No More Excuses!

At the beginning of this year I was having a conversation with an Officer friend of mine, Captain Grant Sandercock-Brown. We've known each other for a long time, going back to the days when he was the bandmaster at Hurstville Corps and I was a know-it-all teenager. For my last two years of high school he was a teacher at the school I attended. All that's just to say; we go back a long way. Grant and his wife Sharon were appointed to the staff of the Training College at the beginning of the year and it's been great to work alongside them.

Grant is a runner and I have to say I've had an interest in it sitting in the back of my mind for some time. Every time friends and family have spoken with excitement about how they enjoy running, or how they're entering into a long distance event, I've had a nagging thought in my mind - "If only I could do that".

But then... there was always my excuses.

"I'm diabetic. Exercise/Insulin/Carb intake is difficult to manage." 

"I'm too busy. When would I do it?"

"I had a knee reconstruction two years ago. How will it hold up?"

"The area I live in is so hilly!"

Somewhere, though, in the course of that conversation I realised what those excuses really were... just excuses. So, the next morning I set my alarm for 6:30am, put on my running shoes, and stepped out the door and (in the words of Forrest Gump) "I was running". Well it was really a combination of running, jogging, walking, and "oh my goodness I'm going to die!", in fact. That first morning I managed to get through just over 3km in 28:00.

Although I look at that time now and laugh, the best thing I did occurred the next morning, though. I set my alarm for 6:30am, put on my running shoes, stepped out the door and again "I was running"... sort of. It took about 3-4 weeks to run the whole way, but I did it. I kept going, and my times continued to reduce and my speed and endurance continued to increase.

I found that in reality none of my excuses held me back from anything. I'm still diabetic, but I find that I enjoy the mental challenge of balancing my BSL, insulin and carb intake. I'm still busy, but regular exercise has actually helped, not hindered. I think clearer, I'm better rested, and just in general I feel better about myself. My knee has been fine (apart from the occasional runner's knee - but that's not the knee at all). The area's still hilly, but that makes it a good training area.

In April I set myself a challenge - to register for a fun run. I chose the Sutherland 2 Surf coming up on the 22nd July. 11.2km from Sutherland down to Cronulla beach. All (well, mostly all) downhill! At the time I hoped to achieve that in under an hour. When I first suggested that my times were nowhere near close enough, but now, with a PB for the 10km of 53:04, it's certainly achievable.

Crossing the Sydney Harbour Bridge

Knowing that I should run close to that goal, it was time to set another one - A half marathon. I happen to live in one of the best cities in the world with the best harbour in the world. I never get tired of seeing the Sydney Harbour Bridge, the Opera House, and the surrounding area. So, I've registered to run in the Sydney Half Marathon in September. The course for this commences (at 6:20am!!!) on the northern side of the Harbour bridge, travels immediately over the Bridge, around to Mrs Macquarie's chair, back around under the Harbour bridge out to Pyrmont and then back to the Opera House to conclude. It takes advantage of the best there is to see in Sydney and so I'm looking forward to enjoying the track.

I've decided that I'm going to use this opportunity to raise awareness and funds for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation (JDRF). I've set up an online fundraising page with an initial goal of $750.00. I'm hoping that as I get closer to the event, and keep people informed of my progress, that I'll find I need to up the goal to something more substantial.

There's two reasons I have chosen this particular cause.

1. I'm diabetic myself, and I want to encourage and inspire other diabetics to stop using this disease as an excuse that holds them back from doing things that they want to do. Ultimately, the goal is a cure so that diabetes will NEVER need to be an excuse for anyone... ever.
2. Research is important. In all arenas of life we need to work to improve the lives of others and research makes a vital contribution to this. In over 12 years of being a diabetic I have benefited from new forms of treatment, in particular the use of insulin pump therapy. These new and exciting treatments don't just fall out of the sky. They start as an idea in the mind of some person who is paid to push the boundaries of human knowledge - a researcher. Even though I will never meet those people, I value the contribution they have made to my life and the lives of countless other diabetics.

I would really appreciate your support as I prepare for this event, so if you can contribute to my fundraising efforts I would really appreciate it. You can do this in a number of ways.

1. Make a donation - big or small. It all helps.
2. Share this page with others. There are buttons at the top of this page to share this through a variety of social networks. Please encourage others to donate as well.

Thanks for your support.
Once again, here's the link for the fundraising page.

NO MORE EXCUSES!
Adam