Day 25 - As The Proclaimers said....

 

...I have actually walked 500 miles to fall down at our door! By the time my boots were off, I'd reached 503 miles but why spoil a good song re-enactment? 

Earlier, I was very pleased to meet up with old buddy Andrew Burrows at Delamere Forest where we were able to enjoy a coffee before setting off on a relatively short 13 miler back home on the Delamere Way. Andrew used some half-baked excuse about 'recovering from a broken leg' to avoid joining me on the actual walk but he looked pretty nippy over the 50 metres from his car to the picnic bench. He had, however, travelled a fair few miles from the Wirral to wish me luck and his visit put a spring in my step (if not in his). 

The Delamere Way runs 21 miles from Stockton Heath in Warrington to Frodsham via the forest but I was only walking part of it through Acton Bridge and Dutton Locks, before cutting off down the Shropshire Union and Bridgewater Canals. There were some lovely wooded glens with bluebells starting to appear and some very nice white flowers above that may be wild garlic. (I'm even less of a botanist than an ornothologist).

The route is very familiar and ground conditions much better than the previous few days, so my progress was unhindered. I was through the aforementioned door around 1.30 to be greeted by Rachel's friend, Heather whose baby, Rose, was waving an Energetic Diabetic flag  - well, chewing it really but she'll soon get the hang of it. Rose now weighs 17lbs, which is almost the same weight I have lost in the last 25 days. Quite frightening, particularly as she certainly felt heavy when I was holding her.

• Miles Walked -  503.3 (Avg per day - 20.13)
• Miles Still to Walk - 699 (Avg per day - 19.97)
• Steps on route - I'll need to sit down another day to add them up
  
• Avg Blood Sugar Reading over last 7 days - 7.0mmol/l (34 tests)
• Avg Blood Sugar Reading over last 14 days - 7.5mmol/l (74 tests)

Looking at the miles, I think that means I will be passing the half-way mark on Monday or Tuesday near Horton in Ribblesdale. The weather is promised to turn cooler next week but makes me a little anxious for the Pennine Way, given the height of some of those climbs, but I have accompanimenmt for a few days, which will be a good motivator.

I'm still happy with my readings and my system of checking more or less every two hours whilst walking. I am now trying to eat more, to try and match better the calories I am burning off, and will need to increase my insulin slightly, particularly when I get stuck into those pies in Wigan Town Centre tomorrow.

There was a concerning episode when staying in the hotel on Monday night when I absent mindedly took my fast, novorapid insulin rather than my slow, levemir insulin prior to retiring. Fortunately, I realised immediately - if I hadn't, it would most certainly have led to me having a hypo during the night. This is the third time I have done this in the last 15 years and I have no idea if other diabetics make the same mistake occasionally?

My solution is to stack up on sugar - two bottles of full fat coke, a spare Mars bar and some of Rachel's birthday cake helped. Not a bad supper after a three course meal. I then set my alarm for 2.00am to check my reading, take on a little more sugar, then set the alarm for another reading at 4.00am. I was okay then and the fast insulin was through my system. At breakfast, I then took half my usual nightime insulin but increased my fast insulin before meals - I levelled out by lunchtime.

I only mention this to show how easy it is to make mistakes but also anyone with diabetes needs to understand how their bodies react to insulin, food and exercise. 

I'm on the road all day tomorow from home to stay with Phil and Jackie in Standish and hoping to be joined by several friens at different stages of the day. I'm also calling at the home of the mighty Warrington Wolves to see a few people from Diabetes UK. A few of the players kindly sent me some words of encouragement over today - I'm just hoping they didn't interrupt preparation for tomorrow's game with Saints..