So when we go on rides or runs etc i make sure that i have plenty of fuel with me in the form of glucose tablets, gels and energy bars. The last thing i need is to bonk during training or racing!

Managing blood sugar during these periods took some doing with, in the early days, my having to stop to take blood sugar readings. Now with years of experience i can manage my blood sugar in a session without the need to take readings. I know what i will need for specific types of sessions and manage with pretty much zero impact. When i with my training buddies there is no difference between us and i suppose for me that is the main point.

Aside from the fact that on any race number i have i need to write that i am diabetic there is no difference between me and any other athlete. We have all trained, prepared and are ready to race. I may have an extra gel and my omnipresent glucose tablets but there's no difference.

Taking it one stage further i have been looking for a longer challenge. Something over and above an olympic distance triathlon. The natural progression would have been to try an Ironman Triathlon. When i considered the training undertaking for an event such as that it is just too much, also i will confess to be a little daunted and scared by the distances involved!

As a runner first and foremost i decided to look into ultra running which is anything over marathon distance normally 50km or 50miles.

I found a race that i was interested in called the Thames Trot that was a 50miler in February 2010. I started training and since October 2009 have notched up more than 500training miles. I changed my plans at Christmas and abandoned my plans to do the Thames Trot, i changed jobs etc at this time and with Christmas training took a hit.

I plan to do one - there is a local 50km run in May and then i will go for a 50miler at the end of the season. Plan B was to do the Gloucester Marathon, i also have a couple of shorter running races already in the calender. The Mayhill Massacre in February and Cleevewold  Cross country in March. I was a runner before i stepped into triathlon and i can get my head around the training and undertaking for such an event.

From my experience the benefits of running with diabetes are so significant. My weight is under control and my blood sugar control is largley very good. There are also the benefits that everyone gets from running, improved mental and physical health and well being.

Knowing your physical reactions to the training and racing you do, understanding when to train and when not to and proper planning are essential but not insurmountable. As a diabetic the amount of information you process every meal time is considerable, being active and competitive is, in my opinion, an extension of that.

iTunes Competition

Gloucester Marathon Competition - 24th January 2010

The Shurdington Tri Club (www.shurdingtontriclub.co.uk) has nominated Sue Ryder to be their Charity for 2010. We are completing a number of events through the year and looking to raise as much as possible.

The first event of the year is the Gloucester Marathon on 24th January and I will be taking part in this. To make it a little more interesting I have decided to run a competition with the prize being a £20 iTunes voucher.

The Competition
Guess/estimate what my finishing time will be. Then complete the form below with the details. Entry cost is a donation of at least £5 to Sue Ryder via the justgiving website (http://www.justgiving.com/Shurdingtontriclub).

The rules of entry are simple -
1. Entry costs a minimum £5 donation to Sue Ryder.
2. All entries are to be submitted via this form.  

3. The winning time will be based on the official result of the race.
4. In the event of a tie the entry posted sooner wins.
5. In the event that no-one gets the correct time the prize will go to the closest time that is less than my finishing time.
6. No direct family or members of Shurdington Tri Club can enter this competition.
7. entry closes at 9am on Sunday 24/01/2010
8. Any questions direct to mbosano@gmail.com.

I have been training a lot over the past few months and so to help you with your estimation you can checkout the following links which show my mileage and times:
http://shrinkify.com/1je5 and http://shrinkify.com/1l54.

Thanks for reading this - please be generous and good luck!

Marcus

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