Hello! Launching a new section of my blog called “life in my twenties” where I’ll talk about milestones and achievements, self-care and mental health, and other topics that involve navigating life in your twenties.

On May 7th, 2023, I ran my first half-marathon in Pittsburgh. Those who know me know that completing a half-marathon has been on my bucket list for a while now. I have been a runner since middle school, and the love-hate relationship with running dates back to 2011.

Running is largely a mental sport — meaning that it requires more mental strength than physical strength to perform. Anybody can run, but it requires immense self-motivation, discipline, and control to train for a 13.1-mile race. My training started in Tampa and the hot, humid weather even in February was difficult to run in. I would finish a full day of rotation at the local cancer center and then drive over to Bayshore Boulevard to run upwards of 8 miles. Looking back, I’m not sure how or why I did this — it takes immense emotional maturity and mental capacity to care for cancer patients and then train for a half-marathon afterward.

Training got better when I returned to Pittsburgh, with cooler weather and my support system by my side. There were a lot of ups and downs, but I felt prepared by the time May rolled around.

On the day of the half, I gave it my all and finished at 1:48:29 at a pace of 8:17 min/mile. Not bad for my first one. It was surreal running through all the places in the city that held memories– from the apartments I used to live in junior and senior year to the Asian grocery store I frequent every other week. My friends were stationed at various places along the course– The Strip, North Shore, Southside, and Downtown and it felt amazing to have such a great support system. After the half, we celebrated with brunch and a nap.