Why Run a Half Marathon?

WHY RUN A HALF MARATHON?

When telling people I’m training for a half marathon I often get mixed responses. Some people are shocked that I would attempt such a distance, surprised that the training is going to be done in 12 weeks but most of all I am met with responses of praise and encouragement. Running a half marathon is something I never thought I would think of doing. If you ask ANYONE that has known me for a period of time they will tell you I absolutely hated running with a passion. Coming from a swimming background the idea of doing cardio outside of water was something that never appealed to me. I remember even trying to run and being so beyond puffed out that I had to stop after 200 metres and walk the rest of the way. Despite my old hatred for the sport I always looked up to and admired anyone who could run. Living in a household with a national sprinter and a Mum who has done numerous 10km and a few 14km races I always wondered what it would be like to be able to run at such a speed or run for a period of time. I can’t exactly remember the moment I decided to start running this year. I guess when the whole word was thrown into mayhem and I was spending a lot more time at home I wanted to pick up a new activity that would pass the time. 2020 for us all has presented itself with multiple challenges but the way I try to look at it is opportunities. We are all spending a lot more time with ourselves and I feel as a result of this sometimes our head can become foggy and we can struggle. For me I quickly realised that running was an escape from the outside world and I could completely shut off. It didn’t matter what was going on in my day I could leave it all at home and run away the troubles. For me though the love of running came from the high I experienced at the end of each run. I have always been someone who thrives off feeling like they have achieved something so each time I ran further or faster I felt elated that I had improved. This feeling continuously pushed and quickly running became apart of my everyday daily routine without me looking at it as a chore. The decision though to run a half marathon is one that came about after wanting to do something to end 2020 on a high. As for most people I had fallen into the trap of believing 2020 was a waste of a year. Being my first year out of high school I was continuously told this year was going to be the year I could travel, experience university life, live in the city on the weekend, have more freedom and be able to discover who I am as a person without the distraction of ATAR or school. Although most of this has been taken away I know I am still capable of making this year positive and one to remember. When looking back on 2020 I don’t want to just see the negatives that it was but also the positives that came with being at home. In order to this I have decided to embark on a challenge that will not only challenge me physically but also mentally. The feeling of achievement at the end though will be something driving me when motivation is lacking or the burn of my muscles start to become too much. In order to make this journey a little bit easier I've been lucky enough to not do this journey alone. My beautiful best friend from university, Jaymee has is coming along with me and together we have set up a 12 week training program that allows us to complete 21km by December 6th. For me this 21km is way to show myself and others that anything is possible. At the completion of the 12 weeks I would have dedicated myself to 4-5 runs a week, 1-2 at home workouts and clean nutrition. 21km for some can seem extreme considering I’m starting from zero but sometimes you need to do something that is a little bit crazy and scares you. Along these next 12 weeks I know I’m going to be met with challenges but I know that if I keep focusing on the end goal I will get there. Why I decided to run a half marathon comes down to the simple idea that I want to look back at 2020 and be proud of the person leaving the year that was behind. I have this vision of me finishing the race with Jaymee and all our favourite people being there for us at the finish line. After more than two hours of continuous running we can celebrate our achievements surrounded by the people who encouraged us. So for the next 11 weeks this blog space will become a diary of my progress and all the different up and downs that come with running this distance.