HM number 2 successfully completed! This one was a four-hour drive from home (with traffic jams on top) back to my hometown of many years. It was a poignant trip with a visit to a restaurant we first visited over 30 years ago before we were married, a walk to the local pub for lunch followed by a mini-hike over the Vardre with beautiful views in the sunshine (why didn’t I appreciate any of that when I lived there?) and then on past the family home which Mum & Dad lived in until they died. In the evening we met up with my brother and I sat in the pub nursing my mineral water- how’s that for dedication to the cause 🙄
By now I'd remembered how windy North Wales is and just how much colder that makes everything. So Sunday morning came around and I was up with the birds to eat and digest my pre-race porridge. Major dilemma – what to wear? Definitely not the short sleeved t-shirt I’d brought – but would I be best with one or two long sleeved tops? The wind was something else.
We packed everything up from our lovely Airbnb (so different from the Southsea experience) and drove to the prom for the start. It was grey. And windy. Very windy. I stepped out of the car and horror of horrors this was going to be a headwind, all the way🙈. I abandoned the indoor loo queue and headed out to the portaloos – no queue there. Managed to lose hubby at this point so headed to the start. He just got there in time to take my second layer – I was going to be brave (the right choice I think).
Off we set - 674 of us. We were in a bunch for the first couple of miles and I took them faster than my plan. The climb I had dreaded was fine – Macmac was muttering ‘shorter steps, it’ll be over before you know it’ in my head. The downhill was fun – ‘bouncing down, arms wide' for GoGo_JoJo (looking more like a badly piloted airplane than a seasoned trail runner – but it made me laugh). Then it was pretty much flat promenade or paths all the way (with occasional short up and down bits to relieve the joints) with the grey sea to the left, grey sky above and the ever present wind in the face (as evidenced by dreadful hairstyle post-race). The crowding had spread out nicely and it was a peaceful and soothing course to run.
I had two water breaks of my own and the two at the provided water stations, all as planned. Between miles 9 and 12 it was tough. The wind was really strong, sometimes I was running on the spot, sand was swirling around and my calves and feet were screaming ‘stop’. But no! 12 miles was my last planned ‘water walk’ and I made myself wait til then. That gave me enough oomph to get to the end. The sight of the orange finish arch was just wonderful. I overtook two pairs of runners and then there was an open space ahead – no way would I catch anyone else. I knew I was already on for a faster time for this one so I just cruised on in trying to look my best (waste of time as there was no photographer and hubby somehow missed me 🤬). Felt really happy and really proud of myself, and more than a little bit tearful.
Can’t believe how quickly I got cold though. Met up with hubby and just kept taking more and more layers from him to put on! Had the car heater on all the way home (after a great big Sunday lunch of course). Once home, I did manage to get out of the car unaided after four hours in the one position. Result! I have to say my soak in the bath with an Aperol spritz might just have been the highlight of the day (the bath was full of sand when I got out even though I hadn’t actually been on the beach).
Am loving the medal and the t-shirt (it even fits, I will wear this one). It was the first time this event has run and I would happily recommend it to anyone who fancies a chilled (in every sense of the word) race by the sea. Maybe there will be a tailwind next year …..
Finally. This run was for Abi. I can’t tell you how many times I told myself to ‘do iiiiiit’ yesterday. Well I ‘did iiiiit’. And that’s thanks to Abi's amazing plan which has suited me down to the ground, and her brilliant support which has smoothed over all the obstacles I’ve thrown in her direction. This run was for you roseabi – thank you for helping me through not one, but two HMs (but I’m keeping the medal and the t-shirt 😍 ).
Written by
linda9389
Administrator
To view profiles and participate in discussions please or .
What a great report Linda! Ugh, a headwind and barely above zero....not fun, and so hard to dress for! Sounds like you figured it out though. Great job on another great HM. My hubby missed me finishing my last race so I had no finish line picture either. His excuse - I finished faster than predicted 🙄. In their defence, it was also a cold windy day to be standing outside waiting for their loved ones to cross the finish line, I guess🥶.
