Succumbing to the G-force

Maniacmum is hosting an online marathon party here.

As you all know, running is not my thing but I do love a good online party ...

And it will be interesting to attend an official one, as opposed to a squatted rave in an abandoned comments box ...

Since all life is now geared to G's run on Sunday, I thought I'd post here the interview G did for the author of this book, so you can see what he (and yours truly) are contending with.

Greg Kat – marathon story

My running career started strong, petered out in my teens and then took off again when I was in my forties.

When I was 14, I was the Junior All-London 1500m champion, but gave up running soon after due to teenage angst and a lack of confidence.

Over 3 decades later, I started running again to keep fit and decided to enter the London marathon in 2000. I chose the marathon as it’s the ultimate challenge. I work in the leisure industry (at that time as a lifeguard and now as a swimming teacher) so managed to get a place through work.

I ran for Diabetes UK. When I was 21, I was diagnosed with insulin-dependant diabetes and inject 4 times a day. A marathon is high endurance, when the body is constantly taxed over a long period of time. I knew that even if I got my sugar levels spot on at the beginning, they would be bound to fluctuate during the run. It was impossible to predict how my body would react, so I decided I was in it for the experience, not to achieve a particular time. If my sugar went low, I risked collapsing. If it went high, there was a risk of ketoacidosis – a potentially life-threatening condition.

I started at the back of the field, where it takes ages just to reach the start line, and refuelled during the run constantly with Lucozade and jelly beans. I completed the course comfortably in 4hrs 33mins 28secs and was happy with that. I saw it as the first part of a steep learning curve.

In 2001 I ran again – this time for a small charity called Equal Weight – and knocked over an hour off my previous time, finishing in 3hrs 27mins 52secs.

The following year, when I ran for the Child Poverty Action Group , I improved my time again – this time to 3hrs 11mins 25secs, qualifying me for an automatic place the next year in the ‘Good for your Age’ category. Suddenly everything seemed possible. I set myself a target. I wanted to complete a marathon in under 3hrs. But then in 2003, when I ran for a small school in north London, I had a disaster. On the 10^th mile my sugar plummeted to a dangerously low level. I ended up in an ambulance and the woman wouldn’t allow me to continue until she was confident I was stable. She eventually let me go (reluctantly) but radioed ahead to the first aid station on the 16^th mile and told me to stop there and have my blood sugar checked again.

When I got to the 16^th mile I felt fine and would have run past. But the wonderful marathon team were having none of it! The guy ran out into the road holding my number aloft and demanded I stop. When I said I didn’t want to, he ran alongside me and tested my blood!

I met my family and friends on the 25^th mile and stopped to tell them what had happened. I completed the course in 3hrs 33mins 51secs. People told me that in many ways this was my greatest achievement yet, considering the circumstances, but I was really disappointed. I was desperate to crack that 3hr mark and had failed in my own eyes.

In 2004 the experience was better. I ran for Kids Out and was back to my previous time – 3hrs 11mins 14secs.

I decided to take a break and didn’t take part in 2005, though I continued to train as well as running half marathons and in other events. I was averaging 60-70 miles per week. Every week. Come rain, snow or sunshine …

Last year I was tantalisingly close to my target. I ran for ALD Life and finished in 3hrs 1min 47secs.

This year I’m running for Refuge , the domestic violence charity. You can sponsor me here.

Will 2007 be the year I break that magical 3hr mark?

It will be my last opportunity to do it before I turn 50 …