Paul T
20 September 2017
Paul contacted Pendle’s Up and Active team for help after hearing about us on social media. Read how Up and Active have helped him to improve his health and complete the Couch 2 5k with Trawden Athletics Club.
I was a heavy smoker from being a teenager through to my early 50’s; I stopped about 12 years ago following a health scare. A combination of that and being overweight has resulted in me having raised blood pressure and type 2 diabetes. My blood pressure had been very erratic meaning my GP had discussed increasing my medication, something I didn't want to do. That's when I decided to do something about it and put myself forward for Up and Active’s weight loss programme.
So 64 years old, 16 stone 10 pounds which for me is more than four stone overweight with Type 2 Diabetes and Raised Blood Pressure it had to be time to do something. For me it wasn't just about losing weight, it was about being fitter and healthier and the help and support the Up and Active team gave got me started. I then set myself a few goals in the gym on the treadmill i.e. to walk further, a bit faster and with a slight gradient. Soon I was able to do 5k with a 10% gradient at 6k/h, so a 50 min brisk walk but however I tried I just couldn't graduate to a run. I then saw the Couch to 5k run by Trawden Athletics Club advertised and as the sessions were close to home I decided to give it a go and what a great experience. An enormous amount of people, ladies, men, fat thin, old, young, you name it all with a common goal and all willing to help and encourage each other. The Trawden athletics team, all volunteers who run the program were absolutely brilliant.
Three times a week, twice from Seedhill and Saturday mornings at Holt House Colne, come rain or shine we do it. The first week to run for a minute seems totally impossible, after eight weeks its half an hour and just nine weeks and we've done a measured 5k. The training is tough, the course is, well undulating, anyone who knows Colne can guess how undulating that is. Some weeks you feel like you are pulling a bus, your legs are like lead, and you don't know which muscles ache the most but the feeling of achievement at the end is unbelievable. I've met some fantastic people both as part of the group and the Trawden ac team and I would recommend everyone to please just give it a go.
My yearly diabetic health check done last month was described by my GP as excellent with a blood pressure reading of 137/77 and blood sugar HBA1c at 44 which is only slightly outside the normal range of 20/41 and all other bloods were absolutely fine. I'm still on medication but as everything is now well controlled there is no need to review the dosage. I'm feeling great and loving my new found interest, running