By Grace Shon …
I DID IT! I completed my first marathon! It was a long, tough journey but this whole process taught me that I am much stronger than I ever thought I was. I was thankful that I was even able to run, because I hadn’t been able to train for more than 4-weeks leading up to the race, and was not sure if I could finish.
There were so many things I learned, about running and about myself, during the weeks leading up to the marathon, but here are a few keys I would like to share:
NEVER train in pain. At Nimble Fitness, we strongly believe in this and tell this to all of our clients. The moment you engage in a sport or activity and you experience a pain or discomfort that isn’t “normal” you should stop and assess what you’re doing. You only move ahead when you’re ready and pain free. TRUST ME, I learned this the hard way! If I had done this, I would not have had to take 4 weeks off my marathon training.
Strength training is very important. Your legs carry you through the marathon. Logging in those long runs is important when training for a marathon, but getting your legs strong enough to sustain you through 26.2 miles is equally as important.
Don’t forget to enjoy the experience! Throughout the marathon, I was smiling like a fool because I was just thankful that I was able to run again. Rather than focusing on finishing at a goal time I was savoring every moment of it- the scenery, the crowd and the experience!
SMILE! There were moments during the marathon when I felt exhausted and thought I might not be able to go on. The encouragement of the crowd and putting a smile on my face made me feel good, gave me strength and helped me finish strong.
I wouldn’t have been able to get through the 26.2 miles without the help of the co-founders of Nimble Fitness, Keith and Daniel, who taught me so much along my journey, as well as the rest of the Nimble crew! You CAN do it. This is only the beginning of the first of many marathons I hope to run!
