Everlyn Resina.first marathon .

When I received news that I was among the 12 participants to represent my

institution in the Amsterdam marathon, I was excited and challenged at the

same time.one it was my first marathon ever and second my first

trip abroad to Europe, I had to double my usual half marathon race to a full

marathon. We were sent the marathon schedule and nutrition tips by our

trainer.

The key to a successful marathon is training consistently, putting in enough

weekly mileage to get the body accustomed to running for long period. The

most important part of our training was the weekly run at Karura which

begun with an easy pace that gradually increased in distance week after

week, to build our strength and endurance. I also walked from the office to

home in order to spend extra time on my feet to prepare the muscles. What

one eats also matters and so I had to stick to a proper diet. My main goal

was to finish the race and avoid injury. I remember joking with one of my

colleagues that I would do it in 4 hours and I was able to accomplish both

goals.

Amsterdam is a beautiful city with interesting architecture ranging from

older buildings to new ones surrounded by canals and friendly people. As

we were running, people were cheering along the road calling names which

are indicated on the bibs. That motivated me a lot. The weather was good

for running and we were cautioned not to start fast since we might end up

hitting the wall. When I was 10k in, I had a stitch after taking an energy

drink. That disturbed me a lot and I tried to avoid any liquid until 25k when I

started taking water.

Being able to run 42km sounds very impressive but I want to stress my

belief that anyone can do this if they put their mind to it. With commitment

and the right mindset, running your own marathon is absolutely possible.

Lessons learned

I found myself asking questions; WHY was I running? I told myself it

was on my bucket list. But that didn’t satisfy me. Eventfully, I decidedthat this run would serve as a symbol that I would always run towards

my dreams and inspire others to do the same.

• I know I would not have successfully been able to train and run the

Amsterdam marathon without the help of team and mentors

• Having the right gear, that is shoes and socks, can motivate one

further.

My gratitude :To Lorna and Peter - You are nothing less than a blessing,

from being our trainers to our translator’s when picking our menus at the

restaurant; Thanks team for the right spirit