If you told me in January 2022 that I was going to run the B.A.A. (Boston Athletic Association) 10k run in June, I wouldn't have believed you. Before 2022, I never found the idea of becoming a long-distance runner appealing. I didn't understand why people found running fun, given that running is hard and tiring. I wondered what was the point of running when there were less intensive activities like biking and tennis, activities I found to be more fun than running.
It wasn’t until winter break that I started thinking about running. I was embarrassed that I barely exercised and didn’t eat well during my first semester of college. Therefore, I decided to embrace a more active and healthy lifestyle for the upcoming year. I didn’t want to jinx myself by making grandiose goals. I had to start from somewhere, so I decided to run a mile during winter break. My time was slow, but at least I got the ball rolling.
During IAP, I gradually increased my distance from 1 to 1.5 and then to 2 miles. Over time, I realized that I liked breathing fresh air and feeling energized after each run. Not only that, but also I enjoyed exploring various parts of Boston and Cambridge when I ran.
When spring semester came, I ran, but not as much as I liked. I saw running as a way to maintain my health, not to achieve some long-distance goal like a 10k. It wasn't until I volunteered at a running invitational that I started to take running more seriously. I am glad that I talked with an experienced runner because he encouraged me to train for something as crazy as a half-marathon. He told me that his wife went from being a non-runner to completing a marathon in a year. If someone like her could do it, then what excuse did I have?
After the invitational, I started searching for 5k runs nearby. I was delighted to find a weekly 5k run called Parkrun. I went to my first Parkrun in mid-April. The run was difficult, but it was better than expected. I participated in the subsequent Parkruns because Parkrun was the only way for me to get used to running a 5k. After a couple of Parkruns, I started to consider running a 10k. I did the math in my head and realized if I increased my mileage by 0.5 miles each week, then I would be ready for a 10k in less than 2 months. I registered for the B.A.A. 10k in late June.
The idea of running 10k was daunting at first because I couldn't imagine having the energy to keep running beyond the 5k finish line. When I started training, however, I realized running an extra half mile or mile wasn't as bad as it appeared to be. Within 6 weeks, I successfully increased my mileage from 3 miles to 6 miles. I ran a 10k two times before the race, which reassured me that I would be prepared on race day.
On the day of the race, I felt a bit anxious, but overall my stress level was low since my main goal was to simply keep running, not beat a personal record. I was aware that the weather would be pretty hot and humid, but I didn't think too much about it since I did a 10k in Hawaii. Little did I know at that time how my expectations were far from reality.
The first half of the 10k was fine. There were a lot of trees on Commonwealth Avenue that provided shade and the water stations were nice. Things started to go downhill after I reached mile 3 or 4. I don't think the heat that day was necessarily worse than the heat I experienced in my Hawaii run, but somehow my body just couldn't take it. Looking back, I think the main reason my body felt much worse was that I ran faster than usual since there were people that I wanted to outpace. For context, my B.A.A. 10k time was 56:16, whereas my previous practice 10k runs were around an hour.
For the last two miles, neither the shade nor water helped me feel much better. My mind gradually became insane. I kept asking myself why I even signed up for a 10k in the first place. The only way I forced myself to keep running was to repeat the line "just keep moving each foot forward and don't stop." In hindsight, this may have not been the best decision since I wasn't listening to my body. I had this somewhat toxic mindset that if I walked the last mile, that would make me a quitter and I didn't sign up for an event to "quit" in the end, even though this option was perfectly understandable.
Between mile 5 and the finish line, I think I started to display early signs of heatstroke. I felt a bit light-headed and my body felt hot. All I could think about during the last mile was how excited I was for this physical and mental torture to end once I reached the finish line. The last 10 minutes of the race felt so slow because I constantly checked the time, counting off each minute.
When finished the 10k, I felt dizzy and struggled to walk properly. Once I reached a nice big tree, I immediately collapsed on the lawn. It felt so nice to lay down and just relax for a while. After my signs of heat exhaustion began to wear off, I thought about what just happened in the past hour. I still didn't understand why I subjected myself to so much physical pain, but I was proud that I persisted with running and stuck to my goals, ultimately allowing me to accomplish something I found inconceivable six months ago. I thought to myself, If I can do a 10k, then the sky's the limit.
A few days after the 10k, I ended up registering for the B.A.A. half-marathon in the fall. At first, I was somewhat hesitant because I didn’t want to go through hell again. I had enough with the 10k. Although a half-marathon is more difficult than a 10k, the timing is better because the weather in November will be much more pleasant than now. Also, I wanted to challenge myself even more and prove to myself that I could achieve the impossible.
For people out there who find the concept of long-distance running horrible, I get you. I was in the same spot not a long time ago. But I hope reading this blog will make you reconsider the assumptions you have of yourself. A lot of discouraging things I said to myself in the past, such as "doing a 10k is out of my reach" wasn’t necessarily true. Actually, I mean NOT true. Thoughts like these just stop us from realizing that we have potential when it comes to achieving these goals. Therefore, I encourage you to consider taking on some physical challenge, whether it is walking the length of a marathon or running a 5k for the first time. I know that these goals sound impossible, but if you break them down into many tiny goals, then I can ensure you that you will get there.
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