A Tough Saturday, a Strong Sunday

Beachy Head Half Marathon 2026 Training Block - Week 9/11

This weekend was a tale of two very different runs. Saturday tested my determination, while Sunday gave me a timely confidence boost with Beachy Head Half Marathon getting ever closer.

Saturday: Marshaling parkrun, then a battle with the wind

Saturday morning started with a change from my usual role of running parkrun. Instead, I was volunteering at Lancing Beach Green parkrun, marshalling right at the far end of the course at the turnaround point.

It was a good spot to see everyone come through, and by the end of the morning, 348 parkrunners had been safely marshalled back towards the finish. Another successful parkrun done, and it was nice to give something back to the running community rather than just turning up to run.

After volunteering, I had a Tempo 1200s session planned. I knew this one was going to be tough, particularly as the wind had started to pick up. Running back towards Worthing meant a fairly brisk headwind to contend with, which was less than ideal when the target pace was already close to my 5K personal best pace.

The session was:

• 1.6km warm-up at conversational pace, no faster than 6:05/km
• 3 × 1.2km at 5:05/km, with 400m recovery at 6:20/km after each effort
• 1km cool-down at conversational pace

The combination of the pace and the headwind meant I really had to dig deep to keep things going. By the time I reached the third repetition, it was touch and go whether I'd get it completed. My heart rate was getting close to its maximum, my lungs were burning, and every sensible part of my brain was suggesting that stopping would be a perfectly reasonable option.

Instead, I had to convince myself to keep pushing and get the final rep done.

I got there in the end, but this was certainly not the most enjoyable run. It was one of those sessions where simply completing the workout feels like an achievement in itself.

Sunday: Conquering Cissbury Ring

Sunday brought a very different challenge, and one that felt particularly relevant with Beachy Head Half only a couple of weeks away.

The training plan is now reducing the long-run distance as race day approaches, with 14km on the schedule. Rather than simply ticking off the mileage on familiar, flat roads, I wanted to make the run as relevant to Beachy Head as possible.

The plan was to head up and over Cissbury Ring before looping back towards Worthing via Findon. With around 200 metres of elevation gain and some fairly sharp gradients, it was a good opportunity to practise the sort of climbing I'll need on race day.

There was also a personal challenge to tackle: try to run all the way from the bottom of the hill to the top without stopping.mFrom memory, I don't think I've managed that before.

I focused on keeping my strides short and my breathing controlled, resisting the temptation to attack the climb too aggressively at the bottom. The idea was to find a rhythm I could sustain, rather than burn through all my energy in the first few minutes. And it worked.

I made it all the way to the top without stopping^*, which felt like a significant little victory. Once there, I replenished my fluids before heading back down through Findon and continuing the loop towards home.

^* just one short stoppage on the downhill section to open a gate

The rest of the run seemed to fly by. When I checked my watch with around 3km remaining, I still had plenty left in the tank. After the previous day's battle with the tempo session, it was particularly satisfying to finish a hilly run feeling strong rather than completely spent.