Brighton 2021
Back in March 2021, I started running ,mostly as a "joke" at first. But that joke quickly got serious when I signed myself up for the Brighton Marathon in September. I believed I could do it. I’ve always had perseverance, and movement was never far from me. So I began training, reading magazines, websites, anything I could find. Looking back now, I realize how much I learned about running in those six months.
The marathon took place in Brighton, a lovely seaside city on the southern coast of England. I had visited it before and really liked the vibe. We booked a hotel in a nearby town for the whole family and made it a weekend trip. Race day was 14th September 2021. The weather was sunny but not too hot just right for a race.
At the time, I used a Huawei sports watch, which wasn’t the most accurate. It struggled to find GPS signal at the start of the race, so I ended up going out too fast excited by the crowd, the music, the energy of the city. It was my first ever race, and everything was new: the organization, the spectators, the vibe. It was amazing.
Throughout the race, I kept scanning the crowd, trying to spot my family. When I finally saw my wife and kids cheering and waving, it was an emotional moment I’ll never forget. It’s hard to explain how powerful it is to see your loved ones in the middle of such a personal challenge. They weren’t just waving they were there for my dream. It lifted me in a way I didn’t expect.
Up until 30 km, everything went fairly well. But then the tough part began. (That infamous point where your glycogen stores start to run out and your electrolytes drop.) To make matters worse, the course took us through an industrial stretch a narrow service road along the seafront with very few people and no cheering crowds. (Thankfully, this section has since been removed from the course.)
The final 12 km were brutal. I shoved down energy gels like crazy but didn’t drink enough water which I definitely paid for later. I crossed the finish line in 4 hours and 23 minutes, then immediately disappeared into the nearest toilet for about half an hour.
Still, it was an unforgettable experience. Most importantly, it proved something to me:
Nothing is impossible.
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