The following is our intern Sam Riley’s account of her experience preparing to take on the Columbus Half Marathon:
Imagine this: it is early on a Sunday morning, a nice fall chill in their air, and you are standing in a crowd of thousands of people, lined up at North Bank Park in downtown Columbus. It is a beautiful morning for a leisurely stroll.
Plot twist – you are actually about to take on the Columbus Half Marathon, and run 13.1 miles. The nerves and adrenaline are rushing through your body, as you wait in anticipation for the gun to go off. You are excited though! You have been training for this for months, and the atmosphere is great! There is music playing, people are cheering, and breakfast is waiting at the finish line. You hear, “Runners take your mark! Get set!” and then “Boom!” The gun goes off, and so do you.
What I just described is exactly what I will be experiencing a few days from now: the Nationwide Children’s Hospital Columbus Half Marathon. Although I have been a runner all my life, this will be the first time I have taken on the challenge of a half marathon. I do not expect it to be easy, but what fun would it be if it were?
I began my training in early July, following a set plan. I began with relatively low mileage, tackling two or three miles a day. As the weeks grew, so did the mileage. A long run of four miles turned into a long run of ten miles, and there were plenty of moments when I would have preferred to curl up on the couch and watch a movie instead. Lucky for me, I had a friend to help me train, and our tag team pulled each other out of a slump when need be.
The mornings of sacrificing sleep and waking up with sore muscles have all been worth it. I have never been more excited to take on a race. Who knows, maybe this will lead to a full marathon one day!
Watch the 13.1 Course Preview Here:
The Sixth City team wishes Sam the best of luck this weekend. Thanks for sharing your training experience with us!
