I mean they say that Rome wasn't built in a day and my journey to the finish was no different. Never mind the training that I had to endure, the actual race, made my heart palpitate, my sweat glads drain of everything they had, my emotions run through a series of love / hate scenarios with the race, my body and the decision to actually do this damn thing and finally it made me feel aches and pains all through out my body in a way I never knew possible. #oldwomanproblems
I was absolutely broken at the end. And while i started the race with my sights set on a pint of cider to celebrate, by the time I got to there I just wanted to lay on the grass forever until I could come back to life and realise what just happened.
And while it seems and sounds painful to most, the feeling you get after a hot bath, a warm cup of tea and an awesome foot rub as you look down at your medal, is absolutely indescribable. You just can't help but feel completely overwhelmed by emotions and a sense of accomplishment and happiness. I mean who actually thought the fat kid from high school would run a damn half marathon, let alone give up on those MacDonald's cheeseburgers (damn you gluten and dairy free diet...damn you). SERIOUSLY!!!!
None the less it was done, I promise you that and I even gots me a medal to prove it :) And as my last post, the night before the race said, I did come to terms with every it thing that had ensued over the past two - three years. In fact during the race is when it happened. A song appeared on my playlist, that I don't even remember downloading, and the lyrics just resonated with my journey and not in a way you would think. There was no I survived, the world is horrible, blah blah blah painful positive song usualness. Instead there was a bright poppy beat that you could run to, and words that made you want to screw the half and make it a full marathon (thank God the song only played once).
And that song my friends is partly copied in below, because there was no way I could not pay homage to the song that begins this next big big chapter of my life.
Hope when
you take that jump
You don't feel the fall
Hope when the water rises
You built
a wall
Hope when the crowd screams
They're screaming your name
Hope if
everybody runs
You choose to stay
Hope that you fall in love
And it hurts so
bad
The only way you can know
You gave it all you had
And I hope that you don't
suffer
But take the pain
Hope when the moment comes,
You'll say
I did
it all
, I did it all
I owned every second
that this world could give,
I saw so many places, the things that I did
Yeah
with every broken bone
I swear I lived....
See photos of the race and the gratitude challenge that has followed on Instagram - @therunningshoediaries (Arti London).
Till next time cyberspace.
-A
