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.

9. YOUR WORST LONG TRAINING RUN.

8. OVERCOMING SELF DOUBT.

7. TRYING TO PROCESS ALL THE ADVICE.

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

5. NOT KNOWING WHAT TO EXPECT.

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

3. MILE 23

2. MILE 24

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.

(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.