Nearly a month after completing the Philadelphia Half Marathon, I’m finally coming off my runner’s high, thinking ahead to new racing goals and putting my 13.1 mile journey through Philadelphia behind me.
Looking back on race day, I think about the flurry of emotions that ran through my body, but more specifically, my mind. Many argue that running is obviously extremely physical, but more than anything, is a completely mental sport. I couldn’t agree more and have compiled a list of the six “emotional stages” I went through during my first half marathon:
1. Nerves. The night before and morning of the race, I was a bundle of nerves, relating to both race logistics, as well as general running worries. Would I hit traffic on I-76 on my way to Philly? (No…not at 4:30 a.m.) Would I find parking? (Yes) Would I get to the race early enough? (Yes, way too early in fact) Would my knee hold up, despite recent injuries? (Kind of…) Could I really run a half marathon? (Yes!) When I arrived at the race, my nerves quickly gave way to anxiety.
2. Anxiety. As I stood in my corral waiting to hear the iconic Rocky theme song that would signify the start of 13.1 miles, I bounced from foot to foot in an attempt to both keep warm and calm my racing mind. THIS, for me, was one of the most challenging parts of the entire race experience. After 12 weeks of intense training and an hour and a half sitting around in the cold waiting for the race to begin, I was ready to GO. But it wasn’t time yet…
3. Excitement. When I finally crossed the starting line and clicked on my carefully orchestrated playlist, I was struck by a wave of excitement. I was really doing this! Shortly into the race, I ran past the LOVE Statue, City Hall and all kinds of other Philadelphia landmarks that I only normally see when driving by or out and about in the city. I let the cheers from the crowd and funny signs along the race course push me to continue on. However, my initial excitement only lasted for about the first three miles.
4. Doubt and dread. I’m no stranger to the feeling of doubt and dread in the middle of a long run. In fact, I’d argue that most runners experience this feeling at some point during their training cycle or even during a race. The feeling usually creeps up on me between miles 3 and 4, and my brain begins trying to psych my body out. “You’ve only done 3.5 miles? Wow….that’s barely a 5K. You have 10 more miles to go. That’s essentially three more 5Ks.” This is when running becomes a completely mental sport and becomes heart vs. brain. When this happens, I turn my music up, try to quiet my mind and focus on putting one foot in front of the other.
5. Confidence. After a few miles of defeat, I came out on the other side and was filled with confidence. For me, this change of heart happened about halfway through the half marathon, after a good friend spectating the race ran a mile with me, distracting me even more from how many more miles I had to go. When we parted ways, I glanced at my pace and distance on my Runkeeper app and saw that I was at mile 7…more than halfway through the race! Every step I took from here on out would be one step closer to the finish line, and one step closer to that sweet medal I couldn’t wait to have placed around my neck. This is the point in the race where I began to relax and truly trust my training. I had spent 12 weeks working toward this goal; there was absolutely no reason I wouldn’t accomplish it.
6. Pride (and a little bit of pain). After turning the corner at the art museum toward the Parkway with just a few tenths of a mile to go, I could see the finish line. I picked up my pace to a sprint and focused in on finishing the race strong. Even though I was pretty zoned in on the finish, I was distracted by the loud cheers of my little sister, who surprised me near the finish line. After seeing her, getting a new boost of energy and crossing the finish line, I started crying, so happy to be done and so proud of what I had accomplished. Maybe it will even encourage me to sign up for my next race…
Have you ever run a long distance race like a half marathon or full marathon? What range of emotions did you feel throughout the race?
*Photos from official race photography website, hence the copyrights.
Love this post, Jess! Not at the Half Marathon level yet, but I can very much relate to the stages (especially #4). Running is such a mental sport, congrats on your 13.1 🙂
Thanks so much, Em! You will be at half marathon level soon…you rocked your most recent race! Any plans for a next run?
Oh! You use Runkeeper! Do you use the social component and have friends? If so, we should follow each other! I have found that since I have switched to using that app and I know my runs will be showcased on FB and Twitter and that people will SEE them, I am much more motivated to just keep on going!
What are you planning on running next? I’m doing another half in April and then Dam to Dam (20K) again in June. I haven’t been running all that much since the half in October, but I’m hoping to start signing up for more 5K’s. My next race is Resolution Run on New Years Day (5k).
Love your running posts, keep them coming! 🙂
Yes, I started using Runkeeper when my Garmin unexpectedly died a few months ago 🙁 I’m so bummed and need to try to get it fixed. I don’t use the social component as of right now…I need to check it out! I use DailyMile for tracking all of my workouts and definitely use the social component of that.
Not sure what my running plans are for 2013…maybe a full?! I don’t know! Eeeks.
Good luck with running in 2013! Can’t wait to keep up with your progress!
woooo! my range is similar-ish. i’m always a little nervous before, and then super pumped for mile 1 where i need to not go out too fast, miles 2-3 are a get in the groove phase for me – find my pace. miles 4-9 are usually my yeaaa girl phase where i’m in the zone and rocking it. mile 10 is my ugggh why do i do this. 11 is alright so close, stop letting those evil thoughts in, you need to finish strong. 12 is look what you’ve done and i make sure i have a few key songs to push through. and when i see the finish line i’m all about getting there as fast as i can!
i’m trying to figure out my races and i think i’m doing the pittsburgh half in may and my friends and i are talking about doing a ragner race in the fall which i’m super excited about! i’m trying to find a few 5ks but it is hard when i’m working weekends this spring. i love mapmyrun to keep me going during training – i didn’t use it on my half because i didn’t want my battery to die.
Haha, LOVE your thought process…so similar to mine. So exciting that you have your races figured out for 2013…I’m still not 100 percent sure what I want to do! Runkeeper was definitely a drain on my battery during the half. My phone literally died RIGHT after I found my sister at the finish line. Perfect timing.
Makes me even more excited to run my own half in 2013! Great post!