Already a week, Still processing that My First Marathon is over and I have to start something else now. Finishing a marathon not only left me physically exhausted, it also literally drained my mental configuration. It has given me so much happiness, confidence, inspiration to do and be the best version of myself. The whole journey was precious and everything I learned and experienced is a treasure. The first step was choosing a training plan with Yogesh, who is my running partner, also my life partner :). And the most powerful part towards finishing my marathon was my mind. I had made up my mind by telling it again and again that no matter what, you have to finish this and you can finish this. Lately I have observed that if the mind is ready and committed, the body just follows suit. Strengthen your mind as much as possible.

When I look back at the past 4 months, how it all started with a 3 mile run and eventually turned into a 20 mile long run, everything seems like a dream. The goal was to follow the training plan as much as possible. Yogesh was hit with a shin splint injury and took almost 2 weeks rest and I got bit by every injury and so called typical runners syndrome- be it a hurting shin splint, lower back pain (RLBS), black toe, runners knee and the best was the runner’s high. It occurred to me that only when you explore/use something you will find out its strength and weakness. Like I found out I had a flat foot and breathing issues, those were my weak areas and that I loved to do strides…. Training is the backbone of a marathon

Race day was coming closer and I was trying to keep calm and be as relaxed as possible.  I pictured just another long run but which ends with a medal… The signs and patterns were mixed. My stomach was upset, maybe due to carb loading or nervousness and fear(according to mom) I did get my periods 2 days back but still not the best day for me to race. My Sciatica symptoms appeared on the right side all of a sudden. There was a time limit for the runners( my pace was too slow to finish in that time limit…) The weather was good. A friend dropped a truth bomb that the Charlotte marathon was supposedly one of the hardest marathons in the USA, well it was dreadful but made me feel proud now that I managed to finish the course. Race day is unpredictable

November 12th,2022. One of the unforgettable dates of my life. I ran my first marathon, and just about finished it without injuries. Timing is everything, they say but I guess I was not really well prepared to match the time limit and just wanted to finish it. It was all according to plan until the 13th mile and I was very happy that I was almost close to the 3 hour limit but who knew that things were about to change very soon. I had lost my way and missed a diversion for the full marathoners and headed for the finish line of half marathoners….ha ha, I really suck with directions, i know. I never realized that and almost ran an extra mile just because of this. Almost ready to quit, I called my partner-Yogesh, who convinced me that he would navigate me and that I should finish the marathon because I could. His words were very convincing and effective and he did help me out staying on track and finishing the marathon. Simply said, he did have my back and I am grateful and blessed to have him. I didn’t get a chance to hit the wall because my mind and body was just focused on the next turn, I kept moving, one foot in front of the other towards the finish line. Did not even enjoy the marathon playlist as I couldn’t afford my phone to hang up. Also although there were some pretty sights in between, I had to look out for traffic and stop signs. Not a run you dream about but I am still very happy. It was an experience that taught me to be resilient and that perseverance leads to success. Have faith and trust the process.