Why Every Young Person Should Run a Half Marathon

Tomorrow, I’m running my fourth half-marathon in Charlottesville, Virginia. While that sounds kind of insane to the average person, the truth is–running these kinds of races is one of the best things I’ve done for myself in college. And you read that right; it’s something you do for yourself

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On the verge of my race tomorrow, it’s making me think about why running these races is so amazing and challenging. And why every young person can and should run one. Each of these examples is definitely something that has happened to me, in some context–the ridiculous, the embarrassing, and the awesome alike.

On the one side, a half-marathon is 13.1 miles of:

1.pain

2.struggle

3.trouble breathing aka sucking wind

4.having to go o the bathroom at least once and being pissed you didn’t before the race

5.joint abuse

6. brutal hills

7.fatigue

8.being left alone with your own torturous thoughts telling you that you can’t finish

9. CHAFING (awful.)

10. being passed by people left and right and thinking you’re slow as hell

11. dropping your entire water cup on your shirt instead of in your mouth

12. doing this with gatorade and being sticky for the rest of the race

13. being able to see the finish line and having to run a 2 mile loop back (curse you, Nike Women’s Half in DC)

14. having that old ankle injury or IT band trouble start to twinge around mile 9 and hoping you won’t have to walk

15. having to tie your shoes

16. not having enough energy to wipe the sweat off your face

17. having marathoners pass you even though they’re running twice the distance

18. missing your family or friends who are trying to cheer for you and not getting that extra boost

19. wondering if you look like a kangaroo on heroine in photographs

20. realizing your socks are not fitting right and that a blister is gradually forming getting worse with every step

21. just hauling yourself a long ass distance.

However, running a half-marathon is also 13.1 miles of:

1.time for yourself

2. meeting really cool strangers

3. realizing the true value of water and food at fuel stations

4. being thankful for amazing volunteers

5. being thankful for incredible fans and their inspirational signs

6. the guy that pulls his car out to the side of the road at 7:30am to play music for you as you pass.

7. finding your stride

8. thinking about life

9. feeling the strength of your legs

10. marveling at the power of the human body

11. seeing a stranger with a prosthetic leg and an 80 or so year old man pass you

12. realizing that you have a great thing going in this life, and if you don’t, that maybe you should do something about it

13. inspiration

14.sight-seeing

15. sweaty palms

16.  banana craving and then eating that banana as soon as you finish

17. strangers thinking you’re their hero

18. passing that girl who dusted you at the starting line with a mile to go

19. crossing the half-way mark

20. seeing the 13 mile sign and kicking in your last bit of adrenaline for a sprinting finish

21. getting a shiny medal and nice t-shirt and loads of free food and maybe even a free beer if you’re extra lucky

22. having the excuse of having just ran a race when you look pathetic on the stairs for the rest of the weekend

23. the glorious pain of ice baths

24. planning for your next race

25. becoming addicted to racing.

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There’s obviously a lot more that fits into either column, because a race is really personal. Maybe you won’t look like a kangaroo on heroine; you might look like a koala on crack. Or maybe you’re extremely photogenic during races and everyone else hates you.

But the first thing to realize is that it’s definitely do-able. If you enjoy running at all and you could finish about 6 miles today, you could get to half-marathon shape in no time. Hell, I barely trained for this race anyway.

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Need advice on half marathons or want to make a comment? Shoot me an e-mail or comment here. I’m no pro, though! (:

 

Best,

Jenna

Being an Urban Outdoorsy Woman: Where is the nearest nature?

An important question for women hoping to be professional as well as outdoorsy is: where can I find my nearest dose of nature? Sometimes, with skyscrapers, city blocks, and sequestered trees, there isn’t always a really easy answer. 

Luckily, most cities have a few main staples like parks, trails, and urban oases that give city-goers a little dose of nature when they can’t go outside the city and find the nearest State Park, hiking trail, or river. Luckily, I’ve visited a few cities, and have lived in Baltimore for the past four years. I’ve found Baltimore’s hidden green more than once, and even covered it in this City Paper College Guide Article titled “Get Outside”: (click either image below to read more.)

 The article includes a variety of options, especially for Baltimore college students, to get outside, be fit, and join athletic teams. 

 

City Paper article artwork by Ana Benaroya

In terms of going outside in Baltimore and getting the best dose of nature, I always seek out the little things, like my apartment: The Carolina. It’s right across the street from the Johns Hopkins lacrosse stadium. It’s the only one I’ve seen around my campus that has an actual lawn out front.

Here are a few of my absolute favorite options in Baltimore:

1. The Gilman Trail:

courtesy of Map My Run user who describes the trail as “Narnia”

This trail is a hidden alcove just beyond Hopkins House apartments; take a right then watch the left side of the street for the beginnings of forested area; run across a small wooden bridge and you’ll be on the trail. Students of the nearby Gilman school run cross country on these paths, and it’s great for a four mile loop. Just watch out for mud if it’s been rainy lately.

 

2. Druid Hill Reservoir

The Druid Hill Reservoir in Druid Park features scenic views, a running/bike/walking loop, gymnasium equipment, a local pool and more. It’s beautiful in any season.

Druid Hill is another one of my favorite places to run or bike, but it would be nice to just sit on a bench in the springtime and read here. It’s beautiful, and you’ll always see a lot of people out enjoying it even if the weather’s only hinting at warmth.

3. Patterson Park

Patterson Park and the neighboring Baltimore Zoo are both green spots in an urban expanse, urban oases, if you will. The beautiful pagoda within the park and areas for open air concerts are great for a taste of fresh green. That is, if spring will finally happen.

 

courtesy of baltimoreaerials.com

courtesy of the Friends of Patterson Park

These are just a few of my top picks, but fill a few crucial categories of green areas that manage to fit into urban environments:

1. Trails

2. Bodies of Water

3. Parks

Though Baltimore is relatively small, we have some real beauty if you’re willing to look for it. Check out that City Paper article for more of my suggestions.