What drives you?

I was running my fourth half marathon last weekend. Somehow I was feeling a bit exhausted already before I started running. Maybe it was the flu season, or the feeling of just not having enough rest. Anyway, I wasn’t feeling full of energy at all. Not a good feeling when you should be running a while.

The running experience was not comfortable, which was no surprise. I went through the run promising myself that I could quit - when I had been running just a bit more. My legs were hurting and finally I was expecting a bird to fly low enough, so I could grab it’s wings and it would fly me to the finish line. That bird never came.

Also I was waiting for the tailwind to blow, so it would push me fast forward. Surprisingly it didn’t happen. Instead I had to run myself. And Spotify stopped playing music. Also Sport Tracker stopped working, so I have no track of how many steps I have been taking.

In the end it didn’t really matter. It didn’t go as planned, that’s for sure. The more important thing is that I finished. And well, I did three minutes better than last year.

A half marathon isn’t the place where the magic happens, a lot of practice is needed.

Practice can be very boring. How about all the health benefits? Increased cardiovascular capacity, reduced blood pressure, learning structured training. Just to mention a few things. Maybe, just maybe, it could be the reason to start practicing for a half marathon?

I guess it needs a bit more than that. 

My motivation has actually not so much to do with the health benefits. Running is something, that can be done anywhere, anytime. It's great to know that it has good effects on the health.

Long distance running has never been anything I've been even thinking about to do. I wouldn't have believed, that I could have the discipline for it. Training is also proved to be increasing self-belief and confidence. 

“With self-discipline all things are possible”

-Theodore Roosevelt