As I prepare for my second half-marathon I wrote this to revisit my experience in last year's 13.1 mile run.
It is the last mile. The fun, hand waves, and smiles are over. All you can hear is feet pounding on the cement, heavy breathing from those around you, and a distant cheer from a spectator as most are waiting at the finish line. Your respiratory level, that struggles to maintain oxygen intake, wants you to believe, "stop now, 12 miles is impressive." Your arches ache, your knees feel a strip of pain, your calves and quadriceps are fatigued from pressure.
But, you don't give into any of this. You become one with the runners around you and join the mentality, "This is it. The last mile. I have been preparing for weeks for this mile; to keep running one step at a time."
Then you cross the finish line as you can't believe you actually did it. Tears start to trickle down your cheeks, as they should. You just have done what you once thought was impossible.
