“You can do hard things.” That was my first cross country coach’s mantra. Despite how cheesy it sounds, it still sticks with me to this day.
Why am I running 12 miles in the harsh Michigan winter snow? I can do hard things. Why am I lacing up my tennis shoes for a five-mile speed workout on a Friday evening? I can do hard things. To say the least, running is the hardest thing in my life.
If I told my ninth grade, gym class dreading self I just completed my first half marathon I’d get a laugh in return. Two years ago, running one mile was a feat let alone 13.1 miles.
So, what does it take to run a half marathon? There are the obvious answers like hard work, dedication and so on. But the real question is what would a running Disney fanatic do for another trip to Disney World? A Disney Run.
Training long distances in the winter was a price I was willing to pay to race a Disney Run. The training was more difficult than the race itself, especially on those days when my screaming alarm clock would shove me out of bed on a Saturday morning. Or when I knew I had an eight-mile run after eight hours in school.
On the more challenging runs I told myself, “Think of Disney. It’ll all be worth it in the end.”
The beep of my alarm clock woke me the morning of the run. Rolling over I looked at the time. 2:30 a.m. “Race day,” I thought to myself.
Two and a half hours later at the start line I shook from nerves and the cold weather. But all that was forgotten once the fireworks went off. Running through the parks in the dark with no one but runners and supporting workers around was a rush. The lively entertainment, character greetings and magical parks almost took my mind off the fact that I was running farther than I ever had.
The first seven miles went by in a blur, but when I hit mile eight, I questioned why I was doing this. “You can do hard things,” sung through my head until I hit mile 11. From there on I knew I could finish strong.
In disbelief I crossed the finish line at two hours and four minutes with a smile on my face. “I just did that,” I thought to myself.
Running is a great physical activity. But the best part of it is pushing yourself past limits which seemed impossible. It’s taught me strength, resilience and that I can do hard things.
