How I went from a couch potato to a half marathoner
I used to be the typical next-door couch potato. Like many of you, I was too lazy to get my ass up and go outside on a daily basis. It was easier for me to double-click some video game icon on my desktop and enjoy my time playing from the comfort of my own home. Unhealthy food was part of my daily routine as it was, also, much easier for me to take the trip to the kitchen, grab some coke & chips and come back to my working desk to do any kind of non-productive jibberish.
Now… I’m not saying that I was the anti-social kind of guy, but lets say that I wasn’t fully satisfied with the way my (non)active life was affecting my overall health.
One thing I want you to remember so far is that you mustn’t lead a dull and tedious life. Always try finding a hobby that is fulfilling you in any kind of way, even if the hobby itself is collecting old postal stamps.
“Persistence. Perfection. Patience. Power. Prioritize your passion. It keeps you sane.” — Criss Jami
So there I was, looking for a new hobby to drag me away from my monotonous life. I’ve started reading articles and books about self-improvement, whether those were physical or inner self-improvements. In no time, I had a bucket list of hobbies and things I wanted to try out, and now I was firmly picking one that would stand out from the crowd.
Running seemed like a pretty good choice at the time, since it makes you physically active and you could lose some pound here and there. Besides, it looked like a cheap sport since you only need a pair of sneakers to get started.
Boy, I had no idea that this would be the new beginning of a lifetime experience and a challenge for myself as a person.
The first day of my running journey was pretty much embarrassing. I remember that I couldn’t catch my breath after running for about 500m (0.3miles).
Even then, I knew I was doing better than my neighbor on his couch watching TV.
But I never gave up. Because that’s what pu**ies do. Each and every day I was gradually increasing my running distance. Every time I came back home I noticed I was EQUALLY tired as the run before, but each of those days the running distance was longer than the previous. My only thoughts were:
How long can I push myself doing this?
On a quick side note, I suggest you follow the guides and advices from Hal Higdon, a legend and a professional Olympic runner who contributed a lot to the running world. He gives out free training programs for novices, and I was following one of these programs to achieve my ultimate goal.
Eventually, after some 3–4 weeks have passed, I’ve taken a deep dive into the world of running. I’ve started looking for new running equipment (even though I couldn’t afford it), I was searching for local trail runs and people with similar goals like me, I’ve joined forum discussions and helped people who were starting, just like I was about a month ago.
It looked like it only took a blink of an eye to run my first 5K. That was actually my first goal and my first bigger achievement during this journey.
Remember to always set goals. Realistic goals. Set them and track your progress. Write it down on a piece of paper.
Cross country trail
So…There was a local XC (cross-country) trail race that was organized by a local group of optimistic runners. Without any doubt I signed up for it. It was my first ever. I didn’t think about the competition, the weather conditions, the toughness of the track itself. I just went for it.
Now, listen carefully. The race day was rainy as hell. My sneakers were sinking in the mud that was everywhere. I was shocked when I saw that a lot of runners actually signed up for the race. Some of them were foreigners. Each one of them looked like they’ve been running for their whole lives. All the fancy running equipment and expensive shoes. I thought to myself: “What the hell did I sign up for?”
The race was actually pretty short (8km/5 miles) but it was muddy as hell. The terrain was not flat at all, there were hills and descends. Yet, somehow, I’ve finished the race successfully. But out of all runners who participated, I finished last. But I’ve finished it. My first race. I don’t think I’ll ever forget the events that took place on that day.
The event has motivated me so much, that my daily running practices almost became a habit for me. After a couple of days it was time for my first 8K run and I was excited. The people from my city have a common, famous running place that goes along the river Vardar. The trail of Vardar is the perfect trail for a runner since the terrain is covered in grass for easier grip. I don’t recommend running on concrete/asphalt since its really bad for your knees.
So, there I was, in the middle of December, running my first 8K by myself. Nobody was present on the trail during my run. As I was approaching the end of my run, I’ve ran across a random person who was just standing there and watching the river flow in the middle of the night. He just turned around, saw how hard I was trying (I felt like I was pushing to my last cell to complete this run) and as I was trying to catch my breath while running, he started clapping at me and yelled “You can do it man!”. This little, yet invisible boost of energy for me is what got me to finish my run successfully. Thank you random stranger! When I came back home my mother noticed that I was really pale. I’ve really didn’t have the energy to even untie my shoes. That time I found out that I was running with the wrong equipment and I had to buy appropriate equipment if I wanted to continue.
I’ve never skipped a day. One time, when I went outside to start my run in a cold December evening, I’ve noticed that the temperature was as low as -17ºC (1.4ºF) degrees. There were no people on the streets. And I was there preparing for a long run. Most of the people wouldn’t even consider going out on their balcony at this temperature, but I was there preparing for a run!
As I was gradually increasing my running distance, I’ve ran my first 10K. Then my first 10 miles (16km). Every day, I was pushing my limits and setting a newer, tougher goal. And I seemed to conquer each and every one of them!
The race day
As the last day of my journey approached, the most unexpected thing happened. While I was preparing my stuff for the upcoming race, the annual “Wizz Air Skopje Marathon” that was about to take place on 10th of May (if I’m not mistaken) was CANCELLED because of numerous safety concerns in the country.
I was furious. Full of anger and hatred. All the work I’ve put in the past few months felt like it was worthless. Outraged, I went to bed late.
A phone call woke me up at 9AM. It was my uncle. I picked up and I’ve heard a voice: “Aren’t we doing it?”. I then proceeded to explain to him that the marathon was cancelled due to numerous reasons, but he seemed to ignore everything. He said: “So what?”
At that moment I started to have mixed feelings. I was confused — and most of all — tired. Because I’ve got very little sleep and that’s the only thing that matters if you’re a passionate runner. YOU NEED SLEEP.
Eventually, I’ve accepted his “running proposal” even though I wasn’t mentally prepared. So… There we were, picking up a random route throughout the city and doing our very first half-marathon… If you ask me how I did it — to this day, I wouldn’t have an answer. I’m just going to say that you need to work hard for your dreams and push beyond your limits in every little thing that you do on a daily basis.
The last few kilometers were the hardest. I was powerless, physically and mentally. I’ve tried giving up couple of times, but my uncle wouldn’t let me. Literally. So, I could say that if it wasn’t for him, I wouldn’t have finished 21km in the first place. But more importantly, if it wasn’t for ME, I wouldn’t have finished the race at all. You need to thank yourself for every accomplishment you make. About the feeling you get when you finish you first half-marathon… I won’t mention it or talk about it here, I’m just going to leave that for you to find out. There, one more piece of motivation for you.
Last but not least, if I learned something from my experience, it was this: Procrastination is evil.
As a goodbye, I want to let you know what was the hardest part during my journey. The hardest part wasn’t running 21km starting from the bottom. The hardest part is leaving your home and standing up from your couch. Once you’re out on the streets, you’ll finish your distance one way or another.
