I never liked running. I was always among the last in my class and didn’t want to see myself as not good at something I worked hard at. It was my dream to run a triathlon one day, but I was too scared of running to even try.
That changed when I went to cheer on my friends at the San Francisco marathon. The energy at the finish line and the support from everyone made me want to be a part of it. The following week, I joined a running crew.
Since then, I’ve run almost 500 miles, almost as long as the entire length of Camino Frances. I’m still slow but have become a bit faster. I like running in groups, supporting each other, pushing and pulling. I also enjoy running solo, listening to the same the most sick playlist of the week on loop, feeling my breath and my feet hitting the ground. Running the same route repeatedly can be boring, but exploring a new route fills me with both anxiety and excitement.
Sometimes, having to run a certain distance each week feels exhausting, and on long-distance days, the road ahead can feel overwhelming before I even start. But I fill myself with the belief that I can do it. With a mix of tension and excitement, I tackle distances I’ve never run before.
I can’t confidently say why I run or if I enjoy it yet. But I do know what I like most about running. It’s when I’ve reached my goal distance, stopped my watch, and feel like I could run even more. In that moment, I feel like I can achieve anything in the world.
Now, there are two weeks left until my first marathon.