The weather was amazing for Tom’s first half marathon yesterday morning. We stayed over at Tom’s parent’s house close to Guildford the night before the Surrey Half marathon so race morning was very straightforward and we found a parking space close to the start without any problem. A very easy bag drop, short queues for the loos and no trouble getting into our correct start pen- the Surrey half gets full marks for excellent race start organisation.

I had thrown my sunglasses into my bag at the last minute and was so thankful. I actually got my race outfit totally right on this occasion after last week’s failure– Sweaty Betty tank, Lulu skirt and some Pro Compression bright pink socks to match my new Adidas Boosts.

Steph came bounding up to us in the start pen, she was going for a sub 1.55 finish. *Spoiler alert- she smashed it and earnt herself a brand new PB!*

Just after 10am we crossed the start line, and were off. Tom and I were planning on running together, so I let him set the pace and tried to stay close to him. This was a little tricky during the weaving of the first few miles, but soon the course spread out.

This is actually the only picture I took of the race, (so unlike me), and we didn’t have any spectators at the race, so this is it for the post! The race itself was really well supported, with bands, cheerleaders and families out having picnics and BBQs. It felt like it was mid summer, and that people were celebrating a village fun run, such was the atmosphere.

The course was hilly: some gentle hills, some steeper hills and some unpleasant hills. Although none on their own were too tough, the overall undulation has left me with some very sore quads and hamstrings.

I don’t recommend listening to Jillian Michael’s ‘Work your way out of that corner’ podcast while you’re running- they talk for a good 10 minutes about weeing and going to the loo, and it was all I could think about while they were talking and for a good time afterwards. A quick loo stop at mile 5 helped me feel better and we were on our way quickly to make up for lost time.

We took water on at all of the aid stations, along with a gel at the turn around point halfway through. We’d seen a number of runners being given first aid attention so we were careful to stay hydrated. Tom also squirted water over himself (and everyone around him) at each water stop.

At around the 12 mile mark, I started to pull away from Tom, and before I knew it I couldn’t see him. Having said that we would run his first half together, I slowed down and waited for him. I wanted us to finish this together, especially as I wasn’t going to earn myself a PB, and had already regretted not finishing the National Lottery run with Tom.

The final mile was mostly flat, but on some sort of sand that was tough on the knees. We rounded the last bend to see the athletics track that also marked the finish line.

Tom and I crossed the finish together, squeaking in under 2 hours in 1.59.36!!

I loved the half yesterday morning; running with Tom (who said that he doesn’t think he’ll ever really enjoy running, but does it to stay fit and to keep me happy!) enjoying the sunshine, and absorbing the support from the spectators. I didn’t love the hills, but they were short enough that they were over quite quickly, and what goes up must come down! It was incredibly well organised, with great medals…but NO GOODY BAGS! 🙁

After the race, we headed back to Tom’s parent’s house to take the dogs for a quick walk, enjoy a pub lunch in a local beer garden, and to watch the rugby. An ideal day! I hope you had a great weekend.