If you run, you are a runner.
There aren’t any rules. You don’t have to go fast. You don’t have to run far. You don’t need to run every day. And you definitely don’t need years of experience or to have run 18 miles before.
I’m saying this as someone who is still pretty new to running. HYROX has always been my home base, and racing on my own two feet has been a whole new kind of learning.
What my first half marathon taught me
Two weeks out from my first 13.1, I wrote down what training had taught me so far. Most of it still holds:
Go slow to go fast. Easy miles build the engine.
It’s just as mental as it is physical.
You have to fuel properly. Underfueling will catch up with you.
Recovery is a must, not a reward.
Find a way. Don’t let “no time” become the default. Get the run in, even if it’s shorter.
Your body can handle more than you think it can.
You’re allowed to be proud of yourself before the finish line.
Racing without a time goal
This fall I ran the OCNJ Half Marathon and the LBI 18-Miler with no time goal. No pace to hit, no PR to chase. My only goal was to show up and run.
And honestly, there’s something to be said for that. It’s easy to get caught up in the numbers, the splits, and whether you’re getting faster. Sometimes it’s nice to step back and just enjoy doing something you couldn’t do before.
Your mind will take you further than your legs
The biggest thing holding most of us back is the limit we’ve already set for ourselves. You don’t have to be the fastest. You don’t have to prove anything to anyone.
You just have to be willing to take the first step, and trust yourself enough to take the next one after that.
Thinking about your first race and not sure where to start? Book a call.