January 2023

Ever sent an email and immediately regretted it? I was almost at that point in the seconds after signing up for this year’s Swansea half marathon. After all, 13.1 miles is not exactly a stroll in the park for your average middle aged guy who looks forward to going for a run as much as receiving his latest gas bill. Heck, I’d usually shy away from cycling that far.

However, I have no regrets as I entered for two very good reasons.

The first is to take care of someone I truly care about… me.

The event (I refuse to see it as a race and it certainly won’t be no fun run) takes place on Sunday (ironically the day of rest) 11^th June. And I am hoping that over the course of the next five months I will get into the habit of running regularly and enjoy the undoubted health benefits of putting my body through pain.

In all seriousness, regular exercise is good for you, if done correctly, and will help keep the doctor away far better than the proverbial apple. As Mark Hackett, the chief executive officer of Swansea Bay University Health Board, recently stated, people can help an under-pressure NHS by eating nutritious food, exercising regularly and moderating their alcohol intake – three steps I will need to surmount if I am to complete the course before it gets dark and they pack everything away.

The second very good reason for making this commitment is I will be running to raise money for Swansea Bay Health Charity, which is the health board’s official charity. Its aim is to improve patient care by providing equipment, staff training, funding research and completing special projects which go above and beyond what the NHS
is able to provide. This also includes the Southwest Wales Cancer Centre Fund.

You are able to specify which department you would like the money to go to and I have chosen Morriston Hospital’s cardiac centre for the amazing care they have provided my father over the years – he’s needed their help on so many occasions they put a zip in instead of stitches.

In order to tempt others to become more active, I will write a series of blogs over the coming months in which I will speak to health care professionals and proper athletes in order to share interviews, tips and advice on getting into shape.

Please wish me luck.