My First Half Marathon
A half marathon is a road running event of 21.0975 kilometers.
I started running at the end of 2017 when I was looking for something I could do by myself. Between working all day and spending the evening with my family, it was the perfect way to get a moment to myself, to either mull over the events of the day or honestly just space out.
Back then, I used social media to share my running stories with my friends. Over time, some of my friends expressed interest in joining me, and I enthusiastically welcomed them. We eventually began participating in running events together, starting with 5KM in 2018, then progressing to 8KM and 10KM.
In 2019, I took part in the Bandung Pocari Run and realized that running 10KM was quite manageable for me. It was at that point that I started contemplating the Half Marathon (HM) distance. Therefore, I registered for the HM category in the Jakarta Marathon. Originally, my first half-marathon was scheduled for 2020, but due to the pandemic, the marathon was postponed for two years. I was thrilled when the marathon event finally returned in 2022.
However, I must admit that I am not as physically fit as I was in 2020 when I had the courage to sign up for the HM. With the advent of the new normal and remote work arrangements, I found myself running and exercising less frequently. On some days, I barely managed to take 100 steps, and the idea of running 21KM seemed daunting.
I was reading what others were saying and heard that it wasn’t as difficult as it seemed. So, before the race, I trained for it by swimming four times a week and running three times a week. I formulated my own training schedule instead of following a structured training plan, which turned out to be a significant mistake. For my next half-marathon, I will definitely plan my training more effectively.
On race day, I was nervous but excited. The run started as fun, and I was doing well until the 12th kilometer, my legs started to feel tired. Slowing down sometimes helps, but it simply meant I needed to do more steps, hence more work. The last 2 kilometers were not fun, and I pushed myself almost over the limit.
As I approached the finish line, I witnessed the cheers and support from fellow runners who were about to complete their own journeys. Since none of my friends participated in this particular marathon, I didn’t have familiar faces to look out for. However, as soon as I crossed the finish line, a profound sense of pride washed over me. It was an incredible feeling as if I had won a medal and achieved something truly remarkable.
I was sore the next day, and my knees were creaky. It took a few days for me to recover, but it won’t bother me. My running journey is not coming to an end yet, and I want to make progress over time and keep running.
I’ve learned so much about myself from running. Life is hard and running taught me I could do hard things. Knowing I can run and push myself in the race gives me mental strength when it comes to other challenges. I could go back and cancel what I’ve started, but I’m not going to because I know the reward comes when we keep going.
