Ricky Gibbins - Coach & Mentor

Can’t really describe how grateful I am for this ❤️

For a while now I’ve been trying to get an Omnipod, and today I finally got one.

I’ve only had it on for a few hours, but not having to inject multiple times already feels incredibly freeing.

For the last 7 years I’ve had to inject every morning, every night, and with every meal. Then all of a sudden, I don’t.

This little device is constantly working in the background to help keep my blood sugars in range. Apart from telling it what I’m eating, it’s doing a huge amount of the work for me.

Diabetes technology has come such a long way. It’s crazy to think that just over 100 years ago a Type 1 Diabetes diagnosis was essentially a death sentence. Today, thanks to medicine and technology, we can live full and active lives. It’s not always easy, and life definitely isn’t “normal”, but it’s possible.

For me, this isn’t just about getting rid of insulin pens.

It’s about giving myself the best chance of living a healthier and longer life.

It’s about recovering better.

It’s about performing better.

It’s about reducing the impact that diabetes has on my body day after day.

The combination of Type 1 Diabetes, running businesses, training hard, racing, and constantly pushing physically has taken its toll over the years. There’s still a lot I need to learn and improve, but this feels like a huge step in the right direction.

The reality is that high blood sugars and low blood sugars both affect recovery, performance and overall health. This device is constantly working in my corner, helping keep things more stable and giving me the best chance possible.

To me, that’s incredible.

I also know I wouldn’t be where I am today without the people around me. The support I’ve had over the years has been unbelievable, and I’m incredibly grateful for everyone who has helped me manage this disease and keep moving forward.

Even with the pec injury, I’m feeling optimistic. If anything, it’s made me even more determined to figure things out and become the healthiest version of myself possible.

Here’s to what I hope is a healthier chapter ahead ❤️

Another run out with making up for the races we missed out on earlier in the season.

As always, we gave this 110, it was well hard, felt awful early but we cracked on.

Legendary Wallball finish from the boy (never seen faster Wallballs in my life), which got us 1st place on the day!

Thank you so much to for another amazing race and helping me race injury free!

Great race with some great people! Grateful to everyone who supported (especially our number 1 fan ).

Big up the UR crew and best of luck to everyone else competing 💪❤️!

2nd overall in Mens Open Malaga!

Rob is not photo shopped in this photo believe it or not 📸😆.

Grateful for the race and the result, can’t wait to go again!

Big up the UR family ❤️!

Finally went sub 60 together 😆❤️

If you know us, you know how long we’ve been grafting for this… so to take nearly 3 minutes off feels unreal.

Jem was absolutely flying, genuinely couldn’t believe the pace. So proud of you!

Even better sharing the course with Rob & Beth at the same time. Proper good day all round.

Massive thank you to Therabody, no chance I get back from injury this quick without them.

Shoutout to Kaitlin for being everyone’s videographer, photographer, medic, cheer leader, the lot 🤣 🙌.

5th AG which is MAD, so grateful!

Big up the UR crew 🖤

52:41 at Hyrox Malaga with the boy!

Sent it from the start… way too much 😅.

Went out hot, paid for it early. My job was basically just to run and hope Rob didn’t catch me (he absolutely smoked everything!)

Back is somehow still in one piece… biggest win of the day 😅.

Swipe left, second photo says it all!

Unreal day, unreal result.

Shoutout the UR crew + the support crew

“Track” with the lads 🏃💨!

800m 3:20 intervals round City stadium (track was closed).

Can’t beat max effort head on wind and gradual inclines to absolutely destroy your interval pace! Good character building though.

Plenty more to come with the boys 💪!

I’ve started speaking about this more recently - Type 1 diabetes.

I was diagnosed in 2019 at the age of 23. The doctors told me it was most likely brought on by stress, which was a bit of a wake-up call.

Fast forward 6 years, I ran a 100k ultra with some very supportive friends, something I didn’t even think was possible when I was first diagnosed.

I might look pretty happy in this photo (which I usually am), but what people don’t see is everything going on in the background.

It’s not just training. It’s constantly trying to balance fuelling, insulin, energy, and keeping things stable enough to keep moving.

Some days I get it right, some days I don’t, and when I don’t, I feel it pretty quickly.

On paper everything looks good. The doctors say my diabetes is very well managed.

But I’ve realised there’s a difference between good control and actually performing at a high level.

That’s the part I’m trying to figure out now.

I know there’s more there, I just don’t think I’ve had the right guidance around it yet.

I want to keep training, racing and pushing myself, but I want to do it properly, with the right support around me.

So I’m looking to connect with people who understand Type 1 and performance, sports nutritionists, dietitians, or anyone working in that space.

If that’s you, or you know someone I should speak to, I’d really appreciate a message or introduction 💪❤️!

Ticked off a big phase of training!

This last block has been all about getting myself back to a solid level of fitness after my back injury last year… and more importantly, doing it without any flare-ups.

It’s been a longer process than I would’ve liked, but I’m in a really good place now and ready to move into the next phase, gradually bringing plyometrics back in and increasing strength work again.

One of the biggest staples in this block has been speed work.

A lot of people overlook it, especially when training for longer races or fitness events like Hyrox, because they think they just need to go longer, harder, and push themselves into the ground every session.

But that’s not what actually gets you faster.

Speed work teaches you to move efficiently, control your pace, and produce higher outputs when it actually matters.

And the key part most people get wrong… the rest.

Longer rest periods aren’t there to make the session easier, they’re there so you can maintain quality.

Everyone who has jumped on these sessions with me recently has firstly hated it, secondly been absolutely f**ked, and thirdly said, “I should do more of this” 😅. And to be fair, I think a lot of people should!

If we want to progress at anything, it doesn’t just come from doing more, it comes from doing better.

Shoutout to the main man for jumping on my final speed session of the block with me and absolutely sending it.

Excited to move forwards with training and keep looking through the lens of: what’s the best thing I can do, in the least amount of time, to produce the same results, if not better?

Anyway, who’s doing this session with us next time? It’s not as bad as it looks, I promise 🤥!