I will share here my extraordinary experience when I took my heart in my teeth and ran for the first time in my life at a half marathon.
I'm writing this story of running my first half-marathon for all those like me who said they can't run ... that they can't ... that it's too much.
I have always wanted to do something for myself, something that would prove to me that I could exceed my limits.
I was never a sports person, nor a filiform, and sometimes I even found reasons to miss sports classes when I was a student.
After I finished school, my only sports activities were aerobics or zumba classes from time to time, when I decided to get a gym subscription to lose a few more pounds.
About 3 times I took an annual subscription to the gym and for the same number of times I gave up after a few months ...
I had never run a long distance, and the last time I ran I think it was only when I wanted to catch the bus.
So, at the age of 47, when I felt fatter (I weighed about 78 kg at 1.73m at the time), more depressed and more demotivated (I had some big problems in the family), a corporate "challenge" was launched at the company where I was working in IT domain at that time. The challenge was to enroll myself into a training program with professional running trainers, who in 4 months trained those like me, who had never participated in a marathon, so that in the end to participate in the annual marathon competition in Bucharest. Here's how corporations are good at something :). I have had colleagues who participated annually in various sports competitions and in the 2 running events sponsored by the company.
The announcement had passed without touching me with anything;), but it had just happens that a colleague already a veteran participant in such events, has passing by me when the email with the announcement was in front of my eyes... He threw me a simple question ... "Listen? How about you participate too?" I widened my eyes and looked at him to see if he was joking with me - he was really a joking guy. But he seemed to be serious. He said: "What do you have to lose? You sign up for the training program and see along the way how you like it, how you feel, how you are doing."
I stayed for a few days and thought about whether or not to sign up, and in the end I made the decision and signed up! WOW !!! Here I took the first step in from the next tens of kilometers!
I won't tell you how it was my first run at the group training! After the first 30 steps I thought I was dying, that I was going to fall off my feet! My bones ached (tibia, fibula, soles, I don't even know what they were ...), I couldn't breathe, I was sweating instantly ... It was HORRIBLE! And yet ... It was my first workout and I had to finish it. Everyone else ran as light as flakes ... There was only one girl like me, little bit fatty, middle-aged, who was barely running, but who was always in front of me 2-3 steps away ...
I think it all started with that first training and with the support of one of the 3 trainers, who ran next to me all 3 km of the first training. God, few weeks later , I realized how much patience that man have had "running" with me, how much he supported and encouraged me! I could see that he was struggling to take small steps to stand by me, and he was a professional runner, participating in I don't know how many competitions! ... I thank him from the bottom of my heart for everything he did for me that day and on throughout the 4 months of preparation! He and all the other colleagues in the group. Because one by one there was someone sitting and running next to me when I had a little more and I fainted ...
And because the UNIVERSE works and is with you when you want something, that's exactly when Rich Roll "Ultra man" book appeared.
What can I tell you! I devoured the book, and after each page I was even more determined to train and finish what I started.
And so, training after training for 4 months, with training 3 times a week, I ended up covering 3, 5, 8, 10, 12, 16, 18 km, so that in the end to register and run at the competition 21 km (and something) that is a half-marathon!
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I don't want to bore you too much with my story... But you should know that such an experience is worth every minute, with all its moments: waking up in the morning and running starting at dawn of the day, running at night, when I had coming tired from work and barely I was crawling down ... and yet I have found the last resources, and then I was running to the light of the bulbs only me, and myself and my own thougths.
And the emotion and happiness experienced on the day of the competition make you feel so alive and happy!
Don't think that I ended up to become one of performance runners;) I ended my race in the official time of 3 hours allocated for the half-marathon, I mean I still had about 10 minutes until the end of the official allocated time, but it was enough to receive my medal and to be included on the official list of participants who finished the race in time. My husband was waiting for me on arrival and I could see the people on the edge cheering us on! It's hard to describe all the feeling of accomplishment that you did something for yourself, of satisfaction when you eat something good and receive congratulations that you're done, the inner peace when you get home and you fall tired into your bed!
In the end, if you do not have major health problems with your feet, knees, heart, it is worth trying at least once in your life.
My advice is to do it as much as possible under the guidance of a coach or with a group of experienced people who can encourage and support you.
There are facebook groups and sites where you can sign up and you will see that you will not be alone.