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Marathon diary Follow our medical director as he prepares for the London race

Dr Sneh Khemka, Bupa International's medical director, is running the London Marathon on 25 April. In this diary you can follow his training leading up to the race and get advice on running.

 

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‘Our bodies were not designed for this’

With less than 60 days to go before the London Marathon, Dr Sneh Khemka is pleased with the progress of his training and looking forward to the rewards his marathon challenge will bring.

I’ve got just under two months left to go before the big day. And what a day that’s going to be.

The London Marathon is 26.2 miles, and will take place on 25 April 2010. When I first accepted the challenge I wasn’t really able to compute this distance. I mean, it doesn’t really seem that far, does it? The idea of driving 26 miles is not a big chore? That’s a reachable sort of distance, right?

Well, on foot, it’s a very different story. The reason I know this is because 10 days ago I did my first half marathon, and after two hours of solid running I began to realise that 26.2 miles is a very, very long way.

Our bodies are designed to run an optimal distance of around three miles. Man was created to hunt, or to flee from predators if necessary. And usually three miles is plenty to do that.

But in our modern madness, we want to test the limits of our bodies, and so it doesn’t seem that unusual to take on the challenge of running much further. My training is testament to the fact that I don’t think we really are designed for such activity, but such is the trial of human endeavour.

Coupled with all of this is a little thing called Healthcare Leadership. It has become a mantra within Bupa, where we all aspire to make the company into a true leader in health and care. As the medical director of Bupa International, our worldwide health insurance arm, I figured that perhaps one way of demonstrating that would be to live what I preach.

So, here I now am. I’m running around 35 to 40 kilometres a week, managing my diet (high on carbs, low on fat) and feeling so much healthier for it. I’m approaching my mid 30s and now is an opportunity for me to change my approach to health and exercise for the long term.

What I haven’t talked about yet is perhaps the most important aspect of it all – the cause I’m running for. The Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation is one of the best charities I know and has spent 30 years researching Type 1 Diabetes (the type young people get). Diabetes is on the increase, and it is a disease that I have witnessed, first hand as a doctor, that can ruin lives if not looked after. Running for this charity is my way of contributing just that little bit to finding a cure.

I’m just about to embark on a three-week trip to Australia, New Zealand, the USA, Italy and Switzerland, and so keeping my training up while travelling is going to be even tougher. However, I’ll post updates on how I’m getting on.

If you feel like supporting me and the charity in any small way, please visit my page at www.justgiving.com/Sneh.

Until next time.

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