13.1 Things I learned about training for a half marathon

1. You're going to be terrified to sign up
As someone who previously hadn't ran more than 6 miles I was so nervous about training. I'm not going to lie, increasing my mileage was a challenge, but after running 10.5 miles I felt so proud of myself.

2. You'll cry when you have to run on the treadmill
Apparently running on a treadmill is easier than running outside but I do not find that to be true in the slightest. The first time I ran 9 miles I had to do it on a treadmill because an ice storm seemed to hit Springfield every weekend. 9 miles on the treadmill was not only the most boring thing I've done, but I get too caught up in the numbers and I end up having to stop more. When I'm running outside I don't think about my time or pace I just run.

3. It's a huge time commitment
Most Saturdays I had to actively plan when I was going to run. At the beginning it wasn't too challenging because it was only 4 miles but as the mileage increased I chose to wake up earlier so I could be done running by 10 or 11 a.m.

4. Foam rolling is a game changer
Foam rolling is honestly the best and I didn't discover this until I rolled out my IT bands and legs after running. Before I began training I got a massage and the massage therapist told me how tight my IT bands were. Her advice was to take Epsom salt baths and foam roll, but because I don't have a bath at school I focus on foam rolling.

5. Listening to your body is important
My half marathon training schedule was based around running 3x a week. I had two short runs on Tuesday/Thursday and my long training session on Saturday. If I'm being honest, toward the end I would only run 2x a week and for shorter distances. I still lifted 2-3x a week so I was getting more exercise in than the plan assumed. I felt like I was well prepared so I didn't push my body too much because I didn't want to injure myself.

6. You won't want to run
Running became something I didn't want to do, if I'm being honest. I still enjoy it but I look forward to not feeling like I have to run. 

7.You'll appreciate when you only have to run three miles
Running 10 miles would take me over an hour and half on Saturdays. The following Tuesday when I only had to run three miles I wondered how the time passed so quickly.

8.Go on runs without music every now and then
Running has always been something that gave me mental clarity. I like to listen to EDM when I run and just check out. However, sometimes I ran without music and focused on meditating. This allowed me some "me time" and I was conscious of my breathing, my feelings, and my body.

9. Dressing for the weather is extremely important
One time I thought it was wrong so I wore a t-shirt and shorts... my run was painfully cold and I regretted everything.

10. You'll be super hungry
Extended cardio sessions means you're burning hundreds of calories. After finishing these training sessions I felt like I could eat anything and everything. I tried my best to not overindulge but I really did.

11. You'll have the support of your friends and family
I received so many encouraging words from my family and friends who aren't in Springfield via social media. As I ran around campus I would catch myself waving to people driving past in their cars and honestly that made each run a lot better (thanks Sophia and Madison Hadler, you guys are great).

12.The best feeling is after you finish running
On the morning I ran 8 miles I didn't have headphones in and I solely focused on being aware while running. After I finished I felt refreshed and ready to tackle the rest of the day.

13. You'll be so proud of yourself
I think a lot of us have mental blocks that stop us from reaching our full potential. I really didn't think I would be able to do a half marathon so I signed up to prove to myself I could do it-- and I did! I am so proud of myself for committing to doing this, putting in the time to train and really working on my physical/mental  health.

.1 You may or may not want to do it again
While I definitely don't plan on running a half marathon again anytime soon, who knows. Maybe I'll do another in the future.

Thank you again to everyone who has supported and cheered me on. I appreciate every single one of you.




Until next time,
Taylor xx

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