So, I ran a mini marathon. I just discovered that a marathon is 42 Km and 21 Km is a half - marathon hence I am calling a 10 Km race as a mini marathon. And I discovered it was a stupid decision. I will tell you why. I am at least 65 Kg in weight. I say at least because I haven't checked in a while for the fear of fainting at the number. I have zero experience in running, never even ran a race in school. When I mean zero, I mean I have never ever run more than a couple metres at a time. And add to that I have no regular exercise routine. So why did I commit to doing a thing I was sure of failing at? It offered a challenge, which I love. And I had been told by a well meaning close friend that I looked like a mother to two children when I drape a saree. I would like to point out why this was offending, I am 28 years old and have never been pregnant. So about that, I really want to write another post. But suffice it to say that that comment was a pretty big motivator to me. Simply to prove to myself that I am not as lazy as I pretend to be. Prove this to just me mind you, nobody else.
I know you are wondering if I completed it. I did! I walked most of the way and when I ran, I really really wanted to quit but I kept going. Even when my face burned and I couldn't feel my legs and even when I simply just wanted to stop, I kept going. And then something amazing happened. My body gave me a tight slap back. It told me to go f**k myself for even expecting to complete such a feat with zero time spent on preparation. Thankfully I am young enough that I didn't come home with major injuries, the possibility of which was fairly real. The ordeal for the next 24 hours after the race turned out to be far greater than the race itself.
What this whole experience really taught me was to listen to my body. To not expect it to go on without working on it. Talking about body image issues is a big deal. It is difficult, it is potentially the most difficult thing I have talked about. But I decided it was time to acknowledge what my body was telling me and to not hate it. Where you are with fitness is a result of all the conscious and unconscious choices you have made though years.
As a side effect, I have come back with love for running. I have come back with an aim to 'run' next year. Man that sense of accomplishment is addictive. And why am I putting this on a public forum for everyone to judge, so that I am forced to keep this promise.
I know you are wondering if I completed it. I did! I walked most of the way and when I ran, I really really wanted to quit but I kept going. Even when my face burned and I couldn't feel my legs and even when I simply just wanted to stop, I kept going. And then something amazing happened. My body gave me a tight slap back. It told me to go f**k myself for even expecting to complete such a feat with zero time spent on preparation. Thankfully I am young enough that I didn't come home with major injuries, the possibility of which was fairly real. The ordeal for the next 24 hours after the race turned out to be far greater than the race itself.
What this whole experience really taught me was to listen to my body. To not expect it to go on without working on it. Talking about body image issues is a big deal. It is difficult, it is potentially the most difficult thing I have talked about. But I decided it was time to acknowledge what my body was telling me and to not hate it. Where you are with fitness is a result of all the conscious and unconscious choices you have made though years.
As a side effect, I have come back with love for running. I have come back with an aim to 'run' next year. Man that sense of accomplishment is addictive. And why am I putting this on a public forum for everyone to judge, so that I am forced to keep this promise.
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