Suche
Training for a Half Marathon: Me? I thought I hated running
I've always hated running - even as a competitive volleyball player, I was afraid of it. I often had to hit the track during practice and within a few laps I was cursing my tired legs and out of breath lungs. When I started my PR job two years ago and found myself in an office full of runners, I immediately informed them that I wouldn't jog or run with them after work. They left me alone until our employer organized a 5K run (Find the 10 things you need to know before your first 5K run.). I had my usual excuses - I...
Training for a Half Marathon: Me? I thought I hated running
I've always hated running - even as a competitive volleyball player, I was afraid of it. I often had to hit the track during practice and within a few laps I was cursing my tired legs and out of breath lungs. When I started my PR job two years ago and found myself in an office full of runners, I immediately informed them that I wouldn't jog or run with them after work.
They left me alone until our employer organized a 5K run (Find the 10 things you need to know before your first 5K run.). I had my usual excuses - I'm too slow, I'm holding you back - but this time my colleagues didn't let me off the hook. “It’s not like we’re training for a half marathon!” They told me. So I reluctantly agreed to attend with them. I went into that first race with a sort of defeated attitude. I had tried running before but just couldn't, so at the end of the first mile, when my legs were cramping and my lungs were burning, I gave in a little mentally. I had an "I knew I couldn't do this" moment and was extremely frustrated with myself. But the colleague running next to me said that while we could slow down, we wouldn't stop. And amazingly, I was able to keep going. When I finished all 3.2 miles I couldn't believe how good I felt. I was so happy I didn't stop!
I started doing a 3-mile loop around our offices with my colleagues once or twice a week. I started to enjoy running with friends and colleagues; It made my workouts more of a social thing rather than “I have to exercise.” A colleague told us that she was training for a half marathon. The next thing I knew we were all signed up. I was beyond nervous—I hadn't run more than 4 miles before, let alone 13.1—but I'd been pounding the pavement with these women for a while and was confident that if they were training for a half marathon, I could do it too.
As a beginner, I was initially intimidated about training for a 13.1-mile race, but my colleagues and I joined a half marathon training group that met every Saturday. It took the guesswork out of preparing for the race. You have a standard training plan; all I had to do was commit to following what I loved. Training with more experienced runners also taught me how to maintain my pace.
I vividly remember the day we covered 7 miles. I felt strong the whole way and when it was over I could have continued. That was a turning point for me. I thought: I can really do this, I'm training for a half marathon and it won't kill me. The race took place on June 13, 2009, and although I was excited and knew I had trained properly, I was nervous about waiting with the 5,000 other runners. The gun went off and I thought: Okay, nothing is going on here. The miles seemed to fly by, which I know sounds crazy but it's true. I actually finished a lot quicker than I thought - I made it to the finish line in 2 hours and 9 minutes. My legs were like jelly, but I was more than proud of myself. Since then, I have identified myself as a runner. I'm actually training for another race this month. I'm proof that with the right support system, you can go to distances you never thought possible.
Similar posts
*Step-by-step half marathon training plan
*Marathon Running Tips: Improve Your Training
*Top 10 ways to keep your running and motivation strong