Running a marathon has been on my bucket list for a long time. This summer, I finally checked it off!
I ended up running it solo, which I would not recommend (lol). Many organized marathons were cancelled/moved to virtual because of Covid, and I couldn't find one in my area that worked with my schedule.
So I just... ran it.
I mapped out an out-and-back route so that I couldn't really give up if I wanted to!
I carried ~32oz of water (it was a cool day, otherwise I would have needed substantially more water), a handful of dates and raisins, and a rice cake for fuel. My partner met me at the halfway mark to restock my food and water, and I turned around and ran the remaining 13 miles. And I just barely met my goal time of ~10 minute miles.
I did train for around 2 months. At the start, I could barely run 2 miles without that horrible chest feeling, huffing and puffing, etc. But consistent training does wonders, and on "race" day I felt like my cardio was excellent. My legs definitely felt destroyed, but cardio-wise I felt like I could keep going past the marathon mark (I did not!) I am young, so I definitely recognize the privilege there...
With nobody running around me or cheering me on, there were definitely many "why am I doing this" moments. But I pushed through, and it felt great to finish!
The moral of the story? For me, I learned that consistent action has compounding effects, just like regular investing. To go from thoroughly out of shape to marathon ready in 2 months definitely changed my perspective on what is possible if you set your mind to it.
