13 miles.

The more I thought about it, the scarier that number became. Up to this point, I hadn’t run more than 10 consecutive miles, and that was back in August. Months later, I was about to run my first-ever half marathon, and I was filled with a mix of fear and excitement.

I signed up for the Cambridge Half Marathon over the summer while I had the time and energy to run almost every day. But as the fall semester progressed (and as the weather got colder), I found it increasingly difficult to train. Despite this, I was determined to show up on race day and give it my best.

I woke up at 5 AM sharp. The sky was still pitch black, but I had to get ready fast. 30 minutes later, I jogged to the Malkin Athletic Center, where my friends and I called an Uber. On the car ride there, we were talking about everything—our training regimens, race-day tips, and even plans to celebrate afterwards. All the while, I was curating the perfect Spotify playlist (mostly high-tempo pop songs)!

We arrived at Cambridgeside as the sun started to rise. The nerves were starting to kick in; I could feel myself shaking. Now, it may have been the fact that it was 40 degrees Fahrenheit. But I was also just incredibly excited; race day is always fun, and this was all starting to feel real.

The start of the race was pretty anticlimactic, though—my friends and I were late to the starting line since we had to wait for the bathroom. But after we were done, we saw a crowd of runners, wished each other good luck, and headed off. It was a slow pace at first, I remember. There wasn’t very much space, and we were just marching toward the starting line. But then the walking became jogging, and my playlist started to take effect. It was official when I set my Apple Watch to an “Outdoor Run.”

Somewhere, somehow, I started actually running. The exact details are fuzzy; I just remember it was a good pace for the first few miles. But during mile 4, my foot started to hurt, which was unfortunate. I knew I had to slow down a bit, but I still wanted to enjoy the race. Eventually, I found a good groove, and everything felt solid.

Miles 8 through 10, I felt on top of the world. A rush of energy hit me, and it was also the part of the race that took us along Harvard’s campus! I vividly remember seeing some friends as I ran past Winthrop House. This was, by far, my favorite part of the race. Afterwards, though, it was admittedly more difficult. My hand-held water bottle ran dry, so I was just waiting for the next hydration station. Thankfully, it came with some Powerade, and by Mile 12, I knew I could finish. The end was in sight. I ran the fastest I probably ever ran as I saw the crowd of people cheering. Nothing could stop me.

I crossed the finish line with an indescribable feeling. I remember it felt like the world slowed down. I was dizzy, confused, and incredibly grateful. I was also very, very hungry. I ate all the free food that was given out, and I also bought myself victory sushi (thankfully, the end of the race was at Cambridgeside, a mall)!

All in all, this was an incredibly rewarding experience. I definitely want to run the Cambridge Half again next year… and who knows? Maybe one day I’ll be back after running my first-ever full marathon!