I have discovered the key to surviving a half marathon: Lady Gaga.
No, seriously. I mean, yes, you do need training and carbs and all that stuff, but what all those fancy running websites don't tell you is that your secret weapon should be Lady Gaga.
This past Saturday, April 14, I ran my first half marathon. It was an exhilarating, terrifying, overwhelming experience that culminated in three of the hardest hours of my life. And for the first three miles of the race, I literally listened to nothing but "Born This Way". For miles four and five, I listened to "Telephone" and "Bad Romance". This might be why my iPod broke around mile ten; I kept hitting the back button over and over, almost obsessively.
So here's the thing about half marathons: it's kind of a mindfuck. You might be intimidated by all the badass Ryan Miller wannabes crowding for the front, but those guys aren't really what the race is about. You are what makes these races special--the average, every day runner who does twenty miles a week on a trail and can do a ten-minute mile on a good day. The runner who just prays they'll make it to the finish line without needing to pee. Once I figured this out (literally fifteen minutes before the gun went off, I had this epiphany), I zeroed in on Lady Gaga, and after that I took off and never looked back (and literally, I never look back--I don't need to see who's behind me, because it doesn't matter, not until you pass that finish line).
It's a rush, it's a trip, it's something that you can't possibly wrap your brain around until you finally see the light at the end of the aching, exhausting, Gatorade-fueled tunnel. Why do crazy people put themselves through the process of running 13.1 miles, or God-willing, 26.2? Because recreational drugs are illegal. And also, because we love putting our bodies to the test and seeing it pass with flying colors. Pain is the proof and reward for hard work.
Well, that, and the kick-ass finisher's medal.
Congrats on your 13.1 miles!
ReplyDeleteI have always wanted to run but I always say I can't because within 30 seconds I'm already dead. How would you recommend I start? I already have the gym membership (yay! where I live there really isn't good places for outdoor exercises, at least not for a beginner).
Thank you!
DeleteStart off slow and don't try to do too much at once. Do ten seconds of jogging and then 45 seconds of walking, and just start gradually building up from there, until you can jog at a comfortable pace for a minute. Have good tunes. Don't stress!
Thank you for replying!
DeleteI did it, picked my butt up and went to the gym. I did a lot of searching online and decided to go with 2 min run (well, jog), 3 walk for 6 rounds. Surprisingly I did it! I almost gave up during the 4th round, but I kept on. It felt really good afterwards.
If you don't mind me asking, what kind of a difference you saw in your body after you started? I need to lose 15 lbs and nothing has worked so far, I'm counting on this. My goal is to look "fit".
Awesome! That's great process, seriously.
DeleteHonestly, one of the first places I noticed a difference was in my arms. They got a little more definition, and I definitely think my legs got more toned. But don't expect to see immediate results, weight-wise; for me, I concentrate more on how much stronger I'm getting, how much easier the hills get, how much farther I can go without walking, how much better my 5k time gets. The body image stuff comes second. :)
Congratulations!
ReplyDeleteI've just started training for a 10k, and hope to do the half marathon next year (or maybe even a full at the end of next year, we'll see). It's fun but exhausting and I'm really lost when it comes to nutrition, in terms of how MUCH I should be eating - I know how to eat right, just have no idea what it takes to keep myself going and train. (I have Crohn's so can't rely on hunger cues.)
And it's going to rain tomorrow, so it's onto the treadmill for me! :<
Anyway, just wanted to pop by here and say congratulations -- that's such a fantastic achievement!
Thank you! And yes, eating right is really super tough; I'm still trying to get myself to have a proper nutritional regiment. But the key I've found so far is to carb load before a big run, and to ALWAYS keep hydrated. Doing a giant card load two days before my half totally saved my life!
Delete