Reflecting
Running the Columbus Marathon was a big milestone for me, and it had been on my bucket list for multiple years. I watched my mom compete in half marathons and triathlons as a kid, and she has been a major source of inspiration for me in many of my endeavors. I dabbled in running throughout high school, participating in my first half marathon in the spring of my senior year. Not only did I complete the race, but I performed quite well and really enjoyed it, despite my initial doubts about my ability to finish. This achievement led me to compete in my first triathlon a few months later, and the dream of a full marathon started to take shape with those couple of races under my belt.
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My training for the full marathon started in January, and I ran a second half marathon midway through my preparation to assess my progress. It was the Capital City Half Marathon, the same course as the previous year in high school, but my performance could not have been more different. I noticed significant improvement in both my pace and endurance, and for me this served as concrete proof of the progress that can be made with the right mindset and consistent effort. As the intensity of marathon training grew, however, I started to dread long runs. What had once been a source of joy and empowerment began to feel like a burden. The daunting mileage overshadowed the sense of accomplishment I always felt after long runs. On race day, I was faced with a tough decision – run the full marathon or switch to the half.
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Ultimately, I chose to run the half marathon, and this turned out to be quite rewarding. This decision was based on the desire to reignite my passion for running that I felt like I’d momentarily lost during my training. The half felt amazing – I’d improved significantly even since the Cap City Half five months prior., achieving a personal record of maintaining a pace of under 9:30 per mile. I thoroughly enjoyed the race, and this experience reaffirmed my love of half marathons. While a full marathon is still a future aspiration, I’ve come to realize that halves better align with my current preferences and capabilities. The distance poses a comfortable challenge, the training is relatively straightforward, and for me, it never ceases to be fun.
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Throughout my training, I also discovered the noticeable impact that music choice has on my mood and performance. On race day, the music acted as a powerful motivator, helping me maintain my rhythm and finish what I knew I’d worked so hard for. I’ve since found that what I listen to has a direct impact on my mindset, and I now use this to my advantage daily. Overall, running the Columbus Marathon was a fantastic experience. I now understand that goals can be dynamic and do not have to stay the same from their beginning to end, and that these types of goals will still result in great achievements. This experience fostered tremendous growth on both a physical and personal level, and I’m so happy to say that I continue to look forward to my weekly long runs.
Training Plan
My full marathon training started in January of 2023, with my regimented training beginning in the summer. I used the Novice 1 plan from Hal Higdon, a well-known runner and writer. Incorporating cross training, such as lifting and biking, was really important and beneficial for me because it gave me the opportunity to work on my form and get my heart rate up without the high impact of daily runs. Click the link below to see the training plan I followed, straight from Hal's website.
A Peek at my Playlist
Photos!
Click through these slides for some race day pictures, as well as some I took throughout my training :)
