Why Run a Half or full Marathon?

The decision to run 13.1 or 26.2 miles is not one that should be taken too lightly. The distances demands respect and if you plan on running these off little or no training then expect them to bite back on race day. For the runner that does respect the distance and puts in the work these really are achievable goals for anyone.

The feeling of completing an endurance event is second to none and I could list a hundred or more reasons why you should take the plunge and either up your distance or take on the challenge for the very first time. Here are my top three reasons to stop thinking and start running!

The top three reasons I think you should commit to your half or full marathon ambitions.

1. Money can’t buy the feeling of training and completing an endurance event. When you make a commitment to yourself to train and complete an event like this you get a sense of empowerment and accomplishment that you simply cannot buy. When you show determination, discipline and focus to achieve a personal goal like this and see it through to its conclusion you will be amazed at how you will grow and impact change in your whole life.

As an overweight teenager endurance running was the thing that gave me confidence in myself and that only happened because I threw caution to the wind and entered my first event.

2. Make it Personal. In the five years (2010-2014) since Virgin Money began its role as head sponsor to the London Marathon it has raised over £261 million pounds for good causes. While London Marathon may be the largest of its kind in the UK there are many events that you can raise money for. If you have a cause that is close to your own heart then pull on the trainers get out the door and make a difference in someone else’s life. The sacrifice and feeling when crossing the line will be more than enough repayment for the miles logged in training. The added advantage of raising money for others is that while you may suffer with motivational issues in day to day life, not many of us would feel so ready to let others down when they are depending on us.

3. Health & well-being. Staring at the scales each week is defiantly not the best way to motivate yourself, or to reach your potential. Setting a goal like the half or full marathon will give you an aim and a focus beyond just the confines of your weight loss ambitions. When you do this exercise and healthy living becomes a lifestyle. Suddenly you’re not going to the gym because the doctor told you to lose weight, your training for race day. The diet is no longer a drag because you don’t want to be carrying a single pound more than you need to around that run course. The training and lifestyle shift when managed correctly will lower blood pressure, make you feel alert and full of energy. Stress and weight will be reduced and you may even start to enjoy the addictive feeling of all those exercise induced endorphin’s!

There are literally hundreds of reasons why you should run a half or full marathon but really it all comes down to one reason, and it’s the same reason we all decide to do it:

You want to see if you can.

Trust me if you have read this far then you already have one foot half way over the finish line. Make 2016 about You and realize your own half or marathon ambitions!

Andy

Fundamentally FIT Ltd