How I ran (and managed my diabetes during) the Sheffield Half Marathon

I did it! I (somehow) ran – and survived – the Sheffield Half Marathon!

I’m not going to lie, it was brutal. I knew it would be tough, but it was even more difficult than I had imagined. I wasn’t anywhere near as prepared as I’d hoped I would be.  In my last post, I wrote about my plans for my first outdoor training run. That didn’t happen.  As prepared as I was from a diabetes perspective, I hadn’t checked the weather forecast and woke up to a blanket of snow – so I ended up running eight miles on the treadmill instead.

That meant the 13.1 mile course would be the first time I had attempted running any significant distance outside. It would also be a baptism of fire in tackling Sheffield’s cruelly steep hills. Not ideal.

The night before the race I made sure I had everything I needed to manage my diabetes. I squeezed as many SiS gels as I could fit into my running belt (five), along with a tube of glucotabs, an energy drink, my glucose tester, finger pricker and a handful of testing strips.

This is how it went…

Pre-race blood sugar: 5.7mmol/l

Shortly after meeting a friend and going to collect my race number, I decided to check my blood sugar. This was when I first realised how tricky it as going to be to test during the race.  Finding a place to prise my glucose tester from my bulging running belt, take a testing strip out of its packet and prick my finger – among crowds of people – was difficult. I was also worried when I saw the reading.  In normal circumstances, I’d be thrilled to see my blood sugar was 5.7 – but, in preparation for a half marathon, I thought it was a bit on the low side.  I panic-ate two glucotabs and had an energy gels before I’d even crossed the start line. As the race began, the atmosphere and support were incredible – but for the first two miles I was extremely anxious about having a hypo.

Mile 2 blood sugar: 5.2mmol/l

My initial plan had been to check my blood sugar roughly every three miles, but I was so worried about my lower-than-expected starting point that I decided to stop (rushing to the side of the road and balancing all my things on a wall) to test at mile two. I was really frustrated because it meant I lost the group I had been running with, but I’m glad I erred on the side of caution as my blood glucose had fallen slightly to 5.2. I took another energy gel before embarking on the toughest part of the course. The first five-and-a-half miles of the Sheffield Half Marathon are a relentless uphill slog. My treadmill-only training had not prepared me for the brutality of the course. I have to admit, there were times I was questioning whether I’d be able to make it round at all. Thankfully, I knew my boyfriend would be meeting me at mile five – giving me some motivation to keep going when my body just wanted to stop.

Mile 5 blood sugar: 4.2mmol/l

By the time I got to Andrew I was exhausted and slightly delirious. I checked my blood sugar and it was 4.2 – meaning that, if it continued to fall, I’d have a hypo. I took a couple of glucotabs, which had started to disintegrate after being shaken around in my running belt. I also took another energy gel, despite starting to feel a bit sick. I knew if I could continue for another mile, the rest of the course would be mostly (but not completely) downhill. I was desperately hoping it would become easier.

Mile 9 blood sugar: 9.2mmol/l

Thankfully it did. As the route began its descent back towards the city centre, I actually started to enjoy myself. The Peak District views were absolutely stunning and gave me a much-needed distraction from my increasingly achy legs. I wasn’t running fast, but I seemed to breeze through the next four miles. When I got to the nine mile marker I realised I hadn’t checked my blood sugar for a while, so I stopped at the side of the road to test.  I’d lost all dexterity and I fumbled my way through three failed testing strips before I managed to get a reading – 9.2.  The run had clearly got my blood pumping because my finger wouldn’t stop bleeding!

Mile 12 blood sugar: 6.6mmol/l

Andrew met me again at the ten mile point, giving me another milestone to focus on. The closer we got to the city, the louder the crowds got – and their cheers definitely helped as I started to struggle again.  I knew once I hit mile 12 I was nearly there, but the finish line still felt so far away. I stopped to test my blood sugar again – it had fallen to 6.6. I took another energy gel, gritted my teeth and kept going.

