Activity Details

Training to run in a Marathon

Student’s Name: Aditya Vinodh Arjun

Activity Name: Marathon practice

Total number of Hours: 70 (Current - Subject to change)

Start Date: January 2, 2021

End Date: Ongoing

I have always liked to stay fit and explore the limits to which I can perform athletically. As a result, running in a marathon has been something that I have always wanted to do during a young age, but I never got the time to register and participate. Adding to this was the fact that I was not eligible to participate due to age registrations. Entering into the final two years of my high school life, I felt it was high time to start working out and staying at the top of my fitness. This was especially important as my physical activity has severely been restricted due to lowdowns to combat the COVID-19 virus during the pandemic. Having to sit in front of the laptop screen for the entire day, both during school and after to complete assignments, started to take a toll on both my physical and mental health. A figured this is the perfect time to start working towards my goal and also to encourage my friends and family who have issues getting started.

Reflection

Reflection for the first two weeks.

1st Week:

I expected to not be at peak performance because there has been a huge gap between my last run. As expected, I faced difficulties completing my run on the first 2 days. I was able to complete 2 laps which was around 3 km. After completing the run on those days, I felt very exhausted. However, the physical exhaustion was paired with a feeling of pleasure and pride. I expected this to be the commonly referred to biological term of “runner’s high” as there was a release of ‘feel good’ hormones that was responsible for this. But I feel there was an additional component of self-pride mentally as I felt proud of myself for accomplishing something. It felt like I could do anything for those few minutes. This feeling helped me pull through the rest of the week despite the physical exertion.

2nd Week:

This week was very exciting and fun. I started out with completing 3 laps, and ended with my completion of 5 laps. I was very proud of my progress. It was getting a little hectic, and I missed out on one day. But I managed to get back on track and complete my practice. One additional thing that I learnt during this week was the importance of reflection. To elaborate, I would sometimes over exert myself during the sessions, and this would cause injuries that would take multiple days to recover from. Although it is important to push one’s self during a workout, I learnt that there is no fixed path or framework that anyone can follow. All training must be personalized based on the individual, and it is important to listen to one’s own body. I started to ease myself the following day if I felt a little strained, and then picked up the next day.

5th Week:

At the end of the 5th week, I am writing this entry to sum up my overall experience and reflection. I am now able to complete 15K and am nearing my goal. I will continue my practice and effort for the sake of my health and to reach my goal of participating in a marathon. The most important thing that I have come to realize is the skill of Reflection that I have acquired. I have started to assess my performance and activity after every session to understand where I stand. This has helped me to prepare effectively for the following day and adapt my schedule. Doing this has improved my productivity in general and set better targets for my running.