How to get through a half marathon without hating it

IF YOU want to run a half marathon without hating every step, listen to these wise words. Or don’t, it’s your life.

This is not me. I repeat, this is not me. This is someone MUCH fitter.

OPINION

RECENTLY I ran the Nike’s Women’s Half Marathon, despite four weeks off training due to getting the flu and perforating my ear drum in the lead up.

Not to mention working until 2am the night before the race. I do not recommend that.

Life happens. We work and lead lives where we get sick, and training will never be perfect, just go with it.

The run was hard and painful, but amazing. I will share one story from the run I feel summed it up.

I was at about the 16km mark when I noticed a girl slow down and start walking in front of me shaking her head. Then I noticed two women running behind her stop, go up to her and offer to run with her to the finish line. And they did. They stayed together the entire race ahead of me and crossed the finish line together. I watched them and I saw the beaming smile on the woman who almost stopped as all three hugged.

I am no fitness guru, or even that fit in general, but I found a few things helped get me through the half marathon.

START EASY

Yes, you will have people overtake you, but you will be thankful when you leap over their lifeless body on the last stretch near the finish line. I kept mine at six-minute pace for the first few kilometres.

LISTEN TO PODCASTS

A lot of people love listening to upbeat music but I find my mind wanders when I listen to music, usually questioning the life choices that led me to running voluntarily without being chased. The Podcasts I love that helped me get through the run were Ted Talks, This American Life and The Ted Talk Hour.

DON’T TRAIN YOUR BUTT OFF

You will end up exhausted and hating running before you even get to the starting line. Train at your own pace — you know your body, if you need a few days off take them. Just because you have a friend running 22km in preparation for it (I’m looking at you, Emma) does not mean you have to.

COGNITIVE BEHAVIOURAL THERAPY

I was terrified in the first 4km and I kept asking myself how the hell I was going to do the whole thing.

Then I used cognitive behavioural therapy on myself. CBT helps you to identify unhelpful thoughts and behaviours and learn or relearn healthier ones.

I had been practising it when training. I kept repeating over and over again, “You are strong and you are in control,” and, at the multiple points I wanted to give up, I repeated those words. And believe it or not, it helped more than any extra training would have.

HAVE A COFFEE

I had a coffee at the start of the race and found it perked me up enough to exit my sleepy state and gave me that bit of pep you need to start off on a good note.

That’s it. I’m not going to lie, I was terrified the entire time leading up to it, but you know what? I did it and loved it. I feel like I accomplished something.

You might be thinking, “Come on, lady. It’s just a long run, you didn’t climb Everest.”

But it wasn’t just a run, it was something I had never done, something I feared — and I owned it!

You have your Everest, I have mine.