![]() ![]() I didn’t have to try to be a serious runner human who was trying to break two in the half, I was just having the time of my life. But with the help of my sister and my best friend, the same one who introduced me to running, everything clicked. The day I finally broke two hours in the half, I realized what was holding me back. But there will always be another chance to try again. The more you want it, the more it stings. It’s about leaning into the discomfort and trusting that as long as you give your personal best, there’s no way you can fail.īut that doesn’t mean that falling short of a goal or falling flat on your face doesn’t hurt. Sometimes it’s not about how badly you want it. Because if there’s one thing you can expect, it’s that self doubt is going to put up one hell of a fight. It’s about every single step you take towards those goals. Because running isn’t just about race day and finish lines. But that’s one of the greatest parts about running it forces you to own your strength, your goals, your ambitions and your failures. It’s so much easier to keep it to yourself and hope that it just magically happens. It’s hard to put yourself out there and tell your family and friends about your goals. Related: A Half Marathon Training Plan That Works For Every RunnerĮvery time I toed the line, convinced that I’d finally do it, the mental block I’d built between myself and what I thought I was capable of got bigger, stronger and harder to break through. A time that looking back, I have no idea how I pulled off because despite the fact that I was only 38 seconds away from that elusive sub-two, I wouldn’t come close to it for another few thousand miles. I ended up crossing the finish line in 2 hours, 37 seconds. So that’s what I did.Īnd surprisingly enough, despite the fact that I honestly thought I might die at mile 10 and had to stop to use the restroom/question my life choices at mile 11, I actually came really close. I thought the entire point of running a race was to take off as fast as you could and then hold on for dear life. I didn’t know how to pace myself or what a negative split was. I ignorantly thought it would happen the second time I toed the line of a half marathon. My journey to sub-two was ANYTHING but easy. It’s a goal that requires hard work, dedication, and perseverance because as so many of us know, the harder you try, the harder it is to grin and bear it when you fail. When we looked at the Strava data, only 31 percent of women and 67 percent of men had broken two hours in the half. And I sure as hell wanted to finish stronger.īreaking two hours in the half marathon is a goal that hundreds of thousands of runners aspire towards. Knowing that someone I loved and looked up to believed in me, even though I didn’t know if I could ever run a half marathon again, it made me want to try. I’m incapable of describing the wave of confidence I felt when she smiled and told me that it was only a matter of time. I think I was curled up in the fetal position of our hotel room only an hour after surviving my first half when I asked my best friend if she thought I could break two hours. ![]() I’ll never forget how quickly I set my sights on breaking two hours. Related: Strava Shares Stats Of Boston Marathon Runners But the time goals we set for ourselves, however silly they may feel, aren’t arbitrary they’re milestones that inspire us to dream big, step outside of our comfort zones and believe in ourselves. ![]() It’s hard to fight the urge to see what you’re capable of when you’re a runner. What if I could run a 9-minute mile and hold that pace for 13.1 miles? What if I could call myself a runner and actually believe it? Yes, we run because we can but more importantly, we run because every single aspect of our lives is made better because we push ourselves on the roads, trails, and track.įrom day one, when the simple idea of becoming a runner feels impossible to eventually setting goals like running a half marathon, or getting real crazy and running a marathon, running gives us the life-changing gift that is: What if? Why do you run? What does it mean to you when you decide to chase after a goal that scares the absolute crap out of you? Because even though most of us run to stay sane, it’s still a choice. Get access to everything we publish when you ![]()
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