“First half marathon…Why not start international?”
I guess it wasn’t enough for me to try out for the USAL women’s soccer team (see last post). Now, I think I can run half marathons, too! Fortunately, this is the story of how I successfully ran through the finish line, beat my goal time, and loved every second of my first “21 K (13.1 mile) experience.”
It all started on a normal Wednesday morning in Argentine History class. My friend, Vera, walked into the classroom, took the seat next to mine, and casually mentioned that she was going to run the Buenos Aires 21 K on the 6th of September. I immediately became intrigued and asked for more details…but let’s be honest, I had already made up my mind. I was going to run the half marathon. I could not think of a more perfect way to see the city, challenge myself physically, and be apart of the Argentine community.
Train. Race. Eat.
Anyone who knows me would call me athletic…but I am by no means a runner. I do my daily 2-3 miles, but that’s about it. We had just two weeks till the race…and I was determined to not only cross the finish line but do so in a timely manner. I made my goal 2:05:00 and we began training. With Vera’s help, my 3 mile average bumped up to 10 and before we knew it, the day of the half marathon was upon us.
I loved everything about running the half marathon in Buenos Aires–wearing my personalized remera (shirt), listening to my “run forest run” playlist while admiring BA’s most famous landmarks, attempting to run and drink gatorade simultaneously, and seeing my friends cheer me on at the 12 K marker and the finish line. There is really no better way to appreciate the beauty of this city than on a long Sunday morning run…and I mean it! Here are some of the iconic buildings and monuments that I passed:
Pictured (in order) are Casa Rosada, Cabildo, Catedral de Buenos Aires, Obelisco, and Floralis Generica.
While the actual running of the 21 kilometers was unforgettable, nothing can compare to the moment I sprinted across the finish line. At 1:55:23 (10 minutes faster than expected!) I finished my first half marathon with the world’s biggest smile on my face. And then, of course, we got some ice-cream to celebrate.
We’ve hit 11 K!
Sitting here and reflecting on this experience, I can’t help but liken my time abroad in Argentina to a kind of half marathon. I am already halfway through the race!! Two and a half months complete, I have just passed the 11 K marker and am rounding the corner to see 12 K in the distance. I love what I’ve seen and experienced these first 11 kilometers, but I’m excited to keep running and discover what lies ahead.
I don’t know, however, if I’m quite ready to see the end of this race…to cross that finish line that will appear on November 21st. Right now, I am much more interested in slowing the pace, taking in my surroundings, and enjoying every last minute of my Argentine semester.
Until the next kilometer on my study abroad journey…
Besos,
Haylie
This week I learned…
1.) that avocado in Porteño is palta. This is extremely important as avocados are my favorite food in the entire world…If I had to pick one thing to eat for the rest of my life, it would be palta!
2.) that running a marathon is kind of like playing a game of MarioKart. There are hazardous banana peels EVERYWHERE.
3.) there are 1.61 kilometers in a mile…and the U.S. should really get on board and switch to the metric system. It would just make things a lot easier…
