Letting this one out for air over for The Lounge today cause, hells yeah…I’m still on a half marathon high!!!
Thanks Robomum for hosting!
Bungee jumping. Sky diving. Heli snowboarding. All activities included in this adrenalin junkie’s bucket list.
Long distance running, however, a test of mental and physical endurance, was something I stumbled into.
After 3 months of training, I lined up last Sunday at the crack of dawn, wondering how on earth I got myself in this position; standing along 10,000 others freezing their buns off, waiting to run the SMH half marathon.
5 minutes before the race, I wasn’t so much nervous but more curious.
How was my mind going to handle the strain of focusing on running 21.1 km?
Where was this run going to take me?
I mean, I knew logistically “where I was going”. The finish line. Duh. I was wondering more about where running was going to take me after this gruelling race. Would I still love it? Will I call it quits?
Did I really need to do a last minute pee or was that nerves?
While experienced runners tell you that endurance running is 90% mental, they don’t mention the mind games.
This particular half marathon course consisted of a lot of loops and bends. No big deal, I thought.
But on the day, actually seeing the faster runners already on the other side of the course left laggers like me, mistakenly believe that the turn ahead was just a short distance away.
Wrong.
Eventually, each time I saw a group running the opposite direction, I knew I was up for a battle. Even more so if there was a hill.
And it just wasn’t me who was getting frustrated with all the mind manipulation. After seeing up front what would’ve been the umpteenth corner, someone behind me yelled, “What the…???”
“Dude! You shoulda read the map!” I felt like telling him.
A straight forward “Point A to Point B” course would’ve been less taxing on the brain.
Instead, in the twists and turns, all sense of distance and time is lost.
There are delusions of covering more kilometres than you actually have; it taking longer than what it actually has.
Each time a flag marker came into view, my spirits would dissolve.
“What? Only 12 kilometres?”
“What only 15?!!”
“HOLY EFFING HELL!!! 17????!”
Changing focus was key.
If my toes felt like they were falling off, I tried to enjoy the view.
If I started to slouch, gasping for air after running up a hill, I straightened my posture and shoulders and took in deep, slow breaths.
If the notion of stopping crept up (which happened often), I would tell my mind to shut up and allow myself to just see where this was going to take me. Through pain? Through an adventure? Whatever.
300 metres from the finish line, I pretty much had enough. The quicker it was over, the better.
Ignoring that lungs were going to explode and feet were swollen and excruciatingly sore, I sprinted.
And just as I was about to collapse after running through the arch, I spotted my family.
Later that day, Mr Surfer said he had expected some triumphant “Woots” and victorious fist bumps from me.
Instead, all I could mutter was, “I need some water…”
Catching my breath with lungs back intact, again I asked myself where all this running is taking me.
No answers have yet come to mind.
However, without doubt, the intense mixed feelings of utter exhaustion and accomplishment is extremely close, dangerously so, to being addictive.
Sharing with Essentially Jess for IBOT
Rhianna says
Congratulations lovely what a tremendous effort you are a super star. I just signed up my first 12km race. Not sure if I will ever get further than that. I am sure that at some point in the run I will find your efforts as inspiration.
Fairy wishes and butterfly kisses lovely
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kirri says
Hells yeah!! You did it!! Part of me wishes I could have been privy to the mind games because that interests me immensely.
You just cracked your previous perception of what is possible. Wide. Open.
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Lydia C. Lee says
Congrats and I love the shirt – too cute! (and probably too true!)
