So you want to run your first endurance race that takes months to prepare for? If you’re a first-time marathon runner or everyday health fanatic who wants to cultivate a healthy running habit, the possibility of not making it to the finishing line is something that may discourage you and make you consider quitting even before you start.
In this article, qualified Capetonian fitness instructor Carly Swartz shares how preparing for the Absa Run Your City Cape Town 10KM race has helped boost her confidence and rewired her ‘can do’ attitude for any life challenge that lays ahead – along with tips you can follow for your big race day!
Discovering a community of runners that are supportive
Reputable research (PubMed) shows that discovering and joining a community of runners is among the first steps to navigating one’s journey as a consistent marathon runner, and this couldn’t be further from the truth for the ever-energised fitness instructor.
“I was very nervous in the beginning because it was my first 10K,” says Swartz as she remembers how thoughts of self doubt almost crippled her. “I’m not usually a runner, I only run if it’s for cardio or when I actually want to clear my head. However, I was surprised to learn that there’s such a huge running community that’s always ready to welcome you into the space and offer you support, which is what kind of motivated me. And when people found out about my race, everybody was supportive. I got a lot of messages, and I think that kind of hyped me up and made me a bit more confident.
Proper mindset and tools
Preparing the body and mind for the enormous endurance race requires both the right mindset and the proper tools in order to succeed. For Swartz, that meant committing to daily training weeks ahead. “I think I did put a lot of pressure on myself because I trained every single day, which worked out for me in the end. With this being something out of her fitness scope, she felt Ishe needed to take it seriously and look for tools to empower herself, “like an app that I used to track my time and daily performance,” she said. “This made it a little easier for me, especially when I started preparing for the run.”
She added: “When I was running on race day, I enjoyed the entire vibe – the music, the people and atmosphere made the run very easy. I promise you I didn’t even feel the first 5K, it seemed so effortless. But when I reached 7K, I kind of felt a bit tired because I had picked up the pace. I realised I needed to push a little harder in order to complete the run in an hour, which was the time I had set for myself. And when I actually saw the finish line, all the tiredness went away. I just got the strength in me to run a bit faster, and I completed the race in the set time – I think I was two or three minutes over time.”
Motivation to run: find your ‘why?’
Being a dedicated runner is an important aspect of the sport on its own. While for some would-be marathon runners, there are important steps to consider to bolster their dedication for the long haul, like joining a local running club or setting a realistic health and fitness goal, for Swartz it helped that she was an already an established fitness instructor with a good track record.
“I’m not going to lie, this is something that I’ll definitely do again. I’m actually planning on doing another one big race very soon. And I also think I do want to incorporate running more seriously into my training routine. The whole experience surpassed my expectations. It made me realise that whatever you set your mind to, running can help build you up and make you confident to do it.”
