Alice's Adventures in Running Land
  • Home
  • About
  • Blog
  • Contact

Brighton 10k

4/13/2015

0 Comments

 
Doing the Brighton 10k two weeks before the London Marathon was not really ever part of the training plan – however when I describe the circumstances through which I got my place you will see why I felt I could not miss out!

Earlier on this year I entered a competition on Instagram which required you to post a running related picture with a certain hashtag. The winner would receive two places to the Brighton Marathon or the Brighton 10k, free travel, free accommodation and two full sets of running gear and shoes from Saucony… so quite a haul! I entered, posting a picture of me and my friend doing the Color Run in Brighton last year, and as you have probably guessed, I won!

So this weekend saw me travel down to Brighton with my friend ready to tackle the 10k. We opted for this distance as I did not fancy trying two marathons in the space of three weeks, plus really wanted London to be my first marathon; and it was unrealistic for my friend to train for a marathon from the time we found out we had the places.

We arrived in Brighton on Saturday afternoon, collected our race packs from the marathon exhibition, checked into our lovely seafront hotel and sampled the pool and spa area. We then found an Italian restaurant which surprisingly did not have too long a wait for a table despite the hundreds of marathon runners seeking a pre-race pasta tea. The 10k race started at 8.30am on Sunday morning, and after four hours of travelling, we headed for an early night.

Sunday morning came and after neither of us slept that well, it definitely felt early. We left the hotel at 7.15am and despite the early morning sea air feeling especially fresh it was clear it was going to be a beautiful day.  The 10k started away from the sea front, with the route winding its way down through the town and eventually finishing along by the beach. Standing at the start line I didn’t feel especially nervous. With the shin troubles I had been having all week I was just pleased to be able to run and had not really given my time much thought. I told myself not to push it, overdoing it this close to London would simply be unforgivable, and was really just hoping to be sub 50 minutes again - nothing spectacular but something I could mentally cope with!

Picture
The start of the race was crowded, there was no time based start areas, so I had to weave my way to get some clear running space. Once I achieved this the rest of the route and the run in general was wonderful. This was the first time I had ever completed a race outside of Lincoln (which wasn’t a ‘fun run’) and I enjoyed being surprised by the course. My legs felt a lot stronger than the Lincoln 10k and I maintained a good steady pace up until the 8km point, at which I got a little excited and thought I may just be able to record a 48 minute time. The last 2km though, when that power push was required, was when my legs failed me, reminding me that they are actually quite tired after nearly 16 weeks of longer marathon training runs. I crossed the line in 49.31 – twenty seconds faster than the Lincoln 10k, which meant in relative marathon training terms I was pleased!

The Brighton Marathon started shortly after the 10k, so after the race we headed back to our hotel, grabbed ourselves a window seat at breakfast (the bonus of the 10k starting so early meant it was only about 10am at this point!) and were able to watch the marathon runners go past the mid-way point. It was also scary that during the time we sat there we saw the elite men and women run past mile thirteen and then also go past again as they looped back towards the finish line – their pace almost unbelievable.  

After checking out the hotel we headed back to the beach race village. By now it was a truly wonderful day and we planted ourselves on the beach, under the blue skies and sunshine, and in front of the giant screen that had been erected to watch the marathon coverage. We sat there for the next few hours, totally engrossed in the race. Watching the finishers filled me with so many emotions when thinking about my own marathon, excitement, fear, pride, nerves… all which reminded me exactly why I cannot wait to have the chance to complete one.

Picture
0 Comments

    Alice's Adventures In Running Land

    Read about my adventures in running land...


    December 2021
    November 2021
    September 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014

    Categories

    All
    2015
    2016
    2017
    2018
    2019
    2020
    2021
    Ashby 20 2019
    Bassingham Bash 2015
    Bassingham Bash 2016
    Bassingham Bash 2017
    Bassingham Bash 2020
    Berlin Marathon 2016
    Berlin Marathon 2017
    Boston Marathon 2017
    Brighton 10k 2015
    Brighton Marathon 2019
    Cambridge Half Marathon 2018
    Cambridge Half Marathon 2019
    Cambridge Half Marathon 2020
    Chicago Marathon 2019
    Clumber Park Half Marathon
    Doncaster 10k 2017
    Doncaster 10k 2018
    Doncaster 10k 2019
    Doncaster 10k 2021
    Finsbury Park 10k 2015
    General Running
    Great Newham Run 10k 2016
    Great North Run 2015
    Harewood House Half Marathon 2017
    Hedgehog Half Marathon 2018
    I Am Team GB
    Leicestershire Half Marathon 2018
    Leicestershire Half Marathon 2019
    Lincoln 10k 2015
    Lincoln 10k 2016
    Lincoln 10k 2017
    Lincoln 10k 2018
    Lincoln 10k 2019
    Lincoln 10k 2021
    Lincoln Colour Dash 2015
    Lincoln Half Marathon 2016
    Lincoln Half Marathon 2017
    Liverpool Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon 2015
    Liverpool Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon 2016
    Liverpool Rock 'n' Roll Half Marathon 2017
    Liverpool Rock 'n' Roll Marathon 2018
    Lockdown 2021
    London Marathon 2015
    London Marathon 2016
    London Marathon 2017
    London Marathon 2018
    London Marathon 2020
    Manchester Marathon 2016
    Milton Keynes 20 Mile Race 2018
    Newark Half Marathon 2017
    Newark Half Marathon 2018
    Newark Half Marathon 2019
    Newton's Fraction Half Marathon 2019
    Normanby 10k 2020
    North Lincolnshire Half Marathon 2018
    North Lincolnshire Half Marathon 2019
    Nottingham 10k 2016
    Oxford Half Marathon 2015
    Parkrun
    Park Run
    Peterborough Marathon 2021
    Robin Hood Trail 10k
    Round Sheffield Run 2016
    Round Sheffield Run 2017
    Round Sheffield Run 2018
    Round Sheffield Run 2019
    Round Sheffield Run 2021
    Royal Parks Half 2016
    Santa Run 2014
    Santa Run 2015
    Santa Run 2018
    Santa Run 2019
    Sleaford 10k 2019
    Stamford 30k
    Sydney Marathon 2018
    The 401 Challenge
    The Royal Parks Half Marathon 2016
    Thoresby Half Marathon
    Winter Run 10k Liverpool
    Woodhall Spa 10k 2018
    Woodhall Spa 10k 2019
    X Runner 2015

Powered by Create your own unique website with customizable templates.
Photo used under Creative Commons from marksteelenz