For most runners, training and completing a half marathon is a significant challenge and accomplishment. Not only is a half marathon a great way to test your running endurance, but the 13.1 mile long event requires an extensive amount of training. Throughout these eight weeks, runners aim to prevent any kind of injury and run upwards of 27 miles per week.
While one would hope that this kind of intensive training would sufficiently prepare you for a half marathon, there are so many thoughts and emotions each runner has on race day when its time to put all your hard work to the test...
1. You wake up at 4 a.m. to eat some rice cakes and drink coffee to get you going for your 6 a.m. start time. Yum.
2. As you wait to digest the blandest breakfast in your life, the first rounds of nerves start to kick in as you question why you are up at this hour.
3. At 5 a.m. you put your previously picked out running outfit on (you know its a good one because you are obviously going to Instagram post run) and hope you don’t have any wardrobe malfunctions during the run.
4. Thirty minutes prior to start time you walk on over to the race and realize that you were subconsciously deep breathing the entire time trying to calm your rising nerves.
5. Once you are positioned according to your wave you look around comparing yourself to the other runners.
6. You notice people that must be upwards of 75 years old and question how they are going to do this.
7. Then you notice people not wearing any sneakers and question if they are crazy.
8. You’ve got five minutes to race time and you make sure your playlist is good to go. You obviously turn on your best pump up song that gets you fist pumping like Pauly D.
9. BOOM. The gun goes off and before you know it your legs are moving and you are off.
10. The first two and a half miles go by smoothly and you are feeling confident that you got this race in the bag. Who said running 13 miles was hard?
11. The first water station is coming up on your right and you struggle to grab a cup of water without stopping and accidentally knock several cups out of people’s hand on.
12. After looking like an amateur grabbing the cup you also fail to get anything more than half the cup of water in your mouth. Nice.
13. At mile three your favorite running song comes on and you are feeling like fire. Not only is your playlist on point but your mile times thus far are on fleek.
14. Mile four through five are the first hard miles to run; you’re still waiting for the runner’s high to kick in and realize that you still have eight miles left to go…shit.
15. People are on the side of the street holding signs saying “Yes you are crazy, Yes you are in pain, and Yes you paid for it” and you are nodding in agreement.
16. Finally here it comes: your runners high comes in and you don’t even realize what’s happening during the next two miles.
17. You pass the sign for mile nine and start feeling the heat hit your face and realize that your legs feel like two-hundred pound weights. Crap, you were hoping you wouldn’t feel this tired.
18. The only repeated question you are asking yourself is ‘WHY AM I DOING THIS?”
19. You get to the next water station and in an exhausting fashion slam into five people during the merge to the table.
20. Mile 11 is in reach and you look at your phone realizing that you are running WAY slower than you thought you were.
21. You give yourself a quick pep up talking…You can do this. You are beautiful. You are Beyonce.
22. Mile 12 you start passing runners who are walking, but you are no quitter and will finish this race even if its the last thing you do.
23. All of the sudden you have half a mile left and before you know it you are SPRINTING.
24. You feel like you are in the Olympics as you run the last 200 feet with crowds of people cheering you on.
26. You pass through that finishing line like its your job and just won gold for the USA.
27. After reuniting with your friends, family and fans you down a gallon of water as you sit down for the first time in nearly two hours.
28. As you return to your hotel/car your feet are sore from running so much, but hey, YOU DID IT.
