After I returned from Tanzania on October 27, 2019, I decided that since I was in the best shape of my life, that I should go ahead and run a marathon. So, on Friday, I went to the running store and bought a pair of running shoes. On November 2, 2019, I ran my first mile. I did some research and signed up for the Pittsburgh Marathon to be run on May 3, 2020. I was ambitious.
So I was off and running, literally. I didn’t run everyday, but I didn’t miss many days. It actually felt good to run, it had never felt that good to run before. Even when it was cold outside, I ran. When we went to Arizona for Christmas, I ran while I was there, and it felt great. I never had so much energy.
On January 1, 2020, I ran 13.2 miles. It was quite the challenge going from 0 to 13.2 miles in 2 months. On February 1, 2020, I ran for 16 miles. I ended up officially running and completing the 41st Colonial Half Marathon on February 15, 2020. It wasn’t a record breaking pace, but I completed it, and that was my goal.
News of a novel coronavirus was starting to receive a lot of attention around this time, and travel was being restricted, and events were being cancelled. They ended up canceling the Pittsburgh Marathon, even though you could still run it virtually if desired. I withdrew my registration and received my deposit back; however, I later wished I had continued with my quest. I had put too much effort into training for this event to let it slip away, so I registered for the Bigfoot Virtual Marathon.
On March 7 and 14, 2020, I ran for a little over 17 miles each day. My family was supportive of my efforts. They didn’t complain when I went on long runs on the weekends or during the week. On April 4, 2020, I ended up running 26.3 miles in a little under 7 hours at the local elementary school. My IT band caused me to walk the last part of the marathon, but I stuck with it and completed my goal. My hips ached for months afterwards when I tried to run. I still think about running a few miles, but as far as running another marathon, I think I got that out of my system. It was a goal and I have marked that off my bucket list; but I do have the bumper sticker!