I often ask myself, ‘What would it be like…?’ to do or experience a certain activity or be in a specific situation. And whenever possible, I actually put it to the test. Driven, it seems, by a huge curiosity, I am eager to discover the (physical and mental) experience of a specific situation, activity, adventure or situation. I want to know what it would be like or like… To explore or push my own boundaries for example.
In this article: ‘What would it be like to… run a half marathon, only half-trained… Meaning; only trained for a half of its distance?
When I made the decision for signing up for the event (CPC Half Marathon in The Hague), I just had returned from a winter ski trip where I had done a lot of cross-country skiing (skating style). Every day, I headed into the mountains to ski for about two and a half hours straight. In ‘skiing’ style, that is comparable to two and a half hours of speed skating – uphill. Or uphill running. So, I was in peak physical condition and was curious to see how far I could get in a half-marathon. Up until the trip, the longest distance I had run at a stretch was 11 kilometers. A half-marathon (21 km) meant nearly doubling that. In terms of stamina (lung capacity, heart function), I figured I could handle it, but how would my leg muscles react?
The outcome: the run went almost exactly as I had predicted. I finished the race, but my legs were completely wrecked. From the 14-kilometer mark onwards, running became complete hell. And it only got worse. I very nearly finished last. Not wanting to end up in the newspaper as “the final runner crossing the finish line,” I quickly overtook someone just before the end.
That last participant behind me, incidentally, collapsed from dehydration. I managed to prevent that by making a trip to a running store the day before to buy some energy gels. The salesperson told me I needed to start hydrating right away, drinking plenty of fluids at least 24 hours in advance. I was supposed to take those energy gels roughly every 45 minutes. I bought three or four of them and taped them to my ankles and wrists with duct tape. This was likely the only reason I managed to stay on my feet after crossing the finish line and not collapsing of dehydration.
The run felt incredibly challenging and painful, yet also deeply impressive. And magical, too: for the first 10 kilometers, I ran with the sun beating down on my face along highways where pedestrians are normally never allowed.
My perception of the journey shifted completely, likely due to a massive surge of endorphins and other natural painkillers. The rest of the run seemed to unfold like an ultra-slow-motion film.
My senses became heightened; I noticed everything as I ran. From the 15-kilometer mark onwards, I saw participants who had dropped out everywhere. Sitting, hobbling, or lying by the roadside. Some sights were alarming; at one point, I saw someone lying on the ground with a defibrillator next to them. That really shook me. What was I or what were *we* actually doing here? It felt like it was dragging on forever. Yet, I couldn’t stop running, even though I felt extensive pain in my thighs; I felt just a bit too fit and too determined to just quit. Crossing the finish line was a remarkable experience nonetheless. About a hundred meters before the line, a police officer on a bicycle rode up alongside me and asked if I was okay. I blurted out “NO!!” a bit too quickly and randomly, due to the burning pain in my thighs. Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted a runner suffering from a severe calf cramp who was being medical assisted. The officer on the bike stayed right beside me all the way to the finish line. What a great guy! The final stretch. As one of the last participants, I heard the crowd chanting my name: “GO ABBYYYY!!!” They literally shouted me across the finish line. *Wow*, I was thinking; *I don’t know you guys – at all – but THANK YOU for the cheering!!!* For someone who isn’t a pro athlete, this was a completely new experience. It feels great to be supported by the crowd during your finest hour.
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