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Deb @ home life simplified says
Amazing!! You rock, thanks for sharing the mental journey with us xxx
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Luisa says
Amazing congratulations and what a time to finish in! xxx
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Jodi says
You are freaking awesome Grace!!! 🙂 xx
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Catherine Rodie Blagg says
What an amazing achievement. I hope you are feeling very proud of yourself. Big love to you. xx
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Ai Sakura says
Congrats Mama Grace! So very proud of you. I know how hard and mentally draining running can be, and so feel it even more. So so proud of you xox
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Min says
A HUGE congratulations to you Grace! You are incredible! I could never run 21.1 km’s. I just know I couldn’t. In fact, it would be an effort to run 1km!! lol Goes to show what a strong women you are! Well done you! xo
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Alex aka WHOA MUMMA! says
Congratulations Grace! You rock. My running inspiration. It’s a weird addiction isn’t it? I went for a run on Saturday and somehow got in the zone and before I knew it had covered 7km. Some days I can’t get going at all. It’s all in your head. I’m building my way up to 10km then who knows?
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Me says
I have got goosebumps reading your post – WELL DONE !!! I think that is an amazing accomplishment and hope to one day be able to say that I have done a half marathon as well !! All in good time.
Rest up and have a great week !
Me
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JodiGibson (@JFGibsonWriter) says
Awesome stuff! Very inspiring. I went for a run this morning. The first in soooo long, toooo long. A made it about 2.8km without stopping. Quite proud!
Belinda says
Hey you would have been right near my husband and I in the yellow group! It was such a great day, I’m planning on a full marathon now!!
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Stephanie says
Congratulations! You must be chuffed with your achievement. You are such an inspiration!
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Lisa Wood says
That Girlfriend is very impressive! You ran so far, and you did it.
Now what’s next you say? Take on the world, cause after that anything is possible – maybe mountain climbing? Or maybe you could follow marathon’s around the world?
You must be so damn proud. Good on for setting a goal and smashing it 🙂
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Prue Gilfillan says
Hi Grace,
WELL DONE. I really need to get my butt back out there into a running routine. My original goal was to do a half-marathon by next year and I’ve totally gone off track. You should be so proud of your achievement and by the way I LOVE the “this morning…” shirt! Hilarious!
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EssentiallyJess says
I love that picture of you afterwards; your face says it all!
Well done Grace. Achieving that is nothing short of a miracle. You inspire me to want to give it a go
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Kim says
Grace you’re amazing!! Well done. I can’t even contemplate what you did. You’ve got GUTS lady. And I love love love the shirt!! Xx
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Emily says
Congratulations! I have to constantly trick myself when running, too. I’ll just run to that light post then I’ll stop. Then when I get there, I’ll run to the next one and stop.
Not sure I could pull off that trick for 21+ kilometres though! x
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Josefa @always Josefa says
Congratulations Grace – this is an incredible achievement and on to be very proud of! I love your little man’s top -so cute xx
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Seana - Sydney, Kids, Food + Travel says
Hey Grace, that is great… I’ve heard people saying that these long runs are all mental, but I think it’d be all physical for me ie fall in a heap. Maybe a 9km one day. I’m enjoying the treadmill much more these days, a bit of sprint a bit of walk. That twin t-shirt is totally cool, by the way. Hope you are having a truly restful week.
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BossyMummy says
Congratulations!!!!!! What an achievement. I just made it over the line doing a 14km last year and I know the mind games the put forward, so I can only imagine what an extra 7 km would produce!! Go you 🙂
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Rachel @ The Kids Are All Right says
Well, I feel like I just took the run with you, without the three months of training, lungs fit to burst and jelly legs. I can totally feel what an amazing experience this was for you Grace. xxx And I said it before, I LOVE this pic.
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Beck/craftypjmum says
Congratulations Grace 🙂 you ROCK lady xx
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Sam Stone says
Congratulations Grace, what an awesome effort. And I love your little mans t.shirt.
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Francesca says
What an amazing effort, Grace. Well done, you’re awesome!
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Emily @ Have a laugh on me says
Had a wee tear of triumph when I saw that last pic, you look so elated, accomplished! That is on my bucket list, a half marathon, I’ve done the adrenalin stuff, it’s easy, but what you did takes training and perseverance! Hat off to you Gracie! Em x
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Kylez @ A Study in Contradictions says
Woohoo, awesome work Grace, that is a massive effort! So glad got through it. Nothing can stop you now!
