26 before 26 :: Frozen Bonsai Half Marathon

One of the most prominent additions to my life through my stay in New York has been the joy of running. I'm not the fastest, or the most consistent; but I do enjoy it a whole lot. In March of 2013, I ran my first half marathon and it was amazing. I spent a couple of months before it really invested in getting my stamina and form right, focusing on my diet to some extent as well. I ran all over the place, in parks and on streets. I got bruises, rashes and everything that accompanies the activity; but I loved it all. And so wonderful was my experience that I decided to run another one at the end of the year! This time, the goal was to get a better finish time.

However, this time around, my experience was quite different. Firstly, I chose a time of the year that was quite cold indeed (not as cold as it is now, yikes! But cold nonetheless). Secondly, I didn't really focus too well on my training and diet. And thirdly, I fell ill right before the event!

The timing of the marathon was decided on the fact that the entry fee was affordable, and that it gave me some time to train. However, since it was the end of my course, my work took up most of my time. Then, we planned a trip to Las Vegas right before the half marathon, which meant my healthy runner's diet was pretty much non-existent. So yeah, I didn't expect to make good time and the goal, once again, was to finish the race.

Then came the cold winter winds and I found myself with a really bad case of the sniffles. I woke up on the day of the marathon coughing my lungs out, wondering if I should put my body through this ordeal. I sat by my bed staring at my racing bib, and quietly told my body, 'I'm sorry for putting you through this. Be good today, and you can then feel as weak and sick as you want'. Thankfully, my body agreed. And off we went.

The race itself wasn't too bad. It was cold, and I felt sick. But running in Central Park made me feel happy, and I tried to focus on the pretty views rather than my aching body. I finished the race just in time (and scared my sister in the process, who was waiting for me at the finish line wondering if I'd passed out somewhere) and got that beautiful medal.

My friend Morty, a seasoned runner, ran the relay and we all went out for brunch to reward ourselves afterwards. 26 before 26, gotcha!