Our athletes – our heroes: Greg's story

By:  Greg  Sunday 09 May 2010

Greg was one of three members of the ADSHG – all with Addison’s – who took part in marathons in April 2010.  Here, they tell their stories.

It really was a wonderful day. I came across the finish line of the London marathon in 3 hours 22 minutes and 38 seconds. My wife and children enjoyed the trip to London to cheer me on and the general public are amazing in their encouragement. With “GREG” printed on my ADSHG vest, it felt like everyone was cheering me along. So much so that I may have got swept along with all the fantastic support and gone too fast in the first 18 to 20 miles.  I really did struggle over the last 4 miles or so and finished very tired. I did this in a half marathon last year and then rectified it in my next one, so I am raring to go for London 2011, if I can get a place.

I entered the 2010 Virgin London marathon via the UK ballot and was only too happy to set up a fundraising page for ADSHG. The response from family, friends and work colleagues, as well as some ADSHG members on the forum, was stunning. So I am now planning a marathon closer to home in the autumn. I will be 48 in July but feel as enthusiastic as ever about my running. I will be trying for 3.14 next time.

I had been a keen runner in the 1980s, when I was in my twenties.  Back in 1991, I did the London marathon in just under three hours – precisely 2 hours, 59 minutes and 57 seconds.  I  have added over a minute to my time for each year that has past since then.  And, of course, my fitness was seriously disrupted by the years of illness before my Addison’s diagnosis. Those first few days after my diagnosis in 2007, walking on egg shells and feeling as if I wouldn’t make the top of the stairs, seem a long way off now. Without rushing things, the fitness steadily returned. My Addison’s did not seem to be any sort of hindrance. I train hard, respect the need for rest days, and try not to read too much into the dips in energy or flat periods as anything other than general fatigue.

The great thing about the ADSHG is getting feedback from other people, especially via the forum.  This gives you the chance to share experiences, knowledge and learn about the condition, so that you have the confidence to push on and test yourself a little.  For me, the competitive juices began to flow again, so in 2008 I joined my local friendly running club, the Newmarket Joggers, and entered various local events, such as 5, 10K and half marathon races. I even got back into the cross country scene, which is always character building.

From the experience of my own marathon training, I would recommend a proper 12 to 16 week programme, drawing on the information that is available through Runners World or similar guides.  Do include some occasional races to enjoy along the way and some long steady runs up to three weeks before the marathon, say at 16/16/20/22 miles. Then taper down the miles and get “fresh” just before the big event. The long steady runs give you enormous confidence that your body is coping well with the training. Just follow the rest/recovery/hydration rules that any normal athlete would follow. I am coeliac so normally avoid sports drinks and gels to prevent upset tummies.  I would sometimes take an extra 5mg hydrocortisone before a long run or race, but on the whole pretty well stuck with my normal daily dose, which is 15 mg hydrocortisone on waking, 10 mg five hours later, 5 mg five hours later again. I split my 100 mcg fludrocortisone tablet to take half in the morning and half at night. On the big day, I did pop an extra 5 mg hydrocortisone (half a tablet) at about 13 miles but otherwise normal dose. I was seriously sore on the Monday but recovered quickly after that. In hindsight, perhaps a double dose for two or three days after would have been wise to help cope with tissue damage and fatigue.  I will try that next time. My experience on 25 April 2010 will live long in my memories.

Greg

May 2010