13.1 Things I Learned Running My First Half-Marathon

After Numerous Failed Attempts Previously, I Finally Ran 13.1 Miles (Consecutively)

The first thing you have to know about me is: I have never been an endurance athlete. Unless you count hours running across a tennis court during my competitive youth travel days, I’ve never been a fan of extended cardiovascular activities. Unsurprisingly, my fitness-related interests always skewed towards strength (bodybuilding and powerlifting) and then CrossFit (more aerobic than weightlifting, but mostly short anaerobic bursts rather than long extended efforts). Nevertheless, I have had “Run a Half-Marathon” on a yearly goals list no less than three separate times. I was always impressed with the effort required to run anywhere between 2-4.5 hours consecutively. The outcome would always resemble the following: I would begin “training” for a half, log a couple of run sessions, and either be like, “Oh yeah, this is why I don’t run more,” or ramp up running volume too quickly and injure myself. This year, after feeling burnt out only training CrossFit for seven straight years, I finally made the commitment to sign up and run my first half marathon in my hometown of Pittsburgh, PA. One of my most common beginner faults is a good starting point for the 13.1 takeaways:

1. Build Up Volume Slowly, Especially If You’re New

The key to finally being able to train successfully for and actually complete a half marathon was being smart about how much volume and how fast I would run. During my first few attempts, I immediately wanted to start logging double-digit miles at my estimated CrossFit mile pace—unsurprisingly, this led to inflammation and injuries. Running one mile fast is a lot different from being able to run 13.1 consecutively. You have to build your body up to be able to stay in the race, particularly if you are a larger athlete like myself. 225 pounds is a lot of force to be putting on your joints and tendons; if you do not gradually build into the volume and pace, you will blow yourself up—literally and figuratively—before you even start.

2. You Need A Date and a Motivating Factor

The first time I said I was going to run a half marathon, I never signed up for a race and, after a week, quit entirely. The second time, I signed up for a local race, but it wasn't one I was particularly excited about or had any real reason to do aside from it being close to where I lived. This time was different: I was going back to my hometown, running through the city I was born in, and doing it with one of my best friends. Having something more motivating than simply “running a race” powered me through those cold winter training sessions. Also, telling my family I was coming home to do it created even more accountability.

3. New Challenges Can Unlock Yourself Mentally

The gym was starting to feel like an obligation rather than something I looked forward to every day. Instead of being excited about training, I was mentally figuring out how quickly I could get through everything. This was rare for me, as I am usually very motivated and dedicated to my fitness routines. But for the first time in several years, I was getting sick of going to a basement gym every day. Two years ago, I made the commitment to really go all-in on improving at CrossFit. I hired a coach who created personalized programming (who also programmed my half marathon build and is excellent), and it completely supercharged my progress. Suddenly, I could walk on my hands, bang out ring muscle-ups, and do all the stuff I never thought I would be able to do. But after two years of training at a minimum of 2.5 hours a day, with a lack of competitive events to measure my progress, I was completely burnt out. I felt like I had given it my all and made tremendous progress, but I needed to do something different—I needed to feel that novice excitement and challenge again. The running training immediately scratched that itch, and suddenly I was excited to get back to training again. That leads to my next lesson…

4. Being Outside is Refreshing, Especially in NYC

The thing about CrossFit, especially in a major metropolitan city, is you're almost always in a small confined space. More times than not, it’s a dingy basement. The musclehead in me loves this environment, but there is something to be said for being outside, even when the weather sucks, feeling fresh air in your lungs. I started the run build in the middle of March in NYC—not ideal conditions. However, where I normally would’ve dreaded the city streets and cold temperatures, I found myself invigorated by them. The streetlights at night illuminating the course, the quiet empty streets in the morning providing time and space to mentally reflect and prepare for the day ahead—getting outside fixes a lot of problems.

5. Patience is a Virtue

I’ve never been a patient person. I prefer to move fast and struggle sitting still or taking my time with any task. The thing about running, especially when you get to longer distances, is you can only do it so fast. At a certain point, it’s going to take what it’s going to take. When you’re running a mile, you can grit your teeth and say, “Let’s get this over with.” When you’re running 13+ miles, you just have to embrace you're going to be there a while. If you’re mentally complaining 20 minutes into a 2-hour race, you’ll have a miserable time and sabotage your own success. When you accept it’s going to take as long as it takes, focus on breathing, and just be in the moment, you suddenly feel much better and more comfortable, and the run comes easier. Just like in life, sometimes it's about putting one foot in front of the other.

