Have you ever thought of competing in a marathon?
Well, it does not have to be a full marathon, you can start off with short short-distance marathon.
It is achievable if you are disciplined and consistent with your training and practice.
Benefits of Running a Marathon
The benefits of running a marathon is far beyond physical fitness, it is about being mentally healthy which contributes to your overall well-being.
Running helps to produce happy hormones called dopamine and endorphins which ultimately help to reduce stress and anxiety and improve the mood.
As we have heard from different health professionals involving oneself in sports, gym, and walking one hour a day helps to stay fit and energize our mind. On the 16th of December, our college organized a mini-marathon where the total distance to be covered was 10km.
How to warm up before running a race
I was quite skeptical at first about whether to participate or not in the marathon. The college club organizes the marathon every year. I had participated in the marathon once in my early undergrad year 6 years back. I remember vividly during that time I had received the certificate of participation and I had some memories of the earlier marathon.
I have been going on morning walks for quite some time now and trying my best to stay consistent as much as I can. It has helped me to stay fit and help in my gut health. The most important thing in every task is consistency. It is said that the only difficult task is to start and once you start you will fall in love with the overall process.
How does running improve your health?
There are some days when you do not feel good but it’s okay to give rest to your body sometimes. The only difficult task is to get out of your bed and once you start walking you’ll feel much better. I had quite confidence this time that I would perform better in the marathon but deep down I was nervous.
On the day of the race, I could not sleep since 4 am maybe because of the adrenaline rush that underwent through me. I had manifested to god that I would try my best to secure a position in the marathon. I had done quite a research on how to run longer distances and the one that clicked me was the one that said that to run longer you need to start with a slow run following the pace consistently.
I got up at 5 am. I had oat and milk then I headed towards the college. The race was supposed to begin at 7 am but due to T-shirt distribution and online registration confirmation process, the marathon started at 7:40 am. After the inauguration of the marathon from our chief guest, Mr. Paras Khadka, everyone began their marathon.
The race started from the alleyways of the college, many bypassed me as I followed a slow start strategy. I started off with a slow run followed by a continuous run. As the marathon began, everybody ran at full speed using all their energy but I had in my mind that I would start slow and maintain a constant pace.
Pre and post-marathon stretches are also equally important. The only problem with me was the pace. I was unable to work on my pace and to be honest, I was not a good runner but I was a good walker. I could walk 8 hours without stopping but I could not run. Maybe in my head, I had to push myself so that I could run as well. So, the first thing was I had to work on my confidence. It takes a lot of courage to come to the state of “I can do it” from “I wanna give up” especially for introverts like me.
Volunteers and other staff were cheering on the way helping the runners with the water and first aid kit and keeping track of the runners’ number. Beginning slowly helped me to catch up with other runners as they soon felt tired after a fast run at the beginning of the race.
I ran continuously and finally, when I entered the college gate, finishing the marathon I was out of breath and proud of myself for completing the marathon. I could feel a slight pain on my thighs but as I was announced 2nd in the staff category female, I was delighted and the pain was rewarding. We were called upon the stage to receive the trophy, certificate, and other gift vouchers and I could not wait to share this happy moment with my parents.
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