Birmingham Post - News Blog

A Great Birmingham Run...

Mon, 27 Oct 2008 15:22:49 +0000

And I wouldn't be surprised if the Bupa/Great Run bods try to snap up Birmingham's newly inaugurated half marathon for their portfolio in future.
Why? Other than it proves that when the city council put their minds to they can put on a brilliant event or show, as only Brum can.
But the expertise of the Great Run group would help elevate this city road race from being a regional must-run to a national fixture.
Considering that next year Birmingham will host the World Half Marathon Championships, I suspect it may only be a matter of time.
But despite all this praise, and it's not all a result of post-race endorphins coursing through my veins, there are one or two glitches that need to be ironed out.

It's not good for you...

Mon, 15 Sep 2008 15:07:26 +0000

I may well promote the benefits of proactive health care, regular check-ups are as vital to us humans as regular servicing is to our cars.
But after a routine visit to my dentist today I am beginning to wonder if ignorance really is bliss, after an x-ray revealed my only wisdom tooth - which has been growing at a glacial speed for nearly a year - needs to be removed.
Now as The Post's health correspondent I have found myself in operating theatres watching everything from kidney transplants to key hole surgery, and every time have marvelled at the miracles performed there.
However I also know I am not "at one" with pain, on any level.
So the various tales I've heard so far about dentists using pliers while kneeling on patients' chests and people ending up looking like they've gone ten rounds with Tyson are not helping!
But I am fully aware that as a specialist I should have been at the business end of a surgery at some point in my life, but so far I guess I've just been very lucky.
Plaster casts are fine, scans are cool... but pointy, sharp implements and being sedated are totally new concepts to me. And perhaps I'm a little bit nervous, possibly even a bit scared.
So does anyone out there have any friendly tips or advice before I get into the dentist's chair next week?
This was not the return from a relaxing holiday that I was hoping for.
I

Should have seen this coming...

Fri, 08 Aug 2008 13:24:47 +0000

Every year it's the same but today the annual reminder, from a PR agency, that it's time to start a "pre-Christmas detox" never fails to astound me.
But for some reason preparations for the impending festival of gluttony and drunken joy seem to get going in August rather than on December 1.
Is it not possible for us sun-starved Brits to enjoy our all too brief fling with summer before being reminded we will soon have to don long sleeves, coats and hats?
Although this is becoming a ritualistic rant, I am sure I can't be the only person in Britain who finds the whole countdown to Christmas a tad cynical and untimely?
I have no intention of detoxing or even starting my Christmas shopping - 137 days to go, which is plenty of time, right? - before December 1.
Christmas may be coming and Britons are probably getting fat, but why do we need to know about a week-long detox while we're trying to enjoy our summer holidays!
In fact, after running the Las Vegas Marathon on December 7 this year, I shall be looking forward to re-toxing in celebration of my achievements.
Don't get me wrong, I love Christmas and all that it stands for, I love shopping for gifts and the social whirl of it all... but not until December 1.
Here endeth the lesson.

I've been on a diplomatic mission....

Wed, 16 Jul 2008 20:10:34 +0000

...to China, rather than Alderaan. Really I have. Ok maybe that's not strictly true, especially if you read my column in tomorrow's Post.
Perhaps after my manic meltdown in an overcrowded metro in Shanghai, which drew confused and possibly scared stares from fellow passengers, it is time to make amends.
Well, after a suitable battle plan has been drawn up, for that is what is needed to survive the city's underground system.
Having commuted regularly in London, I thougth I knew the rules of walking on the left, not making eye contact and - this is the important bit - letting passengers disembark before getting on the tube.
This basic courtesy is not observed. At all. Complete lack of manners or order.
Short of screaming I muttered, in a not particularly subtle tone or very quietly for that matter, "Manners cost nothing", "Excuse me?" and "This is not safe, get off my foot!"
Hong Kong by comparison, and whether this is a result of being a former British colony I don't know, was a dream.
Orderly queues by respective carriages, no pushing in or bumping into people. A civilised society that observes common courtesy.
But since I returned from my Orient adventure, my friends have pointed out that my outbursts of "Britishness" had a) not gone unnoticed and b) scared them, not just the locals.
However as my lower limbs were savaged by kamikaze mossies I doubt if immigration officials would let me back in, mistaking me for a common leper!!
Despite embracing the traditions, using chopsticks and a few cursory words of Mandarin - just enough to stop us from getting ripped off by taxi drivers - I couldn't silence my inner Englishwoman abroad.
Perhaps stress management or yoga classes would be advisable before I go East again.

