I could barely run 3 miles on Jan 1st this year. And this month, I ran 13.1 in a half marathon. It’s crazy the difference 4 months of consistency can make. This was maybe the hardest thing I’ve ever done in my life. Physically of course, but mentally too. The last few miles felt like forever and I had to reach for every ounce of determination that I possessed in order to make it through.
I’m not a naturally athletic person, so the 4 month journey felt kind of transformative to me. I wasn’t going for time, just distance and completion. Endurance. I didn’t want to stop when running (and I didn’t!). This meant every time I was able to run an additional mile, it felt like a victory. Something I’d never done before. An accomplishment. It also meant I was able to be very forgiving when I couldn’t finish a distance I’d planned. Too tired to finish 9 miles? No biggie — 6 miles is still more than I could do before.
My next goal is to run faster. The half marathon motivated me to start running consistently, but I’m pretty slow. I’d like to improve my mile time. I think I’m going to sign up for a 5k next to help motivate myself. Though the thought of running during the summer when it’s muggy… well, we’ll see. But if there’s anything I’ve learned from the last 4 months, it’s that I can accomplish anything I want to.
