Today was my last long run before Brighton, and chose to do it as a race with several thousand others at the Hastings Half Marathon! It was a gorgeous, sunny spring morning when we set off (mercifully, the heavy hail showers only hit after most of the runners had got in).
A couple of the runners claimed this was the toughest half marathon in the country. It certainly has several tough hills in the first three miles, then a long climb from mile 3 to mile 6 which was forcing a lot of the runners to a walk. Glad long, steep hills are an inescapable feature of my runs, usually at the end, so it was quite enjoyable having them at the start of the run when I had the energy to take them on!But this is it now. A taper over the next two weeks and then the real McCoy! It is encouraging to know I can take on a half marathon comfortably (in 2 hours 17 minutes according to the official timings) - just need to have the stamina to run the full Brighton course at a similar pace (or slightly slower).
