Today I achieved a dream that was born in April this year. Before April I never swam, biked or ran. I played basketball sometimes, but I did little in the way of endurance (耐力) workouts. One day in April, however, this changed. I want to find a way to challenge myself. I decided I was going to train for the Chicago marathon and complete it in six months.
The day finally came. For the first 11 miles, everything was going great. I was pacing(调整节奏) myself correctly and there wasn't too much pain or tiredness building up in my legs. Shortly after mile 12, however, I started to feel some pain. Miles 12-17 became a mental battle as I tried to convince myself to get to the finish line without walking.
Miles 17-20 were getting hard. I had to consciously push myself to stay at the race pace I was aiming for. My ankles (脚踝) were starting to hurt and my legs were giving out. At around mile 21 I got a stomach ache. I thought I might have to stop and walk for a minute, but the determination side of my brain took over and said, "Stick to your goals and never give up!"
The last 3-4 miles of the marathon were like nothing I have experienced. At the aid station at mile 24 I walked for a few seconds and drank some water. Then I started running and slowly I got back up to speed and went on. The last mile stands as the single most difficult thing I have done physically and mentally. Every step I took, my brain was screaming at me to walk. but I wouldn't listen.
When I crossed the finish line I was so happy and excited that I began to cry. I will never forget this day and I encourage everyone to go after that big event you have been thinking about, because although it will be hard, there are few more rewarding feelings than the feeling I had today crossing the finish line at the Chicago Marathon.
