12/8/2024:
I ran my second half marathon this weekend in Millinocket, Maine. It was hell on earth. I signed up on a whim and ran it with zero to little training. The most preparation I did for the run was run a mile everyday for about a month and even then, I still skipped a whole week of running for Thanksgiving.
Anyways, the run was mainly uphill and almost completely covered in ice/snow. So, imagine trying to gain traction to push yourself uphill by running, but all you can feel is your foot slipping. Not only that but you’re also freezing because you have yet to acclimate to weather up here and you constantly can’t feel your fingers.
The race was one of the most physically challenging things I’d done in a long time. Even though I took a fire ball shot every chance I could get…I could still feel every bit of pain in my body.
I remember when I was 0.5 miles out from the end and could finally see the banner. Something inside me clicked and I ran my heart out for that last half mile. My brain kept saying “do it for the fat girl that never could.” My body ached with every step and my toes felt like they were on fire, but I sprinted toward the finish line. As soon as my foot landed on the other side of that line it felt like all the air was being sucked out of my lungs and I immediately wanted to start sobbing…there was no chance in hell me from three years ago could have done this and it amazes me that I did.
I walked away in a small little alleyway to cry, but then my friend found me, so I had to get my composure. We hugged and congratulated each other on finishing sub three hours with no training. That was the first time anyone had been there after I finished a race. I finally knew what it felt like to have someone supporting me at the finish line. A feeling I never knew I needed. I’d never felt more seen.
Maybe we don’t always need people to be there, but it damn sure does feel good.
After the race we drove straight to Happy China buffet and stuffed our faces full of Chinese. A blissful experience. Now a day later, umm my ankle won’t rotate and I feel like I have freezer burn on my lungs and can’t breathe at night, but I am already looking at more races to sign up for. So it’s true what they say, the highs will always out-weigh the lows.