6. Running Solo is Necessary, but Running with Others is Awesome

You cannot avoid running solo when training for any event. There's tremendous benefit in this—the mental fortitude and self-reflection are huge positives. However, spending 90-120 minutes by yourself running gets pretty boring, and you can’t help but frequently check your watch, wondering how much longer the last few miles will take. There were probably only 2-3 sessions where I ran with someone else, but it felt like a party the entire time. Suddenly, instead of focusing on paces and breathing, a casual conversation would take my mind off the remaining distance, and I felt like I could run all day.

7. Running Gear is Sick

Self-explanatory. About 75% of why I get into any endeavor is the merch/gear/accessories. This probably isn’t ideal, but I am who I am at 31 years old.

8. Proper Fuel and Maintenance Are Paramount

Like a car or any expensive machinery, if you do not take care of it, it will eventually break down. Another previous fault of mine was abysmal effort or focus around proper fueling and body maintenance. I'd put on cool shorts and shoes, get after it, and wonder why my shins blew up one mile into the run. Proper warm-up is essential, as is post-run cooldown and mobility work. Ensuring your body holds up throughout the training cycle is crucial. Fueling also matters; proper carbohydrates pre- and post-workout, along with hydration, allows you to perform better and keeps your machine running well.

9. My Energy Noticeably Improved

Maybe it was just the excitement from embracing a new challenge and routine, but the amount of positive energy I had coming home from running sessions was noticeable. Instead of returning from training feeling like I'd been hit by a truck, I was energized, enthusiastic, and optimistic about the day ahead.

10. Runners’ High is Real…

I never understood when people talked about the “runner’s high” until I was several weeks into my training block. I think it is only possible once you surpass a certain distance or volume threshold, but it’s a real thing. One minute, I'd hear the same old complaints and negativity in my mind about running; the next, chills would run through my body, and I'd feel like Thor in an "Avengers" movie—like I could keep running literally all day. Once this feeling hits, it is as addictive as everyone says it is.

11. …but So Is The Mental Wall

On the flip side, there definitely comes a point where your legs start to get heavy, your body feels the accumulated volume, and you realize just how much further you have left to go. At this moment, you must literally see “The Mental Wall” and run through it. For me, this happened at miles 11–12 of the race (which, unfortunately, happened to be mostly uphill), where I felt the mental fatigue of what I was doing. Thankfully, training taught me that if you push through that brief period of mentally induced fatigue, you'll soon return to feeling strong again.

12. The Marathon Environment

The energy and crowd gathered in the city on marathon day were something I’ll never forget. Thousands of people were not just in the pre-race area but throughout the entire race—lining the streets, screaming words of encouragement, holding signs, and cheering on the runners. The actual half marathon was the first time during the entire eight-week training cycle that I ran without headphones or music. Some of this was intentional—I definitely wanted to fully absorb the atmosphere and energy of marathon weekend—but partly because my friend (who I thought I'd be running with the entire time) immediately took off during mile one to attempt a sub-2-hour finish. In the end, it turned out even better, as it allowed me to be fully present, mentally engaged, and to truly experience something unforgettable.

13. Running Your Own Race

What initially drew me to the world of endurance events (half and full marathons, triathlons, Ironmans, etc.) was the sense that the primary focus seemed to be about completing the race or improving personal times and accomplishments rather than “beating” anyone else. Maybe it’s just a novice perspective, and once you become competitive and experienced in any sport, you naturally want to beat others. Still, after almost a decade focusing exclusively on CrossFit—where leader boards and scores constantly measured against others often felt demoralizing, like I was never as good as I wanted or expected to be—running and endurance sports seemed to scratch an itch where the competition is really against yourself. Could I finish my first half marathon successfully? That felt more rewarding than beating someone else or achieving a certain time. The entire energy of both the full and half marathons centered around runners doing their best, running their own races, and focusing on personal achievements rather than the runners ahead or behind.

0.1. The Finish Line

It all hits you. It was all worth it. The feeling of seeing a commitment through to the end and being proud of the work you put in—that’s it. I said this was the 0.1 lesson…