I’m Training for my First Half-Marathon: Part 2

Less than two weeks to go… 

I’ve hit a wall with running, not the one they talk about on TV where you a half way through a race and you break through the invisible bricks in a blaze of glory. No, over the last two weeks I have forgotten why I ever wanted to run a half marathon in the first place. While I continue trying to keep positive and remember that it will all be worth it (hopefully) when I cross the finish line, I wanted to learn some things I’ve learnt about myself and running over the last three months of training:

-        Your feet won’t look pretty – I’m going to get the grossest one out of the way. Maybe feet are already disgusting but constantly slamming your feet on the floor at high speed will just make them worse, who would have guessed? To date I am one toenail down but ask me again in two weeks and I may be another one lighter. Sandal weather is going to be interesting.

-       Another thing for the to-do list – The thing people always tell you about exercise is that it is a great stress reliever, and it’s true, the rush of endorphins and time to think are great for mental health. When I signed up for the half-marathon I thought, ‘great I can run away the stress of, dissertation, job applications, assignments, impending adulthood…’ but what I’ve discovered recently is how time-consuming training is. Running no longer fits in with the rest of my life meaning I have to schedule it in which has been a challenge recently with so many other things going on. I now treat a run like the last thing on my to-do list and after I can relax and let the exhaustion take hold. There is nothing better than a post-run nights sleep.

-        I have poor will-power – I admit it, I have weak will-power when It comes to exercising. Recently my calves have felt strained and it’s made running painful at times. Then my weak will power comes in as I walk for short intervals and feel defeated even after covering nine miles. As much as I tell myself how much I can do it and that I’ll feel great when it’s over – my head is also willing me to stop. I now hope that the atmosphere and crowd of the race will keep my legs moving and my weak-willed-self running.

-       When am I going to feel fit?! There is something strange about exercising a lot more than ever while feeling tired and aching on the daily. My expectations of leaping out of bed everyday with killer abs and physique to match have been severely unfulfilled. On the bright side my leg muscles feel firm and I feel healthier overall, needing to do regular exercise has massively upped my water uptake and I’m trying to be conscious of what I eat before a run. Once I’ve finished running training I’d really like to focus more attention on building up upper-body strength and flexibility.

You’ll hear from me again after I’ve passed that blessed 13.1 mile mark. The final countdown (d-d-doo-doo) is now on, wish me luck!