I started running competitively just over a year ago. It started out as an outlet for stress that I had built up during the day. After the boys were in bed, I would head out for my training run. Being a full-time work from home mom with two kids at home is insane. It’s like trying to work in the center ring of a circus. I realized that I needed time to myself where I could focus on me…just me. For my sanity, and my ability to parent, I needed that time.
I had never really run any sort of distance before. As a teen, I was told that my knees couldn’t handle running. I heard it from multiple doctors, from physical therapists, but all these years I have been doing intense cardio workouts and weightlifting with no issues. I told myself that I would give it a shot and I went out on that first run with no expectations, and I ran the whole 1.5 miles prescribed by my training plan. No knee pain. So, I kept at it…I kept training.
I ran my first 5K in April of 2017, it was hard. But I felt accomplished. So, I kept training. Then, after my 3rd 5K someone asked me “So, you’ve done the 5K thing, what’s next?” And that’s just it. I had gotten comfortable in that space. And while I was getting faster with each run, I wasn’t really challenging myself. I saw the amazing women in my coaching group killing their half marathons, running marathons, qualifying for Boston. They inspired me to push myself. So, I did. That same day, I signed up for my first half marathon which just happened to be the same event in which I ran my very first 5K. It felt like a really amazing way to come full-circle. I ran the half at the same pace that I ran that very first 5K. And I felt good, really good. I felt like my training really paid off.
The next day, I signed up for the OKC Memorial Marathon. I thought that if I could complete a half comfortably, why not take it all the way?! What the hell was I thinking? Doubt started creeping in, and it never really went away. For those that know me, this is not really in character for me. I generally have enough ego and self-assuredness to go around. A couple weeks after my half, I had a really awful training run. The weather was terrible, it was cold and windy, and I was really just not feeling it. My muscles never really seemed to get warmed up. I struggled through every single mile. More doubt. The “what ifs” started in. What if I have a day like this on race day? What if I can’t even finish the whole race? So I fell back on my team for support, all of those ladies that inspired me to start this journey to begin with and they kept me going, they lifted me up when I was down. I still had that doubt, but their faith in me made me get back out onto the pavement. And my next training run was amazing. I ran for 20 miles at my goal pace. It was just a reminder that we have to get uncomfortable to be comfortable.
I didn’t really know what to expect on race day. That terrible training run was still hanging around in the back of my mind, but I knew that I would finish the race…even if I had to drag myself across that finish line on my belly. My first 20, or so, miles were comfortable, my pace was good. Then, I got a cramp in my calf that I could not get to go away. I walked through a water stop at mile 22…or 24, I can’t even remember now. It was then that realized how bad everything hurt. I’m pretty sure that my brain finally caught on to what was going on because it was 100% telling me to stop. But I forced myself to go on. Those last few miles might possibly have been the worst experience that I’ve ever had. I can safely say that I will never run a marathon again, but that doesn’t mean that I won’t encourage others to take on the challenge. Did you know that less than a half of a percent of the population has completed a marathon? That’s a pretty amazing statistic. And even though the last hour was really unenjoyable, I am glad that I did it. I’m glad that I didn’t let myself get comfortable and that I pushed myself to the very edge of what my body is capable of.
So, here is my advice to anyone wanting to get into running.
1. Have a support system
2. Expect to have bad days
3. Don’t stop until you’ve reached goal, even if that goal is past where you think you are capable of going.