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If A Dream Scares You, Go and Do It Fast
Lessons from running a half-marathon in 7 weeks
Around the 11th mile, I hated it all. I was completely exhausted and for no apparent reason, I started sobbing. I had to slow down to the point of walking until I could pull myself together and could continue the run. I still had two more miles to go to finish the half-marathon distance I decided to complete.
It took everything in me to start running again when I didn’t even feel strong enough to walk or crawl. I just wanted to lie down, or go home, or even better, I wanted to magic myself home in a split second. Of course, I couldn’t do that. And besides, quitting wasn’t an option. Not really.
I have no recollection of the last two miles, I had one single thought on my mind: the feeling I will feel when it’s done. The image of me having just run a half-marathon. The image of me, the runner. I clang to that image.
Seven weeks before this moment my friend who is an ultra-marathonist convinced me to go on a short run with her. I agreed to go, but rather out of curiosity than anything else, to see whether I can do it. I haven’t run in forever — but I spent my last 18 months with a lot of exercising and lifestyle change. It wasn’t insignificant either that I lost 70+ lbs that allowed me to start running again after 15 years…
