This weekend was mainly spent running around a slightly damp field mounting obstacles in Leeds with 270 people who are affected in some way with Type 1 Diabetes, raising money, and having an absolute blast.
The kids were incredibly excited to say the least. So much so, that my own Type 1 warrior started the race with her blood sugars dropping and her skin paling. A stark reminder to me as to why I had signed up to chuck myself over various A frames and scramble through tubes and under nets.
It took 12 haribos to get her through 20 minutes of running. To some kids that may sound amazing, but try to eat fizzy sweets whilst climbing up a rope bridge and you will quickly see it isn’t really much to get excited about. Certainly when you depends on sweets to survive.
But, fuelled by sugar, and determined for us all – age 7 – 39 to complete the course twice, we hit the field.
The twins tore off in front, my middle-aged spread was a key factor in me not being able to keep up with their pace. Luckily I had my slower, seven-year old with me.
Or so I thought…
As the volunteer from JDRF (Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation) shouted go, she leapt into action, and yelled,
See ya Mum, I’m legging it
Then tore off into the crowd.
It felt like I was having a cardiac arrest by the time I caught her!
But it was amazing fun, we climbed – I didn’t fall – although there was a moment when two chaps had to hoist me over something. Dignity had gone by this point.
We were blasted in colour at the end, and went home smiling.
We also raised a bit of cash for JDRF – is still time to donate at: https://www.leetchi.com/en/mypools
It was a good diabetic day, topping off a fab weekend.