It only took seven years

I arrived in Brighton having only run 10 miles that week and 3 miles in the previous 3 weeks due to my twisted ankle. I had sort of been given the all clear by the Physio. I had done the runs she had suggested and then had all gone well without and pain during or after. Then I tried a fast run on Saturday which also went OK so I gave myself the green light.

The plan was to run Brighton but only gently. Just get round, get the thirteen miles in my legs and test the ankle at the next level. Trouble was, running with my brother has many benefits but some drawbacks, some of which was the same. Namely competitiveness.

So it was on the start line that I thought I'd just run the first few miles with Phil. I thought that with the combination of my ankle, my 3 weeks out and a slight cough/cold I had, there was no way to run the 1:47 my brother was after but I'd do a few at 8 minute miles. The first three were 7:49, 7:47 and 7:45 which were fast. My heart rate was high and it felt hard. I stuck with it and it did get easier. The next three were 7:46, 7:44 and 7:29; pretty consistent.

What to do? Risk my ankle flaring up on me to get a good time or pull back and wonder what could have been? I knew 8 minute miles was a 1:45 time so I was under that. Four more miles and I'd reassess. 7:23 (oohh), 7:38 (good), 7:48 (on track) and 7:43 (blimey, that hurt).

The last mile was really tough. By the end of it I told my brother to go on as I could see he was starting to pull away. I didn't want him feeling he hadn't given his all due to me. Mentally, this allowed me to take my foot off the gas and I did an 8:35.

I was cross. I couldn't let this slip. I told myself that I had to endure 17 minutes of pain and made myself go faster. Mile 11 was 7:52. A PB was mine but by how much. I wanted to go faster to finish with a sprint but couldn't; my legs had nothing. 8:18 for mile 13 and the finish in sight. I lumbered towards the end and the last 0.1 mile in 1:05.

A PB and a good one. My previous PB was set on the 3rd August 2003 in Battersea Park. A run organised by the shop Run and Become; several laps of the park designed to be flat and fast. I had given it all and just failed to get under 1:45 but was delighted at the time. I'd run 21 half marathons since and the closest I had got was a 1:47 at Tunbridge Wells.

I could not have been happier with 1:42:40, over 3 minutes quicker than my previous PB. My brother got 1:40:18 which was incredible for his first ever half marathon (but he now has to do another to get under 1:40. Its going to bug him).