Howfast? C2C For Diabetes Research
News Release (Open Adventure) / 07.06.2013
Starting on 12th June, just two days after his 43rd birthday, James Thurlow will attempt to run non-stop the classic Coast to Coast route from Robin Hood’s Bay, across the North York Moors and Dales, then crossing the Lake District to end up in St. Bees. The route is 190 miles with 8700m of ascent and is a rite of passage for many hill walkers. But having been recently diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes, the debilitating disease that sends sufferers’ blood sugar dangerously haywire, the challenge is as much about beating personal demons as it is to raise money for JDRF diabetes research. He’s asking people to guess how long he’ll take, and to donate. (Visit http://www.howfast.org/ to donate).
Thurlow has always loved the outdoors, and moved from Surrey to the Southern Lake District with his wife Lisa and 4 year old twins Thomas and Amy so he could bring his family up with fells, mountains and lakes on their doorstep. He has also made the outdoors his livelihood, by becoming the UK’s leading organiser of adventure races in the UK. His company, Open Adventure organises multi-sport races, trail running and cycling events all over the UK and has introduced hundreds of people to the outdoors through their events, races and challenges.
So being diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes came as a blow. “I was feeling wobbly again after another weekend running around organising an event”, he explains. “I hadn’t slept much and my eyesight was all blurred, so my event medics decided to check my blood sugar. Then it was 2 days in hospital and since then diabetes has become an integral part of my life”.
Type 1 diabetes means testing your blood and injecting insulin as much as 6 times a day, so training for his Coast to Coast challenge hasn’t been easy. As his wife Lisa explains, “James constantly struggles to get his blood sugar to the right level, and then struggles to keep it there. It’s been tough completing the long distances he’s needed to prepare”. But Thurlow will not be put off “There are plenty of diabetic people out there who compete in sport at a professional level so it had to be possible to put in the miles”.
Thurlow’s preparation has involved taking on a lot of the ‘shorter’ ultra distance foot challenges in his area, like the Tour de Hellvellyn, Lakes42 and the Fellsman. But battling with diabetes means carrying an extra load on top of the already tremendous challenges of ultra distance trail running. Although he has completed many successfully, Thurlow’s most recent training event was nearly disastrous.
In April he tackled the Fellsman, the 61 mile fell race in Yorkshire. Several hours in, he found his temperature soaring, despite the cold wind. “Sweat was dripping down my face – I was having a hypo. Then the cold air was hitting my lungs and I was starting to shake with the start of hypothermia. I knew it was over. To head out on the moors in this state was not just silly, it was beyond stupid. I had to pull out”.
But James has a new insulin pump and digital monitor plus a check list of dos and don’ts from endurance experts and diabetes sufferers he has consulted throughout his preparation. He is ready for his challenge. You can track him as he goes and donate here.
Thanks to the tremendous support from Haglofs, The North Face, Mountain Hardwear, adidas, Anquet Maps, Ordnance Survey, Clif Bar, Keen, Timbuk2 and Ice Breaker.
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