If you asked me before July, if I wanted to run a half, I would've, without a single ounce of hesitation, been like "no 😒". Not only did it seem super out of reach, even if I could, why would I voluntarily make myself suffer... ?
For many years, I played soccer, as a forward, then later a midfielder. Even though I knew having good stamina was super important to being a good soccer player, I always dreaded the cardio sessions, and only did as much as I needed to do to stay fit.
In the past few years, after I stopped playing soccer competitively, I started running as a means to exercise. It was an efficient way to get exercise, as I could run anywhere and it didn't take up too much time. I would run once or twice a week, either outside or on the treadmill (when the Canadian winters hit). While I didn't hate running, it still wasn't something I felt like I really enjoyed.
When I started university, having friends that really enjoyed running helped me stick with the sport. I also found that I enjoyed running more when I got to explore new routes or run with friends, which gave me motivation to gradually improve.
This past summer, I decided I wanted to run 10k for the first time. I had been consistently running 3-5k one or two times every week, but in my head, doubling the distance still seemed a little daunting to me. To make sure the 10k would happen, I marked a date in my calendar for the run and planned out a route I would follow. No matter rain or shine, I would have to run 10 kilometers that day, even if it was at a slow pace.
On a sunny Saturday morning in July, I ran along the Laurel trail in Waterloo, running 5k both ways. When I finished the run after about an hour, it definitely felt easier than what my brain had imagined all this time, giving me a rush of confidence. However, at this point, I didn't have any motivation or reason to push for farther distances, since I wasn't planning to train for a half. I was happy to fall back into my weekly routine of 3-5k runs.
It wasn't until I saw a friend who recently started running drop a 16k run on her Strava that made me think, hmm if she can run a 16k why can't I? (If you know me in real life, you'll know that I'm a pretty competitive person.)
Having discovered the Martin Goodman trail in Toronto, and with plenty of time in hand after my work days, I decided I would try running a 16k too. Taking a super relaxed pace and plenty of stops to admire the Toronto skyline, I ran 16 kilometers over 2 hours. It was a fun and relaxing way to explore a lot of new spots in Toronto that I otherwise wouldn't have been to. It was also the first time I thought to myself: hmmm, maybe a half isn't so out of reach after all.
Enjoy these pictures I took on my run :)
At this point, there were just a few more weeks left in the summer term, and I would soon be moving away from Toronto. I knew that at the end of August, I would be travelling, and moving out of the country for an exchange term. I probably wouldn't be running for a while and would drop in fitness. In other words, if I wanted to run a half any time within the next months, the next few weeks would be the best time to try.
So, I decided to mark a Tuesday evening on my calendar that I knew I would be free, and told a few friends that I would be running a half. There would be no going back, and at the very least, I would have to give my very best attempt.
During the few weeks between my 16k and 21k, I didn't really do anything extra to train for the half, and I just went on my two runs of the week as usual.
Soon, it was the day that I marked on my calendar for the half. Starting on the same trail as where I ran my 16k, I began to take slow steps. However, about a 1 km in, I realized this run didn't quite feel the same as last time. The temperature was definitely warmer than last time, and I could feel sweat dripping down my face unlike last time.
Gradually, I realized I was facing problems I didn't foresee ahead of this run. 1. I had to run in warmer weather, which made the run more difficult, 2. I didn't make many sightseeing stops this time around, which I forgot to account for when estimating the difficulty of the run, 3. As I ran farther down the trail, there weren't any water fountains, which meant I was pretty dehydrated in the middle stretches of the run, which wasn't the case when I ran my 16k. All of these factors combined made the run more difficult than I would've anticipated coming off the 16k.
During the run, there were many segments where it was boring or difficult, and I really had to push through to keep going. As I hit the 16k mark, I definitely felt a lot more exhausted than I was last time. A few times during the run, I almost felt like I wouldn't have completed the run, if I didn't already tell others that I was aiming for 21k.
But after a little less than 3 hours, I finally did it! I hit 21k, a number that always seemed so daunting to me. This 21k was probably the hardest long run of my life up to this point.
Through this experience, I don't think I can look at running ever the same way again. After running a half, it made me realize, sometimes it was just my mindset holding me back. If I had believed in myself earlier, then I probably could've ran the 10k, or even a half, earlier than I did.
All this being said, this definitely won't be my last time running a half! Catch me at the Toronto half marathon in May :)