The 10 Most Traumatizing Parts About Running A Marathon

Oct 27

Does running a marathon sound absolutely horrible? Traumatizing? Painful?

Yes?

Well, check out these finish line photos. Do I look like they want to crawl into a ball and die? Quite the contrary! I look like I'm about to explode with pride and bliss right?

Yeah, that's because I'm a really good actress. No, I'm kidding! (Kind of...) Running a marathon can be one of the most amazing experiences of your life but when I crossed the finish line of my first marathon, I didn't look anything like the pictures above. I looked traumatized, kind of like this guy.

Running a marathon is slightly traumatizing.

It just is.

In 2015 I thought it would be a great idea to run back to back marathons and I ended up talking myself out of running the New York City Marathon around mile 23 of the Berlin Marathon. I was in so much pain from miles 22-26 that I decided, "NOPE. I’m not doing this again."

Then I turned a corner, saw the finish line, burst into tears and screamed, "I CAN'T WAIT UNTIL NEW YORK!"

But that happens when you're a marathon junkie, you quickly forget the hell that you endure during miles 22 through 26!

GETTING READY TO RUN YOUR FIRST MARATHON? I KNOW YOU'RE SCARED! LET'S SEE IF I CAN'T BRING YOUR FEAR FROM A 10/10 DOWN TO AN 8/10 BY FILLING YOU IN ON ALL THE TRAUMATIZING MOMENTS OF RUNNING A MARATHON. READY? BUCKLE YOUR SEAT BELTS HERE WE GO!

10. SIGNING UP FOR THE MARATHON IN THE FIRST PLACE.

Look! The 10th most traumatizing part about running a marathon is already behind you! Remember how scared you were when you signed up for this marathon? You survived that, right? Perfect! It is only going to get infinitely worse than that! (Just kidding...kind of...)

9. YOUR WORST LONG TRAINING RUN.

GOOD NEWS, the second most traumatizing part about running a marathon is probably already behind you! There is nothing worse than a terrible long run. We all experience them (some people don't, if you didn't THAT'S OK! LUCKY YOU!) but try to forget…

8. OVERCOMING SELF DOUBT.

That little voice that's telling you that you can't do it needs to shut the f*ck up! STOP DOUBTING YOURSELF! Even if you're under prepared, the worst thing you can do going into a marathon is doubt yourself. Give yourself permission to walk if you n…

7. TRYING TO PROCESS ALL THE ADVICE.

Can you be prepared? Yes. Should you seek out expert advice? Yes. Should you spend your every waking moment googling, "I'm running a marathon HELP"? NO! There's a point when the advice gets overwhelming. Just take what makes sense and put the rest into a "read after the marathon" file in your brain. I promise you, no amount of advice can prep you for the the marathon. (And I say that in a loving way. I wouldn't run marathons if they weren't fun as hell.)

6. FUELING AND UN-FUELING (IE POTTY TIME).

Hell hath no fury like your bowels on race day. Plan on going to the bathroom as many times as you can before you start. The start line isn't going anywhere, if you have to take an extra 10 minutes to go potty, do that. If you have to stop in the mi…

5. NOT KNOWING WHAT TO EXPECT.

This is, hands down, probably the hardest part about the marathon because you are infinitely more scared of what you don't know. It's impossible to know what running 26.2 miles is like if you haven't done it. Nothing can prepare you for the terror t…

4. THE SECOND YOU WAKE UP UNTIL THE SECOND YOU CROSS THE START LINE.

The 240-60 minutes that lead up to the moment you cross the start line are going to be stressful. Why? Because you are going to be very worried about your heart bursting out of your chest and running straight home. Waking up the morning of my first marathon was one of the scariest days of my life. I almost didn't get out of bed but my Dad (miraculously) said to me, "Life's made for participating. You just have to try to survive." (Which was a little f*cked up at the time because I was actually worried I might die. Why? I don't know but at the time it felt like a real possibility.) But everything is stressful and terrifying on race morning.

3. MILE 23

Mile 23 is rough because you still have an entire 5k to go but this is where it's very important to do a "glass half full over half empty" mind game. YOU ARE ONLY A 5K AWAY! Just say that until you believe it. It may take an entire mile. (And force a smile on your face while you do it. Smiling helps, BIG TIME.)

2. MILE 24

F*CK EVERYTHING you will be thinking to yourself. Don't cry and don't panic. Just focus on putting one foot in front of the other. You are going to be in a whole other world of pain at this point and you're probably going to want to stop to walk. Walk if you have to but don't quit.

1. MILE 25

BONUS THE TWO DAYS AFTER

The hell doesn't end once you get your finisher medal, I can guarantee you are going to feel like you got run over by a bus when you wake up the next morning. Expect to be sore like you have never been sore before! Enjoy the post marathon shuffle! It's a right of passage.

The marathon isn't easy but crossing that finish line will put tears in anyone's eyes. No one runs a marathon just..."because". Every single person who runs 26.2 has something to prove, someone they're fighting for or something they are trying to achieve. There are huge stakes when you run 26.2 and even though it's traumatizing, it's one of the most incredible days of your life.

All the tears! 😂😂😂😂😂 Now live on YouTube, #RunSelfieRepeat runs the #BerlinMarathon!!!! From the expo to the finish line, watch me freak out on race day and cry all the tears when I cross the finish line!!!! Just click the link in the bio to watch! #FindYourMore (WHO'S EXCITED TO DO IY AGAIN AT THE #TCSNYCMarathon in 3 weeks!!!)

A video posted by Kelly Roberts (@kellykkroberts) on Oct 11, 2015 at 7:51am PDT

(AND HONESTLY, THE HARDEST PART ABOUT RUNNING A MARATHON IS TRAINING FOR A MARATHON SO THE HARDEST PART IS ALREADY OVER. GO YOU!) SEE YOU ON RACE DAY!

Haven’t figured out training yet?

BALG has THREE options that our ladies love. The first is joining the team, which is an annual membership. You can also sign up for a training experience (our spring 2022 marathon training starts Feb 28th) or sign-up for specific running plans, which you can start whenever.

SEE ALL TRAINING HERE

Kelly Roberts

Head coach and creator of the Badass Lady Gang, Kelly Roberts’ pre-BALG fitness routine consisted mostly of struggling through the elliptical and trying to shrink her body. It wasn’t until hitting post-college life, poised with a theatre degree, student loans, and the onset of panic, that she found running. Running forced Kelly to ditch perfectionism and stomp out fear of failure. Viral selfies from the nyc half marathon struck a chord with women who could relate to the struggle, and soon the women’s running community Badass Lady Gang was born.

BALG is about enjoying life with a side of running. Kelly’s philosophy measures success by confidence gained, not pounds lost. If you aren’t having fun, it’s time to pivot. Kelly is an RRCA certified coach and has completed Dr. Stacy Sims ‘Women Are Not Small Men’ certification course helping coaches better serve their female athletes. Over the years Kelly has coached thousands of women from brand new runners to those chasing Boston marathon qualifying times, appeared on the cover of Women’s Running Magazine, joined Nike at the Women’s World Cup, and created a worldwide body image empowerment movement called the Sports Bra Squad. She lives in Brooklyn, New York.

http://BadassLadyGang.com