Running a Half Marathon was never something I aspired to achieve, however on 11th April 2021, it's exactly what I found myself doing.
As mentioned in other posts, I started regularly exercising when I started my Master's (October 2019) with was no specific goal in mind other than to improve my fitness. I predominantly ran on the treadmill, slowly building up to 4km when the pandemic hit and gyms closed in March 2020. This didn't deter me however, and instead I took up running at my local park in lieu of the gym, which offered more variety in both scenery and terrain. At first, I walked to the park and back and took regular breaks throughout my run, but over time I increased my distance and reduced my breaks until I could comfortably run 5km in 30 minutes on relatively hilly routes.
This became part of my routine and I proudly kept it up even after I started my grad scheme in September 2020. I consistently ran 5km 3-4 times a week until early December, when I went on a run with my dad (who runs 10kms several times a week). That first 10km was uncomfortable but better than expected, and around this time I downloaded the app Strava which I found very motivating as it mapped out the route, gave an audio cue every 1km and allowed me to record my times. It also allowed me to participate in challenges (e.g. 500 minutes of exercise within one month) which I enjoyed greatly. My runs made me feel energised throughout the day, offered some incredible sunrises, and never lacked entertainment (including tripping up often and getting bitten by a dog on one occasion).
In early February 2021, I started to consider setting a half marathon as a goal for the end of the year, especially given that we were in a third lockdown and so there was nothing better to do than go on runs, however the idea of running more than 10km was slightly daunting. Nonetheless, on a snowy February morning I ran 11km and felt over-the-moon when I got back home. Coincidentally, shortly after running the 11km I received an e-mail at work seeking volunteers to run the Royal Parks half marathon on behalf of our charity partner, The Talent Tap. I knew that this would be a great opportunity as it would be much easier to fundraise via the workplace, but my major drawback was the fact that this half marathon was only a couple of months away and I wasn't sure I could sustain 21km. Nonetheless, the deadline was early March so I had a few weeks to make a decision. I decided that if I could run 15km before the deadline, I'd sign up. By the end of February I'd ran the whooping 15km and was extremely proud of myself as only a couple of months beforehand my longest run had been just over 5km; after discussing the half marathon with a close mate (who told me that I could 100% do it), I put my name forward.
I had exactly 5 weeks until the big day so decided that following a training plan would be the best call and was very relieved to find that although I was 7 weeks late to the plan, I had run further than the plan had required at that stage. I used this training plan and loved the structure it provided to my runs as the increased distance meant that I could explore other local parks and routes. Although these weeks felt extremely busy and Sunday mornings were always reserved for long runs, a lot of it overlapped with my college leave from work so I had the time and the weather had picked it so it was mostly sunny but cold, which was perfect to run in. I came to love the 15km and 16km runs as I would 'save' all of the podcasts I enjoyed the most for my longer runs and I always felt very energised and proud of myself afterwards.
As 11th April approached, I started to fundraise with a colleague who was also running the Half Marathon and although I found it surprisingly challenging at first, as soon as we announced our race to other colleagues we managed to surpass our goal of £1000 and fundraised an incredible £1945 for The Talent Tap!.
Leading up to the half marathon, I had been following my training plan closely, however the week before the big day, a big blister formed on my foot that I didn't want to exacerbate, so I rested for 6 days (I couldn't bear to skip my long run on day 7), which made me lose a bit of confidence, but I made sure to follow the plan for the last week and I still felt confident that I would finish the race as I'd prepared both mentally and physically for it. As this was my first half marathon, I wasn't aiming for a specific time meaning I felt very excited for the race rather than stressed and I couldn't wait to actually do it as the day approached. Due to the pandemic, the race was virtual this year, meaning that as long as you tracked your run on the official Royal Parks app, you could choose your route (which was a big enticement for me) and could run it at any time within the 24 hours of 11th April 2021. I hadn't actually mapped out a route but I knew that I would definitely incorporate Tooting Bec Common as it is nearby and very flat.
At long last, the big day finally approached. I woke up earlier than expected and took some pictures before heading out into the sun for 21km (13.1 miles). I loved the fact that I could start whenever I felt ready, and the app was very well-designed so that at each mile there would be an audio cue, often a celebrity cheering you on, some history about a London landmark along the official Royal Parks route, or even Brazilian drums and crowds. These cues were incredibly appreciated and definitely boosted morale. As I ran along my route I saw many others partaking in the event with their green bibs and the run elapsed surprisingly quickly. I assumed that I would be destroyed at the end of the run, but throughout the race I kept up the pace as I listened to my favourite podcasts and I ran the last kilometre faster than any other (the two energy gels might have had something to do with it). Having said that, I did think I'd finished before I actually had and my premature celebrations had to be abruptly ceased in order for me to officially finish the race. My whole family came to see me finish and my dad even ran the last kilometre with me! Although I felt comfortable throughout the run, as soon as I stopped running, I felt every muscle in my body and knew that I was in for an achey few days.
Surprisingly, after only a couple of hours the pain completely subsided and I had a few friends over for drinks in the afternoon which was a lovely end to a memorable day. This was also the last day of lockdown before pubs and restaurants opened, which was definitely the icing on the cake. Although I hadn't been aiming for a time, I was extremely happy with my time of 2 hours 6 minutes as I was in the top half despite my lack of experience and impromptu sign-up. I still don't have the desire to run a full marathon (mainly because of the time required to train) but I am extremely proud of myself for having completed a half marathon as I was never particularly sporty and wouldn't have anticipated myself training consistently to run a whooping 21km. If I ever run another half marathon, I would aim for 2 hours or under and would ideally complete the Hackney Half, London Landmarks, Great North or Oxford half marathon so stay tuned to see whether it happens!
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