Run into the New Year 2022, Half Marathon (Time Lapse)

BIB #3004
Time: 2:58:15.1
Pace: 13:36
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The New Year celebration always meant late-night partying until the sun rise. In the back of my mind the new year also meant a time to reflect and set new goals. It is a time that creates a sense of renewal, motivation, and clarity. For me it has been not so pretty jumble of both.

I rang in the last 12 New Years with booze and a half-thought out idea of what I wanted from the New Year. I would wake up in the afternoon of the new year having lost my voice, misplaced my phone and wallet, some foggy memories of the night before and a pounding headache.

I've always felt that I wanted to do different [things] but I'm good at partying and its hard to say no, plus its fun. Yet never as good as the year before? Or never anything special?

In the month before the race, my friend casually brought up a 10k in January 2022. I was so excited for the challenge, I invited myself. As I’m signing up, I see the race is on January 1, 2022. Suddenly the possibility of missing "fun on New Years" outweighed the 10k. Anxiety, indecision, FOMO all hit me like a train.

Do you ever feel like your phone is listening to you? I do.

The next day my Instagram was blasting me with inspirational quotes and videos. I was annoyed until I came across a simple video. It was a beach, you could hear the water and a soft harp being plucked in the background. The message was as simple as the font. It said, "nothing will change if you change nothing."

I felt a break-through, like I solved a mystery. I felt like everything was going to be alright. I know what to do.

CHOO-CHOO! ALL ABOARD! The emotional train made another stop. My 'aha!' moment was interrupted by self-doubt and negative thoughts.

"Can you even run a 10K?" "How long is a 10K?" "You're not a runner."

But by definition I am a runner. I used to run from my problems, I can take ideas and run with them, even as a kid I used to run back and forth relaying messages for my parents, aunts, and uncles. So I changed my mind. I jumped off the train and decided I was gonna go for a run.

A little over 7 miles, I called it a trial for the 10K, a determining factor for my participation. I never run, just cycle, but there was a divine transformation happening there and not just with words. The rain started to fall just as I hit mile 2, the sound of the drums matched the rhythm of my feet as a ran, next thing I knew I was on mile 4, then 6, and was not too far from home when it started to pour. I finished that last mile in a downpour, a metaphorical baptism in confidence, self-love, and success.

That night I signed up for the half marathon.

I trained for about a month. I estimated I would take about 3 hours and 30 minutes and I did it in just under 3 hours! In mile 2, my right foot got numb so I had to fix my shoes, in mile 7 I started to get winded, and in mile 11 I got the worst cramp in my calf. My leg looked like a serpent the way it was pulsating. Holding strong to who I am and who I want to be; I ran through the finish line to see my close friends and family cheering me on.

Special shout out to my cousin who ran the half marathon and my friend for being the catalyst and motivation to start this new year different. Lucky number 13!

Cheers!

Alejandro A

Видео Run into the New Year 2022, Half Marathon (Time Lapse) канала Alejandro Alatorre