I have been seriously running for about a year and a half. In the beginning I was happy to stick to nothing more than a half and dreamt about the day I might run a full marathon. It wasn't until one snowy winter night when a good friend asked me, "Why not?" He then offered to run a full with me, and since I easily give into peer pressure, I said yes. Eighty dollars and 18 weeks of training later I crossed the finish line. Here's what I learned.

1. People are crazy.

I already knew this from my half marathon experiences, but I still cannot explain why anyone (including myself) would want to run 26.2 miles...at once. People are crazy but, we get to choose the crazies we surround ourselves with! So stop looking for someone who's "not crazy" because they are not real, just choose the crazy you can live with.

2. Whatever pain you are in WILL subside.

Life, like running, is painful. From the moment the gun went off until the end of the race I was in pain. But then I crossed the finish line and was filled with so much joy and pride that I didn't think about how much pain I was feeling. No matter what adversity you are facing right now whether it be a break up, the passing of a loved one, or just the stress of classes and work, it will not last forever.

3. Listen to other people's stories.

I usually run alone and listen to my trap music but since I was running with a friend I did not. This provided a unique opportunity to actually talk to the other crazies I was running with, and I learned A LOT. I chatted with a mom of 6, a man who decided he didn't want to be fat anymore and started competing in Iron Man races, a woman who had been running for 10 years and kept telling herself she would quit but never did. Everyone you meet on a daily basis has a story to tell, and if you listen you might just learn something.

4. Be prepared.

I was not prepared for this race. I got to the starting line twenty minutes before the gun went off and did not bring a proper breakfast. When the race started I had not stretched or warmed up and had a stomach ache from eating a bunch of sugar for breakfast. Basically I could have avoided half the pain I was in had I been prepared. Whatever you are doing and wherever you are going in life BE PREPARED! You and everyone around you will appreciate it.

5. Stop Complaining So Much.

I will admit it, I complained a lot. I annoyed myself from complaining so I feel really bad for the friend I ran with. People hate complainers so just stop. I promise whatever you are complaining about is either not that bad, or you did it to yourself and have no right to whine about it.

6. Stop doubting yourself.

The entire 18 weeks of training I was unsure if I would be able to go the distance. It wasn't until I did a 20 mile training run that I realized I could, and then I felt silly for spending so much time doubting my abilities. Nike said it best "Just Do It", stop doubting yourself and go be awesome!

7. Take care of yourself

Taking care of your mental and physical health is so important. It doesn't matter if your marathons are on the road or on Netflix, take care of you! Over the 18 weeks leading up to my race I learned that in order to not get hurt I needed rest and the help of my doctors. Trust me when I say that I would much rather ignore a problem than go into the doctor's office and be told I'm injured or sick, but that leads to so many more issues. If something's wrong don't ignore it. You are valuable and should treat yourself accordingly.

8. Keep moving forward

At mile 22 I realized that if I stopped or walked I might not be able to start running again. I had to keep moving forward. I think that life is like this too, if we stop when things get tough we may never be able to get past our current struggle. "Just keep swimming."-Dory

Thanks for reading and I hope you all find something that challenges you and makes you realize just how awesome you are!