Let me set the scene: it was the Friday during Thanksgiving break. I was sitting cross-legged on my bed, probably procrastinating something important, when I opened a registration page for the Tallahassee half-marathon. 13.1 miles.
At that point, I hadn’t run more than a mile without stopping since my middle school gym class. The previous weekend, I practically crawled my way through the FSU Marching Chiefs 5K, miserable from start to finish. I entered my debit card information anyway.
Was it impulsive? Absolutely. Was it one of the best decisions I’ve ever made? Without a single doubt. If you’ve ever toyed with the idea of signing up for a race but talked yourself out of it because you’re “not a runner,” this is your sign. You don’t need to be a runner. You just need to register and let the deadline do the rest.
Your Mind Quits First
Here’s the thing nobody tells you about distance running: it’s all gaslighting. Your legs will carry you further than you think. It’s the voice in your head that starts negotiating around mile four (or point four) that says, you could just walk. You could just stop. Why are you doing this? No one would even know.
That’s your actual opponent: your own mind. You gaslight yourself about your ex all the time. At least do it for something beneficial.
Training for a half-marathon introduces you to a version of yourself you might not have met yet. She’s stubborn. She keeps going even when it’s no longer fun. She learns to separate “this is hard” from “this is impossible,” and that distinction turns out to be one of the most useful things you can carry into every other area of your life.
Difficult class? Uncomfortable conversation? Uncertain season of life? You’ve run 10 miles on a Saturday morning in the Florida heat. You’ve got this. The mental grit you build on the pavement isn’t isolated there, and that’s the part that surprised me the most.
Running is Self-Care
We talk a lot about self-care, and usually it looks like face masks and iced coffee, which, valid, I love both. However, there’s something uniquely powerful about committing to a physical goal that exists entirely for you. No grade at the end. No one you’re trying to impress. Just a promise you made to yourself and four months of showing up to keep it.
The training schedule becomes its own kind of ritual. Three runs a week, with a long run on the weekend that goes a little further each time. You’ll learn to actually respect rest days.
Running asks you to prioritize yourself in a consistent, structured way that’s hard to back out of once you’re in it. When life gets chaotic, because it always does in college, those runs become one of the few things in your week that are completely, undeniably yours.
The Race is the Party
I won’t sugarcoat the training; there’ll be runs that feel terrible. You’ll have a long run that goes badly and wonder why you signed up. You’ll be tired, and there’ll be a week where everything feels off, and you question your entire personality for thinking this was a good idea. Then race day will come, and every single hard run will make sense.
Race day is electric in a way that’s genuinely difficult to describe. There’s music, spectators holding ridiculous handmade signs, and strangers cheering your name because it’s written on your bib. The adrenaline carries you through the first few miles before you even realize it.
Crossing that finish line after months of early mornings and sore legs and talking yourself into one more mile is one of the most purely joyful feelings I’ve ever experienced. The hard training is what makes the reward real.
You’ll Find Your People
Something unexpected happens when you start training for a race: you find a community you didn’t know existed. Running groups, local race pages, a girl in your class who you see at the start line, and now you’re new running buddies. There’s an entire world of women who are out here doing this, and they’re some of the most welcoming, encouraging people you’ll meet.
There’s a particular kind of bond that forms between people who are all willingly suffering together toward the same goal. It’s warm, a little unhinged, and completely wonderful.
There’s something especially fitting about taking on a challenge like this during Women’s History Month. The women who came before us fought hard for the right to take up space, including in races. Women weren’t officially allowed to run the Boston Marathon until 1972.
The act of a woman lacing up her shoes and deciding her body is capable of something great isn’t a small thing. It’s part of a larger story.
Social Media and Running
Let’s be real. Sometimes, my favorite running influencers set unrealistic expectations. I love the Utah running girls, but when I first laced up my shoes, I felt so bad that I couldn’t run eight miles at the same seven-minute pace they did, which is something very few people can do.
Your pace doesn’t matter. What matters is that you’re moving your body, exploring new places, and challenging yourself. My first half to my second had a 25-minute time difference. You compete against yourself, not the other girls on social media.
If you’re finding inspiration online because of the bright colors people wear or the joy they spread while running, then absolutely! My For You Page is covered in different athletes. Just know you don’t need every color of Lululemon shorts and three pairs of shoes to get started. You don’t even need gels till you’re racking up five to six miles in a run consistently.
When I registered for my first race three years ago, I didn’t expect to be where I am now. I’ve grown into a confident, calm, focused version of myself. Running has pushed me out of my comfort zone: I’ve learned to try new things, be open with other people, and feel good in my body. It was never about changing what I look like, and I’ve gained a new love for food in the process, too.
My newest challenge: a triathlon. Watch out; Ironman coming soon!
So, here’s my ask: find a local half-marathon, pick a date four to six months out, and register before you talk yourself out of it. You don’t need experience, and you certainly don’t need to be fast. You just need to decide that you’re worth the commitment, because you absolutely are. See you at the finish line!
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