I Just Ran My First Half Marathon–Here Are 7 Life Lessons I Learned

If I had a dollar for every time “running just isn’t my thing!” came out of my mouth, I could probably pay off my student loans. I’ve always been an active gal, but any long-distance running was mostly happening against my will. Alas, the mid-20s life crisis comes for us all, and for me, it took the form of running. Call it a coping mechanism, call it a hyperfixation… I’m not sure, but last summer, I found myself lacing up a pair of heavily cushioned shoes, opening the Nike Run Club app, and hitting the streets. Suddenly, what was simply a bit of stress relief after a long day or an excuse to listen to my favorite podcast became an obsession, and I found myself saying, “I think I might sign up for a half-marathon.” 

Much like every other 20-something who suddenly made running their personality, I have a lot of takeaways from this experience. So bear with me because whether you’re getting into running, training for a half marathon yourself, or simply looking for a few wellness takeaways, I’m going to drop the transformative lessons I learned in the process. 

Having a Goal Can Change Your Energy

When I signed up for this race, I followed a training plan that outlined specific runs to hit each week. While this was incredibly helpful in getting me physically ready to run this race, I think the real effects were mental. Having actionable steps to my goals allowed me to show up for myself every time I crossed a run off my to-do list. Through this process, I taught my brain that I keep promises to myself even when it’s hard and that I’m capable of more than I thought. This confidence then carried over to other areas of my life. I showed up with more energy in my relationships, confidence at work, and commitment to personal growth. If you’re feeling lost or like you’re floundering a bit in life right now, give yourself a purpose—with a deadline and actionable steps—and commit to that for a specific period. This could be a race, it could be a 30-day challenge at your local Pilates studio, or it could be your own winter arc. 

You Have to Flop to Fly 

This is the part where I say, “Trust the process”; I regret to inform you that it’s a cliche for a reason. There were so many weeks I went out for my runs feeling discouraged and doubting how this training plan was going to help me. But for every week of flops, there was eventually a gorgeous, stunning win of a run around the corner. In fact, every time I began to think I wasn’t seeing progress, I had a little breakthrough. This experience called for a fun little moment of reflection on all of the times I’ve quit something (perhaps) prematurely. It is unfortunately so easy to bail and incredibly hard to continue when you aren’t seeing immediate results. Goals take time, friendships take time, and life takes time. Running has reminded me that you can’t always see when a breakthrough is around the corner, but it certainly won’t be there if you stop. 

“I taught my brain that I keep promises to myself even when it’s hard. This confidence then carried over to other areas of my life.”

Commit to The Bit

There were many moments when I started to lose steam and doubt myself. I didn’t want to get a good night’s sleep or worry about fueling or stretching or recovery. In these moments, I let myself lean in. I got in the habit of saying things like, “You’re a runner,” “You’re training like an athlete,” “What would a competitive runner do?” Corny? Yes. Delusional? Absolutely. Helpful? YES. 

I spent a lot of my life convincing myself that I needed to calm down, take myself less seriously, and be less enthusiastic about things. But do you know what’s fun? Committing to the bit! Going all in! If full-sending this experience gets me to the start line feeling good, I’m absolutely going to do it. So whatever that thing is you’re into right now—if it’s a career goal, a hobby, or a hyperfixation—let this be your sign to lean in. Have fun with things and see where it takes you. Chances are it’s only going to improve your experience and maybe your life as a whole.  

Having a Plan is Critical, But Having Flexibility is Too

One of the things I loved about this process was following a training plan that took any decision fatigue out of what my workouts would look like for the week. Not only did I not have to plan, but I got to see the work start to pay off as I got faster over time. Turns out that training for a race is also great practice for balancing a calendar. Between work, sleep, social events, and strength training, finding the time to add in runs was a little bit of a challenge. But the bigger challenge was adapting when things didn’t go to plan. When you wake up with a 6-mile run on the agenda and your body says, “We absolutely can not do that today,” you pivot. My motto became “Be flexible about when things get done, not if they get done.” This gave me the freedom to make my training work with my life, not the other way around, while still building that discipline and consistency. You can do both; it just takes a little bit of juggling and the ability to grit your teeth and run 10 miles at 6 a.m. on a Monday so you can make it to work on time. 

What Everyone Says About Sleep Is True 

We’ve heard wellness experts wax on and on about the importance of good quality sleep. I fear I am about to become one of them. But I promise, it will change your life (or at least your training). As I recently (somewhat regretfully) revealed in this article, I am a biohacking gym bro at heart. So I do love to live by the insights of my Whoop (you can read my review here!). Let me tell ya, the girl running after eight beautiful hours of uninterrupted sleep and the one running on six hours are two different people. If you’re training for a race or just looking to elevate your fitness routine, my best advice is to get your sleep in check first. You’ll feel stronger during your workouts, recover faster, and make progress a lot quicker. A lot of the slumps can be mitigated by a good night’s sleep. I think that’s true for life, too. A lot of the challenges that feel deeply daunting may seem less so after you rest. 

“I spent a lot of my life convincing myself that I needed to calm down, take myself less seriously, and be less enthusiastic about things…”

Shortly after I began easing into my running era, I found myself bamboozled in a Fleet Feet staring at rows and rows of brightly colored shoes. I knew mine were not cutting it, but I had no idea where to start. Thankfully, the employees did and helped me analyze my gait and the shape of my feet to find a pair perfect for me. When I tell you it changed the game, I’m not exaggerating. Each little investment proved this over and over to me. Yes, you can run with what you have (I held my phone for the whole race because I refused to pay $30 for a training belt), but little tools like the right socks, anti-chafing balm, and good shoes make your experience a whole lot better. 

What’s the non-running takeaway? Sometimes, you aren’t bad at that thing or that experience doesn’t have to suck; you just don’t have the right tools yet to tackle it. Start by turning to the experts and see where it takes you. 

Live By The Rule of Thirds (It’s a Good Rule for Life, Too)

I tend to gravitate toward an all-or-nothing approach in my life. If it’s not incredible, I’m failing; if it’s a little bit bad, it’s not worth doing. In reality, there are going to be periods where it feels terrible, there are going to be periods where it feels great, and there is going to be a lot of time where it feels just OK. That balance right there? It means you’re actually doing something right. I first heard about this “Rule of Thirds” mindset from Alexi Pappas’ book Bravey (which I highly recommend): “Whenever you’re chasing a big dream, you’re supposed to feel good a third of the time, OK a third of the time, and crappy a third of the time,” she wrote. “If you feel too good all the time, you’re not pushing yourself enough, and if you feel too fatigued, you might be burning out or having a mental-health challenge and need to reevaluate.” It’s an incredible guideline for training and an even better motto for life.

Part of what I love about running is that you set out on every run with no idea how it’s going to go. On those runs where it feels unexpectedly hard, the knowledge that it’s supposed to be like this sometimes can be enough to keep you going. When it feels just incredibly meh, you know to keep going. When it all starts to feel bad, you know it’s time to re-evaluate. When race day came, I battled some demons on the course, somehow ran it faster than I thought I could, and walked away going, “When can I do another one?!” Who knows if this running thing will stick, but I do know I’ve learned so much in the process that will. If you’re looking for a sign to start something—whatever that thing may be—consider this your sign. Do a local 5K, sign up for that acting class, do the hard thing. Show up for yourself and learn to celebrate when you do. It will take you far. 

MEET THE AUTHOR

Abigail Moseman, Social Media Assistant

As the Social Media Assistant, Abi works with The Everygirl’s social media team to ideate and create content, and build community across all of The Everygirl’s social channels. Outside of the office, you may find Abi coaching group fitness classes at Equinox.