Something HAD TO CHANGE! Swansea Half Marathon RACE VLOG!

[@terraflow__bryanburdo4547]

"Been racing a bit poorly....I think I'll jump in a sweltering half marathon going out at sub PB pace. Should be lovely!"😂

[@TheWelshRunner]

Exactly that really. I’ve been so measured and cautious in recent races that I wanted to forget the clock and just find out rather than be so overly concerned with getting the pace/intensity right. It was refreshing. Not the quickest approach for this race but I needed that freedom to not care about the consequences of going in the red.

[@deansummerton2577]

I don't think you truly realise how inspiring you are Matt. So raw and real and vulnerable with your emotions which gives you this inner strength,determination and desire we can all relate to and want to be like. It always helps me with my attitude and running. Cheering you on all the way. Here's to you being you and looking forward with hope 🙏

[@justalilbester]

Beast mode activated!! A bit more training and you’ll tuck right in with that lead group! Looking forward to a big summer to come from you 👊🏻

[@TheFODRunner]

You looked like you’d been swimming after the race, insane humidity! Classic British summer 😂 massive respect 72 in those temps is amazing 👏

[@TheWelshRunner]

Thanks mate. Give me a cool Autumn day every time.

[@petergibbs6993]

Really missed your vlogs Matt, super running and great to watch and learn - fantastic 👍

[@TheWelshRunner]

Thanks Peter. Glad you enjoyed the vlog and I’ve got a new series towards my goal race coming soon so hopefully lots of new vlogs coming your way.

[@OMGeorge7812]

I 2nd this! Love the all-in-grind-it-out-empty-the-tank type content! Cheers Matt!

[@ThatRunnerAaron]

Such a wholesome video mate - loved everything! You raced bravely, your wife awesome & the moment after with your son was heartwarming. Well done Matt!

[@jonathanwatkins447]

I love the racer in you. No messing around. Good stuff

[@frontrunnerevents]

Great race round up Matt! You absolutely smashed it!!! Hope to see you back on 9th June 👊

[@chrisjacketts]

Great effort Matt. It was a very hot day! My first time at Swansea and thoroughly enjoyed it, WAY slower than you but was delighted with a PB of 1hr 31. Definitely back next year.

[@TheWelshRunner]

Congrats on the PB. Brilliant running and plenty more to come on a faster day in cooler conditions. Glad you enjoyed the race and see you there next year. 👊

[@andydevinewine]

Pb is a pb. Great running 🎉

[@hugothompson7346]

Well done Matt, but also well done Kelly!!! 💯😎👍👍

[@TheWelshRunner]

Thanks Hugo 👊

[@stefanledin2342]

Great to have you back vlogging. Well done, a great time on a sweltering day.

[@edhare4572]

Great running and great content. Loved the pictures with your Son, he will be mega proud of his Dad I am sure 💪👍

[@jsrunningfitness]

Exactly the content I wanted to see ahead of racing tomorrow, thanks for posting and well done in that heat 💪

[@TheWelshRunner]

Thanks and good luck tomorrow. Have a great race. What are you racing?

[@jsrunningfitness]

@@TheWelshRunner Leeds 10k, and conditions looking ace 👍

[@BradCharlesWilfred]

Lesss go Matt!! Crushed it!

[@ollie1317]

Great effort on the race, BUT the camera work, absolutely another level, quite incredible! Well done Kelly!

[@jordanrundell9962]

Way to stick in there though Matt. I recall last year you having a few performances that you weren't happy with, then that fabulous 5k and Marathon PR. Just think of this as a stepping block, and a really great workout. Excited to see what you will accomplish this year. Cheers!

[@niallbennis06]

Great work Matt. Im in the same groove as you at the moment. Letting people go sucks 😕 I've gotten some motivation from this video. Great running in the heat

[@TheWelshRunner]

Yeah 100%. Letting people go is hard to take. Sometimes it’s the right call but other times you just want to see what happens if you dig in and stay with it. Hope a race clicks soon. Some cooler weather would certainly help.

