Thanks for taking the time to visit my JustGiving page.

I’m planning on taking on a challenge during 2019. I like my running (although some may call it a slow plod) and got the bug back last year completing 4 10k races and the Cardiff half marathon. I wanted to do something that would continue to be fun (for those that think running is fun) and achievable but at the same time to challenge me. So, as I thought of this idea at Christmas time, and in line with the 12 days of Christmas theme (loosely) I’ve decided to do the 12 runs of 2019.

As this is will be a series of events across the year I have set up this page which will be live until (hopefully) my 12^th race is completed.

I will provide progress updates (for those interested) of my attempt and will post my official times and pictures after each event.

I had hoped to find 1 event a month but had a little difficulty finding events and availability for January & December so have decided just to do 12 runs over the duration of 2019. I will be running a mix of 10k and half marathons (21k) with the events I have planned (and signed up to) as follows:

Cardiff winter warmer 10k – 3rd February

Newport 1/2 Marathon – 3rd March

Cardiff Bay 10k – 31st March

Great Welsh 1/2 Marathon – 14th April

Newport 10k – 5th May

Caerphilly 10k – 19th May

Swansea 1/2 Marathon – 23rd June

Porthcawl 10k – 7th July

Barry Island 10k – 4th August

Cardiff 10k – 1st September

Swansea 10k – 22nd September

Cardiff 1/2 Marathon – 6th October

This should mean running a total distance of 164km (excluding training). I’ve decided to see if I can push this a little further by doing 27 parkruns across the year to increase this total distance to 300km (ok it will be 299km with the 27 parkruns being a total distance of 135km).

The reason for supporting this great charity is for personal reasons and to continue to raise awareness and support those that are suffering with mental health issues. One in four people in the UK will suffer from a mental health problem at some point in their lives. This means that someone we know, whether a family member, friend or work colleague, might be struggling at this time. Yet there is still a stigmatism that does not exist with more physical type illnesses that needs to be addressed and even with the increased focus on this there is still many of us suffering in silence and many further not even aware.

Mental health issues can have a huge impact on our lives, both at home and in work. I feel it is important for those affected to have the support when it is most needed. That support applies to both the person and for their families and friends who equally can be affected.

From experience it can be difficult to recognise and admit to yourself mental health issues and this can also impact on your physical health be it in terms of significant weight loss or gain, lack of energy and concentration as example.

There is no one solution fits all for those suffering from mental health and it is down to the individual to find what works best for them. However, the more support and guidance that can be provided to help them recognise and find this solution the greater the chance of finding a way to minimise or deal with the illness. In my opinion this never goes away but there are ways to recognise triggers and to learn techniques to help cope and/or better deal with it.

MIND do an excellent job in raising awareness and supporting people but there is still a lot more that can and needs to be done.

I hope you would be able to support me on this challenge by sparing a little money to this great cause. I’ve set a target but it would be great to raise as much as possible.

So finally, thank you for taking the time to read this and thanking you in advance for those that will be supporting me but more importantly supporting MIND.

Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving - they'll never sell them on or send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they'll send your money directly to the charity. So it's the most efficient way to donate - saving time and cutting costs for the charity.