CRAIG BAGOL

3 years ago it was a goal to run a half marathon and I didn't do it. It was a goal last year and I still didn't do it. This year because of school and work I sacrificed time that I should have spent training and put it towards other things which made me question if it was even worth it. I was so unprepared. A week before race day I struggled to run 1km. My breathing was already heavy, my body felt stiff and I really wanted to give up. I was at my lowest point when I told myself that no matter what, even if I die by the end of the race, I'll finish. It seems silly and dramatic right now but I honestly thought death was a possibility because I felt that underprepared LOL. Race day was rainy and cold. I had a cough and little bit of a flu that I've had for what seemed like a month. Conditions weren't good. 3km in, my shoes were soaked but I felt great. No pain, breathing easy. I was surprised! There were times where people would pass me and I had to tell myself "just focus on your race. This is your face. No one else's." I pass the 14km mark, the furthest I ever ran in my training runs and I still felt great! It must have been a combination of being around so many runners, cooler temperature, the people cheering and the small cups of Gatorade and water. I was at that point where I knew I was going to accomplish my goal but then I realized that wasn't enough. I didn't want to just finish! I wanted to do the absolute best I could and leave every bit of energy I had out there. If I did that I knew I'd be proud of myself. That's what I did. I finished the race more than half an hour faster that I thought I would. I ran faster than I ever did. The run was tracked. I have proof LOL. I know I'm never going to be a competitive runner (way too short) I'm never going to be one of the top 10 in a race but I think it's just about trying to be better than you were. If you made it this far, thanks for reading to the end. I wanted to make this post to say that pushing yourself further than you thought possible isn't insane. You are so much more powerful and stronger than you think you are. Whatever it is, you can do it.