What’s on the agenda next? A bit of a break or do you have another event planned...another HM perhaps? Or on to the full marathon 😳
Ahh, but given the weather conditions you face, I'm just a whingeing whiner 😃
I have another HM booked for October. AlMorr has brought the 'metric marathon' to my attention (26.2k), but there's only one in the UK and it clashes with the half I have booked this year, so I've pencilled that it for Oct 2020 😂. In the meantime ... parkrun tourism, more hill work and maybe some speed? But first, some free running
Oops I misled! I stretched indoors at the Nova Centre where it all ended (though not as much as I should have according to my calves today), then we went for a stonking roast dinner followed by sticky toffee pudding - AND THEN I drove home 😃. It was a long post so I tried to cut bits out .... 😃
The wind was really something else! The upside - I never broke into a sweat! Downside, I was getting through my stash of tissues well before the end of the race and occasionally ran on the spot
Having checked the maps and the forecast I was confident the wind would be coming from my right hand side but I got that wrong. I have one photo where I apparently have no hair on the right hand side of my head - but that's cos we were doing a dog-leg turn at the time. Mostly my hair is flat back over my head and all that can be seen is a big shiny forehead as per the photo above 🙈🙈🙈
Brilliant - well done! Glad the hill was ok 🙂. A headwind makes it tough going - I know what a difference it makes when I do parkrun along the prom, so to have that for 21k is tough!! A great achievement 👏🏻👏🏻.
The hill really was no drama after all my worrying 😃, but that's maybe because I didn't feel I was on my own - I'd been told it would be OK, and so it was!
Congratulations Linda! Another HM in the bag! Amazing! Bet that wind was tough! We were in South Wales at the w/e and went along to see some of the Great Welsh Marathon and HM on the coast in Llanelli. It too was windy and freezing - so much respect for those runners too. Rest up well and enjoy your bling and race shirt - you deserve them!🙂
I did feel for the marshals. If there's one thing worse than running in a freezing wind, it's got to be standing around in it! Apart from marshals there wasn't much support on this one, but I quite liked that in it's own way - made for a more peaceful and calming run. Very different from the London Landmarks one.
Ha ha! Yes, our hands were pretty numb from the cold and clapping people through - but hand on heart - much tougher to run 13/26 miles! One of the tough, speedy club runners in the Half let out a few expletives about the wind 😲 as he sailed by!!
Brrr!. I said thanks to everybody who was actually clapping or encouraging aa I went past! Legs feel much better today thanks but I have been sidewiped by a nasty migraine since waking up today. Hopefully all good for my second runniversary run tomorrow 😀
Brilliant Linda! Really well done in that wind! Happy to hear you got a great roast dinner at the end. There’s something about good food after a long race. Congratulations!
After my last one, and having a roast dinner afterwards, I’ve decided that’s now a thing, and I shall expect a roast dinner to be cooked for me after any more HM’s I do........😂🍽......it really tasted wonderful!
A lovely lovely race report Linda, really well done. 👏👏 I was with you all the way. That headwind sounded brutal. You must be uber fit to deal with that. I’d definitely be running on the spot. 😅
Haha. That's it now til October for HMs. I feel like I'm on holiday - no post race blues for me (although I do have a 5 mile trail race on Monday so I may feel differently after that) 😀
Whoop whoop! Well done you! 👍👏🏅💪🏃♀️.......don’t know if I’d have enjoyed that wind though........bbbrrrrrrr! .......I get emotional at about 12 miles, I don’t know why, I think it’s because I’m quite amazed I do it. I’m a wee bit tenacious.....so don’t like giving in if I’ve said i’ll do something....😂, plus there is all the training that builds up to it I suppose......
I get emotional very quickly - often within the first mile I'm tearing up, or as soon as I read a good t-shirt! Then again on crossing the finish line. Around mile 12 I just seem to hurt! My emotions are entirely with my feet and my calves I'm getting better at knowing what to expect - and when - now though, so try to have the game plan ready to keep it all in proportion. As you say giving up means saying goodbye to a huge investment of time, effort and emotons and I'm sure it's not an option anyone chooses lightly.
Content on HealthUnlocked does not replace the relationship between you and doctors or other healthcare professionals nor the advice you receive from them.
Never delay seeking advice or dialling emergency services because of something that you have read on HealthUnlocked.
I'm getting better at knowing what to expect - and when - now though, so try to have the game plan ready to keep it all in proportion. As you say giving up means saying goodbye to a huge investment of time, effort and emotons and I'm sure it's not an option anyone chooses lightly.
Antrim Coast Half Marathon TOMORROW!😵
RACE REPORT - BRIGHTON MARATHON 
My 1st half marathon race
