Pace and Grace

On October 12, I crossed the finish line of my first official half marathon — in beautiful Cracow.

It still feels surreal to say that.

Before the race, I was a bundle of nerves and excitement. I’d read every blog post and asked every running friend for advice, so I felt prepared — at least on paper. Physically, I was in good shape. Not perfect — a few restless nights before the race didn’t help — but good enough to feel confident.

My fueling was simple: eat well, nothing fancy, just a little more carbs than usual.

On race morning, I woke up early, had breakfast, and headed to the start line.

There were thousands of runners, and the energy was incredible. The moment I stepped into the crowd, all my worries disappeared. My friends and husband were there cheering for me, and that alone gave me a huge boost.

The start was scheduled for 10, but since I was in the last wave, it took me another 30 minutes to actually cross the line. The weather wasn’t perfect — about 13°C, cloudy — but it was good enough. At that point, nothing could ruin my excitement.

My plan was simple: start easy for the first two kilometers, then settle into a steady rhythm until halfway. If I felt strong, I’d push a bit more, and in the last few kilometers, give it everything I had.

The first half went so smoothly that I almost didn’t believe it. I felt strong, steady, and genuinely happy. And running through Cracow definitely helped — the city was stunning. Passing by its historic streets and lively crowds distracted me from thinking about how hard it actually was to run. The beauty around me made every kilometer feel lighter.

But as we all know, races have their own plans. Around the middle of the course, I started feeling the kind of discomfort every woman dreads on race day. Not ideal timing, but I decided to keep going. From kilometer 14, it became more of a mental challenge than a physical one. I just kept telling myself: keep moving, one step at a time.

Somehow, it worked. I didn’t manage to speed up at the end, but I held my pace and crossed the finish line smiling.

My official time: 2 hours 20 minutes.

Six months ago, I couldn’t even imagine running that far, let alone racing it. But here I am — I finished my first half marathon.

And I did it well.