Run good woman, run

How I almost lost my marathon virginity

I never ran in my life except on a few occasions like being chased by street dogs, buffaloes and I vividly remember, once by a wild boar. Rather for a runner that makes me more of a run for your life person. My first marathon was more like a movie plan, my best friend called on the night before the marathon and I was up for it. No months of walking, jogging, sprinting, eating right, drinking more before that. I am embarrassed to say I have not even walked 5 kms let alone running for double. I walked 90% of my first marathon but I am glad I participated and managed to reach the finish line without collapsing.

So how did a person, unhealthy enough to not even walk a mile managed to finish a lot more than that? answer is anger. Focus all your energy on that one thing/person/life experience, that/who makes you want to through a walrus on that/them and run(in my case walk). Music helps. Anger pushes.

Every km till the last was a different experience. If I sum it up it would be something like this:

1. The first km- new me: For me it started with, “so here I am getting a grip on my life, starting afresh” and all the brainy quotes-motivating things I could think of at that time. 5 minutes of running and the brainy quotes ran out of my brain as quickly as they came in.
2. Second km-should do this often: Was panting already (do not forget I am an unhealthy lazy bum who never ran before) and thinking, “It sure does feel good, I should be doing this often”
3. Third km- this will be my song: The panting slowed me down drastically, my friend was way ahead of me by now. As Bob Marley sang- get up stand up, on my phone on repeat, I decided that this will be my song for the many morning runs/walks that are going to come, starting the very next day. And with that happy thought the unrealistic me sang along-“don’t give up the fight”, WALKING my very first marathon.
4. Fourth km-the sky is blue and the grass is green: By now I was tired, my heart was pounding and I kid you not my vision was compromised because my head was spinning due to all the running and walking. So I tried to concentrate on the beauty of mother-nature around me, even after all the blur and kept walking. Didn’t help much, the sky was still blue and the grass was still green, like they were the day before or the one before that.
5. Fifth km- self realization: Somewhere between the beauty of mother-nature and heavy exercising of my cerebral cortex I decided to run again. Only to my misery sprained my leg a little, but the pain was too much. So I sat by the roadside, and that is when it dawned on me “what am I doing with my life, I am a smart, confident, independent woman, I should do be able to do this or I’ll just prove every person who is wrong about me, right”.
6. Sixth km-anger: The meaningless job, the asshole boss, the career I aspire for, the years I wasted.
7. Seventh km-anger: The jerk who broke my heart.
8. Eight km-anger: The jerk who broke my heart.
9. Ninth km-anger: The jerk who broke my heart.
10. Tenth km-the state of ecstatic: The jerk who broke my heart, “thank you for doing so”.

If you have never ran a marathon, run one. Find that anger within you and let it drive you. Once you finish, the happiness you’ll feel, the feeling of achievement, will fade away the anguish, you never knew existed. Run a marathon because it will cleanse you.