--- title: "Why I run a marathon?" description: "About 3 weeks ago I run my first marathon in Astana. I've been asked by many people since then: How..." author: "kima_kima" published: "2016-09-25T03:06:35+00:00" modified: "2016-09-25T03:06:35+00:00" locale: "ru" canonical_url: "https://yvision.kz/post/why-i-run-a-marathon-713570" markdown_url: "https://yvision.kz/post/why-i-run-a-marathon-713570/markdown" site_name: "Yvision.kz" --- # Why I run a marathon? > About 3 weeks ago I run my first marathon in Astana. I've been asked by many people since then: How... About 3 weeks ago I run my first marathon in Astana. I've been asked by many people since then: How did I prepare, When did I start running, and most important: Why I've decided to run a marathon. So today I would like to share my little experience and I hope it will inspire you to do one step beyond your abilities. So, imagine: early fresh morning, thousands of people around, and you feel with all your senses this excitement and agitation in the air. We stand at the black line - those who run full distance 42 k. Our crowd is so diverse - ages from 20 to 70, tall and short, skinny and plump, but mostly it's men. Someone is wearing T-shirt from "Iron man" race, others are all equipped with fancy shoes and expensive cool running cloth. I notice a couple of familiar faces: Olympic champions, a minister, CEOs, a mountain climber, one famous runner. People are getting prepared: someone is doing dynamic stretches, others are talking to their friends who came to support them. I just stand still and trying to get ready emotionally: you can do it, you've been preparing for the last 5 month for this day. But in this crowd I feel less and less sure, and at some point I even doubt: how on earth I believed that it is possible for me, who was always last at all sports at school and Uni. One man interrupted my thoughts: "Cool, you are running also full distance ha?" I nod. He continues: "I am so glad to see you running, it means that at least I will not be the last one".. that's very encouraging. And then countdown started: 3, 2, 1, and all this 250 people furiously take off like a tornado. I take my own pace, and start thinking: why after all I am here? Well, first of all - because I love running. It came to me only a couple of years ago, when I started running in the mornings 2-3 km because I wanted to loose weight. At the beginning I forced myself to get up early in the morning, I hated physical exercises and act of running itself, but slowly I started enjoying this feeling of fulfillment and feeling of tiredness after run. When I did not run I missed this meditational flow of thoughts during running when all this great ideas come to your mind, I missed fresh empty streets, beautiful dawns, and at some point to my own surprise I admitted to myself: I love running, and run not to loose wight but because I truly enjoy it. But why to run a marathon, this long distance which brings more harm than good for your health? Because I wanted to prove myself once again that everything is possible. Even if you have never been fit, and never did any sport I wanted to prove that if you want it and you prepare for it- you can do it. I wanted to make that one step beyond my physical abilities, push the boundaries of what is possible, and maybe inspire others with my example. And lastly, I run a marathon because I can. One day I was running in Atyrau over the bridge from Pobeda Parque, feeling so tired after 25 k run in 30 degrees under sun, asking myself why am i doing this. And then I looked down and saw a man in a wheelchair who was taking a stroll on the riverside. He was doing what he could physically. And while I have my 2 legs, my 2 arms and young and strong body - I should do what I can. I have never felt that strong as when crossing the marathon FINISH line. And I have never felt so inspired either. People were cheering us up and it made you thrill. This feeling of unity, feeling of being surrounded by people who share the same values, feeling of accomplishment - marathon gives you all of this. When I was leaving I met that man who "cheered" me at the Start line. He asked my result, shaked my hand and asked to take a photo with me: he gave up on 17th kilometer, and said that he is never going to judge a book by its cover ever again. --- Source: [https://yvision.kz/post/why-i-run-a-marathon-713570](https://yvision.kz/post/why-i-run-a-marathon-713570)