On Sunday (September 27) more than 4,000 people took to the streets of west London to race in the annual Ealing Half Marathon.
The sun was shining, and thousands of locals and volunteers came out to cheer on the participants and hand out water and sweets.
Runners jogged the 13.1-mile route covering Lammas Park, Central Ealing, Montpelier, Pitshanger, West Ealing, Hanwell and St Stephen's.
And included in the mass of runners was me, getwestlondon's What's On writer.
The Ealing Half Marathon was my first ever half marathon and, as well as learning that my legs can feel pain that I never imagined before, I did learn some important lessons from the experience.
So here are the 13 things I learned from the Ealing Half Marathon (one lesson for each mile!)
Everyone will look far more professional than you on your first half marathon
As I arrived the seasoned and experience runners were gracefully stretching in their lycra... While I was wearing a large t-shirt. Cue: 'What on Earth was I thinking?!' brain.
The 10 minutes before we started was probably the most nervous I have ever been
The girl next to me said: "Enjoy the last few minutes of not being exhausted!"
She was not wrong.
Whoever said 'the first mile is the hardest' was 100% wrong.
I 'hit the wall' on a huge scale at mile seven, when my legs were on fire and I realised I had an entire SIX MILES to still get through... The first mile was a breeze in comparison!
The people of Ealing and the surrounding areas are incredibly sweet and supportive
I couldn't believe how lovely the atmosphere was; children handing out Haribo and giving high fives, as well as people blaring music from their houses and shouting encouragement - it was all really inspiring.
Around mile six, when runners were given slices of orange by a church congregation, was when I understood why the Ealing Half Marathon had been voted the best.
West London has more hills than I realised!
Nothing is more crushing than the feeling of seeing a huge hill right before you that you have to run up...
You may get drenched (even when it's sunny!)
Lovely people along the route were handing out paper cups full of water for the runners... But taking a sip while on the move can be tricky! I lifted the cup to my mouth and ended up pouring the entire thing in my face. Oops.
A brilliant running playlist is the most powerful tool
While running up a giant hill, with painful ankles and a heavy heart, Still Into You by Paramore came on, and I was immediately lifted - a good playlist is a miracle cure for when you've hit the wall!
Energy gel is the worst tasting thing on this planet
Seriously. What is that texture?
Finding the perfect 'running buddy' is a really good moment
Jogging next to someone at the exact same pace for a while is really motivating... If they don't stop then you can't stop!
Whoever came dressed up in a rhino costume is incredibly impressive (or stupid!)
I was struggling just in a t-shirt, so this person gets major respect!
Trying to get your water out of your pocket while jogging is an art
Must. Not. Drop. Everything.
The number one rule for getting through a half marathon: pace yourself
I ran sooooo slowly at the start that I could feel people smirking at me, but by the end I still had enough energy to finish having jogged the whole course, something that I never imagined that I could do!
However far you've come, you'll always have enough energy to sprint through the finish line!
What an amazing feeling to sprint to the spot where you can finally have a rest!
And as the race was 13.1-miles, and not just 13, my last 0.1 of a lesson would be that you should sign up!
The Ealing Half Marathon may have been painful, but it was brilliantly fun and completely worth it, so sign up today to run the 2016 race here!
Did you miss out on seeing the action on the day? Check out our photo gallery!
