The sun shines on the Brighton half!
I have to admit to having muttered something along the lines of ‘if the weather doesn’t dramatically change on Sunday, then I won’t be getting out of bed’, prompted by too many long runs in this hideously windy, rainy and frankly depressing weather. Yes, you feel amazing after the run and yes, it’s great resistance training, but it’s not much fun when you’re due to complete your long run and have already postponed it twice due to gale force winds and horizontal rain.
Today, however, someone was smiling down on Brighton as the weather DID dramatically change and Brighton was at its best with the half marathon full of happy, cheerful and relieved-to-see-the-sun runners, not to mention the 000’s of enthusiastic supporters, who, let’s face it, were no doubt as relieved as we were that the sun was shining.
This event included a number first time half marathoners from the Jo’s Thing community. Back in November, there were a few “Jo, do you think I might be able to run a half marathon?” and of course the answer is nearly always along the lines of “if you follow a sensible plan, then yes”. And that’s exactly what they did. Well, most of them. Just two weeks ago I had a text saying “I can just about run 5k comfortably and have got a number for the half, how can I train in 2 weeks?” My advice was, of course, not to do it, followed by a 2 weeks half marathon training plan (I know him well enough to know he wouldn’t listen to the first bit of advice…) and lo and behold, he completed the half today in a hugely respectable 2 hours and 8 minutes!
All the Jo’s Thing runners completed today in great times, with loads of emotion en route – it’s difficult to try to explain how emotional it can be unless you have run an event like this before, but the support from the crowds, especially when you see people you know, is so, so lovely.
Brighton, you’ve done it again. Brilliant day, fabulous weather, well organised event and another bunch of no-longer-virgin-half-marathoners (including my husband!). Well done y’all! #proud