Sex and the City: I know it's not health, but...

Thu, 29 May 2008 17:05:22 +0000

...I did to feel sorry for the guys dutifully lining up outside my local cinema last night, with their overly excited other halves, who were chomping at the bit to see Sex and the City.
Being a major fan of the show, I had opted for an earlier screening, hoping the dismal drizzle would deter half-termers from disrupting it.
Oh how wrong I was. Wish I'd had a Hermes scarf to strangle them with, but I didn't - so I just seethed in my seat.
But even that didn't ruin the film for me...
I'm not going to review SATC here, but all I will say is girls - take some tissues (and a hip flask of Cosmopolitan!), while guys - if you surreptitiously switch on your iPod (quietly), you might just survive, as the lone male in my screening did.
Otherwise do the decent thing, go and watch Indiana Jones and let the girls have their fun!

It's been a while...

Sun, 25 May 2008 21:01:18 +0000

but after a not particularly healthy weekend, enjoying the finest wines and foods known to M&S with an old uni buddy, I started thinking.
And considering the thumping headache I had this morning (after a fun, but clearly ill-advised night on the pop), that was an achievement in itself.
Last week the Government launched a £10 million 'unit awareness' campaign, aimed at those who like to unwind with a stiff G&T or a glass of vino after work, rather than stereotypical binge drinkers.

An unexpected confession...

Sun, 20 Apr 2008 14:28:31 +0000

Of all the political confessions lurking in the wings, waiting for a timely expose - either to promote a book or unseat a rival - the news that former deputy prime minister John Prescott was bulimic is one that no-one saw coming.

Prescott, an old-school political bruiser and somewhat portly gentleman, clearly loved his food, but no-one would think he was bulimic.

The public face of eating disorders tended to be female: Think Princess Diana, Sharon Osbourne or Geri Halliwell. The only other male 'celebrity' who has admitted to battling bulimia is former Coronation Street actor Adam Rickett - but that made sense, given his lean physique.

Running to a standstill...

Sun, 30 Mar 2008 20:25:30 +0000

That's what it feels like I've been doing lately as I've juggled work with my marathon training, not to mention everything else. And as a result this blog has barely got off the ground, but really you haven't missed much!

I just wanted to comment on a couple of issues that have caught my eye in recent weeks, firstly the scare-mongering edict from NICE over whether expectant ladies should ever expect a drink! Obviously anyone with half a braincell is not going to get paralytic during pregnancy, but one of the most bizarre arguments put forward (I think it was on BBC Breakfast) was that "What if a woman had got drunk unaware of 'her condition'!"

While I imagine a fair number of conceptions are aided and abetted by one or two glasses of wine or the odd G&T, any woman actively trying to get pregnant will be aware of the risks anyway.
But on the otherhand Britain is the teen pregnancy capital of Europe, and I don't doubt that is as much down to drink as it is to ignorance and not practising safe sex.

But for decades women have enjoyed the occasional sherry or sip of champagne at family parties without being told "ooh be careful of baby". Obviously I'm not suggesting that NICE's decision is wrong, it's good to get some clarity, but it doesn't seem that long ago we were all being told that one unit (a week? not sure?) was fine.

Again would a woman drink every night, knowing she was having a baby?

Then there's that bloke who used to be a woman but didn't have her/his (?) reproductive organs removed who is, if the pix in Daily Mail are to be believed (and I'm not so sure) is pregnant by his/her lesbian partner.

What rules does he/she have to adhere to? It's all very confusing...

Take more responsibility for your health!

Tue, 26 Feb 2008 23:23:08 +0000

Binge drinking, obesity, postcode lotteries and dying with dignity, these are just a few health issues that simply refuse to go away.

As The Post's health correspondent I don't want to stick with the mainstream or blindingly obvious, as am also interested in the off-beat stories and innovative break-throughs that could affect us all.

The health of the NHS itself, its finances, the workforce and how it is set to change in the coming years - whether patients or staff like it or not.

If you have ever glimpsed my occasional column, which has an obvious obsession with public health and fitness issues, then you will know I have a straight-forward, no-nonsense approach to staying fit and well.