Situation
A half marathon is a challenging race and an impressive achievment. I wanted to see if I could overcome the obstacles in my way to completing it. I had never run a race longer than 5 km before, and it was going to take commitment and focus to run a much longer 21 km race.
Myself at the marathon starting line. It was raining at the time.
Methods Used
I started small by running about 3 km, 3 times a week. As I grew comfortable with the distance, I increased my running length more and more. If you look into half marathon training routines online, it is recommended to add different kinds of training beyond just running for long distances. I started including a weights workout to build strength and changed one of my runs to focus more on speed rather than distance. I was always running one long run each week though, and continually boosting my stamina.
Over the weeks, I was making steady progress and then near race day, I finished an 18 km race which was my “rehearsal run” for the actual half marathon. I practiced everything I learned in that training run which showed me a clear picture of what my half marathon would be like.
Outcomes
It was raining on the day of the race. A large, humid crowd gathered behind the starting line on Sheppard street, and I was doing my stretches in the space between other racers. I felt ready and excited to see how the race will unfold.
The route runs along Yonge street all the way down to Harbourfront, before turning west to reach the finish at the BMO Field in Liberty Village.
The half-marathon route through Toronto.
I gave the race my all. I ran through the uphills and downhills of the course alongside a mass of runners. I successfully completed my race in 1:55:03, a time I am extremely proud of given it was my first half marathon!
I finished strong!