Personal Narrative: 7 Things I Learned From My Short Half Marathon

Cresting the hill, I struggled with my ragged breathing and the pain in my hips. I focused on my rhythm I in order to keep going. My running shoes slapped the pavement as onlookers expressed their encouragement with cowbells and cheers. I wondered again why I put myself into the situation by choice. As I passed mile 13 I remembered. I felt my eyes water and my legs shake as the finish line approached. Marines in uniform stood ready with medals and smiles as they encouraged us in our own hardships to rise above the pain and finish. The announcer spoke my name but I hardly heard him as a medal slipped over my head and I marveled at the weight, not of the medal, but the accomplishment which seemed impossible for the past three hours. I finished in 3 hours, 7 minutes. It was not an Olympic record and I detested running at mile two, but I did it.

Every runner wore a bib number with the time they start on it. As I was running people were passing me who had started after me, and I kept thinking I was going too slow and that I shouldn’t be taking this long to complete it. Through words of encouragement from my mom and decipline mentras from myself I finished the race, I crosses the fanish line and the feeling of triumph as I crossed it was something I’ll never forget.

The flags are in sight and off on a wild sprint! I’m going and across the line I am! Exhausted but satisfied. I thought I saw my time was 28 minutes. I had to know the seconds. ( Yes, every second counts.) I was preparing myself mentally for what my time would be. I was eager to know. I ran to my Coach as soon as he was in sight. I ran to him and I immediately asked for my times. He told me and I had to see for myself. 28:04. 28:04!! I was excited! I can’t remember if I jumped up and down or not. Wouldn't be surprising. One thing I did for sure was, walked away and cried. Not only was it 28:04. It was my heart's desire. Coming close to the end of the season, I couldn’t see myself running a varsity time. So the lowest time I hoped I’d get would be 28 and it was!!

My 5k run was an experience. I had to give it my all. I started out with enough to stop a train. I had energy but it was dwindling into oblivion. By the time I had got to the long straight dirt road people started to pass me. When I turned around I saw lots more making me feel better. I again picked up my pace and continued. I learned that I was not alone. I know I wouldn’t be at the top so I stopped and started walking. Soon a man came and said “come on buddy only a quarter mile left.” I started to run again and I beat my last time.

Most runners experience something called a “runner’s high.” To me, my runner’s high makes me feel invincible. All the aches and pains I had at the beginning of my run drift away, and my body feels as if I am floating on a white, fluffy cloud. I crave for that feeling because it gets me through long, awful runs and tough races. Runner’s high creates the possibility of doing anything imaginable. It is a wonderful experience; I have never felt anything like it

Another weekend, another twenty miler. i feel I’ve reached the purpose that, currently on marathon range six, I recognise as peak ‘why the hell do I try this to myself’ moment. Not shut enough to the race (just beneath seven weeks) to feel an effort of vasoconstrictive, and still a minimum of some of 20-plus runs to travel. Still, a minimum of there was consolation within the type of dish once yesterday’s hot and windy effort - and athletics to observe on the receiver.

Everyone has a passion. Some people have many passions. Your passion drives you to be the person you are today. I believe for you to get a better understanding of myself you need to know what I live for, and that is running. The last ten years of my life have revolved around the sport of cross country and track and I have literally put my blood, sweat, and tears into distance running.

Running wasn't always a chore, a lot of times I could enjoy going out for a run with friends. Communities would have races which would be enjoyable and a great way to support a local cause. This last December, when I was in Millinocket running a half-marathon to support the town after the mills had closed, I met a massive number of runners that soon became friends. They are competitively racing all over the globe. This last summer I had the chance to be a part of an engineering camp at the University of Maine in Orono, and it felt like the same experience as Millinocket. I met many kids, that like me were preparing and hoping to go to college for an engineering

I was determined to work harder every time I looked at my already worn-out running shoes. So I ran almost every day, always one upping myself and proving to myself that I can do today what I thought I couldn't do yesterday. By the end of summer, with a lot of help and practice, I participated in a 5k race (3.1 miles) it wasn't the training or the encouragement that got me though it, but me, myself, and whole a lot of ice. The whole experience was beyond amazing. I had a goal that I was determined to reach, and I made it, it's funny to think that a couple of weeks before training, I thought I couldn't do anything close to a 5K, which makes the reward that much better. By the way, what was not that fun was all the blood, sweat, and tears that got me there. Determination was my biggest ally on the journey and it still is with every challenge I take, reminding me to always tread on, and stay focused on my goal.

He ran in the marathon ,for he wanted to support his mother who suffered from a cancer relapse

When running a half marathon for the first time, with an opportunity to quit at ten miles, the option to fail at a goal you have set is an easy thing to do. The night before my first half marathon, I was having second thoughts about my ability to be able to complete what seemed like an impossible feat, but I kept telling myself no matter what, I was going to run it. I had set a goal and I was determined to accomplish it. At the start of my run, my nerves were going crazy, but once the first three miles, which seemed like a breeze, were completed, I felt prepared to take on the next ten miles. Little did I know, the next ten miles were going to be the hardest miles of my life. With each new mile, a new level of difficulty is brought upon you, and the idea to just stop and quit hits you harder with every new mile you reach.

I remember the game winning point in Van Horn Iowa. We Bump, Set, Hit.... It was a kill!. The crowd goes viral. It's 2016 and the Sailor Nation 7th graders are on there way to state!

For most, running 26.2 miles just for fun is not appealing; however, others do want to run marathons for the excitement of a race or to prove to themselves that they can do it. For many reasons, runners are on board to hit the pavement, whether it is for the challenge or for the numerous health benefits that come along with it, including weight loss and fitness. Because of the positive effects of running, the negative aspects of running long distances are sometimes overlooked. Before deciding to just get up one day and start training for a marathon, know that running this lengthy race has both desirable and undesirable physical consequences.

Do you love running in marathons? Of course, you do! You love the feel of the wind as you run and there’s the uplifting cheering of the crowd. It feels like there’s nothing stopping you. But you only thought so.

I first began cross country with a heart full of bitterness and a mindset doomed for failure. I never knew that the thirty-five miles I would run and the twenty-five hours I would spend each week would turn into one of my most loved passions and one of my most hated obligations. In my naiveté, I conceived the foolish notion that I was prepared for the trek ahead, but I was wrong. Cross Country practices were complete torture as it was absolute pain and hard work. Every day at practice, I would taste the sweat that came pouring down from my forehead onto the top of my dry, chapped lips. I would feel the burning sensation in my sides and faced the feeling of my legs ready to give out underneath me. However, no matter how my body felt, I somehow kept going. Even if we ran in the bitter cold or faced the harsh elements, I just kept running. I have experienced pain beyond my comprehension, and the impossibility of surrendering to it. I have felt that inexcusable urge to quit, and the sensation of overcoming it. I have witnessed best friends collapse in exhaustion, and rivals surpass my personal record. I have dealt with