On every Monday we used to have pretty nice conversations about our weekend activities. As we shared the same interests relating to sports, he inspired me to train for a half marathon in Heilbronn. Due to COVID, the event got canceled. And my internship ended by then. After my internship, I was back to Kaiserslautern, I decided to train for a Half marathon.

As I was training, I had to face many injuries. With help of massage kits and a few cool running tips from my supervisor, I could stick to my plan. I and my friend Ayoub registered for the Franklin half marathon event at Mannheim.

D day: Unplanned warm-up!!! We woke up late and had to catch a train to Mannheim. We had no other choice but to run from Kurtschumacher Strasse to Kaiserslautern Hbf. Even weather wanted to take a toll on us. It was freaking 2 degrees that morning. We were quick and could catch the train well in time. We were so much into a conversation that we forgot to get down at the stop we were supposed to. Well, but then we got on to the next train and managed to come back to the right station.

With all the drama happening, we just decided to grab a cup of coffee to chill a little. It was perfect! Everything was set.

We just reached the event place. Everyone there was just so happy and welcoming. The vibe was different with nice music. We got our bibs and dressed up for the show. As it was not that cold by the midday we decided not to wear sleeves.

People participating in the 10K run got started a little earlier than us. We just got an idea about how it is going to be. Before we went on to the race track we danced for a while with a few other crazy runners there. And then our time has come. We were happy and excited AF. This being my first half marathon I had mixed emotions — Excited, Anxious, and Happy. I just told myself that I will give my best.

As the race began, it was feeling damn good to experience. Especially people cheering and clapping for you. It was just an adrenaline booster. I kept my pace and tracked my cadence. The track was very well designed. It covered all through the city, parks, forests, lakes, and construction sites. Energy points were offering Electrolyte, bananas, and water after every 5 km. The 21 St Km was the best feeling. The best part was as the runner approaches the final stretch, his name and photo are automatically displayed on the big screen. All the people standing near to the finish line were holding posters and cheering for every finisher shouting their names. I could complete the race in 2 hours and 10 minutes and my friend Ayoub did it in 1 hour 50 minutes.

With these experiences, I am inspired and looking forward to many more half marathons to come and training for a marathon next year