Ran a Marathon without any Practice
Written on: 19th May 2025
Not flexing, but this week… I ran my first ever half marathon.
That’s 21.5 km. On foot. Non-stop. And no, I wasn’t a runner before this. In fact, the first 10k I ever ran in my life? It was this Monday.
So yes, the body is sore. But the mind? It’s clearer than ever. Which is why I want to talk about this.
Hence today it isn’t about productivity, learning, or systems. It’s about why every person should live like an athlete at least once in their life.
Before we start a special thanks to my friends Nalin and Vene to drive me there and stay until the end you guys are awesome.
Life Update
(Any update I share today is nothing before this one, so here it is)
Just completed my first half Marathon for some context Monday 12th May I ran first 10k of my life and then yesterday 18th May running a 21.5k on a hilly terrain I feel the highlight.
But there’s another win too, winning on the content side with my content reaching really big names and them commenting that you’re doing great is in itself a big achievement and a huge influx of opportunities.
A living proof that you can achieve
anything you put your mind to
There’s something about Athlete Life
It’s Not Just About the Body
Gym training and lifting weights are cool. But when you commit to a sport whether it’s running, MMA, kickboxing, or swimming something shifts. You stop seeing your body as just a shape to improve. You start respecting it.
You start fuelling it better. You track your sleep. You say no to junk. Not because a YouTuber (You see what I did there XD) told you to but because your body starts demanding more from you. Better sleep, better food, extra nutrients and then there’s a benefit to it. Because of course these foods and nutrients don’t come cheap. So, now you have no choice but to figure out a way to increase your earning potential so that you can fuel yourself, not a fancy watch, not a car either but your own body.
And here’s the best part it compounds. When you start respecting your body, you respect your time, your energy, your routines. You earn more, eat better, and suddenly… life feels lighter. Living like an athlete changed the way I show up in everything. And running this half marathon proved that to me.
Ate this whole thing
Marathon Experience
I had never planned to do this. Last year, I was doing kickboxing. But I quit.
This year, I said okay, let’s take up some athletic activity that is easy and frictionless and hence picked up running. Which I wasn’t consistent about.
So on Monday 12th May, I did 10k. My first ever. And on Sunday, I did this half marathon. The goal was just to finish it. That’s it. No time limits no pacing goals. Just hit the finish line.
First 6km smooth. No issues. But around the 7–11km mark, I started losing feeling in my legs. The blood wasn’t flowing. Every step felt mechanical. I wanted to stop. At the 10k point, I told one of the organizers, “I think I’ll quit. I’ve done half of it, maybe that’s enough.” The girl said, “You’re doing great. Don’t quit now. Keep going. I mean you can quit but did you come here for that? Just finish.”
And that one conversation changed everything.
It reminded me why I was there. I wasn’t chasing a medal. I wasn’t chasing time.
I was chasing completion. Just wanted to get that title of running a half marathon. And sometimes in life we forget why are we chasing this goal in the first place and then we feel unmotivated.\
Like for eg: Yeah there are 1000 things I can name that will go wrong in your moving abroad journey but the end goal you will have a home set up from scratch on your terms by your own sweat, hardships, tears and sometimes blood ;p
Once that shift happens all the pain just goes away.
The Emotional Burst
Around the 16–18km stretch, something strange happened. I started laughing. Out of nowhere. No AirPods, no music. Just me full belly laughs. Then I started crying. Again, out of nowhere. Laughing and crying. At the same time.
And I don’t know why exactly.
Maybe it was the overwhelm.
Maybe it was the mental release.
Maybe it was my body saying “Look at you, bro. From the couch to 18km. Who would’ve thought?”
Whatever it was, it cracked something open inside me. I felt my own emotions raw while running in silence just with the sound of my breathe, and my feet landing on the road. That’s some crazy meditation shit isn’t it?
The Final Push
At around the 20km mark, I was done. My legs were begging me to stop. That’s when a fellow runner who had already finished her race ran backwards to find me. She said, “Come on. I’ll run along with you. You’ve come this far. Just don’t stop now.” She stuck with me through the final 1.5km.
That’s community.
That’s what sport does to people.
It brings out your humanity. And it shows you what your inner voice could sound like if it was kinder.
Why You Should Try This Too
Crossing that finish line… I can’t put it in words. The whole town was cheering. My friends were filming. My parents were proud. But the best part? I was proud of myself. Not for the medal. But for keeping a promise I made to myself. For becoming a version of me I never thought I could become.
If you’ve never done something like this do it once. Not for the six-pack. Not for Instagram. But because it will reintroduce you to yourself. You’ll find new levels of patience, grit, and vulnerability. And you’ll learn that your body can do a lot more than your mind tells you.
So yeah, this wasn’t about pace or performance. It was about trusting myself to finish. And I did (well I mean not at the half point).
Not sure if this convinces you to try something athletic but if it does, I’d love to know what sport or challenge you’re thinking of. Just hit reply and let’s talk
If you’ve read till here, thank you.
Whenever you’re ready, here are some ways I can help you:
Moving abroad Consultation: If moving abroad is on your mind and you’re confused should you be taking that leap or need help with SOP tips, Loan payoff strategy. Then just book a 1:1 call with me and we can figure out things together with the WADM.
Quick Chat: If you are already abroad and facing issues with managing time, not knowing how to find a job, optimise LinkedIn, Resume or even write cold DMs. Then you can book a shorter duration call where we can have a discussion with actionable steps at the end of the call.
If you’re struggling to land a job, then you should watch this video where I talk about how I got hired before graduation (not via Linkedin)
See you next Sunday!