I'm preparing for my first half-marathon

After my first 5k fun run with Pippin in March, I realised that my dog, even if he’s still very young, is a seriously strong puppy, and to keep up, I was definitely going to have to level up my cardio.

There’s a bit of a leap, however, from “working on your cardio” and “running a half-marathon this coming September.”

So, why am I preparing for a half-marathon?

• Because, before all the chronic thingies took over, I used to be a really strong person, and I miss feeling that capable.
• Because I want to prove to myself, that even in the pursuit of an athletic objective, that I am also able to pursue both my eating disorder recovery^[1] and cognitive burnout recovery without falling into compulsive behaviours.
• Because I really miss training for an objective!
• Because I want to prove to myself that someone my size can do this.
• Because I want to feel allowed to call myself an “athlete” again.
• Because movement is a gift.

I started this current training block for the September half-marathon on the 30th of May 2024. Three weeks (and a bit) later, I’m already seeing small but definite ameliorations in my running that seem almost magical. I’m relearning the lesson I learn again and again through classical dance: even the smallest efforts, as long as they are consistent and regular, can have exponential results.

As I’m undertaking this training programme, here are a few boundaries to protect my health:

• The goal, counter-intuitively, is not to run a half-marathon. The goal is to train 16 weeks (14 weeks + a 2 week taper) for a half-marathon while getting a minimum of 8 hours of sleep every single night, eating properly according to my treatment plan, avoiding injuries, and still having enough energy to work on writing, have fun, and take care of my dog and other responsibilities.
• If, for whatever reason, I am unable to run the half-marathon in September, all the lessons learned during this training block will be incredibly useful for my next big sporting project.
• I’ll say it again and again because it’s true: movement is a gift. If gratitude for movement is not at the heart of this project, of my motivation to put my running shoes on or making snacks or getting enough sleep, it means it’s time to stop.

When I get to the end of week 4 or 5, I’m planning on writing a blog post about how training has gone so far. So, if you have any questions between then and now, do drop me a line.

And, well, wish me luck!