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Rina says
Well done Grace!! So proud of you 🙂
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Deb - An Inspirational Journey says
Awww congratulations! Such an awesome effort. What a nice read!!
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Jenn Unger says
Congratulations, lovely. I felt similar to you when I did the city I surf. By 11 km I was done. I’d had it. My knees ached and I was having trouble getting my breathing right. I readjusted and kept going, and the feeling of crossing the finish line was one of relief more so than immediate satisfaction. Reading your post brought tears to my eyes as I remembered the last few strides under the arch.
That was only 14km, in 2010. I haven’t run that far, or close to it, since. Still I dream of running a half, and I’m inspired by your story. Well done! x
mamagrace71 says
Hey Jenn, are you doing the City2Surf this year???
I am! We should use it as an opportunity to catch up! Whaddayasay ? 🙂
Nami says
You did it. YOU did it. YOU DID it. YOU DID IT….!
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Lisa@RandomActsOfZen says
Grace, you are truly fabulous!! Huge congratulations xx
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Robomum says
I saw this post when you published it but something came up an I forgot to leave my comment.
Well done to you, Grace!
This is such a fantastic achievement! A week on, are you looking back thinking, Yep, I did that!
Congratulations sweetie! I look forward to seeing you next week and getting more deets on your feat.
X
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Vicki @ Knocked Up & Abroad says
Wow! Amazeballs! What an achievement. Big pat on the back to you. Plans for the next one yet? 🙂
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Kaz @ Melting Moments says
Such a fantastic achievement! Well done! I once ran the Bridge Run and know how it feels to see those distance flags along the way. You did it!
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Mrs Holsby says
I take my hat off, Mama G…. Mister H is a triathlete who competed in the Half Iron Man a few months ago. I looked on and cheered with incredulously as it does not appeal at all, but the pride I felt watching him finish was awesome.
Maybe one day I’ll get into distance running, I think there’s a little fit runner tucked deep away inside me!!
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Aroha @ Colours of Sunset says
way to go Grace. Bloody proud of you girl! I nearly died running 8k! I did that sprint to the finish too – I always run my last k the fastest – I just want it to be over with! x
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Neets says
Great work Grace…all that hard work paid off and look at that smile after such a big run. Did that mean it was too easy? See you at the full marathon next year? ;0)
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Katie Woodleigh says
You are amazing, what a run – 21kms, I could not imagine walking that far, let alone running it. I love your positive thinking & fun attitude.
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Robomum says
Love that you’re still on this high! Legend!! Cheers for linking with The Lounge. Robo X
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You can always tell an expert! Thanks for contributing.
mobile says
That’s a sharp way of thinking about it.
Lara @ This Charming Mum says
I’m inspired all over again reading this at The Lounge Grace. Good on you!! I’m slowly working on my fitness. A long way to go! I have people like you as my role models x
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Anna Burke says
Hi Grace – I stumbled across your blog as I was researching feedback on what the SMH half marathon course was like. Like you I’m a first time mum getting back into running and at the moment is very much questioning my endurance capabilities… have I still really got the stamina? Again like you, pre-baby I liked to challenge myself, I wanted to prove that anything you put your mind to, you’re able to achieve – cue my first city2surf run. the following I ran it again just to be sure that the first one wasn’t a fluke. the following year I thought I’d try and challenge myself even more and finally decided to try my first ever half marathon at the Olympic park which was quite flat – I survived but barely, my feet somehow developed a 3 pack worth of blisters! thank goodness I had the forethought to apply some compede before the race…
anyhoos fast forward to present, I’m considering finally conquering the race I’ve been wanting to try for like forever… the only thing is I’m not too confident on how well I’ll do on a hilly course. sure I survived the city2surf course but that was 14km!
What are your thoughts and are you running it this year???
Thanks.
Anna