my first half marathon

the one where I will never forget [71]:

After two years of setting out a goal of completing a half marathon, I crossed the finish line at the Austin Half Marathon last Sunday, which arguably is one of the best half races in the US. The path was beautiful and the energy was electric.

Here are some of the takeaways from my experience:

best half ever!!

1. Practice is queen

I have seen people complete a 10K or even a half without adequate training. I can never do something like that because I would either injure myself or feel tempted to walk the whole thing. My half marathon training took 12 weeks (+- 2 because I had COVID). I ran twice a week as it worked with my schedule and fitness level.

The first six weeks of the training were difficult and discouraging. I was huffing and puffing most runs because my cardio strength was not where it needed to be. From the seventh week onwards, I started enjoying my runs and missed running on my rest/gym days. This transformation in how I feel towards running gave me an (maybe obvious) insight into what beginner’s training is like. I avoid the work because the beginning makes me feel inferior and increasing the difficulty feels more like torture rather than a challenge

2. Focus to get things done quickly

I had a two-year-old sticky note above my floor mirror that said “Run a half marathon in 2023”. I wrote that down in early 2022. I kept pushing it back, refunding my June 2023 race in Seattle because I couldn’t train enough in the Texas summer. It wasn’t until November 2023 that I learned about the Runna app, which helped create a realistic, easy-to-visualize running plan. At this point, I could see how I was going to tackle this race. I followed the plan for twelve weeks and thanks to a fellow runner friend who pushed me to sign up last minute for the Austin Half Marathon, I was able to make it. It was a last minute $200 but I’d do it all over again.

From November 2023 - February 2024, it took me ~3.5 months to put on my shoes and train consistently to get to 13.1 miles. If I had taken this race seriously in 2022, I would have finished it two years ago. I am constantly in awe of the results human beings can pull off if we are truly focused.

runners dominated downtown Austin

3. Surround yourself with the right people

I started running from a college running class where I met a passionate instructor with whom I still keep in touch. Then I met friends who ran and gave me advice/insights on racing and training. I ran multiple times with a friend in Austin when I was training for my half. Terrell from

The Half Marathoner

has a great community and writings that inspired me to run a half when the longest distance I have run is 10K. I also have to give a big thanks to my boyfriend who drove me to my frequented running trail. Without these people - their generosity and knowledge, I wouldn’t have been able to complete this.

I remember reading

Sarah Wood

essay on surrounding yourself with people who you want to be more like. If you want to write more, surround yourself with diligent writers. If you want to run more, surround yourself with runners. This works, priming your environment for a desired habit.

4. Reminder to have fun

My goal with finishing the first half was to finish without injuries and ideally without stopping to walk. I ended up hitting my pace goal of sub 10:30 mins which was awesome for a novice runner like me. More importantly, this was the most enjoyable race I had participated in. The path was gorgeous winding through the landmarks of Austin - South Congress, S 1st Street, close to Colorado River where Mozart’s Cafe is, and eventually finishing up at the State Capitol. I have never seen Austin in that light (the major roads are blocked off for the race) and it was a joy seeing thousands of people coming out to cheer and put up the most hilarious signs. The weather was chilly but perfect for running without profusely sweating. The energy was palpable. I couldn’t ask for more.

My advice for anyone running their first race with a new distance is to enjoy it fully and be present. Throw out any pace or time goal. Slow down if you need to, you will always PR on your first race :)

Me around mile 6 or so

5. Less distraction, more reflection

At the beginning of my running practice, I listened to music on my runs religiously. I deemed people who run without music psycho (I am sorry, I have to retract my words). I needed that stimulation, and distraction from the pain and the shortness of breath that I felt. I wanted to be anywhere but where I was.

To my surprise, as I ran longer distances, I came to love listening to podcasts and sometimes, nothing at all. I paid attention to my body, the path I was on, and the scenery around me. Running becomes a relaxing and grounding exercise, also a rare opportunity to be away from doom-scrolling these days.

Let me know if you ran a race recently or achieved a new milestone you have long set out to, I’d love to know!

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