We continue with the project – in collaboration with.
ASICS
, technical sponsor of the Milano Marathon – to tell how running helps us improve; not only physically but also mentally.
Today we host the story that Giulia sent us. If you would also like to share your story with us, please send it to info@runlovers.it!
Ready? Go!
I do not know if you will publish this story because it does not tell how the marathon changed me but rather how it is changing me. But I am sending it to you anyway because, I am honest, I think some people might be in the same situation as me.
My story is about indecision and fear. No, it is nothing atavistic and has nothing to do with night terrors, let’s say it is more of a disorientation. Let me explain: since I started running, I have always done it a little bit my way. I run to stay informed, to feel more active; more alive, in some ways. To make a long story short, I am one of the many runners you see in parks and on sidewalks running with headphones on and moving my legs-even if I didn’t always know what I was doing and, more importantly, how I was doing it. I was just running, basically.
It was never about speed or distance, although I always bragged to myself when I saw a lower number appear in the clock indicating my average pace or if I could add an extra mile to what I had planned to run.
But, really, I never made it a matter of necessarily having to do more, or be “more.” Until a few months ago.
Yes, because a few months ago I decided to start preparing for my first marathon. Trying to be serious, in short.
And how does a beginner, confident, convinced that she can do everything by herself? He continues to do what he used to do: run. Kind of randomly, three or four times a week, what if I didn’t feel like going out because it was too cold? Easy: I would stay at home!
You can’t go on like this!
I did this until, when I came back so tired from a workout, I looked in the mirror and said to myself, “You can’t go on like this!” I suddenly realized that a marathon is not just a run but a a project, a distance, an adventure that must be planned, wanted, sought.
And here came my fear: how to do it? I, a self-made woman who never has to ask for anything because I love my independence and doing things “my way,” had to ask more of myself and, above all, find a way to have a precise schedule that, step by step, would lead me to run those forty-two kilometers (forty-two miles). I needed guidance!
And to look for a coach just didn’t feel like it: I wanted to succeed on my own! (You get that I’m stubborn, right?!)
I listened to your podcast, read your articles and downloaded the program for running the marathon; I printed it out and hung it in the kitchen. And I started running (not really from the first week to be honest and making small modifications because I wanted to have one day a week dedicated to going a little faster as well).
All the randomness disappeared, I started to respect every single exit; even in cold or dark weather. And I also started stretching and core stability. Unbelievable (to me)!!!
Now my greatest joy at the end of a workout is clearing the “box of the day”: one more piece done, one more brick added, a slightly better “me.”
I have to be honest: the marathon, indeed, the preparation for my first marathon has taught me and is teaching me to be more focused, even more determined, more aware that even the time we spend training can be made more “efficient” (I know you like that word, hahahah). In a way, this long-term commitment has put more order into the way I approach life, not just running. It has made me less scattered and shows me – with each passing day – that distant goals can be tackled with ease. Just do it with perseverance, determination and dedication.
One step at a time I’m getting there. And I am better than when I started.
ASICS really means Anima Sana In Corpore Sano, indicating how much mind and body are connected and how much the brand makes this its banner. The complete vision of man composed of “soul” and “body” are also the fruit of the latest ASICS “Uplift your mind” campaign, related to mental well-being achieved through running.
To help people like Julia who need a reference with advice and insights, ASICS has developed
A HUB where you can find all the information you’re looking for
.
Editor’s note: The photo of the person on the cover is not related to the author of the post