There are 6 months until the Chicago Marathon, and there’s no time better than now to start chasing your “marathon.” Running my first marathon helped me to learn a lot about myself and my capabilities, though it wasn’t without challenges.
As a soccer player for most of my life, I wasn’t quite sure how I’d transition into running. My busy schedule of managing both difficult classes as well as a competitive travel soccer schedule kept me from pursuing running earlier even though it was something I’d always wanted to do.
It wasn’t until I decided to step away from soccer that I realized I could begin my running journey–I’d felt unfulfilled by soccer for a long time, and wanted something new that would challenge me and push me to my limits.
Deciding to begin running, I quickly started researching half marathons in the area, as I felt 13.1 miles was the perfect distance. The Naperville Women’s Half Marathon stood out, as I loved that it was local and provided a welcoming environment for my first race.
It was during this first half marathon that I discovered a real passion for running, and wanted to continue pushing myself to longer distances.
Within a week, I decided that I was going to become a marathoner. I embarked on a journey of ample research on programs and races that would fit my schedule. Based upon location and timing, I decided that the best race would be the Indianapolis Monumental Marathon.
While I had completed a half marathon at that point, the marathon felt like uncharted territory. I had doubts about my ability to finish the race and worried about balancing the intensive training with my already busy schedule.
To overcome these obstacles, I worked to change my mindset, and set small goals, like reaching a certain distance or feeling good on my long runs. I learned to accept that my journey wouldn’t be perfect, that there would be hard days, and that taking walk breaks when needed was okay. I focused on progress over perfection, reminding myself that every step forward mattered.
In order to be able to run the marathon, I knew I needed a structured plan, so I looked into training plans that suited my schedule and abilities. After I settled on a plan, I updated my daily planner to reflect my training days; this step really established that I would actually be training to run a marathon.
Through training, I learned the importance of consistency—it’s not about having a few perfect runs, but rather about showing up every day and trying. Additionally, I found that when I kept a positive mindset, my runs felt much better, even if they weren’t flawless; repeating “step by step, mile by mile” and “keep chasing a feeling, not a time” kept me going during hard runs.
The training process wasn’t just about running, it was about being disciplined, changing my mindset, and learning to trust the process—the training was the real challenge, race day was just the reward.
Race day was full of excitement—everyone shared in their excitement of accomplishing something incredible. The race started and the realization hit that I would be a marathoner by the end of the day. The first 5 miles in downtown Indianapolis were full of energy, and I loved the support from the crowd.
It wasn’t until we reached the suburbs that I fell from my high and realized how badly my right leg was hurting—running comes with its share of discomfort, but this pain was more than usual. As it was earlier on in the race, I decided that it was best to finish the rest of the race doing a combination of running and walking.
Circling back into the city for the last mile was so rewarding, and I pushed myself to pass the finish line strongly—the finish represented not only becoming a marathon runner, but also all of the lessons I learned along the way.
On the way back to the hotel, I reflected on my running journey. I realized that despite the hard distances and long runs that took up my weekends, the hardest part was just starting. Even though I’d been a soccer player my whole life and running was new, I recognized that it’s never too late to begin working towards something meaningful—if you’ve been waiting for the “right” time, there’s no time like the present to start pursuing your goals, whatever they may be.
From my journey, I hope that it can be derived that the time is truly now. Take the first step, whether it’s running a marathon, learning something new, or chasing a long-time dream—you’re capable of more than you believe.