[@Aloneinhills]

Great vlog, very well edited I like the format... Sometimes its good to see you struggle (no offence) but it reminds us other runners that we all struggle but staying focused to see the finish line & keep fighting is real for all runners & you showed true heart in that race. Great battle & grind. Onto the next one 🙌

[@runningoneddie]

Awesome recap Matt. I love seeing Kelly and your family out there supporting you. Makes all the difference. I've run through quite a few of those humid races before when I lived in the Midwest of the US and I've still got photos of myself where my shorts and shirt looked 100% drenched. Amazing time and glad you hung in there. It is a hard time of year to PR given the weather. As always, love your content and dedication to the sport.

[@AlanMurray-zw4jz]

Great racing Matt and pleased to see the vlogs back. 👍This weather is brilliant, but the humidity is a killer for racing.

[@martindattus7064]

Welcome back!!Well done, good to see you again!!👏👍

[@TheWelshRunner]

Thank you! 😃. Appreciate you coming back to watch. 👊

[@davidleonard37]

Great footage and editing too, well done Matt. We have the same conditions here in Ireland, can't imagine doing a half in it.

[@kenfromphilly752]

Cool vid! Congrats on gutsy race!

[@clairel3730]

Fantastic run in that heat 😥 and well done Kelly for the footage

[@TheWelshRunner]

Thanks Claire. As always appreciate the support. Kelly was awesome as usual.

[@daleengland4093]

Relatable guy love the family vibe In the vlogs Look forward to the next 👊🏻

[@seanrochford2499]

Well done Matt 👏🏼

[@peterjackson8244]

Great run and especially in the heat and humidity. Spectacular filming!

[@TheWelshRunner]

Thanks Peter. Was a tough day but lots of fun too. Glad you enjoyed the vlog.

[@SwimBikeRunStu]

My camera team went for a weatherspoons breakfast and missed me. 😂 Your camera crew smashed it. My first half marathon back after illness for the last few years. It was hot and humid out there. Great running. Well done 👌

[@TheWelshRunner]

Congrats on your run. Great to see you back doing your longest run for some time. Breaking 2 is great too. Sorry that pancakes took precedence for your support crew #BlameTheTracker 😂.

[@noelthatcher1996]

Great run mate! Course looks amazing. Adding Swansea to the bucket list.

[@TheWelshRunner]

Thanks Noel. The course is great; I’m sure you’d love it. On a cooler day, with no wind, it would be such a quick course too. Not sure those conditions will ever materialise but it’s a great route nonetheless.

[@robbristle5642]

Love the vlog. Gorgeous DETAILED action.

[@nataliehombrado1865]

Looks a really stunning course. I’ll have to give this one a go. Well done Matt. That was brutal heat that day! 🥵

[@josephgonzalez_]

Man, I’ve hated racing in these conditions. Kudos for fighting through this one. I think that’s a great effort regardless of the time.

[@Marc-ey9rp]

Great run

[@peelman12345]

It was hot! Your stride looked so relaxed! My stride must have looked like I was carrying a bag of cement after the turn at mumbles… wheels fell off totally 🥵

[@MoonJuiceMan]

Actually a brilliant style of video. To see the actual racing up close and hear the thoughts going through your head dubbed over. If I can give some criticism, I would maybe drop the pop music beats and add something a little more epic, either EDM or something maybe orchestral, just to add stakes near the end of the race. Love that she can follow you along and record you for so long on the bike. This is the first ever video of yours I have watched and truly enjoyed it.

[@richardcopp]

Nice one mate. Top effort in hot conditions ❤

[@FWPlants]

Strong Work Matt!!!🤙💪

[@irish03gator]

Well done mate! 💪😉

[@Chris-dw3xl]

Did well mate in the heat great running 👍💪

[@alfdickinson1971]

Boomshanka-love your attitude! Want to do this one next yr 100% Swansea looks awesome

[@JohnBirtchetSharpe]

You left everything out on the road and that was the goal , very well done 🔥

[@TheWelshRunner]

Thanks John. Yeah I agree. A good day of pushing myself.

[@marcinrydzewski3528]

Brilliant time specially in this temperature 👏👏👏👏🔝 remember when I was doing Swansea half in 2022 it was really hard because sun. I think this year they Changed a hour of start so it's good. Im coming back in 2024

[@TheWelshRunner]

Yeah I think it was an earlier start this year which helped but I still struggled. I don’t normally do half marathons in the warmer months but Swansea is one of my favourite races. Great that you’ll be back next year. See you there 👊

[@Stevenc1984]

Looked like a really tough day with both the heat and running solo, I don't think the time is too bad at all considering those factors. I guess when you're ultra competitive you always want more. Well done! 🏃‍♂🎉🎊🏅

[@madmaf6011]

Lovely running!