Post-race blood sugar: 7.2mmol/l

I don’t think I’ll ever forget running the final metres towards the finish line. I remember hearing the cheers of strangers calling my name as my weary legs carried me across the line.  I had been holding back tears but they spilled over when I saw Andrew.

I can’t really describe how I was feeling. I was relieved, exhausted and in so much pain, but incredibly proud. In part because I’d tackled the distance (my chip time was 2 hours 57 minutes), but mostly because I’d managed to keep my blood sugar under control.

I’d proved to myself I could do it. That I’m stronger than I give myself credit for. And that my diabetes doesn’t have to stop me doing anything.

I’d like to say a huge thank you to all the wonderful people who cheered me on, offered words of advice and helped me raise £480 for the Sheffield Scanner through their generous sponsorship. I was running as part of the University of Sheffield team supporting the £2 million campaign to buy an MRI-PET scanner. I’m so, so grateful for your support!

Sheffield Half Marathon: One week to go

This time next week I’ll be running the Sheffield Half Marathon and – I’m not going to lie – I’m terrified. I don’t feel prepared on either a distance or diabetes front.

Since my last post I have been training, but not enough. A combination of work/snow/life/a knee injury has meant I haven’t been able to get out and run as often as I’d hoped, so I’m nowhere near as prepared as I wanted to be at this stage.

On Easter Monday I’m planning to do a long training run – ideally around ten miles – to give me some peace of mind that I’ll be able to tackle the route.  But I have a confession to make: this will be my first proper outdoor run. Up until now, I’ve been doing all my training on a treadmill in the gym.

This is partly due to the awful weather we’ve had recently, but it’s mostly because I’m scared of running outside.  Exercise lowers my blood sugar and puts me at a higher risk of hypoglycaemia. The thought of having a hypo, alone and miles away from home, terrifies me.

I know this is a fear I need to get over and the only way I can do that is face it head on.

This will take preparation, so I’ve decided to make a plan. Here it is…

I will:

• Brand myself. The medical alert bracelet I have isn’t very comfortable to run in, so I’ll be writing ‘TYPE ONE DIABETES’ in a Sharpie on my hand. If I end up incomprehensible/comatose because I’ve had a hypo, I want it to be obvious to any unfortunate passer-by who stumbles upon me to know what is wrong.  I also have all my medical information and emergency contacts saved in my phone, just in case.
• Check my blood sugar before setting off. If it’s a bit low, I’ll take on board some carbs in preparation. If it’s too high, I’ll give myself a correction dose of insulin to get it in back in range. I had been training with my blood sugar on the high side, but I recently saw a specialist who warned me that running with high blood sugar could put me at risk of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) – and the last time I had DKA I was in hospital for three weeks, so I’d like to avoid that…
• Pick a ‘safe’ route. I’ll only run on main roads where there are likely to be other people around. I’m planning to run to my boyfriend’s flat and back, so if I’m not feeling great at the halfway point I have somewhere I can stop.
• Test my blood sugar every three miles – or if I feel like I may be having a hypo. Yes, it will be frustrating to have to stop, get my glucose tester out, draw blood from my finger and test, but it’s a necessity. The symptoms of a hypo include getting hot, sweaty and shaky – so it can sometimes be difficult to spot them when exercising. By keeping an eye on my blood sugar, I’ll know when to take on some carbs to keep me at a safe level.
• Carry everything I need. When I first signed up to run this half marathon, I hadn’t realised just how much stuff I’d need to take with me when I go for a run. I need to take my glucose tester, finger pricker, testing strips, glucose gels, a sports drink… along with my phone, headphones and keys. I’ve ordered a running belt so hopefully I can figure out a way to carry everything comfortably.

If anyone has any other tips, please leave a comment below – I’d be really grateful for any advice.

And wish me luck… I’ll let you know how my first outdoor run goes!

I’m running the Sheffield Half Marathon on April 8th for the Sheffield Scanner – if anyone would like to sponsor me, visit my JustGiving page. Thanks to everyone who’s donated so far!