Brighton rocks!
Tuesday, 22 February, 2011
Having slashed an impressive two whole minutes off my PB at the Brighton Half Marathon last Sunday, I am now officially in no holds barred training mode for The Brighton Marathon. But while 2hrs 18 mins is nowt to be sniffed at, as long as I make it home for tea, I couldn’t really care less how long it takes me to get round. I’m the slow mo in the office, and would much rather have a good time than a speedy one.Having said that, the process of marathon training is still necessary to ensure I don’t actually die of shock on the day. This means no all-night partying, no killer heels, no crazy diets and no fun for the next seven weeks. I shall henceforth focus all of my efforts on running, until it’s so entrenched in my soul (and soles) that maintaining the pace for 26.2 miles will seem like a perfectly normal activity to partake in. Oh yay.Fortunately the Brighton Half Marathon was not only an excellent training run for the big one, but a thoroughly enjoyable event. We rocked up at 8am, and despite failing miserably at staying sober the night before (I’m a girl who needs my pre-race drink to de-stress) I started the race feeling refreshed and ready for action. 
Team WR celebrate on the beach!The first couple of miles were quite pleasant and, aside from the obligatory toilet break, I was making good time. In spite of the imminent threat of rain, the weather remained just right for running and the temperature was comfortable. The picture perfect route along the Brighton seafront also helped. With its various beach huts, beautiful old buildings and of course the vast expanse of sparkly blue sea, the route made for an ideal distraction from the sometimes-painful job in hand. (Or foot).But then at about mile three, by which time my colleagues had all dashed off in search of PBs, I was possessed by a sudden sense of monotony. All I could hear was the eerie troop of a thousand feet pounding the seafront promenade, and I still had quite a way to go. Fortunately my good friends Marcus and Simon from Glitterball had made me a playlist, which provided the perfect disco beat for slinking along the pavements at roughly a ten-minute mile, so I fished my iPod out of my pocket and got into the music. I’m no speed queen; I’m far more interested in having an enjoyable time than punishing myself, but listening to my favourite music always helps to propel me in the right direction.By mile six when even the dulcet tones of Chaka Khan weren’t enough to push me further, I recalled the sage advice of our resident hypnotherapist Lisa Jackson (check out her website here www.qmhypnotherapy.co.uk) and chanted my race day mantra, ‘I am fit, I am strong, I will run this half marathon!’ for a couple more miles.By this time the super-speedy athletes had already lapped us, but the race loop provided the perfect viewing platform, as looking at hot boy’s powerful legs at work is enough to put most girls in a good mood. I did lose a little bit of hope when civilians also started to lap me in their droves, so focused my attentions on smiling inanely and having a good time. 
Rhalou braves the English channelThe rest of the race went by in a blur of jelly babies and strategic water station choreography (I have yet to master the art of drinking in motion) and even the final mile wasn’t too painful. The most challenging part of my day was actually after the race finished. Once I’d found the rest of the Women’s Running crew and gulped down warm tea and Jaffa cakes, I braved the freezing sea for a post-race ice bath! No one else was nuts enough to plunge into the icy channel, but it was actually really refreshing. I would have spent longer in there if it weren’t for the rather large waves trying to pull me under. It was definitely worth the pain though, and sped up my recovery considerably.The Brighton Half Marathon was a well organised event and a fun day out. I’m now really looking forward to revisiting the seaside town again in a few weeks’ time, albeit under doubly hard circumstances! I’ll keep you posted on my progress...
Team WR celebrate on the beach!The first couple of miles were quite pleasant and, aside from the obligatory toilet break, I was making good time. In spite of the imminent threat of rain, the weather remained just right for running and the temperature was comfortable. The picture perfect route along the Brighton seafront also helped. With its various beach huts, beautiful old buildings and of course the vast expanse of sparkly blue sea, the route made for an ideal distraction from the sometimes-painful job in hand. (Or foot).But then at about mile three, by which time my colleagues had all dashed off in search of PBs, I was possessed by a sudden sense of monotony. All I could hear was the eerie troop of a thousand feet pounding the seafront promenade, and I still had quite a way to go. Fortunately my good friends Marcus and Simon from Glitterball had made me a playlist, which provided the perfect disco beat for slinking along the pavements at roughly a ten-minute mile, so I fished my iPod out of my pocket and got into the music. I’m no speed queen; I’m far more interested in having an enjoyable time than punishing myself, but listening to my favourite music always helps to propel me in the right direction.By mile six when even the dulcet tones of Chaka Khan weren’t enough to push me further, I recalled the sage advice of our resident hypnotherapist Lisa Jackson (check out her website here www.qmhypnotherapy.co.uk) and chanted my race day mantra, ‘I am fit, I am strong, I will run this half marathon!’ for a couple more miles.By this time the super-speedy athletes had already lapped us, but the race loop provided the perfect viewing platform, as looking at hot boy’s powerful legs at work is enough to put most girls in a good mood. I did lose a little bit of hope when civilians also started to lap me in their droves, so focused my attentions on smiling inanely and having a good time. Rhalou braves the English channelThe rest of the race went by in a blur of jelly babies and strategic water station choreography (I have yet to master the art of drinking in motion) and even the final mile wasn’t too painful. The most challenging part of my day was actually after the race finished. Once I’d found the rest of the Women’s Running crew and gulped down warm tea and Jaffa cakes, I braved the freezing sea for a post-race ice bath! No one else was nuts enough to plunge into the icy channel, but it was actually really refreshing. I would have spent longer in there if it weren’t for the rather large waves trying to pull me under. It was definitely worth the pain though, and sped up my recovery considerably.The Brighton Half Marathon was a well organised event and a fun day out. I’m now really looking forward to revisiting the seaside town again in a few weeks’ time, albeit under doubly hard circumstances! I’ll keep you posted on my progress...