So…I’m a Half Marathoner!

Hi everyone! This week has been super busy and blogging kind of got pushed to the side. And unfortunately for all of you, all that’s going on in my brain this week is this:

Are you all aware that I ran a half marathon this week? If not, go here! Seriously though, other than getting my teaching certificates, earning my Master’s degree, and planning a super beautiful wedding that people still talk about almost a year later, this half marathon is one of my biggest achievements ever! I never thought I could do it, and here I am! Before this post sounds all self centered and braggy, I want to explain why this means so much to me. I feel like every half marathoner who blogs out there has inspired me with how dedicated they were to their goal, and I never really understood how brave, strong, and mentally tough they had to be in order to achieve it! When I started training I slowly began to realize how tough it is to train for a long distance, and once I crossed that finish line I totally understood why they choose to do it! So in honor of all the people that inspired me during my long months of training, here are some things I learned about Half Marathoners during my training:

1. They basically have no free time. Seriously, they give up so much time on the weekends to do their long runs. They will have friends beg them to go out for drinks but they’ll say no because they have a 10 miler the next day and honestly, that’s more important. And if they’re like me they might have their mom yell at them for “running too much” because they won’t give up their planned long run just because there’s a blizzard outside. Yay treadmill!
2. They actually can’t eat whatever they want, but that’s okay. Yeah, I ate some donuts during my half training. But I learned that a good half marathoner will look for healthy foods that fuel their bodies during long runs. Just because I burned 1,000 calories on my run doesn’t mean I should actually eat all those back in Oreos and ice cream! I never knew that about half marathoners until I started reading blogs and realized that for the most part, runners don’t run just to burn calories and eat like crap!
3. They really, really like running. And yes, it hurts sometimes, but if you’re running so much and for so long you’ve really got to love it! This is why they talk about it so much :)
4. They are obsessed with the weather. I have switched long run days around just so they fell on sunny warmish days instead of rainy ones. I’ve also carried extra layers with my on long runs just in case the weather changed. I can run 3 miles in almost any conditions, but the long runs definitely make it harder!
5. They talk about gross digestive stuff and don’t get embarrassed. Oh, that Gu made you sick? You’re adequately hydrated according to your pee color? Thanks for letting everyone know! And I’m not even being sarcastic, I am totally staying away from that Gu now so thank you for the advice :)
6. They have to deal with non-runners who don’t care that they just ran a new personal distance today. Because really it’s only interesting to the half marathoner. I don’t blame the non-runners. But non-runners will usually ask how fast you ran your half which is probably my least favorite conversation ever! As if the speed I did those miles in even matters!
7. They deal with all the drama that comes with running a race. I’m taking about waking up early, meticulously eating the perfect pre-race meal, getting stuck in traffic, porta potty lines, and sometimes thousands of other people who might slow them down or give them a bad race experience. And they do it because they really, really love running. And because they want that PR and that medal.
8. They keep training logs and follow training plans. It’s kind of like homework, but for adults. And they have way more fun completing their “assignments” than they did in school!
9. They are really mentally tough. Anyone who has encountered a hill at mile 11, run on a treadmill until it shut off and then had to turn it back on, or done a run in less-than-stellar conditions will understand this one.
10. They run 13.1 miles! That’s a crazy amount of miles and anyone who has done it should feel awesome!!!!

I’m still blown away that I’m able to call myself a half marathoner now, and I’m so grateful to every blogger who shared his or her half marathon experiences with me! It’s not an easy decision to run a half marathon, but it’s definitely worth it!

Hopefully next week I’ll have something more exciting to talk about! But until then, I’m totally going to talk about my race to anyone who is willing to listen. Which is basically just my mom :)

Are you a half marathoner? If so, what’s your favorite thing about it? And am I getting annoying yet? :)