As my alarm went off at 4:30 a.m. I woke up thinking to myself, “Am I really about to run a half marathon today?” This past June I ran my first half marathon. I would have never thought when I started that I would be able to run 13.1 miles because truthfully, I struggled to run even one mile. When I decided to register for the half marathon, I began to research some helpful tricks and tips to make my experience much more enjoyable (as much as it could be at least)!
Every blog and article I read told me to drink lots of water. I cannot stress enough how much of a difference it made in my training. I felt so much better running when I had water in my system before my run. I struggled with remembering to drink water often throughout my day, so I highly recommend the app called “My Water.” It reminds you every two hours to drink more water, and I lived by it.
Another thing that I found to be super helpful was to buy new athletic wear before I started to train. It motivated me to run because I wanted to wear my new clothes. Plus, it’s really hard to resist a good reason to buy new clothes. Some stores that I purchased my athletic wear from were Forever 21, Gap, Nordstrom, and Ross. These stores always seemed to have the best deals.
Lastly, this is the tip that I found to be the most helpful. Running and training for a half marathon is purely a mind game. When I first started I would have never believed that I could have run 13.1 miles, but once I began to train and I could see the way my body was progressing and getting adjusted to the training, I was able to believe in myself. When you start to train, remember to just take baby steps because you will eventually get to where you need and want to be. Running a half marathon takes a lot out of you, but it’s more mental than physical. Just remember to push toward that last mile and reach that goal that you’d been striving for, because, in the end, you will feel amazing about yourself.
Running a half marathon is something that is such an amazing accomplishment, and with these helpful tips, I hope that I can encourage you to sign up for a half marathon and challenge yourself.
Do you have any tips for running a half marathon? Let me know in the comment below, and be sure to tag @Cfashionista while you train!
