Nineteen-year-old, Bryant University freshman, Eva Nesline recently ran in the Providence Half Marathon on Sunday May 7, 2017. This was Nesline’s first time running a half marathon, so Her Campus was excited to meet with her to learn about the training process, the actual race, and how she feels about her accomplishment.
HC: When did you first decide you wanted to run a half marathon?
EN: I decided to run it after winter break when one of my friends suggested we do it together, (this friend then bailed on running the race because he is weak).
HC: Why did you want to train for and participate in this race?
EN: Running a half-marathon has always been on my bucket list and I figured now was a great time to try and complete it. I had a lighter class load this semester so I had more free time to train and I was already in decent shape so I knew I could handle the training. I also wanted something that would motivate me to exercise more.
HC: How did you train for the half-marathon?
EN: Each week I would run one long run, one medium length run, a sprint workout, a hill workout, and then a lift day. I would also do abdominal workouts throughout the week.
HC: Did you go on any sort of meal plan alongside your training to prepare yourself for the race?
EN: No, I tried to eat healthier but sometimes I would use the amount exercise I was doing as an excuse to eat more.
HC: What was your biggest motivating factor throughout this process?
EN: I felt like if I quit all the hours I spent training would be for nothing. I wanted to make sure the time and effort I was putting into training was worth it.
HC: When you woke up on the day of the race, what was going through your head?
EN: I was very anxious, I just wanted to start running to ease my nerves.
HC: What were you thinking about during the actual race?
EN: The first 10 miles of the race I was feeling really confident in my time. Once I hit mile 10 I thought I was going to die. From that point on, my main goal was to finish the race.
HC: Besides being completely exhausted, how did you feel after completing the race?
EN: I was so happy that I was done running and that I completed the half-marathon. I was also really hungry so food was my top priority, (if anyone is interested in running a half-marathon, they give out a bunch of free food after to the runners).
HC: What was your time? Are you happy with it?
EN: My time was 2:03 and I was extremely happy with it.
HC: Is this something you would ever do again? Would you consider possibly training for a marathon or a different type of race in the future?
EN: I would definitely like to run one again. I am training for a triathlon this Summer. I hope to run a marathon after I graduate Bryant.