26.2 smiles!
Rhalou Allerhand runs The Brighton Marathon and smiles like a loony the whole way
Eighteen months ago, if someone had suggested a marathon to me, I would have laughed out loud. I used to be so blasé about fitness that I couldn’t run to the end of my street, let alone for 26 miles. But then I got the job at Women’s Running magazine, and my perception slowly started to change. In the WR office it’s hard not to be affected by the fitness hysteria, so I tentatively took up running to fit in with the team. Being surrounded by such positivity and encouragement certainly helped, as did a burning desire to look good in hotpants. But as I didn’t discover running until I hit 30, having spent the best part of three decades languishing in the pub, my body confidence was fairly low. Running for more than twenty minutes without stopping to gasp for breath seemed like an enormous feat of endurance, and it certainly didn’t feel like something to smile about.But as all you beginner runners will know, Women’s Running magazine is the best place to be if you’re determined to release your inner running goddess! And slowly but surely, over the course of eighteen months I managed to transform myself from sofa surfer to running warrior!I often hear women talking about the moment when it clicks, and running suddenly transforms from a chore to a pleasure. It took me a little while, and I confess I found my first half marathon challenging (the grim race pictures will attest to that!) Fortunately I’ve always been blessed with a large dose of blind faith that things will eventually work out, so I boldly signed up for my first marathon, and my fate was sealed. 
It’s a big jump from a skip round the park to 26.2 miles, and it took some mental determination just to get out the door. I gamely started training, but the penny didn’t really drop until I realised that having a good time was, for me, much more important than worrying about the actual time.The best advice given to me came from our contributing editor Lisa Jackson, who also ran the entire race with me (for which I will be eternally grateful). She simply said, smile like mad every time you see a camera, and on the day, there were many, many cameras. So I assigned myself the position of the office fun runner, and decided to focus all my energy on smiling and having fun! Choosing to run for fun and not care about the consequences really took the pressure off. Thanks to my new enthusiastic approach to running, I really enjoyed my training.When race day finally arrived, showing up with the right attitude made a huge difference, as I was so excited that by the time the marathon actually started that I was raring to go! We were lucky to sneak in fairly near the front pen, so along with my colleagues, I got a good gawp at the muscly elite runners before they dashed off into the distance.The first ten miles went by in a blur of singing and smiles (we sang 'Another one bites the dust' at the top of our lungs at every mile marker!) but then at about mile 16, things started to get sticky. Apparently I went a bit pale and stopped chatting, which roughly coincided with the scorching midday sun. But I managed to power on through, thanks in part to the abundance of spectators and volunteers handing out jelly babies and Clif Shot Bloks. I actually finished the race with more sweets than when I started!Then, praise be to the Gods of running, I had a power surge at mile 21 and the last five miles were the easiest and most electric section of the whole day. I absolutely loved running up to the pier and reveled in the attention from the screaming crowds, I felt like I was a rock star!From the initial loop of Preston park, to the dash past the pavilion, the crawl through Ovingdon and the endless stretch of coastal path adjacent to the sparkling blue sea, the scenery was constantly changing, which only added to a perfect day out. Running a marathon wasn’t easy, but I loved every minute of it, and honestly cannot wait to do another one! The facilities were excellent, everything was well organised, and despite not caring about timing, I got round in a cool 5.04.24, and even got a cuddle from the nice lady who gave me my medal at the end. Then we waddled into the sea for a much-needed ice bath before dining on chips and champagne.The only part of the day that I wasn't completely happy with was when a touch of crowd envy kicked in. Despite having Rhalou in huge letters emblazoned across my chest, as I ran sandwiched for most of the way between Claire and Lisa, they got all the cheers and not many people attempted to pronounce my name. (Damn you mother for calling me Rhalou) so next time, I'm changing my name to Dave!Lisa’s simple advice to smile worked on several levels, as not only does smiling make you feel good, it makes everyone around you feel good too. Plus the post race marathon pictures were amazing! I look like I was having the time of my life, and have some great pictures of an amazing day to treasure forever.So to anyone considering their first 5K, 10K or marathon, I will pass on Lisa’s words of wisdom. Smile at the cameras, smile at the crowds, smile at your friends and smile at the sky! Approach every step you take both in training and on race day with enthusiasm and joy. Smile like a lunatic all day long and I guarantee you’ll have a great time.
It’s a big jump from a skip round the park to 26.2 miles, and it took some mental determination just to get out the door. I gamely started training, but the penny didn’t really drop until I realised that having a good time was, for me, much more important than worrying about the actual time.The best advice given to me came from our contributing editor Lisa Jackson, who also ran the entire race with me (for which I will be eternally grateful). She simply said, smile like mad every time you see a camera, and on the day, there were many, many cameras. So I assigned myself the position of the office fun runner, and decided to focus all my energy on smiling and having fun! Choosing to run for fun and not care about the consequences really took the pressure off. Thanks to my new enthusiastic approach to running, I really enjoyed my training.When race day finally arrived, showing up with the right attitude made a huge difference, as I was so excited that by the time the marathon actually started that I was raring to go! We were lucky to sneak in fairly near the front pen, so along with my colleagues, I got a good gawp at the muscly elite runners before they dashed off into the distance.The first ten miles went by in a blur of singing and smiles (we sang 'Another one bites the dust' at the top of our lungs at every mile marker!) but then at about mile 16, things started to get sticky. Apparently I went a bit pale and stopped chatting, which roughly coincided with the scorching midday sun. But I managed to power on through, thanks in part to the abundance of spectators and volunteers handing out jelly babies and Clif Shot Bloks. I actually finished the race with more sweets than when I started!Then, praise be to the Gods of running, I had a power surge at mile 21 and the last five miles were the easiest and most electric section of the whole day. I absolutely loved running up to the pier and reveled in the attention from the screaming crowds, I felt like I was a rock star!From the initial loop of Preston park, to the dash past the pavilion, the crawl through Ovingdon and the endless stretch of coastal path adjacent to the sparkling blue sea, the scenery was constantly changing, which only added to a perfect day out. Running a marathon wasn’t easy, but I loved every minute of it, and honestly cannot wait to do another one! The facilities were excellent, everything was well organised, and despite not caring about timing, I got round in a cool 5.04.24, and even got a cuddle from the nice lady who gave me my medal at the end. Then we waddled into the sea for a much-needed ice bath before dining on chips and champagne.The only part of the day that I wasn't completely happy with was when a touch of crowd envy kicked in. Despite having Rhalou in huge letters emblazoned across my chest, as I ran sandwiched for most of the way between Claire and Lisa, they got all the cheers and not many people attempted to pronounce my name. (Damn you mother for calling me Rhalou) so next time, I'm changing my name to Dave!Lisa’s simple advice to smile worked on several levels, as not only does smiling make you feel good, it makes everyone around you feel good too. Plus the post race marathon pictures were amazing! I look like I was having the time of my life, and have some great pictures of an amazing day to treasure forever.So to anyone considering their first 5K, 10K or marathon, I will pass on Lisa’s words of wisdom. Smile at the cameras, smile at the crowds, smile at your friends and smile at the sky! Approach every step you take both in training and on race day with enthusiasm and joy. Smile like a lunatic all day long and I guarantee you’ll have a great time.