Tigger like...

During my run this evening I thought about my visit to the diabetic clinic at the Heath Hospital (or Universtity Hospital of Wales, to give it its proper name) today, which resulted in an unexpected thumbs up regarding my blood glucose control. I say unexpected because I feel that I've not been paying enough attention to this aspect of my life recently. Also, my blood pressure is (so they tell me) very good at 126/70 - not bad for a (not quite yet but almost) 49 year old diabetic.

I have been diabetic for 34 years and I go for regular check ups at the diabetic clinic. For the past 4 years the feedback has been very good. Prior to that it wasn't bad but a bit hit and miss. Good blood glucose control is fairly central when you're diabetic; it influences everything. I think there are two very important factors which have helped me in this: I eat a very good diet (high in fibre and fresh fruit and vegetables, low in fat, salt and refined sugars) and I exercise daily (if I'm not running then I'm swimming). Five years ago, I would have thought that such a lifestyle sounded a bit fussy and little too healthy. I'd've dismissed it and lit another cigarette. How things change...

Buoyed up by my good news from the doctor, my run was a spring heeled affair that saw me bound, Tigger like, for a relatively easy 5km run. Unlike that plodding approach I sometimes experience. Adding credence, yet again, to my belief that the physical, mental and emotional are all inextricably linked. It even rained during my run, which it almost never does (I've mentioned my love of running in the rain before); clearly, somebody up there likes me.

Whilst out on the run my mind drifted to running in Istanbul and I became aware that, because of the map I published here a while ago, you have a good knowledge of my running route in Istanbul but are in the dark a little regarding my usual running route here in Cardiff Bay. So here is is...