Man vs. Rat Race
Last Updated: 10th November 2022 · Written by Donna Mastriani
‘Lifelab Testing’ are sponsoring Stephen as he partakes in three challenging Rat Races this Summer. Since we were made aware that our Lifelab test helped Stephen to be where he is today by helping him to discover his intolerances, we decided to sponsor Stephen on his journey whilst helping to raise awareness for ‘Allergy UK’. Take a read of Stephen’s journey with Lifelab below and the reasons why he has chosen to take part in this year’s challenging rat races.
So, how have I ended up doing the ‘Man vs.’ series of rat race challenges? Good question! Let me take you back to the start, where my love for running began!
I’ve been taking part in the local 5k park runs for quite a while now, they’re great fun and I love being a part of such a large social environment whilst doing the thing I love. My park run times started off quite average and I was seeing improvements with my times in each run, which is amazing to see, and it encourages you to keep going back and improving. Though after a while, my times became stunted and I wasn’t seeing the same improvements I had been, to be honest, I was struggling! Something was holding my training back and I couldn’t figure out what it was!
So, I took it upon myself to take an intolerance test to see if anything I was eating as part of my diet plan was holding me back, it was the only thing I could think of it being at this point especially with food being such an important part of a training plan! I ordered my test from Lifelab Testing in December 2017 and the delivery was fast, it arrived the following day! The test itself was very quick and easy, it’s a simple finger prick to fill a small tube with blood to be tested! I had my tube filled up and sent back the following morning, I couldn’t believe how easy it was to do! I was told I would receive my results within 5-7 days, which was completely fine although I was quite eager to find to what intolerances I might have!
Waiting patiently, my results arrived four days later, brilliant! To my shock, I instantly saw an intolerance to almonds, ALMONDS! I was eating these nuts every day because I thought they were the best choice as part of my healthy diet! Don’t get me wrong, almonds are great as part of a healthy lifestyle but apparently, they just aren’t for me! I contacted Lifelab right away seeking advice about how to change my diet and what substitute foods I could have after receiving my results back. I was passed through to Sian, a nutritionist for Lifelab, who was more than happy to offer me some useful advice after my test.
Considering my results and the advice given from Sian, I cut almonds out of my diet completely and replaced them with other sources of good fats and protein. From doing this, my park run times started to improve massively and I’m now at the under 20-minute mark, how great is that!
Since taking the test, I have also joined Long Eaton running club which is great from both a social and running aspect, and I have taken part in several running events (one being an 8-hour endurance race), wow! In all fairness, it was quite fun, and I placed 16th, of which I couldn’t be more proud of.
As daft as it sounds, I really don’t think I could have been fit enough to have taken part in several hard-hitting races if I hadn’t have taken a Lifelab test to discover what it was that was stopping me reach my greatest potential!
Which leads me to now, preparation for ‘Man vs. Mountain’, ‘Man vs. Coast’ and ‘Man vs. Lakes’ – Three major rat races that begin on the 7th July with ‘Man vs. Coast’ and the final race being completed on the 1st September which is ‘Man vs. Mountain’. These are all just as gruelling, and they all involve the infamous ‘Vertical KM’. I’m not going to beat around the bush, I’m a little scared… but I am determined to complete them all, smash the ‘Vertical KM’, and I will ~try~ and enjoy every minute of these races!
With regards to everything that happened with the intolerances that were hindering my training, I will be raising money for a charity close to my heart ‘Allergy UK’. These are a fantastic charity who are there to offer help and support to people who are suffering from allergies and intolerances, helping them to lead a healthier and happier life.
Click here to donate as little or as much as you can to help support ‘Allergy UK’ and to show support to Stephen.
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