Today, I completed my first half marathon. 

 

My running journey started because 1- I ended up in a boot for a month all because I rolled my ankle while walking watching my brother run a marathon a year ago and 2- because I had to briefly run for the ferry one time last June and the 30 second run took me a whole 10 minutes to catch my breath. With these two factors in mind, I determined I’d be the first to die in a zombie apocalypse, and I couldn’t get past that. 

 

So, I started a couch-to-5k plan and ran 3 5ks. And somehow, decided the next reasonable step was to run a half marathon… 

 

Soooo, I started a couch-to-half marathon plan. Seems logical, right?

 

When I started running, I was just interested in trying something new. In that journey, I spent more time outside in the winter than I ever have in my life, found a cheap way to exercise, texted my big, Virginia, about numerous different injuries (thank you, my personal PT), complained constantly, and listened to endless Taylor Swift songs. Those last two aren’t new; I would complain and listen to Taylor Swift anyway, but I felt they were important to mention. 

 

On a Thursday night run in early March, I smiled looking at the New York City skyline as the sun set. At that moment, I realized I never had a method of working out that truly made me happy. Every sport and activity when I was younger just felt like another thing to do rather than a form of exercise. And in college, I lifted weights for a while and enjoyed it, but it didn’t give me any real sense of joy; it was kind of just something I thought I had to do to stay in shape.

 

Running now makes me truly happy (WOW!). I can completely zone out and just focus on the sound of my feet, the song I am listening to, my breathing, and my pace. There are so many things to focus on that I am incapable of hearing my thoughts; my mind is just blank. As someone who thinks A LOT, having a blank mind for even a short time is the most relaxing thing possible. Running has become a form of stress relief rather than a source of stress, and that is the first time I’ve ever been able to say that about any type of exercise.

 

So as I ran today, I kept tearing up thinking of the younger me who thought I was bad at running, the high school me who swore my body wasn’t made for that sort of impact, the college me who was wheezing because her boyfriend asked her to run a mile with him less than a month into dating and she couldn't say no, and the post-grad me who struggled to adjust and find a routine that she liked. 

 

I was more prepared for this half-marathon than I’ve been for any exam, paper, dance competition, sports game, or interview in my life. I have never put this much work into anything. After training for the past 6 months, I feel invincible, like the world is at my fingertips. Training has changed not only my approach to exercise but to learning in general. I know what my mind is capable of, and I’m willing to push myself to get there.

 

I also should mention that I had quite a few influential people in my life who encouraged me to pursue this. 

 

1. My brother always told me I was capable, but I always doubted him. His training diligence has always inspired me. He does endless research on proper gear, training methods, food, and other running fuel, and I definitely could not have done this without his help. He also found the initial couch-to-5k plan that was my introduction to running. 
2. My sister’s continuous commitment to her workouts and her drive to succeed have also always been a positive influence on me. She was always willing to talk on the phone during my long runs and kept me running on days I did not want to.
3. My mom started her running journey at the same time as me, and it has been so fun to get to be a newbie at something with her. Taking on something new with a buddy is always nice, but it added another layer to it that it was my mom. We learned from and celebrated each other throughout this whole process. She was also always willing to talk to me during my runs, even though the wind would make it very hard to hear me.
4. I don’t think my dad has ever told me I couldn’t do something. I’m a very self-deprecating person, and he has been trying to get me to shake that bad habit for years. He has believed in me even when I haven’t believed in myself. He was always my coach in various sports and has always pushed me to be better and try harder. Watching how hard he’s worked my entire life has shown me that I can do anything I put my mind to.
5. And I would be remiss if I didn’t mention my grandfather. He started running when he was about 50 and ran through his 80s until he passed. I guess I never thought much of it when I was younger, but starting my running journey has given me an added layer of respect for him. I have no idea how he did this for so long, and it has been great to find a new way to connect with him even though he is no longer here. 

 

And that has been my running journey. We’ll see where it takes me next. 

 

Until I have some Moore thoughts,

Elizabeth

 

P.S.: I still do not plan on doing a marathon ever; that sounds absolutely horrible.