2104 Warsaw Half

Off to a good start through the old town of Warsaw

My surprising transformation into a runner happened after completing the 2012 Warsaw Half Marathon.  Trotting across the finish line two hours and seven minutes after I started the race, I felt like I had achieved something really significant.  I was tired.  I remember passengers hearing my sighs on the tram after the race.  I remember my knees hurting as I slowly edged down the stairs to the metro.  I remember coming home with my first medal and feeling hungry.   This was the race that introduced me to running.  Despite being tired on that day, after running the Warsaw Half, I immediately knew that I was ready for more.

One of our pre-race traditions, the WITC photo

pushing on through close to 20k

Fast forward two years, and the Warsaw Half has come and gone again.   Like most of the Warsaw Halfs (with the exception of last year’s frigid temperatures) the weather was nice and there were plenty of supportive fans to cheer me on.  What was different this time though is that I crossed the finish line with a time of 1:34:52—more than 30 minutes faster than in 2012.   Instead of taking the race slowly, I really pushed myself and carried on with a pace of about 4:35/km. Also, I had my gang of runners from Warsaw International Club (WITC) to run with.  It’s always good to have friends to run with.  Anyway, the half marathon is always a fun way to get ready for the full marathons that are starting up in the coming weeks and months in 2014.   Go to the Warsaw Half  Marathon video here.