[@TheWelshRunner]

Thank you

[@Mark-bf2ro]

Thank goodness you put that hair wax in 😉 You're a star, Matt. Keep it up

[@mikedickerson3944]

I would’ve spent the whole race thinking about the post-race ice cream. More motivational than trying to catch the next runner.

[@Mack.Tracks]

Big fan of Kelly’s effing and jeffing!

[@TheWelshRunner]

Same here 🤣. Nothing displays emphasis in the same way as some effing and jeffing.

[@grantmckay7014]

Heat and humidity... try a Half-marathon in Queensland! 😂 Seriously though, good to see you go all in and roll the dice.

[@TheWelshRunner]

I think I’ll pass 🤣. Actually I’d absolutely love to come over again. I visited Cairns as a kid and it’s an amazing place to visit but maybe not the nicest running conditions for a half 🤷🏻‍♂️.

[@Ammerstol]

Nice to see a new vid 😊 Was already wondering what happened to you, but then I saw you in one of Andy's videos. After the race you did look like you gave it your all 😅

[@TheWelshRunner]

Thanks for watching. Sorry for the lack of videos lately but have lots of new ones coming over the next few months.

[@patrickedwards5804]

VO5!! Think you had a pot of VO2 there mate. Fucking love this balsy, let's fucking do it, approach.

[@davissi]

Don't take it so seriously Matt, focus on yourself and your own performance, don't obsess about other people, it's not the Olympics, you'll end up getting depressed about it if you can't win all the time or when you start slowing down. You're a good standard, just enjoy the up's and downs and focus on some future PB's when you're ready.

[@TheWelshRunner]

I love the challenge running brings. I love pushing myself. I love racing. I love competition. It’s not the Olympics and I certainly don’t think it is 🤣. I do enjoy the ups and downs. I had a great day. I don’t think I focus too much on others but I do see running as a sport and it’s my outlet for my competitive side. I lose way more than I win but that’s fine. It still doesn’t stop me from wanting to do my best and beat the runners around me; especially in the shorter races. I would argue if you only focus on PBs then that’s when you’re in trouble because they don’t come as often and at a certain point stop coming at all.

[@larrywarren3603]

Clearly fit enough to Run to the Hills

[@Mangohead75]

The route looks amazing. How long do you run along the coast ?

[@keithconneely4725]

Great running Matt! I have a weird question but this always bugs me when I take part in runs/races - do you have any decent tips for attaching the race number to a teeshirt or bib so that it looks even and straight?!! It takes far too long to get the thing looking right, for me. I can't believe it's the year 2023 and we're still using pins. I only ask because I saw your box of pins and wondered if you or anyone else here has similar totally irrelevant first world problems!

[@garymanders1273]

Bit hard on yourself...but nothing wrong with wanting to keep yourself honest..My Father used to tell me...win , draw .lose doesn't matter...just don't be shit!..tough race ..personally i would rather be sitting by the pool with a Pina Colada with a sparkler in it in those conditions...Good effort and great vlog content.

[@emanuelsantos5585]

👏👏👏👏👏👏👏👏

[@moseschitalu3665]

My 10k PB is 41minutes. How can I improve my pace ?

[@Daveyboyroy]

Just wanted to mention Matt, I lost that feeling of fight and motivation and it turned out to be a thyroid condition! Maybe get checked.

[@TheWelshRunner]

Thanks. Definitely something to consider. Hope you’re on top of the issue now and getting any help required.

[@Daveyboyroy]

@@TheWelshRunner Yeah, got some replacement hormone (thyroxine) and back to normal now.

[@andys121.]

wooden medals are the pits

[@TheWelshRunner]

Harri loved it. I think it depends what a runner wants from a race. I don’t run for medals, I run for experiences and to push myself. A more sustainable medal is good in my eyes. I totally understand how runners running their first race or a race they have poured a lot of work into might want something more substantial but for me a wooden medal is perfect. Something for Harri to wear but far less embodied energy than a metal alternative. What’s your thoughts?