What I learned Running a Half Marathon...

So a month ago we decided to surprise my brother for his 30th birthday by showing up in Newfoundland to celebrate with him and my family! The surprise was successful and he was so excited that we were there… but of course we had to take things one step further…

My brother had registered to run a 1/2 marathon on the day of his 30th birthday, so in true Ashley fashion— I couldn’t miss out. I registered Josh and I to run the 1/2/ marathon two weeks out with no training. Well, I ran 3 times prior to the 1/2, the longest of my runs being a 16KM.

I will preface this with the fact that Josh and I are both very active and had previously run a marathon, but we hadn’t been specifically training for a race.

Whenever I run, or exercise for that matter, it’s like the creative juices of my brain go CRAZY. I feel like I learn, grow, and inspire myself with every step my body takes.

Here were my most resounding thoughts & lessons as I ran the 1/2 last weekend.

1) NEW SEASON / NEW TERRAIN - NEW CHALLENGES.

Sometimes in life we think that when we just get over the hill in front of us, it’s smooth sailing… but the reality is, in every “section” of a race, in every season of life, there will be new joys and new challenges. Take for example, the first 5KM of the race, the challenge is warming your body up and getting into a consistent pace and rhythm. Once you’ve achieved that, then it’s managing your body’s hydration as it’s starting to deplete a little, and then after the next 5KM, your body is getting a little more fatigued so you need to push through that mental battle, and then the last part of your race may be full of rolling hills…

As the seasons and terrains of life ebb and flow, so will challenges— but one thing is consistent through it all— the mental dedication, positivity and determination in takes to get through them to the other side. And boy, is it ever worth it! Rather than focusing on just getting through challenges in life one after another, focus on your big picture vision, and strengthen your mind, commitment, training and energies to continue to pursue that vision, not “get through the obstacles” but put it in a positive light of pursuing that “finish line!”.

2. ENCOURAGEMENT IS POWERFUL

All along the race route there were families, parents, kids all cheering on the racers. I didn’t know 99% of them, but their smiles and words of encouragement HELPED! It reminded me the power of encouragement. Imagine if we were intentional to encourage those around us everyday, with a simple kind word, letting someone know why they’re great, that they can do it, that they are loved and appreciated. It immediately LIFTS spirits, enables people to be all that they are created to be, to feel loved and valued, for their thoughts to go from negative to positive… Encouragement whether to someone you know, or a stranger, can bring people from a place of struggle to a place of thriving! People around you NEED your encouragement, don’t hold it back, ever!

Another really important person to encourage is YOURSELF. Throughout the run I found it was so important for me to speak positively to myself, from time to time I’d actually say out loud, “woo-hoo”, “let’s go!”. “we’ve got this” and then I would chuckle at myself, but it worked, it put a spring in step. The way we think and speak to ourselves throughout our inner dialogue life can either give us boundless energy and fuel or can completely drain us of all ability to do what we’re called to do in this life. How are you talking to yourself?

3. THE RIGHT TOOLS MAKE A BIG DIFFERENCE!

While we were preparing to start the race, my brother starting giving me a tutorial on everyone’s running sneakers… If you don’t know my brother, he REALLY gets all into something when he’s into something… So there are these new carbon NIKE sneakers that actually have a science of how much time they can subtract from your race because of their ability to support your foot and spring you forward. Isn’t that crazy? What tools are you equipping yourself with to achieve your goals? What is at your disposal to help you on your journey? The right tools for the race matter. I had my Apple Watch, my playlist ready to go, my favourite runners, a comfortable running outfit, AirPods fully charged and water ready to go. Without these tools, sure, maybe I would have still finished the race (well not sure about going bare foot) but it would have been a lot harder and a lot less enjoyable.

Whatever your goals and pursuits are in life, make sure you’ve got the right tools to empower your journey for success!

So, that’s what I was thinking about on my 21KM run… what do you think? I’d love to hear in the comments below!